tiatingly at
the drivers. One day going along the sea road one of them poked me in
the back through the canvas against which we leant when driving and
said, "Ni--eece Englessh Mees!" I was furious and used the most forcible
German I could think of at a moment's notice. "Cheek!" I said to the
guard sitting beside me on the box, "I'd run them over the cliff for
tuppence."

He got the wind up entirely: "Oh, Miss," he said, in an anxious voice,
"for Gawd's sake don't. Remember we're on board as well."

The Rifle brigade came in to rest after the Guards had gone, and before
they left again for the line, gave a big race meeting on the sands.
Luckily for us there was no push on just then, and work was in
consequence very slack. A ladies' race was included in the Programme for
our benefit. It was one of the last events, and until it came off we
amused ourselves riding available mules, much to the delight of the
Tommies, who cheered and yelled and did their best to get them to "take
off!" They were hard and bony and had mouths like old sea boots, but it
was better than toiling in the deep sand.

There were about fourteen entries for our race, several of them from
Lamarck, and we all drew for polo ponies lent from the Brigade. Their
owners were full of instructions as to the best method to get them
along. We cantered up to the starting post, and there was some delay
while Renny got her stirrups right. This was unfortunate, as our ponies
got a bit "cold." At last the flag fell, and we were off! It was
ripping; and the excitement of that race beat anything I've ever known.
As we thundered over the sands I began to experience the joys of seeing
the horses in front "coming back" to me, as our old jockey stable-boy
used to describe. Heasy came in first, MacDougal second, and Winnie and
I tied third. It was a great race entirely, and all too short by a long
way.

One day I was detailed to drive the Matron and our section leader to a
fete of sorts for Belgian refugee orphans. On the way back, crossing the
swing bridge, we met Betty driving the sisters to their billets. I
thought Matron wanted to speak to them and luckily, as it turned out, I
slowed down. She changed her mind, however, and I was just picking up
again as we came abreast, when from behind Betty's car sprang a woman
right in front of mine (after her hat it appeared later, which the wind
had just blown across the road). The apparition was so utterly
unforeseen and unexp