THE SUTLER'S GOODS
The appearance of the two soldiers in the camp at once attracted the
attention of their comrades. It had been long since any of them had
tasted fresh meat and the sight of the pig which Dennis still was
carrying upon his shoulders aroused the desire of every beholder to
share in the repast which was to follow. There were many laughing calls
to be invited to the feast, to all of which Dennis responded
good-naturedly, but without in any way committing himself unduly to the
increase of the numbers of those with whom he intended to share the
change in the camp diet.
"Hello, Levi," called Dennis, as he and Noel passed the sutler's tent.
Levi Kadoff, one of the sutlers, who, by some strange methods, had
obtained the privilege of selling the soldiers from his stock which was
displayed in a tent not far from the center of the camp, looked hastily
up as he was greeted. His love for pork was not strong, but apparently
was the only limit to his desires. At exorbitant prices he had been
selling his wares, and he had interfered in so many ways with the camp
life and had been so disagreeable to most of the soldiers that at the
time he was the most detested man in Harper's Ferry. He had used every
artifice in inducing the boys in blue to buy from him, and many of the
sales which he made were called robbery by those who had been persuaded
to buy.
"Vere you haf been?" demanded the sutler, as Dennis and Noel halted in
front of him.
"Been out foraging," answered Dennis loudly. "We have a pig here. If you
will come up to my tent after dark, I'll give you a slice o' spare rib."
The expression of disgust which appeared instantly upon the face of Levi
caused Noel to laugh heartily, but the countenance of Dennis was
unchanged, as he stared at the angry sutler.
"What's the matter, Levi?" he said. "Don't you like pork?"
Again an expression of disgust appeared upon the face of the sutler, but
he made no direct reply to the question.
"How much are you charging for milk this mornin'?" inquired Dennis.
"Twenty-five cents a glass."
"Is that all?" demanded Dennis. "Shure, it was twinty cints when I left
camp, and you have not put it up over five cints since the mornin'! I
thought you would have it up to fifty cints shure by this time. Levi,
have you a bit of a conscience at all left yet?"
"I vas all consciences," replied Levi, spreading out his hands as he
spoke. "I don't think how I shall be able to do business here much
longer. Dese things gets me--"
"Of course you won't do business here much longer," broke in Dennis.
"You won't have to. Before you go, some of the boys will have to come
down and give you a good send-off."
"No! No!" protested Levi excitedly. "They must not do dat. I haf been
der very goot friend. I have made leedle, very leedle money."
"Don't be scared, Levi. We know just how much money you have made. Some
of the boys have been kapin' tabs on you. If we should take whativer you
have here, you would still be rich enough, and the boys would feel that
they were only gittin' even with you for the way you have treated them."
The eyes of the angry sutler snapped, as he turned sharply upon the
young soldier. "If I choose I can reports to der colonel vat you have
been doing."
"What have I been doin'?" demanded Dennis innocently.
"You know dere vas strict orders against foraging. I think now I shall
report to the colonel."
The young soldiers remained no longer at the sutler's tent.
"I believe that fellow will report you to the colonel," Noel said to his
companion.
"To be shure he will. He's likely to do that, and if he does he's likely
to get somethin' more."
The reports were current in the camp that orders had been reissued
against any foraging on the part of any of the men.
Whether or not it was due to the feast which Dennis and Noel prepared
that night when their pig was roasted, or to the monotony of the camp
fare to which the soldiers still irreverently referred as "S. B.," is
not known, but at all events the temptation to find fresh food, and
especially fresh meat, outside the boundaries of the camp proved to be
too strong for many of the boys in blue.
It was not long afterward when Dennis with others was tempted beyond
his power of resistance and again was found among those who were
foraging in the regions adjacent to the camp.
A dozen or more were in the company and, as the soldiers believed,
through the reports of Levi Kadoff, the colonel had been informed of the
escapade. Consequently when the men returned to the camp the angry
colonel, taking a position near the guard, ordered the entrance of the
men singly or in pairs, and then demanded of every one that he should
disclose what he had obtained in this foraging, against the strict
command which had been issued.
Shamefacedly and with many threats against the little sutler, the
returning soldiers showed what they had secured, oftentimes through hard
labor.
