file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #daiai-;h4htm or #daiai-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/cache_/epu b_/#daiai_/pg#daiai-;images4html7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/files_/#da iai_/daiai-;h4zip7 ,images of the original pages are available through ,internet ,archive4 ,see http3_/_/archive4org_/details_/cu#caibdj baiicfji ,,camp ,,venture ,a ,story of the ,virginia ,mountains by ,,george ,,cary ,,eggleston ,author of ,a ,carolina ,cavalier1 ,the ,last of the ,flatboats1 etc41 etc4 ,illustrated by ,w4 ,a4 ,mc,cullough ,boston3 ,lothrop1 ,lee ,shepard ,company #aija ,copyright1 #aija1 by ,lothrop ,publishing ,company4 ,all ,rights ,reserved ,illustration3 ,,tom ,,leaped ,,upon ,,the ,,mountaineer',s ,,back4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,on the ,mountain ,side #aa ,,ii4 ,a ,picket ,shot #cj ,,iii4 ,the ,doctor's ,plans #dj ,,iv4 ,a ,new ,declaration of ,independence #df ,v4 ,the ,building of a ,cabin #ee ,,vi4 ,after ,supper #ga ,,vii4 ,a ,painter #gh ,,viii4 ,the ,condition of the ,moonshiners #id ,,ix4 ,a ,sunday ,discussion #ajj ,x4 ,beginning ,work #ajh ,,xi4 ,an ,armed ,negotiation #aae ,,xii4 ,a ,midnight ,alarm #abb ,,xiii4 ,a ,night of ,searching #abi ,,xiv4 ,tom ,gives an ,account of ,himself #acf ,,xv4 ,two ,shots that ,hit #adb ,,xvi4 ,the ,doctor ,explains #aef ,,xvii4 ,christmas in ,camp ,venture #afe ,,xviii4 ,parole #age ,,xix4 ,a ,stress of ,circumstances #ahh ,,xx4 ,in ,perilous ,plight #aii ,,xxi4 ,an ,enemy to the ,rescue #bje ,,xxii4 ,all ,night ,work #baa ,,xxiii4 ,a ,loan ,negotiated #bbd ,,xxiv4 ,in the ,high ,mountains #bcb ,,xxv4 ,a ,difficulty #bdg ,,xxvi4 ,the ,doctor's ,talk #bed ,,xxvii4 ,some ,features of the ,situation #bfb ,,xxviii4 ,the ,capture of ,camp ,venture #bfh ,,xxix4 ,a ,puzzling ,situation #bhe ,,xxx4 ,a ,point of ,honor #big ,,xxxi4 ,corporal ,jenkins's ,march #cja ,,xxxii4 ,the ,lieutenant's ,wrath #cjg ,,xxxiii4 ,a ,homing ,prospect #cab ,,xxxiv4 ,in the ,hands of the ,enemy #cag ,,xxxv4 ,the ,end of ,camp ,venture #cbf ,,xxxvi4 ,a ,start ,down the ,mountain #ccb ,,xxxvii4 ,down the ,mountain #cci ,,xxxviii4 ,old ,king ,coal #cdd ,,xxxix4 ,the ,doctor ,sings #cea ,,xl4 ,tom's ,journey #ceh ,,xli4 ,his ,majesty the ,king #cff ,,xlii4 ,in the ,service of the ,king #cha ,,xliii4 ,the ,camp ,venture ,mining ,company #chi ,,xliv4 ,little ,tom at the ,end of it ,all #cif ,,camp ,,venture ,,chapter ,i ,on the ,mountain ,side ,i'm tired1 and the other pack mules are tired1 and from the way you move ,i imagine that the rest of you donkeys are tired6 called out ,jack ,ridsdale1 as the last of the mules and their drivers scrambled up the bank and gained a secure foothold on the little plateau4 ,i move that we camp here for the night4 ,all in favor say 'aye4' ,the motion's carried unanimously4 ,with that the tall boy threw off the pack that burdened his shoulders1 set his gun up against a friendly tree and proceeded in other ways to relieve himself of the restraints under which he had toiled up the steep mountain side since early morning1 with only now and then a minute's pause for breath4 ,this is a good place to camp in1 he presently added4 ,there's grazing for the mules1 there's timber around for fire wood and ,i hear water trickling down from the cliff yonder4 ,so ',alabama1' which is ,cherokee eloquence meaning 'here we rest4' ,the party consisted of five sturdy boys and a man1 the ,doctor1 not nearly so stalwart in appearance1 who seemed about twenty-eight or thirty years old4 ,each member of the party carried a heavy pack upon his back and each had a gun slung over his shoulder and an axe hanging by his girdle4 ,there were four packmules heavily laden and manifestly weary with the long climb up the mountain4 ,as the boys were scarcely less weary than the mules they eagerly welcomed ,jack ,ridsdale's decision to go no farther that day1 but rest where they were for the night4 ,now then1 ,jack resumed as soon as he got his breath again--a thing requiring some effort in the rarefied atmosphere of the high mountain peak--we're all starved4 ,the first thing to do is to get a fire