RALL

Never fear, we've got the wine!

HONEYMAN

Wal', ye kin have a fu'st-rate Christmas then.

RALL

Yes sir! With roast beef and two hogsheads of fine wine--we should do
very well.

HONEYMAN

Two? Pshaw, is that all?

RALL

Why--what's the matter with that?

HONEYMAN

Two hogsheads won't go so far with a whole brigade.

RALL

Oh, I haven't got a whole brigade.

HONEYMAN

Ye ain't?

RALL

No, just a thousand men, that's all! Why sir, they can all get roarin'
drunk on the ration I'll issue 'em.

HONEYMAN

An' like as not they will, eh, Colonel?

RALL (_chuckling_)

Well, Honeyman, what do you expect o' soldiers? Christmas you know--and
out here in this God-forsaken place. Let 'em get drunk, I say. There's
nothing else to do.

HONEYMAN

Wal', Colonel, I cal'ate 'tain't often ye find a better officer than ye
be! I'd like to serve under ye!

RALL

Well, if you want--

HONEYMAN

Yes, sir. I'd do it if I wasn't helpin' along things in my way by
roundin' up food fer the king's men. Wal', mebbe ye better sign fer
these critters out in front an' I'll be gittin' along. I got to hike
over to the next post. Er--by the way--how fer is it to the next
detachment o' troops?

RALL

Oh, about six miles south.

HONEYMAN

Six miles, huh? How fer to the next one north?

RALL

Nobody north of us.

HONEYMAN

Eh, nobody north?

RALL

No, I'm command of the flank. This is the last post.

HONEYMAN

I cal'ate that makes a lot o' hard work fer ye, Colonel?

RALL

Hard work?

HONEYMAN

Sure, don't ye have to patrol up an' down the river, an' sich like
things?

RALL (_laughing_)

What for?

HONEYMAN

Wal', after all, there's _some_ o' the enemy left, ain't there?

RALL (_laughing_)

A half-a-dozen starved ragamuffins. What could they do to my trained
Hessians?

HONEYMAN (_joining in the laugh_)

Not much, I cal'ate! Ye ain't in much danger, an' that's a fact!

RALL

If we had some boats we'd soon make short work of them. But confound the
rascals, they made away with all the boats.

HONEYMAN

Ye ain't got no boats, eh?

RALL

Not a one!

HONEYMAN

Ye ain't built none, eh?

RALL

Why should we?

HONEYMAN

Wal'--if ye want to git across the river--

RALL

Oh, we'll get across as soon as the river freezes over. We'll get the
last o' the rebels then.

HONEYMAN

Wal', Colonel, good luck to ye. But I hope ye won't be in too big a
hurry to captu