ock.

"Now, no rock-throwing and no shootin' while he's singing'," said
Shorty. "Give the boy a chance to git back to his tree after he's done."

"All right. We'll play fair. But no politics," came back from the rock.

"Go out there, Alf, on the gravel, and sing to 'em," said Shorty.

Alf Russell hesitated a moment, and then climbed up on the pile of
washings and after clearing his throat, sang "When This Cruel War is
Over" in his best style, and was applauded from the top of the rock and
below.

"Now, give us your speech. But no politics," the rebels shouted.

Monty Scruggs stepped up on the mound and recited "Bingen on the Rhine"
in his best school-exhibition style. The delight of the rebels was
boundless.

"Hip-hip--Hooray! Good! Good!" they shouted. "Give us another."

Monty scratched his head to think of something appropriate, and then
occurred to him Webster's great speech in defense of the Union, which
was then a favorite in the schools.

"When my eyes shall be turned to behold for the last time the sun in
heaven, may I not see him shining on the broken and dishonored fragments
of a once glorious Union; on States dissevered, discordant, belligerent;
on a land rent with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be, with fraternal
blood. Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and inseparable."

The rebels listened with growing impatience to the words, and as Monty
concluded with his best flourish they yelled angrily:

"Heah, we told you no politics. Git back thar, now, quick, or we'll bust
your haid with this heah rock."

Shorty and Si raised their guns to shoot the man with the bowlder, and
Monty skipped back to the shelter of his tree, saying with a grin:

"I was bound to give 'em a little straight goods before I quit, and they
got it. Old Dan Webster's very words."

"The orders is to stay right here for the night," said the
Orderly-Sergeant, coming up through the brush to Si, "and be ready for
anything that comes. I don't know what old Sherman means--whether he is
going to send over some balloons to lift us to the top of the rocks,
or set us to tunneling through. I suppose it ain't my business to know.
I've got enough to do running this company. But something's got to bust
inside the next 24 hours, and when it does there'll be the dumbedest
smash this country ever saw. Stay where you are till further orders, and
make yourselves as comfortable as possible."

The rebels on the rocks having quieted down, t