heir regiment.
They gathered up some wood, built fires, made coffee and ate the
remainder of their rations. They were all horribly depressed by little
Pete Skidmore's fate, and Si and Shorty, accustomed as they were to
violent deaths, could not free themselves from responsibility however
much they tried to reason it out as an unavoidable accident. They could
not talk to one another, but each wrapped himself up in his blanket and
sat moodily, a little distance from the fires, chewing the cud of bitter
fancies. Neither could bear the thought of reporting to their regiment
that they had been unable to take care of the smallest boy in their
squad. Si's mind went back to Peter Skidmore's home, and his mother,
whose heart would break over the news.

The clanging and whistling of the trains kept up unabated, and Si
thought they made the most hateful din that ever assailed his ears.

Presently one of the trains stopped opposite them and a voice called
from the locomotive:

"Do you men know of a squad of Injianny recruits commanded by Serg't
Klegg?"

"Yes, here they are," said Si, springing up. "I'm Serg't Klegg."

[Illustration: LITTLE PETE FOUND 13]

"That's him," piped out Pete Skidmore's voice from the engine, with a
very noticeable blubber of joy. "He's the same durned old-fool that I
kept tellin' all the time he'd lose me if he wasn't careful, and he went
and done it all the same."

"Well, here's your boy," continued the first voice. "Be mighty glad
you've got him back and see that you take care o' him after this. My
fireman run down on the cow-ketcher and snatched him up just in the
nick o' time. A second more and he'd bin mince-meat. Men what can't take
better care o' boys oughtn't to be allowed to have charge of 'em. But
the Government gits all sorts o' damn fools for $13 a month."

Si was so delighted at getting Pete back unhurt that he did not have the
heart to reply to the engineer's gibes.

CHAPTER II. SI AND SHORTY COME VERY NEAR LOSING THEIR BOYS.

ALL healthy boys have a strong tincture of the savage in them. The
savage alternately worships his gods with blind, unreasoning idolatry,
or treats them with measureless contumely.

Boys do the same with their heroes. It is either fervent admiration, or
profound distrust, merging into actual contempt. After the successful
little skirmish with the guerrillas the boys were wild in their
enthusiasm over Si and Shorty. They could not be made to believe that