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Show Flying - 6 Five miles west of Eden, traveling once more at seventy miles an hour, John Henry sees a figure far ahead standing motionless by the side of the road. As they roll by he glances at the face under the big white hat and almost puts the jeep into the ditch with one sharp swerve, barely recovered. Because it's Tex, who went over the hill three days ago after trying to kill himself. Tex standing there with his hand held out in supplication, bandaged wrists and all, Dignity forgotten, the lieutenant threatens John Henry with terrible punishments until he realizes that nothing in his repertory of disciplinary measures is anywhere near as terrifying as putting an army jeep into a six-foot deep ditch at seventy miles an hour, and he goes back to clinging and trusting. The sergeant sleeps on. A half hour later they sight the convoy stopped by the side of the road, pennants flying in the wind and soldiers pissing in the ditch. They roll on at a diminished pace past the big green trucks and stop at the head of it all. John Henry walks back along the line to find O'Connell. He feels the need to talk to someone about seeing Tex standing in cowboy costume-boots, levis and Stetson-by the side of route 87. O'Connell is sitting on the back steps of his truck buttoning up his fly and watching civilian cars roll cautiously by the halted convoy. |
