"I thought you'd relish something about this time," said the nurse as she deposited the tray on the folding table and wheeled it near their cots.
"Well, I should guess so, after not having had anything to eat for three days," said Ralph.
"Why, you ate a fairly good meal yesterday noon," replied the nurse.
"What? I did?" said Ralph, looking at Alfred in an amused manner, and then at the nurse. He shook his head, and continued: "Well, if you say so it must be so; but I never knew it."
"No; of course, you didn't remember; well, we see so many instances of this kind. It is really strange," continued the nurse, "how men will forget everything, not even know their names, and still will not forget to eat. That seems to be a law of nature,—the first law,—the one of self-preservation."
"Well, even if I did eat right along this tastes as though I hadn't taken a meal for a month," said Ralph.
There were many curious cases in the hospital,—forms of disease developed by the war that were novel even to the doctors.
Two weeks thereafter, when Ralph had entirely recovered, and Alfred was able to go out for short walks, they had many conversations with the doctor.
One day while returning from a jaunt they encountered him, just as a patient was brought into the hospital, who was staring about and screaming wildly.
"Is that a crazy man?" asked Alfred.