The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1918-08-08
CHAPTER iV-Continued.
y

When my "chummy enemy" first
started his conversation with me, the
German doctor In charge reprlmanded
him for talking to me, but he paid no
attention to the doctor, showing that
some real Americanlsm had soaked
into his system while he had been In
the U. s. A. asked him one day what
he thought the German people would
do after the war; II he thought they
would make Germany republic, and
much to my surprise he said very bit
tery, "If | had my way about 1t, /
would make her u republic today and
hang the ID kaiser In the bar
gain" And yet he was considered an
excellent soldier. concluded, how
ever that he must have been Ger
man socialist, though he never tod me
so. On one occasion | asked him for
his name, but he said that / would
probably never see him again and Ii
didn't matter what his name was. /
HlU UOl hllOW Ilt tiul
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
aIn bnN Inc hnnrl
before left for Courtrai he died.
one of those days, while my wound
was still very troublesome, / was
given an apple; whether 1t was just to
torment me, knowing that / could not
4 eat II, or whether for some other rea-
son, | do not know. But anyway a
German flying officer there had several
IN his pockets and gave me nice one.
n " course there was no chance of my
eating It, so when the officer had gone
and | discovered this San Francisco
fellow looking at II rather lOnglngly,
. ] picked II up, intending to toss II
over 10 him. But he shook his head
and sald "If this was San Francisco
! would take 1t, but | cannot take II
from you here" | was never able to
understand just why he refused the
apple for he was usually sOclable and
good fellow to talk TO, but appar-
emily he could not forget that was
his enemy. However, that did not stop
Il nf IA
II apple.
II One practice about the hospital i'm
pressed me particularly. That was,
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 he got well. But If man had
fairly good chance of recovering and
'hey thought he might be of some fur
'her use, everything that medical skill
could possibly do was done for him.
! dOn't know whether this was done
under orders or whether the doctors
Just followed their own inclnations
In such cases.
Ny teeth had been badly Jared up
IRON the shot, and hoped that might
nave chance to have them fixed
"nen | reached Courtrai. the prison
N"ere was to be taken. So | asked
ue doctor If 1t would be possible for
"e 10 have this work done there, but
ue very curtly told me that, although
"'eTe were several dentists ut Cour-
ual they were busy enough fixing the
'vn OF their own men without both
,'"s about mine. He also added that
n NVuld not have to worry about my
Ve'l that l wouldn't be getting so
'uV" iood that they would pe put out
N W 'o0lmlssion by working overtime.
wanted TO tell him that from the way
"'"sS looked he would not be wear
"s Ills out very soon either.
"y condition improved during the
sN' TWO days, and on the fourth day
"y captivity was well enough to
'" brief message to my squad
y" reporting that | was prisoner of
. ""o feeling fine" although, as a
''er OF fact, ! was never so de-
o.''u III my life. | realized, how
.' 'nat IT the message reached my
,",'oeS 1t would be relayed to my
,r D."er IN Momencc, H., and did not
o I". 10 worry her more than was alb
o''E necessary, II was enough for
M, hhow that | was a prisoner. She
Wounded. ~ ' ""'
lo u hopes that my message would
,"'rleu over the lines and dropped
l. o"e OF the German flying officers.
hroon" courtesy which Is usually
lor on both sides. recalled
.bl p"'lehtly we had waited In our
ton"1 '"le Tor news OF our men who had
hy " return, and could picture
Tn, '"u'oh specializing on my fate.
tonna " one Of the snddest things
." "eV'eu with service in the r. f. G.
bou n, ~4 care much what happens to
borr u, o.. ohe constant casualties among
Yor s"uS are very depressing.
Ret In,e ~ out with your "flIght" and
Ind who u muss. You get scattered,
5ou en"n vn your formation is broken up
perS"y .'y wing your way home alone.
Boon on" ra you nre the first to land.
IS In ,, ,~"o'her machine shows I'm the
|alt for , another, and you patiently
bur o., u'e rest to appear. Within an
be, ana ,"apS' all have shown up save
onder ,vs you begin to speculate and
Has hs anu, , has happened to him.
sums W.. o MS way? Has he landed
nus ss, s S S,ner air'irome7 Did the