Si hesitated; it was human nature. The offer was a tempting one, but he remembered his responsibility to his country, and his stomach appealed in vain. Duty came before stewed chicken or roasted sparerib.
"Can"t do it!" said Si. "You"ve got hold of the wrong man this time. I ain"t goin" to have n.o.body monkeyin" "round while I"m Corporal of this "ere guard. Come along with me, and step out lively, too!"
Si marched the culprit back to headquarters and delivered him up to the officer, who commended Si for his fidelity.
Next day the ground back of the Colonel"s tent was strewn with feathers, chicken bones, ham rinds, and potato skins, while the unlucky forager who had provided the field officers" mess with such a royal meal was humped around for two hours on "knapsack drill," and condemned to spend 24 hours in the guard-house.
An hour later Si had another experience. The Captain of Co. Q felt a kindly interest, and not a little pride in him, since the skirmish, and he thought he would take a turn that night and see whether his newly-made Corporal was "up to snuff."
"Post No. 3," was Si"s second call. He responded promptly, and as he approached the guard the latter said:
"Corporal, here"s the Cap"n, and he wants to get in! He hain"t got the countersign; shall I pa.s.s him?"
"Good evening. Corporal!" said the Captain, as Si came up, at the same time extending his hand.
Si was thrown completely off his guard. Dropping the b.u.t.t of his gun carelessly to the ground he replied cheerily, "Good evening, Cap"n,"
touching his hat by way of salute. Then he took the proffered hand, pleased at the Captain"s mark of kindly recognition. He didn"t understand the scheme then. "How are you getting on, Mr. Klegg?" "First rate!" said Si, with the air of one conscious that he had done his duty well. "I capchered a forager a little bit ago and took him to headquarters!"
[Ill.u.s.tration: ONE Of THE "NON-COM MISH." 159 ]
"Well done, Corporal I have no doubt you will honor the good name of the 200th Ind. in general and Company Q in particular, I got caught outside to night, and I want to get back into camp. Of course, you know me and it"s all right!"
"Certainly, sir!" said Si, as he stood leaning on his gun and allowed the officer to pa.s.s the magic line. "Good night, Cap"n!"
"Good night, Corporal! By the way," said the Captain, retracing his steps, "I notice that you do not carry your gun just right. Let me show you how to handle it!"
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.
"Suppose, now, I was a rebel in disguise," said the Captain, "what kind of a fix would you be in?"
Light began to dawn upon Si, and he started back in terror at the thought of the mistake he had made.
"Of course, I wouldn"t let anybody else have it," he stammered; "but I knew you, Cap"n!"
"That makes no difference to a man on duty. Corporal. You hang on to your gun the rest of the night, and if anybody--I don"t care if it"s Gen. Buell himself--insists on your giving it to him, let him have two or three inches of the point of your bayonet. Don"t let anybody pa.s.s without the countersign, either! Come to my quarters when you are relieved tomorrow."
All this ill.u.s.trates the way the officers had of testing new soldiers and teaching them a thing or two, when, as was frequently the case, they were not yet up to the mark. A trick of extra duty for the hapless novitiate was generally the penance for his simplicity.
The cold chills ran up and down Si"s back as he took his gun and slowly returned to the guard fire. He felt that he had utterly spoiled his good record.
"Lieutenant," he said to the officer, "I wish you"d please detail a man to kick me for about an hour."
The Lieutenant wanted to know what the matter was, and Si told him all about it, ending with:
"So now I s"pose the Cap"n "ll yank the stripes off"n my blouse!"
The officer quieted his fears by a.s.suring him that there was no cause for alarm. The Captain knew that he was trying to do his duty, and what he had done was for Si"s own good.
Si sat down by the fire and was thinking it over when there was another call, "Corporal of the guard!" He was soon at the point indicated and found two officers on horseback, whom he recognized as the Colonel and Adjutant of the 200th Ind. Si"s friend Shorty was the guard who had halted them.
