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THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 1958.
Terror in the snow
HY-Y!! The long, quavering, agonised
cry splintered the Siberian silonco and
the darkness,
I cowered in terror over my spluttering wood fire in that frozen waste. As the unearthly sound died away my body remained numb,
If I heard that cry to lay in broad daylight it would make me shiver. But at that bleak, bluck moment could not even tremble. I was petrifial.
For I was near the end of my tether. The date must have been about November 30, 1949, and only a month earlier I had escaped from a Russian slave,camp.
I was a Gernian paratrooper, and because I had been captured behind the Russian lines I had been sentenced to 25 years for sabotage.
For three years I had slaved in a lead mine on the tip of Cape East, where Siberin spills into the Behring Sea.
I slaved, ate and slept in The rider looked at me น that lead mine until it last 1 talld surprise, He spoke bin could stand 11 210 longer, straugs, high-pitched Ingunge and
the .even
Tut desperate courts't gamble of esenţe seemed pre- obviously he was asking what ferable to The hell of Buy bonied Marecrow like me was duing: ja the Siberian wastes. existener.
So I broke away, turned are fate to the west--and began to walk.
I was obsessed with one alin.
2 matter how fantastic that
rm might now sound,
One
understand.
More rebidere sidled up. A younger man dismounted fram
of them and began crackling away in his own language to his companion, watching me all the time.
I had vowed that I would Desperation drave me, to say walk to Germany-2,000 miles something-anything!
HWAY.
¿
"Lank, frien€ls," I stuttered
W
MONGOLIA
IRAN AFGHANISTAN
CHINA
【\JHEN Clemens Forell, a coptured German paratrooper, said he had escaped from a Siberian slave mine and walked 8,000 miles home no one believed him.
☆
H'S
IJIS amazing claim was checked and found to be true. This map traces his in- credible journey—and the bread arrow points to the river he crossed with the help of Russians bribed by the reindeer men.
Suddenly I knew that the reindeer en wero extending lo me their own, simple code of loyalties,
They had sheltered me, I had accepted their hospitalliy
Now I was one of them and, at such, I was a brother la distress,
·
Moreover,
because I q$ it German prisoner, was a dangor- ous "cargo." Lastmal must have puld heavlly,
Next morning, half an hour before down, I said good-bye to Lautma!..
With one of the Russians I slipped from the village, Wo marched octors open country until we came to a river-the River Anodyr-and silthered deroes the fee that covered it.
The Russian stopped and said: "That will cost you 200 roubles,"
I had been given some roubles by the man who had made my escape possible--by Dr Heinz physician, Bluuffer, a Germon
I
who had kept us alive in tho leud nine. Neither he nor know whether they were worth anything,
At that bleak, block moment I could not oven tromble. I was patrified. Tha hideous, half-human howl stilled my blood, 9
The tobacco me all the time.
Anastas and Grigori had gong body by the shoulders and seemed to sway them, for they off hunting. I had wandered off propped it up against a mound,
on a short agreed to take me.
expendition of my of snow. Own. And then I heard a shot.
just in time to see Semyon dis
I rushed back to the sledges— appearing in a flurry of snow, driving the big one,"
I peeled off 200 from the small wad which had been conqualing my pocket. The Russian pocketed them, seemed about to wicked-looking "don't but only in the sense that a and That nicht as I crouched over huddieron ly in German,
Siberian ask for more, and left me. His tribe of Indians might be said knife.
well-paki job had been done. You my camp fire and heard that 40's have any trouble.
of the United
For days I pushed on, always terrible, long-drawn arreech your way and P o mine
be citizens
Then he began building up west. It was the middle of Biates in the early days of the the fire. Gingerly I buuled out March, 1950, when I came across ing rett and opun downstream. through the blackness behind
"Larok," Burbled ou not frontier period. my Are. Some 000 miles lay
Paring now.
a German
my store of precious tobacco further signs of life huddle Nobody spoke to me. but tween
and the
prisourcuf-war. ... Kriegsge- These rejudeer dealers for wid offered some to them. of tents jülting from the snow. had travelled, most of the day, drivers or that prison calma,
Bene
Vicuna penny." that, was their "trade"--were They were delighted. The Before I had met Lautmai And ahead their stretched the
Now it was out. I had fold wholly nomadle.
