The outlying country was full of lowlands and streams which in many places during the hard rains covered the roads to such a depth that the usual type of French cars could not operate. Our car suspension was high, and we were able to perform a service the other cars had not been able to do. We established, too, a standard for prompt service, and during the weeks we were there it never became necessary that we delay a call for service on account of "high water." We left this district for other work with a record of never having missed a call, and the promptness of service, day or night, was often a matter of comment by the French officials connected with this work. During the high water, certain posts accustomed to telephone for an ambulance would ask for an American Ambulance Boat, and the story was soon about that we had water lines painted on the cars as gauges for depths through which we could pass. I was once in the middle of a swirling rapid with the nearest "land" one hundred yards away. But I had to get through, because I knew I had a pneumonia patient with a high fever. I opened the throttle and charged. When I got to the other side I was only hitting on two cylinders, but as mine was the only car that day to get through at all I boasted long afterwards of my ambulance's fording ability. We were always looking forward to being moved and attached to some Division within the First Army, and, as promised, the order came. Our service in this district was completed, and on the morning of January 5 our _convoi_ passed on its way to a new location. Our work here included _postes de secours_ that were intermittently under fire, and several of the places could only be reached at night, being in daylight within plain view of the German gunners. Here again we remained only a short time. Without any warning we received an order one evening to proceed the next day to Toul. This we knew meant 7 A.M., for the French military day begins early, and so all night we were busy filling our gasoline tanks, cleaning spark-plugs, and getting a dismantled car in shape to "roll." [Illustration: APPROACHING THE HIGH-WATER MARK] [Illustration: "POILUS" AND AMERICANS SHARING THEIR LUNCH] The trip to Toul was without incident, and when we drew up at the _caserne_, which proved to be our future home, we reported as ready for immediate work. The next day five cars were sent to a secondary _poste de secours_ about ten kilometres from the lines and two cars farther forward to a first-line _poste de secours_. The rest of the ambulances formed a reserve at our base to relieve daily those cars and take care of such emergency calls as might come in day or night. Then as soon as we proved our worth, we were given other similar points on the lines, and gradually took over the work of the French Section working with the next Army Division.