Show E OP ByAm by an American Ameri caa arthur aa guy empey macene gunner serving M in i franco france 1117 by antler 0 17 EMPEY LEARNS THAT SOMETIMES A STREAK STREM OF YELLOW CAN TURN PURE WHITE ay la Fired by the sinking of the with the toe loos of american lives arthur guy empty an american living ID in jerry jersey city cit Y two to england and enlists ai as ft a private in the british army armr after alter a abort short experience aa as a recruiting officer in london b h la Is ent sent ta to train inz int quarters qa arters in france hero he grit bean hears the found sound of big iun guns and makes the acquaintance of co coot ottes lw after a brief briar period of training Erni ieya company Is seat nt into the front line live trenches tren chee where he takes tak his bl arst turn on the are tep step the bullets whiz overhead empey leams as an comrade falli that death lurks always la to the trenches trene hea chaplain distinguishes by rescuing res culo wounded men under hot oro with pirk and shovel empey has experience as an a trench dl ter in no aiana land exciting experience on listening post detail alx bitin citing work on observation pot post duty dack back la in rest billet empey empty writes and stages a successful play once more in the front trenches empey empty goes over the top la Is a but costly attack or the german lines soon afterward afterwards empty and hit his comrade comrades repulse a determined cis f attack laun launched clied by the germans ilia next experience ti Is aa an a member of a bring squad which executes exe cutee a sentence of death 11 CHAPTER continued 22 on on him left in the darkness he b could mike make out the shadowy form forms of trees crawling on bli his handa hands and knees stopping and crouching with fear at each hell shell bunt burst lie finally readied reached an old orchard and cowered at the bae base of a hot shot barred scarred apple tree it lie there all au night listen to the bound sound of the guns and over praying praying that his csele as life would be spared aa As dawn been began to break he h could discern little dark objects protruding from lie the ground all about him curiosity mastered his fear and ho he crawled to one of the object objects and there in the uncertain liht light lie he read an n a little wooden crosa cross I 1 apte 11 II S IN heaton no let london idest it F killed in action april 25 IL 1 I 11 ilet in ir peace when it dawned on him that he had been hiding all eight in a cemetery ids hl reason seemed to leave 1 him and a mad desire to be b free from it all made him bitu rush madly away filling fallan over lit tit tie wooden crosses smashing come some and trampling other others under his hl feet la in his flight he h came to t an in old id french dugout half cared caved in and par bially ailed with and anti filthy water like a fox beant chail chased by the hound he h ducked into this hole hot and threw on a pile of eld old empty adaz wt wet and mildewed then unconsciousness on the next day he came to far distant sounded in his ear ears opening his eyes in the entrance of the dugout he saw aw a corporal and two men ith fixed bayonet bayonets the corporal was addres slag him at got up you white livered bUh bUgh terl cure curve you and the day yon you ever joined 1 D company spoiling spot IloK their fine record I 1 it 11 be you up against the wall will find and a rood good job too get lot bold hold of him men inen ai said it ha he makes a break give him the tits bayonet and lend send it home the cow ardly sneak cone come on you move weve been looking for yoa you long wt enough lloyd trembling and weakened by his hi lone long fait fast tottered totter td out assisted by a soldier on each aad aide of him they took him before the be cap captalia but could get nothing out of him but for god gods a lake make air don t hare havo me hot shot ton don t have me we hot shot I 1 the captain disgusted with him sent him film under escort to division headquarters for trial by court mar ual charged with kinder under fire they hoot shoot deserters desert erx in france during hia tits trial lloyd tat it aa as one dated and could put nothing forward in his defense only an occasional 11 dont have me ahot shot I 1 ilia ills sentence tenc waa was paul passed to be hot shot at 3 33 38 in the morning of hay may 18 19 lolu this weart that he be had only one more day to lire live its II 11 did not realize the awfulness aw fulner of his sentence hia ills brain seemed para pars lysen lysed lie knew nothing of at his trip under