"How are we doing? What's the over-all picture?" Both of the officers tried to smile a little at the memory of that pompous little phrase, favorite of a windbag they'd served under.
"Not good. Twenty-two of us now."
"Hirooka thinks we may be within radio range of Base soon," he continued more hopefully. "With this interference, we can't tell, though."
They talked a little longer, Arndt gave the gunnery officer a food-and-medical supply packet, and Hague's visitors became two bobbing glows of light that vanished down the trail.
A soul crushing weight of days passed while they strained forward through mud and green gloom, like men walking on a forest sea bottom. Then it was a cool dawn, and a tugging at his boot awoke the Lieutenant. Hurd, his face a strained mask, was peering into the officer's small shelter tent and jerking at his leg.
"Get awake, Lieutenant. I think they're here."
Hague struggled hard to blink off the exhausted sleep he'd been in.
"Listen, Lieutenant, one of them horns has been blowing. It's right here. Between us and the main party."
"Okay." Hague rolled swiftly from the tent as Hurd awoke the men. Hague moved swiftly to each.
"Brian, you handle the gun. Bucci, loader. Crosse, charger. Bormann, cover our right; Hurd the left. I'll watch the trail ahead."