your place there. Harry Joslyn, stand behind him."

The old squabbles as to precedence immediately broke out between Gid and
Harry, which Si impatiently ended by snatching Harry by the collar
and yanking him behind Gid, with the wrathful Harry protesting that he
intended carrying the matter up through the whole military hierarchy,
even to the President of the United States, if necessary. He did not
come into the army to be run over.

"You came into the army to do just as I tell you, and you'll do it.
Silence in the ranks," commanded Si. "Humphreys, stand next to Mackall.
Scruggs, stand behind Humphreys."

"Why do you put one man behind another?" queried Monty Scruggs. "I don't
think that's right.--Jim's big head'll be forever in my way, so's I
can't see anything. Why don't you put us out in one line, like a class
in school? Then everybody's got the same show."

"I didn't make the tactics. Git into your places," snapped Si.

"Well, I don't think much of a teacher that can't explain what he's
teaching," mumbled Monty, as he reluctantly obeyed.

"Now, Russell, stand next to Humphreys; Baker, stand behind Russell;
Skidmore, stand next to Russell."

"Goody, I'm in the front rank," giggled little Pete, and Harry Joslyn
looked as if here was another case of favoritism that he would have to
call the President's attention to.

"Now," commanded Si, "put your heels together, turn your toes out, stand
erect, draw your stomachs in--"

[Illustration: "DRAW YOUR STOMACHS IN. 73]

"Look here, Jim Humphreys," grumbled Monty Scruggs, "when he told you to
draw your stomach in he didn't mean for you to stick your hips out till
you bumped me over into the next Township. I've got to have room to
stand here, as well as you."

"Silence in the ranks," commanded Si. "Draw your stomachs in, put your
little fingers down to the seams of your pantaloons--"

"You mean the middle finger, don't you?" queried Monty Scruggs. "That's
more natural way of standing."

"No, I mean the little finger," asserted Si.

"But the middle finger is more natural," persisted Monty. "You can't
stand straight with your little finger at the seam. See here."

"Scruggs, do as I say, without no words," said Si, and then Monty's face
took on an expression of determination to carry the matter to a higher
court.

"Now, keep your faces straight to the front, and at the command 'Right
dress!' turn your eyes, without moving your heads, until you kin see the
but