| The water washed mournfully against the sides of the boat
2
THE PLATOON landed early the next morning on the back shore of AnopopeiThe rain had halted during the night, and in the dawn the air was fresh and cool, the sunlight pleasant on the beachThe men lolled about on the sand for a few minutes, watching the assault craft back off from shore and start on its return journeyIn five minutes the boat was a half mile away, but it seemed like much less, an easy swim across the bright glittering tropic waterThe men stared at it wistfully, envying the pilots who by nightfall would return to a safe bivouac and hot foodThat's the job to have, Minetta was thinking
The morning still possessed the new shining quality of a minted coinThe men were omega usa thrilled only slightly by the idea that they were on an unexplored shoreThe jungle behind them looked essentially familiar; the beach, covered with fine delicate shells, was barren and isolated and would shimmer later in the heat, but now it seemed like every beach upon which they had ever landedThey sprawled about, smoking and laughing, waiting for the patrol to begin, perfectly content for the sun to dry their clothes
Hearn was feeling a little tenseIn a few minutes they would begin a march over forty miles of strange country, the last ten through the Japanese rearHe turned to Croft and pointed again at the aerial map they had spread out between them on the sand"It seems to me, Sergeant, the best way is to work up that river" -- he pointed to the mouth louis vuitton diaper bags of a stream which debouched from the jungle a few hundred yards farther down the beach -- "as far as we can, and then cut trail till we reach the kunai grass
"Ain't no other way to do it far as I see," Croft saidHearn was right, which annoyed him slightly"It's gonna take a lot more time than you figure, Lootenant Croft made him the least bit uneasyHe knew a lot, that was obvious, but you would have to ask him before he supplied any answersHearn flicked the map with his fingersAlready, he could feel the sand warming under his feet"It's only two miles through the jungle
Croft nodded dourly"You can't trust an aerial mapThat little ol' stream might take us where we want to go, but you can't depend on it He spat into the sand"Only damn thing to do is cambon chanel start out, and see jus' what happens
"That's right," Hearn said, making his voice sharp
Croft looked at the men"Okay, troopers, let's get goin'
The men slung their packs again and wiggled their arms to settle the burden and ease the bite of the pack straps across their shouldersIn a minute or two they formed a straggling column and began to shuffle through the sandWhen they reached the mouth of the stream, Hearn halted them"Give them an idea of what we're doin'," he said to Croft
Croft shrugged, then spoke for a minute"We're gonna head up this here river far as we can go, and you might just as well expect to get your asses wetSo if y'got any bitching to do, you might as well do it now He hitched his pack a little higher on his shoulders"They chanel handbags collection ain't supposed to be any Japs down this far, but that don' mean you're to walk like a bunch of goddam sheep looking at the groundLet's try to keep our eyes open He stared at them, examining each of their faces in turn, deriving a mild pleasure from the way most of them dropped their eyesHe paused for a moment, licking his tongue as if wondering whether there was something more to say"Anything y'want to tell them, Lootenant?"
Hearn fingered his carbine strap"Yes, as a matter of fact there is He squinted into the sun"Men," he said casually, "I don't know any of you, and you don't know meMaybe you don't want to know me A few men snickered, and he grinned suddenly at them"Anyway, I'm your baby, I've landed in your lap, and you've got me for better or tiffany jewelry canada worse |
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