The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1918-06-21


and pokin' fun at d company. had
luck TO you 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 faltering voice. asked: "They are
not going TO shoot me. are they7 Why.
the other sentry said they'd pardon
me. For Gods sake-don't tell me I'm
to be shot r. and his voice died away In
q 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 mint
got no more chance O. beln' pardoned
than have Of gettin' to be colonel Of
my bait"
When the fact that all hope was
gone finally entered Lloyd's brain. a
calm seemed 20 settle over him. and
rising to his knees. with his arms
stretched out to heaven. he prayed, and
all Of his soul entered Into the prayer.
%. good and merciful God, give me
strength TO die like mani Deliver
me from this towards death. Give me-
a chance TO die like my mates in the
lighting line. to die fighting for INV
country. nsk this OF thee"
A peace, hitherto unknown. came IN
him, and he crouched and covered no
more, but calmly waited the dawn
ready 70 90 to his death. The shells
we're bursting all around the guard
'oom. but he hardly noticed them.
While waiting there. the voice OF the
entry, singing in low tone. came TO
I'm. He was singing the chorus OF the
POPULAR trench ditty:
want TO 90 home. want 10 20 home.
DON'T want TO so 10 the trenches no 1
more ,
Where the '.whirzbangs'' and .-sausaees.
roar galore
AXE me over the sea. where the Allen,and q
cant get ut me .
u. my. ! don't want to diel want to TO !,
home
Lloyd listened TO the words with n 4
range interest. and wondered what
IND OF a home he would 90 to across b
lie Great Divide. II would be the only O
'me he had ever known. I,
Suddenly there came great rushing 10
rough the air. binding. a deafen- =
9 report. and the sandbag walls Of :,
e guardroom toppled over. and then a
blackness. !,
When Lloyd recovered conscious :,
IS, he was lying on his right side. n,
cling what used TO be the entrance OF :,
e guardr0om. Now. IL WINS only n ~
mble Of rent and torn sandbaes His =
ad seemed bursting. He slowly rose M
his elbow. and there In the east the
wn was breaking. But WHIT was m
II mangled shape lying over there 4,
long the sandbags7 Slowly dragging n,
nself TO II. he saw the body OF the !,
itry. One look was enough to know On
It he was dead. The soldiers head IA
: missing. The sentry bad had his m
IN g1tified- He had gone home.- NO
was safe at last from the ..wbIzz- =.
igs" and the Allemand. =.
Like fash II came to LLOYD that \. =
free. Free to 20 cover the ton, a.,
a his company. Free to die like = On
Q Briton fighting for his king and n.
ntry. A great gladness and warmth -
re over him. Carefully stepping he
r the body Of the sentry. he started no
q mad race down the ruined street wb
ne village. amid the bursting shells ON,
uing them not. lodging through or ON
una hurrying platoons on their wav sho
liso go "over the top Coming 10 .fr
ommunication trench he could MOI on,
through, II was blocked with laugh wa,
cheering and cursing soldiers ny.
nbing out of the trench. he ran w NO.
ny along the top. never needing The ,,ar
OF machine-gun bullets and shells AM
even hearing the shouts Of the of. nor
:. telling him 10 get back into the hah
en- He was going to Join his com. ana
who were In the front line, no ore
going to fight with them. He the ~,
Used coward, had come into. bls ~
nue. ne was racing along, jumping