The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-31
A War
Quartet
Story Of an Ambulance
Driver
By r. A. Mitchell

When the great worlds war broke
out Jim Harding and l were in Paris
Jim and l 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 tour abroad
After dawdling about on 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 l 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 l 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 clfAbed 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.
II our position had not been serious
1t would have been laughable. Here
were two men and an ambulance
equipped for carrying wounded men
OF 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 a
village that had been destroyed by the
Germans and slept in one Of the few
houses left standing. 1t was nothing
more than hut, and in 1t what cloth
ing we found had belonged to peas
ants. We decided to don enough Of It
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 or in southwesterly direc-
ton. During the day we entered
region that was very beautiful. re
marked to Jim that If l were an artist
I 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. 80 when
we came together I 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. I 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
1 told the girls that we were Ameri-
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
commended us for our patriotism and
offered to help us in every way In their
power.
After brief conference 1t was decid-
ed that we should remain where we
were and the girls would bring us
something to eat, for we had not had
food for twenty-four hours. Jim and
I settled ourselves In a grove beside
the road, and In due time our bene-
factors returned with a luncheon that
us. We had expected such
meal as would come from PEASANTS
home, but found cold chicken. slices of
ham, white bread and delicious but
ter. Moreover, the whole was on a
salver covered with napkin.
But we were too hungry to wonder
how such meal could have been pro-
1uced by peasants or even inquire into
the matter and fell to at once, the girls
us with evident interest and
hlling a couple of glasses they had
provided from bottle Of excellent
wine. 1t occurred to me that there
was some mystery about them. Their
hands were not coarse and misshapeA |
Ike those Of the lower class, but soft |
md round; their voices had not gut.
eral sound; their feet, which. with |
heir ankles were plainly visible be-
leath their short skirts, were not blunt |
Ike those Of peasant, but long and
narrow as befitting a lady.
After satisfying our hunger we chat
ed with our benefactors, who prom
sed to inquire as to the road we would
eed to take to get back to our army.