They were halted in front of a large building which had the inscription "Salm Inn."
They were met at the door by nurses with large red crosses on their sleeves, and by smartly dressed uniformed men in white, also provided with red crosses.
"This is now a hospital," remarked their companion, "and it is one of the Red Cross stations."
"What do they want to bring us here for?"
"I suppose they are going to put us to work."
Within was an appalling sight as the boys went through the ward for the first time. Ralph's duty was to attend the physicians in their rounds each morning, and at two in the afternoon. He furnished supplies, waited on the nurses and attended to the wants of the sufferers.
Alfred was on like duty in the adjoining ward. While not together as much as formerly, they were constantly meeting in the halls, and one day Ralph was entrusted with the duty of going into the city on an errand.
The only thing which the boys could not bear was the fact that they could get no news of the outside world. All communication was shut off. Had Liège fallen? Where were the Belgian forces? Had Brussels yielded? Their captors would give them no information, and the nurses, most of them could talk German only, did not seem to know any more than they did.
Ralph determined to get some information, and while on his journey sought a stationery establishment in order to purchase some papers. The first one he spied had a large assortment of papers but, singularly, not a single French paper.
He was disgusted, and as he turned away, voiced his complaint. The shopkeeper said: "This is now a German province, and no more French will be spoken or printed here."