I saw a pair of officers some distance away watching me. I thought I recognized Major Garrett, from Mr. Schieling’s hardware store in Monroe. I wasn’t sure, though. The other man was talking and shaking his head.

Then I saw my outfit come jogging up from another direction and disappear into the barracks. I went after them, dragging my steps. Sam and Nate and Apple probably already knew about the fight—likely everybody did, gossip traveling fast—and they’d be waiting for me.

Only, nobody was waiting for me in the barracks, which was in an uproar. Fellows were tearing through their footlockers, and cries of “My money’s gone!” and “I had five dollars!” and “My watch! It was hid good in my socks . . .” were sounding all around.

Everybody had to wait while some military staff investigated, and we almost missed lunch. Because I’d been separated from the others most of the morning, I came in for extra questioning, but it was pretty clear to everybody that Klein and Lukowski were responsible for the thefts. Their belongings were gone, and no one remembered seeing them after they’d left me alone in the latrine.

I caught some angry looks, but Nate said, “Don’t let it get to you. Guys have got to be mad at somebody right now. It may take a couple of days, but once they calm down, they’ll realize you couldn’t help what those two did.”

“Sure,” I said. “Only I’m not going to be here then. I’ll be leaving as soon as Captain Strom gets back and makes my discharge official.”

“No!” Sam protested.

“I don’t believe that,” Apple said.

“That’s really tough,” Nate said. “I’m sorry, Moss.”

I didn’t want anybody feeling sorry for me, so I went for a joke. “I’ll remember you galoots,” I said. “And I’ll be watching the news, too. If the country’s dust bowl isn’t fixed by the time your hitches are up, I’ll know you slacked off on the job.”

The CO still hadn’t returned by the end of the afternoon. “You want him for the night?” the desk clerk asked Sergeant Mackey, when the sergeant came in at quitting time.

“No, but I guess I’ve got no choice,” he said. He told me, “Consider yourself confined to barracks, except for what’s on the company schedule, until you’re called.”

I listened to Nate snoring and to Sam muttering in some dream. I was going to miss them and Apple, even if they were forgetting me mighty fast. Otherwise, they’d have kept me company through the evening, instead of going off to the recreation hall.

They’d been a disappointment, no two ways about that.