night attack by German aviators.

"It is remarkable work," he commented warmly, "hazardous in the
extreme; and if anything goes wrong they cannot see where they are
coming down. Even when they alight in their own lines, landing safely
is difficult. They are apt to wreck their machines."

The mention of German aeroplanes reminded one of the officers of an
experience he had had just behind the firing line.

"I had been to the front," he said, "and a mile or so behind the line
a German aeroplane overtook the automobile. He flew low, with the
evident intention of dropping a bomb on us. The chauffeur, becoming
excited, stalled the engine. At that moment the aviator dropped the
first bomb, killing a sow and a litter of young pigs beside the car
and breaking all the glass. Cranking failed to start the car. It was
necessary, while the machine manoeuvred to get overhead again, to lift
the hood of the engine, examine a spark-plug and then crank the car.
He dropped a second bomb which fell behind the car and made a hole in
the road. Then at last the engine started, and it took us a very short
time to get out of that neighbourhood."

The car he spoke of was the car in which I had come out to the
station. I could testify that something had broken the glass!

One of the officers had just received what he said were official
percentages of casualties in killed, wounded and missing among the
Allies, to the first of February.

The Belgian percentage was 66 2-3, the English 33 1-3 and the French
7. I have no idea how accurate the figures were, or his authority for
them. He spoke of them as official. From casualties to hospitals and
nurses was but a step. I spoke warmly of the work the nurses near the
front were doing. But one officer disagreed with me, although in the
main his views were not held by the others.

"The nurses at the base hospitals should be changed every three
months," he said. "They get the worst cases there, in incredible
conditions. After a time it tells on them. I've seen it in a number of
cases. They grow calloused to suffering. That's the time to bring up a
new lot."

I think he is wrong. I have seen many hospitals, many nurses. If there
is a change in the nurses after a time, it is that, like the soldiers
in the field, they develop a philosophy which carries them through
their terrible days. "What must be, must be," say the men in the
trenches. "What must be, must be," say the nurses in the hospital. And
bo