The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-08-08
CHAPTER xxIV-Continued.

Just os he finished speaking, the wei
roma "pup-pup" Of q machine gun IN
their renr rang out, and the front line
of the onrushng Germans seemed to
melt away They wavered, but once
again came rushing onward. Down
went their second line. The machine
gun was taking an awful toll or lives.
Then again they tried to advance, but
the ny, thne gun moved them down.
Drop, .ng their rifles and bombs, they
broke and fed In Wild rush back to
their trench, amid the cheers Of ID
company. They were forming again
for another attempt, whou in the rear
Of ID company came a mighty cheer.
The ammunition had arrived and with
It a battalion OF Scotch to rc-enforce
them. They were saved. The unknown
machine gunner had come to the rescue
In the nick OF time.
With the e-rnforcrmCntS 1T was an
easy task to take the third German
line.
After The attack wuS over. the cap
tain and three Of his nuncomlniSSiOned
officers, wcnhru their way back to the
done lis deadly work He wanted to
thunk the gunner in The name Of ID
company for his magnificent deed.
They arrived ut the gun and an awful
sight met their eyes
Lloyd had reached the front line
trench, after his company had left it. a
strhng" company WAS nimbly crawling
up the trench ladders. They were re-
endorsements going over They we're
bcotticS, and they made Il magnificent
sight In their brightly coorcl kits and
bare knees.
Jumping over the trench, Lloyd raced
across mo Mans Land" unhreAing the
rain Of bullets, lraping over dark forms
Oh the ground, some OF which lay still
while others called out to him as h,
Bpccdcd past.
lie came To the German front line
but II was deserted except for heap,
OF dead and woundrd--a grim trihut,
to the work OF his company, good ol,
ID company. l.rnping trenches. an,
gaspng for brcuth. Lloyd could 81.
right ahead Of him his company in 4
deRdrndcd sap OF II communication
trench. and across the open. away In
front OF them, Il mass OF Germans pre-
pairing for Il charge. Why didn't -
company fire on them? Why were they
80 strangely silent? What were they
waiting for? Then he knrw-thcir am.
munlton was exhausted
But what was that on his right? a
machine gun Why didn't it open fire
I
guns crew do their duty. Rushing
over to the gun he saw why ii had not
opened lire. Scattered around its base
lay six Tll forms. They had brought
their gun to consolidate the captured
position. hut German machine gun
had dccrrcd they would never fire
again.
Lloyd rushed to the gun and, grasp
Ing the trnvcrsing handles, trained It
on the Germans. He pressed the thumb
piece. but only sharp click was the
result. The gun was unloaded. Then
he realized his helpleSSncss. He did
not know how to load the gun. Oh.
why hadn't he attended the machine.
gun course In England? He'd been
ohered the chance. but with blush of
shnme he remembered that he had been
aifnid. The nickname of the machine
Buhhers had frightened him. They
were called the Suicide club" Now,
oeeauSe Of this fear, his company
""uio De destroyed. the men of ~ com
p""' "o'ua have 20 die, because he.
A'ocr' Lloyd, hnd been afraid Of a
.'"'''e. ~ his shame he cried like n
p"oS. Anyway he could die with them
"hd' rising To his feet. he stumbled
over the body nf oue Of the punncrs
VINO emitted a faint moan. A glcnm
VI nope h1shrd through him. Pcrhons
'nis man could tell him how TO lonn
''e gun STOPPING over the BODY no
sehtiy shook IT and the soldier opened
MS eyes. Seeing Lloyd, he closed
them again and, In a faint voice soid