| 2:46a |
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And this seemed funniest of allThey held
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And this seemed funniest of allThey held weakly onto the stanchions of their bunks"Do I have to leave now, Sergeant? There's a lot of water," Polack bawledIt rushed through them in a succession of confused waves like water ripples spreading out from a stone only to be balked by other wavelets formed by another stoneEvery time someone opened his mouth they roared again, wild hysterical laughter, close to tearsThe boat shook from it
It died down slowly, erupted again several times like fire licking out from under a blanket, and finally wore itself outThere was nothing left but their spent bodies and the mild pleasure they found in releasing the tension upon their cheek muscles, soothing the ache of laughter in their chests, wiping their freshened eyesAnd it was replaced by the flat extensive depression which overlay everything
Polack tried to revive it again by singing but only a few of them joined him
"Roll me over
In the clover
Roll me over,
Lay me down
And do it again
Ha' past three
I had her on my knee
Lay me down,
Roll me over,
Do it again
Roll me over in the clover
Their voices piped out feebly, lost in the flat placid washes of the blue seaTheir boat chugged along, the motors almost smothering the sound
"Ha' past four
I had her on the floor
Lay me down,
Roll me over,
Do it again
Croft got out of his bunk and peered over the side, staring moodily at the waterHe had not been told the date on which the campaign had been won, and he made the error of assuming it was the day they had failed on the mountainIf they had been able to climb it, the campaign would have depended upon themHe did not even question thisIt was a bitter certainty in his mindHis jaw muscles quivered as he spat over the |