“It's part of the system. You've got to turn men into beasts before ye can get 'em to act that way. Ever read Tolstoi?”
“No. Say, you want to be careful how you go talkin' around the way you do.” Fuselli lowered his voice confidentially. “I heard of a feller bein' shot at Camp Merritt for talkin' around.”
“I don't care.... I'm a desperate man,” said Eisenstein.
“Don't ye feel sick? Gawd, I do.... Did you get rid o' any of it, Meadville?”
“Why don't they fight their ole war somewhere a man can get to on a horse?... Say that's my seat.”
“The place was empty.... I sat down in it,” said Eisenstein, lowering his head sullenly.
“You kin have three winks to get out o' my place,” said Meadville, squaring his broad shoulders.
“You are stronger than me,” said Eisenstein, moving off.
“God, it's hell not to have a gun,” muttered Meadville as he settled himself on the deck again. “D'ye know, sonny, I nearly cried when I found I was going to be in this damn medical corps? I enlisted for the tanks. This is the first time in my life I haven't had a gun. I even think I had one in my cradle.”
“That's funny,” said Fuselli.