‘Lies!’ echoed General Shields. ‘What do you mean, sir? Are you aware that you are speaking of your superior officer?’
‘I know that, ginrul,’ replied Ephraim, adding with a subdued grin: ‘I ain’t saying nuthing worse about him than I’ve heard this morning. All the same, he war telling lies about that balloon. I war thar, so I guess I should know.’
‘You were there!’ repeated General Shields. ‘I understood the colonel to say that none of his men were on hand.’
‘Upon my word, you are a nice young man,’ said the general.
‘Waal, I war thar, whether he saw me or not,’ insisted Ephraim.
‘Well, what happened?’ asked the general, interested.
‘Part of what he said, a good deal he didn’t say, and a heap less than he did say,’ returned Ephraim oracularly. ‘The balloon came down right enuff, and thar war two folk in it. They got out and were surrounded instanter. They never raised a finger tew resist. How could they when there war ba’nets agin their chests, and they war nuthing but a couple of boys.’
‘Boys!’ exclaimed the general in a tone of incredulity. ‘What could boys be doing sailing about in a balloon?’
‘I guess that’s their business,’ answered Ephraim. ‘Anyhow, thar they war, and what they said and what they stuck tew war that they had made a balloon, and jest came out fer a bit of a spree.’