Meanwhile the pile upon which the colonel had commanded every soldier to
cast whatever he had obtained grew steadily. Chickens, an occasional
ham, various vegetables, and other articles composed the greater part of
the rapidly increasing heap.
Most of those who had been engaged in the forbidden occupation had
already returned to camp, when Dennis O'Hara at last appeared. This
time, however, Noel Curtis was not with his friend.
As Dennis drew near the guard he discovered the presence of the colonel,
but if he was alarmed by his discovery, his feeling was not betrayed by
any change in the expression of his face. And yet apparently Dennis was
the most guilty of all the men. Inside his coat was something which
caused the garment to protrude in such a manner as to reveal, and yet at
the same time to conceal, whatever Dennis had secured.
Demurely the young Irish soldier approached the waiting colonel and, as
the officer sharply ordered him to halt, Dennis and a few watching
soldiers were aware that the colonel's patience was entirely exhausted.
He was not only angry that his commands had been disobeyed, but
manifestly the indifference of the young soldier increased his feeling
of irritation.
"What have you inside your coat?" demanded the irate colonel.
"Yis, sor! Yis, sor!" retorted Dennis, saluting as he spoke.
"What have you inside your coat?" repeated the angry officer.
"Nothin' of any value, sor."
"I don't believe what you say! A man who will disobey orders will lie
about his disobedience! Unbutton your coat, sir, and show me what you
have!"
"Indade, sor," protested Dennis, "'tis nothin' I have which will
interest the likes of you, Colonel Rathbun. 'Tis nothin' of any value
at all I have."
"Unbutton your coat, sir, and throw what you have stolen on to this
pile, where the rest of your thievish comrades have placed what they
stole!"
"Indade, sor," protested Dennis once more, "'tis nothin' of any value. I
didn't rob anybody, sor! I--"
"Do as I tell you!" demanded the angry colonel, "or I will order you to
be taken to the guard-house!"
"Yis, sor! Yis, sor!" responded Dennis promptly, as he began to fumble
at the buttons of his jacket.
The garment, however, had been drawn so tightly about him to cover the
object he was trying to conceal that it was with great apparent
difficulty he obeyed.
Watching the awkward attempts of the young Irish soldier to comply with
the demand of the colonel, many of the men of the regiment were
crowding about the place. Curiosity as to the prize which Dennis had
secured and suspicion that his sober face belied the feeling in his
heart, and the general knowledge that Dennis O'Hara was one of the worst
practical jokers in the camp, combined with other motives that steadily
increased the number of the spectators.
After several attempts Dennis succeeded in unbuttoning the upper buttons
of his jacket, and then again he paused and facing the colonel said,
"'Tis nothin' that will interest you, Colonel. I haven't taken anything
of value--"
"Not another word from you, sir!" shouted the angry officer. "Do as I
tell you! Unbutton your coat and show what you have stolen and throw it
on the heap where the other things are piled!"
"Yis, sor! Yis, sor!" said Dennis, speaking almost sadly, as he resumed
his occupation and in a brief time succeeded in unbuttoning his jacket.
As he did so a small block of wood fell to the ground. For a moment the
men stared blankly at Dennis's "prize" and then broke into loud and
prolonged laughter.
The colonel's face flushed slowly when he discovered the true
possession of the young Irishman, and then in a good-natured way he
struck the block of wood with his sword and turning to his men said,
"Sold! I have been sold, and shall have to own up to it. You young
rascal," he said, once more addressing Dennis, "I have half a mind to
send you to the guard-house on general principles. You had no business
to play such pranks as that."
"But, Colonel," protested Dennis demurely, "I didn't want to play it. I
did my best not to, but you ordered me to, so you see I had to. I was
just bringing in a present."
"A present?" demanded the colonel, as the men laughed again. "A present?
To whom were you going to give that block of wood?"
"Shure I was going to give it to the sutler," replied Dennis. "I had an
idea that it would match his head."
The boys dispersed, pleased that the colonel had been so lenient with
them and that their only punishment had been the loss of the articles
which they had secured in their expedition.
