I had been hoping that I would be able to shake off my illness.  But it was not to be.  The exposure and thorough soaking which I had on the terrible night of the 11th completely undid all the benefits I had received from Dr. Ascher’s attention and treatment.  I cracked up suddenly.  The doctor, seeing how badly things were going with me, gave me a “pass” excusing me from all work.

But to me it was obvious that to remain on the field was to die from starvation, especially bearing in mind my precarious health.  Yet to get out of the field was no easy matter.  I pondered fretfully over this issue, and at last resolved to attempt a desperate solution.  I marched boldly to the gate, waved an old, long-since expired “pass” and shouted to the sentry that I had to go to the doctor’s office immediately.  Taken unawares the guard opened the gate without scanning the “pass” and I walked on to the main road leading to the barracks in which we had lived previously.  The little extra exertion demanded to pass the sentry without creating any suspicions in his mind now told on me.  Once I had passed out of his sight the reaction set in, and I fell into a clockwork pace.  I was determined to fulfil my mission at all hazards, so plodded along slowly.  I could see nothing, and heeded nothing, being only conscious of the fact that I was going to get something to eat and to bring food back for my stranded companions on the field.  Soon everything seemed to grow darker and darker, then came perfect blackness.  I remembered no more.

When I came to my senses I found myself being borne carefully by two fellow-prisoners—­Ca——­ and a chum—­to the hospital.  I was put to bed, and looking round I saw that I was surrounded by twenty-five other patients.  One and all had dropped down from sheer exhaustion upon the field during the “Bloody Night,” and had been found by the guard in the morning in an unconscious condition.  I heard that there were seventy such cases brought in—­all caused by exposure and the rain.  I cannot testify to that number, but I can swear to the twenty-five cases because I saw them in the hospital lying in the ward with me.  They were then in a terrible plight, not having recovered from the racking ordeal.

Presently a military doctor came in.  I had never seen him before.  He approached my cot.

“Civilian or military?” he asked.

“Civilian!” I replied.

“Ach!” and there was intense disgust and unveiled hostility in his voice.  “Get up!  Outside!”

“But he has been brought in unconscious!” persisted Ca——.

“Ach!  No matter.  Get up.  Outside!” he repeated.

“I’ll see you damned first!” exploded Ca——­, his Irish temper now roused to bursting point at the inhuman attitude of the military medical official.  Fortunately for my friend the individual in question did not understand a word of English, or there would have been trouble.

But feeling somewhat better and realising the uselessness of argument I persuaded Ca——­ to obey instructions.  Indeed I was bundled out of bed, and hastily assisted in re-dressing, by the doctor’s orders.  Passing out of the hospital I paused to lean against the door, feeling downright ill and weak.  Ca——­ ran off to the barrack to fetch Dr. Ascher.