Memoirs of the Foreign Legion by Maurice Magnus

THE only English-speaking officer was the Dane, young, tall and blonde, who limped slightly in consequence of an illness he had lately received from one of the fair sex, and for whose knowledge of English I was exchanged from one squad to another the day of my arrival. After I had been in the Legion a couple of weeks he deigned to come up and speak to me. He had not much to say--a few questions and in reply to my answers a few grunts. It was not until his countryman arrived, "the long phenomenon," that he came oftener to the _jeunes soldats_ to exchange a few words with him, and incidentally to say something to me just because he thought he ought, and not to make his interest in his compatriot too obvious. He supplied him with Danish newspapers and books on the quiet, and showed him all sorts of little attentions.

At me he grunted.