The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1917-08-16
A War
Quartet
Story of an Ambulance
Driver
By F. A. mitchell

4
E>~~~~>>>>~~~>>>~
When the great worlds war broke
out Jim Harding and were in Paris.
Jim and I had long been chums. and
what one did the other usually did.
We had finished our education in the
same class. in the same college, and
before settling down to our life work
concluded to make q tour abroad.
After dawdling about OH the continent
for part Of the summer we went to
Paris, intending to sail from England
after 'doing" the 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
bulance corps. We were both good
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.
If our position had not been serious
| it 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, If
the Germans had not also been left
behind we would have been made pris-
oners of war and our ambulance put
to the enemy's 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 q hut, and in it 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 corlu-
roy trousers and blouses.
/ In order to get back to our comrades
and avoid being taken prisoners by
those following up the German army
q we struck Off IN q southwesterly direc-
ton. During the day. we entered a
region that was very beautiful. | re-
marked to Jim that If | 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 a simple con-
versation. 1t did not seem to me that
the girls spoke very good French. but
I 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 Ameri
cans; had been tourists, had joined the
French ambulance corps and We're try.
ing to escape capture. / noticed that
upon this information they looked al
Z each other and smiled. Then they boil
commended us for our patriotism and
offered to help us III every way in theil
+ power.
:, After a brief conference it was decid
!, ed that we should remain where We
were and the girls would bring II.
:, something to eat, for we had not hat
!, food for twenty-four hours. Jim ant
:, l settled ourselves In grove besi(,
the road, and in due time our bcne
factors returned with n luncheon tina
surprised us. We had expected sucl
meal as would come from peasant
home, but found cold chicken, slices o
: ham, white bread and delicious but
h ter. Moreover, the whole was OH
d salver covered with a napkin.
l. But we were too hungry to weEGe
). how such meal could have. been pro
It duced by peasants or even inquire int
the matter ard fell to at once, the cir!
watching us with evident interest an,
filing couple Of glasses they ha'
provided from a bottle of excellen
wine. 1t occurred to me that tler
was some mystery about them. Thcl
hands We're not coarse and misshape
like those Of the lower class, but sol
a and round: their voices had not gu
.e teral sound; their feet, which, wit
e their ankles, were plainly visible b,
ID meath their short skirts, We're not blur
70 like those Of peasant. but long an
r narrow as BETTING lady.
10 After satisfying our hunger We cha
ii ted with our benefactors, who prom
II Used to inquire as to the road we woul
lie need to take to get back to our arm
| and they would return in the evenil