Part 30 (1/2)
”Yes, fa'r an' squar',” answered the man.
”Very well then, I'll tell you about this matter. We boys don't like your illegal occupation up here in the mountains, but it is none of our business. We have never spied out your stills and certainly we have given no information to the revenue officers.”
”What did they come up here for then?” asked one of the mountaineer's companions.
”They came up to capture us. They had seen the lights of Camp Venture and had located us. So they thought they had a still sure, and they came up here to capture it. The first thing they did was to surround us and fire at us in the dark. I explained matters to them and they searched our camp all over. Then they decided to camp there till they could get some provisions from down below, and while they were waiting, they asked me to tell them where the stills were so that they might raid them for meal. I knew where some stills were of course, for I've seen a lot since I came up here, but I refused to tell them.”
”Is that honest Injun, Tom?”
”Yes,” answered the boy. ”I never tell lies. But you must understand me clearly. I haven't the smallest respect for you moons.h.i.+ners or for your business. Under ordinary circ.u.mstances I should not hesitate to tell the revenue officers where a still was if I happened to know. But I made a bargain with you, Bill Jones. I told you truly that we had come up here to cut railroad ties and not to interfere with you or your criminal business. I told you that if you'd let us alone we'd let you alone. We could have sent a message down the mountain by our chute any day which would have brought the soldiers and the revenue people up at once but we didn't. I had promised you and I have kept my promise.”
”Yes,” answered Bill Jones, ”an' you let me off in a state prison case, jest in time to save my little gal from starvin' to death! I'll never forgit it, an' I tell you fellers you mustn't hurt little Tom. Ef you do, I'll stand on his side an' they'll be some ugly work done before you're through with it.”
”Well,” said one of the men, ”he tells a mighty nice, slick story like, an' maybe it's true. But they's jest one question I'd like to ask him afore we close the conversation like.”
”Ask me any question you please,” said Tom, ”and I'll answer it truly. I have nothing to conceal, and I never tell lies.”
”Well,” said the man after discharging a quid of tobacco from further service and biting off a new one to take its place, ”what I want to know is what you'se been doin', out here in the mounting all night like.”
”That's easy,” said Tom. ”I've been killing a bear.”
”Where?” asked the man.
”About a quarter of a mile back. You see we're getting short of meat down there in camp, with all these soldiers quartered upon us.”
”Then ef you done got a bear whar is it?” asked the man.
”It is back there, as I tell you, about a quarter of a mile.”
”Why didn't you bring it with you?” asked the man.
”Simply because it is too heavy. It is the biggest bear I ever saw. I was on my way to camp, when you stopped me, to get some fellows to come out here and help me drag it.”
”Will you show it to us?” asked the man, still incredulously. ”Seein's believin' you know.”
”Certainly,” said Tom. ”The little old moon is rising now, and you can get a good look at the bear that I've sat up all night to kill.”
He led the way back and at sight of the bear even the incredulous one of the party was satisfied.
”Now,” spoke up Bill Jones, ”we've got jest one thing to do. Ef this bar is left here it'll be half et up by varmints afore men can be brought from the camp to carry it in. Fellers we've got to carry it in fer Little Tom--him what let me go jist in time to save my little gal from starvin' when her mother was lyin dead in the cabin an' fer two days the little gal hadn't so much as a bite to eat. We'll drag the bar to the camp fer Little Tom!”
One of the men offered an objection: ”We'll git arrested ef we do,” he said.
”For what?” asked Tom.
”Why fer moons.h.i.+ning of course.”
”But you haven't been caught moons.h.i.+ning. n.o.body in camp can accuse you of that or any other crime. Anyhow if you fellows will help me to camp with this bear I pledge you my honor that I'll stand by you and see to it that you're not arrested.”