The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-07
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AN ANIERICAN SOLDIER
WHO WENT q =
AlI11Ul GUY EnpEY
I GIFT BY l
lAH1hue @Y ffirEYl
MACHINE GUNNER SERVING lN FRANCE

LiOyQ nd0 Eedcueu the ItOut uue
trench, after his company had left 1t. A
strange company was nimbly crawling
up the trench ladders. They were re-
endorsements going over. They were
Scotties, and they made magnificent
sight in their brightly colored kits and
bare knees.
Jumping over the trench. Lloyd raced
across "No Mans Land" unheeding the
rain Of bullets, leaping over dark forms
on the ground, some OF which lay still,
while others called out to him as he
spee4ed past.
He came to the German front line,
but IL was deserted, except for heaps
of dead and Wounded grim tribute
to the work of his company. good old
ID company. Leaping trenches, and
gasping for breath, Lloyd could see
right ahead Of him his company in q
dead-ended sap Of a communication
trench. and across the open, away In
front OF them, a mass Of Germans pre-
pairing for a charge. Why didn't d
company flre on them7 Why were they
so strangely silent7 What were they
waiting forf Then he knew-their am
munition was exhausted.
But what was that on his right? A
machine gun. Why didn't 1t open fire
and save them7 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
position, but a German machine CUR
had decreed they would never fire
again.
Lloyd rushed to the gun and, grasp
ing the traversing handles. trained Il
on the Germans. He pressed the thumb
piece, but only a sharp click was the
result. The gun was unloaded. Then
he realized BIS helplessness. He did
not know how to load the gun. Oh
why hadn't he attended the machine
gun course in England3 He'd been
offered the chance. but with a 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 or his reur. MIS- 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 q faint moan. A CLEAN
OF hope flashed through him. Perhaps
this man could tell him how to load
the gun. STOPPING over the body he
gently shook 1t and the soldier opened
his eyes. Seeing Lloyd, he closed
them again and. In q faint voice, said:
SECT away. you blighter. leave me
alone. don't want any coward around
me-"
The words cut Lloyd like q knife,
but he /. as desperate. Taking the re-
volver out of the holster OF the dying
man he pressed the cold muzzle to the
soldiers head and replied:
Eyes, 1t is Lloyd. the coward OF
Company d, but so help me God. IL
you don't tell me how TO load that gun
A sunny smile came over the coun-
tenance Of the dying man and he said
in faint whisper:
Good old boyi knew you wouldn't
disgrace our company"
Lloyd interposed: "For Gods sake.
II you want to save that company you
are so proud of, tell me how to load
that ID gum"
AS if reciting lesson 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
or, let go, and repeat motion. Gun Is
now loaded. To fire, raise automatic
safety latch. and press thumbpiece.
Gun is now fringe 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 q burst of
fire rewarded his efforts. The gun
was working.
Training IL 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
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 50 49,"
Ping pa 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 mis- forehead
''The sentence of the court had been
duly carried out"
The captain slowly raised the limp
form dropping over the gun and. wtp-