“À moi, à moi,” he was groaning scarcely above a whisper.
“What’s the mattah, buddy,” Pugh asked.
“ ... par le gaz ... par le gaz.”
“He says he’s been gassed, Pugh. Let’s take him back, too.”
“Here, buddy, do you want a drink of watah?” Pugh asked.
The Frenchman drank greedily.
“By God,” Pugh said, “that’s the first Frog I’ve ever seen that would drink water.”
They carried him to the dressing station, and after they had explained to the captain of the Medical Corps where they had found him, in what a desperate condition he was, and that there was nothing else to do with him, the Frenchman was finally accepted.
“We can’t fill this place up with all kinds of people,” the medical officer objected. “We’ll have a hard-enough time taking care of our own men in a few minutes.”