@@@@@Any one of them would have been pleased to
@@@@@Any one of them would have been pleased to have shifted positions with him
At one o'clock Brown halted themHis feet had been numb for minutes at a time, and he was close to collapseThey left Wilson lying in the sun while they sprawled beside him, their faces close to the earth, drawing great gasping bursts of airAll about them the hills shimmered in the early afternoon heat, refracting their glare from one slope to another without reliefThere seemed no breeze at allWilson would mumble and rant from time to time but they paid no attention to himThe rest period gave them no relief; all the submerged effects of their exhaustion were being exhumed now, bothered them directlyThey retched, languished through long flaccid minutes when they seemed close to unconsciousness, and suffered from recurring spasms of shivering when there seemed no heat left in their bodies
After a long while, perhaps an hour, Brown sat up, swallowed a few salt tablets and drank almost half his canteen of waterThe salt rumbled uncomfortably in his stomach, but he felt some reliefWhen he stood up to walk over to Wilson, his legs moved without familiarity, weakly, like a man who is out of bed after a long illness"How're you feelin', boy?" he asked
Wilson stared at himWith a groping motion his fingers had fluttered up to his forehead, removed the dampened cloth"You men better leave me, Brown," he croaked feeblyIn the past hour, lying on the stretcher, he had slid between consciousness and delirium, and now he was very tired, very spentTo Wilson there was no point in moving on any fartherHe was perfectly content at the moment to remain here; he did not think at all of what would happen to himHe knew only that he didn't want to be carried again, could not bear the agony of being jolted on the stretcher
Brown was tempted, so tempted that he did not dare to believe Wilson"What are you talking about, boy?"
"Lea' me, men, jus' lea' me Weaks tears came into Wilson's eyesRemotely, almost as if it did not concern him, he shook his head"I'm holdin' ya back, men, jus' lea' me beh