As the company started to move out, someone put Hubert and me on
the back of a wagon loaded with ammunition. Mami walked behind us. She
was pulling the now empty sled. We did not make much progress. Our caravan
moved slowly. The horses strained. The loads they had to pull were far
too heavy. We heard a wrenching noise. Our wagon tilted. The axle broke.
The driver of our wagon flagged down the others. The officer responsible
for the supply movement told our driver that he couldn't wait. He had to
go on. "See if you can't get another wagon somewhere. We need the ammunition
you are hauling. Maybe you can catch up with us later. Be careful, the
Russians are everywhere."
Our driver unhitched the horses. "You stay here with the wagon. I'll
be back with another one as soon as I can. My parents have a farm only
a few kilometers from here. I am going to try and get there. "Here, take
the horse blankets, or you might freeze." It was so
terribly cold. Mami and I pushed some boxes off the wagon. We created a
small shelter. Mami climbed on the wagon and the three of us huddled together,
sharing the horse blankets. Every time we heard a noise or rustle we thought
the Russians had found us. We waited one hour. Where was our soldier? We
waited two hours. Did our driver forget about us? We waited three hours.
Did the Russians capture him? Finally, towards dawn, we heard horses neighing.
It was our soldier. He brought a fresh team of horses and a sturdier and
larger wagon than the one that had broken down. We helped him transfer
the ammunition...........
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