“Well, I said speak, but I meant chatter,” cried the Sergeant. “You may speak now, and answer my question. I said do you know what would happen if you went to sleep?”
“Yes, Sergeant.”
“Well, what?”
“Snore,” growled the man.
“Yah! You are turning into a fool. Don’t you think you would fall down if you went to sleep?”
“No, Sergeant. When I go off on duty I always stand stiff as a ramrod.”
“Oh! Then you confess, sir, you do go to sleep on sentry?”
“Think I did once, Sergeant, but I warn’t sure.”
“Well, now then, look here. You are the most troublesome man in your company, and you are not worth your salt, but your commanding officer doesn’t want to put the War Office to the expense of sending you home; and I don’t want to have to put a fatigue party to the trouble of digging a hole for you in this nasty, swampy jungle earth, with more expense caused by the waste of ammunition in firing three volleys over your grave.”
“No, Sergeant; that would be ’ard.”