Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1918-05-30

4, and tried to cheer him by talking to
him:
aNever mind them guns, boy, they
,,on,t hurt you. They are ours. We
are giving the Boches dose of their
own medicine. Our boys are going ovel
tbe top at dawn of the morning TO take
choir trenches. Wen give 'em a taste
of cold steel with their sausages and
beer. You Just sit tight now until they
relieve you. I'll have to go now, lad
as IT'S nearly time for my relief, and
don't want them to see me a-talkin
with you. So long, laddie, cheero."
With this, the sentry resumed the
pacing of his post. In about ten min
ntes' time he was relieved, and d
company man took his place.
Looking into the guardhouse, the
sentry noticed the covering attitude Of
Lloyd, and, with n sheer, said to him:
"Instead of whimpering in that cor
ner YOU ought to be saying your pray
ers. It's bally conscripts like you
what's spoilin' our record. We've been
out here nigh onto eighteen months,
and you're the first man to desert his
post. The whole battalion is laughin
and pokin' fun at d company, bad
luck to you but you won't get another
chance to disgrace us. They'll put
your lights out In the mornin'."
After listening to this TRADE, Lloyd,
In faItering voice, asked: ''They are
not going to shoot me, are they? 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
q Sob
"0f course, they're going to shoot
you. The other sentry was jest a-kid-
din you. Jest like 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 Lloyds brain, a
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.
20, good and merciful God, give me
strength to die like a mani Deliver
me from this towards death. Give me
a 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 a low tone, came to
him. He was singing the chorus of the
popular trench ditty:
want to go home want to go 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 diel want to go
home
Lloyd listened to the words with a
strange interest, and wondered what
Kind of home he would go to across
ne Great Divide. 1t would be the only
home he had ever known.
Suddenly there came " great rushing
Trough the air, a binding, a deafen-
ng report, and the sandbag walls of
ne guardroOm toppled over, and then
when Lloyd recovered conscious
less he was lying on his right side,
aclng what used to be the entrance of
ne guardrOom. Now, 1t was only
umDle of rent and torn sandbags. His
ead seemed bursting. He slowly rose
u MS elbow, and there in the east the
avn was breaking. But what was
nat mangled shape lying over there
mong the sandbags? Slowly dragging
lmseif to it, he saw the body Of the
entry. One look was enough to know
nat he was dead. The soldiers head
'as missing. The sentry had had his
.lSh gratified. He had "gone home"
- SoAS at ldSl lTOm t1e WillZI-
angs' and the Allemand.
Like flash 1t came to LLOYD that he
as Tree. Free to go lover the top"
IN MS company. Free to die like
.ue briton fighting for his king and
'untry. A great gladness and warmth
'nle over him. Carefully stepping
yer the body of the sentry, he started
! mad race down the ruined street
tle village, amid the bursting shells,
nnu'ng them not, lodging through or
Iouhd hurrying platoons on their way
also go "over the top" Coming to
communication trench he could not
y through. 1t was blocked with laugh
81 cheering and cursing soldiers.
r, !, out of the trench, he ran
nuiy along the top, never needing the
III VI machine-gun bullets and shells.
- even hearing the shouts of the of.
,eis, telling him to get back into the
ench' de was going to join his COM
NY VINO were In the front liue. he
% gong to fight with them. He, the
'spised coward, had come into his