Later in the day, passing through the ward, I saw him
surrounded by five or six Parisian ladies who were showering sweets,
cigarettes, and flowers on him, whilst he was responding by presenting
each of them with an aluminium ring. When they had left I went to him
and told him, "Mahmud, that was not kind. I asked you for a ring and you
said you had not got any more aluminium." He smiled, and his nurse, who
was passing, added, "No, he had not _got_ any more aluminium, but when
he is better he will _get_ forty-eight hours' punishment; he had been
into the kitchen, stolen one of our best aluminium saucepans, and has
been making souvenirs for the ladies." He made no attempt to justify his
action beyond stating: "Moi, pas si mauvais; toi, pas faux souvenir" ("I
am not so bad; I did not attempt to give you a fake souvenir").
Another of our chocolate-coloured patients found in the grounds of the
hospital an old umbrella. Its ribs stuck out and it was full of holes,
but it gave him the idea of royalty, and daily he sat up in bed in the
ward with the umbrella unfurled whilst he laid down the law to his
comrades. The nurses endeavoured to persuade him to hand it over at
night. He obstinately refused, insisting that "he knew his comrades,"
and he feared that one of them would certainly steal the treasure, so he
preferred to keep it in the bed with him.
At Villers-le-Sec we came upon the headquarters of the cooks for that
section of the front.
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