Part 59 (1/2)
Prostrate bodies in olive drab hid the patch of tender green gra.s.s by the roadside. The company was resting. Chrisfield sat on a stump morosely whittling at a stick with a pocket knife. Judkins was stretched out beside him.
”What the h.e.l.l do they make us do this d.a.m.n hikin' for, Corp?”
”Guess they're askeered we'll forgit how to walk.”
”Well, ain't it better than loafin' around yer billets all day, thinkin'
an' cursin' an' wis.h.i.+n' ye was home?” spoke up the man who sat the other side, pounding down the tobacco in his pipe with a thick forefinger.
”It makes me sick, trampin' round this way in ranks all day with the G.o.ddam frawgs starin' at us an'...”
”They're laughin' at us, I bet,” broke in another voice.
”We'll be movin' soon to the Army o' Occupation,” said Chrisfield cheerfully. ”In Germany it'll be a reglar picnic.”
”An' d'you know what that means?” burst out Judkins, sitting bolt upright. ”D'you know how long the troops is goin' to stay in Germany?
Fifteen years.”
”Gawd, they couldn't keep us there that long, man.”
”They can do anythin' they G.o.ddam please with us. We're the guys as is gettin' the raw end of this deal. It ain't the same with an' edicated guy like Andrews or Sergeant Coffin or them. They can suck around after 'Y' men, an' officers an' get on the inside track, an' all we can do is stand up an' salute an' say 'Yes, lootenant' an' 'No, lootenant' an' let 'em ride us all they G.o.ddam please. Ain't that gospel truth, corporal?”
”Ah guess you're right, Judkie; we gits the raw end of the stick.”
”That d.a.m.n yellar dawg Andrews goes to Paris an' gets schoolin' free an'
all that.”
”h.e.l.l, Andy waren't yellar, Judkins.”
”Well, why did he go bellyachin' around all the time like he knew more'n the lootenant did?”
”Ah reckon he did,” said Chrisfield.
”Anyway, you can't say that those guys who went to Paris did a G.o.ddam thing more'n any the rest of us did.... Gawd, I ain't even had a leave yet.”
”Well, it ain't no use crabbin'.”
”No, onct we git home an' folks know the way we've been treated, there'll be a great ole investigation. I can tell you that,” said one of the new men.
”It makes you mad, though, to have something like that put over on ye.... Think of them guys in Paris, havin' a h.e.l.l of a time with wine an' women, an' we stay out here an' clean our guns an' drill.... G.o.d, I'd like to get even with some of them guys.”
The whistle blew. The patch of gra.s.s became unbroken green again as the men lined up along the side of the road.
”Fall in!” called the Sergeant.
”Atten-shun!”
”Right dress!”