Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-04-09
''0ver the Top
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY
{Colo1isht, NJ. b. A1sAur Coy 1npsyl
Cunne, Se,oins IN F,snee

Lloyd rushed to the gun and, grasp.
ing the traversing handles. trained it
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 gum. oh,
why hadn't he attended the machine
gun course in England7 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 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 shis shame ne cried like
baby. Anyway he could die with them
and, rising to his feet. he stumbled
over the body Of one Of the gunners,
who emitted 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 it and the soldier opened
his eyes. Seeing Lloyd, he closed
them again and, in a faint voice, said:
"Get away. you bliGhter, leave me
alone. I don't want any coward around
me-"
The words ct Lloyd like knife.
but he was desperate. Taking the re-
voivsi out Of the holster Of the dying
man he pressed the cold muzzle to the
soldiers head and replied:
Eyes, 1t isN 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 q bullet through your BRAIN"
A sunny smile came over the coun-
tenance Of the dying man and he said
IN faint whisper:
"Good old boy! Iknew you wouldn't
disgrace our company"
Lloyd interposed: "For Gods sake,
II you want to save that company you
are 50 proud Of, tell me how to load
that ID gun!"
AS II reciting 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 hands 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 ~
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 1t on the Germans he shout
ed for Joy a. 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 % 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 little, black round hole
In his forehead.
-
1.-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 a voice husky with
emotions, addressed them:
I Boys, it's Lloyd, the deserter. He
has redeemed himself, died the death
of . hero died that his mates might
live.e
That afternoon solemn Succession
wendell Its way toward the cemetery.
In the front a stretcher was carried by
two sergeants. Across the stretcher
she Union Jack wes carefully spread.
Behind the, stretcher came q captain
and forty-three men. all that were left
Iof D company.
N Arriving at the cemetery, they halt
ed In front Of an open grave. All about
them wooden crosses were broken and
ftrampled into the ground.
! a grizzled old sergeant, noting this
destruction, muttered under his
breath: "Curse the cowardly Brighter
who wrecked those crosses! If could
only get these two hands around his
neck his trip West would be short"
The corpse on the stretcher seemed
10 move, Or It might have been the
wind blowing the folds Of the Union
jack
ITO be Continued.y