Daily Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1918-191?, 1918-03-29

Of humping over the uneven French
toadbcds they arrived AZ the training
5nse Of Rouer.
At this place they were put through
a weeks rigid training In trench war
fnre. on the morning Of the eighth
day they pnrnde,i at ten O'Clock. aud
were Inspected and passed by General
II, then were marched 20 the guar
tcr'uaster's 10 draw their gns helmets
and trench equipment
AZ four In the afternoon they were
again hustled Into cnttle cars. This
time the journey lasted two days
They dlscmbarked nj the town OF Ere
vent and could hear a distant duh
booming. With knees shaking. Lloyd
asked the sergeant whnt the noise was,
and nearly dropped when the sergeant
replied In a somewhat bored tone:
ooh. thcm's the guns up the line.
Wen be up there In a couple o. days
or 50. Don't worry. my laddlo. youll
see more Of 'em than you want before
you get 'ome 60 Bllghty agnin, that II.
n you're lucky enough 20 get back.
Now lend a hand there unloadln' them
cars. and quit that eveflastin' shnkln'.
believe yer scaled." The last with a
contemptuous sneer.
They marched ten kilos, full pack,
10 a little dllapidated village, and the
sound Of the guns grew louder. con-
staEtly louder.
The village was full Of soldiers who
turned out TO inspect the new draft.
the men who were shortly TO be their
mates In the trenches, for they were
going up the limo" on the morrow, 70
take over" their certain sector Of
trenches
The draft was parnded In front Of
battalion headquarters and the men
were assigned TO companies.
Lloyd was the only man assigned 70
ID company. Perhaps the officer IN
charge Of the draft bad something TO
do with II. for he called Lloyd aside
and said:
Lloyd. you are going 10 a new COM
pany. No one knows you. Your bed
will be as you make II. so for Gods
sake, brace up and be q man. think
you have the stun in you. my boy, SO
good-by and the best OF luck TO you"
The next day the battalion took over
their part Of the trenches. II happened
TO be a very quiet day. Tho artillery
behind the lines was still. except for
an occasional shell sent over 10 let the
Germans know the gunners were not
asleep.
In the darkness. IN single Gle, the /
company slowly wended their way
down the communication trench 20 the |
front line. No one noticed Lloyd's
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company
10 the trenches. Lloyd, with two OF the
odd company men. was put on guard In I
one OF the traverses. Not q 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 10 stand with his head
lover the top" lie only "sIts Il out"
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten O'Clock. all OF q sudden.
he thought hell had broken loose, and
crouched and shlvered up against the
parapet. Shells started bursting. as he
imagined, right In their trench. when In
fact they were landing about a 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 ngnin. It's about time
our artillery tapped them, and sent
over a few. Wen. I'll be id,
where's that blighter OF q draft man
gone TOT There's his rifle leaning
against the parnpet He must have
egged II. Just keep your eye peeled,
Dick, while I report II 20 the sergeant.
wonder II the fool knows he cen be
hot for such tricks as leavin' his
Dostf"
Lloyd hsd gone. When the trench
nortars opened up, a maddenng ter
or seized him and he wanted 20 run,
% get away from that horrible dln.
anywhere TO safety. SO quietly sneak
ng around the traverse. he came TO the
'ntrnnce OF communication trench.
md ran madly and bllndly down Il,
into trayerses. stumbling into
muddy holes, and falling full length
'ver trench grids.
Cropping blindly. with his arms
trotched out In front OF him, he at
nst came out Of the trench into the
illnge, or what used 20 be a village,
'efore the German artillery razed Il.
Mixed with his fear. he had a Pc
'uliar sort u cunning. which whls-
'ered 10 him 90 avoid all sentries. be-
'ause II they saw him he would be
ent back 10 that awful destruction In
he front line, and perhaps be killed
y malmed. The thought made him
hudder. the cold sweat coming out IN
'cads on his face.
On his left. In the darkness, he could
II -.