partially-dissected white cotton gloves, and casually rearranged the
strip of carpet-binding which served him as a full-dress cravat.

"Yours, truly," said Captain Bob Shorty.

"Vandal!" hissed Captain Munchausen, removing from his brow an
unexampled conglomeration of rags in the last stages of cap, and
handing it to a faithful contraband who attended him.

"Why, then," said Captain Bob Shorty, doffing his own cap, and tucking
up his sleeves, "in the name of the United States of America, I propose
to move upon your works immediately."

And now, my boy, do I particularly lament my lack of those unspeakable
intellectual gifts, which enable the more refined reporters of all our
excellent moral daily journals to describe the fistic achievements of
the noted Arkansas Mule and celebrated Jersey Bantam in a manner that
delights every well-conducted breakfast-table in the land, and
furnishes exquisite reading for private families.

Forward hopped Captain Bob Shorty, as though on springs,--his elbows
neatly squared, his fists held up like a couple of apples on sticks,
and his head poised as though it had just started to look round a
corner. With fists to match, and eyes shining like the bottoms of glass
bottles, the wary Munchausen scuffles cautiously back from him in a
half circle. Now they make skips toward each other; and now they skip
back. Anon an arm is raised, and is parried; and then they balance to
partners; and then they hop back.

I was gazing at all this, my boy, in speechless admiration, when
suddenly I saw the dexter hand of Captain Bob Shorty pierce the enemy's
lines, and explode with tremendous force on Munchausen's nose. For a
moment there was a sound as of Confederate blasphemy, but in a moment
the chivalric Munchausen was himself again.

"Ah!" said Captain Bob Shorty, agreeably, "did you see the
star-spangled banner that time?"

"Sir," said Munchausen, with tears in his eyes, "I am thankful that my
nose _is_ broken. It is a blessing; for I had nothing to smell with it,
and only wasted my strength in its special defence."

Here Captain Bob Shorty looked jovially at me, my boy, and says he, "By
all that's Federal! an't he jolly?"

"Come on to thy ruin," roared Munchausen from behind his rapidly
increasing nose; and again the battle raged.

Now did Captain Bob Shorty sidle to the left, with a view to flanking;
but two columns of the enemy met him there. Next the agile Munchausen
attempts, by a quic