other loafers at Horton's would come out on the platform in
front of the store and review the troops. The interest those lazy
fellows took in us was astonishing. Old Cush even volunteered one day to
give us some instructions in tactics, but our gallant captain
courteously declined. There were others, though, who did not admire us
so much. The green-eyed monster reigned supreme over on Liberty Street,
and around by the court-house lot. There the country lads in town for
Saturday market were entrenched, and they jeered at us enviously from
the line of wagons drawn up in battle array. Occasionally a rotten apple
or potato would sail through the air in our direction, but we marched
past our tormentors stiffly erect, and apparently unconscious. Had our
numbers been stronger we would have joyfully stormed the enemy's works,
but the country boys were bigger than we, and vastly more numerous; so
with us discretion was indeed the better part of valor.

"The Rifles were organized just after school broke up, and flourished
all that summer; a remarkable thing for Forestburg boys, for we were a
squabbling lot, prone to quarrel and fight upon the slightest
provocation. But in some way our captain held us together--just as he
did afterward at Antietam and Gettysburg. Dear old chap, he holds us
still!

"In early September we received our colors. Up to that time Owen Prouty
had carried a small flag on his musket, but it had never been dignified
as the company's colors. Our real flag was given to us by the little
McDermott girl, and the giving was done so prettily and sweetly that our
boyish hearts were touched--and this is saying a good deal. Not, indeed,
that the Forestburg boys were rougher than other boys, for I guess they
are all pretty much alike; but we had been taught to hate and shun the
McDermotts. They were newcomers, and Danny McDermott had been a Young
Irelander, or something else equally as dreadful. Then, too, Forestburg
was a Knownothing stronghold, and we fell naturally into our daddies'
way of thinking. So we roundly snubbed the pleasant-faced Danny and his
family whenever we had a chance, and the fellows at school used to bully
Terence, the son, most atrociously. Yet as we marched by the McDermotts'
on Saturday afternoons little Katie would always run out to the gate
delightedly and wave a large flag, and after a while we came to look
upon the little golden-haired child and her flag as quite a feature of
our parade.