ROGER (_hand on_ POTTS'S _shoulder; music_). Indeed he is. No one knows it better than I. He stood my friend in my darkest hours. Ah, Potts! I have a hard battle yet to fight. Newcomb must not win the day. My plan is a bold one. Stand by me, old man; your friendship will be tried. (_Taking his hand._) But those honest eyes of yours never failed me yet. This firm pressure of your hand, and the knowledge of Dorothy's faith and love, give me strength and courage to do my duty. SCENE II.—_Same as Scene I. Evening._ KILROY _has been relieved; lights across the river; table removed from the stage_, C. PETE (_discovered lighting candle in_ COLONEL'S _tent_). Golly, I feels powerful big, I does, wid dis yer coat ob de colonel's. 'Specs some time, dey will mistook us, and I gets all de salutes. (_Comes out of tent._) Dey will 'proach me dis yer fashion. (_Imitates_ ORDERLY _and salutes_.) Massa Colonel. (_Imitates_ COLONEL.) Yas, sar. (_Imitates_ ORDERLY.) A 'spatch from de general. (_Imitates._) Very well, sar. (_Salutes; walks about with dignity; enter_ KILROY.) KIL. Faith, and if it ain't the shmall heathen we saved from the other soide. Luk at the shtyle of him,—parading about wid the colonel's shtripes and buttons. Whist, honey, phat are yees doing wid that coat? PETE (_turning_). I's habin' heaps of fun, I is. Massa Colonel gib me dis yer coat, an' I's playin' wid my 'magination, an' tinks I'se de colonel. KIL. Playin' wid phat is it? The nixt thing you know, it may be powder phat's playin' wid you. PETE. Does yer 'member, sah, when I comed across de line? KIL. Will, indade I does. A foine specimen yees were. Shure, for a minit, I thought it was the divil himself, coming to give me a surprise party. PETE (_grins_). Den yer don't trabel wid him all de time, massa? KIL. Oh, yer shpalpeen! (_Strikes at_ PETE, _who dodges, turns a somersault, and exit past sentinel_.) KIL. A shmart one, by the powers! Travel with the divil is it? Faith, and he goes it so fast, niver a bit cud I kape up wid him. If that shmall imp don't show more respict to his betthers, a shmall chance he'll get to travel with any one. (_Exit_ KIL., R.; GUARD _approaches with change of sentinel_.) SENT. Halt! Who comes there? GUARD. Friend. SENT. Advance, friend, and give the countersign. (GUARD _gives it_; GIBBS _stands as sentinel; relieved_ SENTINEL _marches off behind_ GUARD.) GIBBS. I wonder if Newcomb is on the watch. Yes; here he comes. Too clever to miss the game. (_Enter_ COL. _and_ NEW.; GIBBS _salutes_ COL.; NEW. _looks at_ GIBBS, _and starts_.) COL. What's the matter, Newcomb? Not nervous, are you? NEW. It's nothing. Thought I saw a shadow. Do you have any of those black devils hanging about here?