They had no young one-his name was Laat- and his friends I would have Anastes flicked the crazy lilo craft to the bank and Wo whole wat
like frost climbed ashore. continent of Russ the the triuh, Arst in Ger- permanent Willement but spent inni-grabbed my wrist with o Lafore i could reach my home.
man, then in Busslan In a iheir lives rooming the great grin. The older man-he sald bite. Now I went straight to way It was a retief, although Siberian plains, turning In most he was Pehtuk-slapped me on them-and my new judgment knew it could cost me my Mc, of their skins to the State pur the knee,
was right.
יות
HIDEOUS HOWL
...
avaldad those tenta
We climbed on to the plung-
After wo
The three vagabonds lay and watched me while I set up comp
'I WALKED 8,000 MILES TO FREEDOM'
Ty-yyi-vi. The hideous howl. hall-human af half- animal, stilled my blood again
Now, in the left, there com n answering bowl. And sud- denly beard a thriesting, shift- The movement among the frees Banking my tre. It was as if a hundred strange eventures of the
wild were closing in upon me,
For And then 1 sereanted. suddenly saw a face, a huge Fare, Mingy and gaunt, gazing But, as any Briggers closed round
at me from the shadows,
I watched, hyprialized. The face moved chiler, its big eyes were unblinking.
I watched their yellow Mon- chasers but also conducting a
gal facus as I std my band deep brisk under-the-counter business
it to my pocket for the pistol I with the settlement outposts. had snugded from the cump.
the bath, to my amazement
saw the younger man beam.
I
He pushegl forward & skin of ghtly streiched leather.
Soviet Communiam meant us.little to them 28 George *Washington
He Closer and
closer it came until at lost it was within the light of the fire,
And them raw a night "2 weird that my four faded, in wonder,
I had bevn gasiner into the eyes of a reinteer. And, sillag astride the animal, was a mund. They were the first Hving eren tures tine) scen since ni
CAJA
wie, offering me a drink. He was necepting me!
H
My hand moved from the gun, I took the guard and drank. contained milk-warm reindeer milk.
These mp, I learned later. wete not Russians in the strict anse of the word.
Of course, they were techni- cally citizens of the U.S.S.R.
National, TRANSISTOR
By Clemens Forell
And then they helped me
democracy build my sheller for the night, meant to the Delaware Indians, roaring with laughter at my own From that very first moment crude "efforts to protect myself of meeting, these men were from a Siberian winter. <riendly,
But in spite of their friendül- Their high-pitcheri, curious ness, I stopt uneasily that night,, dialect was not Russian. It was Pertinps they were playing a their own tribat language. game with me,
When I had refreshed myself from the leader's milk gourd, the young man lopped some branches off a tree with a long
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LONG KNIVES Perhaps they were just walt- ing to sit my throat with those long knives, waiting to sell my head to the nearest Russians,
—
An elderly man-immo-
and got a fre going. I cooked o ml, using my own food and any three new guides ate noisily, Bill nobody spoke to me.
At last they Anished. Anastas diately I named him tite Tear dropped: "Tobacco Hurry up!"
to meet out
me. I put out all I had left- Quite calmly he told me that which was barely enough to last he had been expecting me.
them a week. I even put down Somehow Lnaimai, by, some paper and they rolled
from weird bush telegraph system, selves. cigarettes
sond had managed to
word craps. about me Leross those barren, frozon miles!
them-
iko
I watched him reload his aim it rifle, step back a few paces (and at the shalløred head, It took me a second to realise what he was going to do,
"Grigori-stop!" I screamed.
