Roth had to spend several weeks in the hospital, until he had recovered from his injuries. It was the hardest drubbing he had ever received in his life. Vanity forbade him to give a true version of the assault. He reported that he had been attacked by several drunken laborers, and claimed to have used his sabre with effect on one of them; but nobody believed his tale, for no wounded laborer was heard of in the little town, and physicians there and in the vicinity were equally ignorant of such a case. It was, therefore, generally assumed that Roth had met with his deserts at the hands of the ex-sergeant, and nobody pitied him.
FOOTNOTES:
[8] A vice-sergeant-major in the German cavalry receives in legitimate pay and emoluments and rations, if married, about one dollar per day. But it is notorious that peculations, hush money, and bribes from privates often swell his income to ten times that amount.—Tr.
[9] “One year’s volunteers” are those young soldiers in the German army who, by reason of superior education and because they pay for their own uniforms and accoutrements, serve but one year in the active army. They belong, of course, mostly to the well-to-do classes, and generally are promoted to the rank of officers in the reserves.—Tr.
[10] “Gold fox,” a slang term for the German twenty-mark gold pieces.—Tr.
[11] “Römer,” the name of prettily shaped glasses, usually of amber or emerald hue, in which Rhine and Moselle wines are served.—Tr.
[12] “Slain a rich Jew,” a German phrase for “suddenly acquired wealth.”—Tr.
[13] “Blue rag,” German slang term for bank notes of large amount.—Tr.
[14] “Capitulation” means an arrangement by which a non-commissioned officer agrees to serve the government for a certain term of years.—Tr.