| Show JA bel ell for alf x john johl herset H q e 9 anu ra is THE STORY THUS FAR the american troops arrived in adano adana with major tte the anicot officer in charge Jop 1 polo sergeant borth berth was in charge of 0 deuri to hold ty the malor major was wai determined the confidence ot of the people and to replace their tell ben stolen by the nazis nari despite orders issued by general marvent barring carts from roni the city coppolo recalled the orders to permit food and water to enter the city the major placed a ceiling on prices price to top stop a black market caused by generosity ol of the americans american general marvin anally received the note fro from m captain purvis telling ol of the majors major granting crant carts entrance to town he issued orders order to have the major recalled at once charter CHAPTER the general said right stop the carts lousy italians trying to hold up the whole damn invasion they better carry out the order lieutenant byrd droned dronek on hardly noticing what he read on july 20 guards were removed on order of major Lieu lieutenant r at byrd suddenly y realized what he was reading he put the memorandum down and picked up the next but the general roared finish it ft finish it the lieutenant read were removed on order of major victor coppolo Jop polo civil affairs officer town of adano because carts were essential to town and town was v now the general had forgotten about finishing the memorandum coppolo Jop polo he shouted and his face was the color of distant mountains coppolo Jop polo vt general marvins earvins Mar vins memory worked in a peculiar fashion middleton Middle toni he shouted come in here middleton i the colonel came in middleton remember the name ot of coppolo Jop polo a lousy little named coppolo Jop polo colonel middleton said with a tired face yes sir the carts general marvin bellowed 1 I just remembered something that was out of 0 uniform that day you remember he had on pinks and a khaki shirt you remember that middleton colonel middleton said with a tired voice no sir damn him he had the nerve to let the carts back in that town what the hell was the name of that 21 lieutenant byrd said adano sir adano damn upstart colonel middleton said perhaps there was some reason why he had to to damn you middleton youre getting too independent minded colonel middleton said yes sir lieutenant byrd said it goes on to say here sir carts were essential to town and town was in bad shape without same to the general stood up he said ive had enough of that little middleton yes sir the tired voice said make out an order recalling that italian from that town the name lieutenant byrd said adano sir order him to report back to algiers for reassignment make out a separate report to algiers explaining why ill fix that little get it off today too none ot of your delays middleton yes sir the tired voice said the day before the party the fisherman named agnello and his men talked about it as they fished are you going ag asked askea who was not one to commit himself too far said 1 I have been invited the youngest of adamos fishermen said 1 I am going better go I 1 hear that we fishermen are lucky mostly the guests will be officials and big people but because of tomasino agnello said and perhaps because the daughters of tomasino are not pock faced said perhaps and laughed the men hauled in their net they spilled the shining flopping fish into the bins they were good fish mostly of the four and five lira grades said it is a rare chance for us fishermen better go Meren dind said 1 I will think about it they let the net over the side again and took the wheel as the boat moved away from the net As they slowly pulled away S conzo lay down at the very bow with his cheek on the hawser eye and he watch watched ed the forefoot cutting the water and the reflection of the upper parts of the bow moving across the glassy water it was one of those rare mediterranean days with not a breath of air on the deep blue water agnello said dont you think perhaps we are getting far inshore too said 1 I will look at the chart said hes just trying to get away from To masinos boat old tomasino splashes his net so much that he scares the fish away tomasino has such a bad temper hes probably angry with the fish and that s why he splashes the net mer endings en dinos just trying to work the boat away from To masinos arent you said 1 I do not think tomasino is angry at the fish to agnello said wed better not get in too far we were warned about what would happen if we went out of the zone which they marked for us on the chart looked at the chart and then at the headlands up and down the coast a and nd he said perhaps we are a little far inshore 92 and he put the wheel over and headed out but diagonally away from To masinos boat said personally I 1 like the younger daughter of tomas tomasino ino better than the blonde I 1 like honesty in the color of hair agnello said not that either of To masinos daughters would pay any attention to you said oh I 1 think I 1 could make an impression if I 1 wanted to agnello mimicked it if I 1 wanted to and then he said ri P t III order him to report back to algiers for reassignment what makes you think you could your nose is too big