The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-09-19

company for his magnificent deed.
They arrived at the gun, and an awful
sight met their eyes
Lloyd hid reached the front line
trench after his company had left it. A
strange company was nlmbly crawling
up the trench ladders. They were re-
endorsements going over They were
Scotties, and they made n magnificent
sight In their brightly colored kits and
bare knees.
Jumping over the trench. Lloyd raced
across NO Mans Land" unheedlng the
rain of bullets, leaplng over dark forms
on the ground. some OF which lay still,
while others called out to him as he
speeded past.
He came to the German front line,
but 1t was deserted, except for heaps
of dead and wounded--a grim tribute
to the work Of his company good old
D company. Leaping trenches, and
gasping for breath, Lloyd could see
right ahead of him his company in a
dead-ended sap of a communication
trench, and across the open, away in
front of them, mass of Germans pre-
pairing for q charge. Why didn't D
company fire on them2 Why were they
so strangely silentf What were they
waiting forf Then he knew-thelr am
munltion was exhausted
But what was that on his right7 A
machine gun. Why didn't 1t open fire
and save them? He would make that
guns crew do their duty. Rushing
over to the gun he saw why 1t had not
opened fire. Scattered around It's base
lay six still forms, They had brought
their gun to consolidate the captured
position, but a German machine gun
had decreed they would never fire
again.
Lloyd rushed to the gun and, grasp
ing the traversing handles, trained 1t
on the Germans He pressed the thumb
piece. but only a sharp click was the
result. The gun was unloaded. Then
he realized his helplessness. He did
not know how to load the gun. Oh,
why hadn't he attended the machine
gun course in England? He'd been
offered the chance, but with blush Of
shame he remembered that he had been
afraid. The nickname of the machine
gunners had frightened him. They
We're called the suicide club" Now,
because of this fear, his company
would be destroyed, the men of D com
pany would have to die, because he,
Albert Lloyd, had been afraid Of
maine. In his shame he cried like Il
baby. Anyway he could die with them
and. rising to his feet, he stumbled
over the body Of one of the gunners
who emitted II faint moan. A CLEAN
of hope flashed through him. Perhap,
this man could tell him how to load
the gun. STOPPING over the body he
gently shook it and the soldier opened
his eyes. Seeing Lloyd, he closed
them again and, in a faint voice, said
Get away, you blighter, leave me-
alone. don't want any coward around
me-"
The words cut Lloyd like a knife,
but he was desperate. Taking the re-
volver out of the holster of the dying
man he pressed the cold muzzle to the
soldiers head and replied:
Yes, 1t Is Lloyd, the coward of
Company d, but so help me God, If
you don't tell me how to load that gun
I'll put bullet through your brain ~
A sunny smile came over the Coun
tenanee of the dying man and he said
In a faint whisper:
Good old boy l knew you wouldn't
disgrace our company"
Lloyd interposed: For Gods sake,
If you want to save that company you
are so proud Of tell me how to load
that ID gum
As If reclting a lesson In school, the
voice: Insert ting end of belt in feed
block, with left hand pull belt left
front. Pull crank handle back on roll
er, let go, and repeat motion. Gun is
now loaded. To fire, raise automatic
safety latch. and press thumbpiece.
Gun Is now firing. If gun stops, ascer
tain position of crank handle"
But Lloyd waited for no more. With
wild Joy Mt his heart, he took belt
from one of the ammunition boxes ly-
Ing beside tho gun, and followed the
dying mans instructions. Then he
pressed the thumbplece and burst of
fire rewarded his efforts. The gun
was working.
piece. he looked nj the watch on his
wrist. He was still alive at "3 ;3S."
ping IA bullet sang through the
air, and Lloyd fell forward across the
gun. A thin trickle of blood ran down
his face from 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
ognized 1t as Lloyd, the coward of ID
company. Reverently covering the face
with his handkerchief he turned to his
"noncoms" and, in voice husky with
emotions, addressed them:
Boys, It's Lloyd, the deserteP. He
has redeemed himself, died the death
of hero-dled that his mates might
live"
That afternoon solemn procession
wendell Its way toward the cemetery.
In the front stretcher was carried by
two sergeants Across the stretcher
the Union Jack was carefully spread,