“Brave!” cried the man mockingly. “Bah!”
“Look here, Hanson,” said Dick gently, “you called me a boy just now.”
“So you are. A fine fellow to set over seasoned men!”
Dick winced, but went on quietly: “You can’t be more than ten years older than I am. Isn’t it time to turn over a new leaf?”
“There’s only one left in my book,” said the man scornfully, “and that has ‘finis’ printed at the bottom.”
“Nonsense, Hanson! Come, turn it over. Don’t let’s have this horrible, degrading scene, with you, one of the smartest soldiers in the troop, the principal actor.”
“Smartest soldiers in the troop! Humbug! The biggest black,” cried the man scornfully.
“Both true,” said Dick.
“Who said that?”
“Every one says it. I’ve heard the captain and Mr Wyatt say it a score of times. Old Stubbs, too.”