, so he picked up another and made a new start; but
not for long.

After the guns were issued to us, we stood there on the bank, and
lounged about on the landing, waiting for the issue of cartridges. An
orderly came to me with Magnus following him, and gave me the captain's
order to report to him in the cabin of the transport which lay tied up
at the river bank. We looked at each other in wonder, but followed the
orderly into the cabin, where we stood at attention. The captain
returned our salutes, dismissed the orderly, and after his footsteps had
gone out of hearing, turned to us.

"Thorkelson and Vandemark," said he, "I have a few words to say to you.
I don't find anything in the books covering the case, and am speaking as
man to man."

"Yes, sir," said I.

"Ay hare," said Magnus.

"Thorkelson," Gowdy went on, "you have had an ambition to put an end to
me. Well, now's your chance, or will be when we get out there where the
shooting is going on. You've had a poor chance to practise marksmanship;
but maybe you can shoot well enough to hit a man of my size from the
rear--for my men will be to the rear of me in a fight"

He stopped and looked straight in Magnus's eyes; and Magnus stared
straight back. At last, Gowdy's eyes swept around toward me, and then
back again.

"Well," said he, "what do you and your friend say? The bond to keep the
peace doesn't run in Tennessee."

"I think," said I, "as man to man, that you deserve shooting; but maybe
this ain't the place for it. I voted for you for captain because you
seem to know your business--and I don't b'lieve we've got another that
does. That's how I feel."

Gowdy laughed, that friendly, warm, musical laugh of his, just as he
would have laughed in a horse trade, or over the bar, or while helping
the church at a donation party.

"Well," said he, "I called you in here--especially you, Thorkelson--to
say that if you feel bound by any vow you've made, to shoot me, why, you
may shoot and be damned. I shan't pay any attention to the matter. From
the way it sounds out there at the front, it will be only one bullet
added to a basketful. That's all, Thorkelson."

"Captain Gowdy," said Magnus.

"Go on, Thorkelson," said Gowdy.

"Van Ay bane svorn in," said Magnus, "Ay take you for captain. You bane
a dam good-for-nothing rascal, but you bane best man for captain. Ay
bane tied up. You bane necessary to maybe save lives of a hundred dam
sight better men dan you. Ay n