uickly and
methodically we passed up the gangway, giving up our embarkation tickets
at the end and receiving another card to fill up, with personal
particulars, as we stepped on board. This card was to be given up upon
one's arrival at Boulogne.

Gradually the boat filled with officers and men; kits and cars were
hoisted aboard, life-belts were served out; everybody was compelled to
put them on in case of an accident.

Everything was aboard; the three boats were ready to leave; the two in
front, one an old cross-Channel paddle boat, the other one of the later
turbine class--but still no sign of leaving.

"What are we waiting for?" I asked a seaman near by.

"We must wait until we get permission; the mist is very thick,
sir--going to be a cold journey." With that he left. I buttoned my warm
great-coat well round my throat, pulled my cap firmly down over my ears
and went to the upper deck and peered out into the thickening sea-mist
towards the harbour entrance.

I went to the deck-rail and leaned over. Crowds of sea-gulls cawed and
wheeled round, seemingly hung suspended in the air by an invisible wire.
The gulls fascinated me; one second they were in the air motionless on
their huge outstretched wings, then suddenly, seeing either the shape of
a fish coming to the surface, or a crumb of bread floating, one of the
birds would dart down, make a grab with its beak at the object, skim the
surface of the water, then gracefully wing its way upwards and join its
fellows.

I turned my gaze again seawards: the mist was drawing nearer,
threatening to envelop our boats in its embrace. How cold it was! The
upper deck was now full of officers, busily putting on their
life-belts--I had secured mine to my kit-bag, ready to put it on when
required. At that moment an officer came up to me.

"Have you a life-belt?" he said, "if so would you mind putting it on? I
have to go all round the boat and see that everybody has one."

"Right," I said, and so I donned my life-belt, and passing along the
deck stood underneath the Captain's bridge and gazed around. The men in
the two boats ahead of us were singing lustily, singing because they
were going back to the land of bursting shells and flying death,
laughing and singing because they were going again out to fight for the
Empire.

As I stood there, gazing into the mist and hearing the continuous roar
of the sea beating upon the rocks behind me, a review of the events
passed through m