"
The men laughed, Jack with the rest, as he dabbed at his heated,
powder-stained countenance. "Come," said he, "that's no fair,--they're
as white as I am, then, when I've just scrubbed; and some of them are
first-raters, too; none of your rag, tag, and bobtail. There's one I
remember, a man from Philadelphia, who walks round like a prince. He's a
gentleman, every inch,--and he's rich,--and about the handsomest-looking
specimen of humanity I've set eyes upon for an age."
"Rich, is he? how do you know he's rich?"
"I was over one night with Captain Ware, and he and this man got to
talking about the pay for the Fifty-fourth. The government promised them
regular pay, you see, and then when it got 'em refused to stick to its
agreement, and they would take no less, so they haven't seen a dime
since they enlisted; and it's a darned mean piece of business, that's my
opinion of the matter, and I don't care who knows it," looking round
belligerently.
"Come, Bantam, don't crow so loud," interrupted the big Ohioan;
"nobody's going to fight you on that statement; it's a shame, and no
mistake. But what about your paragon?"
"I'll tell you. The Captain was trying to convince him that they had
better take what they could get till they got the whole, and that, after
all, it was but a paltry difference. 'But,' said the man, 'it's not the
money, though plenty of us are poor enough to make that an item.
Pages:
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190