It really would
not have surprised me had the earth suddenly yawned and
swallowed me. Every plague now beset me. My hand refused to
hold the stretcher, my body was wet with perspiration, my
face was for some reason covered with mud.... There was a
snap and my braces burst. My belt was loose and my trousers,
as though they had waited for their opportunity, slipped
down over my knees. I felt the cold night wind on my flesh.
Neither decency nor comfort mattered to me now--I would have
walked gladly naked through the world. The Feldscher was
making a grinding noise between his teeth. I was no longer
conscious of shell or bullets. I heard no noise. I was aware
of neither light nor darkness. I could not have told my name
had any one asked me it. I did not recognise trees nor
houses, nor was I at all aware that with a muddy face and my
trousers down to my knees I was a strange figure. I was
aware of one thing only--that I must keep my right hand on
the stretcher.
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