His habitual self-control broke down for a moment, and the tremendous excitement and nervous tension of the day found vent in his voice.

But in a few seconds he recovered himself and looked rather ashamed.
"Boys," he said, "I apologize." "You needn't," said Pennington.

"There have been times today when I felt brave as a lion, and lots of other times I was scared most to death.
It would have helped me a lot then, if I could have opened my mouth and yelled at the top of my voice." Sergeant Daniel Whitley was leaning against a stump, and while he was calmly lighting a pipe he regarded the three boys with a benevolent gaze.
"None of you need be ashamed of bein' scared," he said.

"I've been in a lot of fights myself, though all of them were mere skirmishes when put alongside of this, an' I've been scared a heap today.

I've been scared for myself, an' I've been scared for the regiment, an' I've been scared for the whole army, an' I've been scared on general principles, but here we are, alive an' kickin', an' we ought to feel powerful thankful for that." "We are," said Dick.