"Then I'll put in for a pass, if you please, sir, and blow off steam outside."
Bubbles of suppressed joy disturbed the serenity of the court. I always find joy pays.
"Return to duty," said Wormy.
"About tur-r-n! Mar-r-r-ch!" said the sergeant-major.
But I snatched my forage cap out of his hand, jammed it on and threw a salute.
"May I speak, sir?"
"You are permit to spik."
"Release the Indian, sir, and let me serve his sentence. Please, sir, the poor devil's a friend of mine. He's innocent, and belongs to the South Piegans, so what's the good of wasting government grub to feed a United States Indian. If he's free, sir, you won't need a guard."
"Stoff a nonsense. You would be prisonnier! How you say no guard?"
"Oh, sir, that's all right. I'll keep the guard-house clean and lock myself in at night."