What was he going to knock you down for? You must have done something to
provoke him."

"Yes, I did!" said Frank, boldly. "I went to his house, and asked him, in
the politest way I could, if he would sell us fellows a turkey. I might
have known that it would provoke him, for he has been heard to say he'd
rather his turkeys should die in the pen than that a Union soldier should
have one, even for money."

It was evident to the secessionist that instead of making out a case
against the boy, the boy was fast making out a case against him. In his
impatience he broke forth into violent denunciations of Frank, but
Captain Edney stopped him.

"None of that, sir, or I'll send you out of the camp forthwith. He
says,"--turning to Frank,--"that you decoyed him into the woods while
your companions stole his turkeys."

"Decoyed him?" said Frank. "He may call it what he pleases. I'll tell you
just what I did, sir. He said he hadn't any turkeys. So I said, 'Then the
one I heard in the woods, as I came along, isn't yours--is it?'"

"Had you heard one?"

"I had heard a noise so much like one,"--laughing,--"that he himself,
when he heard it, was ready to swear it was his gobbler."

"And was it really a turkey?"

"No, sir. It was Seth Tucket hid behind the bushes."

Frank was now conscious of making abundant fun for his comrades, who all
crowded around, listening with delight to the investigation. Even Captain
Edney smiled, as he gave a glance at the green-looking, seriously-winking
Seth.

"So it was you that played the gobbler, Tucket," said the captain.

"I hope there wan't no great harm in't ef I did, sir," replied Seth, with
ludicrous mock solemnity. "Bein' Christmas so, I thought I'd like a
little bit of turkey, sir, ef 'twant no more than the gobble. And there I
was, enjoying it all by myself, hevin' a nice time, when this man comes
up and lays claim to me for his turkey."

This sober declaration, uttered in a high key, with certain jerks of the
arms and twists of the down-east features, which Seth could use with the
drollest effect, excited unrestrained mirth among the men, and made the
officer's sword-belts shake not a little with the suppressed merriment
inside.

"What do you mean by his claiming you?" asked the captain.

"He told Manly I belonged to him, and that some thieving Yankee had
stolen me." said Seth, with open eyes and mouth, as if he had been making
the most earnest statement. "Now I'll leave it to an