The Ordway new era., 1918-08-02
'WT:Q TIT: TOP
~
AN ANlERICAN S0I>DIlR
WHO WENT 3
AlI11Ul GUY ErIpEY
1Ao1INE GUNNER ,5ERYINd NJ FRANCE
+ 0is7 on
lAalnlR tyY EnHYl

"Get away, you blighter. leave me
alone don't want any coward around
me-"
The words cut Lloyd like a knife.
but he WAS desperate. Taking the re-
volver out of the holster of the dying
man he pressed the cold muzzle to the
soldiers head and replied:
"Yes, 1t is Lloyd, the coward of
Company d. but so help me God. IL
you don't tell me how to load that gun
I'll put a bullet through your brain! !!
A sunny smile came over the coun-
tenance of the dying man and he said
in faint whisper:
"G6od old boy knew you wouldn't
disgrace our company"
Lloyh interposed: "For Gods sake,
If you want to save that company you
are so prond of. tell me how to load
that ID gunl"
As II reciting lesson in school, the
soldier replied in a weak. singsong
voice: "Insert tag end of belt In feed
block. with left hand pull belt left
front. Pull crank handle back on roll
er, let CO. and repeat motion. Gun Is
now loaded. To fire, raise automatic
safety latch. aud press thumbpiece.
Gun is now firing. II gun stops. ascer-
tain position of crank handle"
But Lloyd waited for no more. With
wild JOY at his heart. he took belt
from one of the ammunition boxes ly-
ing beside the gun, and followed the
dying mans Instructions. Then he
pressed the thumbplece and burst of
fire rewarded his efforts. The gun
was working.
Training 1t on the Germans he shout
ed for Joy as their front rank went
down.
Traversing the gun back and forth
along the mass of Germans. he saw
them break and run back to the cover
OF their trench, leaving their dead and
wounded behind. He had saved his
company. he. Lloyd, the coward. had
done his bit" Releasing the thumb
piece. he looked at the watch on his
wrist. He was still alive at "3:3S."
"Ping "a bullet sang through the
air. and Lloyd fell forward across the
gun. A thin trlckle of blood ran down
his face from little. black round hole
| In his forehead.
"The sentence of the court had been
duly carried out"
The captain slowly raised the limp
form dropping over the gun and. wip-
Ing the blood from the white face. rec
ognized 1t as Lloyd, the coward of d
company. ReverentIy covering the face
with his handkerchief he turned to his
"noncoms" and, in voice husky with
emotions, addressed them:
Boys, it's Lloyd. the deserter. He
has redeemed himself, died the death
of hero-died that his mates might
live"
That afternoon a solemn procession
wended Its way toward the cemetery.
| In the front a stretcher was carried by
+, two sergeants. Across the stretcher
| the Union Jack was carefully spread.
Behind the stretcher came a captain
and forty-three men, all that were left
of ID company.
Arriving at the cemetery. they halt.
ed In front Of an open grave. All about
them wooden crosses were broken and
trampled into the ground.
a grizzieu Oiu sergeant. nOtlhs this
destruction. muttered under his
breath: Curse the cowardly bllghter
who wrecked those crosses! II could
only get these two hands around his
neck his trip West would be short
The corpse on the stretcher seemed
to move. or 1t might have been the
wind blowing the folds of the Unior
Jack.
| CHAPTER XIV