FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55  
56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   >>   >|  
ave to be free in order to do the work demanded of him. And he was willing to match his keen American wits against the heavy and slow-thinking guards who might stand watch over him. He soon reached the section where he was to work, and was set to felling trees to make corduroy roads over which guns and supplies could be brought up from the enemy's rear to the advanced lines. He had never done that kind of work, and at first the tremendous efforts demanded of him amounted to sheer physical torture. He was hounded on unceasingly under the jibes and threats of his brutal guards. Not half enough food was supplied, and he was forced to work for sixteen and eighteen hours on a stretch. But he had great reserves of youth and vitality to draw on, and he kept on doggedly, his brain alert, his eyes wide open, his heart courageous, looking for his opportunity. On the third night his opportunity came. CHAPTER VIII FRYING-PAN TO FIRE The third day of Tom's captivity had been more trying than the two that preceded it. A new piece of woodland had been ordered to be cleared and, as there was a scarcity of labor, Tom had been taxed to even a greater degree than usual. By the time night came, he was feeling utterly exhausted and ready to drop. But dusk brought him little relief, for he was told that he must keep on by lantern light until ten o'clock, before he would be permitted to stop. His troubles were aggravated by the fact that this afternoon a change of guards had brought him under the control of an especially brutal one who made his life a burden by abuse. His guard had ordered him into a thick part of the woods where the high underbrush cut them off from the sight of other working parties a hundred yards away. Here the German had seated himself comfortably on a fallen tree while he watched his prisoner toil, occasionally hurling a threat or epithet at him. The guard's watch was out of order, and he had borrowed a small clock from the mess room in order to know when the time came to report with his prisoner at quarters. He had placed the clock in the light of the lantern and kept looking at it frequently and yawning. It was plain that he would welcome the hour that released him from his monotonous duty. The night was warm and the guard's gun was heavy. He stood it against the tree, but within instant reach, and unbuckled his belt. In working around the tree, Tom's foot as though by a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55  
56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
guards
 

brought

 

brutal

 
working
 

prisoner

 
lantern
 

opportunity

 

ordered

 

demanded

 

burden


parties

 
hundred
 

underbrush

 

permitted

 

American

 

change

 

control

 

afternoon

 

troubles

 
aggravated

released

 

monotonous

 
frequently
 

yawning

 

unbuckled

 

instant

 

quarters

 
watched
 

occasionally

 
fallen

German

 

seated

 

comfortably

 

hurling

 
threat
 

report

 

epithet

 
borrowed
 

forced

 

sixteen


eighteen

 
supplied
 

felling

 

doggedly

 

vitality

 

stretch

 

reserves

 

threats

 

supplies

 

advanced