ALL MEN ARE
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times. But he had a different mentor. And she had sharpened him
till he had a fine cutting edge. Margaret wasn't afraid of Russians
or anything else. She wanted to be armed, .and Smitty was a weapon
that was handy.
Two Russian soldiers came in a cart. They were both little men.
Few of their soldiers were tall. They were dressed in ankle-length
overcoats .and peaked caps and high boots. One of them, wearing
chevrons of some kind-I presumed him to be a sergeant-jumped
nimbly from the cart and entered the factory yard. We arose from
the garden stairs to observe what he was after. He walked over to a
Volkswagon that was being loaded with cloth. He elbowed the
Germans aside and studied the machine. He kicked the tires. Then
he shouted a command to the Germans. They began emptying the
car. He shouted at another of the workers. The fellow protested. The
Russian cracked him across the side of the face with the flat of his
hand. The German scurried into the factory. The Russian climbed
into the car and w.aited.
"That sonofabitch," Smitty muttered. And I could hear again
the tone of murder, that same resentment that had ended in the
death of German captives. He was on his way. Whitney ran for
the lieutenant. I followed Smitty.
"You want something, you bastard?" Smitty asked the Russian.
The Russian grinned at him, waved. He needed a car, he said.
I interpreted for Smitty.
"Tell him to get out of there or he's dead." The Russian noticed
Smitty fingering the trigger of
his
rifle. He frowned. He asked what
bothered Smitty? I suggested he wait for our lieutenant who would
be glad to take care of his needs. I told him that it might make
things difficult for us if he were simply to take the vehicle. His com–
panion came over and stood alongside the Volkswagon, warily ob–
serving Smitty, his burp gun held ready.
"Officers," the sergeant grinned. "I do not like to talk to offi–
cers. Your officers cannot speak to a plain soldier. You and me, we
shall settle this thing. Yes?"
I told him that I thought he deserved the car. And I hoped
that he would be able to keep it.
He grinned. "I think, yes. I think there is no question. I have
no auto. The German has an auto." He spread out his hands to
indicate that the solution was obvious.
