The state herald., 1918-07-26
CHAPTER V-centlnusd.

CHAPTER N-contlnusd.
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When my "chummy enemy" first
started his conversation with me, the
German doctor In charge reprimanded
him for talking to me, but he paid no
attention to the doctor, showing that
some real Americanism had soaked
Into his system while he had been in
the q. 8. A / asked him one day what
he thought the German people would
do after the war; II he thought they
would make Germany q republic. and
much to my surprise he said very bit.
terly, IF had my way about 1t. I
would make her republic today and
hang the ID kaiser In the bar
gain" And yet he was considered an
excellent soldier. I concluded. how
ever. that he must have been q Ger
man socialist, though he never told me
90. On one occasion 1 asked him for
his name, but he said that I would
probably never see him again and 1t
didn't matter what his name was.
did not know whether he meant that
the Germans would starve me out. or
Just what was on his mind, for at that
time ! am sure he did not figure on
dying. The first two or three days
! was In the hospital thought surely
he would be up and gone long before
was, but blood poisoning set in
about that time. and Just few hours
before left for Courtrai he died.
One Of those days. while my wound
was still very troublesome. / was
given an apple; whether It was just to
torment me, knowing that ! could not
eat Il or whether for some other rea-
son, do not know. But anyway Q
German flying ofYicer there had several
In his pockets and gave me q nice one.
OF course there was no chance of my
eating It. % when the ofhcer had gone
and discovered this San Francisco
fellow looking at It rather longingly.
I picked II up. intending to toss It
over to him. But he shook his head
and said. IF this was San Francisco
l would take II, but I cannot take It
from you here" / was never able to
understand Just why he refused the
apple. for he was usually sociable and
a good fellow to talk to. but appar-
emily he could not forget that I was
his enemy. However. that did not stop
one Of the orderlies from eating the
apple.
One practice about the hospital i'm
pressed me particularly. That WINS,
II . German soldier did not stand
much chance Of recovering sufficiently
to take his place again In the war. the
doctors did not exert themselves to see
that b. got well. But II q man had
a faisiy good chance Of recovering and
they thought he might be Of some fur
ther use. everything that medical skill
could possibly do was done for him.
I don't know whether this was done
under orders or whether the doctors
Just followed their own inclinations
In such cases.
Ny teeth had been badly Jared up
from the shot, and hoped that might
have q chance to have them fixed
when ! reached Courtrni. the prison
where was TO be taken. So asked
the doctor II II would be possible for
~ to have this work done there, but
he very curtly told me that. although
there were several dentists Mt cour-
6si. they were busy enough liking the
tceth Of their own men without both.
srtng about mine. He also added that
J would not have to worry about my
teeth; that wouldn't be getting no
much food that they woulc 90 put out
Of commission by working overtime. I
wanted to tell him that from the way
things looked he would not be wear.
Ing his out very soon either.
Ny condition improved during the
ncxt two days. and on the fourth day
OF my captivity was well enough to
write q brief message TO my squad.
ron. reporting that was n prisoner Of
war and feeling finc." although. a. q
matter Of fact. was never 10 de-
pressed in my life. ! realized, how.
ever. that II the message reached my
comrades II would bs relsycd to my
mother In Momencs. H.. and I did not
want to worry her moro than was aD-
soiutsly necessary. Il was enough for
her to know that was = prisoner. She
did not have to know that I was
wounded.
had hopes that my message would
bs carried over tho lines and dropped
By one Of the German flying ofiiccrs.
That is courtesy which In usually
practicsd on both sides. I recalled
how patiently We had waited In our
nEdrome for news Of our mon who had
failed to Fsturu, and I could picture
my squadron spsculatinE on my fate
That In one Of the saddest thines
esansctsd with service In tho n. r. @
Hss Ssst esss nuch what happens q