“Certainly not a very encouraging prospect,” answered Dave.
“Silence!” came the sharp command from the head of the column; and then followed some words in German to the soldiers who had the prisoners in charge. As a consequence Dave and a number of others received jabs from the soldiers’ gun-butts, and one poor fellow who made a slight resistance was promptly bowled over and stuck through the side with a bayonet.
It was not until well toward nightfall that the prisoners reached a small wire compound where they were herded together like so many sheep. This compound had been used by other prisoners before them, and was in anything but a clean or sanitary condition. They were thrust into the enclosure in the most brutal fashion, and told they would have to remain there until the next day.
“Don’t we get anything to eat?” questioned Dave in broken German. He was beginning to feel faint.
“Yes; you’ll get something in a little while,” was the reply.
All of the prisoners had, of course, been disarmed and searched, and many of their most valuable possessions had been taken from them. The compound was heavily guarded, so that escape was practically out of the question.
“It is nothing more than a big pig-pen!” was the way Oscar Davis expressed himself.
“Well, you didn’t expect to have it look like a New York City hotel, did you?” queried Dave, with a faint grin.
“They might at least treat us like human beings!”
“I agree with you there.”