The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-07-05
A War
Quartet
Story OF an Ambulance
Driver
By r. A. mitchell

/ When the great worlds war broke
| out Jim Harding and were In Paris
what one did the other usually did
I We had finished our education In the
same class, In the same college, and
I before settling down 10 our life work
/ concluded 10 make tour abroad
| After dawdling about on the continent
4 for a part OF the summer we went "a
/ Paris, intending 10 sail from England
after doing" fhe French capital Be.
fore we got away war was declared.
We thought we should like TO see
some OF the controversy before re
| turning home and deliberated between
Joining the Foreign legion and the am
chauffeurs and offered our services to
drive the wounded They were ac-
cepted, and Jim and were assigned
to the same field
When the French army and English
contingent were hurled back on Paris
was driving an empty ambulance to
the front. Who should come upon on
the way but jim. He had lost his am
bulance In the quick advance of the
Germans and barely escaped being
taken prisoner. He climbed on to the
seat beside me, and we proceeded to-
gether. Somehow never could tell
how we did tive drove between two
divisions of the German army and
found ourselves In Its rear.
IL our position had not been serious
1t would have been laughable. Here
were two men and an ambulance
equipped for carrying wounded men
off the field OF battle who had left the
wounded far behind them. Indeed. II
the Germans had not also been left
behind we would have been made prls-
oners Of war and our ambulance put
to the enemys uses. Under the cir
cumstances we were not very long in
deciding what to do
Leaving our ambulance, we took to
hiding At evening we came upon
village that had been destroyed by the
Germans and slept In one of the few
houses left standing 1t was nothing
more than a hut, and in 1t what cloth
ing we found had belonged to peas.
ants We decided to don enough of 1t
to enable US to pass as members OF the
peasant class, and when we emerged
In the morning we were clad In cordu-
roy trousers and blouses.
In order to get back to our comrades
and avoid being taken prisoners by
those following up the German army
we struck off in a southwesterly direc-
ton During the day we entered
region that was very beautiful. re-
marked to Jim that II were an artist
| should not wish any better field for
sketching There were beautiful hills
on either side of dreamy valley, to
say nothing OF winding stream me-
andering between them
Meeting two peasant girls coming to-
ward us. Jim suggested that we might
safely ask them for information that
would guide us on our way. SO when
We came together | asked one Of them
what we desired to know. Unfortunate.
ly for us they knew very little about |
the roads or the topography of the |
country about them. spoke French |
pretty WELL and Jim knew enough OF |
the language to get on In simple con-
versation. 1t did not seem to me that |
the girls spoke very good French, but
| attributed this to the fact that they
were Of the lower class.
After satisfying ourselves that we
ran no risk In disclosing our identity
| told the girls that we were Amer- |
cans; had been tourists. had Joined the
French ambulance corps and were try
Ing to escape capture. noticed that
upon this information they looked at
each other and smiled. Then they both
us for our patriotism and
offered TO help US In every way In their
power.
After brief conference II was decid.
ed that we should remain where we
were and the girls would bring us
to eat, for We had not had
food for twenty-four hours. Jim and
settled ourselves In grove beside
he road. and In due time our bene-
actors returned with a luncheon that
surprised us. We had expected such
! meal as would come from peasants
ZONE. but found cold chicken, slices OF
lam, white bread and delicious but
er. Moreover. the whole was on a
alver covered with napkin.
But we were too hungry to wonder
low such a meal could have been pro-
uced by peasants or even inquire into
be matter ard fell to at once, the girls
Watching us with evident interest and
Hing a couple OF glasses they had
rovided from bottle of excellent
vine. II occurred to me that there
ras some mystery about them. Their
ands were not coarse and misshapen
Ike those OF the lower class, but soft
nd round: their voices had not a gut. /
eral sound; their feet, which, with
heir ankles, were plainly visible be-
cath their short skirts. were not blunt |
Ike those Of q peasant, but long and /