“For a fellow that’s all legs and no brains, you talk too much,” answered Johnny.  “Have any of you seen the Fifty-fourth?”

“I haven’t.”  “Nor I.”  “Yes, I saw them at Port Royal.”  “And I.”  “And I.”

“Well, the Twenty-third was at Beaufort while they were there, and I used to go over to their camp and talk with them.  I never saw fellows so in earnest; they seemed ready to die on the instant, if they could help their people, or walk into the slaveholders any, first.  They were just full of it; and yet it seemed absurd to call ’em a black regiment; they were pretty much all colors, and some of ’em as white as I am.”

“Lord,” said Jim, “that’s not saying much, you’ve got a smutty face.”

The men laughed, Jack with the rest, as he dabbed at his heated, powder-stained countenance.  “Come,” said he, “that’s no fair,—­they’re as white as I am, then, when I’ve just scrubbed; and some of them are first-raters, too; none of your rag, tag, and bobtail.  There’s one I remember, a man from Philadelphia, who walks round like a prince.  He’s a gentleman, every inch,—­and he’s rich,—­and about the handsomest-looking specimen of humanity I’ve set eyes upon for an age.”

“Rich, is he? how do you know he’s rich?”

“I was over one night with Captain Ware, and he and this man got to talking about the pay for the Fifty-fourth.  The government promised them regular pay, you see, and then when it got ’em refused to stick to its agreement, and they would take no less, so they haven’t seen a dime since they enlisted; and it’s a darned mean piece of business, that’s my opinion of the matter, and I don’t care who knows it,” looking round belligerently.

“Come, Bantam, don’t crow so loud,” interrupted the big Ohioan; “nobody’s going to fight you on that statement; it’s a shame, and no mistake.  But what about your paragon?”

“I’ll tell you.  The Captain was trying to convince him that they had better take what they could get till they got the whole, and that, after all, it was but a paltry difference.  ‘But,’ said the man, ’it’s not the money, though plenty of us are poor enough to make that an item.  It’s the badge of disgrace, the stigma attached, the dishonor to the government.  If it were only two cents we wouldn’t submit to it, for the difference would be made because we are colored, and we’re not going to help degrade our own people, not if we starve for it.  Besides, it’s our flag, and our government now, and we’ve got to defend the honor of both against any assailants, North or South,—­whether they’re Republican Congressmen or rebel soldiers.’  The Captain looked puzzled at that, and asked what he meant.  ‘Why,’ said he, ’the United States government enlisted us as soldiers.  Being such, we don’t intend to disgrace the service by accepting the pay of servants.’”

“That’s the kind of talk,” bawled Jim from a fence-rail upon which he was balancing.  “I’d like to have a shake of that fellow’s paw.  What’s his name, d’ye know?”