At every hour during the night the corporal went out and
inspected his sentry, just as if on active service, and patrols were
frequent and reports handed in, although no officer ever came near the
place.
During the next two days we had plenty of experience of marching and
counter-marching, firing and charging; but going along in the rear
of the immense mass of troops one soon realised what enormous wastage
there is in stragglers, and especially those with sore feet. So much
so was this the case that wagons came along, picked up the sore-footed
men, and carried them back to the railway, where every evening a
special train was in attendance to convey them back to their garrison.
A few that were missed out by this operation on the field were
collected into their field hospitals, and thus the numbers shown every
day to the general staff of men admitted to hospital for sore feet was
very small indeed compared with the number that were actually put out
of action from that cause.
It was soon quite evident that my friend the Montenegrin had not spat
without reason, and that the Bosnians were no harder in their feet
than the other nationalities in that variegated army.
AUSTRIAN OFFICERS.
I had a very strong fellow feeling for the Austrian army and its
officers. They were so very much like our own, but far more amateurish
in their knowledge and methods of leading; as old-fashioned as the
hills, and liable to make mistakes at every turn.
Pages:
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90