buird tn in a motor lorry to the sandbagged guardroom in the village where whore he waa was dumped on the floor and left itil while hit a sentry with a died bayonet paced up and down in front of the entrance bully beet beef water and biscuits were left beside him for his hi aupper supper the entry sentry seeing that be he ate ats noth lof ing came inside and abood him by the shoulder saying in a kind olce chearo Ch eero etro laddie laddle better eat tat some thing feel better tetter doal dont eve up hope be pardoned before coming nor nin I 1 know uh lite way they run the thea thins things only trying to care scare you that all come now that a a rood tood caveat ld eat something make the world look different to you the good hearted sentry knew he was lying about the pardon he ile knew nothing short ot of a miracle could save the poor lad lloyd listened to his scnory a war word aad and believed hem them A look of lic adix came into his eyes and nod he be raven aly ale rate the meal beld beside him la about an hours time ume the chaplain came clime to see not him win but lloyd would move of him lie ile wanted no he was to be b rho artillery behind the lines sue reely poly up UD with 1 a they had an intense bombardment of the enemy lines hid had commenced the roar of the rum guns wai was deafening lloyd lloyds fears cains back with a mah rush and how cowered on the earthen floor with hie him handa hands over his hi face the ile entry sentry seeing his hi position croe came in to aud and tried to cheer him by talking to him never mind them guns uns boy they wont hurt you they are our ours we are giving the boches a doe of their own me diano cn our boy boys ire are going over the top ai at dawn of the morning to take their trenches tren chee ex well SITO give lem em a taste of cold steel with their sausages and beer you just eit sit tight now until they relieve you ill have to go now lad ind as it a nearly time for my relief and I 1 don t want them to see ee me a with you so long lon laddie laddle chearo witt with this the sentry returned resumed the pacing of till his POIL in about ten min ate utes time he wai was and a D company coro man took hie his place looking into the guar guardhouse dhuse th the e entry sentry noticed the cowering cower lne of lloyd and with a iner sneer said to hia him instead In strad of whimpering la in that corner cormer yen yon to be saying your pray em ita its bally belly conscripts ilk like yon you what a spoil ln our record weve been beta oat out here nah onto el glitten coutts ani slid youre the ant man te to desert his hi poet post the whole batt alloa la Is laug laughlan hla and tan fan at D company bid bad lock lack to you I 1 but you wont let set another chaice chance to disgrace is husli pat put your lights ont onit in the molln 1 after listening to thil this tirade lloyd in 11 faltering falt fal erinc trice voice aked asked they are oot not zola to abbot roe me or are ibyl why JP t 7 ri R i W 41 13 he betra td his country the other sentry cald said they d pardon me I 1 or god a sake don t tell me I 1 in to be hotl shot it and bli ills roice 1 died away ID in it lob job 0 of O coure course going to dhoot shoot you the other alint entry was wa jot jest a kirt kid din yon you jet jest like eld old albry a ill tryla ti to cher some one toe yon aint cot got no 00 nore coince e bein belu pardoned than I 1 have of dettla to be colonel of my halt I 1 11 ha hen the fact that all hope wai was lone gone finally entered lloyd a bra brain I 1 a a calm seemed to settle over him and ana hinc rising to his hi kev with his arms stretched out to heaven he prayed end and all ot of his hi soul sou eater catered till into the prayer 0 good ana Bierd ful god give le me strength to u dl tit like a man I 1 deliver in me from this coward a death inive 1 me a chance to die like my ait in the line to die fich for roy my country I 1 aik ask this his of thre thee I 1 A pea peace hitherto unknown came to bin him and he crouched and cowered no so more but calmly waited ill the dawn ready to go 0 te to his death the were bunting bursting all around the tits guard room but he be hardly notice them while waiting there the voice ot of the entry sentry singing in a low tone tons came to him ile wae wall singing the chorea chorus el of the popular trench ditty I 1 want I 1 f orts isome I 1 wt to hea I 1 aon dont I 1 want to ge go to the th trat ee es no a ino r s where ur the md wid I 1 sausa zed roar color 1 take attkio aa mea M whore the oe can n t ct get at t ins oh ob