The Ordway new era., 1918-07-26

room. but he hardly noticed them.
While waiting there. the voice of the
sentry, singing In low tone, came to
him. He was singing the chorus of ths
popular trench dirty:
1 want to go home. l want TO go home
don't want to go to the trenches no
| more.
/ Where the "whizzbangs" and "sausases
galore
Take me over the sea. where the Aliemand
| can't get at me
| oh. my. / don't want to disi want to go
| home.
Lloyd listened to the words with
strnnge interest. and wondered what
kind of a home he would go to across
| the Great Divide. II would be the only
home he had ever known.
Suddenly there came a great rushing
through the air. n binding. a deafen-
ing report, and the sandbag walls of
the guarlroom 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 wns only
| tumble of rent and torn snndbags. His
head seemed bursting. He slowly rose
| o. his elbow. and there in the east the
dawn was breaking. But what was
that mnngled 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 gratified. He had gone home"
He was safe at last from the ''whlzz-
bangs" and the Allemnnd.
Like flash 1t came 10 Lloyd that he
was free. Free to go "over the top"
with his company. Free to die Ike a
true Briton fighting for his king and
country. 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 ssiells,
minding them not dOdging through or
around hurrylng platOons on their way
| to also go ''over the top" Coming TO
a communication trench he could not
| get through. II was blocked with lnugh-
| Ing. cheering and curslng soldiers.
| Climbing out of the trench, he ran
wildly along the top never needing tht
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
despised 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 line, and his heart sank. He
knew he was too late. His company
1 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
+ers for trial. charged with desertion.
had pushed steadily forward until they
found themselves far in advance of
he rest Of the attacking force. Bomb
/ ing out" trench after trench. and using
! their bayonets, they came to German
communication trench. which ended in
II blindsap, 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 front
Of them they could see hundreds of
Germans preparing to rush them with
bomb and bayonet. They would have
some chance II ammunition and bombs
could reach them from the rear. Their
supply was exhausted, and the men
realized 1t would be a case of dying
MS braveiy as possible, or making run
ror It, But d company would not
run. 1t was against their traditions
and principles.
The Germans would have to advance
across an open space of three to four
hund.ed 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 ID company should. When
give the word. follow me. and up and
Mt them. Give them HI Lord. If
we only had machine gun, we could
wipe them out! Here they come, get
| ranby man