but they'll not all be there at any time, and a dozen of us can
easily handle what we find there at home."

"A dozen'll be a great plenty," assented Shorty. "More'd be in the way."

"Well, go out and pick up that many of the right kind of boys, bring
them here, and have them all ready by 10 o'clock. You can find guns and
ammunition for them in that room upstairs."

Shorty's first thought was of his old friend, Bob Ramsey, Sergeant of
the Provost-Guard. He found him, and said:

"See here, Bob, I've got something on hand better'n roundin' up
stragglers and squelchin' whisky rows. I've got to pick out some men for
a little raid, where there'll be a chance for a red-hot shindy. Want to
go along?"

"You bet," answered the Sergeant. "How many men do you want? I'll get
'em and go right along."

"No, you don't," answered Shorty. "I'm to be the non-commish of this
crowd. A Lieutenant'll go along for style, but I'll run the thing."

"But you're only a Corporal, while I'm a Sergeant," protested Bob.
"'Taint natural that you should go ahead of me. Why can't you and I run
it together, you next to me? That's the correct thing."

"Well, then," said Shorty, turning away, "you stay and run your old
Provo-Guard. This is my show, and I aint goin' to let nobody in it ahead
o' me."

"Come, now, be reasonable," pleaded Bob. "Why can't you and I go along
together and run the thing? We'll pull together all right. You know
I've been a Sergeant for a long time, and know all about the handling of
men."

"Well, stay here and handle 'em. I'll handle the men that I take, all
right. You kin gamble on that. And what I say to them has to go. Won't
have nobody along that outranks me."

"Well," answered Bob, with a gulp, "let me go along, then, as a
Corporal--I'll change my blouse and borrow a Corporal's--"

"Rankin' after me?" inquired Shorty.

"Yes; we had a Corporal promoted day before yesterday. I'll borrow his
blouse."

"Promoted day before yesterday," communed Shorty; "and you won't presume
to boss or command no more'n he would?"

"Not a mite," asserted Bob.

"Well, then, you kin come along, and I'll be mighty glad to have you,
for I know you're a standup feller and a good friend o' mine, and I
always want to oblige a friend by lettin' him have a share in any good
fight I have on hand."

Jeff Wilson, the Chief Clerk, got wind of the expedition, and he too
begged to be taken along, to which Shorty consented.

When Lieut. Bige