The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1918-11-15

or the boring eyes OF Kitchener which
burned into his verI>soul, causing hin
to shudder.
linen the Zeppelin raids-durin,
them, he used to cr,uch in corner Of
his clearinghouse cellar, whimperine
IKE whipped puppy and calling upor
the Lord to protect him.
Even his landladg despised him. al
though she had to admit that he was
good pay"
ne very seldom rad the papers. but
one momentous morning the landlady
put the morning paper at his place be.
Iore ne came down to breakfast. TAX.
Ing his seat he read the flaring head.
line, "Conscriptlon Bill Passed" and
nearly tainted. Excusing himself, he
stumbled upstairs to his bedroom.
with the horror of It gnawlng into his
vitals.
Having saved up a few pounds, he
decided not to leave the house. and TO
sham sickpess, so he stayed in his room
aud had the landlady serve his meals
there.
Every time there was a knock at the
door he trembled all over, imagining it
was a policeman who had come TO take
MIN away to the army.
One morning his fears were reaJized
Sure enough, there stood q policeman
with the fatal paper Taking It in his
trembling hand he read that he, Albert
Lloyd, was ordered to report himself
to the nearest recruiting station for
physical examination. He reported i'm
mediately, because he was afraid to
disobey.
Inc doctor looked with approval
upon Lloyd's six feet of physical per-
fectlon, and thought what a fine
guardsman he would make, but exam
ined his heart twice before he passed
him as physically fit" 1t was beating
so fast.
From the recruiting depot Lloyd was
taken, with many others, in charge Of
a sergeant, to the training depot at AL
dershot, where he was given an outfit
OF khaki, and drew his other eouin-
ment. He made a fne-looking soldier
except for the slight shrinking in his
shoulders and the hunted look In his
eyes.
AT the training depot it does not
take long to find out mans character
and Lloyd was promptly drbbed
windy" In the English army windy"
means cOwardly.
The smallest recruit in 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 fatigues.
He was afraid to. He lived in deadly
ear of the officers and "noncOms" over |
him. They also despised him.
One morning about three months
lfter his enlistment Lloyd's COMPANY
vas paraded, and the names picked ont
or the next draft to France were read.
When his name was called, he did not
tep out smartly, two PAGES to the
ront' and answer cheerfully, Here,
IT." as the others did. He Just faint
d In the ranks and was carried to bar
acks amid the sneers of the rest.
That night was an agony of misery
him. He could not sleep. Just cried
nd whimpered In his bunk, because
n the morrow the draft was to sail
or France, where he would see death
n all sides, and perhaps be killed him
elf. On the steamer, crossing the
hannel, he would have jumped over
oard to escape, but was afraid of
rowning.
Arriving in France, he and the rest
ere huddled into cattle cars. On the
de of each appeared In white letters.
aommes 40, Chevaux g." After hours t
humping over the uneven French 6
Dadbeds they arrived ut the training G
lse Of Rouen.
AT this place they were put through I
weeks Ejgid training in trench war I
re. On the morning of the eighth 4
~ they paraded at ten o'clock, and t
ere Inspected and passed by General
-, then were marched to the quar-
rmaster's, to draw their gas helmets
ID trench equipment. Il
At four in the afternoon they were
'ain hustled into cattle cars. This S
ne the journey lasted two days. I
hey disembarked at the town of FIRE. t
mt and could hear a distant dull p
oming. With knees shaking, Lloyd l,
ked the sergeant what the noise was, IL
d nearly dropped when the sergeant C
piled in somewhat bored tone:
"Ob, them's the guns up the line.
ell be up there in a couple O. days
so. Don't worry, my laddIe, you'll U
, more Of 'em than you want before Oi
u get 'Ome to Blighty again, that is, Of
you're lucky enough to get back. p,
W lend hand thGre unloadln' them II
ra. and quit that everlastin' shakin'. 50