himself. That evening he strolled around to the headquarters tent,
and said to the commander of the regiment:

"Colonel, the doctor seems to think that I'm fit to return to duty,
but I don't feel all right yet. I've a numbness in my legs, so
that I kin hardly walk sometims. It's my old rheumatics, stirred
up by sleeping out in the night air. I hear that the man who's
been drivin' the headquarters wagin has had to go to the hospital.
I want to be at something, even if I can't do duty in the ranks,
and I'd like to take his place till him and me gets well."

"All right, Sergeant. You can have the place as long as you wish,
or any other that I can give you. I can't do too much for so brave
a man."

So it happened that in the next fight the regiment was not gratified
by any thrilling episodes of sanguinary, single-handed combats,
between the indomitable Jake and bloodthirsty Rebels.

He had deferred his "revenge" indefinitely.





Chapter IV. Disgrace.