Show RIDES EIGHT LONG MILES IN WITH LUNATIC SOLDIERS american auto ambulance driver dodges vehicles on oil congested french road while trench crazed man grabs at steering wheel when not fighting mate thank you very much for the ride says maniac at the end of the journey paris A correspondent of the now york sun has haa received tile following letter from a member of the american ambulance corps at tho the front 1 I was on duty last sunday at S a typical french front town just behind the woods in which most of tho the fighting of tile tho section bertlon Is carried on there the two ambulances ambulance on oil tho the watch N were vere lined up in the usual place at the telephone bureau along tile the side of the road most protected against sudden shrapnel bombardments shrapnel shells exploding into the street usually land their contents into tho the side of 0 the street facing the german lines all was quiet in the trenches only an occasional crack of a rifle tho the sharp detonation of a grenade now and then and a constant tar far away booming denoting an all attack in a distant sect eur darkness had settled without tiny any wounded being brought in this was unusual tile tho poste secours of tho the various regiments along the street were empty save tor for a few sick sol set diers being held over until the light of the early morning an ugly rain had set in malting making difficult the run of 0 eleven kilometers in total blackness without even the guidance of a feebly oil lamp among the never ending wagons and contrivances of the road it appeared unnecessarily long to the men in the vehicles who were those not needing attention at tho the hospital back stealing a little sleep we turned into the telephone bureau to get what sleep wo we could using stretchers from our cars the blanket rolls unfolded over these making beds not halt half bad detore before retiring the men take off their shoes leggings and coats the incessant rumble of wagon wheels and the rattle and clink of chains outside were beginning to blend with the distant booming in the other sect eur as I 1 drowsed when I 1 was awakened by the telephone bell dran bran card lera lers at B a dressing station about a kilometer on the other side of town at the edge of the woods were calling for an ambulance vest urgent said the operator and then rang olt off they had replied that it was dressing pro vr Beine essing after a quarter afan of an hours driving I 1 arrived at the post it was necessary to go exceedingly slow and stop frequently to avoid running into something in the blackness at the post two brancard lers camo came out to meet mo me A door opened on an the side away from the trenches throwing enough light on the road to turn the car round I 1 walked toward the door to see it the wounded were inside or still on the road down as is often the case before I 1 had gone far the attendants attendant came up and solemnly placed their fingers over their lips grave I 1 asked surprised by the wounded they replied yes and pointed through the door inside were two t we soldiers sitting on a bench facing us no that was all As AB we came in one or of the soldier said bon coir and smiled tho the brancard lers then told me the men were violently insane and they were under orders to send them to the rear immediately they had been rendered mad by the fire of t tho he day they said end and were not to be ba trusted to be in the same party with wounded wake make them lie ile inside the car they said and bo be all right tor for ye you U however not wishing a on the eight mile stretch bac back lt I 1 thought it better to have one fellow lie on a 1 stretcher 1 tr etcher inside slid and the other one 1 ide on tho the seat beat with me the soldier who had bidden me a good evening got inside willingly enough and lay down we got the other soldier on the seat after several minutes of inducing ile he seemed to havo have an idea ho he was about to be taken prisoner the two bran brancard card lors and a couple of others I 1 had not seen before gave mo me their best wishes as I 1 left later I 1 concluded that thai they shook hands among themselves when I 1 disappeared in the darkness the run back to S was made without incident the soldiers remained quiet then began the tedious run to the hospital at I 1 F eight miles back the night was exceptionally dark and it was waa difficult to see eee my hands on the steering wheel road clogged by vehicles the was still ou on the road up wagons of every description some drawn by six ni cu eight horses jogged bogged by on the other side of 0 the road one upon the other sometimes there was a break of several hundred feet tn in tho the line and at times transports rushed by with a sickening clanking of chains and rumbling of massive wheels running with moro more than average av rate rata to catch up to those in front occasionally a heavy transport laden with ammunition en route to some battery in tho the woods all and driven by as many as ten powerful steeds thundered past in the mal die of the road or on the left side to pass the slower moving vehicles frequently these monsters of the road came close to collision with the frail ambulance sometimes