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326 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
most appalling danger think of nothing but the duty they are
entrusted to perforin, and who are determined that this trust
shall be carried out, take advantage even of misfortune.
\Vhilst the others are engaged in a struggle of life and death
they continue towards the enemy position, find out what they
can, and return to their line—and to the Iron Cross. Their
comrades are either dead or wounded. The latter crawl back
as best they can. If the night is sufficiently dark they get help.
The former remain to contribute to the foul stench of the
atmosphere. At Monchy-au-Bois such incidents were of
nightly occurrence.
From Monchy I also heard told that on one occasion French-
men and Germans had installed themselves in one and the
same trench. A French scouting unit had lost its way one
dark night and had taken refuge in a part of a German trench
for the moment unoccupied. When the Frenchmen realised
the situation they threw up parapets in both directions in the
trench itself, and from behind these walls the opposing soldiers
fired at one another at a distance of a few paces. I do not
know what happened in the end to the Frenchmen, but they
were clearly doomed. Their position was absolutely untenable
and their only way out of it was to surrender when their
provisions failed them.
Of course the conditions vary greatly according to the situa-
tion. When the enemy is relatively far away the communica-
tion with the rear is rendered easier and in such circumstances
life becomes more bearable in the front line, if only because
hygienic measures are in some measure possible. But at
Monchy-au-Bois I was told that the state of things in these
underground caverns literally baffied description. This cannot
but increase the admiration one feels on witnessing the cheerful
spirit amongst the men, their absolute readiness for any
sacrifice. Any man complaining of the cold or of the food
below ground would be chaffed to distraction or worse by his
fellow-soldiers—but I never heard of a single case of this
kind.
In a village in the neighbourhood where we were now
stopping, Prince Eitel Friedrich had his quarters. I heard it
said of him that he lived in a farm-house more or less shot to
pieces by shell fire, and that he slept on the bare ground.
Everybody praised his courage and endurance and his great
qualities as man and soldier.
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