"I'm Serg't Klegg, sir, of Co. Q, 200th Injianny Volunteer Infantry." "Who are you, Corporal?" "I'm Corp'l Elliott, sir, of Co. Q, 200th Injianny Volunteer Infantry." "Now, officer, who are you?" "I'm Lieut.-Col. Billings, sir." "Where's your shoulder-straps?" "I had 'em taken off this coat to git fixed. They were torn." "Where's your sword?" "I left it in my quarters." "Fine officer, to go on duty that way. Where do you belong?" Billings hesitated an instant, but he felt sure that the General did not belong to the Army of the Cumberland, and he answered: "I belong to the 200th Ind." "That ain't true, General," Si protested. "He was fired out of the regiment a year ago. He's a citizen." "Silence, Sergeant. Billings? Billings? The name of the Lieutenant-Colonel of the 200th Ind. happens to be McBiddle--one-armed man, good soldier. Billings? Billings? T. J. Billings? Is that your name?" "Yes, sir," answered Billings, beginning to look very uncomfortable. "Didn't you have some trouble about a bunch of cattle you sold to the Quartermaster-General?" "Well, there was little difference of opinion, but--" "That'll do, sir. That'll do for the present. I begin to get you placed. I thought I knew the name Billings as soon as you spoke it, but I couldn't remember any officer in my army of that name. Now, Sergeant, tell me your story." "General, me and my pardner here," began Si, "have bin home on wounded furlough. Wounded at Chickamauga and promoted. We got orders to bring on this squad o' recruits from Jeffersonville for our rijimint. We got in last night and this mornin' me and my pardner started out to see if we could find someone to direct us to the rijimint, leavin' the squad alone for a few minutes. While we wuz gone this feller, who's bin fired out of our rijimint and another one that he was in, come along and tolled our boys off, intendin' to sneak 'em into another rijimint and git pay for 'em. By great good luck we ketched him in time, just before you come up. You kin ask the boys themselves if I hain't told you the truth." "Good idea," said the General, in his quick, peremptory way. "You three (indicating Si, Shorty and Billings) march off there 25 paces, while I talk to the boys." Gen. Sherman, for it was the Commander of the Military Division of the Mississippi, who, with his usual impetuous, thorough way, would investigate even the most insignificant affair in his camps, when the humor seized him, now sprang from his horse, and began a sharp, nervous cross-questioning of the boys as to their names, residence, ages, how they came there and whither they were bound. "You came down with this Sergeant and Corporal, did you? You were recruited for the 200th Ind., were you? You were put under the charge of those men to be taken to your regiment?" he asked Pete Skidmore, at the end of the line.