* * * * *
When he again regained consciousness he found himself in a bed and
looked to the right and to the left to find out where he was. He was in
a large room and perceived numerous other beds like his own.
He could twist his head, but his body was fixed, immobile, and his two
arms hurt him terribly.
He saw approaching the bed a man very big and strong, with gray hair,
gowned in white, accompanied by two assistants and a nurse.
The doctor gave several orders in German. Little did it matter to Jean
being a prisoner, but his suffering was horrible. The doctor began
unwinding the bandages to examine the wounds. Soon he was not conscious
of what was going on. They placed a white napkin over his face and he
inhaled the strong odor of ether. For some moments it seemed to him
cannon were booming in the distance and a loud whistling in his ears,
then nothing more----
Some hours later he came to himself for the second time and found
that his bed was bound and wrapped like a mummy. He was so feeble--so
feeble. How long his sleep had been he did not know.
A nurse on seeing him open his eyes brought him tea and he murmured
"thanks"; then she cautioned him in very bad French to lie quiet and
not to move.
The horrible nightmare and the fever lasted through the night and
because he steeled himself he would not cry----
In the morning the doctor came back with the nurses and demanded in
French that he answer some questions: he must give his name and the
unit to which he belonged. Then all got black again before his eyes and
the poor devil fainted----
* * * * *
Thanks to his strong constitution, he took a turn for the better, not,
however, without passing several bad days, and the fever left him.