started and get the kettle on for supper4 ,if some of you fellows will unload the mules and get out the necessary things ,i'll chop some wood and we'll have a fire going in next to no time4 ,with that he swung his axe over his shoulder and stalked off into the nearby edge of the wood land4 ,there with deft blows--for he was an expert with the axe--he quickly converted some fallen limbs and dead trees into a rude sort of fire wood which the other boys shouldered and carried to the glade where the ,doctor had started a little fire that needed only feeding to become a great one4 ,during their laborious climb up the steep mountain side the party had found the early ,november day rather too warm for comfort2 but now that the sun had sunk behind the mountain1 and evening was drawing near1 there was a sharp feeling of coming frost in the atmosphere1 and as it would be necessary to sleep out of doors that night with no shelter but the stars1 ,jack continued his chopping until a great pile of dry wood lay near the fire ready for use during the night4 ,in the meantime the other boys busied themselves in getting supper ready4 ,harry ,ridsdale--,jack's younger brother--prepared a great pot of coffee1 while ,ed ,parmly fried panful after panful of salt pork1 and ,jim ,chenowith endeavored to boil some potatoes4 ,little ,tom ,ridsdale1 another brother of ,jack's1 employed himself in bringing the wood as fast as his brother chopped it1 and piling it near the fire4 ,while these things were doing the ,doctor had carefully unpacked some of his scientific instruments and hung them up on trees at points1 convenient for observation4 ,presently ,ed ,parmly called out3 ,now fellows1 supper's ready--at least the pork and the coffee are waiting for ,jim ,chenowith to dish up his potatoes4 ,come ,jim1 what's the matter8 ,are you trying to boil those potatoes into mush8 ,no1 answered ,jim1 jabbing the tubers with a stick which he had sharpened for that purpose1 but somehow the potatoes don't seem to want to get done4 ,mother always boils them in from ten to twenty minutes1 according to their size1 and these are about the ten minute size1 yet ,i've boiled them for full half an hour and they're only now beginning to get soft4 ,your mother's potato kettle1 said the ,doctor1 isn't boiled at an elevation of two thousand feet above the sea level and that1 consulting his aneroid barometer1 is about our present altitude4 ,how do you find out that8 ,what has height to do with boiling potatoes8 ,these questions were fired at the ,doctor instantly4 ,one at a time please1 said the ,doctor1 and as ,i see ,jim is at last dishing up his potatoes we'll postpone the answer to both questions1 if you don't mind1 till we have satisfied our appetites4 ,the hungry fellows were ready enough to give exclusive attention to the business in hand1 and as they sat there on logs and other improvised seats with tin plates before them and tin cups at hand they were a picturesque and attractive group1 such as an artist would have rejoiced to portray4 ,as is usual with boys in the mountain regions of ,southern ,virginia1 they were very tall--the older ones nearing1 and ,jack exceeding1 six feet in height1 while even ,little ,tom stood five feet seven in his socks with a year or two of growth still ahead of him4 ,they were all robust fellows1 too1 lean1 muscular1 thin visaged1 clear eyed and bronzed of face4 ,they wore high boots1 into which the legs of their trousers were thrust1 and1 over their trousers1 thick woollen hunting shirts1 the whole crowned with soft felt hats4 ,it was precisely the dress which ,washington urged upon ,congress as the best service uniform that could be devised for the use of the ,american army4 ,now then ,doctor1 said ,jim ,chenowith1 pushing away his tin plate and swallowing the last of the coffee from his big tin cup1 tell us why the potatoes wouldn't cook4 ,simply because the water wasn't hot enough to cook them as quickly as usual4 ,not hot enough8 ,why it was boiling like a volcano every moment of the time1 said ,jim in protest4 ,yes1 but the boiling of water doesn't always mean the same thing4 ,you see at or near the sea