bombshell in the camp
owing to the pessimistic reports first given of it in the papers. A
witty Frenchman once remarked that in all our campaigns we had only won
one battle, but that was the last, and we felt that however black things
appeared at the moment we would come out on top in the end. The news of
Kitchener's death five days later plunged the whole of the B.E.F. into
mourning, and the French showed their sympathy in many touching ways.

One day to my sorrow I heard that the little Mors lorry was to be done
away with, owing to the shortage of petrol that began to be felt about
this time, and that horses and G.S. wagons were to draw rations, etc.,
instead. It had just been newly painted and was the joy of my
heart--however mine was not to reason why, and in due course Red Cross
drivers appeared with two more ambulances from the Boulogne _depot_, and
they made the journey back in the little Mors.

It was then that "Susan" came into being.

The two fresh ambulances were both Napiers, and I hastily consulted
Brown (the second mechanic who had come to assist Kirkby as the work
increased) which he thought was the best one. (It was generally felt I
should have first choice to console me for the loss of the little Mors.)

I chose the speediest, naturally. She was a four cylinder Napier, given
by a Mrs. Herbert Davies to the Red Cross at the beginning of the war
(_vide_ small brass plate affixed), and converted from her private car
into an ambulance. She had been in the famous old Dunkirk Convoy in
1914, and was battle-scarred, as her canvas testified, where the bullets
and shrapnel had pierced it. She had a fat comfortable look about her,
and after I had had her for some time I felt "Susan" was the only name
for her; and Susan she remained from that day onwards. She always came
up to the scratch, that car, and saved my life more than once.

We snatched what minutes we could from work to do our "cues," as we
called our small huts. It was a great pastime to voyage from hut to hut
and see what particular line the "furnishing" was taking. Mine was
closed to all intruders on the score that I had the "painters in." It
was to be _art nouveau_. I found it no easy matter to get the stuff on
evenly, especially as I had rather advanced ideas as to mural
decoration! With great difficulty I stencilled long lean-looking
panthers stalking round the top as a sort of fresco. I cut one pattern
out in cardboard and fixing it with draw