The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-05-23
ARI1lUl GUY FNpEY
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Lloyd, and. with sneer. saIo 10 MIN:
INSTEAD of whimpering In that cor
ner, you ought TO be saying your pray
ers- It's bally copscripts IKE yos
what's spoiifn' our record. We've been
OUT here nigh onto eighteen months.
and you're the nrst man to desert his
post. The whole battalion is iaughir'
luck 10 you'll but you won't get another
chance to disgrace us. They'll put
your lights out In the mornln'."
After listening to this TRADE, Lloyd.
IN a falterins voice. asked: They are
not going to shoot me. are theyf Why.
the other sentry said they'd pard-a
me. Fer Gods sake-don't tell me Fm
TO be shot r. and his voice died away In
sob.
"Of course. they're going to shoot
you. The other sentry was Jest a-kid-
din you. Jest like old Smith. Always
a-tryin' 10 cheer some one. You ain't
got no more chance o. bein' pardoned
than have OF gettfn TO be colonel or
my 'batt.'-
When the fact that all hope was
gone finally entered Lioyd's brain. =
calm seemed to settle over him. and
rising TO his knees, with his arms
stretched out to heaven. he prayed. nnc
all of his soul entered into The prayer.
20. good and merciful God. give me
strength 10 die like mani Deliver
me from this towards death. Give me
chance to die like my mates In the
fighting line. 10 die lighting for my
-
A peace. hitherto unknown came TO
him. and he croucbed and covered no
more. but calmly waited the dawn.
ready to go to his death The shells
were bursting nli around the guard
room. but he hardly noticed them.
While waiting there. the voice Of the
sentry. singing In low tone. came t.
Hun. He was singing the chorus Of the
popular trench ditty:
don't want TO 20 TO the trenches No
more.
Where the ..uhizzbanxs" and .'sansases''
rear gaiorN
FAKE me over the Pea. where the Ailemand
can't get At me-
oh. my. don't want TO del want TO 60
home
ts"td urifHfi u tAfs 5ftAn WtAh ~
! strange Interest. aud wondered what
kind Of home he would 70 TO across
the Great Divide. II would be the only
home he had ever known
suddenly there came a great rushing
through the air. binding. dcnfen-
ing report. md the sandbag walls OF
the gunrdroom toppled over. and then
-blackness
when Lloyd recovered conscious
ness. he was ring on his right side.
facing whnt used TO he the entrance OF
the guardroom. Now. IL was only a
jumbie OF rent and torn sandbars- His
head seemed bursting. He slowly ros.'
on his elbow. and there in the east the
dawn was breaking. But what was
that innngled shape lying over there
among the snndbags7 Slowly dragging
himself to II, he saw the body Of the
sentry. One look was enough to know
that he was dead. The soldiers hend
was missing. The sentry had had his
wish gratined. He had "gone home"
He was safe Mt last from the "whizz-
bangs ard the Aliemapd.
Like q Hash It came TO Lloyd that he
was free. Free TO 20 'over the top
wan ihh eptApohys EhtC ~ VIC bsN -
true Briton Fighting for his king and
country. A great glsdness and warmth
| cane over him. Carefully stepping
over the body OF the sentry, he started
| on a mnd rnce down the ruined street
Of the village. amid the bursting shells,
minding them not. lodging through or
around hurrying plntoons on their way
to also go "over the top" Coming to
communication trench he could not
get through. II was blocked with inuEh-
4 ing, cheering and cursing soldiers.
| Climbing out OF the trench. he ran
wildly along the top. never needing the
ruin OF machine gun bullets and shells.
! not even hearing the shouts OF the Of
| ficers, telling him to get back into the
| trench. He was going to Join his COM
| pany who were 10 the front line. He
was going TO fight with them. He. the
slcspised coward, had come into his
| own.
While he was racing along. jumping
over trenches crowded with soldiers. a
ringing cheer broke ont nil along the
| front hne. and his heart sank. He
knew he was too late. His company
had gone over. But stiil he ran madly.
He would catch them. He would die
with them.