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ON THE WAY TO THE FRONT 15
courteous and friendly. To begin with, I was shown a map
of the great relay road, but for obvious reasons I must not
tell anything about it.
Then came the question :
" Do you wish to travel independently of all regulations
or by relays, that is to say, 700 kilometres in 16 hours—44
kilometres an hour on end ?
"
I thought a moment, then chose to be independent, for if
I had done the journey in sixteen hours, I should have been
obliged to travel over the most interesting part of the road
by night when there is nothing to be seen, and, after all,
I had come to see as much as possible. The trip from Berlin
to Headquarters ought to mean a continuous crescendo. I
ought to know what it felt like to leave peace behind and
gradually to approach the scorching firing lines. I thought
in my innocence that the roads in Western Germany would
be more or less encumbered with soldiers and vehicles. Not
a bit of it ! It was a long time before we had to drive slowly
on account of the congestion, for within Germany all trans-
ports were effected by rail.
" Who is going to be my chauffeur ?
"
" An officer, accompanied by an orderly. Both are on duty
with the Volunteer Automobile Corps."
" Who appoints the officer ?
"
" I do ; and I am just thinking that Rittmeister von Krum,
of Wiirttemberg, will be the right man."
Dr. Arnoldi touched a button. An orderly entered and was
asked whether Captain von Krum was at hand.
" Yes, the Rittmeister is here." " Ask him to come in."
And an officer in field-grey uniform, of the most attractive
appearance and charming manners, enters the room. Dr.
Arnoldi tells him what his duties are, namely, to take me to the
mysterious region in the west, and I wonder in my own mind
whether it will bore him to jog along with me on the road
through more than half of Germany. I even ask him how
he feels about it, and he replies that it will be a great pleasure
to him to take me, of all people, to the theatre of war. I as-
sure Captain von Krum that it pleases me greatly to have him,
of all people, as my travelling companion, chauffeur and guide.
My Rittmeister had retired from active service, but on the
outbreak of war he had rallied to the colours and placed his
car at the disposal of the Crown in accordance with the mobili-
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