level water boils at a temperature of #bab degrees1 ,fahrenheit4 ,but when you climb up mountains you come into a rarer and lighter atmosphere and water boils at considerably lower temperatures4 ,but ,i kept my potato kettle boiling very hard-- interrupted ,jim2 ,i never stopped firing up under it4 ,that made no difference whatever in the amount of heat in it1 answered the ,doctor4 ,when water boils at all it is just as hot as fire can make it1 unless it is shut completely off from contact with the air1 as is the case in steamboilers4 ,you can't make it any hotter no matter how much you may 'fire up' under the kettle4 ,why1 how's that8 asked ,little ,tom1 becoming interested4 ,the more fire you make in a stove the hotter the stove gets1 and the hotter the room gets1 too4 ,why isn't it the same way with a kettle of water8 ,i'll explain that1 said the ,doctor1 and ,i think ,i can make you understand it4 ,when water boils it gives off the vapor which we commonly call steam4 ,that is to say1 some of the water is converted by heat into vapor4 ,it requires a great deal of heat to make the change from liquid to vapor and so the process of giving off steam cools the water4 ,that is why you put a lid on a pot that you wish to boil quickly4 ,you do it to check the cooling process by confining the vapor and preventing a too rapid conversion of water into steam4 ,is that the reason that you can hold your hand in the steam from a kettle when you can't hold it in the water that the steam comes from1 asked ,jim4 ,yes4 ,the steam is really hotter than the water1 but it needs all its own heat to keep it in the form of vapor1 and so it doesn't give off enough heat to burn your hand after it gets a little way from the pot and begins to expand freely4 ,now as ,i was saying the harder you boil water the more steam it gives off and the heating and cooling processes are so exactly balanced that boiling water stands always at a uniform temperature no matter whether it is boiling hard as we say1 or only just barely boiling4 ,but in a dense atmosphere it requires more heat to boil water than it does in a rarefied atmosphere like that up here on the mountain4 ,at ,leadville and other places lying from #aj1jjj to #ad1jjj feet above sea level in the ,rocky mountains you can't boil potatoes at all and it takes full ten minutes to boil an egg into that condition which we call 'soft4' ,it all depends upon the temperature of boiling water1 and that is considerably lower here than down in the valleys where we live4 ,but ,doctor1 said ,harry1 you promised to tell us how you find out how high we are above the sea level4 ,the ,doctor got up1 went to a tree and took down a scientific instrument4 ,this1 he said1 is an aneroid barometer4 ,it measures the atmospheric pressure1 and as that pressure steadily and pretty uniformly decreases as we go higher up1 the instrument tells us at once how high we are4 ,but will it measure so accurately that you can trust it8 asked one of the now eagerly interested boys4 ,let me show you1 said the ,doctor4 ,make a torch1 for it is growing dark1 and come with me down the hill a little way4 ,first look where the needle stands now4 ,they all carefully observed the register and then proceeded with their mentor down the hill a little way4 ,he there exhibited his instrument again and it registered fifty feet lower than it had done on the plateau above4 ,returning to the camp fire they found that the needle had resumed its former pointing4 ,then you can tell by that instrument exactly how high you are at any time8 queried ,jack4 ,no1 not exactly4 ,you see the atmospheric pressure varies somewhat with the weather even if you observe it always on the same level4 ,one has to allow for that1 but allowing for it we can tell by the instrument what our elevation is with something closely approaching accuracy4 ,just then came an interruption4 ,a tall rough bearded1 unkempt mountaineer1 rifle in hand1 stalked out of the woods and approached the camp fire4 ,after inspecting the company and their belongings in silence for a time1 he spoke a single word of question--,huntin'8 ,no1 answered ,jack1 who had risen in all his