said what makes you think the daughters of tomasco Tor nasino are so hard to impress what do you think said 1 I think that people with big noses who are fishermen are apt to retain a smell of fish in their nostrils after working hours and sometimes they attribute the smell of fish to the young ladies they are with I 1 think it is time to pull the net in the three men stood and began to tug at the net we have a good catch this time S conzo said feel that load they pulled some more then agnello said it fee feels I 1 s sluggish it does not have the lively feeling of a good haul of small fish dont you agree said 1 I never divide the fishes into grades until they are in the bins but as the net came in it became more and more obvious that the net had something besides little fish in it said maybe Loja conos painting has attracted a porpoise maybe loiacono painted a she por poise and maybe it is the mating season among porpoises agnello said it feel right it feels like the time we pulled in the hogshead of 11 made a positive statement it feels like something we do not usually catch the boat had come around as the men hauled at the net they were pulling the dripping net in over the te starboard bow by this time when the net was almost in said wait a second let me look and perhaps I 1 can see what we have before we haul it aboard he lay down at the bow again and put his cheek on the hawser eye again and looked what he saw was the last he ever saw he shouted stop haul but it was too late the slow forward motion of the boat and the slow reactions of the heaving fishermen drove the bow onto the mine the explosion could be heard ea easily in the town the wives of farmers and land laborers thought it was just some blasting by engineers but the wives of fishermen ran down to the harbor and looked oi out lit over the water there they saw unusual activity among the fishing boats they were all clustered together and there were one two only fivel five at the moment ot of the explosion tomasino turned toward the point where agnellus Ag boat had been fortunately tuna tely tomasino had his net in in and could move fairly quickly when they reached the place they found only splinters of wood many dead fish floating dead agnello floating dead Me 0 and some pieces of tomasino and his men hauled the two whole bodies aboard as the other fishing boats came up tomasino shouted to the others continue to fish move farther offshore I 1 will take agnello and in someone from another boat shouted and said tomasino not looking at the small pieces of floating in the water is missing As soon as they tied up Tomas tomasino inci jumped ashore and walked quickly uptown to the palazzo he was the first to bring the news to the major good afternoon tomasino the tha major said cheerfully im looking forward to the party tomorrow night I 1 hear you are one of the hosts To masinos face was black with misery but the major had not thought that unusual 1 I cannot go tomasino said why not tomasino it be the same without you po tomasino said grimly 1 I came to talk about the explosion did you hear the explosion major coppolo said 1 I did hear an explosion about half an hour ago was it tomasino said about half an hour ago 11 what was it one of my ships A mine I 1 suppose just as you warned the major stood up his face had gone white as soon as tomasino started talking about the explosion he went around his desk to tomasino and put a hand on his arm it is my fault tomasino not yours he said it was agnellus Ag fault tomasino said he was too far in I 1 took bearings and I 1 know that he was outside the fishing zone 1 I am sorry the major said tomasino said why are you sorry I 1 thought you would be an gry 1 I feel as if I 1 had killed your men tomasino accidents happened here before you earns carre mister major men have died here before P at about in the morning a U S navy truck pulled up in front of the palazzo A chief petty officer and five men unloaded a crate from it onto the sidewalk and the chief went inside and delivered a note for major victor coppolo Jop polo major coppolo was busy at his desk and had not noticed the truck he opened the note and read dear major the VS US navy is delighted to be able to do the US army a favor here is your bell the major jumped up and shouted where is it zito the usher said where is what mister major the major said the belll bell the bell they have brought us ou our r bell and he ran out on the ba balcony just in time to see the navy truck pull away he saw the crate sitting there on the sidewalk he went to the phone and called up the engineers major harvey please major this is coppolo Jop polo say I 1 wonder if you could arrange to do this town a big favor weve got a delicate job to do and im afraid the workmen we could round up to do it would take ages and maybe hack it the job is raising a new bell on the clock tower of the town hall here I 1 guess it would take about eight men and if youve got a good strong block and tackle and maybe a tow truck to haul out the tackle and raise the bell you can swell can they start right in what time you think they could get here okay ill be on hand at eleven thirty to ten tell them what to do dont know how to thank you major TO BE CONTINUED |