When the two young soldiers were again in their tent, Dennis said to
Noel, "That little sutler, Levi, is to blame for all this trouble. He
thought the boys would be after buyin' not so much of him. He's the
first of all the men who put us on hard tack that was 'cut and dried
long before Noah died.'" And Dennis began to sing noisily,--
"My rations are S.B.,
Taken from porkers three
Thousand years old;
And hard-tack cut and dried
Long before Noah died,--
From what wars left aside
Ne'er can be told."
"I'm afraid the colonel won't be so easy next time," suggested Noel.
"Don't you worry about that," said Dennis. "The next time there won't be
any Levi to carry tales to him. I have got it all fixed up in me mind.
We're going to make Levi a good soldier."
"You can't do that," laughed Noel, "unless you begin at his feet."
"That's where we propose to begin."
"What are you going to do?"
"Noel, me boy," whispered Dennis, "I can't tell you all the details, but
we're goin' to have a sham fight here between the Forty-sixth and the
Fifty-first, and I shouldn't be one bit surprised if Levi Kadoff's
supplies were somewhere near the middle of the battle-ground."
Noel laughed and thought no more concerning the statement of his comrade
until the following day when to his surprise he discovered that there
was, indeed, to be a sham battle between some of the men of the two
regiments to which Dennis had referred.
An interested spectator he watched the two regiments when they formed in
line near the tent of the sutler, Levi Kadoff. Nor was he the only
spectator, for near by were assembled many of the men, all apparently
aware that something of unusual interest was about to occur.
At last, when everything was in readiness, the Forty-sixth charged their
opponents and with little effort drove them back. The Fifty-first,
however, rallied, and then began to press their foes back to their
former position. In the midst of all the efforts there was wild
excitement and loud cheers among the spectators, whose numbers increased
with every passing moment.
When the Fifty-first re-formed, it was directly in front of Levi's tent
of supplies. A few minutes later, the bugle sounded and the Forty-sixth
charged again.
Down came the laughing boys like a whirlwind, every one yelling as
loudly as his lungs enabled him.
Apparently the sight of the charge of the noisy soldiers brought dismay
to the hearts of the re-formed regiment, and before a word had been
spoken they began to fall back. The applause and laughter among the
spectators increased as the howling, laughing mass of soldiers ran
swiftly forward driving their "enemies" before them.
Unfortunately for the sutler, his tent and supplies were directly in the
way of the retreating Fifty-first. No one afterward could explain how it
had been done, but the ropes of Levi's tent somehow were cut, and in a
trice the stock of the little sutler was scattered over what seemed to
be a half-acre of ground. There were few of the soldiers who did not
have some articles in their hands. The battle itself seemed to have been
forgotten, and in a brief time all the goods had disappeared, either
into haversacks or into secret pockets of the thoughtless soldiers.
Levi, almost like a madman, was fighting to save his property. At one
time he seized a cheese-knife and with it strove desperately to strike
some of the boys. He was quickly disarmed, however, and as he was pushed
from one to another he not only found no place upon which his feet could
secure a resting-place, but no other weapon came within his grasp. At
last, when he was released by the howling mass of soldiers, he was at
least five hundred yards from the place where his ruined store had been
located.
It was manifest now that every soldier understood the purpose of the
sham battle. The very location had been selected with the thought to
bring dire troubles upon the unpopular sutler, who so often had taken
advantage of the boys in their purchases of his supplies.
By this time, however, orders had come from headquarters which speedily
dispersed the disorderly mob, and in a brief time the camp resumed its
former appearance, save for the loss of the sutler's stores and tent.
It was at this time that Noel unexpectedly came upon the little sutler.
The man was almost beside himself with anger and grief.
"I vill haf the law on them!" he shouted. "They shall be shot, efery
one! I vill haf mine goots vonce more!"
Not untouched by the suffering of the man, Noel said to him, "I don't
think the boys meant anything very bad. They thought you had been
charging them too much for what they have been buying."
"I haf not! It vas cheap! It vas all cheap! But I vill tell you. Dat
fellow Dennis O'Hara, he it is who has made all dese troubles. I vill
gif him no rest. He shall pay me back efery cent vat I haf lost. I shall
gif him no rest."
Noel laughed lightly as he turned away, not for a moment taking the
threats of the angry man seriously, and if he had been told at the time
that the very lives of himself and his companions would depend upon a
word of the little trader, he would not have believed the prophecy.