a driver far in front contrary to rules lighted a match and the thing flared over tho the country like nil an are arc light in order to drive at all it was necessary to blow tile the horn constantly and hug the right side of the road as closely as safety allowed madman becomes restless Rc atless at the village of if half way to tile tho hospital tile tho madman on oil tho the seat grow restless ile ho began to add to my troubles by grabbing tile the wheel at unexpected intervals intervale turning tile the car from its course after each occasion ho gave a gurgle of approval and muttered something in a dialect I 1 did not understand dundei stand but evidently getting more amusement out of it than 1 I ile ho was a little follow fellow and I 1 did not fear him physically after several sudden lurches when grabbing the wheel seemed to bo be becoming a habit with him I 1 began to pat him on the back and look anito anxiously a s in the direction of tho the hospital hospi tul about three miles away 1 I was afraid the fellow inside might make trouble once on oil losing the sense of darc direction after being turned fron from my course I 1 stopped and dismounted d to find the right of the road several feet in advance of tile the car I 1 walked into something hard I 1 discovered a wagon stationary on tile the rond road a short ll li stanco in front with a load of long burs projecting over the rear end crid suddenly there was a big blaze or of light from the back I 1 stopped short wondering what had happened looking back through a window in the th 0 canvas body of the car I 1 saw tile the soldier inside crouching on oil the stretcher holding about half a box of lighted matches in lits his hands ile he was trying to light a cigarette with ills his face toward toward the floor of the hie car lie he raised the score or so of burning matcher matche to his h is mouth instantly there was wafa a sizzle of 0 mustache I 1 a loud cough and rid grunt and tile the lunatic frantically threw the flaming sticks over the car lunatic lit hla his cigarette 1 I jumped off and ran back to prevent 1 the flames from spreading when I 1 got around the passenger inside was puffing nonchalantly at a cigarette as though hotl nothing ing had happened but the other follow fellow was gone after a afew few minutes search I 1 was waa about to glye up when I 1 heard a contusion confusion of voices within the ambulance hastening to t the he back again I 1 saw that my friend had made his way into the car without my noticing it and the tha two were now arguing in dangerous voices on dIf different Terent subjects after agreeing to many things I 1 filially got the fellow back on the seat with me and we continued the two remained quiet until within a quarter mile of the hospital at this point the road branches oft off up a long winding hill bill taking the road the car lurched sharply over a gutter probably the soldier inside had been looking out of tile the little window in the canvas at tile the front of the car for us its the car lurched I 1 felt him brush roughly against our backs to the side framed immediately lately lie ho seemed to have an idea that ills his companion was waa at fault and instantly drove his fist into tile the canvas catching the soldier on the seat in the back the rest of the trip was lively enough while the maniac in front alternately tried to jump off and sink his elbow into the canvas at his companion the latter pounded a hole through the canvas to reach him busy with the maniacs on oil the road near tile the point wo we had reached a sentinel Is stationed day and night to guard the country beyond tho the hill which again lends to tho the lines directly before reaching him it n road branches sharply to tile tho lott left it loads leads to tile tho back of tho the hospital where tho the ambulances go to discharge dl their loads tho the sky had cleared a little showing enough roud road in advance to make better speed I 1 lost little time in covering tho the last stretch tho the sentinel wa was s evidently new to our ambulances for ne as tho the car rushed up without slackening paco pace lie ho fixed fits bayonet and danced over the road thinking I 1 was about to rush by and wildly commanding mo me to halt I 1 disregarded him absorbed with struggling man maniacs lacs and skidded into the side road within a fow few feet of 0 his bayonet bayon ct later I 1 wondered that lie did not shoot As I 1 pulled into tile tho hospital yard I 1 noticed the mahmens mad mens mans fighting had ceased and I 1 breathed a sigh of relief tho the soldier on oil tho the seat scat dismounted took life his pack and stood waiting without saying baying a word while I 1 explained to the brancard lers when I 1 went to tho the back of the car to help tile tho other soldier out lie ho was gono gone looking around tho the yard tie ho was nowhere in sight I 1 found him chattering to a wild eyed sentinel who was still wondering what had find happened how flow ho he escaped uninjured I 1 do not know I 1 led my late lata acquaintance over to the yard docile once more thank you very much for the ride good night lie ho called after me as I 1 left on tuo the return |