Evening star., 1914-12-13

against their own kith and kin. They re-
solved, accordingly, once they had sent
ready had left on footl, to get out of Ant
werp as best they could, though how they
then had no idea Meanwhile. as there
was no wheeled vehicle left in the town,
the directress herself set off on foot to
try to find the officials of the Red Cross
and see what arrangements could be made
for taking the wounded charges away.
'Shells were dropping here. there and
everywhere as I trudged from one Office
to another" says she, but, although one
felt that there was plenty of danger for
other people there never. curiously enough,
seemed to be any for ones SELF
The Red Cross folk. it appeared. could
not help. They had no transport left
Just when things looked blacklist, how
ever, there suddenly appeared a motor
1orry driven by an English soldier who
had lost his convoy, and this was prompt
ly Communicated by Mrs Stobart's trans
port orderly. Miss Benjamin, who. ignor-
ing the shells that were dropping all
around her, hailed the Tommy as he was
passing. In this lorry six of the worst
cases We're taken to hospital which had
good cellars
They could take no more" said Mrs
Stobart. "and so, after placing two
cases in charge of the sisters at the
convent. who refused to leave their cell
lars, we packed the remaining sixteen
on the last procurable Iorry found at
Inc wharf and sene them in charge of
one OF our doctors, a sister and two
nurses and an interpreter to get out of
the town toward the Dutch frontier"
This party, which, after various ad-
ventures, finally reached a hospital at
ostend, was to send back. before they
left the town. means of transport for
the rest of the staff. numbering some
hlf
last adventure Of Mrs Stobart and her
assistants was to be the most exciting
of all. Still under smell fire, they
had packed Up all the portable equip
ment. and now, all the afternoon, they
waited for the sight OF the conveyance
which was to have been sent by the
lorry. But o'clock. o'clock. 5
O'clock oolf an came and no sign Of the trans
was now deserted of all life. a city of
the dead. The only sounds were the
screaming and banging OF the still
bombarding shells and the cracking
of the fired houses 1t was now almost
dusk and the little band had about
given up hope when the means of es-
cape arrived.
Mrs. stobart and the clever women
and Travelled on some thousands OF
motor r-omnibuses in their day, but it is
doubtful if any of these conveyances
ever looked SO good" to them as three
ering gloom, they suddenly saw COM
ing along at a breakneck pace through the
street in which their hospital stood.
The directress ran out in the road and
spread out her arms. Quickly the mo-
tor buses drew up and she asked the
drivers. English "Tommies." if they
would help them to the frontier.
"1f you're quick as lightning was
the reply. but we have got to get over
that bridge of boats before it is blown
up. And maybe you don't know IL,
but these buses are filed with ammu-
milton, and, with these here shells fall
ing all about-wel1, you must decide
II you think you want to risk IT.
The Englishwomen hesitated not
second. In less time than it takes to
tell it they had collected their hand
bags. and were all seated on the boxes
of ammunition inside of the motor
buses, which promptly started off
again, and a wild and thrilling ride
began. Probably no party Of women ever
before had or ever will have such an
omnibus ride as this score of doctors,
nurses and orderlies with their direct
ress. The screaming shells rained on
all sides of them. they swept through
streets empty of people In which
houses were burning on each side OF
them. and in many places there were
huge holes in the road, which had to
be avoided. where shells had fallen and
T., ,FeS