The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-08-16

/ Wet1 pursuing an around the guard
room, but he hardly noticed them.
While waiting there, the voice Of the
sentry. singing Ia low tone, came 10
him. He was singing the chorus OF the
popular trench dItty:
] want 10 so home, / want to 90 home.
don't want TO 20 20 the trenches no
more.
/ Where tbs "whlxzBangs" and "saumagss',
roar galore.
Taks me over the sea, where the Allemand
can't get at me
oh, my. ! don't want TO diet l want 10 go
hons.
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 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, II was only a
tumble or 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 niangled shape lying over there
among the sandbags7 Slowly dragging
himself 10 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 gratiiied. He had "gone home"
He was safe at last from the "whIzz-
bangs and the Allemand.
Like fash It came to Lloyd that he
was free. Free 10 go "over 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 sAells,
Winding them not, lodging through or
around hurrying platoons on their way
to also 20 "oysr the top" Coming to
communication trench he could not
get through. II was blocked with laugh
ing, cheering and cursinR soldiers.
Climbing out OF the trench, he ran
wildly along the top. never needing the
rain OF machlne-gun bullets and shells,
not even hearing the shouts OF the of.
ticers, 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
desplsed 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 |
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
panics had taken the first and second |
German trenches, and had pushed
steadily on TO the third line. ID COM
paily, led by their captain, the one who |
had sent Lloyd TO division headquar- |
ters for trial. charged with desertlon, |
hsd pushed steadily forward until they |
found themselves far In advance of
the rest OF the attacking force. Bomb |
mug out" trench after trench, and using /
their hayonets, they came to a German |
communication trench, which ended In |
q bllndsap, and then the captain, and |
what was left OF his men. knew they |
were In trap. They would not re- |
tire, ID 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 aud bayonet, They would have
some chance If ammunition and bombs
could reach them from the rear. Their
supply was exhausted. aud the men
realized il would be case OF diving
as brayely as possible. or making a run
for &C. But ID company would not
run. II was against their traditions
aud principles.
The Germans would have TO advance
across an open space OF three TO four
hundred yards before they could get
within bombing distance OF the trench,
and then Il would be all their own way.
Turning to his company. the captain
said:
"Men, it's case OF going West for
us. We are out Of ammunition and
bombs. aud the Boehes have us In n
trap, They will bomb us ont. Our
bayonets are useless here. We will
have 10 80 over aud meet them, and
it's q case Of thirty TO one. so send |
every thrust home, and die like the
men Of p company should. When / |
give the word. follow me, and up and
at them. Give them hi Lord, Ii
we enly had a machine gun, we could /
wipe them out Here they come, get |