United States or Equatorial Guinea ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Dinner was waiting him, and he had no time to speak until he had stabled the horses and washed himself. "Say, John," he began as soon as he had taken his seat at the table, "what were ye up to last night?" "So you have been hearing something, have you?" Douglas enquired. "Sure I have. Why, the hull place is buzzin' with the news, an' Si's as mad as blazes.
Si didn't know what a flagrant offense it was for a soldier on guard to let his gun go out of his hands; nor had he the faintest suspicion that the Captain was playing it on him. So he promptly handed his picee to the Captain, who immediately brought it down to a "charge," with the bayonet at Si's breast.
"Well, le's have a song, then," said Shorty, as Si was looking around. "Where's Alf Russell?" "Yes, Where's Alf Russell?" echoed Si, with a new pang clutching at his heart, for he then recalled that he had not seen Alf since he had helped him up the embankment, immediately after which Si's thoughts, had been engrossed by the struggle for the flag.
As he passed through the clump if bushes he was tempted to add them to the collection of little white papers which marked the trail from the Surgeon's tent, but solicitude for his comrade restrained him. The Surgeon was probably right, and it was Si's duty to do all that he could to bring Shorty around again to his normal condition.
Meanwhile the news that Si's squad of recruits were having fun with him spread through the camp, and a crowd gathered to watch the performance and give their jeering advice in that characteristic soldierly way when they see a comrade wrestling with a perplexing job. "Git a bushel basket, and gather 'em up in it."
What are we goin' to do with him?" "Do with him?" said Shorty. "Do everything with him. Take him into camp first. Hire him out to the Quartermaster. Let him wait on the Captain. Take him back home with you to help on the farm while Si's away. Jehosephat, a big buck like that's a mighty handy thing to have about the house.
Si's brain responded long before any of his muscles. At first it seemed the vaguest and most shadowy of dreams. There was a dim consciousness of lying somewhere. Where it was, how he came there, what was going on around he had not the slightest idea nor desire to know. There was just the feeling of being there, without any sensation of comfort or discomfort, wish or longing.
Witch! How are you, Witch? Well, here's the spyglass. Let's go out and have a look. Si's catching mackerel," announced Agnes a few minutes later, after she had scrutinized each boat in turn, "and he won't be in for an hour yet. If you like, we have time for a walk up the shore."
What's your name my boy?" "Josiah Klegg, sir!" said Si, blushing to the very roots of his hair. "What company do you belong to?" "Company Q, sir!" and Si saluted the officer as nicely as he knew how. "I'll see your Captain to-night, Mr. Klegg, and you shall be rewarded for your good conduct. You may now return to your company." It was the proudest moment of Si's life up to date.
The frightened horses turned away from the fighting line, and galloped down the road to the right of the boys. The leading one suddenly halted in a fence-corner about 30 yards away from Si, threw up his head and began surveying the scene, as if undecided what to do next. The other, seeing his mate stop, began circling around. Hope leaped up in Si's breast.
Word Of The Day