"What have you inside your coat?" demanded the irate colonel.
"Yis, sor! Yis, sor!" retorted Dennis, saluting as he spoke.
"What have you inside your coat?" repeated the angry officer.
"Nothin' of any value, sor."
"I don't believe what you say! A man who will disobey orders will lie about his disobedience! Unbutton your coat, sir, and show me what you have!"
"Indade, sor," protested Dennis, "'tis nothin' I have which will interest the likes of you, Colonel Rathbun. 'Tis nothin' of any value at all I have."
"Unbutton your coat, sir, and throw what you have stolen on to this pile, where the rest of your thievish comrades have placed what they stole!"
"Indade, sor," protested Dennis once more, "'tis nothin' of any value. I didn't rob anybody, sor! I—"
"Do as I tell you!" demanded the angry colonel, "or I will order you to be taken to the guard-house!"
"Yis, sor! Yis, sor!" responded Dennis promptly, as he began to fumble at the buttons of his jacket.