The Bend bulletin. (Bend, Or.) 1903-1931, July 18, 1918, WEEKLY EDITION, Page PAGE 6, Image 6

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    BEND IHJLLKT1N, BKND ORKflON, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 101H
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After (hey hnd relieved the company
lin the trenches, Lloyd, with two of the
old company men, was put on guard In
one of the traverses. Not n shot wns
fired from the German lines, nnd tft
one paid any attention to him
crouched on the firing step.
On the first time In, a new recruit Is
loot required to stand with his head
'"over the top." lie only "sits It out,"
while the older men keep watch.
At about ten o'clock, all of n sudden,
Ihe thought hell had broken loose, and
'crouched and shivered up against the
'parapet. Shells started bursting, ns he
llmnglned, right In their trench, when In
jfnet they were landing about n hun
dred yards In rear of them, In the sec
lond lines.
One of the older men on guard, turn
ling to his mate, said:
"There goes Frltr with those d 1
trench mortars again. It's about time
four artillery 'taped' them, and sent
lover n few. Well, 111 be d d,
wherc's that blighter of n draft man
gotio to? There's his rifle loaning
ugnlnst the parapet. He must have
llegged It. Just keep your eye peeled,
Dick, while I report It to the sergeant.
'I wonder If the fool knows be can be
'shot for such tricks as leavln' his
Ipostr
Lloyd had gone. When the trench
mortars opened up, a maddening ter
ror seized him and he wanted to run,
"to get away from that horrible din,
anywhere to safety. So quietly sneak
ing around the traverse, he came to the
entrance of n communication trench,
and ran madly and blindly down It,
running Into traverses, stumbling Into
muddy holes, and falling full length
'over trench grids.
Groping blindly, with his arms
stretched out in front of him, he at
last came out of the trench Into the
"village, or what nsed to be a village,
before the German artillery razed It.
Mixed -with his fear, he had a pe
cnlinr sort of cunning, which whis
pered to him to nvold nil sentries, be
cause If they saw him he would be
sent back to that awful destruction In
the front line, and perhaps be killed
cr maimed. The thought made him
ishudder, the cold sweat coming out In
beads on tils face.
On his left. In the darkness, he could
make out the shadowy forms of trees;
crawling on his bands nnd knees, stop
ping and crouching with fear nt each
shell-burst, he finally reached nn old
orchard and cowered at the base of a
Bhot-scarred apple tree.
Uc remained there all night, listen
ing to the sound of the guns and ever
praying, praying that his useless life
would be spared.
As dawn began to break, he could
discern little dark objects protruding
from the ground all about him. Curi
osity mastered his fear and he crawled
to one of the objects, and there, In the
uncertain light, be read on a little
wooden cross:
"Pte. H. S. Wheaton, No. 1070, 1st
London Ilegt. It. F. Killed in action.
April 25, 1010. It. I. P." (Rest In
Peace).
When It dawned on him that he had
been hiding all night In a cemetery
Ids reason seemed to leave him, and a
mad desire to be free from It all made
him rush madly away, falling over lit
tle wooden crosses, smashing some and
trampling others under his feet.
In his flight be came to an old
French dugout, half caved In and par
tially filled with slimy and filthy wa
ter. Like a fox being chased by the
hounds, he ducked into this hole, and
threw himself on a pile of old empty
sandbags, wet and mildewed. Then
unconsciousness.
On the next day, he came to; far
distant voices sounded In his ears.
Opening his eyes, in the entrance of
iha dugout he saw a corporal and two
men with fixed bayonets.
The corporal was addressing him :
"Get up, you white-livered blighter 1
Curse you nnd the day you ever Joined
D company, spoiling their fine rec
ord I It'll be you up against the wall,
and a good Job too. Get hold of him,
men, and If he makes a break, give him
the bayonet, and send It home, the cow
urdly sneak. Come on, yon, move,
we've been looking for you long
enough."
Lloyd, trembling nnd weakened by
his long fast, tottered out, assisted by
a soldier on each side of him.
They took him before the captain,
but could get nothing out of him but:
"For God's sake, sir, don't have roe
shot, don't have me shot!"
The captain, utterly disgusted with
him, sent him under escort ,to division
headquarters for trial by court-martial,
charged with desertion under Are,
They shoot deserters In France.
