the suspense was terrible. He had never won a tournament.
He had never had so golden an opportunity to down a boaster. But it was
General Bullwigg's honor, and it occurred to him that the time was riper
for talk than play.

"You may think that I am nervous," he said. "But I am not. During one
period of the battle of Aiken the firing between ourselves on this spot
and the enemy intrenched where the club-house now stands, and spreading
right and left in a half-moon, was fast and furious. Once they charged
up to our guns; but we drove them back, and after that charge yonder
fair green was one infernal shambles of dead and dying. Among the
wounded was one of the enemy's general officers; he whipped and thrashed
and squirmed like a newly landed fish and screamed for water. It was
terrible; it was unendurable. Next to me in the trench was a young
fellow named--named Jennings----"

"Jennings?" said the major breathlessly. "And what did he do?"

"He," said General Bullwigg. "Nothing. He said, however, and he was
careful not to show his head above the top of the trench: 'I can't stand
this,' he said; 'somebody's got to bring that poor fellow in.' As for
me, I only needed the suggestion. I jumped out of the trench and ran
forward, exposing myself to the fire of both armies. When, however, I
reached the general officer, and my purpose was plain, the firing ceased
upon both sides, and the enemy stood up and cheered me."

General Bullwigg teed his ball and drove it far.

Major Jennings bit his lip; it was hardly within his ability to hit so
long a ball.

"This--er--Jennings," said he, "seems to have been a coward."

General Bullwigg shrugged his shoulders.

"Have I got it straight?" asked Major Jennings. "It was you who brought
in the general officer, and not--er--this--er--Jennings who did it?"

"I thought I had made it clear," said General Bullwigg stiffly. And he
repeated the anecdote from the beginning. Major Jennings's comment was
simply this:

"So _that_ was the way of it, was it?"

A deep crimson suffused him. He looked as if he were going to burst. He
teed his ball. He trembled. He addressed. He swung back, and then with
all the rage, indignation, and accuracy of which he was
capable--forward. It was the longest drive he had ever made. His ball
lay a good yard beyond the General's. He had beaten all competitors, but
that was nothing. He had beaten his companion, and that was worth more
to him than all the wealt