“Well, sir, we don’t go in for new-fangled notions here,” said the Colonel; “we hold on to our Brown Bessies, as you see.”
All the nigger ladies grinned tremendously at this, and called out, “Ya! ya! dat all right, Massa Kurnel.”
“Will you keep those brown Bessiers stock-still?” shouted the Colonel to the men; “if you don’t, you shan’t have any ball.”
At this everybody looked very blank, and the Brown Bessies became suddenly immovable. The Colonel then gave the word of command—
“Boshshire Roughs,
’Shun.”
All the men at once turned away, and put their hands in their pockets, displaying the most contemptuous indifference to the brown ladies, who now were all attention and smiles, trying to coax the men to turn to them again.
GREAT SHAKES.
“Will you inspect the corps?” said the Colonel.
The boys walked down to the end of the line, whereupon the band, which consisted of one fife and 29 triangles, struck up—