“Looks like a girl in boy’s clothes!” grumbled Corporal Bang. “‘Boy,’ ‘girl?’ Why he is a mere infant!” exclaimed Corporal West. “A mere threadpaper! a mere cobweb! I wonder how he’ll stand fire!” laughed Sergeant Jones. “I wonder what the devil the Secretary of War could have been thinking of!” muttered Corporal Quartz. “I should like to see him in an engagement once!” said Copley. “And so should I!” “And I!”—muttered each malcontent in his turn. For even so freely would the best disciplined soldiers canvass the characters of their superior officers, in their absence. “I’ll tell you what, boys,” said Sergeant Hay, “you are talking of one you know nothing about. Captain Wing has been in the service less than a year and has already distinguished himself on several notable occasions.” “Oh yes! we dare say he made a very good spy to creep into guerrilla camps. We heard all about that. And no doubt he was a very fair accountant and kept the regimental books in good order. But we want to see him under fire before we throw up our caps and hurrah for him as our captain,” laughed West. “He has been under fire a score of times and never blenched. And I can tell you this, my comrades: When you _do_ see him under fire, you will see one who will not _drive_ you like sheep, but _lead_ you like men. You will see one who will not get behind a tree during the engagement and cry—‘_Go_ on, boys!’ as some of our gallant officers have done; but who will dash on in advance and shout to you—‘_Come_ on, boys!’ And if he does not inspire your whole company with valor, I know nothing of him.” “We shall see,” said Sergeant Jones, incredulously. “We shall see,” echoed the others. Very soon they had an opportunity of seeing. The next morning the third battalion of the regiment under Major Kerr, the same battalion to which Company K belonged, was ordered to march to P. to destroy certain saltpetre works belonging to the enemy. P. was a well fortified town, distant about forty miles from C., and the intervening country was infested with guerrillas. The orders were issued at seven o’clock in the morning. By half-past seven the battalion was under arms, with two days’ rations. And at eight o’clock they marched. Their road lay for some miles through the mountainous and heavily wooded country east of C. Then through open fields and meadows, and lastly into the depths of the valley forest. At noon they halted for an hour’s rest and refreshment, that men and horses might be in good fighting order when they should arrive at their destination. Then they continued their march until they emerged from the forest and entered upon the more open country, diversified with hills and valleys, groves and meadows, brooks and rivers. Winding between the hills, striking across the meadows and fording the rivers, they at length came in sight of the entrenched saltpetre works.