e been sent to bed early. We've never had a light enough load for
one to do the whole train before. The men say things are very quiet at
the Front just now. Is it the weather or the Russian advance?

Great amusement to-day. Major P. got left behind at Hazebrouck, talking
to the R.T.O., but scored off us by catching us up at St Omer on an
engine which he collared.

_Saturday, November 28th._--Sunny and much milder. We came up in the
night last night to St Omer, and have not taken any sick on yet. There
seems to be only medical cases about just now, which is a blessed relief
to think of. They are inevitable in the winter, here or at home. The
Major has gone up to Poperinghe with one carriage to fetch six badly
wounded officers and four men who were left there the other day when the
French took the place over.

I was just getting cigarettes for an up-going train of field-kitchens
and guns out of your parcel when it began to move. The men on each truck
stood ready, and caught the packets as eagerly as if they'd been
diamonds as I threw them in from my train. It was a great game; only two
went on the ground. The "Surprise," I suppose, is in the round tin. We
are keeping it for a lean day.

6 P.M.--We are just coming to Chocques for Indians again, not far from
Armentieres, so I am looking up my Hindustani conversation again.

On Friday--the day between these two journeys--Sister N. and I got a
motor ambulance from the T.O. and whirled off to Wimereux in it. It is a
lovely place on the sea, about three miles off, now with every hotel,
casino, and school taken up by R.A.M.C. Base Hospitals. It was a lovely
blue morning, and I went right out to the last rock on the sands and
watched the breakers while Sister N. attended to some business. It was
glorious after the everlasting railway carriage atmosphere. Then we
found a very nice old church in the town. It is too wet to load up with
the Indians to-night, so we have the night in bed, and take them down
to-morrow.

A sergeant of the 10th Hussars told me he was in a house with some
supposed Belgian refugees. He noticed that when a little bell near the
ceiling rang one of them always dashed upstairs. He put a man upstairs
to trace this bell and intercept the Belgian. It was connected with the
little trap-door of a pigeon-house. When a pigeon came in with a
message, this door rang the bell and they went up and got the message.
They didn't reckon on having British in the house.