The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-18

hospital at Neuilly. where l can have
every comfort.
"Of course you won't worry about
me. l will be just as good as new
soon, and really this is true.
1.-THE Germans peppered the life out
of my car. No one goes over the road
in daylight, but the fellows brought
me back the next day q handful OF
bullets taken from it, and said they
could get me q bushel more If | de-
sired them.
For three days l was not allowed
to eat or drink. and could hardly move
in bed. My spirits were high, too.
will try to write better and take more
pains. Goodby. WILLIAM.
Neutrality-suspicious., July 10, 1915"
Later he wrote:
Dear Folks:
"Well, l am here and fine. This
Is wonderful hospital, and they
surely treat you great. l am just
getting back to normal and have
no temperature The doctors here
are the best in the world and surely
know their business.
"Wheu my wounds heal up, which
they are fast doing, will be just as
good as new, no scars at all. l am
very happy here and hope every day
that you are as happy and never worry
about me. l think l have done a
small part Of great work, and my
medaille shows what the French think
Of my services. 1t is given for dis
cipline and valor, and by the way,
what amuses me, there is an annual
pension of 1OOf. I have been treat
Jed wonderfully since ! have it given
to me.
II am the only ambulance boy. who
has been given Medaille, and I am
told that Mr.. Balsley, an American
aviator, is the only other American
who has it. - WILLIAM"
Driving Under Fire.
Another letter wildly describing the
experiences of ambulance drivers at
the front, was sent by the young
American who volunteered to take
charge Of the first ambulance provided
by members Of the New York stock ex-
change. In that letter to his parents
the writer says:
"Well, I'm still alive and kicking, but
the Lord only knows why. l finally
started work at Verdun on the 21st
Of June. l quit the 7th Of July.
hope never to put in reign Of terror
like that again. The first night we
started we were greeted with gas
attack and had to wear our masks for
about three hours. Luckily they were
the weeping kind, that is, it makes you
cry like the devil. If you breathe
enough of it, it makes you very sick,
but it wasn't the asphyxiating kind.
We went from Verdun to poste de Sc
cours. just behind the first line
trenches, about 500 yards away from
the Boches. It was in the cellar of
!! what remained of house; the rest
of the place was nothing but piles Of
bricks, etc. There was another post
half way between, and another little
farther to the left.
"The road out was under continual
shell fire all the time, and the second
night they shelled the poste de secours
very heavily. came up the road, and
just at the entrance to the little town
met Waldo, who said that they were
Smelling the place and to be careful.
l started on, and then whistle and
boom-just ahead of me at the side
of the road shower Of stones, etc.,
no. damage. l went on, got into a
bunch of soup kitchens which were
blocking the road and stalled my mo-
tor. I got out to crank it, just got 1t
going, when the next one arrived
something hit ME on the ankle and
knocked me over. got up, found my
leg all wet and no feeling In 1t, so !
concluded I was wounded. {.
II got in the car and started back
to Verdun to get it fixed. l got about
three hundred yards away and then
began to feel things in it, so felt it
again. 1t seemed all right, and my
hands weren't red, so l concluded
wasn't wounded, and it must have been
piece Of brick that hit me, SO I
turned around and went back again,
and some more shells arrived. Found
Dawson, and we took to shell hole,
and lay there about fifteen minutes.
Barber and Johnson were lying un-
der their cars just In front. of us. It
let up for while and we went on to
the poste. Found another man chang
ing tire in front of the poste, with
part Of the front Of his car gone. He
invited me to aid him. / couldn't re-
fuse but I never felt 50 like killing a
person in my life. The crazy idiot,
sitting there changing shoe, with