One of our soldiers brought with him a German officer, who could hardly
stand on his feet. His leg had been pierced by a bayonet, his shoulder
was bleeding from a bullet, and his arm had been bruised by the butt
end of a rifle. He was losing consciousness from pain and loss of
blood. As soon as the soldier led him to our place he dropped with his
whole weight to the ground. The doctor bandaged him, exclaiming: "What
luck! Three wounds, and in spite of all of them he will be well soon.
The wound in the leg is only a flesh wound, his arm is badly bruised
but not broken, and only his collarbone at his shoulder is broken. In
a month he will be all right again. Just look! what a handsome fellow,
and what expensive underwear!"
The bandaged officer came to himself, looked around the yard, and,
seeing the farmhouse in the background on fire, he sharply seated
himself.
"Now be quiet, calm yourself," said the doctor, speaking in German and
taking the man gently by the shoulders.
"My wife, my wife!" cried the German, tearing himself forward.
"Where is the wife?"
"There, in the house, in the fire!" He made an effort to get off the
stretcher from under the doctor's hands.
"Is he delirious or what?" muttered the doctor in Russian. "There is no
one in the house," he added soothingly in German. "Your German wounded
were there, but they were saved in time."
"But my wife? My wife!" cried the captive in terror.
"What wife? How did she come here?"
"She is a nurse. She was here with the wounded. We loved each other,
we married only a year ago. She became a nurse. Our regiment happened
to be near their hospital. Your offensive was unexpected. There was no
time to remove the hospital. The other nurses left, but she would not
leave when I was so near. Where is she? My wife!"
"Did any one see a German nurse in the house or yard?" asked the
doctor, turning to the Russian soldiers and telling them briefly what
the prisoner had said:
"There was no woman," came the response. "The house was empty. Look at
the fire within. Even mice would have run out by now."
At this moment something metallic shrilled through the air. A heavy
German shell flew over us.
"Scoundrels!" cursed the doctor. "They are firing on us--and their own
wounded! We must get out of this. Two or three more shells and they
will begin dropping in the yard. Carry our wounded first, then theirs.
Hurry, or we shall remain here for eternity!"