Page:Abraham Lincoln, A Story and a Play.djvu/81

 sleep while I was walking back and forth. The other guard found me asleep at my post, and you know the rest. (The boy hesitates, and then goes on.) I want to ask you a favor, sir. Can you fix it up so that the firing party who are to shoot me to-morrow morning shall be picked from another regiment? It would be very hard to die at the hand of one's own comrades.

,—My boy, stand up and look me in the face.

(Scott does so.)

,—My boy, you are not going to be shot to-morrow morning. I believe you when you say that you could not keep awake. I am going to trust you and send you back to your regiment. But I have been put to a great deal of trouble on your account. I have had to come up here from Washington when I have a great deal to do; what I want to know is, how are you going to pay my bill?

(with a choking voice),—I—I—I am grateful, Mr. Lincoln. I hope that I am as grateful to you as a man should be for saving my life. But it comes upon me sudden. I didn't lay out for it at all. There must be some way to pay you, and I will find it out after a while.