"This is none of your busi
German. You'd better
The small
#till Gledge was there. But the reindeer which drew it was dead. Semyon find made sure that nobody would ness, follow him and he had taken slay where you ora." Grigori's hatiersack, with lig nugget of gold.
.
In fact, he had left us to die,
for we had only the clothes we wore, the guns we carried and fred,
GOLD DUST
Ils valce
And
was harsh. he
was smiling the ummunition that remained. when he came back 10 me. Wo sit the reindeer harness into Casually be told me how he had thongs and bound saplings to- rubbed the dead Anastas, too, taking his share of the gold dust other in make snow shoes.
He equinted at me.. "I have theo shares now," he said "Would you like to give me juurs and make it a fourth?"
I shook my head, shrugged. "Keep it," sakl "You" camed it. But I must trouble you for your rucksack.”
Grigorl
And then we began to walk they had won from the river. blindly to anywhere we might find food and shelter. There was murder in the eyes of cold Grigori and Anastas.
There was fear, too, fear of Semyon. He was mobile with his sledge.
NO FIRE
I looked into the barrel of "You know how to
He had food and light a
plenty of his rifle, Slowly I took off my If he found us rucksack and handed it to him. fire and you almost know how ammunition,
What he would kill up---of that wo Walching me closely, ho I stayed with the Tear and his cook," said Anastas,
fumbled through it and took can you do? Can you were certain,
cut a short, fat object, about friends until the end of April, else when the snows around the tents shoot?"
For the first four were beginning to wilt. Then
the size of a child's slipper. he said to me: "Come, German- cut-throats.
I had had enough from these Arnsias refused even to light a
HMY nuggel," he said softly, "No worse than fre in case the smoke betrayed ski, Wo'll take a walk."
our position, On the fifth day "Semyon didn't know I hud you regues," 1 growled,
we found the thin tracks of skla. tw.nsferred. it to your bag for of them.
They leapt at meali threo
safe keeping. You didn't know But I leaped moro Immediately the other two you'd been carry the round quickly. I faced them coldly, churned off. On and on they lump of gold for the past week, my gun in my hard, my finger plunged, sometimes up to their did-you? on the trigger, and they size, waists in snow, their rifles held
high above their heads. Gently Anastas sald: "Would watched them cynically &S that be a pletel, by any chance? ambled in their wake. And would it be loaded?"
I need not have worried. I Thot walk lasted several days, stayed with the reindeer men with the pair of us wearing full not just for a night, but for more kit. At just we came to a river than four months through the ant the old man camped on its vielous winter of 1949-50.
banks.
They taught me the secrets of
wasteland,
survival in this stern Siberian How to hunt, now to cook, how to fond for myself
Inn land where nature showed no mercy,
On the fourth day he begame restless, as if he sensed some thing was going to happen. As usual he was right,
Just as gently I asked: "Shall Down the river on a raft 1 pull the trigger?" swirled three of the roughest cut-thropis have ever seen.
"Put the damn thing away," he said curtly. "We're all pals,
Finally and even today this generosity sounds incredible- when they sped me on my way The raft, a crazy. water- aren't we?" after that long, black winter, logged affair, swerved to the they even pald a man to guide bank. The three men climbed
met
Laatmal organised that, He had to drive. a large frieght sledge to a vliligo further west and he brought me with him on the 10-day journey.
And, to my horror, in the village he introduced me quite openly, to two Russians!
ashore and greeted us laconi-
as if cally,
they had stepped off n bus.
RESPECT
Just.
Slowly I put the gun
All three were Russians, hol- low-oyed
and
emaciated, Anastas, Grigori and Semyon
bags in
of
days
"
"Can I see 1?" I said, and my
来吧 voice was shaking. nodded, handed over the nugget
They disappeared in a valley and raised the rite to my head.
Brow. And then, on
The surface of the ugget was hillock, 50 yards further. on, I
dirty.
