The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1918-08-29
CHAPTER lv-continued.

3
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 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 a republic. and
much to my surprise he said very bit
terly, "If I had my way about 1t, I
would make her a republic today and
hang tho d-d kaiser In the bar
gain" And yet he was considered an
excellent soldier. l concluded, how
ever. that he must have been a Ger
man socialist, though he never told me
80. On one occasion l asked him for
his name, but he said that l would
probably never see him again and 1t
did not know whether he meant that
the Germans would starve me out, or
Just what was on his mind, for at that
time I am sure he did not figure on
dying. The first two or three days
I 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 1t was just to
torment me, knowing that / could not
eat 1t, or whether for some other rea-
son, do not know. But anyway
German flying officer there had several
OF course there was no chance Of my
eating 1t, so when the officer had gone
and / discovered this San Francisco
fellow looking at 1t rather longingly,
I picked 1t up. intending to toss 1t
over to him. But he shook his head
and said 'If this was San Francisco
would take it, but / cannot take 1t
from you here" i was never able to
understand just why he refused the
apple, for he was usually sociable and
good fellow to talk to, but appar-
emily he could not forget that l was
mis- enemy. However, that did not stop
one of the orderlies from eating the
apple.
One practice about the hospital Inn
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 II a man had
q fairly 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.
don't know whether this was done
lnder orders or whether the doctors
lust followed their own inclinations
In such cases.
My teeth had been badly Jared up
from the shot. and hoped that might
have a chance to have them fixed
when ! reached Courtrai. the prison
where I was to be taken. So asked
the doctor II 1t would be possible fol
me TO have this work done there, but
he very curtly told me that, although
there were several dentists at Cour
trai. they were busy enough fixing th'
teeth of their own men without both
ering about mine. He also added tina
would not have TO worry about IN!
teeth; that wouldn't be getting 81
much food that they would De put ou
of commission by working overtime.
wanted to tell him that from the wa,
things looked he would not be wear
Ing his out very soon either.
My condition improved during tn
next two days, and on the fourth IA
of my captivity l was well enough +
write a brief message to my squad
ron, reporting that was prisoner
war and fleeing fine" although, as
matter Of fact, was never SO dc
pressed In my life. / realized, no"
ever. that Ii the message reached IN
comrades 1t would be relayed to m
mother In Momence, ILL.,, and 1 did nc
want to worry her more than was al
solutely necessary. It was enough fo
her to know that was prisoner. Sil
did not have to know that wa
wounded.
had hopes that my message woul
I've carried over the lines and droppe
by one of the German flying officer
T'ha. is a courtesy which Is usual
practiced on both sides. recalle
how patiently we had waited in oil
rirdrome for news of our men who hi
failed to return. and ! could pictul
my squadron speculating on my fat
That is one of the saddest thin
connected with service In the X. +.