Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-08-13
I @iN7 81 I
IARTHuR Guy EnNI

AsfSas ~ Itga
pairing for charge. Why didn't D
company fire on them? Why were they
SO strangely silent? What were they
waiting for7 Then he knew-their am
munition was exhausted.
But what was that on his rightf 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 it had not
opened fire. Scattered around its 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 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
were 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 a
name. In his shame he cried like a
baby. Anyway he could die with them
and, rising to his feet, he stumbled
over the body of one of the gunners,
who emitted a faint moan. A gleam
of hope flashed through him. Perhaps
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 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, it is Lloyd, the coward OF
Company D, but so help me God, II
you don't tell me how to load that gun
I'll put bullet through your brain |"
A sunny smile came over the coun-
tenance of the dying man and he said
in q faint whisper:
"Good old boy! 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 gunl" -..
AS If recftlng lesson in school, the
soldier replied in 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 60, 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 at his heart, he. took a belt
from one Of the ammunition boxes ly-
ing beside the gun, and followed the
dying mans instructions. Then he
pressed the thumbpiece and burst Of
fire rewarded his efforts. The gun
was working.
Training it on the Germans he shout
ed for Joy as their front rank went
down. e.ft
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
company. he, Lloyd, the coward, had
"done his bit" Releasing the thumb
piece, he looked at the watch on his
wrist. He was still alive at "3: :88."
"Ping bullet sang through the
air, and Lloyd fell forward across the
gun. A thin trickle Of blood ran down
his face from a little, black round hole
In his forehead.
o.
'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. Reyerently covering the face
with his handkerchief he turned to his
"noncoms" and, in voice husky with
emotions, addressed them:
"Boys, it's Lloyd, the deserter. He
has redeemed himself, died the death
Of a hero-died that his mates might
I've" u.'r
That afternoon solemn procession
wended Its way toward the cemetery.
In the front stretcher was carried by
two sergeants. Across the str etcher
the Union Jack was carefully spread.
Behind the stretcher came q captain
and forty-three men. all that were left
Of D company.
Arriving at the cemetery, they halt.
ed in front Of an open grave. All about
them wooden crosses were broken and
tra,npled into the ground.
Z Agrizzled old sergeant, noting this
destruction, muttered under his
breath: "Curse the cowardly blighter
who wrecked those crossesl Il ! could
only get these two hands around his
neck his trip West would be short"
The corpse on the stretcher seemed
to move. or 1t might have been the
wind blowing the folds Of the Union
Jack. s9sso ~
SO CHAPTER XIV ss.1 I.
Preparing for the Big Push.
Rejoining Atwell after the execution
/ had hard time trying to keep my
secret from him. think, must have
-