Saturday, October 14, 2023

Pages 165-166

This Month's Installment


What's italicized is what I'm unsure about.
For a few days you must, under all circumstances, wait for the healing."
    The doctor says it with a certainty that cancels any protest.
    "We'll take you to Rodenburg," the Reckensteiner butts in; "Your brother is there, and my daughter can look after you."
    "No, if it must be and does not go otherwise, then bring me to Pronitten; I have promised it and can just see that everything is in order in Bärwalde."
    "Good, we are going past there, and you can stop by."
    The doctor has turned to other wounded.  He has hard work.  The injuries are partly of a difficult sort; it takes effort to make the people merely fit to be moved.  Even the Reckensteiner contributes.  There is not much time to lose because the train must leave.  It will not at all be able to take along everyone.  It holds troops.
    When his glance falls on Fritz's neighbor, a Russian captain with a slender, wiry body,

---165---

his face motionless and waxen, his eyes lifeless, dead almost, his uniform disheveled and bloody, he sees a dead man similar to a living one.
    But the old man knows no sympathy; fury wins the upper hand and smothers the human feeling.  "He whom you leave behind has time!  And not much pomp at all is to be made with the bloke!"
    Not the slightest movement goes over the parchment face; coldly and calmly, the dead eyes stare at the commander.  But Fritz, who just wants to get into the train, turns around again.
    "Nothing there, Commander, the man must come with!  He has fought bravely and moreover passed his bottle to a wounded German soldier who lay near him and was crying for water."
    "I recommend what the Captain says," adds the doctor, who has just bandaged the wounded Russian, "he has three different wounds, one of which looks nasty.  Let someone put him here, so he is taken care of."
    "A great misfortune," rants the commander, "yet for the captain's sake - it's alright with me!  But now forward!  Otherwise, we will drive straight into the enemy's arms."