The Big Sandy news., 1918-06-28
"Over the Top
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
ecoo5riEht. iSII. 0y Arthur Guy HmDs5)
Maehine Ganasr SerOine D Franes


(Copynght. isI7. b. Arthur Guy nmpeD
of hope flashed through him. Perhaps
this man could tell him how to loa,
the gun. STOPPING over the body h,
gently shook 1t and the soldier opened
his eyes. Seeing Lloyd. he CLOSED
them again and, in faint voice, said
''Get away, you blighter, leave me
alone. don't want any coward around
me-"
The words cut Lloyd like 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 ID. but SO help me God. II
you don't tell me how TO load that gun
I'll put bullet through your brain r
A sunny smile came over the coun-
tenance Of the dying man and he said
In faint whisper:
"Good old boyl 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 reciting a lessop in school. the
soldier replied in a weak, singsong
voice: Insert tag 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. Con is
now loaded To fire, raise automatic
safety latch, and press thumbplece
Gun is now firing. If gun stops. ascer-
tain position Of crank handle"
But Lloyd waited for no more. With
wild Joy at his heart, he took a belt
1rom one of the ammunition boxes ly-
ing beside the gun, and followed the
ding mans instructions. Then he
pressed the thumbpiece and burst of
are rewarded his efforts. The gun
wns working.
Trimming II on the Germans he shout
ed for joy as their front rank went
down.
Traversing the gun back and forth
along the mass Of Germans, he saw
them break and run back to the cover
Of their trench. leaving their dead and |
wounded behind. He had saved his |
eoinpany, he. Lloyd. the coward, had |
dome his bit" Releasing the thumb
piece. he looked at the watch on his |
wrist BE was still alive at '.3 :38."
Ping pa bullet sang through the
air, and Lloyd fell forward across the
gun. A thin triclrie of blood ran down
his face from a 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 d
company. Reverently covering the face
with his handkerchief he turned to his
'noncoms" and, in voice husky with
addressed them:
Boys. it's Lloyd. the deserter. He
has redeemed himself, died the death
Il hero-died that his mates might
i've"
That afternoon a solemn procession
wended its way toward the cemetery.
IN the front a stretcher was carried by
.wo sergeants. Across the stretcher
he Onion Jack was carefully spread.
Behind the stretcher came a captain
ind forty-three men. all that were left
4 ID company.
Arriving at the cemetery. they halt
d ~ front Of an open grave. All about
hem wooden crosses were broken and
rampled into the ground.
A grizzied old sergeant. noting this
muttered under his
reath: Curse the cowardly blighter
RIO wrecked those crossesI If could
My get these two hands around his
eek his trip West would be short"
The corpse on the stretcher seemed
move, or It might have been the
1ind blowing the folds of the Union
- Il