The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1918-05-10

supply was exhausted, and the men
realized it would be q case Of dying
as bravely as possible, or making q run
for it. But D company would not
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 get
within bombing distance Of the trench,
and then it would be all their own way.
Turning to his company, the captain
said:
'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 will bomb US out. Our
bayonets are useless here. We will
have to go over and meet them, and
it's a case of thirty to one, so send
every thrust home, and die like the
men Of D company should. When /
give the word, follow me, and up and
st them. Give them h! Lord, II
we only had q machine gun, we could
wipe them out! Here they come, get
ready, men," 80;
Just as he finished speaking, the well
come. "pup-pup" OLA machine gun in
their rear rang out, and the front line
of 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 toll Of lives.
Then again they tried to advance, but
the machine gun moved them down.
Dropping their rifles and bombs, they
broke and f1ed.in a wild rush back to
their trench, amid the cheers Of ID"
company. They were: forming again
for another attempt, when in the rear
Of D company came a mighty cheer.
The ammunition had arrived and with
1t q battalion Of Scotch to REINFORCE
them. They were saved. The unknown
machine gunner hadjcome to the rescue
in the nick Of time.
With the re~-enforcements 1t was an
easy task to take the third German
line.
After the attack was over, the cap
tain and three Of his noncommissioned
officers, wended their way back to the
position where the machine gun had
done its deadly work. BE wanted to
thank the gunner In the name of D.
company fer his magnificent deed.
They arrived at the gun, and an awful
sight, met their eyes.
Lloyd had reached the front line
trench, after his company had left it. A
strange company was nirIbly crawling
up the trench ladders. They were re-
endorsements going over. They were
Scotties, and they made a magnificent
sight in their brightly eolored kits and
bare knees. =
Jumping owe the trench, Lloyd raced
across mo Mans Land" unheeding the
rain Of bullets, leaping yer dark forms
on 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 1t was deserted, except for heaps
Of dead and wounded--a grim tribute
to the work Of his company, good old
d company. Leaping trenches, and
gasping for breath, Lloyd could see
right ahead Of him his company in a
.dead-ended sap Of a communication
trench, and across the open, away in,
front Of them, mass Of Germans pre-
pairing for u charge. Why didn't D
company fire on them2s Why were they
SO strangely silent? What were they
waiting for? Then he knew-their am
munition vas exhausted. u..
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
over to the gun he saw why it had not
opened fire. Scattered around It's base
lay six(stil 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 it
on the Germans. He pressed the thumb
piece, but ouly a 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 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 his shame he cried like q
baby. Anyway he could die with them
and, rising to his feet, he stumbled