By that time I
was too deep in the Secret Service to pull out, although it was my
intention more than once to do so. And certain promises regarding my
restoration in our house were never kept.
Coming to a partial understanding with Count Reitzenstein, I began to
work in his interests. The Boer War taught Germany many things about
the English army and a few of these I contributed. As a physician I
was allowed to go most anywhere and no questions asked. I began to
collect little inside scraps of information regarding the discipline,
spirit and equipment of the British troops. I observed that many
Colonial officers were outspoken in their criticisms. All these
points I reported in full to Count Reitzenstein when I dressed his
wound. One day he said:
"Don't forget now. After the war, I want to see you in Berlin."
In my subsequent eagerness to pump more details from the Colonial
officers, I too criticised, and one day I was told Lord Kitchener
wanted to see me.
"Doctor," he said curtly, when I was ushered into his tent, "you have
twenty-four hours in which to leave camp--"
Whether that mandate was a result of my joining in with the Colonial
officers' criticism, or because my secret activity for Count
Reitzenstein had been suspected, I cannot say. But knowing the ways
of the "man of Khartoum," I made haste to be out of camp within the
time prescribed.
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