"Confound it!" snorted Shorty, "why in thunder don't they move us out, and give us something to do? This is hell standin' here listenin'." A teamster, hatless and coatless, with his hair{70} standing up, came tearing through the brush, mounted on his saddle-mule. A chorus of yells and curses greeted his appearance. It was immense relief for the men to have something to swear at. [Illustration: A FRIGHTENED TEAMSTER 70] "Run, you egg-sucking hound. "Run, you scald-headed dominie.{71} "Somebody busted a cap in your neighborhood, old white-liver." "Seen the ghost of a dead rebel, Pilgarlic?" "Pull back your eyes, you infernal mulewhacker. A limb'll brush 'em off." "Look at his hair standin' up stiffer'n bristles on a boar's back." "Your mules got more sand 'n you. They're standing where you left 'em." "Of course, you're whipped and all cut to pieces. You was that when you heard the first gun crack." "Get out of the way, and let him run himself to death. That's all he's fit for." "You've no business in men's clothes. Put on petticoats." "Go it, rabbit; go it, cotton-tail you've heard a dog bark." "Chickee chickee skip for the barn. Hawk's in the air." "Let him alone. He's in a hurry to get back and pay his sutler's bill." The teamster gasped out: "You'd better all git out o' here as fast as the Lord'll let you. Johnson's Division's cut all to pieces and runnin'. There'll be a million rebels on top o' you in another minnit." "Capt. McGillicuddy," said the Colonel sternly, but without turning his head, "either bayonet that cowardly rascal or gag him and tie him to a tree." The Captain turned to give the order to Corp'l Klegg, but the teamster struck his mule with his whip, and went tearing on through the brush before the order could be given.{72} Some severely-wounded men came slowly pushing their way through the chaparral. "It's awful hot out there," they said. "The rebels got the start of us, and caught our battery horses off to water. They outflanked us bad, but the boys are standin' up to 'em and they're gettin' help, an 'll lick the stuffin' out of 'em yet." The regiment gave the plucky fellows a cheer. A riderless horse, frantic from his wounds and the terrific noise, tore through the brush, and threatened to dash over Co. Q. Si and Shorty saw the danger, and before the Captain could give an order they sprang forward, and, at considerable risk, succeeded in getting hold of the reins and partially calming the poor brute. The eagles on the saddle cloth showed that he belonged to a Colonel. He was led to the rear, and securely haltered to a young cedar. The incident served a purpose in distracting for awhile the attention of the regiment. The noise in front and to the right swept farther away for a little while, and the men's hearts rose with a cheer. "Now the reinforcements are getting in. Why in the world don't they send us forward?" they said.