“What you want, huh?” she demanded to know of Panama. “Why you no leave heem weez me, yes?” “Yeah, why you no leave me weez she, huh?” Lefty mimicked the girl in a silly fashion. “Because he doesn’t belong here,” the sergeant explained patiently. “He must go back camp. Police see him here—boom—no more soldado!” “You bad, bad hombre,” she shrieked, jumping at Panama and clawing his face and neck with her finger nails. The sergeant had all he could do to hold Lefty from falling, and at the same time, he was forced to fight off this little native minx much to the amusement of those surrounding the trio. “Cut it out, will ya, lady?” Panama pleaded, still a victim of the girl’s painful clawing. “I gotta take him back or we’ll all land in the brig, sure!” “You no tak my soldado, you bad hombre!” she shrieked with renewed rage, leaping for Williams’ throat this time. “Aw, why don’t you stop hittin’ the poor gal,” Lefty stammered, now nearly blind from the reaction of the bad liquor. “Rosie, ol’ baby, I’m your pal; if he smacks you again, jes’ tell me, tha’s all!” Panama pushed Lefty against a post in the middle of the floor, holding him upright with one foot while he tore the girl loose from his throat, throwing her off of him with all the force he could bring to his command. “Panny, ol’ kid,” the boy muttered, “ain’t you my pal, now—ain’t you?” “Yeah—yeah—sure I am!” he replied, breathlessly, “but we gotta get out of this joint!” “Wai—it a minute!” Lefty protested. “You gotta shtick around. Now lisshum—did ya ever hear me sing a song?” “No and I ain’t goin’ to now!” Williams insisted. “You’re goin’ back to camp!” By this time, Rosa had collected her senses and made a flying leap for the sergeant’s back, clawing his neck and pulling his hair until he screamed with pain. They struggled for a while, with the girl getting the better of things until Panama finally gripped her hands and flung her across a table. “Don’ push her aroun’ like that!” Lefty interfered by saying. “She’sh my li’l old pal!” Panama was at the end of his rope by this time and glared at the boy with fire in his eyes. “You shut up, savvy? I’m gonna get you outa here if I have to drag you bodily!” The boy supported himself against the post and raised his head in drunken defiance. “Don’ get tough with me, ol’ kid!” “You shut your trap or I’ll close it for you!” the sergeant shouted, completely devoid of patience now. A good-sized crowd had formed a circle about Lefty, Panama and the girl and they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the little impromptu show. Rosa regained her bearings and rushed in between the two Marines, ready for another wild session. “I keel you!” she threatened Williams. “You no tak away my hombre!” “If you don’t clear out of here, lady,” Panama warned the girl, “I’m gonna paste you one in the mouth!” “Oh, no, you won’t,” Phelps interrupted in an antagonistic manner of defiance. “She’s my gal an’ nobody’s gonna hurt her when I’m ’round!”