med absurd to call 'em a black regiment; they
were pretty much all colors, and some of 'em as white as I am."

"Lord," said Jim, "that's not saying much, you've got a smutty face."

The men laughed, Jack with the rest, as he dabbed at his heated,
powder-stained countenance. "Come," said he, "that's no fair,--they're
as white as I am, then, when I've just scrubbed; and some of them are
first-raters, too; none of your rag, tag, and bobtail. There's one I
remember, a man from Philadelphia, who walks round like a prince. He's a
gentleman, every inch,--and he's rich,--and about the handsomest-looking
specimen of humanity I've set eyes upon for an age."

"Rich, is he? how do you know he's rich?"

"I was over one night with Captain Ware, and he and this man got to
talking about the pay for the Fifty-fourth. The government promised them
regular pay, you see, and then when it got 'em refused to stick to its
agreement, and they would take no less, so they haven't seen a dime
since they enlisted; and it's a darned mean piece of business, that's my
opinion of the matter, and I don't care who knows it," looking round
belligerently.

"Come, Bantam, don't crow so loud," interrupted the big Ohioan;
"nobody's going to fight you on that statement; it's a shame, and no
mistake. But what about your paragon?"

"I'll tell you. The Captain was trying to convince him that they had
better take what they could get till they got the whole, and that, after
all, it was but a paltry difference. 'But,' said the man, 'it's not the
money, though plenty of us are poor enough to make that an item. It's
the badge of disgrace, the stigma attached, the dishonor to the
government. If it were only two cents we wouldn't submit to it, for the
difference would be made because we are colored, and we're not going to
help degrade our own people, not if we starve for it. Besides, it's our
flag, and our government now, and we've got to defend the honor of both
against any assailants, North or South,--whether they're Republican
Congressmen or rebel soldiers.' The Captain looked puzzled at that, and
asked what he meant. 'Why,' said he, 'the United States government
enlisted us as soldiers. Being such, we don't intend to disgrace the
service by accepting the pay of servants.'"

"That's the kind of talk," bawled Jim from a fence-rail upon which he
was balancing. "I'd like to have a shake of that fellow's paw. What's
his name, d'ye know?"

"Ercildoune."

"Hey?"