The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-09-12

Of Khaki, and drew his other equip
ment. He made u 6nc-looklng soldier,
except fer the slight shrinking In his
shoulders and 4Ie hunted look In his
eyes.
At the training depot It does not
take long to find out mans character.
and Lloyd WAS promptly dubbed
windy In the English army windy"
means cowardly.
The smallest recruit In the barracks
looked on him with contempt, and was
not slow to show 1t in many ways.
Lloyd was good soldier, learned
quickly. obeyed every order promptly,
never groused at the hardest fatigues.
He was afraid to. He lived In deadly
fear of the officers and "noncoms" over
him. They also despised him.
One morning about three months
after his enlistment Lloyds company
was paraded, and the names picked out
for the next draft to France were read.
When his name was called, he did not
step out smartly, two PAGES to the
front. and answer cheerfully. Here.
sir" as the others did. He just faint
ed In the ranks and was carried to bar
racks amid the sneers of the rest
That night was an agony of misery
to him. He could not sleep. Just cried
and whimpered In his bunk, because
on the morrow the draft was to sail
for France, where he would see death
on all Sides and perhaps be killed him
self. On the steamer, crossing the
channel, he would have jumped over
board to escape, but was afraid of
drowning
Arriving in France, he and the rest
were huddled into cattle cars. On the
side of each appeared In white letters,
"Hommes 40 Chevaux g." After hours
of humping over the uneven French
roadbeds they arrived at the training
base of Rouen.
AT this place they were put through
a weeks rigid training in trench war
fare. On the morning of the eighth
day they paraded at ten o'clock, and
were inspected and passed by General
Il. then We're marched to the quar-
termaster's, to draw their gas helmets
and trench equipment.
AT four in the afternoon they were
again hustled into cattle cars. This
time the journey lasted two days.
They diSembarked at the town of Ere
vent and could hear n distant dull
booming. With knees shaking, Lloyd
asked the sergeant what the noise was,
and nearly dropped when the sergeant
replied In somewhat bored tone:
"Oh, thcm's the guns up the line.
Well be UP there in couple o days
or So. Don't worry, my laddle, you'll
see more Of 'em than you want before
you get 'ome to BIighty again, that is,
if you're lucky enough to get back.
Now lend hand there unl0adin' them
ears, and quit that eVerlastin' shakin'.
| believe yer Scnred" The last with
contemptuous sheer.
They marched ten ki'os full pack,
to little dilapidatod village, and the
sound of the guns grew louder, con-
stantly louder.
The village was fun of soldiers who
turned out to inspect the new draft,
the men who wese SHORTLY to be their
mates in the trenel>'S. for they We're
going up the line" on the morrow, to
take over" their certain sector of
trenches.
The draft was paraded in front of
battalion headquarters and the men
were assigned to companies.
Lloyd was the only man assigned to
D company Perhaps the officer in
charge of the draft had something to
do with Ii, for he called Lloyd aside
and said:
Lloyd. you are going to new COM
pany. No one knows you. Your bed
will be as you make 1t, so for Gods
sake, brace up and be a man. l think
you have the stuff In you, my boy, so
good-by and the best of luck to you"
The next day the ba4tallon took over
their part of the trenches. 1t happened
to be very quiet duy. The artillery
behind the lines was still, except for
an occasional shell sent over to let the
Germans know the gunners were not |
asleep.
In the darkness, In single file, the |
company slowly wendell their way |
down the communication trench to the |
'front.' line. NO one nOtlCtu LlOyu |
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company |
in the trenches Lloyd, with two of the |
old company men, was put on guard In |
one of the trayerses. Not shot was |
fired from the German lines and no |
one paid any attention to him |
crouched on the firing step.
On the first time In. new recruit is
not required to stand with his head |
lover the top He only "sits ii out
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten o'clock. all of a sudden,
he thought he'll had broken loose. and |
crouched and shivered up against the
parapet. Shells started bursting, as he
imagined. right In their trench, when In
fact they were landing about hun |
dred yards In rear of them, in the sec
ond lines.
One of the older men on guard, turn. |
ing to his mate, said:
There goes Fritz with those ID |
trench mortars again. It's about time
our artillery tapped them, and sent
over a few. Well, I'll be ID, |
where's that blghter of a draft man
gone to? There's his rifle leaning |