“‘Have you any further orders, Sir, before we leave you?’
“Mick thought a moment, then said: ‘Yes. Go ahead and beat all the rebels and eat ’em alive.’
“Again the General saluted him, and he saluted the General, and the General said:
“‘What is your name?’
“‘Mick Leonard Sherman. What is yours?’
“‘That’s queer,’ said the General. ‘Mine is Sherman, too. Now we are going to march ahead, all the way to the sea, and we’ll beat all the rebels.’
“Then he sprang to his horse and shouted, ‘Forward!’
“Down the road and around the turn went the whole army, while Mick sat on the fence and watched till the very last soldier was out of sight.
“That was the last Mick ever saw of them. But the soldiers, all cheered by their song and by the brightness of their flag of red and white and blue, marched on. Days and days they tramped, building bridges across the rivers they came to, helping one another when they grew very tired, capturing spies that they met, and winning all battles. Oh, but they were wonderful fighters! For miles and miles away you could hear their cannons roaring and every shot of their guns brought them nearer to victory and peace. For you know after all, Chicks, they had to fight, as every true American would fight, to help his country, but they longed for peace. They didn’t at all enjoy killing their enemies. But right was on their side and so they fought, on and on, and always their flag went on before them, and all enemies were swept away. Of course they had to win, because the last command Mick Leonard Sherman had given them was to beat all the rebels and eat them alive.
“And that is all.”