From Here to Eternity_ The Restored Edit - Jones, James [253]
“The Infantry’s all right,” Prew said quickly. “If you like it.”
“Thats what I mean,” Slade said enthusiastically. “The Infantry’s the backbone of the Army. The Air Corps, the Artillery, the Engineers—all they are for is to assist the Infantry. Because, in the final analysis, its the Infantry that has to take the ground and hold it.”
“Thats right,” Prew said.
“They have to be soldiers in the Infantry,” Slade told them. “The Infantry hikes and fights all day, and then goes out and drinks and dances with the women all night, and then hikes and fights all day the next day.”
“Sure,” Friday said happily. “Thats a man’s life.”
Prew moved his head. “Where’d you learn all this anyway?” A mosquito trapped itself inside his ear and he smashed it and dug it out.
“I don’t know,” Slade said. “Read it somewhere I guess. I use to read a lot when I was younger, in high school. But what the hell good does reading do you?” he demanded angrily. “The thing is to live, act, do. You read all your life and what have you got?”
“I dont know,” Prew said. “What?”
“Nothing,” Slade said. “Thats what. Not a damn thing. I envy you fellows. I’ve been watching you ever since you first moved in here and started putting up this barbed wire. You guys are experts at it.” He took hold of one of the long pickets and shook it vigorously. He kicked one of the short pickets. “I wish I could handle barbed wire as expertly as you fellows do.”
“There is an art to it,” Prew said.
“Sure there is. I watched you putting it up. I wish I could do it.”
“It takes practice,” Prew said.
“Sure it does. You know, I’ve been wanting to come over and talk to you fellows ever since you first moved in. You have a swell camp over here, and you all have such a good time together. Always laughing and singing. You work hard and you play hard, thats the kind of an outfit for a man to be in. I didn’t know it was you two,” he nodded at Friday, “until he told me, that play those guitars. It sounds really fine from over here at night on the road. Do you always take them out in the field with you like that?”
“Sure,” Prew said. “When we can.”
“Guy never hears anything like that at Hickam,” Slade said.
“We’re going to play some tonight,” Prew said, “as it happens. When our buddy gets here from the CP. How would you like to come over and listen?”
“Hey, you really mean it?” Slade said eagerly. “I wasnt hinting or anything like that. I didnt even expect I’d get to come over.”
“We’d be glad to have you,” Prew said.
“Hey, I’d love it,” Slade said. “But I’m on post now. Wont be off for a half hour yet.”
“Well, I guess we could wait on you,” Prew said. “If you really want to come over, that is.”
“Hey, that would be fine,” Slade said. “Would you really do that?”
Prew moved his head. “Sure. Dont see why not. If you really like that kind of music. It wouldnt discommode us none to have you. We’re not every good,” he said, “but if you want——”
“I think you’re terrific,” Slade said.
“Hey, Slade!” Friday interrupted. “Theres a car coming down your road over there!”
Slade whirled. “That will be Sergeant Follette,” he said. “This makes the third time he’s been around since I came on.”
“Maybe its our truck,” Prew said.
“No it aint,” Friday said. “Already passed our turnoff.”
“Its Follette all right,” Slade said. “He has been trying to hang something on me for a couple months now and get me kicked off the guard and back to mowing grass.”
“He got it in for you?” Prew said.
“Yeah,” Slade said. “He dont like me because I told him he was a pompous ass once and he had to look it up in the dictionary.”
“You better get back over there then,” Prew said.
“Yeah,” Slade said. “Dont I know it. I’ll see you fellows in a half an hour, okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You wont forget it now?”
“No.”
“You better get back over there,” Friday said nervously, watching the steadily advancing headlights.
“Yeah,” Slade grinned. He turned and started to run across to the road where the headlights were steadily creeping up past his margin of safety. Then he stopped and turned back.
“You know, you guys dont know