k a little
English.

Blood and clay were still caked on my face and hair; and my uniform
was sticky with blood and grime. Oh, how I wished I could take it off
and be put into clean clothes and a bed!

The man was taking off my boots:

"Dese very goot boots, yah?"

I assented in a whisper.

"You have dem give you, yah?"

"No," I whispered, "bought them myself."

"Where do you buy such goot boots?"

"London."

"Ah, yah. I thought you would not get such goot boots for nothings.
Look after dem well; we don't get goot boots like dat here."

I whispered to him:

"What is that noise?"

"Ah, it is a pity. Ze English zey have been firing ze long-range guns
here, big guns. Zay carry twenty-seven miles. Ve moved dis hospital
two times, yah."

The woman came up to my stretcher with a basin of soup. I shall never
forget that basin of soup. It was probably very ordinary soup, but
when I tasted the first spoonful I devoured it ravenously, for all
this time I had not realised that I was suffering from starvation. For
the past three days not an atom of food had passed my lips, and for
two days previous to that an occasional bite of bread and cheese was
my only ration. Even now I was not destined to receive the nourishment
my body craved for; for one basin of soup per day was all I received
during the remainder of that week.

Still grasping my bottle of water under my blanket, I was removed next
morning and placed in a freight truck with two others, one a sergeant
in the Guards, and the other a private in the ----, London Regiment.
We were locked in the truck, and kept there for many hours without
food or conveniences of any kind, and finally arrived at St. Quentin.

Some one removed the blanket from my face and examined my
shoulder-straps. I heard him say "Hauptmann," and after that I seemed
to be treated with some consideration.

I did not understand a single word of German, and the repetition of
this word puzzled me. It must have been some connection with my rank.
I would try it on the next person who came near me and see what
happened.

I had not long to wait, for by and by the stretchers were lifted and
we were carried into the hospital at St. Quentin. I was placed
alongside a large number of others, and the place created a very
unpleasant impression of the attention I was likely to receive.

The place seemed like Bedlam. All round me I heard the groans and
cries of the wounded. How long would I be left her