If you had a big diamond hid about you, an' a robber was to ask you if
you had it, you'd tell him no, of course."
"I think," said Dick, "that you must be from Kentucky. You've got our
accent."
"I shorely am, an' I'm a longer way from it than I like. I noticed from
the first that you talked like me, which is powerful flatterin' to you.
Ain't you one of my brethren that the evil witches have made take up
with the Yankees?"
"I'm from the same state," replied Dick, who saw no reason to conceal
his identity. "My name is Richard Mason, and I'm an aide on the staff
of Colonel Arthur Winchester, who commands a Kentucky regiment in
General Grant's army."
"I've heard of Colonel Winchester. The same that got a part of his
regiment cut up so bad by Forrest."
"Yes, we did get cut up. I was there," confessed Dick a little
reluctantly.
"Don't feel bad about it. It's likely to happen to any of you when
Forrest is around. Now, since you've introduced yourself so nice I'll
introduce myself. I'm Sergeant Robertson, in the Orphan Brigade.
It's a Kentucky brigade, an' it gets its nickname 'cause it's made up
of boys so young that they call me gran'pa, though I'm only forty-four.
These other three are Bridge, Perkins, and Connor, just plain privates."
The three "just plain privates" grinned.
"What are you going to do with me?" asked Dick.
"We're goin' to give you a pleasant little ride. We killed your hoss,
for which I 'pologize again, but I've got a good one of my own, and
you'll jump up behind me.
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