"The same one as I did,—th Mass.," replied Hiram.
"Did you go to war?" inquired Quincy.
"Well, I rather guess," said Hiram. "I went out as a bugler; he was a corporal, but he got detailed for hospital duty, and we left him behind before we got where there was any fightin'."
"Was he ever wounded in battle?" asked Quincy.
"One of the sick fellers in the hospital gave him a lickin' one day, but I don't suppose you'd call that a battle," remarked Hiram.
"Well, how about that rigmarole he got off down to the grocery store that morning?" Quincy interrogated.
"Oh, that was all poppycock," said Hiram. "He said that just to get even with you, when you were telling about your grandfathers and grandmothers."
Quincy laughed.
"Oh, I see," said he. "Were you ever wounded in battle, Hiram?"