CHIN LIKE A BIB"]
We didnt lose much time unloadin. Nobody knew then but what the
Fritzes might want to park a few Berthas right where we were. Then we
just sat around in the rain and waited. After about an hour the Captin
came splashin down the road an says "Harness an hitch. Come on.
Hurry up." He always gives an order as tho hed given it an hour before
an nobodied paid any attenshun to him. It didnt sound reasonable to me
cause it was gettin dark then an it would be time to turn in before we
could get any place. Bein a cannon ear tho an not havin anything to do
with the horses I didnt say anything. Willin. Thats me all over, Mable.
After wed got hitched up we stood around for an hour more blottin up
rain. The Captin just leaned agenst his horse smokin a cigar as tho that
was the best place in the world to spend the evenin. Hes got one of
these Drench coats so it doesnt make any difference to him if
everybody else dissolved. Just as it was gettin dark a fello came up on a
motor cycle an gave him some mail. Then we started. It made the fellos
awful sore cause they say thats all he was waitin for. I thought of
course the Bilitin oficer had found some place that was worse down the
road an was takin us there for the nite. But we just marched an marched
till everybody could see that the Captin didnt know where he was goin.
We couldnt light a light or scratch matches or nothin. The Captin said a
lot of Dutch airyplanes was out to get us an as soon as we struck a light
theyd drop bums on us. Then he passed the word back that nobody was
to talk above a whisper. The old guns rattle so you couldnt hear
anybody unless he yelled anyway. The Captin means all right but he
read to much cheap literachoor when he was a kid.
Every few minits a string of trucks would go tearin by in the other
direcshun. None of them had any lights. Its lucky they didnt cause if
they could have ever seen how near they came to not missin us they
could never have got there hair to lie down agen. When we were in
camp back in the States you dasnt go over ten miles an hour for fear
somebody would fall down in front of you and get run over. When you
get over here tho the idear seems to be to make the war as dangerous as
you can.
After a while I undid a couple of blanket rolls that didnt seem to belong
to anyone an I was just gettin as comfortable as a fello can on top of a
caisson in the pourin rain. I was dozin off when I heard someone say
"Whos that ridin on that carriage?" There was only one person could
ask a question like that. Right away I started to make myself
uncomfortable cause I knew thats probably what the trouble was. Then
he rode up an says "Is that you Smith? Didnt you hear me order nobody
to ride on any of the carriages?" Theres no use arguin with the Captin.
Its just a case of "All right. Have it my way."
They go to all the trouble of bildin a seat on these wagons. They spend
a year teachin you to sit on it in the most uncomfortable way. Then
when the first possible reason for usin them comes along they make
everybody get off an walk. I spent the rest of the nite kickin mud
puddles off the road.
About dawn we pulled off the road into an orchard an put some
branches over the guns to cover up the camooflage paint. I thought after
bein up all nite on account of his foolishness the Captin would at least
take pity on the horses an let them alone. That would have given us
some chance to sleep. Nothin would do tho but that we spend about
half the day smoothin them out. He says it makes them feel good. Of
course the way we feel hasnt got nothin to do with it.
After wed scoured the horses till they must have been sorer than we
were they gave us some monkey meat an let us turn in. Back to the hay
barns agen. That Bilitin oficer ought to make good on some board of
health when we get home. He can pick out all the worst places in a
town ten minites after he gets there.
Sleepin in the daytime is a kind of a joke anyway in the army. Every
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