Camp Venture: A Story of the Virginia Mountains

  CHAPTER XXXII

  _The Lieutenant's Wrath_

  The lieutenant's faith in Tom's sportsmanship was so great that inmaking his requisition for thirty days' rations for his men and hisprisoners he had asked to have all the meat rations, except a dozensides of bacon, commuted into rations of flour, meal, maccaroni, rice,potatoes and other starchy foods. His first care, after the mules wereunloaded, was to replenish the leader of Camp Venture with suchprovisions as these in return for the drafts he had been compelled tomake upon their supplies. "And besides," he said, "Camp Venture is justnow my hospital, with five wounded men in it, to every one of whom tendays' rations are overdue."

  Thus at last the boys were abundantly supplied with starchy food and forthe 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 woundedmen, the boys made for themselves the best beds they could, on theearthen floor. At first it was proposed that the Doctor should occupythe one bunk not devoted to the use of a wounded man, but the Doctordismissed the suggestion with scorn. Next it was suggested that Edshould still consider himself an invalid and accept the hospitality ofthe bunk.

  "But I'm no longer an invalid," answered Ed, almost angrily. "I'm wellenough now to chop down trees, and take cold baths. A pretty sort ofsick fellow I am!"

  Finally it was agreed that the several boys should occupy the bunk insuccession, one each night, and lots were drawn for the order in whichthey should occupy it. As the soldiers now kept guard it was no longernecessary for the boys to keep a sentinel awake.

  The lieutenant's second care after provisioning the boys, was to makeanother appeal to the revenue officer, or rather to place that personagain in his rightful position of responsibility.

  "I have provisioned my force," he said. "Are you contemplating anyfurther operations in the mountains? If so I shall be glad to placemyself 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 nowwould yield results commensurate with the risk. What do you think,Lieutenant?"

  "Oh, it is not my business to think," answered the military man, "atleast not on questions of that kind. I have been ordered up here to givemilitary support to any operations that you may undertake against theillicit distillers. Beyond giving such military support I have nofunctions 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, infact--and as you insist, I will give you the benefit of them. It is myopinion that you have conducted your affairs like an imbecile. You weresent up here to break up the illicit stills and you haven't found one ofthem yet and never will. You found this camp of wood chopping boys andmade me capture it for you. Then the moonshiners took the offensive,while you were pottering around here trying to find a still where a mereglance would have convinced an intelligent man that there was none. Verywell, I captured the moonshiners while you were hiding behind the CampVenture barricade. They are our prisoners, no thanks to you. I thinknow, as I told you at the time, that then, if ever, was your time tosearch out the stills and capture them. You would not do it, and it ismy conviction that by this time every still in the mountain is sosecurely hidden that a fine tooth comb couldn't find one of them or anytangible evidence that one of them was ever in existence. You've got thematerials for a report, of course,--a report showing so many prisonerscaptured--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 capturedthem and I had a right to do so, because they attacked a body of regulartroops engaged in doing their duty. In other words, they levied war uponthe United States and were caught in the act. The charge of treasoncannot be sustained against them, probably; if not they are guilty ofrioting, assault and battery and all that sort of thing. But what chargecan _you_ bring against them? You may say that they are moonshiners, butyou can't offer a particle of proof of that, simply because you wouldnot follow up this affair by hunting out the stills. There, you have afew 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 stillwith a flushed and angry face. Then, as he realized the situation inwhich he had placed himself by his foolishness and indecision, he turnedpale. 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 volunteeredsome advice and you rejected it. I now simply notify you that my forcewill be held ready to march at a moment's warning to any point where youmay 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 militaryman, angered quite as much by the man's imbecility as by his obviouscowardice. "I await any requisition you may make upon me for militarysupport, and I will instantly respond to every such requisition. As toadvice, I have none to offer. When we go back down the mountain, youdoubtless 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 thebluff, gave his orders for the night and went to sleep with a clearconscience.