With the Serbs in Macedonia

TRANSPORT TROUBLES 83
their fathers and mothers begged for petrol
boxes for firing, and pieces of tin Ford roofing
— discarded for canvas, which stood the shaking
of the roads better— to repair their shell-ruined
hovels.
Among our collection of mascots and mongrels
was a cat, a black and white cat, which had
attached itself to us as a kitten at Bath. What
she lacked in breeding she made up in personality.
At our Company concerts she occupied
of her own volition the centre of the stage.
She would jump obstacles by invitation and
play spectacularly with Mr. Scott, our mechanist
sergeant-major, for half an hour every evening
after tea. Naturally so accomplished a creature
made havoc of the hearts of the village children,
and on the day of our move some little Mace-
''
donian girl enticed her away. Shoey ''— that
was her name, derived from the horse-shoe that
was our Company sign — ^was lost ! 708
was all
but prostrate with lamentation and consternation.
Worst of all the M.S.M. was away. He
had gone to Salonica to see what he could buy
for the Company's Christmas, and Shoey was his
own particular pet. Who would dare to face
him on his return ?
Search and enquiry produced
no result.
Nobody in the village would admit having seen
the missing animal.