Iron County record. [volume] (Cedar City, Utah) 1893-1982, 1918-07-05

chance to disgrace us. They'll put
your lights out in the mornin'."
After listening 90 this TRADE, Lloyd,
In faltering voice, asked: "They are
not going to shoot me. are they7 Why.
the other sentry said they'd pardon
me. For Gods sake-don't tell me I'm
TO be shot !" and his voice died away In
sob.
"Of course, they're going to shoot
you. The other sentry was jest a-kld
din you. Jest Ike old Smith. Always
a-tryin' to cheer some one. You amt
got no more chance o. bein' pardoned
than have of gettin' to be colonel of
my bait"
When the fact that all hope was
gone finally entered Lloyd's brain.
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.
80, good and merciful God, give me
strength to die like man! Deliver
me from this towards death. Give me
n 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 go 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 low tone, came to
him. He was singing the chorus of the
popular trench ditty:
want to go home want to 20 home.
don't want to go to the trenches no
more
Where the "whizzbangs" and "sausages"
roar galore.
Take me over the sea, where the Allemand
can't get at me,
oh, my. don't want to die! I want to so
home.
Lloyd listened to the words with a
strange interest, and wondered what
kind of home he would go to across
the Great Divide. II would be the only
home he had ever known.
Suddenly there came great rushing
through the air, 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 i'm the east the
dawn was breaking. But what was
that mangled shape lying over there
among the sandbags? Slowly dragging
himself to II. 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 ut last from the "whlzz.
bangs" and the Allemand.
Like flash 1t came to Lloyd that he
was free. Free to go lover the top
with his company. Free to die like a
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 mad race down the ruined street
of the village, amid the bursting shells
minding them not, lodging through OF
around hurrying platoons on their wa,
to also go lover the top" Coming I,
a communication trench he could no
get through. 1t was blocked with laugh
Jng, cheering and cursing soldiers
Climbing out of the trench, he RAJ
wildly along the top, never needing tn,
m n a. mi haII c
not even hearing the shouts OF the of
ficers, telling him to get back into thu
trench. He was going to join his com
pany who We're In the front line ii,
was going to fight with them. He, tn,
deSpised coward, had come into hi
own.
While he was racing along, Jumping
over trenches crowded with soldiers,
ringing cheer broke out all along thu
front line, and his heart sank. II,
knew he was too late. His compan,
had gone over. But still he ran madly
He would catch them. He would di,
with them.
Meanwhile his company had gon
''Over." They, with the other com
panies had taken the first and secont
German trenches, and had pushe,
steadily on to the third line. ID com
pany, led by their captain, the one wh'
had sent Lloyd to division headquar
ters for trial, charged with desertlon
had pushed steadily forward until the
found themselves far in advance o
the rest of the attacking force. "Bomh
ing out" trench after trench, and usin
their bayonets, they came to n German
communication trench, which ended II
n bllndsap, and then the captain ant
what was left of his men, knew the
were in a trap. They would not re
tire. ID company never retired, ant
they were ID company. Right In from
of them they could see hundreds o
Germans preparing to rush them witt
bomb and bayOnet. They would hav
some chance If ammunition and bomb
could reach them from the rear. The
supply was exhausted, and the mel
realized it would be n case of dyin,
as bravely as possible, or making n run
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