"I'll want to punch his rotten old head off the minute I set eyes on him," remarked Shorty, sotto voce; "but the character and dignity of the staff must be maintained."
I have broken the chain, the chain of obedience."Don't anybody yell! Don't anybody shoot!" called the Colonel in a loud whisper, and it was repeated by the line oflficers. "It will reveal our position. Lie down and keep perfectly quiet. They're overshooting us.""Load as fast as you can, boys," commanded the Lieutenant. "That was a good one. Give them an other."
ONE:"Hain't no time to argy law with you," said the Deacon impatiently. "This ain't no court-room. You ain't in session now. Git down, and git down quick!"
ONE:"No," said Si, who was irritated by his partner's irreverence: "but it's the way a good soldier does. His first dooty's to take care o' his grub, because that's takin' care o' himself, and keepin' himself in good shape to do the dooty the Government expects o' him. 'Tain't servin' the Government right for him to be careless about himself. Now here's 27 rations o' bread, meat, coffee, sugar, salt and beansthree apiece for each of us. Harry Joslyn, you and Gid Mack divide them up into nine equal piles."
"Just the same as dress parade every day," answered the Chief Clerk. "Don't want any scarecrows around these Headquarters. We're on dress parade all the time before the people and other soldiers, and must show them how soldiers ought to appear. You'll find a barber-shop and a bootblack around the corner. Make for them at once, and get yourself in shape to represent Headquarters properly.""Is this a place for sleeping?""There are no elders. My name Hortat."I find Marvor after the fighting, once only, and I ask him what it is that is so important about this fighting. The Confederationthe masters we now haveare only masters like the ones we know. Marvor looks at me with a look as if he, too, is a master.Shorty hurried back to Headquarters and laid his precious papers before the Chief Clerk, who could not contain his exultation.
