t wasn't very far, was it?" he added, with a glance of cold contempt
into the other's eyes. "Not very far, I think. You were intended to
make a diversion in favor of Whiterside. How well you succeeded your
own ears can now tell you." He wheeled his horse and rode stiffly away.

The colonel, bidden to hear the jarring noises of an engagement in the
woods to the left, broke out in vague damnations.

The lieutenant, who had listened with an air of impotent rage to the
interview, spoke suddenly in firm and undaunted tones. "I don't care
what a man is--whether he is a general or what--if he says th' boys
didn't put up a good fight out there he's a damned fool."

"Lieutenant," began the colonel, severely, "this is my own affair, and
I'll trouble you--"

The lieutenant made an obedient gesture. "All right, colonel, all
right," he said. He sat down with an air of being content with himself.

The news that the regiment had been reproached went along the line. For
a time the men were bewildered by it. "Good thunder!" they ejaculated,
staring at the vanishing form of the general. They conceived it to be
a huge mistake.

Presently, however, they began to believe that in truth their efforts
had been called light. The youth could see this conviction weigh upon
the entire regiment until the men were like cuffed and cursed animals,
but withal rebellious.

The friend, with a grievance in his eye, went to the youth. "I wonder
what he does want," he said. "He must think we went out there an'
played marbles! I never see sech a man!"

The youth developed a tranquil philosophy for these moments of
irritation. "Oh, well," he rejoined, "he probably didn't see nothing
of it at all and got mad as blazes, and concluded we were a lot of
sheep, just because we didn't do what he wanted done. It's a pity old
Grandpa Henderson got killed yestirday--he'd have known that we did our
best and fought good. It's just our awful luck, that's what."

"I should say so," replied the friend. He seemed to be deeply wounded
at an injustice. "I should say we did have awful luck! There's no fun
in fightin' fer people when everything yeh do--no matter what--ain't
done right. I have a notion t' stay behind next time an' let 'em take
their ol' charge an' go t' th' devil with it."

The youth spoke soothingly to his comrade. "Well, we both did good. I'd
like to see the fool what'd say we both didn't do as good as we could!"

"Of course we did