During his trial, Lloyd sat ns one
dared, and could put nothing forward
In hla defense, only nn occasional
"Don't have me shoti"
Ills sentenco was passed: "To bo
shot at 8 :38 o'clock In the morning of
Moy18, 1010." This meant that he
ra I: i
ATt T TT v"
JF)
ANAMEMCM50IMR
WHO WENT
MllUIKilJYmWT
MACHINE GUNflK.RYlNGIHnUNCI
nnd only one "mortrrcny touyf. "
lie did not realise the nwfulncss of
his sentence; his brain seemed para
lysed. He knew nothing of his trip,
under guard. In a motor lorry to the
sandbagged guardroom In the village,
where he was dumped on tho floor nnd
left, while a sentry with a fixed bayo
net paced up and down In front of the
entrance.
Bully beef, water nnd biscuits were
left beside him for his supper.
The sentry, seeing thnt he ate noth
ing, came Inside nnd shook him by the
shoulder, saying In n kind voice:
"Cheero, laddie, better eat some
thing. You'll feel better. Don't give
up hope. You'll be pardoned before
morning. I know the way they run
these thing. They're only trying to
.scare you. that's nIL. Come now, that's
n good lad, eat something. It'll moke
the world look different to you."
The good-hearted sentry knew he
was lying about the pardon. He knew
nothing short of a miracle could save
the poor lad.
Lloyd listened, engerly to his sentry's
words, nnd believed them. A look of
hope came Into hla eyes, nnd he raven
ously ate the meal beside him.
In about an hour's time, the chap
Inln came to see him, but Lloyd would
have none of him. He wanted no par
son ; he was to be pardoned.
The artillery behind the lines sud
denly opened up with everything they
had. An Intense bombardment of the
enemy's lines had commenced. The
roar of the guns was deafening.
Lloyd's fears came back with a rush,
and he cowered on the earthen floor
with his hands over his face.
The sentry, seeing his posltlon.-cnmo
In and tried to cheer him by talking to
him:
"Never mind them guns, boy, they
won't hurt you. They are ours. We
are giving the Boches a dose of their
He Betrayed His Country.
own medicine. Our boys are going over
the top at dawn of the morning to take
their trenches. We'll give 'em a taste
of cold steel with their sausuges and
beer. You Just sit tight now until they
relieve you. I'll huve to go now, lad,
as It's nearly time for my relief, and I
don't want them to see roe a-talkln'
with you. So long, laddie, cheero."
With this, the sentry resumed the
pacing of his post. In about ten min
utes' time he was relieved, and a D
company man took his place.
Looking Into the guardhouse, the
sentry noticed the cowering attitude of
Lloyd, and, wljh a sneer, snld to him:
"Instead of whimpering In that cor
ner, you ought to be saying your pray
ers. It's bally conscripts like you
what's spoil In' our record. We'vo been
our here nigh onto eighteen months,
and you're the first man to desert his
post. Tho whole battalion is Inughln'
and poklu' fun at u c ..,.uny, nuu
luck to you I hut you won't get unotlicr
chance to disgrace us. They'll put
your lights out In the tnornln'."
After listening Jo this tirade, Lloyd.
In a fnlterlng voice, asked : "They are
not going to shoot me, are they? Why,
tho other sentry said they'd pardon
me. For God's sake don't tell roe I'm
to be shot 1" and Ids voice died uway In
a sob.
"Of course, they're going to shoot
you. The other sentry was Jest a-kld-din'
you. Jest like old Smith. Always
a-tryln' to cheer some one. You ain't
cot no more chance o' beln' pardoped
UV; r z. mm
lflBDflmllllM9wv4cCKn
TTuin"T Ttnvo o7geitlnTto liu euionw of
my 'bntt.' "
When the fact that nil hope was
gone Dually entered Lloyd's bruin, a
calm seemed to settlu over litni, and
rising to his knees, with his arms
stretched out to heaven, he prayed, and
nil of his soul entered Into the prayer.
"O, good and merciful God, give tuu
strength to die like it maul Deliver
mo from this coward's death. Give inc
u chance to die like my mates In the
lighting line, to die lighting for my
country. I nsk this of thee."
A peace, hitherto unknown, came to
him, and he crouched and cowered no
more, but calmly waited the dawn,
ready to go to his death. The shells
were bursting all around the guard
room, hut he hardly noticed them.
While waiting there, the voice of the
sentry, singing In a low tone, came to
him. He was singing the chorus of the
popular trench ditty:
I want to ko homo, I want to iro home.
I don't want to go to the trtnchn no
more.
Where the "whlxsbangi" and "sautacee"
roar' salore. ,
Take me over the lea, where the Allemand
can't set at me.
Oh, my. I don't want to diet I want to so
home.
Lloyd listened to the words with n
strange Interest, nnd wondered what
kind of n home he would go to across
the Great Divide. It would be tho only
home he hnd ever known.
