ow great a relief it would have been, what
comfort it would have brought to them all, and what a pleasure it would
have been after the life they had lived in Ruhleben. But if they had
found little comfort in the camp where they had been interned, if they
had found few or no friends amongst their guards and amongst the staff
appointed to watch over them, they were just as little likely to
discover friends outside the camp in any portion of Germany. Indeed,
every part of the land of the Kaiser was inhabited by a people
antagonistic to the last degree to an enemy amongst them. In those
early days, when Henri and Jules had first been captured, the arrogance
of their captors, the hatred of the mob, and the unbridled passions of
the Kaiser's people might easily have resulted in those two hapless
prisoners being torn to pieces. But for the police they would probably
have been slain in the streets of Berlin, for, thanks to them, all but
minor injury was forbidden, while insults, blows if possible, and
curses were hurled at them. But that was in August, 1914, at the
commencement of the war--a war for which Germany had prepared during
forty-two years of peace, a war anticipated and waited eagerly for by
multitudes of Germans, and one which they believed was to make them the
ruling nation of the world. That was in August, 1914, as we have said,
and now see the change. Months had gone by since Germany, prepared to
the last detail--with an army in full readiness and trained for its
task, and with a population trained also for helpful service to the
army--had thrown herself upon Russia and France and Belgium, had found
them unprepared, had beaten them back, had decimated the country of
King Albert of the Belgians, had made Louvain a shambles, and had set
the streets of Dinant running with the blood of her victims. Yet she
had not triumphed. She had captured enemy country, to be sure, she had
driven France and the British ally--which had so quickly come to the
side of the French--back towards the sea-coast, and she had hurled
Russia out of East Prussia, and, after the sturdy advance of the Grand
Duke Nicholas into Galicia and the fall of the fortress of Przemysl,
had fallen upon him with mighty force, had discovered the Russians
short of ammunition and of artillery, and had driven the forces of the
Tsar back towards Warsaw and other cities. Yes, Germany had gained
much territory, and had lost many, many lives. Yet, see what n