was said over their cups, that might as well have been
let alone, I do suppose, tho' dear me, what is the use
of wine but to onloosen the tongue, and what is the use
of the tongue, but to talk. Oh, cuss 'em, I have no
patience with them. Well, there was an officer of a
marchin' regiment there, who it seems ought to have took
down the words and sent 'em up to the head Gineral, but
he was a knowin' coon, was officer, and _didn't hear it_.
No sooner said than done; some one else did the dirty
work for him; but you can't have a substitute for this,
you must sarve in person, so the old Gineral hawls him
right up for it.

"'Why the plague, didn't you make a fuss?' sais the
General, 'why didn't you get right up, and break up the
party?'

"'I didn't hear it,' sais he.

"'You didn't hear it!' sais Old Sword-belt, 'then you
had ought to have heerd it; and for two pins, I'd sharpen
your hearin' for you, so that a snore of a fly would wake
you up, as if a byler had bust.'

"Oh, how it has lowered the English in the eyes of
foreigners! How sneakin' it makes 'em look! They seem
for all the world like scared dogs; and a dog when he
slopes off with his head down, his tail atween his legs,
and his back so mean it won't bristle, is a caution to
sinners. Lord. I wish I was Queen!"