"You loosened everybody up," Norma said.The first speaker had seemed to start at the sound of Shorty's voice, but he recovered himself, and saying, "You're right, my brother," put out his hand for the grip.This was too much for Maria. Her company manners slid off like a drop of water from a cabbage leaf, and she answered hotly:
ONE:While this was going on, the boys were imitating Shorty's example, getting their guns loaded, and banging away as fast as they did so into the rebels, who went down under the shots, or ran off, leaving one of their number, a tall, lank mountaineer, who seemed beside himself with rage. He had grasped his empty gun by the stock, and was swinging it around his head, yelling fierce insults and defiance to the whole race o' Yankees.SI AND SHORTY TAKE CHARGE OF A SQUAD OF RECRUITS.