"Why," exclaimed Frank, in surprise, "I didn't know that you had pushed your lines so close to the enemy's works!"
"Yes," said a lieutenant, who at this moment came up, "there's a rebel rifle-pit not four feet from you."
"Here," said a soldier, handing Frank his gun, "put your cap on this bayonet and hold it up, and you'll soon see how far off they are."
Frank did as the soldier suggested. The moment he raised his cap above the rifle-pit, a bayonet was suddenly thrust out, and when it was drawn in, his cap went with it.
"Now, look at that!" exclaimed Frank. "It's very provoking!"
"Aha, Yank! you're minus that head-piece," shouted a voice, which was followed by a roar of laughter from the rebels, and from all the soldiers in the rifle-pit who had witnessed the performance.
"I'm sorry, sir," said the soldier. "I did not want you to lose your cap." Then, raising his voice, he shouted—"Johnny, throw that cap back here!"
"O, no," answered the rebel; "but I'll trade with you. A fair exchange is no robbery, you know," and as he spoke a hat came sailing through the air, and fell into the rifle-pit. It was a very dilapidated looking affair, bearing unmistakable proofs of long service and hard usage.
"Say, Yank," continued the rebel, "do you see a hole in the crown of that hat?"
"Do you call this thing a hat?" asked Frank, lifting the article in question on the point of his sword, and holding it up to the view of the soldiers. "It bears about as much resemblance to a hat as it does to a coffee-pot."