Wounded and a Prisoner of War, by an Exchanged Officer

as put down on the list of "transportables," and

from the different hospitals along the front, ch

the Marne had subsided, a regular hospital-train service was

not believe all the tales one hears about the Germans. At any rate, he assured me I had nothing to fear, for instructions had been given to pay every att

end's kindly intentions. The German idea of humour is so different from any other

ee in my mind from painful anticipations. I pictured to myself a comfortable hospital train, with perhaps a German Schwes

which were packed with French and English wounded. I was helped along the train by two kindly German soldiers, and lifted

what I supposed to be the arrangements for my comfort was short-lived. I had scarcely time for more than a few words with the Fren

idor coach of the usual Continental type, with hard wooden seats, the partitions running only half-way to the roof. This coach was full of wounded French and English soldiers, among whom I recognised several who had been

other soldiers, all with loaded rifles and fixed bayonets, took up all the rema

of some German officer of high rank, in order to protest against my removal from the 2nd

aled, that I was still quite paralysed on one side, and that Dr Schmidt

vel along with the French officer from whos

inished he got on to the footboard, looked through my carriage window at the wooden bed, the

the contemptuous German most heartily, and I fancy

es, I could not avoid catching the eye of the man opposite, wh

benevolent manner, but made

as evidently under stress of some strong emotion. Suddenly his whole manner changed. Laying a finger on his li

on. I was rather afraid of some trap. One had heard stories of prisoners on the way to Germany being taken out of the train and shot on the accusation of having spoken of the

hardly any notice of me at all. It was some time before another opportunity occurred for private conversation. However, at some country station the three soldiers got out to get a drink of coffee

t he was a Pole, and was under orders to join at Valenciennes some reinforcements that were being hurried up to

but he answered that it would be most difficult, as all Poles we

would mean instant death at th

n by the other soldiers, and for that reason had feigned intense hatred of the English. This was the explanation of the

og-like eyes. There was nothing smart about him; he was indeed rather more dirty than even a travel-stained soldier from Poland had any right to be. As I looked at him I thought of the countless numbers of German soldiers whose lives had been sacrificed in vain efforts to capture the French position at Arras. And this man was to be one more. His fate was perhaps the harde

ere from Cambrai early in October, so I was not surprised to find the platform crowded with Red Cross attendants, stretcher-bearers, doctors, railway transport officers, and soldiers representing all parts

ading about it in the papers, I leant out of the window on the opposite side of the train. The contrast was striking. Not a soldier was in sight, and the little French town, as far as one

unded. I did not get further in the conversation than to return the "bonsoir" when my sentry rushed across the carriage, th

ark produced a regular parade scolding, accompanied by an interesting exhibiti

ng of the finger to an enormous high-up sto

nother storm, so I hurriedly

the corridor; I opened the window again, an

gain till we were well o

d that we must have reached Belgium about 6 A.M. As the train was now going very slowly, I was able to observe the countryside with more attention, and I was

have forgotten. This place must have been just on the fringe of the fighting

to have escaped destruction. Temporary shelters had been rigged up with corrugated ir

orm a striking example of German organisation and efficiency. They consist of two small rooms, one of which can be used as an operating-room,

line itself had been much damaged, the speed of the train was red

t, the German soldiers seemed in this district to have taken the place of the Belgian population, as between the frontier and Mons I do not remember seeing a single Belgian. Of course, at this time I did not know that thousands of Belgians had fled to England, nor had I heard anything more than vague rumours of German atrociti

ed, I looked out of my prison window with renewed interest at the more domin

long which we had marched on the 22nd August, the day before th

motor-cars, that the hundreds of machine-guns and light artillery had hurried with the hope, that was so nearly realised at

e of the line the damage had not been so considerable; still, even on that side fully fifty per cent of the houses were roofless. As far as a limited view from the railway would allow me to judge, I do not think the upper part of the town was much knocked about. M

helter, and we passed a few miserable women and children who were standing grouped in the doorways of their shattered homes. We entered the station of Mons at about 7 P.M. Here, as far as could be se

is opening remark and evil-looking face that he was intent on "prisoner baiting." I naturally pretended not to understand, and he thereupon became most annoyed. The expression of

hook my head. Then a brilliant idea struck him: "Parlez vous Fran?ais?" "Oui," said I. But all the Fre

lin but to Munich. This got rid of him, as he evidently thought it was hopeless to make the thick-

I asked him if there was any dinner going, and was told that it would be brought along presently. It was

provided me with a parcel of food, and I thought the time had come to take stock of its contents. I asked my corpulent attendant to reach me down the parcel, in which I found several "petit pains," some ham, and a large lengthy German sausage, upon which, as it rolled out of the paper, my guardian cas

paratively friendly. After I had eaten some bread and ham I asked for something to drink, and was told that nothing was to be had exc

in uniform. He wore a once white linen overall and a Red Cross badge on his arm. I do not know if he was qualified for Red Cross work, as he made no attempt or offer to help me or any of the other wounded men. Shortly after leaving Mons I beg

or two of them were very rude, but the majority were merely interested and addressed me quite politely, sometimes in fluent English. One man I remember, who spoke just like an Englishman, said that he

, was declared to be the aggressor and originator of all the trouble, and some surprise mingled with hatred was expressed at her action in thus attacking, for no apparent reason, a pacific industrial country li

them told me they had been in billets for over two months. They se

an conscript and assert that he will only fight when forced on with revolvers. I wish that some of our stay-at-home sneerers could have seen these crowds of Ge

coming to an end as the train began to move, but he clung on and delivered his final shaft: "England is the enemy and will be punished." However, his own punishment was near at hand, for whe

e had become quite communicative, remarked t

ing the Red Cross attendant if he had taken my message to the doctor, I was told that it would have to wait

s no one on the platform, although a great crowd of soldiers could be seen at t

dge that the two or three tablets of aspirin, for which I had waited so long, would afford instant relief. At last the Red Cross attendant came along the corridor and made some sign to the sentry, who went out to speak to him. They talked for a long time, and seemed to be ar

of wrath at what I supposed to be callous indifference and cruelty, surprising even in a German member of the medical prof

he train was at rest, as I knew that when the jo

carriage and started a conversation with somebody on the platform. I was surprised to hear that he was talkin

ream. "Is there anything I can do for you?" she said; "I hope you are not very badly wounded." As soon as she knew of my headache she went running along the train, and was back almost at o

cannot find them now. Never did I need kindness

ood sister came back to ask how I was fe

renewed joltings, and the hard bed which afforded small comfort t