length of limb4 ,trappin'8 ,no4 ,jest campin' out8 ,no1 answered ,jack1 still adhering to that monosyllable4 ,mout ,i ax then1 what ye're a doin' of up here in the high mountings8 ,you see us fellers what lives up here ain't over fond of strangers that comes potterin' round without explainin' of their selves4 ,well said ,jack1 ,i don't see why ,i shouldn't tell you what brings us here4 ,my mother owns a tract of timber land a little further around the mountain1 and it is pretty much all she does own in the world4 ,she's a widow1 and she's had a pretty hard time to bring up three boys of us--turning and indicating his two brothers--and now we see a way of helping her4 ,they're going to build a railroad down in the valley on the other side of this mountain1 and they want railroad ties4 ,so we have organized a party and come up here to chop down trees1 make ties and send them down the mountain by a chute4 ,um1 answered the mountaineer4 ,what's them there things for8 pointing to the ,doctor's scientific instruments hanging about on the trees4 ,they are scientific instruments1 if you know what that means1 answered ,jack1 who was beginning to grow irritable under the intruder's impertinent questioning4 ,what are you goin' to do with 'em8 ,will they help you to chop wood8 ,no1 of course not4 ,but the ,doctor here1 indicating him1 is much interested in science and he has brought his instruments along so as to make our stay on the mountains as profitable as possible in the way of study4 ,my friend1 broke in the ,doctor1 addressing the mountaineer1 ,if you will come to our camp when we get settled ,i'll show you how ,i use these things and what they tell me4 ,one of them tells me how high up we are and when it's going to storm or clear away2 another shows how fast the wind is blowing1 another how cold it is and so on4 ,which one on 'em tells the strength of whiskey and how much tax they ought to be paid on it8 ,this question was asked with a peculiar tone of sneering incredulity and suspicion4 ,not one of them has any relation whatever to whiskey or taxes or anything of the sort1 answered the ,doctor4 ,by this time ,jack's patience was exhausted and by common consent ,jack was the leader of the party4 ,he turned to the tree behind him1 seized his shot gun1 presented it at the mountaineer's breast before that worthy could bring his rifle to his shoulder1 and in an angry1 but still cold voice1 said3 ,i'll trouble you to lay down that rifle4 ,the man obeyed4 ,now ,i'll trouble you1 if you please to lay down your powder horn and your bullet pouch and your cap box and everything else that pertains to that rifle4 ,all this while ,jack was holding the muzzle of his full-cocked1 double barrelled shot gun in front of the man's breast1 while all the other boys had seized their guns and stood ready for action4 ,the ,doctor had not a shot gun1 but a repeating1 magazine rifle of the latest make1 long in its range1 exceedingly accurate in its fire and equipped with fourteen cartridges in its magazine that could be fired as fast as their owner pleased4 ,and the moment that the mountaineer1 before he laid down his rifle1 made a motion as if to bring it to his shoulder1 the ,doctor had stepped to ,jack's side with his destructive weapon in position for instant use4 ,after the man had laid down his arms1 the ,doctor stepped back1 lowered his weapon and said to ,jack3--,manage the affair in your own way4 ,only be prudent1 and above all don't lose your temper4 ,jack then said to the mountaineer3 ,you've asked us a number of questions4 ,now ,i want to ask you some4 ,what do you mean by intruding upon our camp8 ,who are you8 ,what right have you to ask us about ourselves and our mission in these mountains8 ,answer man1 and answer quick or ,i'll put two charges of buck shot through you in less than half a minute4 ,now1 don't be too hard on a feller1 pard1 answered the man4 ,i didn't mean no harm in partic'lar4 ,but you see us fellers that lives up here in the high mountings has a hard enough time to git a livin' and we don't like to be interfered with by no revenue officers and no spies and no speculators from down below4 ,you see if