"Then there's no hope--nothing left to fight for any more?"
"Nothing to fight for?" the Colonel snorted. "Soldier, as long as we
have our hills and valleys we'll have something to fight for!"
Lieutenant Blake said, "Private Conlon, no more of that defeatist talk!
Please excuse him, Colonel."
"That's all right," the Colonel shrugged. "It's been a shock to all of
us. Now, tell me, how are you fixed?"
"Two able, counting myself. One bad casualty. One dead. Three missing,"
Blake said.
"You'll have one man replacement."
"But, Colonel, that isn't enough to man the gun!"
"Apparently you don't realize what's happened to the country,
Lieutenant! We're not attempting to hold back the enemy. When they come
they're going to flow right over us as though we aren't here."
"Then what's the point of--"
"The point is this. We have not received an order to surrender. We
probably never will."