ix more of them hid here," added Kelly tantalizingly.

"And you have the cruel nerve to tell that to a man dying of
starvation?" demanded Sergeant Noll with heat. "Kelly, it takes me four
seconds to get my overcoat off, and only two seconds to get off the
blouse underneath!"

"At that rate, how long would it take you to undress altogether?"
demanded Kelly indifferently. "For the last five minutes I've had my
eyes on ye. I've been thinking how fine ye'd look in grave clothes."

"I don't have to take off many clothes, Kelly, to be down to fighting
trim enough to thrash you!"

"I wouldn't take advantage of ye," protested Kelly generously. "Sure it
would be no victory for a Kelly to whip a dying man."

"What's the fight about, men?" inquired a jolly voice.

Lieutenant Prescott had entered camp unnoticed. Instantly the soldiers
straightened up, raising their hands to their caps in salute. Mr.
Prescott returned their salutes. On first meeting the officer in the
morning the men saluted him, then again when he returned from the day's
hunt. For the rest of the time, at Lieutenant Prescott's own request,
they treated him like one of themselves.

"This sassenach is threatening to murder me, Lieutenant," complained
Kelly, "just because I showed him a pie and wouldn't let him eat it on
the spot."

"That would be enough to make me commit murder, too, if I weren't a
guest here," replied the lieutenant gravely, as he reached down the
dipper and helped himself to a drink from the water bucket. "How many
pies have you there?"

"Nine, sir, when the three in the oven come out."

"What kind?"

"Mince."

"Um-um-um!" quoth the officer.

"The sun's going so low now, Kelly, that I'm minded to let you live
another day," broke in Sergeant Noll.

"Aw, that's just because there's company present," growled Kelly, with a
side glance at the lieutenant.

"Supper ready?" hailed a distant voice.

"Will be, when you come in and fetch the wood to cook with," Slosson
hailed back through his hands.

A growl of desperation came from the party headed by Corporal Hyman.
Then in they tramped, but they carried only their rifles.

"What have ye been doing the long day?" demanded Kelly, with a keen look
at the party.

"Getting up an appetite for supper," retorted Corporal Hyman.

"But the game?"

"'Twas so heavy we gave up carrying it," grinned Corporal Hyman.

"The boys back in barracks have had their mouths watering for game for
days