Do you see this?" He put his finger upon
a triangular hole a few inches above his head. "I got that last week.
We don't mind so much going up, but it's rather annoying when you're
bringing down your load of wounded."
As they approached Ypres, the road became more and more congested, until
at length they had to thread their way between two continuous streams
of traffic up and down, consisting of marching battalions, transports,
artillery wagons, ambulances, with now and then a motor or a big gun.
About a mile from the city, they came to a large red brick building,
with pretentious towers and surrounded by a high brick wall.
"An asylum," explained the driver. "Now used as a dressing station.
We'll just run in for orders."
At what seemed to Barry reckless speed, he whirled in between the brick
posts, and turned into a courtyard, on one side of which he parked his
ambulance.
"Better come inside, sir," said the driver. "They sometimes throw a few
in here, seeing it's a hospital."
They passed down the wide stairs, the centre of which had been converted
into a gangway for the passage of wheeled stretchers, into a large
basement, with concrete floors and massive pillars, lit by flaring
gasjets.
Pages:
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359