An irresistible officer
Chapter 13. About how cigars and how they explode
Magdalena River, Magdalena, Colombia
Corporal! Place the Sergeant under arrest, conduct him to headquarters and then, proceed to place yourself and the eight troopers present under arrest as well! Understood, Corporal?”
“Sir! Yes, Sir!”
“Very well, carry on! And, Corporal!”
“Sir!”
“Teach that bum of a Sergeant to count to ten! You have your orders , Corporal!”
Later he would retell that evening’s events, and laughing he would say:
“I was scared and nervous as hell! Of course, it wouldn’t do to let it show, so I kept cool, as if I had been an officer all of my God darn life.”
“Even today, I’m not really that sure about what happened… When I ordered that miserable sergeant to place himself under arrest, I actually pulled rank on him, as his superior officer, but I never expected him to pay attention to my orders, much less obey them!”
“Still, that was the first thing that crossed my mind. Then, it suddenly dawned on me.”
“Could it, by any chance have been my firm attitude, and my commanding, disciplined voice? No, I’d like to think so, but it doesn’t pay to fool oneself!”
“The answer is simple and straightforward: I looked so fashionable in my new officer’s get-up; the Sarge and his pals, just couldn’t resist obeying my orders!”
In the land of volcanoes’ Chapters Purchase the book