"I tuk a peg an'' jammed ut into his ugly jaw - 'Bite on that, Peg
Barney,' I sez; 'the night is settin' frosty, an' you'll be
wantin' divarsion before the mornin'. But for the Rig'lations
you'd be bitin' on a bullet now at the thriangles, Peg Barney,'
sez I.
"All the draf' was out av their tents watchin' Barney bein'
pegged.
"''Tis agin the Rig'lations! He strook him!' screeches out Scrub
Greene, who was always a lawyer; an' some of the men tuk up the
shoutin'.
"'Peg out that man!' sez me orf'cer bhoy, niver losin' his timper;
an' the non-coms wint in and pegged out Scrub Greene by the side
av Peg Barney.
"I cud see that the draf' was comin' roun'. The men stud not
knowin' fwhat to do.
"'Get to your tents!' sez me orf'cer bhoy. 'Sargint, put a sinthry
over these two men.'
"The men wint back into the tents like jackals, an' the rest av
the night there was no noise at all excipt the stip av the sinthry
over the two, an' Scrub Greene blubberin' like a child. 'Twas a
chilly night, an' faith, ut sobered Peg Barney.
"Just before Revelly, me orf'cer bhoy comes out an' sez: 'Loose
those men an' send thim to their tents!' Scrub Greene wint away
widout a word, but Peg Barney, stiff wid the cowld, stud like a
sheep, thryin' to make his orf'cer undherstand he was sorry for
playin' the goat.
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