Part 26 (1/2)
”Now, what next?”
”How do you mean?”
”Why, what is your next move?”
”Well, I suppose we must remain here till the provisions come, if we decide to send for them,” answered the man.
The lieutenant shrugged his shoulders, and for the moment remained silent. Presently he said:
”Of course that's for you to determine. But for myself I can't see why you should deliberately waste two days giving the moons.h.i.+ners time in which to rip out their stills and bury them where even your sagacity will never find them. I don't see why you shouldn't utilize the time of waiting for supplies in finding and capturing stills. However that is none of my business. Will you tell me where you wish to make your headquarters, so that I may pitch my camp accordingly?”
At that moment bullets began pattering in the camp and the lieutenant instantly leaped to his feet and hurried to the platform of the parapet.
Using his field gla.s.s he presently located the points from which the firing came. Then calmly but quickly he descended and called to Sergeant Malby:
”Form the men in open order out there under the bluff.”
Then he strode away hurriedly to the bluff and hastily examined it, selecting the points at which it was easiest of ascent. With a few quietly given orders, he mounted to the top of the rock, and in half a minute more his men, crouching down to s.h.i.+eld themselves from the fire, were in line of battle by his side.
”I'm going to see that,” said Tom, seizing his rifle and hurrying to the line of troops. ”It's better than a game of chess.”
By this time, under the lieutenant's calmly uttered instructions--for there seemed to be no suggestion of excitement in his voice or manner--two small squads had been thrown forward from the right and left of the line, and were rapidly creeping up the mountain, with the evident purpose of getting to the rear of the moons.h.i.+ners. Meantime the lieutenant stood up with his gla.s.s to his eyes, minutely observing the progress of his flanking parties. By his orders his men all lay down, taking advantage of every rock and inequality of the ground for protection, and delivering a steady fire all the time.
Presently the lieutenant lowered his gla.s.s and turning, saw little Tom standing erect by his side.
”This will never do, my boy!” he exclaimed. ”Lie down quick or one of those mountaineers will pick you off with his rifle.”
[Ill.u.s.tration: ”LIE DOWN; QUICK!”]
”I can stand up as long as you can, Lieutenant,” answered Tom, ”even if I am not a soldier.”
”But it is my duty to stand just now,” said the lieutenant. ”I must direct this operation and strike from here the moment my flanking parties reach proper positions.”
”And it is my pleasure to stand,” answered Tom, ”to see how you do it.”
The lieutenant again brought his gla.s.s to his eyes. Then he lowered it and looked earnestly at Tom, who still stood erect by his side, paying no heed to the rain of bullets about him.
”Why aren't you at West Point?” he asked. ”You're the sort we want in the army.”
Then, without waiting for an answer, the lieutenant again looked through his gla.s.s and seeing that his flanking parties had gained the positions desired in rear of the mountaineers, he ordered the whole line to advance as rapidly as possible. At the same time the flanking parties closed in upon the rear of the mountaineers, and five minutes later the action ended in the surrender of all the moons.h.i.+ners.
Tom saw it all, but when it was over he discovered a pain in his left ear, and, feeling, found that a small-bore bullet had pa.s.sed through what he called the flap of it, boring a hole as round as if it had been punched with a railroad conductor's instrument.
The captured mountaineers were brought at once to Camp Venture. Two of them were dead and three severely wounded. To these last and to two of the lieutenant's men who had also received bullets in their bodies, the Doctor ministered a.s.siduously. The unwounded mountaineers were placed in a hastily constructed ”guard house,” built just under the bluff.
CHAPTER XXIX
_A Puzzling Situation_
No sooner was the action over and the wounded men attended to than the lieutenant again talked with the revenue officer. That person was more halting and irresolute than ever. He had hidden, in a crouching position behind the barrier during the fight, and Jack, seeing him thus screened, had said to him: