there you are. I've lived on nothing but hardtack and a couple
of potatoes for two days,--and your father has done the same,--and yet
some of the boys kick."

"It's hard lines, truly," answered Deck, soberly. "But we shall have to
make the best of it, and that is all there is to it. When we halt for
dinner, I'll make my battalion a little speech on the subject."

"I wish you would, for the third company is the hardest kicker of the
lot," grumbled Hickman, and rode off, trying to solve in his mind how
he was going to make six boxes of hardtack, two barrels of potatoes, and
one box of beans last nearly a thousand men two days or more. "I'll just
have to swell out them beans, that's all," he said. "And all hands will
have to play Yankees and eat 'em," he added, remembering that some of
the Kentuckians had turned up their noses at this particularly New
England dish.

When the halt came Major Deck made his promised speech. "Our
quartermaster is doing his best," he said, "and officers are faring no
better than the men. If we are badly off, the enemy is worse, so let us
leave the growling to them. I feel certain our government will not
forget us, and that supplies will soon be coming through in abundance."

For a moment there was a silence. "We didn't mean anything, Major," came
from a private of the second company. "The quartermaster is all right.
Three cheers for him!" The cheers were given with a will; and then
Hickman felt much better.

Life Knox and several others had gone off on a scout for "extras." They
had brought down two rabbits when they ran across a house set in a
grove of untrimmed trees. The front door was open on a crack, and at the
crack an elderly man was stationed with a shot-gun.

"Keep off! keep off!" cried the man as he stepped onto the porch. "I
don't want any soldiers around here."

"So it would seem," answered the tall Kentuckian, dryly. "Who are you?"

"Eh?" queried the man, who was a bit deaf.

"Stand still and tell us who you are."

"That's my business. You clear out!"

"Rather guess it's our business just now," laughed another of the
cavalrymen.

"A man's house is his castle, and I want you to leave me," stormed the
man with the shot-gun. "You are nothing but Yankees!"

"That is true," returned Life. "What have you in your house?"

"Eh?"

"Most awfully deaf, he is," grunted another of the party. "Have you got
many provisions on hand?" he added, in a louder key.

"Eh?" and the ma