Suddenly there enmo a great rushing
through the nlr, a blinding, a deafen
ing report, nnd the sandbag walls of
the guardroom toppled over, nnd then
blackness.
When Lloyd recovered conscious
nes. he was lying on his right side,
facing whnt used to be the entrance of
the guardroom. Now, It was only a
Jumble of rent nnd torn sandbags. Ills
head seemed bursting. He slowly roe
on his elbow, nnd there In the enst the
dawn was brenklng. But whnt was
that minified shape lying over there
among the sandbag? Slowly dragging
himself to It, he saw the body of the
sentry. One look was enough to know
that he was dead. The soldier's bend
was missing. The sentry had hnd hi
wish gratllled. He had "gone home."
He was safe at last from the "whizz
bangs" nnd the Allemand.
Like a flash It came to Lloyd that he
was free. Free to go "over the top"
with his compnny. Free to die like n
true Briton lighting for "his king and
country. A great gladness and warmth
came over him. Carefully stepping
over the body of the sentrj't he started
on a mnd race down the ruined street
of the village, amid the bursting shells,
minding them not, dodging through or
around hurrying platoons on their way
to also go "over the top." Coming to
a communication trench he could not
get through. It was blocked with laugh
ing, cheering anil cursing soldiers.
Climbing out of the trench, he ran
wildly along the top, never heeding thr
rain of mnchlne-gun bullets nnd shells,
not even henrlng the shouts of the of
ficers, telling him to ge( bark Into the
trench. He wns going to Join his com
pnny who were In the front line. He
was going to fight with them. He, the
despised coward, had come Into his
own. '
While he was racing along, Jumping
over trenches crowded with soldiers, n
ringing cheer broke out nil along the
front Hne, nnd his hoprt rank. He
knew he was too late. Ills company
had gone over. But still he ran madly.
He would catch them. He would die
with them.
Meanwhile his company had gone
"over." They, with the other com
panies had taken the first nnd second
German trenches, and had pushed
steadily on to the third line. D com
pany, led by their captain, the one who
had sent Lloyd to division hem! quar
ters for trial, charged with desertion,
hnd pushed steadily forward until they
found themselves far In ndrnncc of
the rest of the attacking force. "Bomb
ing out" trench after trench, and using
their bayonets, they enme to a German
communication trench, which ended In
n bllndsnp, nnd then the captain, and
what was left of his men, knew they
were In a trap. They would not re
tire. D company never retired, and
they were D company. Right In front
of them they could see hundreds of
Germans preparing to rush them with
bomb nnd bayonet. They would hnvu
some chance If ammunition and bombs
could reach them from the rear. Their
supply was exhausted, and the men
realized It would be a case of dying
as bravely as possible, or making a run
for It. But D company would uot
run. It wns against their traditions
and principles.
The Germans would hnvo 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 bo all their own way,
Turning to his company, the captain
said: t
"Men, It's a case of going West for
us. We are out of ammunition nnd
bombs, nnd the Bodies have us In n
trap. They will bomb us out. Our
bayonets are useless here. We will
have to go over and meet them, nnd
It's n case of thirty to one, so send
every thrust home, and die llko the
men of D company should. When I
give tho word, follow me. and un and
at tiero. Give them h-- I Lord, If
wo only had n machlno gun, we could
wipe them out I Here they come, get
ready, men."
Just cs he finished speaking, tho wel
corao "pup-pup" of u machine gun in
trtelr rear rang out, and the front line
of the onrushlng Germans seemed to
melt away. They wavered, but onco
ugaln came rushing onward. Down
went their second line. The machine
gun was taking an awful toll of lives.
Then again Uiey tried to advance, but
tho machine gun mowed them down.
Dropping their rifles and bombs, they
broke and lied In a wild rush back to
their trench, amid the cheers of "D,"
ccmimny. Tur-y -ero roriniuB ngfflh
for another attempt, when In tho rear
of 1) company came u mighty cheer.
The amiminltloii had arrived and with
It u battalion of Scotch to re-euforco
them. They were saved. The unknown
machine gunner hud comu to tho rescue
In the nick of time.
With the re-enforcemenfs It wan nn
easy task to tuku tho third German
line.
After the attack was over, the ca
tain and three of his noncommissioned
olllcers, wended their way buck to the
position where the machine gun hnd
done Its deadly work. He wanted to
thank tho gunner In the name of 1)
company for his magnificent deed.
They arrived at the guu, and an awful
sight met their eyes.
