on the night of September 1st. The enemy, scenting a troop
movement, kept up a steady bombardment, and it was well towards morning
before we were able to make a getaway. The trip was an exciting one, as
it was necessary to run a gauntlet of exploding shells. Gas was also
encountered, but, in spite of it all, we all arrived safely about
daybreak at company headquarters.

Richard was situated in a narrow gap on the bank of Lac Noir (meaning
Black Lake). The dressing station there was established by Lieut.
Monteith and a detachment of twenty-five men. The outposts were Vignal
and Pairis, and detachments of litter bearers were sent to each of those
places, which were occupied by the Infantry Battalion Aid Stations.
Later Lieut. Bates and six men arrived from Rudlin, where a station had
been established but abandoned. Relay litter squads were formed, thus
making the work lighter.

The men on outpost duty at Pairis were billeted in an old hotel
basement, where there was running water, electric lights and real beds,
but even with these luxuries at their disposal they can hardly be said
to have had an enjoyable time. This hotel had a road running alongside,
and whenever anyone appeared in the road, the Boche immediately opened
up on the hotel with high explosives and shrapnel. The boys got to be
experts at hitting the cellar entrance on a moment's notice--in fact,
they stayed pretty close to it at all times, unless at the kitchen,
which was about three hundred yards distant.

The outpost at Vignal was not so well situated, but was rarely shelled.
This party took part in a raid which was pulled off just before they
were relieved. They went out with the raiding party to its starting
point and remained until the raid was over, when they evacuated the
wounded to the foot of the hill below Richard, from where the litter
cases were taken to the top of the hill by squads from Richard. At
Richard there was big preparation when word of the intended raid was
received. Two spare ambulances and twelve men were ordered out from Le
Collet. When the word was telephoned up that three litter cases were on
the way, a detachment of nineteen men went to the bottom of the hill and
brought the wounded to the station, where they were dressed and sent to
the triage.

The work of both the outposts was highly complimented by the battalion
surgeons. The Americans at Richard were relieved by French Colonials. In
coming in, the French seemed to have a