"
"I'll say so! I'll say so!" was the laughing reply.
"Wow! There'd be somethin' doin' at home then, wouldn't there?" my
friend the artillery captain said with a grin.
But about the funniest thing I heard along the sunshine-producing line
was not in France but coming home from France, on the transport. It
came from a prisoner on the transport who was sentenced to fifteen
years for striking a top-sergeant.
One night outside of my stateroom I heard some words, and then a blow
struck, and a man fall. There was a general commotion.
The next morning the fellow who struck the blow was summoned before the
captain of the transport.
"See here, my man, you are already sentenced for fifteen years, and
it's a serious offense to strike a man on the high seas."
"I didn't strike him on the high seas, sir, I struck him on the jaw."
The captain was baffled, but went on:
"What did you hit the man for?"
"He argued with me. I can't stand it to be argued with."
"But you shouldn't strike a man and split his mouth open just because
he disagrees with you," said the captain severely.
"I just don't seem to be able to stand it to have a guy argue with me,"
he replied, not abashed in the slightest.
"Well, you go to your bunk. I'll think it over and tell you in the
morning what I'll do about it," said the captain, and turned away.
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