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¨Get your guns to bear on the right bank；〃 he said to Henry。 ¨Willieˇs found more of them。〃
¨Yes； Tom。 Are you all right？〃
¨Iˇm hit but Iˇm all right。 What about you and George？〃
¨Weˇre fine。〃
¨Open up any time you see anything。〃
¨Yes； Tom。〃
Thomas Hudson stopped his engines and commenced to go astern again slowly to hold the ship outside the angle where Willie was firing。 Willie had a clip in now with tracers in it and he was trying to spot the target for the ship。
¨You got it； Henry？〃 he asked through the tube。 ¨Yes； Tom。〃
¨Work on it and around it with short bursts。〃
He heard the 。50ˇs start slamming and he waved Ara and Willie in。 They came in as fast as the little motor would bring them。 Willie was firing all the time until they were under the lee of the ship。
Willie jumped aboard and came up on the flying bridge while Ara made the dinghy fast。
He looked at Tom and at Gil who was putting a tourniquet on his left leg as close to the crotch as he could tighten it。
¨Jesus Christ；〃 he said。 ¨What you got； Tommy？〃
¨I donˇt know；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He did not know； either。 He could not see any of the wounds。 All he saw was the color of the blood and it was dark so he did not worry。 But there was too much of it and he felt very sick。
¨Whatˇs in there； Willie？〃
¨I donˇt know。 There was a guy with a burp gun fired on us and I got him。 Or Iˇm pretty sure I did。〃
¨I didnˇt hear it with the noise you made。〃
¨You guys sounded like an ammunition dump going up。 Do you think thereˇs anything still back there？〃
¨Still； maybe。 We gave it the treatment。〃
¨Weˇll have to work it out；〃 Willie said。
¨We can let these sons of bitches hang and rattle；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Or we can go in now and finish it。〃
¨Iˇd rather take care of you。〃
Henry was probing with the 。50ˇs。 He was as delicate as he was rough with a machine gun and with a pair of them all his qualities were doubled。
¨Do you know where they are； Willie？〃
¨Thereˇs only one place they can be。〃
¨Then letˇs go in blasting and blow the shit out of them。〃
¨Spoken like an officer and a gentleman；〃 Willie said。 ¨We sunk their skiff。〃
¨Oh。 We didnˇt hear that either；〃 Thomas Hudson said。
¨It didnˇt make much noise；〃 Willie said。 ¨Ara chopped her open with a machete and cut the sail up。 Christ couldnˇt repair her in a month the best day he was in that carpenter shop。〃
¨You get up forward with Henry and George and have Ara and Antonio on the starboard side and letˇs go in；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 He felt very sick and strange； although there was no dizziness yet。 The dressings Gil had put on contained the bleeding too easily and he knew it was internal。 ¨Put lots of fire on and you signal me how to go。 How close are they？〃
¨Right up against the shore behind the little rise of ground。〃
¨Can Gil reach it all right with the big ones？〃
¨Iˇll shoot tracers to show him the target。〃
¨Theyˇll still be there？〃
¨They got no place to go。 They saw us break up the skiff。 Theyˇre fighting Custerˇs Last Stand in the mangroves。 Christ； I wish I had some Anheuser Busch。〃
¨Ice cold in cans；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Letˇs get in。〃
¨Youˇre awfully white； Tommy；〃 Willie said。 ¨And youˇve lost a lot of blood。〃
¨Letˇs take her in fast then；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨Iˇm still all right。〃
They closed fast with Willie with his head up over the starboard bow sometimes waving a correction。
Henry was traversing before and behind the rise that showed by the higher trees and George was working on what should be the lip of the rise。
¨How is it； Willie？〃 Thomas Hudson said into the tube。
¨You got enough hulls up here to start a brass foundry；〃 Willie answered。 ¨Lay her goddam bow up against the bank and swing her broadside so Ara and Antonio can bear。〃
Gil thought he saw something and fired。 But it was the low branch of a tree that Henry had cut loose。
Thomas Hudson watched the bank come closer and closer until he could see individual leaves again。 Then he swung her broadside until he heard Antonio firing and saw his tracers going in a little to the right of Willieˇs。 Ara was firing now； too。 Then he came a little astern on his motors and swung her close to the bank but not so close that Gil could not throw。
¨Throw an extinguisher；〃 he said。 ¨Where Willieˇs been shooting。〃
Gil threw and again Thomas Hudson marvelled at the throw and at the shine of the brass cylinder whirling high through the air to drop almost exactly where it should。 There was the flash and the roar and then the rising smoke and then Thomas Hudson saw a man walking toward them out of the smoke with his hands clasped over his head。
¨Hold up the fire；〃 he said as rapidly as he could into two tubes。
But Ara had already fired and he saw the man slump forward into the mangroves on his knees with his head forward。
He spoke again and said； ¨Resume fire。〃 Then he said to Gil； very tiredly； ¨Put in another one about the same place if you can。 Then put in a couple of frags。〃
He had had a prisoner。 But he had lost him。
After a while he said； ¨Willie； you and Ara want to have a look？〃
¨Sure；〃 Willie said。 ¨But keep some fire on while we go in。 I want to go in from the back。〃
¨Tell Henry what you want。 When do you want it off？〃
¨As soon as we clear the entrance。〃
¨All right； jungle man；〃 Thomas Hudson said and for the first time he had time to realize that he was probably going to die。
XXI
HE HEARD THE NOISE OF A GRENADE bursting behind the small ridge。 Then there was no more noise and no firing。 He leaned heavily on the wheel and he watched the smoke of the grenade thin out in the wind。
¨Iˇm going to take her on through as soon as I see the dinghy；〃 he said to Gil。
He felt Antonioˇs arm around him and heard him say； ¨You lie down； Tom。 Iˇm taking her。〃
¨All right；〃 he said and he took a last look down the narrow； green…banked river。 The water was brown but clear and the tide was flowing strong。
Gil and Antonio helped him to lie down on the planking of the bridge。 Then Antonio took the wheel。 He went astern a little more to hold her against the tide and Thomas Hudson could feel the sweet rhythm of the big motors。
¨Loosen the tourniquet a little；〃 he said to Gil。
¨Weˇll get the air mattress；〃 Gil said。
¨I like it on the deck；〃 Thomas Hudson said。 ¨I think it is better if I donˇt move much。〃
¨Get a cushion under his head；〃 Antonio said。 He was looking down the channel。
In a little while he said； ¨Theyˇre waving us in； Tom；〃 and Thomas Hudson felt the motors go ahead and the ship slide forward。
¨Anchor her as soon as weˇre out of the channel。〃
¨Yes； Tom。 Donˇt talk。〃
Henry came up and took the wheel and the controls when they anchored。 Now that they were in the open again； Thomas Hudson felt her swing into the wind。
¨Thereˇs lots of water in here； Tom；〃 Henry said。
¨I know。 All the way to Caibari？n and the two channels are clear and well marked。〃
¨Please donˇt talk； Tom。 Just lie quiet。〃
¨Have