Page:Harvey O'Higgins--Silent Sam and other stories.djvu/341

Rh "They were with Ellsworth—waiting there with his key for any messages that might come along from Cincinnati. He knew me. They 'd have known I was a conductor, anyway, by the silver badge on my cap. Didn't wear uniform—those days—train men. And they wanted to know, where our troops were—where I had left my train. And I told them they could all go—"

He checked himself, hoisted himself in his chair, and put his clenched hand on the table-top, menacingly. "I was mad. I— In those days I had a bad temper. And I guess Ellsworth knew it. I told him what I thought of him. When they could n't get anything out of me, I heard him say: 'Take him to the General. That 'll give him time to cool off.' So they hoisted me on a broken-legged plow-horse and started me off to Harris's stock farm, where Morgan and his staff were having breakfast.

"It gave me time to cool off, all right, but I did n't let them see it. I saw I 'd have to bluff it out, and I kept cursing and abusing them all the way. They were too dog-tired and sleepy to resent it. They were so tired they talked as thick as if they were drunk." He pointed his finger at the lieutenant. "You can do anything you like with a tired man. Remember that. All the mistakes I ever made in my life I made when I was tired. And I said to myself: 'If Morgan 's as done out as the rest of them, I can bluff it through. I can bluff it through.'

"Besides, I never did have much respect for