Part 19 (2/2)
”Good! To what regiment do you belong?”
”To the Fourth Alabama, Colonel Jones; but I have already told your respected father all the facts relating to myself, and some relating to you.”
”Say, is this a joke, a sell?” demanded Owen.
”I suppose that would be a very proper interpretation to put upon it.”
”You seem to be a good fellow, and deal in four-syllable words.”
”Now, as you seem to have the best of the joke, I hope you will not detain me any longer. I have a pa.s.s in my pocket to prove that I am all right; and, as I am in a great hurry, I must move on.”
”Not till you explain the joke. Eh? What's this? Where did you get this coat?” said Owen, glancing at the garment which Somers wore.
”This is the key to the joke.”
”The key to it! I am of the opinion that this is my coat,” replied Owen, as he felt of the garment, and turned up the lapel.
”May I be allowed to inquire where you left your coat?” asked Somers, who was quite curious to know how Owen Raynes happened to be alive just at that moment.
”Certainly you may; but first let me ask where you found it.”
”Over by the picket-line beyond the hill,” replied Somers.
”Just so. A young fellow in a Mississippi regiment, encamped next to ours, borrowed it of me last night, when he was detailed for picket-duty.
The poor fellow had no coat, and picket-duty is rather steep at night when a man has no clothes. He is a good fellow, in poor health; and I lent him mine.”
”The nights are cool, but the days are hot,” added Somers. ”He took it off, and left it on the edge of the woods, where I found it. I didn't know that it belonged to anybody. I found some papers and a diary in the pocket----”
”Did I leave my papers in the pocket? Well, that was stupid,” interrupted Owen.
”I read the papers with a great deal of interest. Seeing frequent allusions in them to Allan Garland, I took the liberty to appropriate the name myself; for the owner of it seemed to be a very good fellow.”
”Thank you!” said Allan; ”but, as you seem to have no further use for it, I see no objection to your giving your own name.”
”On the contrary, there are some very strong objections, and I must trouble you for the use of your name an hour or two longer.”
”Oh, very well! I am satisfied,” replied Allan.
”So am I.”
”But I am not,” interposed Mr. Raynes. ”I think the fellow is an impostor, if nothing worse.”
”Anything you please; but my time is out, and I must report for duty,”
replied Somers boldly, as he took off the borrowed coat, and restored it to the owner. ”I am very much obliged to you for the use of this garment.
When we meet again, I trust we shall understand each other better.”
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