his head up alone. So I let it down on the cushion very easy and I saw we
were all alone. Maybe you won't understand and it's hard to tell you. But
I didn't say anything; I just stayed there and rubbed his forehead.

"We told her," he said, kind of as if he was weak and tired.

"Yup," I said, "you told her"

"Somebody'll get it--maybe," he said.

"I ain't thinking about that," I said, "I'm only thinking about how you
did it, I--I don't want the signalling badge in my patrol now, honest I
don't, Wig. I want it to stay where it belongs. And I want there to be
only just the one in the troop. I got mad first. That's because I'm
always getting mad, I guess. But there will never be any signalling badge
in my patrol, Wig. That's going to be the rule."

"There'll be a Gold Cross though," he said. And then he shut his eyes.

But I stayed right there--just because--oh, I don't know, just because
I wanted to stay right there. You can't always tell why you want to do
a thing.




CHAPTER XI

LOST