a fine bird! it must weigh twenty pounds."

"We were out walking and met the bird," Loubet explained in an
unctuously sanctimonious voice, "and it insisted on making our
acquaintance."

Jean made no reply, but his manner showed that he wished to hear nothing
more of the matter. Men must live, and then why in the name of common
sense should not those poor fellows, who had almost forgotten how
poultry tasted, have a treat once in a way!

Loubet had already kindled the fire into a roaring blaze; Pache and
Lapoulle set to work to pluck the goose; Chouteau, who had run off to
the artillerymen and begged a bit of twine, came back and stretched it
between two bayonets; the bird was suspended in front of the hot fire
and Maurice was given a cleaning rod and enjoined to keep it turning.
The big tin basin was set beneath to catch the gravy. It was a triumph
of culinary art; the whole regiment, attracted by the savory odor, came
and formed a circle about the fire and licked their chops. And what a
feast it was! roast goose, boiled potatoes, bread, cheese, and coffee!
When Jean had dissected the bird the squad applied itself vigorously to
the task before it; there was no talk of portions, every man ate as much
as he was capable of holding. They even sent a plate full over to the
artillerymen who had furnished the cord.

The officers of the regiment that evening were a very hungry set of men,
for owing to some mistake the canteen wagon was among the missing, gone
off to look after the corps train, maybe. If the men were inconvenienced
when there was no issue of ration they scarcely ever failed to find
something to eat in the end; they helped one another out; the men of
the different squads "chipped in" their resources, each contributing his
mite, while the officer, with no one to look to save himself, was in a
fair way of starving as soon as he had not the canteen to fall back on.
So there was a sneer on Chouteau's face, buried in the carcass of the
goose, as he saw Captain Beaudoin go by with his prim, supercilious air,
for he had heard that officer summoning down imprecations on the driver
of the missing wagon; and he gave him an evil look out of the corner of
his eye.

"Just look at him! See, his nose twitches like a rabbit's. He would give
a dollar for the pope's nose."

They all made merry at the expense of the captain, who was too
callow and too harsh to be a favorite with his men; they called him a
_pete-sec_. He seeme