any of that wonderful panorama of ever-changing
beauty.

We did not leave that train until we were well within sound of the
guns, and then disentrained at a small village named Morbecque. We
went into tents in a farmyard, and the very first evening began to make
acquaintances among the villagers.

The Huns had only been there a day or two in their march on Paris, and
during that time the inhabitants had made themselves scarce. But
enough damage had been done in the houses during those two days to make
every man, woman, and child speak with disgust of the filthy "boche."

Everybody was very willing to make friends with us Australians, but the
difficulties of language prevented a very rapid growth in knowledge of
each other. All were on the hunt for souvenirs, and on the second day
hardly a man had a button left on his coat. Orders were issued that
the buttons be replaced before the next parade, and it was amusing to
hear the boys trying to explain to the village shop-mistress what they
wanted. It ended in their ransacking the stock themselves, but I do
not think any one found many buttons of the same kind, and our uniforms
did not look as smart as usual, as somehow blouse-buttons do not seem
to go well with a uniform.

These people were simple and religious, as I found most of the French
people to be, at least the country-folk. I received no less than six
crucifixes that I was assured by the charming donors would protect me
from all danger, as they had been blessed by certain archbishops, the
favorite being the archbishop of Amiens. I was mean enough to remark
to one of them that it was a wonder any of the Frenchmen ever were
killed. After I had been in the trenches I met again the daughter of
the mayor, who had given me one of these crucifixes to wear around my
neck. I informed her how a bullet had passed between my eye and the
telescope I was using, laying open my cheek. She was quite sure that
the bullet was going through my temple but had been diverted by the
power of the charm, and fourteen "aves" she said for me every day.

While at this village I saw both a wedding and a funeral, but the
funeral was by far the most spectacular of the two. The whole of the
outside of the house was covered with black cloth--it must have taken a
hundred yards--and processions of boys and girls went back and forth
from church to house for several days, singing the most doleful music.
Every one in the village attended t