en and retaken by
both sides, and had a population of about 2000. The only living things
he saw in it to-day besides a khaki supply column passing through were
one cat and some goldfish. In one villa a big brass bedstead was hanging
through the drawing-room ceiling by its legs, the clothes hanging in the
cupboards were slashed up, and nothing left anywhere. He says at least
ten well-to-do men of 50 are doing motor-ambulance work with their own
Rolls-Royces up there, and cleaning their cars themselves, at 6 A.M.

I happened to ask a man, who is a stretcher-bearer belonging to the
Rifle Brigade, how he got hit. "Oh, I was carrying a dead man," he said
modestly. "My officer told me not to move him till dark, because of the
sniping; but his face was blown off by an explosive bullet, and I didn't
think it would do the chaps who had to stand round him all day any good,
so I put him on my back, and they copped me in the leg. I was glad he
wasn't a wounded man, because I had to drop him."

He told me some French ladies were killed in their horse-and-cart on the
road near their trenches the other day; they would go and try and get
some of their household treasures. Two were killed--two and a man--and
the horse wounded. He helped to take them to the R.A.M.C.
dressing-station.

_Wednesday, December 16th._--We are on our way up again to-day, and by a
different and much jollier way, to St Omer, going south of Boulogne and
across country, instead of up by Calais. We came back this way with
patients from Ypres once. It is longer, but the country is like
Hampshire Downs, instead of the everlasting flat swamps the other way.
Of course it is raining.

6 P.M.--For once we waited long enough at St Omer to go out and explore
the beautiful ruined Abbey near the station. We went up the town--very
clean compared with the towns farther up--swarming with grey
touring-cars and staff officers. Headquarters of every arm labelled on
different houses, and a huge church the same date as the Abbey, with
some good carving and glass in it. We kept an eye open for Sir J.F. and
the P. of W., but didn't meet them. Saw the English military church
where Lord Roberts began his funeral service. For once it wasn't
raining.

_Thursday, December 17th._--Left St O. at 11 P.M. last night, and woke
up this morning at Bailleul. Saw two aeroplanes being fired at,--black
smoke-balls bursting in the air. Heard that Hartlepool and Scarboro'
have been shelled--ju