only on the night I was wounded, many months later.
But of that in its proper place.

When we left Morbecque, the whole of the inhabitants turned out to bid
us farewell. Many of the women wept, and though we had only been there
a week, we felt we were leaving old friends.

We knew something of what these French people had already paid in
defending that in which we were as much concerned. There was not a
young man in the whole neighborhood, and it was the old grandfathers
and grandmothers that worked the farms.

Our hearts had warmed to France, before we knew the lovable French
people themselves, because she had borne the brunt in the first years
of the war, and her soil had been ravaged, and her women so unspeakably
maltreated. And it seemed that the French people took especial
interest in us Australians who had come twelve thousand miles to join
in this fight in defense of the world's liberty.

This war has done more to make known to each other the people of the
world than any other event in history. Many of the French people had
hardly heard of Australia, but hereafter they will never forget the
name of the land whence came those stalwart boys who marched singing
through their country; who went to war with laughter, and when out of
the trenches were ever ready to give a hand with the crops.

To their poverty it seemed as if we Australians were all millionaires,
and our ready cash was a godsend wherever we went. Although we did not
receive on the field our full six shillings a day, we always had more
money to spend than the "Tommies." In fact, frequently within a few
hours after our arrival in a village we would buy out all of its
stores. The temptation must have been great, yet I never knew a French
farmer or storekeeper attempt to overcharge us. All we had, we spent,
and though we grumbled enough that we were not able to draw our full
pay, the French people thought that we were simply rolling in money.

The brigade did not go by train any of the distance, but marched the
whole way to the trenches, taking two days. This part of the country
was just on the edge of the Hun advance and, being only visited by some
scouting-parties of Uhlans, had escaped most of war's ravages. We
marched through beautiful woods, passed peaceful villages, and over
sleepy canals that we saw not again in France in many long months--most
of us, alas, never.

I do not know whether they wanted to show what Australians could do,