Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1944-08-18

The 0aV thew didn't SfOn h1It kent
right on marching IN the gang.
plank and on to the shin. he felt
BETRAYED. cheated and fooled
To Mr. Tinker at his side he nh
served. "Well. 7 guess we've burned
our gangplanks behind lis"
Mr.. Tinker stared at him. scowl-
ing to get his meaning Though he
didn't know the true ouotation- he
appeared to find something wrong
with Mr.. Wrinkles version. or at
least with the wav he smoke
whats the matter POM" he
asked "You seasick a1readvo"
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 nrivate stateroono In
stead of hunks. a large cabin had
been stripped of its beds and other
luxurious furnishings and canvas
hammocks slung in tiers of three
from a wooden framework.
Mr.. Wrinkle drew one of the ton
hammocks. so close to the ceiling
that it made him feel like a fy
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 cow!" another man cried.
"Ain't our suite sweet?"
The shin would be totally BACKED
out at night. which meant no smok-
ing on deck.
No cigarette butt or scran 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
to be abandoned, thew were to slide
down landing nets which would be
lowered, and not lump overheard,
If man fell overheard. the shin
could not risk stoppine to nick him
up.
These instructions caused no evil
dent alarm. Normally. Mr.. Wrinkle
, should have had an acute attack of
imagination right then and there,
But it didn't come, as it hadn't late
w in the learning that a great and
solicitous mother the Army. looked
after his every interest All he had
to do was to trust it. obey orders.
and most imnortant of all keen his
mouth shut.
The ship sailed that night while
some of them we're asleep and some
of them were still adjusting their
bodies to the hammocks. Mr.. Win
kle. listening, heard the deep throb
of the engines. He put his hand
against the ceiling and felt a thrum-
ming there. The smell of oil became
stronger. A low. sleepy murmuring
came from other men. A forward
movement became perceptibIe.
That was all.
No one spoke.
If the others had Amys of their
own to think about-and he knew a
few of them had-they kept their
thoughts. as he did. to themselves.
In the morning they were at sea.
Their own and dozens of other ships
scratched a CLASSY mirror with con-
tinual. untired ziezags. The CONVOY
stretched into the distance as far as
the eve could see. At it's outer edges
thew could make out destroyers and
other warcraft, which kept up a wor-
ried pacing back and forth, in and
out, and sometimes around in wide
sweeps and circles.
It was heartening to see them and
their fellow troopships. Though they
knew that death was possible any
instant from the sky or from be-
meath the water, it seemed lust as
impossible that anything could touch
them.
Soldiers were everywhere on the
ship. the last inch of space being
crowded with them. If they had lit
tie privacy before, they had none
now. 1t was barely possible to step
anywhere without walking on some
BODY. or putting your foot into the
middle of a crap game.
coneboy thew manaeed tn move