"I see by the paper," continued Private William Green, as soon as his tormentors would let him proceed, "that we of the United States are now manufacturing the biggest and finest guns in the world."
"Meaning cannon?" quizzed Private Hyman innocently.
"Sure," nodded Private William Green.
"Take that over to the red sheds," jeered one soldier.
"What do we of the infantry care about the red legs and their troubles?" demanded Hyman, as though affronted.
For the "doughboys," or infantrymen, of the regular Army, affect supreme scorn for all other arms of the service. In especial do they profess contempt for the artillerymen, or red legs, this latter epithet being derived from the fact that red is the artillery color, and that the officers and non-commissioned officers of the artillery wear red side stripes on their trousers.
"But think what it means to this country," insisted Private William Green,"when we manufacture the biggest guns in the world."
"And we have also the loudest-mouthed and noisiest members in the peace societies," remarked Private Hal Overton, laughingly.
"What have peace-spouters got to do with big guns?" demanded Private William Green rather stiffly.
"Why, you see," explained Hal,"the peace advocates look for the millennium."