s in!" and so
on.

We never knew what our tormentors wanted but supposed it to be a
systematic attempt to break our spirit and our nerve by the simple
expedient of habitually interfering with our sleep so that we would
become like the Russians. They were mostly utterly broken in spirit
and had the air of beaten dogs, so that they cringed and fawned to
their masters.

The least punishment meted out for the most trifling offense was three
days' cells. Some got ten years for refusing to work in munition and
steel factories, particularly British and Canadians.

There are large numbers of both who are to-day serving out sentences
of from eighteen months to ten years in the military fortresses of
Germany under circumstances of the greatest cruelty.

The so-called courts-martial were mockeries of trials. The culprit was
simply marched up to the orderly room, received his sentence and
marched away again. He was allowed no defence worthy of the name.

Some of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry were "warned" for work
in a munitions factory. When the time came around they were taken away
but refused to work and so they were knocked about quite a bit. One
was shot in the leg and another bayoneted through the hip, and all
were sent back to camp, where they were awarded six weeks in the
punishment camp, known as the strafe barracks.

This was a long hut in which were two rows of stools a few paces
apart. The _Raus_ blew for the culprits at five-thirty. At six they
were marched to the hut and made to sit down in two rows facing one
another, at attention--that is, body rigid, head thrown well back,
chest out, hands held stiffly at the sides and eyes straight to the
front--for two hours! Meanwhile the sentries marched up and down the
lane, watching for any relaxation or levity. If so much as a face was
pulled at a twinkling eye across the way, another day's strafing was
added to the penalty. At the end of the two hours one hour's rest was
allowed, during which the prisoners could walk about in the hut but
could not lie down! This continued all day until "Lights out." For six
weeks. No mail, parcels, writing or exercise was permitted the
prisoners during that time, and the already scanty rations were cut.

During good behavior we were allowed two post cards and two letters a
month, with nine lines to the former and thirteen to the page of the
latter. No more, no less. Each letter had four pages of the small,
private-letter