ey lay in
the hollows. So a heavy battery had been planted along the German lines
for this work, while in defence the Belgians confronted them with their
own famous dog artillery, consisting of the deadly machine guns. The
battle of December twentieth therefore began with an artillery duel,
resulting in so many casualties that the Red Cross workers found
themselves fully occupied.

Beth went with the ambulance the first day, worked in the hollows of the
dunes, and returned to the ship at night completely worn out by the
demands upon her services. It was Patsy's turn next, and she took with
her the second day one of the French girls as assistant.

When the ambulance reached the edge of the dunes, where it was driven by
Ajo, the battle was raging with even more vigor than the previous day.
The Germans were dropping shells promiscuously into the various hollows,
hoping to locate the hidden Belgian infantry, while the Belgian
artillery strove to destroy the German gunners. Both succeeded at times,
and both sides were equally persistent.

As it was impossible to take the ambulance into the dunes, it was left
in the rear in charge of Jones, while the others threaded their way in
and out the devious passages toward the front. They had covered fully a
mile in this laborious fashion before they came upon a detachment of
Belgian infantry which was lying in wait for a call to action. Beyond
this trench the doctors and nurses were forbidden to go, and the officer
in command warned the Americans to beware of stray shells.

Under these circumstances they contented themselves by occupying some of
the rear hollows, to which the wounded would retreat to secure their
services. Dr. Kelsey and Nanette, the French girl, established
themselves in one hollow at the right, while Dr. Gys and Patsy took
their position in another hollow further to the left. There they opened
their cases of lint, plaster and bandages, spreading them out upon the
sand, and were soon engaged in administering aid to an occasional victim
of the battle.

One man who came to Patsy with a slight wound on his shoulder told her
that a shell had exploded in a forward hollow and killed outright
fifteen of his comrades. His own escape from death was miraculous and
the poor fellow was so unnerved that he cried like a baby.

They directed him to the rear, where he would find the ambulance, and
awaited the appearance of more patients. Gys crawled up the mound of
sand in f