"Well, he was buckin' agin a mighty good shot, and I'm surprised your pardner's alive. I wouldn't 've given three cents for him when Shorty drawed down on him; but Shorty's bin off duty for awhile, and his gun's not in the best order. Howsumever, I'm awful glad that it come out as it did. His life's worth a dozen rebels." "The blazes you say. I'd have you know, Yank, that one Confederit is wuth a whole rijimint o' Lincoln hirelings. I'll--"{147} "O, come off--come off--that's more o' your old five-to-one gas," said Si irritatingly. "I thought we'd walloped that dumbed nonsense out o' your heads long ago. We've showed right along that, man for man, we're a sight better'n you. We've always licked you when we've had anything like a fair show. At Stone River you had easy two men to our one, and yit we got away with you." "'Tain't so. It's a lie. If hit wuzzent for the{148} Dutch and Irish you hire, you couldn't fight we'uns at all." "Look here, reb," said Si, getting hot around the ears, "I'm neither a Dutchman nor an Irishman; we hain't a half dozen in our company. I'm a better man than you've got in your regiment. Either me or Shorty kin lick any man you put up; Co. Q kin lick your company single-handed and easy; the 200th Injianny kin lick any regiment in the rebel army. To prove it, I kin lick you right here." [Illustration: SI WANTS A FIGHT 147] Si thrust the plug of tobacco into his blouse pocket and began rolling up his sleeves. The rebel did not seem at all averse to the trial and squared off at him. Then Shorty saw the belligerent attitude and yelled: "Come, Si. Don't fight there. That's no place. If you're goin' to fight, come up on level ground, where it kin be fair and square. Come up here, or we'll go over there." "O, come off," shouted the rebel on the other side. "Don't be a fool, Bill. Fist-foutin' don't settle nothin'. Come back here and git your gun if ye want to fout. But don't le's fout no more to-day. Thar's plenty of it for ter-morrer. Le's keep quiet and peaceful now. I want powerfully to take a swim. Air you fellers agreed?" "Yes; yes," shouted Shorty. "You fellers keep to your side o' the river, and we will to ours." The agreement was carried into instantaneous effect, and soon both sides of the stream were filled with laughing, romping, splashing men. There was something very exhilarating in the cool, clear, mountain water of the stream. The boys{149} got to wrestling, and Si came off victorious in two or three bouts with his comrades. "Cock-a-doodle-doo," he shouted, imitating the crow of a rooster. "I kin duck any man in the 200th Injianny." The challenge reached the ears of the rebel with whom Si had traded. He was not satisfied with the result of his conference. "You kin crow over your fellers, Yank," he shouted; "but you dassent come to the middle an' try me two falls outen three."