THE PRISONERS OF MAINZ [Illustration: THE DOOM OF YOUTH. [_Frontispiece._ ] THE PRISONERS OF MAINZ BY ALEC WAUGH AUTHOR OF “THE LOOM OF YOUTH,” “RESENTMENT POEMS,” ETC. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CAPTAIN R. T. ROUSSEL (P.O.W. MAINZ) LONDON CHAPMAN AND HALL, LTD. 1919 PRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY & SONS, LIMITED, BRUNSWICK ST., STAMFORD ST., S.E. I, AND BUNGAY, SUFFOLK. A BALLADE OF DEDICATION TO MY FELLOW-GEFANGENER A. H. CHANDLER _Fast locked within the citadel,_ _We’ve watched the hours of eight months fare_ _Slowly towards the evening bell,_ _And its cracked summons “clear the square.”_ _We’ve watched the stately barges bear_ _Seawards their teeming casks of wine,_ _As we sat in the alcove there,_ _Sipping the vintage of the Rhine._ _Ausgabe queues, we knew them well;_ _Those thin lines straggling out like hair,_ _Receding from an open cell,_ _And finishing, the Lord knows where;_ _And we have felt barbed wire tear_ _Our breeches’ loose and draggled twine;_ _But we’ve known hours less foul than fair,_ _Sipping the vintage of the Rhine._ _We could forget the sauerkraut smell,_ _Forget our weariness and share_ _The phantasies that flocked pell mell_ _About our unreal world; and there_ _Across the thick, smoke-laden air_ _Our loom of dreams was woven fine;_ _We tracked illusion to its lair,_ _Sipping the vintage of the Rhine._ ENVOI _Archie, we neither know nor care _What waits for you, what fate is mine. _This has been ours--to be friends there, _Sipping the vintage of the Rhine._ _A. W._ _Boulogne, December 4th, 1918._ CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE THE GREAT OFFENSIVE 1 CHAPTER II ON THE WAY TO THE RHINE 18 CHAPTER III KARLSRUHE AND MILTON HAYES 37 CHAPTER IV THE HUNGRY DAYS 46 CHAPTER V THE PITT LEAGUE 63 CHAPTER VI THE GERMAN ATTITUDE 91 CHAPTER VII PARCELS 100 CHAPTER VIII OUR GENERAL TREATMENT 116 CHAPTER IX