“While in Carpathians on January 20 I reported to my lieutenant, feet frozen.  He said dig a hole and when you are quite frozen we will put you in.  I stood it another seven days, then we had to retreat.  I went myself to the doctor; my feet were then black already.  Debreczen hospital six days, then here.  Both amputated.”

The feet were gone, at any rate, whatever the lieutenant may have said.  We returned to the German field-cornet.

“He came in walking—­a fine, tall man.  We had only one place to bathe the men in, then:  a big tank—­for everything was improvised and there was no hot-water heater—­and one of the doctors told him he could use his own bath up-stairs, but he said no, he’d stay with his men.  He seemed to be getting on all right, then one morning the doctor touched his leg and he heard that crackling sound—­it was gas infection.  They just slit his leg down from hip to knee, but it was no use—­he died in three hours.  Practically all the wounds were infected when the men came in, but suppose he could have picked up something in that bath?  He came in walking.”

Through most of the German histories one could see the German armies turning now this way, now that, against their “world of enemies,” as they say:  “I belong to—–­Regiment German Infantry and am stationed since March 1 in Carpathians.  I am in active service since the start, having done Belgium, France, and Russia.”

“While at battle of Luneville, with troop of about forty men stormed battery, capturing them, for which decorated with Iron Cross.  Shifted to Carpathians.  After march in severe cold, fingers and feet frozen.”

“While in France attacking I was hit in head by shrapnel.  In hospital fourteen days, then sent to Carpathians on December 7 with Austro-Hungarian troops.  Wounded in arm and while creeping back hit five times in fifteen minutes.  Lay all afternoon in trenches.”

“I think those are the three who came in together one night, all singing ‘Die Wacht am Rhein’; they all had the Iron Cross.  They were a noisy lot.  They all got well and went back to the front again.”

Here were three pictures from the Galician fighting:  “Wounded by shrapnel near Przemysl, bandaged by comrade, and helped to house; only occupant old woman.  Lay on straw two days, no food.  Called to men passing; they had me moved in cart seventy miles to hospital.  Stayed eight days; started on train, then taken off for three days, then to Budapest.”

“During fighting at Lupkow Pass I was wounded by two pistol-shots.  First one, fired by Russian officer, hit me in chest.  Ran back to my company and in darkness taken by one of our officers for Russian and shot in arm.”

“While digging trenches struck by a rifle-bullet in two places.  Lay in trench two hours when found by Russian infantrymen, who hurriedly dressed me and put me out of firing-range on horse blanket in old trench.  Later found by our soldiers, carried to base, and dressed there, then to field-hospital, then in cart to railroad station.  Went few kilometres by train, but became so ill had to be taken off for two days, then sent to Budapest.  Seventeen days.  Two months in hospital; returned to front.”