Lloyd hnd reached the front lino
trench, after tils compnny had left It, A
strange company was nimbly crawling
up the trench ladders. They were re
enforcements going over. They were
Scottlcs, nnd they mnde n magnificent
sight In their brightly colored kilts and
baro knees.
Jumping over the trench. Lloyd raced
across "No Man's Land," unheeding the
rain of bullets, leaping over dark forms
on tho ground, some of which lay still,
while others called out to him as he.
speeded past.
He came to tho German front Hne,
but It wns deserted, except for heaps
of dead nnd wounded n grim tribute
to tho work of his compnny, good old
D compnny. Leaping trenches, nnd
gasping for breath, Lloyd could see
right ahead of him his compnny In n
dead-ended sup of n communication
trench, nnd ncrosa the open, nway In
front of them, a mnss of Germans pre
paring for n charge. Why didn't 1)
compnny fire on them? Why were they
so strangely silent? What were they
waiting for? Then he knew their am
munition was exhausted.
But whnt was that on tils right? A
machine gun. Why didn't It open Are
and save them? He would make thnt
gun's crew do their duty. Hushing
over to the gun he saw why It hnd uot
opened fire. Scattered around Its base
lay six still forms. They had brought
thefr gun to consolidate the captured
position, but u German machine guu
hail decreed they would never fire
again.
Lloyd rushed to the gun nnd, grasp
ing the traversing hnndles, trained It
on the Germans. He pressed the thumb
piece, but only n 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 hodn't he attended the mnchlne
gun course In Knglnnd? He'd been
offered the chance, but with a blush of
shnme he remembered that he hnd been
afraid. The nickname of the machine
gunners hnd frightened him. They
were cnllcd the "Suicide club." Now,
because of this fear, his company
would be destroyed, the men of 1) com
pany would have to dte, because he,
Albert Lloyd, had been afraid of a
name. In his sluime he cried llko n
bnby. Anyway he could dlo with them
nnd, rising to his feet, he stumbled
over the body of one of the gunners,
who emitted a fulnt munn. A gleam
of hope flashed through him. Perhaps
this man could tell him how to lond
the gun. Stooping over the body he
gently shook It and the soldier opened
his eyes. Seeing Lloyd, he closed
them again nnd, In a faint voice, sold:
"Get away, you blighter, leavo me
alone. I don't want any cownrd nround
me."
The words cut Lloyd like a knife,
but he was desperate. Taking the re
volver out of the holster of the dying
man he pressed the cold muzzle to the
soldier's head and replied:
"Yes, It Is Lloyd, tho cownrd of
Compnny D, hut so help rne God, If
you don't tell me how to lond that gun
I'll put n bullet through your brain 1"
A sunny smile came over the coun
tenance of the dying man and ho said
In n faint whisper:
"Good old boy I I knew you wouldn't
disgrace our compnny "
Lloyd Interposed: "For God's snke,
If you want to save that company you
are so proud of, tell me how to load
thnt d d gun I"
As If reciting a lesson In school, the
soldier replied In u weak, singsong
voice: "Insert tag end of belt In feed
block, with left hand pull belt left
front. Pull crank handle back on roll
er, let go, and repeat motion. Gun Is
now loaded. To fire, raise automatic
safety latch, and press thumbplcce.
Gun Is now firing. If gun stops, ascer
tain position of crank handle "
But Lloyd waited for no more. With
wild Joy at his heurt, he took a belt
from one of the ammunition Imxes ly
ing beside the gun, and followed the
dying mm n Instructions. Then he
pressed ttn thumbplece nnd n burst of
flro rewarded his efforts. Tho gun
wns working.
Training It on the Germans ho shout
ed for Joy as their front rank went
down,
Traversing tho gun back and forth
along the mass of Gentians, he saw
them break and run back to the cover
of their trench, leaving their dead und
wounded behind. He hnd saved his
company, he, Lloyd, tho coward, had
"done IiIh bit." Releasing tho thumb
pleee, ho looked nt tho watch on hli
wrist. Ho wns Mill allvo nt ".'1:08."
"Ping 1" a bullet sang through th
nlr, und Lloyd fell forward across tilt
gun. A thin trickle of blood run down
his fnco from u little, black round hole
in his forehead.
"The sentence of tho court had been
"duly carried out."
Tho captain slowly raised the limp
form drooping over the gun and, wip
ing the blood from tho whlto fuce, rec
ognized it ns Lloyd, tho coward of D
company. Reverently covering tho fnce
with his handkerchief ho turned to hli
noncoma" and, In a .voice husky with
Real Gravely Plug has been
chewed for its real tobacco
satisfaction ever since 1831.
