The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-05-10
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in a falter7ng voice, asked: "They are
not going to. shoot me, are they? Why,
the other sentry said they'd pardon
me. For Gods sake-don't tell me I'm
to be shotp and his voice died away In
q sob. ~ 49, a. :"
!, "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 I have Of gettin' to be colonel of
my bait"
When the fact that all hope, was
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.
20, good and merciful God, give me
strength to die like a 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 60 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 dittJ':
I want to go, home, i want to go home.
I don't want to go to the trenches no
Where the "~whizzbar,gs'' and ~"sausages"
roar galore. F..
Take me over the sea, where the Allemand
can't get at me. '
Oh, my, I don't want to die! I want to go
home. H
Lloyd listened to the words with a
strange interest, and wondered what
kind Of q home he would 60 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 a
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 it, he saw the body Of the
sentry. One look was enough to know
that he was dead, The soldiers head
was missing. The sentry had had his
wish gratifed. He had "gone home"
He was safe at last from the "whizz.
bangs" and the .Ailemand.
Like a flash it came to Lloyd that he
was free. Free to 60 "over the top"
with his company. Free to die like q
true Briton fighting for his king and
country. A great gladness and warmth
came over him. Carefully stepping
over the body Of the sentry, he started
on a mad race down the ruined street
Of the village, amid the bursting shells,
minding them not, lodging through OF
around hurrying platoons on their way
to also 60 "over the top" Coming to
a 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
fcers, 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
despised coward, had come into his
own.
| While he was racing along, jumping
over trenches crowded with soldiers, 6
ringing cheer broke out all along the
front Hne, and his heart sank. HI
knew he was too late. His company
had gone over. BUT still he ran madly
He would catch them. He would dit
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 n wht
had sent Lloyd to division headquar
tiers for trial, charged with desertion
had pushed steadily forward until the!
| found themselves far in advance O.
the rest Of the attacking force. "Bomb
ing out" trench after trench, and usinl
their bayonets, they came to a Germal
communication trench, which ended il
a blindsap, and then the captain, ant
what was left of his men, knew the,
were in a trap. They would not re
tire. D company retired, ant
they were D company. Right in from