"What's the odds? All's fish that comes to their net. To get an office in the Church may require a profession of faith, but we're not so particular in the army. I take the oath, and they let me go. Besides, I have Roman Catholic leanings." "Roman Catholic leanings?" "Yes; I like the Pope. He's a fine man, Sir--a fine man. I regard that man more like a father than any thing else. There isn't one of us but would lay down our lives for that old gentleman." "But you never go to confession, and you're not a member of the Church." "No; but then I'm a member of the army, and I have long chats with some of the English-speaking priests. There are some first-rate fellows among them, too. Yes, Sir." "I don't see much of a leaning in all that." "Leaning? Why, it's all leaning. Why, look here. I remember the time when I was a grim, true-blue Puritan. Well, I ain't that now. I used to think the Pope was the Beast of the 'Pocalypse. Well, now I think he's the finest old gentleman I ever saw. I didn't use to go to Catholic chapel. Well, now I'm there often, and I rather kind o' like it. Besides, I'm ready to argue with them all day and all night, and what more can they expect from a fighting man? "You see, after our war I got my hand in, and couldn't stop fighting. The Indians wouldn't do--too much throat-cutting and savagery. So I came over here, took a fancy to the Pope, enlisted, was at Mentana, fit there, got promoted, went home, couldn't stand it, and here I am, back again; though how long I'm going to be here is more'n I can tell. The fact is, I feel kind of onsettled." "Why so?" "Oh, it's an aggravating place, at the best." "How?" "There's such an everlasting waste of resources--such tarnation bad management. Fact is, I've noted that it's always the case wherever you trust ministers to do business. They're sure to make a mess of it. I've known lots of cases. Why, that's always the way with us. Look at our stock-companies of any kind, our religious societies, and our publishing houses--wherever they get a ministerial committee, the whole concern goes to blazes. I _know_ that. Yes, _Sir_. Now that's the case here. Here's a fine country. Why, round this here city there's a country, Sir, that, if properly managed, might beat any of our prairies--and look at it.