r judgment that the man was drunk, who was still
doing his duty pretty effectively."

"But there could be no mistake. I know that the man was raging drunk."

"As I said before, that is a matter of opinion and judgment which I will
discuss with the court later. Did the prisoner actually strike you?"

"I cannot say that he actually did, farther than snatch out of my hand
the field-glasses."

"He didn't do it! You're lyin'! I yanked the glasses out of your hand.
'Twas me," shouted little Pete, from the oak leaves.

The members all looked up in astonishment.

"Sergeant," said the Major to the Sergeant of the Provost Guard, "fetch
that little rascal down and buck-an-gag him, until I can decide what
further punishment he deserves for eavesdropping, and interrupting the
court."

"I don't care if you kill me," whimpered little Pete, as they tied his
hands together, "if you'll only let Corp'l Elliott off. He wasn't to
blame. It was me.

"You can go," said Lieut. Bowersox to the Lieutenant. "Sergeant, bring
in Orderly-Sergeant Jacob Whitelaw."

In response to the Judge-Advocate's direct questionings the
Orderly-Sergeant had to sorrowfully admit that he thought that Shorty
was drunk, very drunk, and exceedingly noisy. But when Lieut. Bowersox
changed to the defense, the Orderly-Sergeant testified with great
alacrity that he had not seen Shorty take a drink, that he did not know
where he could have got whisky; did not know where in all that part of
Georgia there was a drop of liquor outside of the Surgeon's stores and
the officers' canteens; that he wished he did know, for he'd like to
have a drink himself; and that Shorty, when he was putting forth his
greatest strength, was generally very vociferous and not at all careful
of what he said. This was one of the peculiarities of the man, that he
was overlooked on account of his great effectiveness on the men when in
that state.

The other members of the company testified in the same way, giving their
belief even more emphatically against any liquor being found anywhere in
that neighborhood, and the unlikelihood of Shorty's being able to obtain
any. The other members of the court had "caught on" very quickly to the
tactics of the President and Judge-Advocate. All except Lieut. McJimsey,
whose prepossessions were decidedly and manifestly in favor of the
attitude of his brother staff officer. He grew stiffer and more dogged
as the case proceeded, and frequently asked embarra