e purloiner of his provender there would have
been a harder fight than any that occurred between Buell and Bragg.

The boys winked slyly at one another, and all said it was too bad. It
was a startling case of turpitude, and Si determined to have revenge
by getting even with some other fellow, without pausing to consider the
questions of moral philosophy involved.

"Come 'long with me. Shorty!" he said to his friend, and they strode
away. Just outside the camp they came upon two members of some other new
regiment coming into camp with a fine pig slung over a pole and two or
three chickens in their hands. Shorty suggested to Si that this was a
good chance for him to even up.

"Halt, there!" shouted Si to the foragers. "We're sent out to pick up
such fellows as you!"

The effect was like a discharge from a masked battery. The men dropped
their plunder and fled in wild confusion.

"Take hold 'o that pole, Shorty!" said Si, and laying it upon their
shoulders they made a triumphant entry into camp.

There seemed to be no danger of immediate starvation in the ranks of
the 200th. Each man appeared to have supplied himself during the day. On
every hand fires gleamed brightly in the gathering twilight, and around
them crowded the hungry soldiers, intent upon the simple culinary
processes incident to the evening meal.

CHAPTER XVIII. A SUNDAY OFF

SI AND SHORTY GET A MUCH-NEEDED WASH-UP.

"YOU can take it easy to-day, boys, for we ain't goin' to move!" said the
Orderly of Co. Q one morning at roll-call. "The orders is for to put the
camp in nice shape, and for the men to wash up. We're goin' to have an
extra ration of soap this mornin', and you fellows want to stir around
lively and fix yerselves as if it was Sunday and ye was goin' to
meetin'. The fust thing after breakfast all hands 'll turn out and
p'leece ther camp."

"What in the world does he mean by p'leecin' the camp?" Corporal Klegg
asked Shorty, as they stood by the fire making coffee and warming up
the fragments of chicken that had been left over from supper the night
before. "I didn't c'pose," said Si, "that we 'listed to be p'leecemen!"

Shorty replied that he didn't know, but he reckoned they'd find out
soon enough. The 200th Ind. had been on the jump every day since
leaving Louisville, and this was the first time it had been called on to
"police" a camp.

As soon as breakfast was over the Orderly directed each man to provide
himself with a small b