Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-27
OVER THE TOP
BY
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY,
An American Boy Who Went.
Copyright. 1917. by Arthur Guy Empey.

guardsman he would make but exam
ined his heart twice before he passed
y him as physically fit; 1t was beating
: Sc fast.
From the recruiting depot Lloyd was
taken. with many others. in charge OF
| a sergeant. to the training depo, at
Aldershot. where he was given an out
ii; OF khaki. and drew his other equip
ment. lie made a fne-looking soldier.
except for the slight shrinking in his
; shoulders. and the hunted lock in his
eyes.
At the training depot II does no; take
long TO lind out mans character. and
Lloyd was promptly dubbed Windy"
I In the English army windy means
cowardly.
The smallest recruit III the barracks
looked on him with contempt. and was
not slow TO show it in many ways.
Lloyd was good soldier. learned
quickly. obeyed every order promptly,
never groused at the hardest fatigucs.
He was afraid TO. lie lived in deadly
fear OF tho officers and 'moncoms" over
him. They also desp;sed him.
One morning about three months az
ter his enlistment. Lloyd's company was
paraded. and the names picked for the
next draft to France We're read. When
his name was called. he did not step,
out smartly, two PAGES to the front.
the others did He just tainted In
ranks. and was carried TO barracks
amid the sneers of the rest.
That night was an agony of misery
TO him. He could not sleep. Just cried
| and whmpered in his bunk. because en-
the morrow the draft to sail for
France. where he would see death on
all sides, and perhaps be killed him
self On the steamer. crossing the
channel, he would have jumped over
board to escape. but afraid of
drowning.
Arriving In France. he and the rest
were huddled into cattle cars. on the
side Of each appeared in white letters,
: "Chevaux s. Hommes 40" After hours
Ct humping over the uneven French
, roadbeds they arrived at the training
base OF Rouen.
, \, this place they were pu; through
weeks rigid training in trench war
fare On the morning Of the eighth
day they paraded at 10 oslock. and
We're inspected and passed by General
; Ii. then were marched TO the quar-
' termaster's. to draw their gas helmets
and trench equipment.
Al IN the afternoon they were again
hustled into cattle cars. This time the
journey lasted two days. They dis
| embarked a. the town OF Prevent. and
, could hea. distant dull booming
With knees shaking. Lloyd asked the
sergeant what the noise was and near
ly dropped when. the sergeant replied
III somewhat bored tone:
"Oh, them's The guns up the line.
Wen he up there in couple o days
or SO. Don't worry, my laddie. you'll
see more OF en- than YOU want before
YOU get ONE - Eighty again, that is,
!. you're lucky enough 10 get back.
Now lend a hand there unloadin' them
cars. and quit that everiastin' shakin'.
i ] believe yer scared" The last with a
contemptuous sneer.
They marched ten kilos full pack,
: to little dilapidated village, and the
sound OF the guns grew louder. con-
!, stan;ly louder.
The village was fun OF soldiers. who
turned out 10 Inspect the new draft.
, the men who were shortly 10 be their
mates in the trenches. for they were
going "up the line" on the morrow. 10
take over their certain sector OF
trenches.
The drat, WAS paraded in front OF
battalion headquarters. and the men
We're assigned 10 companies.
+ Lloyd was the only man assigned 10
-" Company. Perhaps the officer in
charge OF the draft had something to
90 with II, for he called Lloyd aside
and said:
Lloyd you are going 10 Il new com
pany. No one knows YOU. Your bed
will be as you make il, so for God $
sake, brace up and lie a man. think
you have the stun in YOU, my boy, so
Cood-by, and the best Of luck TO you"
The next day the battalion took over
their part OF tho trenches. II hap
, pened to be a very quiet day. The
artillery behind the lines was still. OK
cept for an occasional shell sent over
TO let the Germans know the gunncrs
were not asleep.
In the darkness. in single n!c. the
company slowly wended their WAY
down the communication trench to the
from, line. No one noticed Lloyd's
white and drawn face.
After they had relieved the company
! tn the trenches. Lloyd with two OF the
old company men was put on guard
In one Of the traverses. Not a shot
was fred from the German lines. and
no one paid any attention 10 him
crouchcd on tho firing step.
on the first time ill., new recruit
Is not required 20 stand with his head
over the top" lie only sits Il cut"
, while the Older men Keep watch.
? AT about 10 o'clock, all OF sud
f, den, he thought hell had broken loose.
; and crouchcd and shivered UP against
: the parape, shells started bursting.
as he imagined. RICH; in their trench.
;, when in fact they were landing abou,
I. hundred yards in rear Of them. in
the second lines.
one Of the cider mon on guard turn
ing TO his mate. said:
= There goes Fritz with those damned
= trench mortars again. It's about time
our artillery tapped them, and sen;
= over few. We'll. ri be damned.
where's that hlighter OF a draft man
gone to- There's his rife leaning
:. asains, the parapet. lie must have
. Legged It. Jus, keep your eye peeled
+. Dick. while J report il TO the sergeant
: wonder II the fool knows ne can DC
+, shot FOR such tricks as leavin his
+, post"
!, Lloyd had gone When the trench
= mortars opened UP. maddcning terror
:, seized him and he wanted TO run. 90
. get away from that horrible din. any
, whsre IN safety. 50 quietly sncaEing
around the traverse. he came TO the
, entrance OF communication trench
and ran madly and blindly down 81