It's made the good old
Gravely way.
mi I uiLLLLLLLLLI
CiiiMMa
cUidllonn, addressed them:
"Boys, lr Lloyd, the deserter, lis
tins redeemed himself, died tho death
of n hero died that his mates might
live."
Thnt afternoon n solemn procession
wended Its way toward the cemetery.
In the front n stretcher was carried by
two sergeants. Across the stretcher
the Union Jack was carefully spread.
Behind the stretcher enme a captain
and forty-three men, all that went left
of I) company.
Arriving nt the cemetery, they halt
ed In front of un open grave. All about
them wooden crosxcK were broken und
trampled Into the ground.
A grizzled old sergeant, tinting till
destruction, muttered under lit
breath: "Curse the cowardly blighter
who wrecked lliooe crustiest If I could
only get these two hands around his
neck Ids trip West would he short."
The corpse on the stretcher seemed
to move, or It might have been the
wind blowing the folds of the Union
Jack.
(To Bo Continued.)
Four chairs at your service nt the
Metropolitan. No watting. Adv.
Fewer at Health IlexoHi This Year.
Increased expenses In traveling
nnd at health resorts will Veep many
hay fever and nsthmn sufforurs ho inn
this summer. Foley's Honey and Tar
Is recommended ns a satisfactory
remedy for hay (over and nsthma. It
heals and soothes, allays Inflamma
tion nnd Irritation, und eases the
choking sonsatlon. Sold everywhoro,
Adv.
FORGER HELD OVER
UNDER $2,000 BAIL
(From Saturday's Dally.)
W. W. Wenge, alias F. W. Swaile,
alias F. W. Mueller, who was arrest
ed near Tumnlo Thursday night, wns
arraigned In Judgn Hasten' court this
morning and bound ovor to the grand
Jury In the sum of 12.000 for pnsslug
forged checks In this city In March,
1317.
For bread
puddings
there is nothing finer than
Mipleine, the "Golden Flavor"
fine, too, in tapioca puddings
custards- und other summer
dainties.
Your grocer sells it.
Crescent
Mapleine
Shoes for Real Service
OUH SPECIALTY 18 TO MAKK HIIOIiH THAT
HTAND THK TKHT
NAP-A-TAN SHOE
J. E. TILT SHOE
A. HANSON LOGGER.
DOND
STREET
R. H. LOVEN
War Time Economy!
Instead oflhiying New Clothes, Have Your Old Ones
Made Over and Renovated.
I GUAUANTKH SATISFACTION AT RHASONAnhK PRI0F.8
Central Oregon Cleaning Works
H. HARRIS, Proprietor
--------- mtrrmr
Peyton Brand
Real Gravely
ChewingfPlug
10c a pouch and worth it
GrrnvtlyleitafmucfiUngirlt cut
itemora to tha then ordinary pluf
I
P. ft. Crave!? Tobacc CwBftajr
J
PuTlHe, Vksteea
. -.,.
TECHNICAL MEN
TO BE CALLED
llNIi IH'NIHtKI) AND I'lFTV I'Olt
hpiu'ci: inviHio.v Aiti: to bii
m:i:di:d from tiiih htati: .
17 i:i.i(Jim,i:s in county.
(From Saturday's Dally.)
Calls have liiiiin Issued by the war
department on tho state of Orogou
for 150 ttpi'diil or limited sorvlro
mini to fill positions In tho sprurn
division, according lo a telegram ro
ei)lvi'd by the local draft hoard hero
this morning. The call Includes 70
checker men, GO lieud burkent, 24
doggers and six general sawmill fore
men from class 1, limited or special
servlco, to bo entrained July Z'i for
Vancouver barracks.
Men who nro technically quail
fled fur tho nbovi) occupation and
qualified fur general military serv
ice may volunteer for classes S, .1
and 4 ns lata as July 23. If n suf
ficient number of volunteers havn
not rnsponded by July 24 to fill tho
allotments tho local hoasds will b
Instructed to fill thu allotment with
a sufficient number of qualified men
from within class 1 to All the quota,
deduction voluntary Inductions.
In order thnt those calls may bo
allotted In such a manner ns to pro
duce tho required number of tech
nically qualified uiDti with the least
dlsturhniico of Industrial nnd agri
cultural conditions, the boards uro
requested to ndvlso tint adjutant
general's office by ttdngrupli of tho
number of qualified men In class 1,
llmltod service. Only white men nro
eligible to tho call. There are 17
mun In class 1 In Deschutes county
eligible to tho call, but tho quotu
has not yot boon announced.
BEND
ORECON
1020 Wall Street