we're caught1 some of the money goes to the informer1 an' so we takes good keer to have no informers about1 an' if they insist on stayin' we usually buries 'em4 ,now you've got the drap on me an' my only chance is to go way if you'll let me go4 ,so far as ,i'm concerned you're welcome to go round the mounting an' chop all the railroad ties an' cordwood you choose4 ,but there's fellers in the mountings that you ain't got no drap on1 as you've got it on me1 an' fellers what ain't so tender hearted as me4 ,an' so1 while ,i'll leave my gun an' promise never to meddle with you again if you won't shoot1 at the same time my earnest1 friendly1 fatherly advice to you boys is to take yourselves down out'n this mounting jes' as quick as you kin4 ,it ain't no place for people of your sort4 ,we'll do nothing of the kind1 answered ,jack4 ,we've come up here on a perfectly honest and legitimate mission1 and we're going to carry it out4 ,we are not interfering with anybody and ,i give you warning that if anybody interferes with us it will be the worse for him4 ,we are armed1 every man of us and we are prepared to use our arms4 ,tom1--turning to his brother1--take that man's rifle and discharge it into the cliff back there4 ,tom obeyed the command instantly4 ,then ,jack said to their unwelcome visitor1 ,now you can take your rifle and go away4 ,but don't intrude upon us again4 ,if you do1 you'll get the contents of our guns without any explanations or any arguments4 ,take your gun and go6 ,the intruder took his gun and accoutrements and without a word walked away up the mountain through the timber land4 ,what does it all mean1 ,jack8 asked all the boys at once4 ,moonshiners1 broke in ,tom1 sententiously4 ,moonshiners are men who operate little unlicensed distilleries in the fastnesses of the mountains and surreptitiously sell their whiskey without paying the government tax upon it4 ,but why should moonshiners object to our camping in the wood lands up here and cutting railroad ties8 asked ,jim ,chenowith4 ,i don't see the connection4 ,well1 they do1 answered ,tom4 ,they are engaged in a criminal business and they don't want to be watched4 ,if they are caught their stills and their whiskey are confiscated1 they are fined heavily1 and worse still they are imprisoned for very long terms4 ,they are always on the lookout for agents of the revenue in disguise1 and so they don't want any strangers in this 'land of the sky' on any pretence4 ,they are desperate men to whom murder is a pastime and assassination an amusement4 ,then why did you anger the man as you did1 ,jack1 and subject him to humiliation8 asked ,ed ,parmly4 ,won't it make him and his people our enemies8 ,no1 answered ,jack4 ,they are that already4 ,you remember that even after hearing my explanation of our purpose in coming up here1 he ordered us to leave the mountain at once4 ,not being a pack of cowards of course we're not going to do anything of the kind4 ,so it was just as well to let him know at once that we're going to stay1 that we are fully armed1 and that in the event of necessity we shall be what he would call 'quick on trigger4' ,i meant him to understand that clearly1 and he understands it4 ,you see men that are freest in killing other men have no more fondness than people generally for being killed themselves4 ,desperadoes are not heroes4 ,they are merely bullies who take advantage of an unarmed enemy when they can and sneak away as that man did whenever an enemy 'gits the drap' on them as the fellow phrased it4 ,but won't they attack us in our camp8 asked ,jim ,chenowith4 ,probably1 answered ,jack with perfect calmness4 ,they want us out of the mountains and they'll probably try to drive us out4 ,but ,i for one am not going to be driven out1 and ,i don't think the rest of you fellows are ,molly ,cottontails to be chased down the steeps4 ,no6 called out little ,tom4 ,we've got guns and we know how to use them4 ,we're up here by right and here we'll stay4 ,won't we boys8 ,yes6 ,yes6 ,yes6 answered the others in chorus4 ,all right then1 said ,jack1 and ,i thank you all4 ,but now that we know our danger we must look out for ourselves4 ,we must