rations while Shorty was putting on his things. His bread and meat and
Shorty's were separate, and there was no trouble about them. But the
coffee and sugar had not been divided, and were in common receptacles.
He opened the coffee-can and looked in. There did not seem to be more
than one ration there. He hesitated a brief instant what to do. It would
serve Shorty just right to take all the coffee. He liked his coffee even
better than Shorty did, and was very strenuous about having it. If he
did not take it Shorty might think that he was either anxious to make up
or afraid, and he wanted to demonstrate that he was neither. Then there
was a twinge that it would be mean to take the coffee, and leave his
partner, senseless and provoking as he seemed, without any. He set
the can down, and, turning as if to look for something to empty it in,
pretended to hear something outside the house to make him forget it, and
hurried out.

Presently Shorty came out, and ostentatiously fell into line at a
distance from Si. It was the first time they had not stood shoulder to
shoulder.

The Orderly-Sergeant looked down the line, and called out:

"Here, Corp'l Klegg, you're not fit to go. Neither are you, Shorty. Step
out, both of you."

"Yes, I'm all right," said Shorty. "Feet's got well. I kin outwalk a Wea
Injun."

"Must've bin using some Lightning Elixir Liniment," said the
Orderly-Sergeant incredulously.. "I saw you both limping around like
string-halted{113} horses not 15 minutes ago. Step out, I tell you."

"Captain, le' me go along," pleaded Si. "You never knowed me to fall
out, did you?"

"Captain, I never felt activer in my life," asserted Shorty; "and you
know I always kept up. I never played sore-foot any day."

"I don't believe either of you're fit to go," said Capt. McGillicuddy,
"but I won't deny you. You may start, anyway. By the time we get to the
pickets you can fall out if you find you can't keep up."

"The rebel calvary's jumped a herd of beef cattle out at pasture,
run off the guard, and are trying to get away with them," the
Orderly-Sergeant hurriedly explained as he lined up Co. Q. "We're to
make a short cut across the country and try to cut them off. Sir, the
company's formed."

"Attention, Co. Q!" shouted Capt. McGillicuddy. "Right face!--Forward,
file left!--March!"

The company went off at a terrific pace to get its place with the
regiment, which had already started without it.

Though every step