"Soldier! soldier!" he croaked, hiding his fear behind hideous laughter, and reported his enemy to Salvation Joe.
That worthy, swollen and stiff with righteousness as the Jehovah of the Israelites, and glad of his chance, tackled Ernie on the subject.
"What's this then?" he said, stopping the other.
"What, sir?" asked Ernie.
"Fighting in the boot-hole," answered Jehovah in his voice of thunder, subdued and distant.
"I don't know nothing of it," said Ernie, honestly taken aback.
Jehovah, the majestic, in his flaming jersey, could sneer.
"Ah, don't you, my lad?" he said. "Well, I do. Let's have no more of it."
The two men went on their way: Salvation Joe to the Manager's office to make his report.
"Always the same with these old soldiers," he said. "It's up with their fists at the first onset. No reasonableness in em. Can't keep em off of it."