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The bronzed young soldiers brought in from the plains were lounging about, watching the boulevard, and peering up at the massive walls of the Auditorium. The street was choked with curious spectators, among whom were many strikers. The crowd gaped and commented. "They'll shoot," one of the onlookers said almost proudly. "There ain't no use in foolin' with the reg'lars.
"Let 'em have all the heaven they can git," he would remark, wiping his bloody knife upon the mane of his horse. "I expec' to smoke the pipe o' peace with all I meet on Canaan's shore, Cherokees, Creeks, or Chickasaws, Reg'lars, Millish, or Settlers."
An' at that, Sonny, why, he thess set down as modest an' peaceable ez anything; but ez he was settin' he remarked that he was in hopes thet some o' the reg'lars would 'a' took time to answer a few questions thet had bothered his mind f'om time to time an' of c'ose they must know; which, to my mind, was the modes'est remark a boy ever did make.
They had the engineer and fireman corralled, but their laugh turned to sorrow when they saw a strapping infantry sergeant climb into the cab and after placing his loaded rifle in front of him, he grasped the throttle and away they went much to the disgust of Mr. Rioter. They didn't like it worth a cent, but as one striker put it, "What's the use of monkeyin' with them reg'lars?
They knew summat about it, we didn't. All the same, I know one or two old reg'lars 'oo was in it from the first an' never 'ad the wind up any time there's not many like that though, generally it's the old soldiers what's the worst o' the lot for wanglin' out o' risky jobs."
I can't jine the reg'lars account of my physical expansibility and my aige, so I got to do my fightin' to home. I'm willin' to stick by this job if you say the word. Mebby some folks would be dissap'inted, but I can stand that if they can. What do you reckon I better do? "Now, that's what I'd say if John was here. Why in tarnation can't I say it on paper? Lemme see."
"A reg'lar skunk by the living hokey!" he panted, pointing to the faint haze that was again slowly rising above the invisible road. "They backed down as soon as they saw our hand, and got a hole through their new sheriff's hat. But what are you lookin' at? What's up?" The leader impatiently pointed with a darkening face to the distant file. "Reg'lars, by gum!" ejaculated the other.
'Mick Leamy, sor, sez I, 'from Misther W. wid the sparks. 'Oh, sez he, 'thin come in. I wint in. 'They're in here, are they? sez he, takin' the bag. 'They are, sor, sez I, 'an' Misther W. sez I'm to have me reg'lars. 'You shall, sez he. 'What shall we say, now afinnip? 'Fwhat's that, sor? sez I. 'Oh, sez he, 'I s'pose ye're a new hand; five quid ondershtand that?"
Reckon I'd break out myself like a man that eats pancakes a lot under sich circumstances. Zeke says this band the latest gang to git sore is a-headin' dead south. Talks like we might run agin trouble down there. More'n one brand, too the police and the reg'lars all bein' out thataway. They're all out Zeke says." The others were absorbed in play, and so made no retort.
"Them darned Britishers sot out fur Concord last night, to board our decks an' plunder the magazine; the boys heerd on't, and they was ready over to Lexin'ton, waitin' round the meetin'us; they stood to't, an' that old powder monkey Pitcairn sung out to throw down their arms, darned rebels; an' cause they didn't muster to his whistle, he let fly at 'em like split; an' there's some killed an' more wounded; pretty much all on 'em our folks, though they did giv the reg'lars one round o' ball afore they run."
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