Gunnison news-champion., 1918-05-03

and pokin' run AT - company. U1u
luck to you but you won't get another
chance to disgrace us. They'll put
your lights out in the mornin,."
After listening to this TRADE, Lloyd.
In faltering voice. asked: "They are
not going to shoot me. are they? Why,
the other sentry said they'd pardon
me. For Gods sake-tion'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' to cheer some one You amt
got no more chance o. bein' pardOned
than have Of gettin' to be colonel Of
my bait"
When the fact that all hope was
gone finally entered Lloyd's brain. q
calm seemed to 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 a mani Deliver
me from this coward's death. Give me
chance to die like my mates In the
fighting line, to die fighting for my
country. ask this Of thee"
A peace. hitherto unknown, came to
him. and he crouched and covered nov
more, but calmly waited the DAWN
ready to go to his death. The shells
were bursting all around the guard
room. but he hardly noticed them.
While waiting there. the voice of the,
sentry. singing In low tone, came toS
him. He was singing the chorus Of the
popular trench ditty:
want to 30 home. want to 90 home.
l don't want to go to the trenches no
Where the "whizzbangs'' and "sausages"
roar galore
Take me over the sea, where the Aliemand
can't get at me.
Oh. my. doh't want to die! want to 20
home.
Lloyd listened to the words with .
strange interest. and wondered what
kind Of u home he would go to across
the Great Divide. 1t would be the only
home he had ever known.
Suddenly there came great rushing
through the air. binding. a deafen-
ing report, and the sandbag walls Of
the guardroom toppled over. and then
-blackness.
When Lloyd recovered conscious-
ness, he was lying on his right side.
facing what used to be the entrancniof
the guardroom. Now, 1t was only
tumble of rent and torn sandbags. His
head seemed bursting. He slowly rose
on his elbow, and there In the east the
dawn was breaking. But what was
that mangied shape lying over there
among the sandbags1 Slowly dragging
himself to 1t. he saw, the body OF the
sentry. One look vas enough to know
that he was dead. The soldiers hes1ss
was missing. The sentry had had his
wish gratf6ed. He had gone home
He was safe at last from the ''whixS-
bangs" and the Allemand.
Like fash It came to Lloyd that he
was free. Free to 30 sover the top"
with his company. Free to die like .
true Briton fighting for his king and
country. Agreat giadness and warmth
came over him. Carefully Steppine
over the body q the senfry, he started
ON q mad race DOWN the ruined street
Of the village. amid the bursting sa1ells.
minding them not. dodsing through or
around hurrying platoops on their way
to also 60 "over the top" Coming to
communication trench be could not
get through. It was blocked with laugh
Ing. cheering and cursing soldiers.
Climbing out Of the trench. he ran :
wildly along the top. never needing the
rain Of machine-Run bullets apd sl5eils.
not even hearing the sh0utD Of ~ of.
hcerA telling him to get hack Into the
treneh- he wss going to toin, NJ com
pAny who webe-ln the ffont lines He
was,oetag 70 AoAik With then. M, the
despassd cosaEd I'D coms iato his
OWn.
While h wss yscing aisax 3uupans
ovr tfenehs a6eded Win Go31laes, .
r1nging. cAer bsulle ct IN -. the
moat 49, - H. hsa4 - He
knew he yas too late. Ms Company
had gone ovef. But stfn ~ ran madly.
He would catch them. H would -
MN them
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