"Now, Corporal Klegg," said Si to himself, laying his finger alongside his nose, "you jist watch out this time. Here"s big game! Shouldn"t wonder if them ossifers had bin out skylarkin", and they"re tryin" to git in. Don"t ye let "em fool ye as the Cap"n did!"
Si was right in his surmise. The Colonel and Adjutant had been enjoying a good supper at a house half a mile away, and had not the slightest idea what the countersign was.
Si was determined not to "get left" this time. As he approached, the Colonel saw that it was soldier he had commended for his gallantry at the time of the skirmish.
"Ah, Corporal Klegg, I"m glad to see you so prompt in your duty. I was sure we had made no mistake when we promoted you. Of course, you can see who I am. I"m your Colonel, and this is the Adjutant. We are, unfortunately, outside without the countersign; but you can just let us through."
The Colonel"s taffy had no effect on Si. He just brought himself into a hostile att.i.tude, with his bayonet in fair range of the Colonel, as he replied:
"Colonel, my orders is to pa.s.s no livin" man unless he says "Bunker Hill." I"d be glad to do ye a good turn, but there"s no use talkin". I"m goin" to obey orders, and ye can"t pa.s.s here."
[Ill.u.s.tration: "NOT "LESS YE SAY "BUNKER HILL."" 155 ]
The Colonel chuckled softly as he dismounted and came up to Si.
"It"s all right," he said, "of course I know what the countersign is. I was only trying you."
"Hold on there," said Si, "don"t come too close. If you"ve got the countersign, advance and give it. If ye ain"t got it, I"ll jest call the Officer of the Guard!"
Leaning over the point of Si"s bayonet the Colonel gently whispered "Bunker Hill".
"Correct!" said Si, and bringing his gun to a shoulder, he respectfully saluted the Colonel. The latter started to remount, but turned back as he said:
"Just let me show you how to hold your gun. You don"t--"
"Not if the court knows herself," said Si, again menacing the Colonel with his bayonet. "That"s bin played on me once to-night, and if anybody does it again my name ain"t Si Klegg!"
"That"s right, Corporal," said the Colonel as he sprang into the saddle; "but don"t tell anybody what the countersign is again! Good night!"
"Good night. Colonel," said Si, touching his hat. As the officers rode away Si began to think he had put his foot in it again. He was confirmed in this opinion by seeing Shorty sit down on a log in a paroxysm of laughter.
"You give yerself away bad this time!" said Shorty, as soon as he could speak. "What did ye tell him the countersign for?"
"Whew-w-w-w!" observed Si, with a prolonged whistle. "Shorty," said he, "I wish you"d take a club and see if you can"t pound a little sense into me; I don"t believe I"ve got any!" Without another word he shouldered his gun and returned to the guard headquarters. "Now I"m a goner, sure!"
he said to himself.
On his way he found a guard sitting by a tree, sound asleep. Carefully taking away his gun Si awoke him, and frightened him half to death by telling him that he would report him and he would be shot for sleeping on post. Si finally said he wouldn"t tell on him this time, but he must never do so again, or he would be a dead man.
"Corporal of the guard!" was heard again, sometime after midnight. "If they try any more measly tricks on me to-night somebody "ll git hurt!"
thought Si as he walked briskly along the line in response to the call.
This time it was a "contraband"--an old negro, who stood shivering with terror as the guard held him at the point of the bayonet. Recalling the unlucky adventures of the night. Si imagined that it was one of the officers, who had blackened himself like a minstrel, and had come there purposely to "catch him."
"Ye can"t get through unless ye"ve got the counter sign," said he, decisively; "and I shan"t give it to ye, nuther! And ye needn"t try to show me how to hold my gun! I can handle it well enough to shoot and punch the Bayonet!"
"Don"t know what dat all means, boss," said the frightened negro; "but fer de good Lawd"s sake don"t shove dat t"ing frew me. I"ve only bin ober to de nex" place to a "possum roast and I"se jist gwine home. I didn"t know dese yer ge-yards was heah!"