He placed them in a first
class compartment against the remonstrance of the guard, whom with
drawn sabre, he defied to eject them. As the train rolled out of the
station cries of "Vive la France," "Vive l'Amerique," were exchanged.
At Rouen, then held by the Germans who had military guards all around
the station, the train was detained for over half an hour owing to an
accident. While waiting, Paul and his companion left the station to
procure some tobacco. They passed a German soldier on guard at the gate
who did not intercept them. On returning, the sentinel stubbornly
refused them permission to enter notwithstanding the fact that they
showed him their pass-ports and transportation; but they could not
persuade him either in French or English to let them pass. At this
moment a German officer arrived, when Paul advancing told their
situation in French. Taking the transportation card from Paul's hand
he showed it to the sentinel, and after many harsh sounding remarks
in German he struck him with his open hand across the face. The soldier,
still presenting arms to his superior officer showed no sign of
resentment; not even a flush mounted to his cheek. The officer passed
them in and Paul remarked to him:
"No French soldier would have stood that treatment.
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