Short stories, American; War stories, American; World War, 1914-1918 -- Fiction
"Then the war came. Ginger immediately enlisted as a private. He could
have had a commission, but did not want to take a chance of having to
mix with Huston.
"A few weeks after Ginger's enlistment, Huston joined too--was losing
prestige in Betty's eyes by staying in mufti. He went into the
O.T.C." (Officers' Training Corps). "In seven months he received his
commission, and was sent to France. Ginger had been out three months.
"By one of the many strange coincidences that happen in this world,
Huston was sent to the battalion and company that Ginger was in, and
was put in command of Ginger's platoon. Then things happened.
"Ginger could hardly believe his eyes when he first saw Huston, and
knew he was to be his platoon commander. He felt he was in for it good
and plenty.
"That night Huston sent for Ginger and had a talk with him. Tried to
make him believe that he harbored no animosity, and then detailed him
as mail orderly, the first act of a campaign of petty cruelty. By being
mail orderly, Ginger would have to handle Betty's letters to Huston,
and Huston's letters to her. Ginger saw through it immediately, and his
hate burned stronger. From that night on, it was one indignity after
another, just a merciless persecution, but Ginger never complained;
just stored up each new act and swore vengeance.
"It came to such a pass that Ginger could bear it no longer. He decided
to kill Huston, and only waited for a favorable opportunity to present
itself. I think it was only his love for Betty which had held him back
so long; he couldn't bear the thought of her grieving for her dead
lover. You see, Ginger thought Betty was madly in love with Huston.
"One night, in the front line trench, orders were received that after
an hour's intense bombardment of the enemy's lines, the company would
go over the top at six the next morning. Huston was to go over with the
first wave, while Ginger was in the second. Here was his chance.
"All that night he crouched on the firestep, musing and brooding,
nursing his revenge. He prayed to Betty to forgive him for what he was
going to do.
"After the bombardment the next morning, over went the first wave, a
line of bayonets and madly cheering men. Ginger only saw one in that
crowd; his eyes never left Huston. His finger twitched and caressed the
trigger of his rifle--his long looked-for opportunity had come.
"The first wave had gone about sixty yards, when Ginger let out a
curse. Huston had been hit and was down, and he saw his revenge
slipping through his fingers. But no, Huston was not dead. He was
trying to rise to his feet! He was up--hopping on one leg--with the
blood pouring from the other. Then he fell again, but was soon sitting
up, bandaging his wounded leg, using a tourniquet from his first-aid
packet.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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