was served as heretofore, and only after the military had
breakfasted or dined, or supped, could their precious pewter platters
and cups be borrowed by the families, to be rigorously cleaned and
restored before the preparations began for the next meal. Every utensil
in the place did double duty, yet not one failed to be ready for service
when required. Mrs. Halsing ventured to cavil, and suggested that she
had always heard elsewhere that it was polite to serve ladies and
children first, instead of giving a lot of hulking soldiers precedence.

"Why, madam," Demere said, with rebuking severity, "the men are the
muscles of our defense, and must be kept in the best possible physical
condition."

Nothing was allowed to interfere with the regular hours of the troops or
break their rest. Tattoo and "lights out" had the same meaning for the
women and children and wild young boys as for the soldiery; no
boisterous callow cries and juvenile racing and chasing were permitted
on the parade; no belated groups of gossipers; no nocturnal wailing of
wickedly wakeful infants in earshot.

"A-body would think the men was cherubim or seraphim the way the
commandant cares for them," plained Mrs. Halsing.

The supplies were regulated by the same careful supervision and served
out duly by weight and allowance. Somewhat frugal seemed this dole,
especially to those who had lived on the unlimited profusion of the
woodland game, yet it was sufficient. No violent exercise, to which the
men had been accustomed, required now the restoring of exhausted tissues
by a generous food supply. There was ample provision, too, made for the
occupation of the men's attention and their amusement. The regular
cleaning of quarters, inspection, drill and guard duties, and
dress-parades went on as heretofore, with the "fencibles" as an
auxiliary body. The rude games of ball, ring toss, leap-frog were varied
sometimes by an exhibition, given under the auspices of the officers, of
feats of strength; certain martial Samsons lifted great weights, made
astonishing leaps, ran like greyhounds competing with one another in a
marked-off course, or engaged in wrestling-matches--to the unbounded
applause of the audience, except the compassionate Fifine, who wept
loudly and inconsolably whenever a stalwart fellow caught a fall. One
rainy evening, in the officers' mess-hall, the society of the fort was
invited to hear the performance of a clever but rascally fellow, more
us