om he addressed
his not very suave remark, that he really meant to do precisely what
he threatened.

As he spoke he laid his left hand upon the other's shoulder, and
placed his face as near to his companion's as was possible without
bringing their noses into actual contact; but he neither clenched nor
shook his fist. Persons who mention weapons which they really have
made up their minds to use, do not display them in a threatening
manner. That is the device of bullies who think to frighten their
adversaries by the threatening exhibition as they do by their
threatening words. Sam Hardwicke was not a bully, and he did not wish
to frighten anybody. He merely wished to make the boy hold his tongue,
and he meant to do that in any case, using whatever measure of
violence he might find necessary to that end. He mentioned his fist
merely because he meant to use that weapon if it should be necessary.

His companion saw his determination, and remained silent.

"Now," resumed Sam, "I wish to say something to all of you, and I will
say it to you as an officer should talk to soldiers on a subject of
this sort. Fall into line! Right dress! steady, front!"

The boys were drawn up in line, and their commander stood at six paces
from them.

"Attention!" he cried, "I wish you to know and remember that we are
engaged in no child's play. We are soldiers. You have not yet been
mustered into service, it is true, but you are soldiers, nevertheless,
and you shall obey as such. Listen. When it became known in the
neighborhood that I had determined to join General Jackson and serve
as a soldier you boys proposed to go with me. I agreed, with a
condition, and that condition was that we should organize ourselves
into a company, elect a captain, and march to Camp Jackson under his
command, not go there like a parcel of school-boys or a flock of sheep
and be sent home again for our pains. You liked the notion, and we
made a fair bargain. I was ready to serve under anybody you might
choose for captain. I didn't ask you to elect me, but you did it. You
voted for me, ever one of you, and made me Captain. From that moment I
have been responsible for everything.

"I lead you and provide necessary food. I plan everything and am
responsible for everything. If you misbehave as you go through the
country I shall be held to blame and I shall be to blame. But not a
man of you shall misbehave. I am your commander, you made me that, and
you can't undo it