amps, but meanwhile
they became physically tougher and more enduring.

The life in the open air agreed with Harry wonderfully. He had already
learned from Colonel Talbot and Lieutenant-Colonel St. Hilaire how to
take care of himself, and he and St. Clair and Langdon suffered from
none of the diseases to which young soldiers are so susceptible.
But the long delays and uncertainties preyed upon them, although they
made no complaint except among themselves, and then they showed irony
rather than irritation.

"Sleeping out here under the trees is good," said Langdon, "but it isn't
like sleeping in the White House at Washington, which, as I told you
before, I've chosen as my boarding house for the coming autumn."

"There may be a delay in your plans, Tom," said Harry. "I'd make them
flexible if I were you."

"I intend to carry 'em out sooner or later. What's that you're reading,
Arthur?"

"A New York newspaper. I won't let you see it, Tom, but I'll read
portions of it to you. I'll have to expurgate it or you'd have a rush
of blood to the head, you're so excitable. It makes a lot of fun of us.
Tells that old joke, 'hay foot, straw foot,' when we drill. Says the
Yankees now have three hundred thousand men under the best of commanders,
and that the Yankee fleet will soon close up all our ports. Says a belt
of steel will be stretched about us."

"Then," said Langdon, "just as soon as they get that belt of steel
stretched we'll break it in two in a half dozen places. But go on with
those feats of fancy that you're reading from that paper."

"Makes fun of our government. Says McDowell will be in Richmond in a
month."

"Just the time that Tom gives himself to get into Washington,"
interrupted Harry. "But go on."

"Makes fun of our army, too, especially of us South Carolinians.
Says we've brought servants along to spread tents for us, load our guns
for us, and take care of us generally. Says that even in war we won't
work."

"They're right, so far as Tom is concerned," said Harry. "We're going
to give him a watch as the laziest man among the Invincibles."

"It's not laziness, it's wisdom," said Langdon. "What's the use of
working when you don't have to, especially in a June as hot as this one
is? I conserve my energy. Besides, I'm going to take care of myself
in ways that you fellows don't know anything about. Watch me."

He took his clasp-knife and dug a little hole in the ground. Then he
repeated