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ire to the church while Mama took care of Dickie and Ethel… Athene can explain terms and ritual； I shan't try。 But it not only gave me two more days of leave； much of which I ~ent running errands for Mama （these medieval weddings are plex operations）； but it also gave me
… time with Pop； and now I know him better than I ever did as a son under his roof…and like him very much and heartily approve of him。
Ira； he reminds me of you…brainy； no nonsense； relaxed； tolerant； and warmly friendly。
Bulletin： The bride was pregnant （a proper Howard wedding！…at a time when all brides are assumed to be virgins）…pregnant with （if memory serves） 〃Jonathan Briafl Weatheral。〃 Is that right； Justin； and who is descended from him？ Remind me； Athene。 I've met a lot
… of people over the centuries； I may even have married some descendant of Jonathan Brian at some time。 I
rather b9pe so； Nancy and Jonathan are a fine young couple。 …
I turned 。 〃my〃 landaulet over to them for a six…day honeymoon； then Jonathan was to （did） join the Army… but too late to get into bat。 Nancy's warrior hero just the same； he tried。
Some fiddling sergeant who couldn~t find his arse with both hands wants me to round up my squad and do something about a dugout that someone was careless with。 So…
…All my love from
Corporal Buddy Bo~
Somewhere in France
… Dear Mr。 Johnson；
Please give this a second censoring； some of it will have to be explained to the rest of my adopted family。
I hope that Mrs。 Smith received the thank…you note I mailed from Hoboken （and could read it_writing on my knee while bouncing on the C。 & A。 roadbed does not improve my handwriting）。 In any case I thank her again for the happiest holiday of my life。 And thanks to all of you。 Please tell Woodie that I will no longer spot him a horse。 From here on we play even or he can find another sucker…four out of five is too many。
Now for the rest… Note signature and address。 My rocker did not last to France； then three chevrons dwindled to two。 Can you explain to Mrs。 Smith and to Carol （those two in particular） that being busted does not disgrace a man forever？…and that I am still Carol's own special soldier if she will let me be…and in fact I am far more of a real soldier； I am at last free of being tagged as 〃instructor〃 and am nobat outfit。 I wish I could tell her where 。 。 but if I
… stuck my head up over the parapet； I might see。… some heinies if one of theth didn't see me first。 I'm not goldbricking a hundred miles back。
I hope you aren't ashamed of me。 No； i'm sure you
第82节
are not； you are too old a soldier to care about rank。
I'm in it and that's what counts with you。 I know。 May
I say； sir； that you are and have always been as long as
I've known you ai~ inspiration to me？
1 won't detail the two negative promotions； in the …
Army excuses don't count。 But 1…want you to know that neither resulted from anything~ dishonorable。 The first was in the transport and involved a duty…struck masterat…arms and a poker game in …an area for which I was
…responsible。 The second came while I was instructing… dummy trenches； dummy no…man's land…and a captain told me to dress up that skirmish line and I said； 〃Hell； Captain； are you trying to save bullets for the Kaiser？ Or haven't… you heard of machine guns？〃 …
（I suppo鉫 I shouldn't have sai（〃Hell。〃 In fact I used another expression more mon among soldiers。）
So …later that day I was a corporal； and my transfer took place when I requested it； again that same day。
So here I am and feeling fine。 It is indeed a fact that the closer a man gets to the front； the better his morale is。 I've bee chummy with cooties； and the mud in France is deeper and stickier than in southern Missouri； and I dream about hot bathe and Mrs。 Smith's wonderful guest room for soldiers…but I'm in good health and good spirits； and I send my love to all of you。
…kespectfully yours；
… … …Corporal Ted Bronson
〃Hey down in there！ Corporal Bronson。 Send him out。〃 Lazarus climbed slowly up out the dugout； letting his eye~ adjust to darkness。 〃Yes； Lieutenant？〃
〃Wire…cutting job。 I want you to volunteer。〃
Lazarus said nothing。 …〃Didn't you hear me？〃
〃I heard you； sir。〃
〃Well？〃
〃You asked for a volunteer； sir。〃
〃No； I said I wanted you to volunteer。〃 〃Lieutenant； I volunteered on April sixth … last year。 Thai used up my quota for the duration。〃〃A latrine lawyer； eh？〃
Lazarus again s~id…nothing。
〃Sometimes I tbM you want to live forever。〃 Lazarus …still said nothing。 （You are so right； you seven…
pound bliffy…and so do you； you haven't been over that parapet even once。 God help this platoon when you do。）
〃Very well； since you want it the hard way。 I order you to lead this party。 Find three more volunteers from your squad。 If they don't volunteer you know what to do。 Once you pick
'em； tell 'em to get ready…then you haul ass to C。P。 and FU show you the map。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃…
〃And； Bronson； make damn sure you do a good job because a little bird told me that you're going to lead the way。 through the holes。 Dismissed。〃
Lazarus went unhurriedly back down below。 So we're going over the top？ Big secret。 Nobody knows it but Pershing and about a hundred thousand Yanks and twice that many Boches and the Imperial High mand。 Why do they advertise a 〃surprise attauk〃… …with three days of 〃softening…up〃 bombardment that does nothing worth mentioning but tells the Boche where to bring up his reserves and gives him time to position them？ Forget it； Lazarus； you're not in charge。 Put your mind on picking out three who can go out； do it； and e back。 …
Not Russell； you'll need your automatic rifleman before dawn。 Wyatt was out last night。 Dink鄔ski might as well have a cowbell around his neck。 Fielding is on the sick list； damn it。 So it has to be Schultz； Talley； and Cadwallader。 Two of them old unkillables and Talley the only repple with too little experience…and a shame Fielding has la grippe or whatever it is； I need him。 Mi right； Schultz gets Cadwallader； I'll nurse Talley through it。
It was a two…squad dugout； his squad was sacked in on the left； the other squad had a card game going by candlelight on their side。 Lazarus called his squad into a huddle； waking Cadwallader and Schultz to do so。 Russell and Wyatt stayed in their bunks； as the huddle took place against them。 〃The Lieutenant wants us to cut wire and told me to ask for three volunteers。〃
Schultz nodded at once； as Lazarus knew he would。 〃I'll go。〃 In Lazarus' opinion his assistant squad leader should have a section。 Schultz was forty； a married volunteer； and trying hard to offset his name； his trace of German accent （second generation）…but doing it steadily； methodically； withottt'fiash。 No glory hound。 Lazarus hoped that not many of the Germans they faced were of Schultz's quality…but he knew they were； especially veterans pulled back from the collapsed Russian front。 His only fault in Lazarus'… eyes was that he disliked Dinkowski。
〃That's one。 Don't all speak at once。〃
〃What's the matter with them？〃 Cadwallader said loudly；
jerking a thumb at the other squad。… 〃Teacher's pets？ They haven't done anything for a week。〃
Corporal O'Brien answered for his squad： 〃'Tell your troubles to Jesus； the Chaplain's gone over the hill！' Whose deal？〃
〃Who's next？〃
Dinkowski gulped。 〃Take me； Corporal。〃
Talley shrugged。 〃Okay。〃
（Damn you； Dinky…why didn't you wait and simply make it unanimous？ And damn that silly second john for ordering me to ask for volunteers。 Better to tell 'em。） 〃Let's hear some more voices。 This isn't the S；O。S。〃 （Lieutenant Birdbrain； you postnasal drip； Cadwallader is right； it's not our turn。 Why didn't you go through the platoon sergeant and section leader？ they're