to "attention", ordered him to place his eyes on that
chip, and told him if he removed them from it before I gave the command
"rest", I would run him through with my rapier.

I then drilled him at the manual of arms for about 20 minutes. Large
beads of perspiration rolled down his face--he began to totter on his
feet--and I gave the command "rest". He had not taken his eyes from the
chip.

At the command "rest", he drew a long sigh of relief and uttered a
subdued but prolonged "O-h". I asked him if he now thought he could obey
the sergeant. He replied: "Yes, I will obey anybody".

I told him I would temporarily withdraw what I had said about killing
him, and would put him on his good behavior. I drilled him about two
hours longer; and then took him, by a circuitous route, through the
jungle, back to camp. He was obedient enough thereafter.

When the war had ended and I was relieved from duty with the company,
one of the men told me that "the cook", on his return from the drill I
had given him said: "The Lieutenant took me way off, ever so far, in the
chaparral, and told me he took me there to kill me if I didn't mind him.
The little devil meant it, and would have done it too, if I had fooled
with him like I had done with the sergeant."

Except this _case_, of "the cook", there had been no difficulty in
bringing the men of the company to a high standard of drill and
discipline as an infantry company, and a reasonable degree of
proficiency in the school of the engineer soldier. But, on their first
march into the enemy's country, they were called upon to do an immense
amount of hard work not specially referred to in their preliminary
instruction.

THE MARCH FROM MATAMOROS TO VICTORIA AND TAMPICO.

By special orders from General Taylor, brought by Major George A. McCall
to Captain Swift, the latter was charged with the duty of repairing the
road from Matamoros to Victoria, and making it practicable for artillery
and the baggage train; and to do this, if possible, so that the whole
command might make its prescribed daily marches and arrive at Victoria
on a named day. Captain Swift was authorized to call upon the commander
of the forces, on this march, for such assistance as might be needed to
perform the work; and was directed to do no more to the road than was
barely sufficient to enable the trains to pass over it. It was not
expected that we would ever have occasion to pass through that region
again; and it was n