assing of the hours he gave
expression to one solitary cry--"For God's sake shoot me!" The wail,
uttered with parrot-like repetition and in a tone which bored into the
soul, stirred the prisoners within earshot in a strange manner. They
clapped their hands over their ears to shut out the awful sound, and
shut their eyes to prevent the revolting spectacle burning into their
brains. The man's face was livid: terror such as it is impossible to
describe was in his face; the unrelenting clutch of the rope wearing
into his throat caused the veins of his neck to stand out like ropes;
while streams of perspiration poured down his face. As he became weaker
and weaker and the rope ground deeper and deeper into his throat his
fights for breath became maniacal in their fury. Indeed, the revolting
sight so moved some of the prisoners that the tears welled to their
eyes, and it was only by digging their teeth into their lips that they
refrained from succumbing to their emotion.

Subsequently, whenever I mentioned a word about the tying-post or tree,
this Colonial would look round, with the unfathomable fear of a hunted
animal, his nerves would jump and twitch, and the saliva would form like
foam around his mouth. He remarked that he was willing to face any
punishment. But the tying post! An hour in the bonds of those ropes! He
shuddered and entreatingly prayed that if ever again he should be
threatened with this punishment one of the guards would shoot him, or
run him through with the bayonet. I really believe that, if this penalty
had been pronounced on this man a second time, he would have done
something so desperate as would have compelled summary and drastic
retaliation by force of arms.

Major Bach was methodical in his sentences to the tying-post. He drew up
a regular code and the offender was always given a sentence in
accordance with this schedule. The slightest offence brought a sentence
of two hours. Then in stages of two hours it rose to the maximum of
eight hours. I heard that one man had been tied up for twelve hours, but
as I did not actually witness the case I cannot vouch for its
particulars. The instances I have mentioned came before my notice and
can be corroborated by anyone who had the misfortune to be incarcerated
at Sennelager after the coming of Major Bach. But knowing as I do Major
Bach and his inhuman and ferocious ways, I am quite ready to believe
that he did sentence a man to twelve hours at the post. Cert