Daily Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1918-191?, 1918-03-30


AIDert Lloyd, had been afraid OF
name. In his shame he cried like
baby. Anyway he could die with them
and, rising 10 his feet, he stumbled
over the body Of one Of the gunners.
who emitted a faint moan. CLEAN
OF hope flashed through him. Perhaps
this man could tell him how TO load
the gun. STOPPING over the body be
gently shook II and the soldier opened
his eyes. Seeing Lloyd, he closed
them again and. In q faint voice. said:
"Get away. you Brighter. leave me
alone. don't want any coward around
me-"
The words cut Lloyd like a knife,
but he was desperate. Taking the re-
volvcr out u the holster OF the dying
man he pressed the cold muzzle TO the
soldiers head and replied:
"Ycs, Il Is Lloyd, the coward OF
Company ID. but so help me God. II
you don't tell me how to load that gun
III put bullet through your brainT
A sunny smile came over the coun-
tenance OF the dying nan and he said
/ IN a faint whisper:
Good old boyi Iknew you wouldn't
disgrace our company
Lloyd intcrposed: "For Gods sake,
n you want 10 save that company you
are 90 proud Of. tell me how TO load
that id gunl'
As II recitlng lesson In school. the
soldier replied in weak. singsong
voice: Insert tag end OF belt In feed
block. with left hand pull belt left
front Pull crank handle back on roll
err. let go. and repeat motion. Gun is
now loaded. To FIRE. raise automatic
safety latch. and press thumbpiece.
Gun Is now firing. II gun stops, ascer.
tain position Of crank handle"
But Lloyd waited for no more. With
Wild Joy az his heart. he took a belt
from one Of the ammunition boxes ly-
Ing beside the gun. and followed the
dying mans Instructions. Then he
pressed the thumhplece and n burst OF
FIRE rewarded his efforts. The gun
was working.
Training Il on the Germans he shout
ed Tor JOY us their front rank went
down.
Travorsing 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. lie had saved hts
company. he Lloyd. the coward had
"dGne his bit" Releasing the thumb
piece. he looked NJ the watch on his
wrist lie was stlll alive at % 49,"
Ping pa bullet sang through the
air, and Lloyd fen forward across the
/ CUR. A thin trlckle OF blood ran down
his face from a 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
ognlzed II rs Lloyd. the coward Of ID
company. Reyerently covering the fnce
with his handkerchief he turned TO his
"noncoms" and. In a voice husky with
emotions, addressed them:
Boys. It's Lloyd, the deserter. lie
has redeemed himself. died the death
Of a hero--died that his mates might
live"
That afternoon solemn procession
wendell 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 streteher came a captain
and forty-three men. all that were left
OF ID company.
Arriving at the cemetery. they halt
cd In front of an open grave. All about
them wooden crosses were broken and
trampled into the ground.
A grizzled old sergeant. noting this
destruction. muttered under his
breath: Course the c0wardly blIghter
who wrecked those crossesl II could
only get these two hands around his
neck his trip West would be short"
The corpse on the stretcher seemed
10 move. or II might have been the
wind blowing the folds Of the Union
Jack.