"Sorry, sir! I can explain, you see I had a date and it ran a little
late. I ran to the bus but missed it, I hailed a cab but it broke down,
found a farm, bought a horse but it dropped dead, ran 10 miles, and now
I'm here."

The General was very skeptical about this explanation but at least the
G.I. was here so he let the him go. Moments later, eight more G.I.s came
up to the General panting, and he asked them why they were late. They
all had the same story.

"Sorry, sir! I had a date and it ran a little late, I ran to the bus but
missed it, I hailed a cab but it broke down, found a farm, bought a
horse but it dropped dead, ran 10 miles, and now I'm here."

The General eyed them, feeling very skeptical but since he let the first
guy go, he let them go, too. A ninth G.I. jogged up to the General,
panting heavily.

"Sorry, sir! I had a date and it ran a little late, I ran to the bus but
missed it, I hailed a cab but..."

"Let me guess," the General interrupted, "it broke down."

"No sir," said the G.I., "there were so many dead horses in the road, it
took forever to get around them."
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