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--just the bare fact--in last night's 'Globe.' R. will have an exciting time. We're longing to get back for to-day's 'Daily Mail.' There has been a lot of fighting in our advance south-east of Ypres since Sunday.