Go on."
"Well, I crawled up so close that I saw a Britisher going the
round of the sentinels, and I pounced on him and brought him out
on the run, that's all."
"Oho! you both ran away, then? That wasn't good soldiering either,
was it, Zeke?" commented Stokes, in his dry way.
"It's pretty good soldiering to stand fire within an inch of your
nose," resumed Hi, who had become a loyal friend and adherent of
his tall comrade. "Zeb was so close on the Britisher when he fired
his pistol that we saw the faces of both in the flash; and a lot
of bullets sung after us, I can sell you, as we dusted out of
those diggin's."
"Compliments of General Putnam to Sergeant Zebulon Jarvis," said
an orderly, riding out of the dim twilight of the morning. "The
general requests your presence at headquarters."
"Sergeant! promoted! Another cheer for Zeb!" and the Opinquake
boys gave it with hearty goodwill.
"Jerusalem, fellows! I'd like to have a chance at those beans
before I go!" but Zeb promptly tramped off with the orderly.
When he returned he was subjected to a fire of questions by the
two or three men still awake, but all they could get out of him
was that he had been given a good breakfast.
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