ke positive that I was comfortable. But that one night's
sojourn in the hospital almost completely unnerved me. I could not
sleep, and to my alarm I found that no one ever came in to take even a
cursory glance at the patients. I got up in the darkness and went to the
door. To my astonishment I found it to be locked! I turned to one cot.
It contained a French invalid who was jabbering away excitedly to
himself, but I could not understand a single word. I turned to the next
bed and its occupant was half-delirious. With such depressing company
around me I tumbled back into bed and went off to sleep again somehow.
In the morning I learned that there were three intercommunicating wards.
The two inner ones were reserved for patients, upon whom the key was
turned at night, while the third and outer room was occupied by a night
warder who turned in and slept the sleep of the just, although he was
nominally in charge of critical cases. But this was immaterial. If the
patient went under during the night to be found dead in bed in the
morning--well! it was merely a case of Nature having had her own way.

I was so alarmed that the instant the hospital was opened I hurried back
to my barrack. Dr. Ascher, upon reaching the hospital and noting my
absence, wondered what had happened, until at last he found me resting
in my bunk. I resolutely told him that under no circumstances would I
spend another night in that hospital. I had my own way. The crisis had
passed, and if I only took care of myself I would soon be out again, he
said.

Having always led an active life, confinement to bed in utter loneliness
during the day, except for a call now and again from a sympathetic
colleague, soon began to pall. So I dressed and went out to discover Dr.
Ascher. He did not upbraid me for so flagrantly disobeying his orders,
as I had been anticipating, but exhorted me with all the powers of
persuasion he could command, to take the utmost care of myself. In order
to give me something to occupy my mind he attached me to a few other
invalids, who were also on "pass," to light work in cleaning out the
hospitals for the recruits who were evidently coming to Sennelager
within the near future.

Cleaning hospitals might be officially described as light work, but it
was far from being so, although this was not the fault of the doctor but
of our far from amiable Commandant. The tables, beds, chairs and other
portable fixtures had to be taken into the open a