The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1918-07-04

S Men, it's q case of going West for
us. We are out of ammunition and
bombs, and the Boches have US In a
trap. They VIII bomb us out. Our
bayonets are UAetess here. We viii
have to 90 ovec and meet them, and
It's case Of thirty to one. 80 send
every th7ust home, and die like the
men Of D company should. When ]
sivs the word, follow me, aud up and
ar snem. Give, them h--l Lord, II
we only had machine gun, we could
wipe them out! Here they come, get
lheady, men,"
Just as he finished speaking, the wei
isScome apup-pup" Of machine gun In
their rear rang out, and the front line
86 the onrushing Germans seemed to
melt away. They wavered, but once
again came rushing onward. Down
went their second line. The machine
gun was taking an awful ton Of lives.
Then again they tried to advance, but
ssthe machine gun moved them down.
.fDropping their rifles and bombs, they
broke and fled in q Wild rush back to
their trench, amid the cheers Of I'd"
company. They were forming again
for another attempt, when in the rear
Sof d company came mighty cheer.
The ammunition had arrived and with
sit battalion Of Scotch to re-enforce
/ them. They were saved. The unknown
machine gunner had come to the rescue
( In the nick Of time. -
With the re endorsements 1t was an
easy task to take the third German
line.
After the attack was over, the cap
1 tain and three Of his noncommissioned
! officers, wended their way back to the
position where the machine gun had
! done its deadly work. He wanted to
thank the gunner In the name Of D
company for his magnificent deed.
They arrived at the gun, and an awful
slight met their eyes.
Lloyd had reached the front line
trench, after his company had left It. A.
strange company was nimbly crawling
sup the trench ladders. They were re-
endorsements going over. They were
Scotties, and they made q magnificent
night in their brightly colored kits and
bare knees
jumping over the trench, Lloyd raced
across 'sNo, Mans Land" unheeding the
rain OF bullets leaping over dark forms
son the ground, some Of which lay still,
while others called out to him as he
speeded past. -
He came to the German front line,
but It was deserted, except for heaps
s0f dead and wounded grim tribute
10 the work of his company, good old
ID company. Leaping trenches, and
agasping for breath, Lloyd could see
Fight ahead of him his company in a
sdead-ended sap Of a communication
trench, and across the open, away In
front Of them, mass of Germans pre-
pairing for a charge. Why didn't D
company fire on them? Why were they
80 strangely silent? What were they
waiting for? Then he knew-their an
munition was exhausted.
But what was that On his right? A
machine gun. Why didn't it open fire
and, save them? He would make that,
guns crew do, their duty. Rushing
lover 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
q ing the traversing handles, trained II
on the Germans. He pressed the thumb
piece, but only sharp click was tho
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 q
name. In his shar1e he cried Ike
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 faint voice, said:
"Get away, you blighter, leave me
alone. don't want any coward around
me-"
The words cut Lloyd like knife,
but he was desperate. Taking the re-
yolver out of the h >lster Of the dying
- ho ynp71lo tn fhA