ays lookin' around for
some excuse for sculping a man, and the less he has the savager he is."

"I don't believe it," said the Orderly, "I've watched old Truax, when
he's been roaring around, and I always found that he was after somebody
that deserved it. Men of that kind are pretty certain to be very soft on
good soldiers, like Si and Shorty, and I think he's all right. The
boys of the 1st Oshkosh all swear by him, and you can trust a man's own
regiment to know him surer than anybody else. And then there's Capts.
Suter and Harris, of the Maumee Muskrats."

"Terrible strict," muttered Jerry despairingly.

"Lieuts. Newton and Bonesteel, of the Kankakees," continued the Orderly.

"Good men--promoted from the ranks, and remember that they once carried
a gun themselves."

"Lieut. McJimsey, of the staff."

"A wasp-waisted West Pointer, raw from school; thinks he's learned all
there's to know about war out of a book on triggernometry. Has no more
feelin' for a private soljer than I have for a mule. Calls 'em 'my men,'
roared Jerry.

"And as he's only a Second Lieutenant he'll have the first vote," sighed
the Orderly. "And Lieut. Bowersox is to be the Judge-Advocate. He'll
have to do the prosecuting. I know he hates the job. He thinks the world
and all of Si and Shorty, but he's the kind of a man to do his duty
without fear, favor or affection. And all of us 'll have to testify.
Dumb Shorty's fool soul! Why didn't he get up his ruction somewhere
where the boys couldn't see him, and know nothing about it! I've no
patience with him or Si."

Lieut. Steigermeyer, the complainant, stalked by in solemn dignity.

"Can't I shoot that dod-blasted Aid, and save Shorty, and take it all on
myself?" blubbered little Pete, who had been in tears ever since he had
seen the grave assemblage of officers in full dress.

[Illustration: SHORTY BEFORE THE COURT-MARTIAL. 256]

"Shut up, you little fool," said the Orderly savagely. In the
selfishness of his sorrow it made him angry to see anybody else show
more grief than his.

The Orderly, in stating Lieut. Bowersox's position, forgot, or was
not aware of the fact, that while the Judge-Advocate represents the
Government at a trial as the Prosecuting Attorney, he is also the
counsel for the defense; a dual role which has important and frequently
unexpected results.

After the members were duly seated according to rank, with Maj. Truax
at the head of the table, Lieut. Bowersox read the