Part 27 (1/2)

”Because I can't get an appointment,” said Tom.

”Why can't you get an appointment?”

”Because I have no political influence. You see my father, while he lived, was very active in politics, and he belonged to a party just the opposite of the one our present Congressman belongs to.”

”Would you like to go?” asked the lieutenant.

”Very much, indeed,” answered Tom. ”I want just the sort of education they give there.”

”Could you stand the entrance examinations--say a year hence?”

”Yes. I could stand them now. I went all over that ground when I first tried to get an appointment.”

”Well now,” broke in Jack, ”this isn't getting meat. Tom, go hunting immediately, and keep on going hunting till the famine in this camp is over. I haven't a doubt the lieutenant will lend you the men you want to help carry game.”

”Certainly!” answered the lieutenant, beckoning to a sentinel to come to him.

”Tell Sergeant Malby to send me two strong men instantly.”

Tom took two guns with him, requiring one of the soldiers to carry the rifle, while he carried the shot gun, double loaded, for big or little game. It was now about noon, and the hunting party did not return till after dark. When they did they brought with them as the spoil of our young Nimrod's guns, a half grown bear, a deer weighing perhaps a hundred and fifty pounds, three wild turkeys and a big string of hares and squirrels. Besides these Tom was laboriously dragging by a string a big wild boar.

”That boar's a disputed bird,” he said. ”This soldier, Johnson, and I fired at him at the same instant. He set out to rip Johnson open with his tusks, like a vest with no b.u.t.tons on it, and Johnson fired to protect himself. At the same moment I fired a charge of buckshot into the beast. Johnson's bullet struck him in the neck, just about where I fondly imagine the jugular vein or something else of that sort to be, while my nine buckshot striking him just behind the left fore leg, went through him about where his heart ought to be if it's in the right place. Anyhow the animal gave up the ghost in an astonis.h.i.+ng hurry, and possibly the Doctor might find out, by a post mortem examination, which shot killed him. But in my humble opinion the time necessary for that can be better spent in preparing the gentleman for the table. I move that we roast him whole and invite the soldiers to dine with us! He's big enough to go round.”

It did not take long to carry that motion or to begin carrying it into effect. The lieutenant ordered the company cook to a.s.sist Ed in preparing the wild boar and roasting him. Ed carefully saved the ”giblets” for future use, a proceeding which gave the company cook a totally new economic suggestion in the use of animals killed for food.

Then the two required the other soldiers to build a great fire out-of-doors, and to erect a pole frame work near it, from which they hung the boar to roast. Ed gave the cook still another good suggestion by thrusting a dripping pan under the hog and catching all he could of the fat that fell from the animal.

”What do you do that for?” asked the company cook.

”For two reasons,” answered Ed. ”First, because I want all this fat to cook with and to use as b.u.t.ter hereafter. You've no idea how far it goes when people are on short rations. Secondly, because if all this fat fell upon these glowing coals it would blaze up and our hog would be scorched and burned. You are a company cook and I never was anything of the sort.

But I honestly believe I could teach you some things about cooking.”

”Of course you could,” said the soldier. ”And perhaps I could teach you some also. I could show you how to bake bread on a barrel head, or even on a ramrod, only we don't have ramrods since these new-fangled breech-loading guns came into use.”

Two or three hours later, at ten o'clock, the big porker was roasted ”to a turn,” and Jack, recognizing the necessity of maintaining military distinctions in all that related to a.s.sociation in military life, invited the lieutenant to take the night dinner with him and his companions inside the house, leaving the soldiers to dine out of doors, in accordance with their custom. So Jack asked Ed to cut off a ham and some other choice parts of the wild boar and send them into the hut.

There the boys and the lieutenant dined together, with the three revenue officers for additional guests.

The lieutenant had no very kindly feelings for the chief revenue officer, because he had discovered him to be a coward, and a brave man never likes to touch elbows with a coward, at dinner or any where else.

On the other hand the chief revenue officer had no very kindly feelings for the lieutenant, because he knew that the lieutenant had found him out for the coward and incapable that he was, and it is not in human nature for any man to feel kindly toward another who has found him out to that extent.

Nevertheless the dinner pa.s.sed off pleasantly enough until the lieutenant, at its end, asked of the revenue agent:

”Are you going to raid any stills to-night?”

”No!” angrily answered the officer. ”Why do you keep on asking me that question?”

”Only that I may make my dispositions accordingly,” calmly answered the lieutenant. ”You forget that I am here in an entirely subordinate capacity. I am under no orders to raid stills. I am here only to support you in any raids you may make. You represent the civil arm, I the military, and the military arm is always subordinate to the civil. It is not for me to suggest that you might successfully raid half a dozen stills to-night. It is my duty simply to offer my services and those of my men in aid of any plans you may have formed. And, as it is my duty to consult the comfort of my men, so far as that is possible, I naturally ask whether you want them on marching duty to-night or whether I may order them to make themselves as comfortable as they can in bivouac. As I now understand that you do not contemplate any active operations to-night, I will make my dispositions accordingly. Sentinel!”