bore his horse that, being a man of great compassion, he was in no condition to fight a terrible battle.  Still the noise of battle without warned him how much his presence was needed on the field.  “Heavens! general,” said he, wiping the tears from his eyes, “get you to the field without a moment’s delay, sink all scientific rules, attack the enemy in front and rear, and when you have shown him that you care neither for him or the devil, turn his flank, which will throw him into confusion and give us a victory.  Take the fighting of this great battle to yourself, for I see you are a man of wonderful capacity.  And if you give the enemy a right good drubbing, depend upon it I will make the glory all your own, for it shall be recorded in more than one newspaper.  It will not do to leave my poor horse in this condition.”  Broadbottom left the general shedding tears for his horse, and proceeded to carry out the orders of his superior, the extraordinary result of which will be found in the next chapter.

CHAPTER LIV.

Which treats of various curious things that occurred when the result of the great battle of the banana hills was announced to the commander.

Morning dawned as the clash of battle ceased, and victory was proclaimed by the vagabond army.  And although General Potter had been biting his thumbs in fear of the result, this news so restored his courage that he mounted his three-cornered hat and declared nothing would deter him in future from commanding in person and making splinters of the enemy with his own sword.

“General!” exclaimed Broadbottom, as he came rushing into the camp, “the success of our arms is complete; yes, the god of war has smiled, and we have gained a great victory over the enemy-”

“Truly, general,” interrupted the commander-in-chief, “you deserve well.  But this I can tell you,-there is nothing like one man infusing his strength into another, which it was my good luck to do when directing you how to fight this battle, which, heaven be blest, has crowned our arms with glory.”

“Aye,” replied Broadbottom, with a smile, “I understand this well; but if you could have commanded in person, much blood and many valuable lives had been spared.”

“That I am fully conscious of,” rejoined the commander; “but when men have prodigies to perform, two heads, if I have read right, are better than one.  But my horse is now restored to his usual good condition, which, thank heaven, will afford me an opportunity of displaying my valor in the next great battle.  Give me, then, an account of the dead and wounded; as also what you have done with the prisoners.”  Broadbottom was not slow in performing this service, and gave the commander such a wonderful account of the number of the enemy they