"My wife, my wife!" cried the German, tearing himself forward.
"Where is the wife?"
"There, in the house, in the fire!" He made an effort to get off the stretcher from under the doctor's hands.
"Is he delirious or what?" muttered the doctor in Russian. "There is no one in the house," he added soothingly in German. "Your German wounded were there, but they were saved in time."
"But my wife? My wife!" cried the captive in terror.
"What wife? How did she come here?"
"She is a nurse. She was here with the wounded. We loved each other, we married only a year ago. She became a nurse. Our regiment happened to be near their hospital. Your offensive was unexpected. There was no time to remove the hospital. The other nurses left, but she would not leave when I was so near. Where is she? My wife!"
"Did any one see a German nurse in the house or yard?" asked the doctor, turning to the Russian soldiers and telling them briefly what the prisoner had said:
"There was no woman," came the response. "The house was empty. Look at the fire within. Even mice would have run out by now."
At this moment something metallic shrilled through the air. A heavy German shell flew over us.