ling up
into position. Then, after a few words of instruction, "Right shoulder
shift--Arms!"

"Don't you know your right shoulder?" said the Sergeant, with a good
deal of vinegar in his tone, to Si, who had his gun on the "larboard"
side, as a sailor would say.

"Beg yer pardon," said Si; "I always was lefthanded. I'll learn if yer
only gimme a show!"

"Silence!" again roared the Sergeant. "One more word, sir, and I will
tie ye up, fer a fact!"

The Sergeant got his squad down to an "order arms" again, and then,
after showing them how, he gave the order, "Fix--Bayonets!"

There was the usual clicking and clattering, during which Si dexterously
managed to stick his bayonet into the eye of his comrade, whose toes
were still aching from the blow of the butt of Si's musket. Si assured
him he was sorry, and that it was all a mistake, but his comrade thought
the limit of patience had been passed. So he confidently informed Si
that as soon as drill was over he was going to "pound the stuffin'" out
of him, and there wouldn't be any mistake about it, either.

When the hour was up the Captain of the company came around to see
how the boys were getting along. The upshot of it was that poor Si
was immediately organized into an "awkward squad" all by himself, and
drilled an extra hour.

"We'll see, Mr. Klegg," said the Captain, "if you can't learn to handle
your arms without mashing the toes and stabbing the eyes out of the rest
of the company."

CHAPTER VIII. ON COMPANY DRILL

SI GETS TANGLED IN THE MAZES OF THE EVOLUTIONS.

"ALL in for company drill!"

These words struck the unwilling ears of Co. Q, 200th Ind., the next
time Buell halted his army to draw a long breath.

"Wish somebody would shoot that durned Orderly," muttered Si Klegg. "For
two cents I'd do it myself."

"Don't do it, Si," admonished Shorty, "They'd git another one that'd be
just as bad. All orderlies are cusses."

Si believed it would be a case of justifiable homicide, and, if the
truth must be told, this feeling was largely shared by the other members
of the company. For more than a week the boys had been tramping over
a "macadamized" Kentucky pike. Feet were plentifully decorated with
blisters, legs were stiff and sore, and joints almost refused to perform
their functions.

It had rained nearly all the previous day, and the disgusted Hoosiers
of the 200th went sloshing along, wet to the skin, for 20 dreary miles.
With that diabolical ca