it to be used for, sir?”
“I think they’re going to be using it to level a building site. I heard talk that they’re building a big courtroom and are going to put the former guards on trial.” He motioned me up to the seat and climbed in beside me. Clucking at the horses, he snapped the reins and off we went, slowly but toward the gate, the slow hoofbeats muffled in the dusty road.
As we passed my tent I saw Mendel and the Rabbi seated on boxes outside. They rose as the wagon passed. Mendel started to raise a hand but the Rabbi restrained him. I just nodded at them. I think the Rabbi guessed where we were heading and why. He must have known of my relationship with Hans. Most of the prisoners from Kefferstadt did.
At the gate to the Nazi camp, the guards questioned Private Canfield, asked who I was and where we were going. He replied that I was just a civilian helper. They let us in and locked the gate behind us. Two guards followed behind.
All about were men in Nazi uniforms. My stomach tightened. Though I was now a free man, the sight of those arrogant, terrible men still made me fear for my life. We came to the building site and stopped at one end. Men were waiting. I climbed down with Private Harry and sat in the shade. Two Nazi privates climbed into the wagon and slowly started slinging shovels full of the black dirt into a depression near the rear of the partially completed building.
Though I kept my head down, I looked at each prisoner carefully. No Hans. I stood and stretched. As I started toward the opposite end of the building, Private Canfield shouted, “Stay close, Herschel. Don’t leave my sight.”
I smiled and waved, “I will not go far, sir.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets and strolled on. As I came to a doorway, a man came out and nearly bumped into me. I instinctively reached my hands out and gripped his arms. It was Hans.
His eyes grew wide and he gasped, “Herschel!” What…?”
“Shhh,” I whispered, shoving him roughly back into the doorway. Inside the room, we hugged each other briefly. After these months and the long rides, now I had found him, my friend, my brother.
“Where are you now, Herschel? How did you find me?” Tears were streaming down his face as he clutched my arms. “They mean to hang us.” He hung his head down, not looking me in the eye.
“Then we have to get you out of here.”
“Escape?” He asked.
“Yes.” I gripped his upper arms again. “I’ve been thinking about this day. You have to get out with as many of the other guards as you can. They will cause a diversion. When they run away, you must run for our camp.”
“Your camp? Then you are at the DP camp across the road?”
“Yes. I am in a tent with two friends, a one-legged boy named Mendel and Reb Horowitz from Kefferstadt. Can you get out of here?”
“I do not know. I will try. When?”
I thought. “Two nights. It is a quarter moon and will be dark. Come to the fence on the west side of our camp about one hundred meters from the corner by the street. I’ll be waiting there near midnight.”
“Yes,” he said again. “I will be there.” Then Hans pushed me hard out through the door.
I stumbled out the door and would have fallen, but Private Canfield caught me. He glared at Hans and then helped me back to the wagon.
I heard Hans curse me in German. I almost laughed, covering it with a cough. Canfield helped me up into the now empty wagon.
“I told you to stay where I could see you. Do you know what these Nazis did for the last few years? They were guards at the death camps.” He went on without waiting for an answer from me. “The rumor mill says that this building is going to be a courtroom. That end,” he pointed to where we had dropped the dirt,” is where we will hang the lot of them.”
“Yes, I understand, sir. I am sorry.” The wagon was empty now and the two American guards with weapons stood beside it.
Private Harry motioned the horses and wagon forward and
“I think they’re going to be using it to level a building site. I heard talk that they’re building a big courtroom and are going to put the former guards on trial.” He motioned me up to the seat and climbed in beside me. Clucking at the horses, he snapped the reins and off we went, slowly but toward the gate, the slow hoofbeats muffled in the dusty road.
As we passed my tent I saw Mendel and the Rabbi seated on boxes outside. They rose as the wagon passed. Mendel started to raise a hand but the Rabbi restrained him. I just nodded at them. I think the Rabbi guessed where we were heading and why. He must have known of my relationship with Hans. Most of the prisoners from Kefferstadt did.
At the gate to the Nazi camp, the guards questioned Private Canfield, asked who I was and where we were going. He replied that I was just a civilian helper. They let us in and locked the gate behind us. Two guards followed behind.
All about were men in Nazi uniforms. My stomach tightened. Though I was now a free man, the sight of those arrogant, terrible men still made me fear for my life. We came to the building site and stopped at one end. Men were waiting. I climbed down with Private Harry and sat in the shade. Two Nazi privates climbed into the wagon and slowly started slinging shovels full of the black dirt into a depression near the rear of the partially completed building.
Though I kept my head down, I looked at each prisoner carefully. No Hans. I stood and stretched. As I started toward the opposite end of the building, Private Canfield shouted, “Stay close, Herschel. Don’t leave my sight.”
I smiled and waved, “I will not go far, sir.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets and strolled on. As I came to a doorway, a man came out and nearly bumped into me. I instinctively reached my hands out and gripped his arms. It was Hans.
His eyes grew wide and he gasped, “Herschel!” What…?”
“Shhh,” I whispered, shoving him roughly back into the doorway. Inside the room, we hugged each other briefly. After these months and the long rides, now I had found him, my friend, my brother.
“Where are you now, Herschel? How did you find me?” Tears were streaming down his face as he clutched my arms. “They mean to hang us.” He hung his head down, not looking me in the eye.
“Then we have to get you out of here.”
“Escape?” He asked.
“Yes.” I gripped his upper arms again. “I’ve been thinking about this day. You have to get out with as many of the other guards as you can. They will cause a diversion. When they run away, you must run for our camp.”
“Your camp? Then you are at the DP camp across the road?”
“Yes. I am in a tent with two friends, a one-legged boy named Mendel and Reb Horowitz from Kefferstadt. Can you get out of here?”
“I do not know. I will try. When?”
I thought. “Two nights. It is a quarter moon and will be dark. Come to the fence on the west side of our camp about one hundred meters from the corner by the street. I’ll be waiting there near midnight.”
“Yes,” he said again. “I will be there.” Then Hans pushed me hard out through the door.
I stumbled out the door and would have fallen, but Private Canfield caught me. He glared at Hans and then helped me back to the wagon.
I heard Hans curse me in German. I almost laughed, covering it with a cough. Canfield helped me up into the now empty wagon.
“I told you to stay where I could see you. Do you know what these Nazis did for the last few years? They were guards at the death camps.” He went on without waiting for an answer from me. “The rumor mill says that this building is going to be a courtroom. That end,” he pointed to where we had dropped the dirt,” is where we will hang the lot of them.”
“Yes, I understand, sir. I am sorry.” The wagon was empty now and the two American guards with weapons stood beside it.
Private Harry motioned the horses and wagon forward and
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