The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-08-07
A War
Quartet
Story of an Ambulance
Driver
By F. A. Mitchell

out jim ddru1ng ana L were In Far
Jim and had long been chums, al
what one did the other usually di
We had finished our education in Il
same class, In the same college, al
= before settling down to our life wol
concluded to make tour abroa,
After dawdling about on the continer
for part of the summer we went
Paris, intending to sail from Englan
after "doing" the French capital Bt
fore we got away war was declared.
We thought we should like to Sc
some Of the controversy before re
turning home and deliberated betweel
Joining the Foreign legion and the am
bulance corps. We were both poof
chaufeurs and offered our services I,
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
Dulance 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 fell
how We did tive drove between two
divisions OF the German army and
round ourselves in its rear.
lr our position had not been serious
1t would have been laughable. Here
were two men and an ambulance
equipped for carrying wounded men
OH the. Held 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 nris
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 fool, r.
hiding. At evening we came upon
village that had been destroyed bv tho
Germans and slept in one of the few
houses left standing. 1t was nothing
more than hut and in it what cloth
ing we found had belonged to peas
ants. We decided to don enough of #
10 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 nv
those following up the German army
we struck off in a sOuthwesterlv direr.
[lon During the day we entered n
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 mo-
andering between them.
Meeting two peasant girls coming TO
"ard us, Jim suggested that we might
'a1ely ask them for information tbat
"ouiu guide US on our way. So when
we came together | asked one of tbem
~hat we desired to know. Unfortunoto
y for us they knew very little ohout
ne roads or the topography of the
about them. spoke French
pretty well, and Jim knew enough of
ne language to get on In simple con.
'ersation. 1t did not seem to mo tbot
ne girls spoke very good French but
attributed this to the fact that tbev
we're Of the lower class.
After satisfying ourselves that wo
an no risk in disclosing our ident,tr
toiu the girls that we were Amor;
ans; mad been tourists, had ioined tho
'rehch ambulance corps and were FRY
ng TO escape capture | noticed tbot
poh TINS Information they looked at
ach other and smiled Then thev both
ommended us for our patriotism and
nered to help us in every way in their
over
AFTER brief conference 1t was decid.
that we should remain whore VIC
'ere and the girls would bring no
to eat, for we had not had
ood Tor twenty-four hours. Jim and
settled ourselves In a grove beside
ne ROAD, and In due time our bene-
'ctors returned with luncheon that
us. We had expected sucb
meal as would come from peasants ,
ONE, but found cold chicken. slices of ,
am, white bread and delicious bpt. ! {
Z. Moreover. the whole was on ,
liver covered with napkin. 7
But we were too hungry to wonder 5
DIV such a meal could have been pro- .
ICED by peasants or even INQUIRE into !
e matter and fell to at once. the girls
atching us with evident interest and /,
hng couple of glasses they had :
'o'lued from bottle of excellent :,
me. IL occurred TO me that there :
as some mystery about them. Their :
mus We're not coarse and misshape. :
Se those of the lower class. but soft =
I'd round; their voices had not q put :,
raj sound; their feet, which. with :
eir ankles, were plainly visible be-
attn their short skirts, We're not blunt .
'e those OF peasant. but long and :
rrow as befitting lady. !.
AFTER satisfying our hunger we chat. =
l with our benefactors. who prom :,
"a 10 inquire as to the road we would !
ed TO take to get back to our army