OCR Text |
Show 32 bought a fifth of whiskey, got drunk and laid, and having accomplishsd the monthly purification, wars portsrad back to camp, whers thay settled in for anothsr month of bear and continencs. When the war cams those who had IQs on ths adga of lucidity were commissioned. "How about now, Panson?" said Hal Parker. "Givs anothsr look." And craeping to ths Major's door, ths Corporal psared, but recsiving no signal, stood dslicatsly but firmly on guard. Corporal Panson likad his positionj having the Major's massive prassncs bshind him, he could twaak tha officsrs' ears. Thin, pale, a bit affeta, the Corporal occupied one corner of tha barracks whsrs, on Saturday nights, ha held long intsnse discussions with Privates Gibbs, Parkins and Emmett, known around Naka as the Fairy Ring. In a momsnt there cams a rumble, like furniture bsing movad, and tha Corporal paarsd in again. "Now, gsntlaman," and hs stood aside, "he's raady." Tha officers entered togsther, in a protective huddla, but once insida axhibitsd a boiling effect, as one face simmBrari to the front and than disappeared. It took a curt word from ths Major to sprsad them out. Hs sat behind his dssk, his larga haad blocking the window. The light fell on his audience, but left his face in shadow: tha third-dsgree affsct, which gave him a psychological advantage. Ha could ristect tha flicker of a muscle, whereas thay saw only a massivs hsad, and a tanglsd rush of eyebrow. |