HEZEKIAH. I’ll bet ye tew dollars that feller come to the conclewshun that he must er stole my gun from a whole regiment. BARNEY. And the grayback thafe at the table, that twitted me about the guard-house. HEZEKIAH. Guess he thought he was goin’ through a fullin’ mill. BARNEY. The blackguard! (_Very sober._) HEZEKIAH. ’Drather give fifty dollars than ter had yer hit the old General. BARNEY. How the divil should I know he was a general, without the two brass things on ’im? HEZEKIAH. All them fellers az has ritin’ tools and tables in their tents, is generals. BARNEY. Didn’t the sargeant tell me I was never to know one er thim without the two brass things on him? HEZEKIAH. It don’t make no difference, now ye bin gone and done it. BARNEY. Didn’t he begin it, twittin’ me about the guard-house, the thafe! HEZEKIAH. He was only callin’ the guard for help. BARNEY. The blackguard! Whin he was as big as I! And he called thim three spalpeens a coort, when it takes more than two dozen to make one er thim any day. (_Door opens R., rebel soldier enters and reads from a paper._) SOLDIER. The General commanding orders that the two union prisoners, O’Flanagan and Goferum, convicted of spying in the confederate camp, be notified that they are to be shot at daylight. Per order General commanding. (_Exit soldier, R. Barney and Hez. look at each other a moment in silence._) BARNEY. He will do that? HEZEKIAH. That’s the kind of hairpin he is. BARNEY. The blackguard! HEZEKIAH. Wal, I guess I’ve airn’t the powder and shot. If my old shooter hain’t tapped a hundred and fifty er them critters, you can jest hope ter holler. BARNEY. I will get some lawyer to appeal that coort. HEZEKIAH. You get out! BARNEY. That was no coort. The constitution of Ameriky says nothing about a coort like that. HEZEKIAH. It don’t make no difference. The shootin’ will come. They don’t care for constitewshuns down here. BARNEY. I’ll have that thafe tried for murder if he does that. And I’ll tell him that to his face, too. I don’t care who any man is that will do an illagal thing like that. HEZEKIAH. They don’t stop for law down here. BARNEY. The more the shame for ’em. He will have the contimpt er the wurruld upon ’im. HEZEKIAH. It wouldn’t do no good. They’ll bury you at daylight. (_Short silence._) BARNEY. And there ain’t niver a praste to be had in this haythen country at all. HEZEKIAH. Ye don’t need none. If I hain’t licked rebels enough ter get ter heaven without a priest, they can jest kick me out. BARNEY. Havn’t I done that same meself? HEZEKIAH. So ye have, Barney, and this ain’t yer own country, neither. If they don’t give ye two harps to my one, it ain’t doin’ the fair thing by ye. BARNEY. Divil a bit do I care for a harp, if I can get out er this. (_Door opens, and Sally appears with two carbines in her hands; hesitates a moment._) HEZEKIAH. Now let me die. BARNEY. ’Pon my word.