"Excellence von Eichorn would drink wine with you."
Tzschirner told us afterwards that it was a great honor.
"I know I made a mess of it," I lamented to him. "What should I have done?"
"Oh, no," said the Rittmeister. "You are American and we do not expect you to understand our military customs," which made me feel a little easier.
On my left, Captain Kluth, who early in the morning would leave for Augustowo to bring back four captured Russian generals, spoke English, like an American. Kluth, a merry eyed, dark skinned Rheinlander, smiled when he said he was sorry that they had no grape juice—and then he did not smile when he said:
"In America, you want peace. You could bring about peace if you would stop selling ammunition. To-day we captured so much ammunition that Russia would be in a bad way for more, were it not for America."
"Did you capture any American ammunition?" I asked him.
"Quantities," he replied, "and the trouble with it is that your ammunition is good. It kills more men."
And then came the champagne, not in honor of Von Eichorn or the victory, but in honor of the American guest.
"I have," smiled Captain Kluth, "two pints of champagne in my room. We shall drink together."