ay?"
asked little Pete, still somewhat nervously.

"Lord only knows," answered Shorty indifferently, feeling around for
his pipe. "A feller never knows when he's goin' to have to fight rebel
cavalry any more'n he knows when he's goin' to have the toothache. The
thing just happens, and that's all there is of it."

Si and Shorty, having finished their suppers, lighted their pipes, and
strolled up through the regiment to talk over with the others the events
of the day and the probabilities of the morrow.

Left alone, the tongues of the excited boys became loosened, and ran
like the vibrations of a cicada's rattle.

"Wasn't it just wonderful?" said Monty Scruggs. "It looked as if a
million circuses had suddenly let out over there.

"'The Assyrians came down like a wolf on the fold,
And their cohorts were gleaming with purple and gold.'

"Only there didn't seem much purple and gold about them. Seemed mostly
brown rags and slouch hats and long swords. Gracious, did you ever see
anything as long and wicked as them swords! Seemed that every one was
pointing directly at me, and they'd reach me the very next jump."

"Of course, you thought they were all looking at you," said Alf Russell.
"That's your idea, always, wherever you are. You think you're spouting
on the platform, and the center of attraction. But I knew that they were
all looking at me, as folks generally do."

"More self-conceit," sneered Harry Joslyn. "Just because you're so good
looking, Alf. I knew that they weren't bothering about any boy
orator, who does most of his shooting with his mouth, nor any young
pill-peddler, who sings in the choir, and goes home with the prettiest
girl. They were making a dead set on the best shot in the crowd, the
young feller who'd come into the war for business, and told his folks
at home before he started that he was going to shoot Jeff Davis with his
own hand before he got back. That was me, I saw the Colonel of one o'
the regiments point his sword straight at me as they came across the
run, and tell his men to be sure and get me of all others."

"Why didn't you shoot him, if you're such a deadshot?" asked Gid
Mackall.

"Why, I was just loading my gun, when I saw him, and as I went to put on
the cap you were shaking so that it jarred the cap out of my hand, and
before I could get another, the smoke became so thick I couldn't see
anything."

"I shaking?" said Gib, with deep anger. "Now, Harry Josyn--"

"Come