ffen my hands, and not to have to think about it any
more."

"Corporal," said the General sternly, "I have not objected to your
running my office, for I probably need all the help in brains and
activity that I can get. But I must draw the line at your assuming the
duties of the Provost-Marshal in addition. He is quite capable of taking
care of his own office. You have too much talent for this narrow sphere.
Gen. Thomas needs you to help him run the army. Tell Wilson to make out
your transportation, so that you can start for your regiment tomorrow.
The Provost-Marshal and I will have to try to run this town without your
help. It will be hard work, I know; but, then, that is what we came into
the service for."

Shorty grumbled to another Orderly as he returned to his place in the
next room:

"There, you see all the thanks you git for bein' a hustler in the way
of doin' your dooty. I done a job for 'em that they should've 'tended to
long ago, and now they sit down on me for it."

CHAPTER XII. SHORTY ON A HUNT

GOES AFTER KNIGHTS OF THE GOLDEN CIRCLE.

THAT evening, as Shorty was gathering his things together, preparatory
for starting to the front the next morning, Lieut. Bigelow, one of
the General's young Aids, thrust his head through the doorway and said
gleefully:

"Here, Corporal; I want you. I've got a great lark. Our Secret Service
people report a bad lodge of the Knights of the Golden Circle out here
in the country that threatens to make trouble. It is made up of local
scalawags and runaway rebels from Kentucky and Tennessee. They have
a regular lodge-room in a log house out in the woods, which they have
fixed up into a regular fort, and they hold their meetings at nights,
with pickets thrown out, and no end of secrecy and mystery. The General
thinks that they are some of the old counterfeiting, horse-stealing gang
that infested the country, and are up to their old tricks. But it may be
that they are planning wrecking a train, burning bridges and the like.
They've got so bold that the Sheriff and civil officials are afraid of
them, and don't dare go near them. I've persuaded the General to let me
take out a squad and jump them. Want to go along?"

"I'm your huckleberry," said Shorty.

"I knew you'd be," answered the Lieutenant; "so I got the General to
let me have you. We'll get some 10 or 12 other good boys. That will be
enough. I understand that there are about 100 regular attendants at the
lodge,