"Let"s see! Blouse--blouse--take off the "b" "n" she spells l-o-u-s-e, louse! Great Scott, Shorty, is that a louse?"
"That"s jest the size of it. Si. Ye"ll have millions of "em "fore the war"s over "f they don"t hurry up the cakes."
Si looked as if he would like to dig a hole in the ground, get into it, and have Shorty cover him up.
"Why didn"t the Cap"n tell me it was that? He said suthin" about ridiculus corporalis, and I thought he was makin" fun o" me. He said these bugs liked to eat fat Corporals."
"I reck"n that"s so," replied Shorty; "but they likes other people jest as well--even a skinny feller like me. They lunches off"n privits, "n"
Corp"rils, "n" Kurnals, "n" Gin"rals, all the same. They ain"t satisfied with three square meals a day, nuther; they jest eats right along all the time "tween regular meals. They allus gits hungry in the night, too, and chaws a feller up while he sleeps. They don"t give ye no show at all. I rayther think the graybacks likes the ossifers best if they could have their ch"ice, "cause they"s fatter "n the privits; they gits better grub."
Si fairly turned pale as he contemplated the picture so graphically portrayed by Shorty. The latter"s explanation was far more effectual in letting the light in upon Si"s mind than the scientific disquisition of the "Perfesser." He had now a pretty clear idea of what a "grayback"
was. Whatever he lacked to make his knowledge complete was soon supplied in the regular way. But Si was deeply grieved and shocked at what Shorty had told him. It was some minutes before he said anything more.
"Shorty," he said, with a sadness in his tone that would almost have moved a mule to tears, "who"d a-thought rd ever git as low down "s this, to have them all-fired graybacks, "s ye call "em, crawlin" over me.
How"d mother feel if she knew about "em. She wouldn"t sleep a wink fer a month!"
"Ye"ll have to come to it. Si. All the soljers does, from the Major-Gin"rals down to the tail-end of the mule-whackers. Ye mind them "Sconsin chaps we was lookin" at a little bit ago?"
"Yes," said Si.
"Well, graybacks was what ailed "em. The fellers with their shirts on their knees was killin" "em off. That"s what they calls "skirmishin".
There"s other kinds o" skirmishing besides fitin" rebels! Ye"d better git rid of that one on yer arm, if he hasn"t got inside already; then there"ll be one less of "em."
Si found him after a short search, and proposed to get a chip, carry him to the fire and throw him in.
"Naw!" said Shorty in disgust, "that"s no way. Lemme show yer how!"
[Ill.u.s.tration: "NAW! LEMME SHOW YE HOW!" 107 ]
Shorty placed one thumb-nail on each side of the insect. There was a quick pressure, a snap like the crack of a percussion cap, and all was over.
Si shuddered, and wondered if he could ever engage in such a work of slaughter.
"D"ye s"pose," he said to Shorty, "that there"s any more of "em on me?"
And he began to hitch his shoulders about, and to feel a desire to put his fingers to active use.
"Shouldn"t wonder," replied Shorty. "Mebbe I"ve got "em, to. Let"s go out"n do a little skirmishin" ourselves."
"We"d better go off a good ways," said Si, "so"s the boys won"t see us."
"You"re too nice and pertickler for a soljer. Si. They"ll all be doin"
it, even the Cap"n himself, by termorrer or nex" day."
They went out back of the camp, where Si insisted on getting behind the largest tree he could find. Then they sat down and engaged in that exciting chase of the Pediculus up and down the seams of their garments, so familiar to all who wore either the blue or the gray. Thousands of nice young men who are now preachers and doctors and lawyers and statesmen, felt just as bad about it at first as Si did.
"Shorty," said Si, as they slowly walked back to eat their supper, which had been neglected in the excitement of the hour, "before Co. Q left Posey County to jine the rigiment a feller "t was home on furlow told me ter let my finger-nails grow long "n" sharp. He said I"d need "em. I didn"t know what he meant then, but I b"lieve I do now."
CHAPTER XII. A WET NIGHT
THE DEPRAVITY OF AN ARMY TENT REVEALS ITSELF.
NIGHT threw her dark mantle over the camp of the 200th Ind. The details of guard and picket had been made. Videts, with sleepless eye and listening ear, kept watch and ward on the outposts, while faithful sentries trod their beats around the great bivouac. All day the army had marched, and was to take the road again at an early hour in the morning.
Supper had been eaten, and the tired soldiers were gathered around the campfires that gleamed far and near through the darkness.
