‘His anxiety to retake them was very genuine,’ said the brigadier. ‘It seems to me,’ he commented shrewdly, ‘that there is a personal motive underlying his zeal, though what, or why, it is difficult to say.—What are you staring at, general?’ he broke off. ‘Why, good gracious!’ Alas and alas! From the loft was proceeding a most singular shower. Plop! Plop! Plop! Plop! one after another in regular succession, a cascade of biscuits descended from the planking to the floor, each as it fell shivering into fragments after the fashion of the renowned Humpty Dumpty. No wonder that the general stared. ‘Ha! ha! ha! ho! ho! ho!’ roared the jovial brigadier. ‘I never thought of that. That is where your breakfast vanished to, general. And where the crackers are, there also is the ham, I’ll bet a trifle.’ ‘Come out of that, whoever you are!’ ordered the general sternly. ‘Come out of that at once.’ This denouement was due to the unfortunate Lucius, who, in wriggling into a more comfortable position, had burst open the front of his tunic, in which a quantity of biscuits had been bestowed. As the first of these touched the floor, Ephraim grasped his comrade by the back of the neck and pinned him down as in a vice. Then as the general’s loud command rang out, he put his mouth close to Luce’s ear, and just breathed into it: ‘Lie low, Luce, lie low. I see a way out er this muss. Don’t move now for the life of ye, whatever ye see me do.’ ‘Come out of that, I say,’ repeated the general. ‘Do you want me to come and fetch you?’ This being the very last thing that Ephraim desired, he slowly uncoiled his long length, and swinging upon the rafter, dropped to the floor, where he stood the very picture of sheepishness, his mouth wide open, and a most comical expression—half-humorous, half-terrified appeal in his big gray eyes. But he took care to leave the piece of ham behind him. The fat brigadier retreated to the wall of the hut, and laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks. ‘Well, if this doesn’t beat everything I ever saw or heard of!’ he gasped. ‘What will you do with him, general? Shall I take him to the provost-marshal for a round dozen, or will you have him shot right away? For my part, I think he deserves the rest of the breakfast for his impudence.’ ‘Silence!’ said the general severely, though his eyes twinkled.—’ What were you doing there?’ he demanded of Ephraim. The Grizzly drew himself up and saluted. ‘I beg yewr parding, ginrul,’ he answered in a weak, whining tone; ‘I war jest parsing the windy, and when I looked in and see that right down, first-clarse spread, I tell yew I jest felt I had ter hev some.’