afraid of you," replied Tom, as he planted a
heavy blow between the eyes of his companion.

Ben Lethbridge returned the blow, and it cost him another, and there was a
prospect of quite a lively skirmish in the entry; but Fred Pemberton
interposed his good offices, and effected a compromise, which, like most
of the political compromises, was only the postponement of the conflict.

"I told you not to call me 'baby,' again," said Tom, as they passed out of
the building. "I will convince you before I am done that I'm not a baby."

Ben found it convenient to offer no reply to this plain statement of
facts, and the three soldiers made their way back to the camp, and, having
obtained their pails and filled them with water at the hydrants, they
passed the guard without a question.




CHAPTER XII.

ON TO RICHMOND.


It so happened that Ben Lethbridge, probably satisfied that it was not the
fist of a baby which had partially blackened both of his eyes, and
produced a heavy pain under his left ear, did not demand the satisfaction
which was needed to heal his wounded honor. The matter was duly discussed
in the tent of Tom's mess; but our soldier boy, while he professed to be
entirely satisfied, was willing to meet Ben at such time and place as he
desired, and finish up the affair.

The other party was magnanimous, and declared that he too was satisfied;
and old Hapgood thought they had better proceed no further with the
affair, for both of them might be arrested for disorderly conduct.

"I am satisfied, Ben; but if you ever call me a baby or a calf again, it
will all have to be settled over again," said Tom, as he laid aside his
musket, which he had been cleaning during the conversation.

"I don't want to quarrel with you, Tom," replied Ben, "but I wish you
would be a little more like the rest of the fellows."

"What do you mean by that? I am like the rest of the fellows."

"You wouldn't play cards."

"Yes, I will play cards, but I won't gamble; and there isn't many fellows
in