_The Lieutenant's Wrath_
The lieutenant's faith in Tom's sportsmanship was so great that in
making his requisition for thirty days' rations for his men and his
prisoners he had asked to have all the meat rations, except a dozen
sides of bacon, commuted into rations of flour, meal, maccaroni, rice,
potatoes and other starchy foods. His first care, after the mules were
unloaded, was to replenish the leader of Camp Venture with such
provisions as these in return for the drafts he had been compelled to
make upon their supplies. "And besides," he said, "Camp Venture is just
now my hospital, with five wounded men in it, to every one of whom ten
days' rations are overdue."
Thus at last the boys were abundantly supplied with starchy food and for
the rest Tom's gun never failed to provide a sufficient supply of meat.
Now that five of the six bunks in Camp Venture were occupied by wounded
men, the boys made for themselves the best beds they could, on the
earthen floor. At first it was proposed that the Doctor should occupy
the one bunk not devoted to the use of a wounded man, but the Doctor
dismissed the suggestion with scorn. Next it was suggested that Ed
should still consider himself an invalid and accept the hospitality of
the bunk.
"But I'm no longer an invalid," answered Ed, almost angrily. "I'm well
enough now to chop down trees, and take cold baths. A pretty sort of
sick fellow I am!"
Finally it was agreed that the several boys should occupy the bunk in
succession, one each night, and lots were drawn for the order in which
they should occupy it. As the soldiers now kept guard it was no longer
necessary for the boys to keep a sentinel awake.
The lieutenant's second care after provisioning the boys, was to make
another appeal to the revenue officer, or rather to place that person
again in his rightful position of responsibility.
"I have provisioned my force," he said. "Are you contemplating any
further operations in the mountains? If so I shall be glad to place
myself and my men at your disposal. We can march at a moment's notice."
"I don't know," said the officer, "whether further operations just now
would yield results commensurate with the risk. What do you think,
Lieutenant?"
"Oh, it is not my business to think," answered the military man, "at
least not on questions of that kind. I have been ordered up here to give
military support to any operations that you may undertake against the
illicit distillers. Beyond giving such military support I have no
functions whatever."
"But what do you think, Lieutenant?"
"I tell you I am not thinking. I am simply waiting for orders."
"But surely you have some opinion. Won't you give me the benefit of it?"
"Yes," answered the lieutenant. "I have an opinion--several of them, in
fact--and as you insist, I will give you the benefit of them. It is my
opinion that you have conducted your affairs like an imbecile. You were
sent up here to break up the illicit stills and you haven't found one of
them yet and never will. You found this camp of wood chopping boys and
made me capture it for you. Then the moonshiners took the offensive,
while you were pottering around here trying to find a still where a mere
glance would have convinced an intelligent man that there was none. Very
well, I captured the moonshiners while you were hiding behind the Camp
Venture barricade. They are our prisoners, no thanks to you. I think
now, as I told you at the time, that then, if ever, was your time to
search out the stills and capture them. You would not do it, and it is
my conviction that by this time every still in the mountain is so
securely hidden that a fine tooth comb couldn't find one of them or any
tangible evidence that one of them was ever in existence. You've got the
materials for a report, of course,--a report showing so many prisoners
captured--but I fancy you'll find it difficult to show either that _you_
captured them or that you had any authority to capture them. I captured
them and I had a right to do so, because they attacked a body of regular
troops engaged in doing their duty. In other words, they levied war upon
the United States and were caught in the act. The charge of treason
cannot be sustained against them, probably; if not they are guilty of
rioting, assault and battery and all that sort of thing. But what charge
can _you_ bring against them? You may say that they are moonshiners, but
you can't offer a particle of proof of that, simply because you would
not follow up this affair by hunting out the stills. There, you have a
few of my leading 'opinions,' and as you don't seem to relish them,
perhaps I needn't give you any more."
The revenue agent was dejected beyond measure. For a time he sat still
with a flushed and angry face. Then, as he realized the situation in
which he had placed himself by his foolishness and indecision, he turned
pale. Finally he appealed again to the lieutenant:
"Won't you advise me what to do now at any rate?" he asked.
"I'll advise you as to nothing. When the time to act came I volunteered
some advice and you rejected it. I now simply notify you that my force
will be held ready to march at a moment's warning to any point where you
may feel the need of military support in the discharge of your duty."
"But, Lieutenant--"
"I tell you I have said all I am going to say," broke in the military
man, angered quite as much by the man's imbecility as by his obvious
cowardice. "I await any requisition you may make upon me for military
support, and I will instantly respond to every such requisition. As to
advice, I have none to offer. When we go back down the mountain, you
doubtless will make your report. I will make mine also. Good night,
sir."
And with that the lieutenant strode away to his camp fire out under the
bluff, gave his orders for the night and went to sleep with a clear
conscience.