Among the many of Gen. Rosecrans's eccentricities and vagrant fancies was one for prowling around through his camps at night, wearing a private's overcoat and cap. One night he strolled into the camp of the 200th Ind. The superior architecture of Si and Shorty's cabin struck him, and he decided to look inside. He knocked on the door. "Come in," shouted Si.{183} He entered, and found Si engaged with Tom Billings in a game of checkers for the championship of the 200th Ind. Shorty was watching the game intently, as Si's counselor, and Zeke Tomkins was giving like assistance to Tom Billings. Two other crack players were acting as umpires. The light from the fire shone brightly upon them, but left the front of the room, where the General stood, in complete darkness. They were so absorbed in the game that they merely looked up, saw that the newcomer was a private soldier, and supposed that he had merely dropped in to watch the game. "Did you clean your feet on the bayonet outside the door?" demanded Shorty, as he fixed his eyes again on the red and white grains of corn, which represented the men on the board. "No, I forgot," said the General quietly. "Well, go right outside and clean 'em off," ordered Shorty. "Don't want no mud tracked in here for us to carry out agin." The General, much amused, went out, carefully scraped his boots, and then returned. "All right," said Shorty, looking up as he reentered. "Now look all you like, but don't say nothin'. Nobody s allowed to say a word but the players and the umpires." The game proceeded in silence for several minutes, and the General became much interested. It was one of his peculiarities that he could not help getting interested in anything that his soldiers were doing, from the boiling of a cup of coffee or the pitching of a tent to the alignment of a company. Si was getting a little the better of Billings, and{184} the General's sympathies naturally went toward the loser. He touched Billings on the shoulder, as he was about to make a move, and said: [Illustration: THE GENERAL INTERRUPTS THE GAME 184] "Don't do that. You'll open your king row. "Move--" Shorty was alert on the instant. "Shut up," he commanded. "You've no business talkin'; I told you when you come in you weren't allowed to say nothin'." "Excuse me," said the General; "I quite forgot." "Well, see that you don't forgit agin," growled Shorty. "We've got quite enough talent in the game already. We don't want no more to come in." Again the game proceeded in intent silence for some minutes. Then Si called out: "Hold on; you can't jump backwards with that man. That ain't no king." "I say it is a king," said Billings. "I got him into the row half an hour ago, and crowned him. You knocked the crown off when you moved." "I know better," said Shorty. "I've been watching that piece right along, and he's never been nearer the king-row than he is this minute."