mr my I 1 ont dont want to diel I X wt want to go bom home lloyd listened to the worda words with a u interest late reit aad and wondered what kind ef of a it home he would to to acroca the great grest divide it would be the only home he had ever known suddenly Sudi lealy there came a great treat rushing through the air a blinding a deafen ing report and the sandbag wall walls of the guardroom toppled oer and then backness when lloyd recovered consciousness ness he waa was lying on bla his right aide aid facing abat used to be the entrance of the guardroom now it waa was only a jumble of rent and torn windbags bags ills lead head seemed bunting bursting ue he slowly rose a his elbow and there in the tast the dnn dan was as breaking dut but what waa was that mantled mangled hape shape lying over there among the sandham sand hap slowly dragging himself to it he aw saw the body of the gentry sentry one look was enough to know that he was dead the soldiers head was atals raising ting the entry sentry had bad had hia his with I 1 ah gratified he had gone home he lie was wits safe at lt last from the bangs and the allemand like a flash it came to lloyd that he be wae wa 15 free f ret free fr to go over the top with hia his company free to die like a true briton fighting for hia his king and country A great treat gladness gladne ia and warmth came over him carefully topping stepping 0 ver the body of the entry sentry he be started on a mad race down the ruined street of the it 0 tillage village amid the bunting bursting aielli them not dodging through or around hurrying platoon pla toona a on their way to also go to over the top coining to a communication he could not get through it was wa blocked with laughing cheering and inning cursing soldiers lold sold lera lers climbing out of the trend he ran wildly along the top never heeding hooding the rain of bichan ln gun bullets aad and not eve a bourlas the shults of at abe of at acer telling him to get got back into the trench ile wa was going to join hia his covo who were 1 to tie tle front una line he lie waa was going to fight witto with then them he tte despised coward hd come late lat his own alle be he waa was racing along jumping over chec crowded with ol dlen loM a ringing cheer broke out all along the front line and his heart ank sank diflo knew he h WM too late lite hta his company had gone over but till still b be raa madly he would fluid catch them ile would die with them Uen while hia his company had gone over they with the other eom panli pan had taken the first and germin german trenches chee and had ten dlly ou on te to the third line D cora pally led by their captain the one who hail bad edt sent lloyd te to division dir lilon headquarter headquarters for fria tris charged with de hd hid steadily etea dlly forward until they fund themselves theme elTea far in advance of the ret of the attacking force bombing out trench after trench and using their they cam came to a bermlin 0 communication trench which ended in a and aber the captain and what raa was left of hia big men knew thy eliy we e in a trap they would nei DI retire D company cover re tir and they were D company in front of them they could see hundreds of irvana preparing to neb tham with h oh wh and bayonet they would have sonic some chance if it ammunition and bombi bomba could reach them from the rear their waa was exhausted and the men realized it be a case of dying as its 1 AS possible or making a run ran for it but D u would not run rum it wall against their tradition traditions and the germans would hare have to adrance advance across an open apace space of three to four hundred yard yards before they could get within bombing distance of the trench and ten en it would be all the their ir own way turning to bis his company the captain aid said men ita its a case ease of going wet west for u UL we are out of ammunition and IL ad bombs and the boches hare bays na tin I 1 in a a trap they will bomb us out our 94 bayonets are nelea here we will have to go ever and meet them and ind its a caie cast ot of thirty to oue go 10 end send every thrust home and die like the men of D company should when I 1 tive the word to fo tri 0 o me inc and up and at lt them 01 give them 11 1 I lord it lt we only bad had a machine gun we cou could id wipe them out here they th ey come get iret ready men british papare for the big push th the forerunner df f the battle attle of the th Sor somme myne R reed ea d about bout it in the next installs Ins ent ITO BK HE elx arll |