The same sense of order and method also struck another Frenchman, who speaks of the “amazing Englishmen,” who carry everything with them, and are never in want of anything, not even of sleep!

Certainly there is much truth in these tributes to the British military organization, but that is another story and for another chapter.  The opinion of an English cavalry officer, however, may be quoted as to the relative merits of the French and English horses.  “The French horses,” he writes, “are awful.  They look after them so badly.  They all say, ‘What lovely horses you have,’ to us, and they do look fine beside theirs, but we look after ours so well.  We always dismount and feed them on all occasions with hay and wheat found on the farms and in stacks in the fields, also clover.  The French never do.”

As a result of these observations the French appear to have been applying themselves to the study of the British fighting force.  “I know for a fact,” says Trooper G. Douglas, “that French officers have been moving amongst us studying our methods.  The French Tommies try to copy us a lot, and they like, when they have time, to stroll into our lines for a chat or a game; but it’s precious little time there is for that now.”

But it is in character and temperament that the chief differences of the allies lie.  “Brigadier” Mary Murray, who went to the front with other members of the Salvation Army, records a conversation she had with a French soldier over a cup of coffee.  “Ah,” he said, “we lose heavily, we French.  We haven’t the patience of the English.  They are fine and can wait:  we must rush!” And yet Tommy Atkins can do a bit of rushing too.  Private R. Duffy, of the Rifle Brigade, sends home a lively account of the defense of the Marne in which a mixed force of British and French was engaged.  The object to be achieved was to drive back the Germans who were attempting to cross the river.  “About half a mile from the banks,” writes Duffy, “we came out from a wood to find a French infantry battalion going across in the same direction.  We didn’t want to be behind, so we put our best foot forward, and one of the most exciting races you ever saw followed.  We got in first by a head, as you might say, and we were just in time to tackle a mob of Germans heading for the crossing in disorder.  We went at them with the bayonet, but they didn’t seem to have the least heart for fighting.  Some of them flung themselves in the stream and tried to swim to safety, but they were heavily accoutered and worn out so they didn’t go very far.  Of about three hundred men who tried this not more than half a dozen succeeded in reaching the other bank.”