r minor precepts.

His feelings were continually lacerated by contact with volunteers, who
cared next to nothing for the FORM of war-making, but everything for its
spirit, and the martinet heart within him was bruised and sore when he
came upon the ground to inspect the regiment.

Alspaugh's blundering in bringing the company into line awakened this
ire from a passivity to activity.

"I'll have that dunderhead's shoulder-straps off inside of a fortnight,"
he muttered between his teeth.

The unhappy Lieutenant's inability to even stand properly during the
parade, or repeat an order intensified his rage. When the parade was
dismissed the officers, as usual, sheathed their swords, and forming a
line with the Adjutant in the center, marched forward to the commanding
and inspecting officers, and saluted. Then the wrath of the old
Inspector became vocable.

"What in God's name," he roared, fixing his glance upon Alspaugh so
unmistakably that even the latter's rainbow-clad girls, who had crowded
up closely, could not make a mistake as to the victim of the expletives.
"What in God's name, sir," repeated the old fellow with purpling face,
"do you mean by bringing your company on to the ground in that absurd
way, sir? Did you think, sir, that it was a hod of brick--with which I
have no doubt you are most familiar--that you could dump down any place
and any how, sir? Such misconduct is simply disgraceful, sir, I'd have
you know. Simply disgraceful, sir."

He paused for breath, but Alspaugh had no word of defense to offer.

"And what do you mean, sir," resumed the Inspector, after inflating
his lungs for another gust, "what in the name of all the piebald circus
clowns that ever jiggered around on sawdust, do you mean by coming on
parade dressed like the ringmaster of a traveling monkey-show, sir?
Haven't you any more idea of the honor of wearing a United States
sword--the noblest weapon on earth, sir--than to make yourself look
like the drum-major of a band of nigger minstrels, sir! A United States
officer ought to be ashamed to make a damned harlequin of himself, sir.
I'd have you to understand that most distinctly, sir!"

The Inspector's stock of breath, alas, was not so ample as in the
far-off days when his sturdy shoulders bore the modest single-bar,
instead of the proud spread eagle of the present. Even had it been,
the explosive energy of his speech would have speedily exhausted it.
Compelled to stop to pump in a fre