ize him.
"Why don't you salute me, you dirty Yankee puppy?" said Philip, with an
oath.
"I don't salute a traitor and a robber," said Paul.
Philip turned pale with anger. "Say that again, and I will cut your
heart out!" he said, with a horrible oath, raising his sword and
advancing upon Paul, who stood still and looked him calmly in the eye.
"Cowards only attack unarmed men," said Paul.
"What do you mean, sir, by calling me a robber, traitor, and coward?"
Philip asked, white with rage, not recognizing Paul.
"I mean that you, Philip Funk, committed robbery at New Hope, ran away
from home, became a traitor, and now you show yourself to be a coward by
threatening to cut out the heart of a weak defenceless prisoner."
"Who are you?" stammered Philip.
"My name is Paul Parker. I am a colonel in the service of the United
States," Paul replied, not recognizing by any familiar act his old
playmate and school-fellow.
Philip dropped his sword, and stood irresolute and undecided what to do.
A group of Rebel officers who had been wounded, and were strolling about
the grounds, saw and heard it all. One was a colonel.
"What do you know about Lieutenant Funk?" he asked.
"He was my schoolmate. He committed robbery and came south to join your
army," Paul replied.
The Colonel turned to the officers who were with him, and said, "This is
the fellow who is suspected of stealing from the soldiers, and it is
said that he skulked at Chickamauga."
"The cuss ought to be reduced to the ranks," said another.
Philip did not stop to hear any more, but walked rapidly away.
The next day he was arrested and brought before a court-martial, tried,
and found guilty of hiding behind a stump when ordered to make a charge
in battle, and of stealing money from the soldiers. The court ordered
that he be stripped of his uniform and reduced to the ranks, and wear
the "rogue's coat" through the camp. The coat was a flour-barrel,
without heads, but with holes cut in the sides for his arms.
Philip was brought out upon the parade-ground, deprived of his sword and
uniform, and compelled to put on the barrel, on which were written the
words,
COWARD, ROBBER.
Thus, with two soldiers to guard him, with a drummer and fifer playing
the Rogues' March, he was paraded through the camp. The soldiers hooted
at him, and asked him all sorts of questions.
"How are you, Bummer?" asked one.
"Did you pay your tailors with the money you stole?
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