A Hide in an Ambulance. 109 



receive^ the telegraphic despatch I could not get an extra tram, 

 and resolved to ride over in an ambulance, for the distance was 

 only twenty-nine miles. This would have been a trifle any- 

 where else but in Georgia at that time. The driver, however, 

 pretended to know the road, and I was not afraid, though we 

 had to cross dense woods. It was evening when we entered 

 them, and the driver lost his way. We were wandering about 

 until the middle of the night, and it became so dark that we 

 could not see our horses. But on a sudden there broke loose 

 a thunderstorm, such as you have only in southern countries. 

 The hurricane rushed through the trees, and made them creak 

 or break down with a crash. Flash after flash of lightning 

 followed, lighting up the fearful scene for moments, and the 

 thunder made a noise as if hundreds of guns were fired at once. 

 Then the rain poured down in torrents, and everywhere 

 gurgled and* rushed water preparing new unseen dangers. 

 It was indeed a desperate situation, and it may be imagined 

 how glad we were on discovering at last, at about two o'clock 

 A.M., a farm before us. Though not knowing whether we 

 should meet a. friend or a foe, necessity was stronger than fear, 

 and we roused the owner. He was a Mr. Price, who received 

 us with kindness, and I stayed with him until morning. 



When I arrived at about noon in Cleveland, my sister had 

 had a fine boy, who therefore was to be mine, and whom I at 

 once called Felix. I returned after a day or two to Dalton, 

 again in my ambulance, as the hope of getting a train failed. 

 The road, torn up by the storm, was extremely bad, and our 

 horses became so exhausted that we once more had to apply 

 to the hospitality of Mr. Price. In the night I was awakened 

 by the arrival of my husband, who came to fetch me. 

 ■ Some time afterwards, on July 3, I received a despatch tell- 

 ing me that my poor sister was very ill. I applied for a loco- 

 motive to General Steedman, who had his head-quarters in 

 Atlanta, and was promised one for next morning. I preferred 

 waiting, remembering -my first journey in an ambulance, but 

 nearly got out of the frying-pan in.o the fire. The service on 

 the railway had not been regulated yet, and locomotives were 

 always running to and fro at haphazard. When our locomo- 

 tive was just on a dangerous curve and swaying round, we saw, 

 to our horror, another coming full speed towards us. Without 

 the presence of mind of our engineer, a smash would have 