"Si," said Shorty to his chum as they sat on a log beside the dying embers, "how d"ye like soldierin", as fur as ye"ve got?"
"It"s purty hard business," said Si, reflectively, "an" I s"pose we haint seen the worst on it yet, either, from what I"ve hearn tell. Pity the men that got up this war can"t be made to do all the trampin" "n"
fitin". An" them fellers up in old Injjeanny that come "round makin"
such red-hot speeches to git us boys to "list, wouldn"t it be fun to see "em humpin" "long with gun "n" knapsack, "n" chawin" hardtack, "n"
stan"in" guard nights, "n" pourin" water on their blisters, "n" pickin"
graybacks off their shirts, "n" p"leecin" camp, "n" washin" their own clothes?"
"I think we"d enj"y seein" "em do all that," said Shorty, laughing at the picture Si had drawn. "I reckon most of "em "d peter out purty quick, and I"d like to hear what sort o" speeches they"d, make then. I tell ye, Si, there"s a big diff"rence "tween goin" yerself an" tellin"
some other feller to go."
"Mebbe they"ll git to draftin" after a while," observed Si, ""n" if they do I hope that"ll ketch em!"
"Wall, we"re in fur it, anyway," said Shorty. "Let"s take down the bed "n" turn in!"
It didn"t take long to complete the arrangements for the night. They spread their "gum" blankets, or ponchos, on the ground, within the tent, and on these their wool blankets, placed their knapsacks at the head for pillows, and that was all. It was warmer than usual that evening, and they stripped down to their nether garments.
"Feels good once in a while," said Si, "to peel a feller"s clothes oft, "n" sleep in a Christian-like way. But, Great Scott! Shorty, ain"t this ground lumpy? It"s like lying on a big washboard. I scooted all over the country huntin" fer straw to-night. There wasn"t but one little stack within a mile of camp. Them derned Ohio chaps gobbled every smidgin of it. They didn"t leave enuff to make a hummin"-bird"s nest. The 200th Ind. "ll git even with "em some day."
So Si and Shorty crept in between the blankets, drew the top one up to their chins, and adjusted their bodily protuberances as best they could to fit the ridges and hollows beneath them.
"Now, Si," said Shorty, "don"t ye git to fitin" rebels in yer sleep and kick the kiver off, as ye did last night."
As they lay there their ears caught the music of the bugles sounding the "tattoo." Far and near floated through the clear night air the familiar melody that warned every soldier not on duty to go to bed. Next to the 200th Ind. lay a regiment of wild Michigan veterans, who struck up, following the strains of the bugles:
Say, oh Dutch"y, will ye fight mit Si-gel?
Zwei gla.s.s o" la-ger, Yaw! Yaw! Yaw!!!
Will yet fight to help de bul-ly ea-gle?
Schweitzer-ksse und pret-zels, Hur-raw! raw! raw!
During the night there came one of those sudden storms that seemed to be sent by an inscrutable Providence especially to give variety to the soldier"s life.
[Ill.u.s.tration: STRUCK BY A CYCLONE 111 ]
A well-developed cyclone struck the camp, and Si and Shorty were soon awakened by the racket. The wind was blowing and whirling in fierce gusts, wrenching out the tent-pins or snapping the ropes as if they were threads. Everywhere was heard the flapping of canvas, and the yells and shouts of the men as they dashed about in the darkness and wild confusion. Many of the tents were already prostrate, and their demoralized inmates were crawling out from under the ruin. To crown all the rain began to fall in torrents. The camp was a vast pandemonium.
The blackest darkness prevailed, save when the scene was illuminated by flashes of lightning. These were followed by peals of thunder that made the stoutest quake.
Si sprang up at the first alarm. "Git up, here, you fellers!" he shouted. "We"d better go outside and grab the ropes, or the hull shebang "ll go over."
There was not a moment to spare. Si dashed out into the storm and darkness, followed by his comrades. Seizing the ropes, some of which were already loosened, they braced themselves and hung on for dear life, in the drenching rain, their hair and garments streaming in the wind.
Si"s prompt action saved the tent from the general wreck. The fury of the storm was soon past. Si and his comrades, after driving the pins and securing the ropes, re-entered the tent, wet and shivering for the mercury had gone down with a tumble, or rather it would have done so had they been supplied with thermometers. But the scanty costume in which Si found himself afforded a weather indicator sufficiently accurate for all practical purposes.