"His men have been about half-starved while waiting, and that is the reason why Sandy and Orly came home," added the young soldier.
"Another time for that, Dexter. Are you all ready to march with your company?" asked the major.
"I have my sabre, carbine, and pistols; but I have no blanket, as I see the rest of the men have."
"You can be supplied from the wagon in the rear. But fall in," said the major, as he prepared to resume the march.
Deck galloped back to the section in which he belonged, where he had only to take his place at the side of Artie, though inside of him, for he was a trifle taller than his cousin. In the infantry, the tallest men are placed on the right, which is always the head of the column, while in the cavalry the tallest are placed in the middle.
"What does all this mean, Deck? Didn't I see Sandy and Orly Lyon by that house?" asked Artie.
"They are there, whether you saw them or not," replied Deck.
In the infantry, when the order for "route step!" is given, the men need not even keep step, and the formalities are relaxed in some other respects. In the cavalry, in which the horses take all the steps, the strain of precise position and movement is removed, and the soldiers may make the best of their journey. Artie wanted to know all about his two cousins he had seen at Pickford's, and Deck told him the whole story of what had occurred there.
"Is it possible that Uncle Titus's family are reduced to such a strait?" demanded Artie, his pity and sympathy apparent on his face.
"The boys say Aunt Meely and the girls are going back to Derry; and that looks as though the family were very hard up," replied Deck. "And Mabel has gone out to work in the family of Dr. Falkirk."
"I think Sandy and Orly must be in a desperate situation when they try to collect a bill with a gun."
"I have no doubt of it; though Sandy tried to put the best face on the matter, and said the part of the Confederate army that was to come to Bowling Green had not got there yet, and that they will be all right as soon as the company is mustered in. Orly speaks out loud, and tells all he knows about the condition of the family. He wants to join one of our companies."
"Orly Lyon!" exclaimed Artie. "Why, he was one of the loudest Secessionists in the village!"