I felt a lump rise in my throat. The eagle was asking a favor of me! I did not get a chance, and did not much care to tell, how little I really deserved all that my colonel said; and how scared I had been before the fight. But I thought of a saying of mother’s: “How much praise is often given to those who do not deserve it.” I determined, however, to try to live up to the reputation that chance had given me. Afterwards, telling Jot about the Colonel’s compliments, I said: “As Bill Jenkins used to say, ‘I felt as mean as pussley.’” “That’s just like you!” said Jot. “Don’t you remember about your leaving some bunches of grass unmowed where there were bumblebees, and getting Bill Jenkins to get into them by telling him that you had left them as fancy spots? Bill said, ‘Confound your fancy spots!’ and pitched into them, and got all stung up. And you lay awake that night laughing and repenting by turns? The difference between you and some other cowards is that you are mostly scared before a fight and they are scared when in a fight.” “What is the reason,” I said, “that I am so scared before a fight?” “A vivid imagination,” replied Jot; “and borrowing troubles before they come.” CHAPTER XI A SIX WEEKS’ HIKE THROUGH FRANCE Lists of men were being made. Officers were hurrying with papers. An order had come. There was cleaning of rifles and machine-guns, washing of clothes, inspection, and making up of packs preparatory to a march. Several sick and wounded men were returned from the hospital as fit for duty. Among these was Private Beaudett, whose hurt had been a clean gun shot wound which was not entirely healed but the doctors, at his urgent request, had discharged him as again fit for duty. We were glad to greet him and have him with us once more. A cheerful, hopeful man like him, one who sees the bright side of every hardship, and who has a stock of good humor, and fun in him, puts a valuable addition of cheerfulness and life into a company of soldiers. This characteristic can neither be measured, nor weighed. It is called its _morale_. Napoleon said that an army with this imponderable quality, made up in part of hope, cheerfulness and confidence in itself and its commander, was worth, in actual service, three times as much as an army without it. No doubt it was this fun-loving and fun-seeing quality that had conduced to Beaudett’s quick recovery from his wound. “An’ sure,” said Pat Quinn, “ye’s look as good as new, ye little son of a gun.” “Yes, be Shorge! pretty much better for muche good companee of Red Cross leetle nurse; an’ I cheets him doctor and de bugs,” responded Beaudett with a significant scratch and a grin; “_Oui_, I have none of he.” “We will be generous,” said Corporal Sutherland with a wink, “and share our cooties with you. So you can begin scratching at once.” And he did!