knapsacks and things, and
start for the regiment?" persisted the eager boy, and the others joined
in the impatient inquiry.

"You won't git your guns and accourterments till you git to the
rigimint. As soon's I kin go over this roll and identify each one o'
you, I'll see what the orders is for starting."

"There goes some men for the ferry now. Why can't we go with them?"
persisted the boy.

"Private Joslyn," said Si, with some official sternness, "the first
thing a soldier's got to learn is to keep quiet and wait for orders. You
understand?"

"'Pears to me that there's a lot o' first things to learn," grumbled the
boy to the others, "and it's nothin' but wait, wait forever. The army'll
go off and leave us if we don't get down there purty soon."

"Don't worry, my boy, about the army goin' off and leavin' you," said
Shorty in a kindly way. "It'll wait. It kin be depended on for that.
Besides, it's got to wait for me and Sargint Klegg."

"That's so. Didn't think o' that," chorused the boys, to whose eyes the
two veterans seemed as important as Gens. Grant or Thomas.

"That's purty light material for serious bizniss, I'm afeared," said
Shorty to Si, as they stood a little apart for a moment and surveyed the
coltish boys, frisking around in their new blouses and pantaloons, which
fitted about like the traditional shirt on a bean-pole.

"I think they're just splendid," said Si, enthusiastically. "They'll
fill in the holes o' the old rigimint in great shape. They're as tough
as little wildcats; they'll obey orders and go wherever you send 'em,
and four out o' every five o' them kin knock over a crow at a hundred
yards with a squirrel rifle. But, Shorty," he added with a sudden
assumption of paternal dignity, "me and you's got to be fathers to them.
We've got a great responsibility for them. We must do the very best we
kin by 'em."

"That's so," said Shorty, catching at once the fatherly feeling. "I'll
punch the head off en the first sneezer that I ketch tryin' to impose on
'em."

CHAPTER XVI. THE TROUBLESOME BOYS

SI AND SHORTY'S RECRUITS ENTER KENTUCKY.

THE bright, active minds of the 65 boys that Si and Shorty were put in
charge of were aflame with curiosity regarding everything connected with
the war. For two years they had been fed on stories and incidents of the
mighty conflict then convulsing the land. Every breath they had drawn
had some taste of battle in it. Wherever they went or were they heard