The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-09-19
OVER THE TOP
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY


gone finally entered Lloyd's BRAIN a
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
40. good and merciful God, give me
strength to die like man. Deliver
me from this towards death. Give me
a 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 no
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 a low tone. came to
him. He was singing the chorus of the
popular trench dltty:
want to go home, I want TO go home.
l don't want to go to the trenches no
more.
Where the "whizzbangs" and "sausages"
roar galore,
Take me over the sea- where the Allemand
cant get at me
Oh, my. don't want to die! want to go
home.
Lloyd listened to the words with a
strange interest. and wondered what
kind of a home he would go to across
the Great Divide. 1t would be the only
home he had ever known.
Suddenly there came a great rushing
through the air, a 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 entrance of
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 mangled shape lying over there
among the sandbags? Slowly dragging
himself to 1t. he saw the body of the
sentry. One look was enough to know
tnat he was dead. The soldiers head
was missing. The sentry had had his
wish grattied. He had gone home"
He was safe at last from the "whlzz-
bangs" and the Allemand.
Like flash 1t came to Lloyd that he
was free. Free to go lover the top"
with bis company. Free to die IKE 9
true Briton fighting for his king and
country. 4 great glgdness and WARMTH
came over him. Carefully stepping
over the body of the sentry he started
on mad race down the ruined street
of the village amid the bursting shells,
Winding them not, lodging through or
around hurrying platoons on their way
to also go lover the top" Coming to
Communication trench he could not
get through. 1t 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-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 In the front line. He
was going to fight with them. He, the
despsed coward, had come into his
own.
While he was racing along, jumping
over trenches crowded with soldiers, a
ringing cheer broke out all along the
front hne, and his heart sank. He
knew he was too late. His company
had gone over. But still he ran madly.
He would catch them. He would die
with them.
Meanwhile his company had gone
'over." They. with the other COM
panies had taken the first and second
German trenches, and had pushed
steadily on to the third line. D com
pany, led by their captain, the one who
had sent Lloyd to division headquar-
ters for trial, charged with desertion,
had pushed steadily forward until they
found themselves far In advance Of
the rest of the attacking force. "Bomb-
ing out" trench after trench, and using
their bayonetS, they came to a German
communication trench, which ended in
u bllndsap, and then the captain. and
what was left of his men, knew they
were In n trap. They would not re-
tire. d company never retired. and
they were d company. Right In FROM
of them they could see hundreds of
Germans preparing to rush them with
bomb and bayonet. They would have
some chance If ammunition and bombs
could reach them from the rear. Their
supply vas exhausted, and the men
realized it would be case of dying
as bravely "a possible or making a run
for it, But - company would not
run. 1t was against their traditions
and principles.
The Germans would hive to advance
across an open space of three to four
hundred yards before they could get
within bombing distance of the trench,
and then 1t would be all their own way.
Turning to his company, the captain
said:
Men, It's a case Of going West for
US. We are out of ammunition and
bombs, and the Boches have us In a
trap. They will bomb us out. Our
bayonets are useless here. We will
have to go over and meet them, and
It's case Of thirty to one. so send
every thrust home, and die like the
men of D company should When |
give the word, follow me, and up and
at them. Give them HI Lord II
we only had a machine gun, we could