Once more Tahoontowhee's piercing defiance split the quivering
silence; once more the whining panther cry of the Cat-People
floated back through the far darkness.
Then we turned away toward our pickets; and, as we filed into
our lines, I could smell the paint and oil on the scalp that the
Siwanois had taken. And it smelled rank enough, God wot!
About nine on Monday morning the entire camp was alarmed by
irregular and heavy firing along the river; but it proved to be my
riflemen clearing their pieces; which did mortify General Clinton,
and was the subject of a blunt order from headquarters, and a
blunter rebuke from Major Parr to Boyd, who, I am inclined to
think, did do this out of sheer deviltry. For that schoolboy
delight of mischief which never, while he lived, was entirely
