autojurine0412

@@@@@ "I hope it's cleaned up at least," Brown muttered Croft felt superior and dejectedHe had been disappointed when he had learned weeks before that recon was to be assigned to the beach detail for the first weekAnd he had felt a silent contempt when the men in the platoon had shown their pleasure in the news"Chickenshit," he muttered to himself nowA man who was afraid to put his neck out on the line was no damn goodLeading the men was a responsibility he craved; he felt powerful and certain at such momentsHe longed to be in the battle that was taking place inland from the beach, and he resented the decision which left the platoon on an unloading detailHe passed his hand along his gaunt hard cheek and looked silently about him Hennessey was standing near the sternAs Croft watched his white silent face, he decided that Hennessey was frightened and it amused himThe boy found it hard to be still; he kept bobbing about in his place, and once or twice he flinched noticeably at a sudden noise; his leg began to itch and he scratched it violentlyThen, as Croft watched, Hennessey pulled his left trouser out of his legging, rolled it up to expose his knee, and with a great deal of care rubbed a little spittle over the irritated red spot on his kneeCroft gazed at the white flesh with its blond hairs, noticed the pains with which Hennessey replaced his trouser in the legging, and felt an odd excitement as if the motions were importantThat boy is too careful, Croft told himself And then with a passionate certainty he thought, "Hennessey's going to get killed today He felt like laughing to release the ferment in himThis time he was sure But, abruptly, Croft remembered the poker game the preceding night when he had failed to draw his full house, and he was confused and then disgustedYou figure you're getting a little too smart for yourself, he thoughtHis disgust came because he felt he could not trust such emotions, rather than from any conviction that they had no meaning at allHe shook his head and sat back on his haunches, feeling the assault boat race in toward land, his mind empty, waiting for what events would bring Martinez had his worst minute just before they landedAll the agonies of the previous night, all the fears he had experienced early that morning had reached their climax in himHe dreaded the moment when the ramp would go down and he would have to get out of the