The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-10-26
w.N.u. RELEASE

for them. Everything made way for
them. Even if you were hurrying
to risk your life, that gave you a
sense of Importance.
He fell asleep on this thought,
dreaming that he was sinking in
wide waters and that he grasped at
tiny straw to save himself.
Dawn was breaking behind the
train when he awakened. He lay
for moment, surprisingly not much
moved by this evidence of to where
they were going. He simply accept
ed it.
At least there would be warmth
and palm trees and jungle and tropic
beaches.
Perhaps, he reflected, it would be
an interesting and even a nice trip
and nothing at all would happen to
him. Certainly in no other circum-
stances would he ever hope to visit
the South Seas. Above all, he want
ed to see a cannibal; a person who
ate another person had always in
terested him.
He reused Mr.. Tinker, both to get
him to move over and to let him
know. Look" he said.
Mr.. Tinker gazed out the window.
He was a little slow in understand
ing about the sun rising in the east in
back of the train, which meant they
were going west. When he did he
yelled, Its the Japsl The Japs!"
I'VE amt there already?" some.
one asked querulously.
"Shud up!" voices called. "Shud
up!"
Mr.. Winkle expected to be
marched right on a ship as soon as
they reached their embarkation port
two days later. But there seemed
to be no such hurry as that which
had brought them here.
They were given physical exami-
nations, their equipment was in
spected, and orders were issued to
keep their canteens filed to the
mouth. Mr. Winkle understood the
reason for this was for them to have
a supply of water should they find
themselves on a life raft.
Thus readied, they were assem-
bled one morning and marched out
through an entrance in the brick
wall. They made their way along a
road at the side of the harbor, in
which many ships, all painted an in
different gray, were moored. Mr..
Winkle had never seen a real ship
before, and was impressed with their
size. He wondered which would be
theirs.
They were called to a halt beside
the high wall of one of the larger
vessels.
He looked up at it and thought,
"Here / go. Here l CO."
But he found himself only a lit
tie excited, and speculated on why
he wasn't greatly perturbed.
Orders were shouted. To his
amazement and fs eff. they started
marching back al n to the staging
area. This had been merely prac-
tice.
The man next to him said, THAT
was a close one"
Each day after that they went
through the same process. The third
time it was repeated there were
complaints.
If they were going, why didn't
they go?
Why didn't they start and get this
war over with?
Even Mr.. Winkle asked these
questions and came not to believe in
any of the marches to the ship. He
took it for granted that each time
he arrayed himself in his full equip
ment and sweated to the pier that he
would turn right around again and
come back. With others he began
to accept the rumor that they
weren't going at all.
The day they didn't stop, but kept
right on marching, up the gang
plank and on to the ship, he felt
betrayed, cheated and fooled.
To Mr.. Tinker at his side he OBJ
served, well, I guess we've burned
our gangplanks behind us"
Mr.. Tinker stared at him, scowl-
ing to get his meaning. Though he
didn't know the true quotation, he
appeared to find something wrong
with Mr.. Wrinkles version, or at
least with the way he spoke.
What's. the matter, Pop?" he
asked. "You seasick already?"
More men poured on to the ship,
and still more marched along the
pier toward her. Mr.. Wrinkle, Mr..
Tinker and ten others were shown
below to their private stateroom. In
stead of hunks, large cabin had
been stripped of its beds and other
luxurious furnishings and canvas
hammocks slung in tiers of three
from wooden framework.
Mr.. Wrinkle drew one of the top
hammocks, SO close to the ceiling
that it made him feel like a fly
sticking there. They slowed their
gear and investigated the quarters.
One of the men opened a door and
stood, frozen in his tracks.
Come here" he said IN an aWed
voice, land see if you see what I'm
looking at"
They crowded around him. peer
ing over his shoulders, and saw a
cleaning bathroom.
Holy cowl" another man cried.
"Ain't our suite sweet?"
The ship would be totally blacked
out at night, which meant no smok-
ing on deck.
No cigarette butt or scrap of pa
per was to be thrown overheard lest
it leave a trail which could be fol-
lowed.
In case the ship was hit and had