[Illustration: 9087]
OOTS had a brother much older than himself, and never were two boys
better friends. Nothing pleased Toots more than stories of his brother's
pranks when he was small. Then Toots' parents travelled nearly all the
time, and their eldest boy saw a great deal of this busy world. All the
soldiers in his father's regiment called him "Button Blue," for when
they first saw him he wore little dresses with a good many buttons
on them. After that he had a jacket and pants, or, as he called them,
"Bocker-nickers." He was a droll little fellow, and always managed to
twist words about. The soldiers were very fond of Button, and made him
many presents. They taught him games of all kinds, and here we see him
showing the major's little daughter how to play cat's cradle.
[Illustration: 0088]
One day Button Blue was lost and all the camp was astir. The black man,
whose duty it was to care for him, said he left him at the sutler's
little store, and the sutler said he saw him playing with a dog near
the flag-staff just before the general's door. The general was away on
horseback and he had not taken the child, for some one had seen seen him
riding away with one of his officers and their orderlies. The men were
nearly wild over the lost boy, but Button's mother said she only feared
his going to the river, and yet Button never went anywhere without
permission. The dinner hour came and went, but no boy answered to the
summons, and men were sent in different directions to find him. They had
not returned when the general came up on horseback.
"We are in great trouble, sir," said the surgeon; "the colonel's boy is
lost."
"Button, our little Button; it is impossible. Have you sent out men to
search? Have you looked in all the men's quarters? Why, bless you, I
kissed the little rogue good-bye the last thing before starting; we had
a grand romp together. I will go myself to search for him." The general
sprang off his horse and unlocked the door of the little house known as
his headquarters. He threw his gloves on the table and said aloud in an
anxious tone:
"Why, I love that rascal like one of my own. He must be somewhere
about."
"We have searched everywhere, sir, and no trace can be found. Even the
colonel is discouraged, but his mother will not give up. She says he
will be found."
"Found! found! of course he will," replied the general. "Why, there
isn't a man or boy that doesn't love Button."
"Here I am, General," piped a boy's voice; and there, just waking up
from a sound sleep, was the boy who had slipped in as the general's
servant locked the door, and then, tired with play, threw himself on a
lounge behind a screen where his friend the general had often rested.