White, Harry

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l'vIANUSCRIPTS 5Infiltration CourseHarry WhiteTHE machine gunner was loading his weapon. The snap of thebolt punctuated the soft rattle of the cartridge belt as it wasdrawn from the ammo box. The gunnel-'s movements wereaccurate and swift, automatic. When he grasped the handles, theybecame an extension of his arms, and the gun a part of him. Whenhe bent forward and lined up his sights, there was no longer a gunnerand a gun, but a single weapon, a single machine.Private Will Foster sat on the ground, watching a small silhouettedbird wheel against the brass of the hazy sky. His rifle was cradled inhis arms and his steel helmet was tilted on his head so he could hearthe Captain, who was standing, legs apart and arms folded, beforetl:e Company. His voice was sharp and formal in the still afternoonaIr."Down there,"-he motioned to the shallow valley below,-"is theInfiltration Course. To your right is the trench where you men willassemble in ranks, just as you are now. To your left is the machinegun platform. These gunners, during your progress through thecourse, will be firing about thirty-six inches above your heads."The Captain paused for the murmur which ran through the C0111-pany. He unfolded his arms and clasped his hands behind his back.He continued, "Those gunners are combat veterans. If there isan accident, it will not be their fault."T0111myGolway, sitting next to Will, shifted his weight on thesand, pushing his short arms out behind his fat stubby body andfastening his sight rigidly on the olive drab field jacket of the manin the rank ahead."Between the trench and the platform," the Captain went on, "yousee a number of small pits surrounded by sandbags. Each of thosepits contains a harmless charge which will be set off as you pass them."Do 110t-I repeat-DO NOT-under ANY circumstances->-stand or even get to your hands and knees between the time you leavethe trench and your arrival at the gunners' platform. When youreach it, crawl under it and fall in over there by the range shack."The Captain looked up at the bird which Will had been watching."Okay, Sergeant, let's get 'em going."The whistle sounded and Will, sti ff from sitting in the sand, gotto his feet. Golway, he noticed in surprise, made no effort to getup. Will tapped a knuckle on the helmet beneath him."C'rnon, Tommy. The Sarge'll be on you."Tommy's eyes blinked. He arose slowly, not speaking, his facepasty and flat.6 MANUSCRIPTS/There was a command and the Company stepped off on its leftfoot. A hundred men, legs welded on a locomotive drive rod. Anunbreaking rhythm, each man carried forward without effort. Ahundred men and one Company. A hundred parts and one machine.They reached the trench and marched in. The Sergeant turnedthem and they faced the forward wall. They waited.Will stood in the second row. He looked at Tommy standins- athis side and wanted to speak, but, seeing his face, he could thinl~ ofnothing to say. The blue eyes were wide and his lips were thin andpurple. His hand was fumbling at his cheek and the bright red stonein the ring on his finger glowed against the white skin."First rank over!" The command roared into the silence. Therow of olive clad figures boosted themselves to the log at the rim ofthe trench and slithered over.As the brass nailed soles of their boots disappeared, a violentcracking began in the air above. Like a thousand bull whips, Willthought as he looked up and saw nothing. Bullets. Invisible andcracking like bull whips. Far away, he could hear the solid chatterof the machine guns as they fired-and then he tried not to hear ashe felt the twisting of his stomach."Second rank over!"Will moved himself forward and up. As he went over, he glancedback. Golway was starting, his face glistening, stark against theblack of the timber.The first charges were set off as they gathered themselves tomove forward. A fountain of sand shot up in the air and the con-cussion struck at them, shifting the sand on which they lay. Dirt anddust sifted into Will's eyes and mouth as he waited for Tommy tocatch up."Noisy, huh?" Will shouted, trying to laugh away his own fear,searching for a bond to help himself along. Tommy looked at him,but his eyes were not focused.Will began to inch along, pulling with his elbows and pushingwith his knees in the abrasive sand. Golway followed, squirmingalong in a deep furrow. They were among the sandbagged pits, now,and the afternoon was filled with sound and dirt. Dust spewed fromthe pits and hung trembling in the air. The machine gun slugssnapped over their backs as Will flattened himself, shrinking fromthem.Move! Move! Get it over with!There was an explosion behind Will and he ducked his head intothe collar of his jacket. As particles rattled clown on him, he glimpsedGolway, suddenly animated, rising to his knees and crawling rapidlyforward, dragging his rifle by the barrel. Before Will, too stunnedto respond, could make a move, Tommy was past him and movinginto the curtain of dust ahead.JVIANUSCRIPTS 7An impulse to run after him surged in Will's mind, but the turmoilin the air above restrained him. He lay there, his teeth clenched inhelplessness, knowing what was going to happen.Golway scrambled on wildly, apparently unseeing, and flounderedinto a row of sandbags. At that moment the charge there was setoff. Tommy screamed in a high woman's voice and leaped to hisfeet, reeling a bit from the force of the blast.He took three steps, leaning forward, forward with his armsbefore his face, and then there was a breaking, popping sound as abullet struck. He stopped, frozen.Will watched him stand a moment, and then collapse, spreadingon the ground like a half-empty sack of grain.The roar of sound stopped as if someone bad turned a switch.The dust drifted in the quiet wind and olive drab figures, mouths andeyes rimmed with dirt, began to get slowly to their feet.Will started toward the unmoving form, but a whistle blew andthe Sergeant's voice called hoarsely."Charlie Company! Fall in bere."Will turned, seeing the Sergeant standing with upraised arm, andwalked of f the course, almost thankful for the chance to lose hiscrawling emotions in the anonymity of the Company.As he took his place in the ranks, he saw an ambulance, markedin red and white, driving off the field. Beyond, Dog Company wasentering the trench, preparing for its indoctrination. Polished bootsflashed in unison.* *The machine gunner was loading his weapon. The snap of thebolt mixed with the soft rattle of the cartridge belt as it was drawnfrom the ammo box. The gunner's movements were accurate andswift, automatic. When he grasped the handles, they became anextension of his arms and the gun a part of him. When he bentforward and lined up his sights, there was no longer a gunner anda gun, but a single weapon, a single machine.*The RitualBetty Winn FullerTHE heavy doors closed noiselessly behind him. The thick carpetwhispered quietly beneath his feet. For a mO~11cnthe sickishlysweet odor of flowers almost overpowered h1111.As he moved011 into the bouquet-banked room opposite, he was conscious of HIehushed voices, the covert looks-curious, sanctimonious, the facescomposing themselves into uncomfortable masks of sympathy.

Infiltration Course

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Infiltration Course

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