rly non-com minutely.

"Wells, sir."

"What would you say ought to be done with the machine-guns?"

"Cover that ravine, there, first. Then set up to enfilade if they try to
come up over there. Then, if I could find any more guns, I'd...."

"Enough. Second Lieutenant Wells, from now. GHQ will confirm. Take
charge of all the guns we have. Report when you have made disposition.
Now, Kinnison, listen. I can probably hold out until tonight. The enemy
doesn't know yet that we're here, but we are due for some action pretty
quick now, and when they locate us--if there aren't too many of their
own units here, too--they'll flatten this hill like a table. So tell
Weatherby to throw a column in here as soon as it gets dark, and to
advance Eight and Sixty, so as to consolidate this whole area. Got it?"

"Yes, sir."

"Got a compass?"

"Yes, sir."

"Pick up a tin hat and get going. A hair north of due west, about a
kilometer and a half. Keep cover, because the going will be tough. Then
you'll come to a road. It's a mess, but it's ours--or was, at last
accounts--so the worst of it will be over. On that road, which goes
south-west, about two kilometers further, you'll find a Post--you'll
know it by the motorcycles and such. Phone from there. Luck!"

Bullets began to whine and the general dropped to the ground and crawled
toward a coppice, bellowing orders as he went. Kinnison crawled, too,
straight west, availing himself of all possible cover, until he
encountered a sergeant-major reclining against the south side of a great
tree.

"Cigarette, buddy?" that wight demanded.

"Sure. Take the pack. I've got another that'll last me--maybe more. But
what the hell goes on here? Who ever heard of a major general getting
far enough up front to get shot in the leg, and he talks as though he
were figuring on licking the whole German army. Is the old bird nuts, or
what?"

"Not so you would notice it. Didn'cha ever hear of 'Hellandamnation'
Slayton? You will, buddy, you will. If Pershing doesn't give him three
stars after this, he's crazier than hell. He ain't supposed to be on
combat at all--he's from GHQ and can make or break anybody in the AEF.
Out here on a look-see trip and couldn't get back. But you got to hand
it to him--he's getting things organized in great shape. I came in with
him--I'm about all that's left of them that did--just waiting for this
breeze to die down, but its getting worse. We'd better duck--over
there!"

B