isdained to use coffee boiled in water. We made our
coffee out of milk, calling the wonderful beverage, if I remember
rightly, "pale Vienna."

While we were ahead, skimming the cream, and while the commissary was
lost far behind, the main Army, coming along in the middle, starved.
This was hard on the Army, I'll allow; but then, the ten of us were
individualists. We had initiative and enterprise. We ardently believed
that the grub was to the man who got there first, the pale Vienna to
the strong. On one stretch the Army went forty-eight hours without
grub; and then it arrived at a small village of some three hundred
inhabitants, the name of which I do not remember, though I think it
was Red Rock. This town, following the practice of all towns through
which the Army passed, had appointed a committee of safety. Counting
five to a family, Red Rock consisted of sixty households. Her
committee of safety was scared stiff by the eruption of two thousand
hungry hoboes who lined their boats two and three deep along the
river bank. General Kelly was a fair man. He had no intention of
working a hardship on the village. He did not expect sixty households
to furnish two thousand meals. Besides, the Army had its
treasure-chest.

But the committee of safety lost its head. "No encouragement to the
invader" was its programme, and when General Kelly wanted to buy food,
the committee turned him down. It had nothing to sell; General Kelly's
money was "no good" in their burg. And then General Kelly went into
action. The bugles blew. The Army left the boats and on top of the
bank formed in battle array. The committee was there to see. General
Kelly's speech was brief.

"Boys," he said, "when did you eat last?"

"Day before yesterday," they shouted.

"Are you hungry?"

A mighty affirmation from two thousand throats shook the atmosphere.
Then General Kelly turned to the committee of safety:--

"You see, gentlemen, the situation. My men have eaten nothing in
forty-eight hours. If I turn them loose upon your town, I'll not be
responsible for what happens. They are desperate. I offered to buy
food for them, but you refused to sell. I now withdraw my offer.
Instead, I shall demand. I give you five minutes to decide. Either
kill me six steers and give me four thousand rations, or I turn the
men loose. Five minutes, gentlemen."

The terrified committee of safety looked at the two thousand hungry
hoboes and collapsed. It didn't wait the fi