per, kept us to lunch--the
nicest meal we've seen for weeks! The ship had 500 cases on board, and
was taking 200 more--many wounded officers.

A captain of the ---- told me all his adventures from the moment he was
hit till now. His regiment had nine officers killed and twenty-seven
wounded. He said they knew things weren't going well in that retreat,
but they never knew how critical it was at the time.

After lunch, we took our grateful leave and went to the A.D.M.S.'s
office for our return warrants for the R.T.O. (I have just had to sign
it for fourteen, as senior officer of our two selves and twelve A.S.C.
men taking two trucks of stores, who have no officer with them!) There
we heard that ten of our No.-- Sisters were ordered to Nantes for duty
by the 4.28, so we hied back to the station to meet them and see them
off. They were all frightfully glad to be on the move at last, and we
had a great meeting. The rest are still bathing at La Baule and cursing
their luck.

While we were getting some coffee in the only _patisserie_ in the dirty
little town, seven burly officer boys of the Black Watch came in to buy
cakes for the train, they said, to-night. They were nearly all second
lieutenants, one captain, and were so excited at going up to the Front
they couldn't keep still. They asked us eagerly if we'd had many of "our
regiment" wounded, and how many casualties were there, and how was the
fighting going, and how long would the journey take. (The nearer you get
to the Front the longer it takes, as trains are always having to shunt
and go round loops to make room for supply trains.) They didn't seem to
have the dimmest idea what they're in for, bless them. They are on this
train in the next carriage.

The Padre told me he was the only one at St Nazaire for all the
hospitals and all the troops in camp (15,000 in one camp alone).

He had commandeered the Bishop of Khartoum to help him, and another
bishop, who both happen to be here.

We are now going to turn out the light, and hope for the best till they
come to look at the warrant or turn us out to change.

6 A.M.--At Sable at 4 A.M. we were turned out for two hours; a wee open
station. Mr ---- and our Civil Surgeon were most awfully decent to us:
turned a sleepy official out of a room for us, and at 5 came and dug us
out to have coffee and _brioches_ with them. Then we went for a sunrise
walk round the village, and were finally dragged into their carriage, as
the