’Yes, I got that in a small scrimmage under old GRAY EYES.  ’Twas next day after a fight though, cum to think on it.  We’d been up there and took a small odobe hole called Santa Sumthin’, and had spasificated the poperlashun, when I went to git a gold cross off an old woman, and she up frying-pan of frijoles and hit me, so!’ Here the corporal aimed a blow with his pipe at the face of the high private he was talking with;—­the latter dodged it.

‘That was a big thing, that fight at Santa Sumthin’; the way we went over them mud walls, and wiped out the Greasers, was a cortion.  I rac’lect when we was drawed up company front, afore we made the charge, there was a feller next me in the ranks—­I didn’t know him from an old shoe, ’cause he’d ben drafted that morning into us from another company.  Says he,—­

    ‘We’re going into hair and cats’ claws ’fore long, and as I’m
    unbeknownst amongst you fellers, I’d like to make a bargain with
    you.’

    ‘Go it,’ says I; ‘I’m on hand for ennything.’

    ‘Well,’ says he, ’witchever one of us gits knocked over, the
    tother feller ’ll look out for him, and if he ain’t a goner ’ll
    haul him out, so the doctor can work onto him.’

    ‘Good,’ says I, ’you may count me in there; mind you look after
    ME!’

The fight began, and when we charged, the fust thing I knowed the feller next me, wot made the bargain, he went head over heels backwards; and to tell the honest trooth, I was just that powerful egsited I never minded him a smite, but went right ahead after plunder and the Greasers, over mud walls and along alleys, till I got, bang in, where I found something worth fighting about it.  ’Bout dusk, when we was all purty full of agwadenty, they sent us out to bury our fellers as was killed in the scrimmage; and as we hadn’t much time to spare, we didn’t dig a hole more’n a foot or two deep, and put all our fellers in, in a hurry.  Next morning airly, as I was just coming out of a church where I’d ben surveyin’ some candle-stix with a jack-knife to see ef they were silver, [witch they were not,—­hang em!]—­as I was coming out of the church I felt a feller punch me in the back—­so I turned round to hit him back, when I see the feller, as had stood by me in the ranks the day before, all covered over with dirt, and mad as a ringtail hornet.

    ‘Hello!’ said I.

    ‘Hello! yourself,’ said he.  ’I want ter know what yer went and
    berried me for, afore I was killed for?’

I never was so put to for a answer afore in all my life, ’cause I wanted to spasificate the feller, so I kind of hemmed, and says I—­’Hm! the fact was, this dirty little hole of a town was rayther crowded last night, and I—­just to please you, yer know—­I lodged you out there; but I swear I was this minute going out there to dig you up for breakfuss!’

    ‘If that’s so,’ said he, ’we won’t say no more ’bout it; but the
    next time you do it, don’t put a feller in so deep; for I had a
    oncommon hard scratch turning up again!’