THE FEATHER MERCHANTS

The author of Barefoot Bay with Check seconds it with another farce, more mad moments and digressive, our-realist satire on anything that comes to mind, with emphasis on the civilian front. Sgt. Dan Miller gets a furlough and comes home to Minneapolis. There he is promptly rebuffed by his girl, Estherlee, who thought only in terms of front-line heroes, not swivel chair soldiers, so Dan feeling rejected and dejected, finds alcoholic salnce. During a drunken evening at a hotspot, his friend San introduces him as Robert Jordan, demolition hero of a bridge in Morocco (tolling no bells) -- and Dan awakes next morning to find himself the toast of Minneapolis, attraction of women's clubs, of radio programs, and due for a repeat performance in a demonstration for the entire city. This brings Estherlee around, climaxes in his demolition of an ammunition factory, and winds him up in the guardhouse, in comparative peace and quiet. Horsy -- many -- loud laughter --. If that's the way you like 'em.