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358 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
been ? " we ask. " We have been to bury the dead," they
answer as if they were saying the most commonplace thing in
the world. They looked more like conquering heroes than
grave-diggers. They were not singing to-day, but they found
it quite natural that when all Germany’s men are fighting for
their country, not all can hope to return home, some must
remain behind in the foreign soil, and the sacrifice is one which
all are willing to make when it means Germany’s salvation.
Here lies a wrecked windmill with broken sails and near it
a motor-car which has come to grief. The transport trains
which we pass are as usual wreathed in foliage to mislead
aviators. The smell of burning strikes our nostrils—it is not
to be wondered at, for just to the left of us a whole village is
in flames. I became a victim of the same excitement that I
had felt each time before as I had approached the danger zone.
Presently we come to a village bearing eloquent testimony
to the cruel realities of war. It boasts the peculiar name of
America. At the last house in the main street we stop to
make sure once more how far we may drive. Colonel von
Oldershausen steps out. He is a magnificent type, a thorough
soldier, straight as a poker, stiff and gracious at the same time.
" Listen," he said in answer to our question, " drive first to
Kruiseik, two kilometres from here. From there you may
continue one kUometre on foot until you come to the crossing
between this road and the Ypres-Menin main road. If you
wish to go further in the direction of Ypres I should advise
you not to take the main road as the whole avenue is covered
by the English artillery fire. But if you keep a little way
outside the ditches," he went on, " it is not at all unlikely
that you will come back with a certain amount of life left in
your bodies."
Leaning against the car, the Colonel stood gesticulating
with great animation and tried to describe the situation which
would have greeted us, had we continued on the main road.
He fully meant what he said and assured us that he had tried
several times the prescription he now recommended to us
—
without once being killed ! The day before yesterday he had
made an attack at the head of his regiment in which a third
of his men had fallen ; of the others, 150 got the Iron Cross.
The object was realised. The enemy’s position was taken and
several prisoners fell into the hands of the regiment. An
English officer with whom the Colonel had been conversing
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