and our native land," declaimed Monty
Scruggs.

The waspish little mutiny was so amusing that Si had to smile in spite
of himself. With a quick, unexpected movement he snatched the bat from
Jim Humphreys' hand, and said good-humoredly:

"Now, boys, you mustn't make fools of yourselves agin'. Stop this
nonsense at once, I tell you. I'm just as much your commandin' officer
as I ever was."

"How can you be a commanding officer, when everybody else bosses you
about?" persisted the argumentative Monty Scruggs. "Everybody that comes
near you orders you around, just the same as you used to us, and you
mind 'em. That ain't no way for a commanding officer. We don't want
anybody bossing us that everybody else bosses."

"Well, that's the way o' the army," Si explained patiently, "and
you've got to git used to it. 'Most everybody bosses somebody else. The
President tells Gen. Grant what he wants done. Gen. Grant orders Gen,
Thomas to do it. Gen. Thomas orders a Major-General. The Major-General
orders a Brigadier-General. The Brigadier-General orders our Colonel.
Our Colonel orders Cap McGillicuddy. Cap McGillicuddy orders the
Orderly-Sarjint, the Orderly-Sarjint orders me, and I command you."

"Why, it's worse'n 'The-House-That-Jack-Built,'" said Monty Scruggs.

"Well, you needn't learn all of it," said Si. "It's enough for you to
know that I command you. That's the A B C of the business, and all you
need know. A man in the army gits into trouble offen by knowin' too
much. You git it well into your craws that I command you, and that
you've got to do just as I say, and I'll do the rest o' the knowin' that
you need.--"

"But how're we to know that you're right every time," argued Monty
Scruggs.

"Well," explained the patient Si, "if you've any doubts, go to the
Orderly-Sarjint. If he don't satisfy you, go to the Captain. If you have
doubts about him, carry it to the Colonel. If you're still in doubt,
refer it to the Brigadier-General, then to the Major-General, to Gen.
Thomas, Gen. Grant, and lastly to the President of the United States."

"Great goodness!" they gasped.

"But the less you bother your heads with Captains and Curnels and
Generals the better you'll git along. The feller that's right over
you--in arm's length o' you all the time--is the feller that you've got
to look out for sharply. I'm him. Now I want you to form in two ranks
quicker'n scat, and 'tend to business. I'm goin' to drill you. Gid
Mackall, take