The Western boy shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.
“I don’t dare say one way or the other,” he remarked. “If he could get the proper care right now he’d have a good chance to pull through; but you know he’s on the wrong side of the fighting line to expect much. The British will have thousands of their own wounded to take care of, and you could hardly expect them to leave even one of their own flesh and blood behind in order to make room in an ambulance for an enemy.”
“It’s tough on Hans then, I must say,” and Amos shook his head in turn, to immediately add: “But he’s coming to, Jack, for I saw his eyelids flutter just then.”
“Yes, he’s beginning to open his eyes,” muttered the other.
The Uhlan blinked a number of times as he stared hard at the two strange boys. Evidently he could not place them at once. Then a wince of pain made him aware of the fact that he was not arousing from sleep in his own encampment, and amidst his comrades. He looked down and saw the bandaged arm. Possibly something of the truth flashed across his mind in that instant, for they saw his face light up, and his eyes were fastened upon the little American flag in the buttonhole of Amos’ coat.
“We have done all we could for you,” Jack was trying to convey to him through means of such words as he could summon up, as well as various signs with hands, head and shoulders, such as may be made to mean volumes, “we must leave you now. Perhaps if you can crawl out to the edge of the road some Red Cross ambulance going back with a load of wounded might find room for you aboard. If you understand what I am saying nod your head to let us know.”
The man followed his instructions, and Jack felt after that the limit of their usefulness had been reached. Humanity could not expect any more of them, for they had done all that lay in their power.
“He’s trying to get up, Jack!” exclaimed Amos.
“Yes, I just told him he’d better crawl nearer the road, and some ambulance coming from the front might have room for him. Let’s get one on either side and help him walk there,” said the other.
He often wished he could have taken a picture of Amos and himself assisting the wounded Uhlan along, just as tenderly as though he were a brother. It would have always stood for proof to show that he and his cousin were trying to carry out the request of President Wilson for strict neutrality, at least as far as could be done when brought face to face with the horrors of the battlefield.