got up into the road and started along the lane between these lines
of recumbent soldiers. His gait was a little shaky, for the blisters on
his feet began to give evidence of renewed activity. He trudged pluckily
along, limping some in spite of himself, but on the whole making very
good headway.

Pretty soon he struck a veteran regiment from Illinois, the members
of which were sitting and lying around in all the picturesque and
indescribable postures which the old soldiers found gave them the
greatest comfort during a "rest." Then they commenced--that is, it was
great sport for the Sucker boys, though Si did not readily appreciate
the humorous features of the scene.

"What rigiment is this?" asked Si, timidly.

"Same old rijiment!" was the answer from half a dozen at once. A single
glance told the swarthy veterans that the fresh-looking youth who
asked this conundrum belonged to one of the new regiments, and they
immediately opened their batteries upon him:

"Left--left-=left!"

"Hayfoot--strawfoot! Hayfoot--strawfoot!" keeping time with Si's
somewhat irregular steps.

"Hello, there, you! Change step and you'll march easier!"

"Look at that 'ere poor feller; the only man left alive of his regiment!
Great Cesar, how they must have suffered! Say, what rijiment did you
b'long to?"

"Paymaster's comin', boys, here's a chap with a pay-roll round his
neck!" Si had put on that morning the last of the paper collars he had
brought from home.

"You'd better shed that knapsack, or it'll be the death of ye!"

"I say, there, how's all the folks to home?"

"How d'ye like it as far as you've got, any way?"

"Git some commissary and pour into them gunboats!"

"Second relief's come, boys; we can all go home now."

"Grab a root!"

"Hep--hep--hep!"

"How'd ye leave Mary Ann?"

Si had never been under such a fire before. He stood it as long as he
could, and 'then he stopped.

"Halt!" shouted a chorus of voices. "Shoulder--Arms!" "Order--Arms!"

By this time Si's wrath was at the boiling point. Casting around him a
look of defiance, he exclaimed:

"You cowardly blaggards; I can jest lick any two of ye, an' I'll dare ye
to come on. If the 200th Ind. was here we'd clean out the hull pack of
ye quicker'n ye can say scat!"

This is where Si made a mistake. He ought to have kept right on and said
nothing. But Si had to find out all these things by experience, as the
rest of the boys did.

[Illustration: SI DEFIES A