Contrary to his expectation, he was followed by Fred and Ben.
"Baby is afraid of cards!" sneered Ben, as they passed through the long entry.
"Afraid of cards, but not afraid of you," replied Tom, as he planted a heavy blow between the eyes of his companion.
Ben Lethbridge returned the blow, and it cost him another, and there was a prospect of quite a lively skirmish in the entry; but Fred Pemberton interposed his good offices, and effected a compromise, which, like most of the political compromises, was only the postponement of the conflict.
"I told you not to call me 'baby,' again," said Tom, as they passed out of the building.

"I will convince you before I am done that I'm not a baby." Ben found it convenient to offer no reply to this plain statement of facts, and the three soldiers made their way back to the camp, and, having obtained their pails and filled them with water at the hydrants, they passed the guard without a question..