The Raymer enterprise., 1918-08-01
CHAPTER iv-continued.

-
When my .chummy enemy" first
started his conversation with me, the
herman 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 bis system while he had been In
Inc U. 8. A. asked him one day what
ne thought the German people would
10 after the war; II he thought they
would make Germany q republic. and
much to my surprise he said very bit
teriy. "If I had my way about 1t. l
would make her a republic today and
hang the ID kaiser In the bar.
gain" And yet he was considered an
excellent soldier. I concluded. how
aver. that he must have been a Ger
man socialist. though he never told me
30. On one occasion 1 asked him for
his name. but he said that I would
probably never see him again and II
didn't matter what his name was. l
lid not know whether he meant that
the Germans would starve me out, or
Just what was on his mind, for at that
dine | am sure he did not figure on
lying. The first two or three days
vas In the hospital thought surely
ne would be up and gone long before
[ vas, but blood poisoning set in
about that time. and Just a few hours
before l left for Courtrai he died.
One Of those days, while my wound
VAS still very troublesome, l was
given an apple; whether It was Just TO
torment me, knowing that I could not
sat 1t, or whether for some other rea-
son. | do not know. But anyway a
tierman flying officer there had several
in his pockets and gave me nice one.
Of course there was no chance of my
eating II, so when the officer had gone
and I discovered this San Francisco
Fellow looking at 1t rather longingly,
| picked 1t up, intending to toss It
over TO him. But he shook his head
and said IF this was San Francisco
[ would take 1t, but / cannot take 1t
rom 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-
nntlY no could not forget that | was
hls enemy. However, that did not stop
me of the orderlles from eating the
apple.
One practice about the hospital I'm
pressed ME particularly. That was,
IL German soldier did not stand
much chance of recovering sufficiently
~ take his place again In the war, the
doctors did not exert themselves to see
that he got well. But II a man had
fairly good chance of recovering and
they thought he might be OF some fur
ther nse everything that medical skill
could possibly do was done for him.
/ ion't know whether this was done
slnder orders or whether the doctors
Just followed their own lncIinations
IN sueh cases.
Ny teeth had been badly Jared up
from the shot. and l hoped that might
navs chance to have them fixed
when reached Courtrai. the prison
where | was to be taken. So asked
the doctor IL 1t would be possible for
M to have this work done there, but
hs very curtly told me that. although
there were several dentists at Cour.
tTri. they were busy enough fixing the
teeth OF their own men without both
srfng about mine. He also added that
! would not have to worry about my
eeeth. that / wouldn't be getting SO
much food that they woElc oe put out
Of commission by working overtime. l
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
next two days. and on the fourth day
or my captivity l was well enough to
write brief message To my squad.
ron, reporting that l was a prisoner of
war and feeling fine" although. as a
matter of fact. l was never so de-
pressed In my life. realized. how
ever. that II the message reached my
comrades It would be reIayed to my
:pother In Momence. H.. and did not
want to worry her more than was alb
solntely necessary. It was enough for
her to know that / was prisoner. She
lid not have to know that I was
wounded.
I had hopes that my message would
be carried over the lines and dropped
by one of the German flying officers.
That Is a courtesy which is usually
practiced on both sides. I recalled
how patiently we had waited In cur
airdrome for news of our men who had
failed to return. and could picture
my squadron speculating on my fate
That Is one of the saddest things
with service In the R. r. c.
Keg don't care much what happens to