ied Rodney, who was greatly amused by the look of
astonishment his words had brought to the faces around him. "A general
would look pretty accepting the services of a company he couldn't
command, wouldn't he, now?"

"But he could command us," said everybody in the line; and Captain
Hubbard added: "I'd promise that we would obey him as promptly and
readily as any of his regular troops."

"But that wouldn't satisfy him. He'd want the power to make us obey him,
or we might take it into our heads to leave him when things didn't go to
suit, just as Randolph and his friends have left us. If we should try
any little game like that in the face of the enemy, he might have the
last one of us shot."

"What do you think of the prospect, boys?" said the captain, pulling out
his handkerchief and mopping his face with it. He was all in the dark
and wanted somebody to suggest something.

"Look here, Rodney," said Lieutenant Percy. "If you knew our company was
to go up in smoke what did you join it for?"

"I don't believe it is going up in smoke," was the reply. "I certainly
hope it isn't, for I am under promise to go into the service, and would
rather go with my friends and neighbors than with strangers; but if we
are going to bear arms, we've got to have authority from somebody to do
it."

"Why, we'll get that from the State of Louisiana," exclaimed the
Rangers, almost as one man. "The State is supreme, no one outside of it
has a right to command our services, and State Rights will be our
battle-cry, if we need one."

"All right," exclaimed Rodney. "I am here to share the fortunes of the
company, whatever they may be, but I can't take the position you have so
kindly offered me, and I beg you will not urge me further. Give it to
some one who wants it, and I will do all I can to help him."

"Well, that's different," said the captain, who seemed to be much
relieved. "Fall out and prepare your ballots; and you had better fix 'em
all up while you are about it, so that there may be no further delay."

The order to "fall out" was quite unnecessary, for the ranks were pretty
well broken before the captain gave it. He allowed them half an hour in
which to write out their ballots, and then the line was reformed, after
a fashion, and the voting went on; and although the results were in the
main satisfactory, there were some long faces among the Rangers.

"Never mind," said Rodney, who had been elected first duty sergeant.
"You outsid