"Oh, come," he said, in a most offensive tone. "Play fair, play fair."

"Play fair? What do you mean?" I demanded.

"You don't expect me to believe," he said, jeeringly, "that you came
all the way down here, just to fight for the sacred cause of liberty."

I may occasionally exaggerate a bit in representing myself to be a
more important person than I really am, but if I were taught nothing
else at the Point, I was taught to tell the truth, and when Aiken
questioned my word I felt the honor of the whole army rising within me
and stiffening my back-bone.

"You had better believe what I tell you, sir," I answered him,
sharply. "You may not know it, but you are impertinent!"

I have seldom seen a man so surprised as was Aiken when I made this
speech. His mouth opened and remained open while he slowly removed his
feet from the table and allowed the legs of his chair to touch the
floor.

"Great Scott," he said at last, "but you have got a nasty temper. I'd
forgotten that folks are so particular."

"Particular--because I object to having my word doubted," I asked. "I
must request you to send my trunk to Pulido's. I fancy you and I won't
hit it off together." I rose and started to leave the room, but he
held out his hands to prevent me, and exclaimed, in consternation: