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Show i 1 No Medal By GEORGE EKAHAD McClure Syndicate WNU Features. ' ANDREWS was gone. We got the news from the C. O., Tex and I, standing in the sticky Italian heat while the colonel looked us over. "You two were his buddies," he said. "You should have some idea where to locate him. Get him. And remember, the general is to decorate deco-rate him at 1500 hours. I don't pretend pre-tend to know what made him skip like this, but try to keep him from making this outfit the laughingstock of the army." He handed over a requisition. 'Take a Jeep, and buzz it." "He woulda thought this over," Tex said, his eyes on the road. "Jest naturally bein' careful, he wouldn't stow away In a truck, knowin' the M.P.s would get him quickest that way." "So we gotta be mind readers and figure what he plans?" "Yeah." He squinted into the dust ahead. "That village on the side of the mountain beyond Aretulia, I dis-remember dis-remember its name, but I know how to get there. He has a pal there would hide him out for a few days." "So maybe we ought to figure how come he wants to hide and have some nasty explaining to do when he's In line for a gonging, he being a machine-gun-nest-wiping-out public pub-lic hero." Tex grunted. "Reckon I know all about why he wants to stall this off, and so do you if you'll churn your sawdust a little. I wish he coulda done better than this, but now I reckon the thing to do is fetch him back before he gets into worse trouble." A big black-browed technical sergeant ser-geant in this little half-ruined town didn't like us as visitors at all. "If you are Andy's sidekicks you should know enough to let him alone," he told us. "All he wants is to lie doggo for a few days." Tex scratched his left ear. "How long is it till his birthday?" "Ten days. Can't ya just go look somewhere else?" "We just wanna talk to him," Tex said. "I hate to see him in a fix when he don't need to be." Andy was in the storeroom, behind be-hind supply boxes. "If you're pals you haven't seen me," he said. Tex clucked. "He can't take it," says he to me. "One of these guys who can get so hopped up in a battle bat-tle he can shut his eyes and still go knockin' over enemies. But when it comes to standin' up and takin' credit for their wild ways in public, pub-lic, they can't take it. Got to run and hide." ' "Oh, yeah?" Andy flared. "Don't hand me that. You know it's because be-cause I'm under age. Heck, I'd take a chance, now I'm this far, but the general happens to know me. Once he gets a load of my pan he'll savvy right away that something's fishy. Then he'll investigate. Aw, no medal's worth that. I'd rather duck this time, if it gives me the chance to stick around long enough so I can go in again with you mugs on the next push, instead of being sent home." 1 "That's Jest it, Andy," Tex said. They already know about you. They aim to let it ride until you get your brass. Right now you're booked out. The only thing is, do you go all iclear with an honorable discharge, or the other way? Kid, I hate to 'see you do this to yourself. Will you come back with us?" Andy looked mighty low. "If ithat's the way it is, I might as well." We made it with about two seconds sec-onds to spare. Tex kept stealing looks at the general's face. "How I come you knew so much about them ;finding out about Andy?" I asked. t"You know we been guarding that secret for months, and there was not even a peep of a rumor." "One of those critters they call a white lie. I knew well enough they'd be diggin' into his record, find him, bust him and send him back before the time- is up. I'm gamblin' on the general's bein' a certain kind of feller." They began to read Andy's citation. cita-tion. The general pinned on the medal and shook him by the hand. He was smiling. "Andrews, your face is darned familiar, your name too. Haven't I seen you prowling my yard on the end of a lawn mower?" "Yes, sir." "I've been looking up your record, rec-ord, Andrews. Always do before giving a decoration. Seems to me you must be a little young to be here until your next birthday. Am I right?" Andy swallowed. "Yes, sir." "When is this birthday?" "In ten days, sir." "You know," the general said, "I always like to make a complete investigation. in-vestigation. Hardly see how I can get around to it for a couple of weeks. Will you mind, soldier?" Andy's face split into a grin a yard wide, "No, SIR!" "Hot doggy," Tex murmured in my ear. "Never saw the general before, but I was right about him all the time." |
