Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1918-10-11
ART1lUD GUY T,fIpEY
CHAPTER xxIv-contIrued.
MAdHlNE GUNNER SERVING N FRANCE

CHAPTER Xxlv--Continued.
---2S--
Just a. he finished speaking, the well
homo ''pup-pup- of a machine gun In
their rear rang out. and the front line
~ the onrushing Germans seemed to
hsN away. They wavered, but once
hgain came rushing onward. Down
went their second line. The machine
gun was taking an awful toll Of lives.
Then again they tried to advance. but
The machine gun moved them down.
Dropping their rifles and bombs, they
broke and fed in wild rush back to
their trench, amid the cheers of I'd"
company. They were forming again
Tor another attempt, when In the rear
pf d company came mighty cheer.
The ammunition had arrived and with
Il battalion Of Scotch to REINFORCE
khem. They were saved. The unknown
machine gunner had come to the rescue
ID the nick Of time.
With the re-snforcements 1t was an
easy task to take the third German
Nine.
AFTER the attack was over, the cap
tain and three Of his noncommlssioned
elhcers. wended their way back to the
Desltfon where the machine gun had
dpae its deadly work. He wanted to
tAAnk the gunner in the name OF d
colapany for his magnificent deed
Theo arrived Mt the gun. and an awful
sight met their eVea.
Lloyd had reached the front line
trench. after his company had left IT. A
strange company was nimbly crawling
~ the trench ladders. They were re-
sNforcements gsing over. They were
0eotties. and they made Z magnificent
dtht In their brightly cslored kits and
eare knees 1h
Jumping ever the treach. Lloyd raced
ncross mo Mans Lapd." supheeding the
rain Of bullets, leaping ever dark forms
- the GROUND, some Of which lay atill.
While others called out to hin As he
spee6ed past.
He came to the German front line,
but It was deserted, except fer heaps
Vt dead and wounded-a grim tribute
- the work Of his company. good old
p company. LeapinG trenches. and
IAsping for breath, Lloyd could see
eight ahead Of him his company in 4
4ead-ended sap Of a communication
trench, and across the open. away in
front Of them, . mass Of Germans pre-
pairing for q charge. Why didn't d
company fire on themf Why were they
= strangely silent? What were they
waiting for? Then he knew-their am
munition was exhausted.
But what was that on his right? A
machine gun. Why didn't 1t open fire
and save them7 He would make that
gums crew do their duty. Rushing
over to the gun he saw why 1t had not
opened fire. Scattered around its base
lay six still forms. They had brought
their gun to consolidate the captured
position, but German machine gun
had decreed they would never frs
again.
Lloyd rushed to the gun aAd,, grasp
ing the traversing handles. trained Il
m the Germans. He pressed the thumb
piece. but only sharp click was thu
result. The gun was unloadsd. Their
he realized his helplessness. He dit
not know how to load the gun. Oh
why hadn't he attended the machine
gun course In EnglaRdf He'd beer
offered the chance, but with blush O.
shame he remembered that he had beel
afraid. The nickname Of the mschin,
gunners had frightened him. The
wese called the Suicide club" Now
because Of this fear, his eompan,
would be destroyed, the men sf d com
pany would have to die, because hs
Albert Lloyd, had been afraid sf
name. In his shame he cried like
baby. Anyway he could die with ther
and, rising to his feet. he stumble
over the body Of one Of the gunner'
who emitted = faint mean. A gleaz
pf hope flashed through him. Perhap
this man could tell him hew 70 loa
the gun. STOPPING over the body
gently she0k it and the soldier eDsne
his eyes. Seeing Lloyd, he close
them again and, In . faint voice. said