I scratched it with my rull and lett a thin, gluming I saw him inc.
saw a man.
It was Semyon. raise his rifle.
My hard was beginning
I fell flat and to tremble with the weight of
heard a crask as the bullet the thing. struck A rock beside me,
Splinters scared late my leg.
away, But
I away
Was a
A MADMAN
Grigori said softly: "It woighs
I could
Semyon raised his rifle again. heard a yell from Anastas I knew we weren't pals.
on the right. A third I knew, too, that these men had me the murderer gol ready to about two and a half pounds."
All the time the rige never healthy respect for me now, fire,
But this time there That night Anastas told me their
WAVEZOU. shot to my loft. Semyon threw were their names. The Tar backgrounds,
up his urins and his face went
And I understood. began to unpack his
He had been sentenced to 20 bright scarlet. Then he toppled feel the germs of gold fever front of them. :
years for murdering his wife backwards.
myself already, I knew those I heard a yell of triumph and schoolboy stories were true. For a second I thought he Ho produced elghat dozen and her lover.. Grigori had got
Grigori, Hils of shot-gun cartridges 16 years for stealing State pro- saw
cap had Semyon had been sent come off and his long hair more rifle ammun- perty. Anastas nodded towards to gool for life for robbery. hung, matted round his face.
"Did you see ?" he shouted All three had. escaped after frantically. "Did you see how serving only a few years. They I fixed him?"
had betrayed me.
"You are boxes
a German," said one Russlan and even coldly. "What are you doing Lion. here?"
the handsome Amorienn ride the old man was carrying and 10 handed that over, too.
THEIR CODE
"I was sentenced to 20.
years...
17
"So.
"Precisely, he snapped, what are you doing here?"
"I escuped. I want to got home,"
"To Germany?" He raised his eyebrows. "You're mad, But tomorrow Pl take you on your way across the river."
"Hora," I growled, "tako it back."
Grigori lowered the rifo slowly, took the nugget,
were resigned to spending the "Whore's Anastas?" I yelled. wrapped it up and put it away In return the Russian gave rest of Their livesen hunted "He's dead." klm a leather pouch. It was men. And they were razor another word. amall, but it was heavy. It sharp in the art of survival. contained gold dust, panned laboriously from a river,
Casually the Tear said: "This man's a German. Will you put him on his way?"
They looked at me with laun- diced contempt in their oyes. "Sorry," said Anastas, who "we
I began to thank him. He seemed to be the leader, Interrupted roughly. "I'm not can't use him.”
They taught me that art. I slayed with them for a year- aycar o sparso and bitter that all but numbed the thought of hotne from my mind.
pounding
body.
And, without in an inside pocket under his Grigori went furs. For a while he ! eyeing towards Semyon's me elyly in allence, his head an one side, his eyes almost smiling.
When he found it, he lord off the Haversack and systematically robbed his dead comrade, going through overy, pocket of his rugged clothes. In fact, we got on well to- When he gether in that Tey wilderness that there was until the day we learned that stealing Grigori had a huge gald nugget
doing this for charity, you. "Look," said my friend, he he had stolen from the mind in know," he said, glancing signl="can" ko useful. He's a good, which he had been imprisoned. dcantly, at the beaming Lantmal, strong walker. Ho can shoot
Only then did I realise that And he's got tobɛeep."
After that dil comradeship Lastmai had actually bribed The Russians debated among vanished. It was Semyon who
themselves, ficking glances these med to hợp mẹ.
di made the first move.
FERDINAND
Then quite calmly he said: "You want it now, don't you?" I didn't answer. I know this man had gone edmpletely mod. And I knew he would kill mo satisfied sodner or later, if I di not klii nothing worth him first. That sugget had left, he gripped the sentenced one of us to death
seemed
NEXT WEEK
Grigori pushes me over a cliff and leaves me to die: wolves attack mo and I fall from a tros into the pack,
By Mik
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