"Uh-huh."
"Lot of the boys mighty sick of soldiering over here. Lot of 'em 'ud try it back to God's country 'f 'twasn't so far."
"Would, huh?" Johnny yawned.
"Ye-ah, and then the officers are mighty hard on the ones they ketch—ketch desertin', I mean—officers are; when they ketch 'em, an' they mostly do."
"Do what?" Johnny tried to yawn again.
"Ketch 'em! They're fierce at that."
There was a knowing grin on the sergeant's face, but no wink followed. Johnny waited anxiously for the wink.
"But it's tough, now ain't it?" observed the sergeant. "We can't go home and can't fight. What we here for, anyway?"
"Ye-ah," Johnny smiled hopefully.
"Expected to go home long ago, but no transportation, not before spring; not even for them that's got discharges and papers to go home. It's tough! You'd think a lot of 'em 'ud try goin' north to Alaska, wouldn't you? Three days in God's country's worth three years in Leavenworth; you'd think they'd try it. And they would, if 't'wasn't so far. Gad! Three thousand miles! I'd admire the pluck of the fellow that dared."