Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-08-02

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. BE was singing the chorus Of the
popular tren III ditty:
| want to 90 home. l want to 60 homo.
don't wan. to go to the trenches no
Who're the "whixzbangs' and "sausases"
roar galore.
Take me over the sea- where tho Allemand
can't get at me.
Oh. my. don't want to die! want to 60
home.
Lloyd listened to the words with
strange interest, and wondered what
kind of home he would go to across
the Great Divide. It would be the only
home he had ever known.
Suddenly there came a great rushing |
through the air, binding, q deafen- |
Ing report, and the sandbag walls Of |
the guardroom toppled over, and then |
-blackness.
When Lloyd recovered conscious
| ~ASSos AAS W. 90 AyAA6 VA AAO AA6AS OAASt
facing what used to be the entrance Of
the guardroom. Now, it was only a
tumble of 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 mangled shape lying over there
| among the sandbags? Slowly dragging
himself to it, he saw tho 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 gratifled. 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 to 90 "over the top
with his company. Free to die like
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 or
around hurrying platoons on their way
to also 60 lover the top" Coming to
communication trench he could not
get through. It was blocked with laugh
ing, cheering and cursing soldiers.
Climbing out of the trench, he ran
wildly along the top, never needing the
rain Of machine-gun bullets and shells.
not even hearing the shouts of the Of
ficers. 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
despised coward, had come into his
own.
; While he was racing along, Jumping
over trenches crowded with soldiers, q
' 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.
lover" They, with the other com
panics had taken the first and SECOND
German trenches, and had pushed
| steadily on to the third line. D com
4 pany, led by their captain. the one wh<
\ had sent Lloyd to division headquar
Il tiers for trial, charged with desertfon
/ had pushed steadily forward until the,
Il found themselves far in advance o
| the rest of the attacking force. 'Bomb
\ ing out" trench after trench, and usin,
Il their bayonets, they came to q German
\ communication trench, which ended II
i a blindsap, and then the captain, an,
what was left of his men, knew the
il were in q trap. They would not n
Il tire. D company never retired, an
1 they were D company. Right in from
il of them they could see hundreds Q
IL Germans preparing to rush them wit
bomb and bayonet. They would hav
some chance If ammunition and bomb
could reach them from the rear Thei
supply was exhausted, and the me
4 realized it would be a case Of dyin
# as bravely as possible, or making ru
for it. But D company would n
n run. 1t was against their tradition
3 and principles.
The Germans would have to advan<
81 across an open space Of three to for
hundred yards before they could e,
4 within bombing distance Of the trencl
and then it would be all their own wa
p Turning to his company, the capital
said:
"Men, it's a case of going West +.
=, US. We are out Of ammunition an
bombs, and the Boches have us in
- trap. They will bomb US out. o,
bayonets are useless here. We vi
~ have to go over and meet them. az
It's a case Of thirty to one, so ser
~. every thrust home, and die like Il
-. men OF d company should. When
- give the word. follow me, and up a
- at them. Give them HI Lord,
- we only had . machine gun, we coul
wipe them out! Here they come, &
ready, men,"