“Why, how was that?”
Dan began and told his story just as it happened, and the old man became so interested that he allowed his pipe to go out. He told about his meeting with the Confederates, described the conversation they had with them, all except the promotion, told about the firing on the pickets, and that they went back to report that they had found sentries at the bridge.
“And didn’t they charge across the bridge and capture those pickets?” exclaimed Mr. Newman, in disgust.
“They didn’t make nary charge that we heard of,” replied Dan. “They said they would go back and report it.”
“Well, if that ain’t a pretty way to do business I don’t want a cent. They ought to have a couple of thousand men behind them; then they could have captured the sentries, and come on up here and gobbled these men.”
It was now Cale’s turn to try his hand.
“Father,” said he, “has a captain any right to promote a man to the same rank as himself?”
“No,” said his father. “What made you ask that question?”
“Oh, I was just thinking about it.”
“The captain has a right to watch his men in action, and if he sees them doing any brave act he reports it to the colonel,” said Mr. Newman. “But he has no authority to promote them himself.”