As for us, we felt ourselves to be infamous offenses against the bright, clean day.

We had not slept in a bed for five nights or had our clothes off for that time.

For three days none of us had eaten a real meal at a regular table.

For two days we had not washed our faces and hands.
The prisoners of war went on to Cologne to be put in a laager, but we were bidden to detrain at Aix-la-Chapelle.

We climbed off, a dirty, wrinkled, unshaven troop of vagabonds, to find ourselves free to go where we pleased.
That is, we thought so at first.