The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1918-08-01

room, but he hardly noticed them.
While waiting there, the voice of the
sentry, singing In a low tone, came to
him. He was singing the chorus Of the
popular trep III ditty:
l want to go home. want to go homo.
don't wan. TO go to the trenches no
| more.
Where the "whizzbangs" and "sausages''
galore.
Take me over the sea. where the Allemand
can't get at me-
Oh my. don't want to die! want to go
home.
Lloyd listened to the words with
strange interest, and wondered what
kind of home he would go to across
the Great Divide. 1t would be the only
home he had ever known.
Suddenly there came great rushing
through the air, binding, deafen-
ing report, and the snndbag walls Of
the guardroom topplfd over and then
-blnckncss.
When Lloyd recovered conscious
ness, he was lying on his right side,
| facing what used to be the entrance Of
the guartlroom. Now, 1T was only
| tumble Of rent and torn Snndbngs. His
head seemed bursting. He slowly rose
on his elbow. and there in the east the
dawn wns breaking. But what was
that manglcd shape lying over there
among the S,,ndhagS? Slowly dragging
himself to it, he saw the body Of the
sentry. One look was enough to know
that he was dead. The soldiers head
was missing The sentry had had his
| Ia hpI ~
He was safe Mt last from the "whizz-
bangs" and the Allemund.
Like flash 1t came to Lloyd that he
was free. Free to go cover the top"
with his company. Free to die like
true Biton fighting for his king and
country. a great glnjlncss 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, dOdging through or
around hurryng platOOns on their way
to also go "ovcr the top" Coming to
Il communication trench he could not
get through. 1t was blocked with lnugh-
ing, cheering and curSing soldiers
Climbing out OF the trench, he rar
;, wildly along the top. never needing tho
: rain of mnchne-gun bullets and shells
" not even hearing the shouts of the of
:, hccrS. telling him to get back into tn
:, trench. He was going to join his con,
" pnny who were In the front line III
:. was going to fight with them. He, tn
= dcSpiSed coward. had come into hi
own.
!, While he was racing along, jumpin,
| hos lad 4, nl,li>
; ringing cheer broke out all along tn,
front line, and his heart sank. II,
knew he was too late. His compan,
had gone over. But still he ran madly
l!r would catch them. lie would di
with them.
Meanwhile his company had gon
"ovcr." They, with the other com
pani"s had taken the first and secont
German trenches, and had pushet
steadily on to the third line. D com
pnIly, led by their captain, the one wht
had sent Lloyd to division headquar
tcrs for trial, charged with dcsertion
had pushed steadily forward until the,
found themselves far In advance O
he rest OF the attacking force. Bomb
ing out" trench after trench, and usin,
Il
communication trench. which ended II
Il blindsap, and then the captain, ant
what was left of his men, knew theI
we're In a trap. They would not re
tire. ID company never retired, anf
they were d company. Right in from
of them they could see hundreds OF
Germans preparing to rush them witt
hcmb and bayonct. They would have
some chance If ammunition and bombs
could reach them from the rear. Their
supply was exhausted, and the mer
realized II would be case Of dying
rs bravely rs possible. or making a rur
for IT. But company would moi
run. IT was against their traditions
and principles.
The Germans would have to advance
across an open space Of three to -four
hundred yards before they could gel
within bombing distance Of the trench
Turning to his company, the captain
said:
"Men, it's case Of going West for
us. We are out Of ammunition and
bombs, and the Boches have US in a
trap. They will bomb us out. Our
bayonets are useless here. We will
have to go over and meet them, and
It's case Of thirty to one, go send
every thrust home, and die like the
men Of d company should. When
give the word, follow me, and up and
at them. Give them h! Lord. II
we only had machine gun. we could