om the ground; but more of this
later. Couldn't sleep last night. Had a fever and my brain
went on a spree, taking advantage of my helplessness. I just
lay in bed and watched it function. Besides, there was a
great artillery racket all night long. It appeared to be
coming from our sector, so you must have heard it as well.
This hospital is not very far back and we get the full
orchestral effect of heavy firing. The result is that I am
dead tired to-day. I believe I can sleep for a week.

They have given me a bed in the officers' ward--me, a
corporal. It is because I am an American, of course. Wish
there was some way of showing one's appreciation for so much
kindness. My neighbor on the left is a _chasseur_ captain. A
hand-grenade exploded in his face. He will go through life
horribly disfigured. An old padre, with two machine-gun
bullets in his hip, is on the other side. He is very
patient, but sometimes the pain is a little too much for
him. To a Frenchman, "Oh, la, la!" is an expression for
every conceivable kind of emotion. In the future it will
mean unbearable physical pain to me. Our orderlies are two
_poilus_, long past military age. They are as gentle and
thoughtful as the nurses themselves. One of them brought me
lemonade all night long. Worth while getting wounded just to
have something taste so good.

* * * * *

I meant to finish this letter a week ago, but haven't felt
up to it. Quite perky this morning, so I'll go on with the
tale of my "heroic combat." Only, first, tell me how that
absurd account of it got into the "Herald"? I hope Talbott
knows that I was not foolish enough to attack six Germans
single-handed. If he doesn't, please enlighten him. His
opinion of my common sense must be low enough, as it is.

We were to meet over S---- at three thousand metres, you
remember, and to cover the sector at five thousand until
dusk. I was late in getting away, and by the time I reached
the rendezvous you had all gone. There wasn't a chasse
machine in sight. I ought to have gone back to the balloons
as Talbott advised, but thought it would be easy to pick you
up later, so went on alone after I had got some height.
Crossed the lines at thirty-five hundred metres, and finally
got up