This morning one of the doctors came for me to go and see an
operation. It was a poor man who had recovered from typhus, then got
frost-bitten toes, and they had fallen off; new skin had to be grafted
over the stumps, and it was taken from the thigh. It will be
interesting to see how it grows on the foot.
In the afternoon two of the doctors and I went for a long walk. We
went about twelve miles right on the top of the highest hill, and from
there, a few months back, one could see the battle raging from
Belgrade. At the top of these hills we could see great holes where the
shells had burst. Wild flowers are gorgeous. The acacia trees are
wonderful, much finer than ours. Most of the hedges are acacias. The
fields are covered with wild strawberries.
Mrs. Stobart and one of the doctors have gone to Nish till Wednesday
morning.
The girl I told you of, who had the gangrene on her leg, had the leg
off to-day. We put a little tent up for her; we could not let her go
on suffering.
Another terrible day. I have never seen such rain; we are simply
flooded; the storm lasted five or six hours.
Mrs. Stobart and the doctor arrived home at 6 o'clock this morning. We
shall soon hear when our camp moves on. I cannot continue writing as
we have another bad storm. The hailstones were like small marbles. We
have now streams running through our camp.
This evening we had several of the officers to dinner, and Colonel
Harrison's gramaphone after.
We hear that the Italian Military Attache arrived here to-day, and
that fighting round about here will start in ten days. This morning it
was interesting to see the transport wagons pass on their way to
Belgrade.
This evening, while I was waiting for the last whistle to blow for
lights out, I went a little walk to see the frogs in some ponds near
by; in one pond they were singing in a high key--I suppose they must
have had soprano voices--and in another pond they were croaking as if
they had bass voices, and as they made this quaint noise their jaws
swelled out to a tremendous size. They came to the edge of the pond to
see who I was and seemed to say, What are you doing here! The light
from the hurricane lamp must have attracted them. The crickets are
also singing everywhere; we can see their holes all over the hills.
They work their wings together to make their quaint noise. And the
cuckoo was also singing. With all these different noises it was quite
an entertainment.