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They continued to watch each other for perhaps a second, but the second was broken into many units of alertness, of decisions made and broken to launch the first blowAnd then Hearn interrupted them, pushed them apart roughly"Break it up, are you men crazy?" Not more than five seconds had elapsed since Croft had killed the bird, and he had crossed from the other side of the hollow"What's happened here, what's going on?"
They moved apart slowly, sullenly"Not a damn thing, Lootenant," Red saidTo himself, he thought, I'll be fugged if I need a goddam looey to help meHe was feeling proud and relieved, and yet in another sense he was uneasy that the outcome was postponed
"Who started all this?" Hearn was demanding
Ridges spoke up, "He didn't have no call to kill that little ol' birdHe jus' stopped up and took it outen Roth's hand, and jus' killed it
"Is that true?"
Croft was uncertain how to answerHearn's voice angered him
Hearn hesitated, staring at CroftThen he grinned, slightly conscious of how much he was enjoying this moment"All right, let's cut this out," he told them"If you have to fight, don't fight with noncoms Their eyes had turned bitterFor a moment Hearn sensed the impulses that had made Croft kill the birdHe turned to him, staring down into the emotionless glitter of Croft's eyes"You happen to be wrong, SergeantSuppose you apologize to Roth
Croft looked at him in disbeliefHe took several deep breaths"Come on, Sergeant, apologize
If Croft had been holding a rifle in his hand, he might have shot Hearn at this insta