never sleep without a sentinel on guard1 and every fellow of us must always sleep with his gun by his side4 ,that's what soldiers call 'sleeping on arms6' ,all right6 called out ,tom1 who was always ready4 ,arrange the guard detail for to-night ,jack4 ,i'll take the worst turn1 which ,i believe begins about three o'clock--the 'dog watch' they call it on steamboats4 ,well1 said ,jack1 meditatively4 ,it's now nearly ten o'clock4 ,we'll all be up by six in the morning4 ,that's eight hours and there are five of us2 so it means one hour and thirty-six minutes apiece1 of guard duty4 ,hold on1 broke in the ,doctor4 ,you've forgotten me4 ,well you see1 ,doctor1 your health isn't good1 and we don't want you to lose your sleep4 ,we'll do all this guard duty without bothering you4 ,not if ,i know it1 answered the ,doctor4 ,i didn't join this party as a dead head1 you may be sure of that4 ,i'm going to share and share alike with you my comrades4 ,i am not yet very strong after my long illness1 but ,i'm strong enough to stay awake for my fair share of the time1 and you may be sure ,i am strong enough to pull a trigger and empty fourteen bullets from my magazine rifle into any body that may venture to assail us4 ,now boys1 ,i want you to understand my position and attitude clearly4 ,either ,i am a full member of this company in good standing1 or else ,i do not belong to it at all4 ,in the latter case ,i'll withdraw and go back down the mountain4 ,i'm older than you boys1 but not enough older to make any serious difference4 ,i'm still a good deal of a boy1 and either you must let me do a boy's part or ,i'll quit4 ,if ,i stay with you ,i must be one of you4 ,i must do my share of the cooking and all the rest of the work1 and especially my fair share of all guard duty and all fighting1 if fighting becomes necessary at any time4 ,come now6 ,is it a bargain8 ,or am ,i to quit your company to-morrow morning1 as a man too old and unfit to share with you the work we have come up the mountain to do8 ,i move1 said little ,tom1 who had more wit than any other member of the company1 that ,doctor ,la,trobe be hereby declared to be precisely sixteen years old1 and fully entitled to consider himself a boy among boys6 ,the motion was carried with a shout1 and then ,jack1 who was always practical1 said3 ,well then there are six of us4 ,that means one hour and twenty minutes apiece of guard duty to-night4 ,so it was arranged1 and as soon as the order in which the several members of the party should be waked for duty was arranged1 the boys piled an abundance of wood on the fire1 wrapped themselves in their blankets and lay down to sleep4 ,but first little ,tom manufactured a pot of fresh coffee1 and set it near the fire where it would keep hot4 ,the sentinel must be wide awake1 he said1 and ,i don't know anything like good strong coffee to keep one's eyes open4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,a ,picket ,shot ,the three ,ridsdale boys and their comrades lived in a thriving1 bustling little town in one of the great valleys which divide the ,virginia ,mountains into ranges each having its own name4 ,their ages ranged from ,jack's nineteen years down to ,jim ,chenowith's sixteen4 ,little ,tom was so called not so much because he was rather shorter than his overgrown brothers1 as because his father had been also ,thomas ,ridsdale and for the sake of distinguishing between them the family and the neighbors had from his infancy called the boy ,little ,tom4 ,he was next to ,jack in age being now nearly eighteen years old1 and as a voracious reader and a singularly keen observer he was perhaps better informed than any other boy in the party4 ,he was not really little by any means1 being five feet seven inches high and of unusually stalwart frame4 ,from his tenth year till now he had spent his vacations mainly in hunting in these mountains4 ,his knowledge of wood craft and of all that pertains to the chase was therefore superior even to ,jack's4 ,the father of the ,ridsdale boys had been the foremost young lawyer in the town1 but he had died at a comparatively early age1 leaving his widow a very scanty estate with which to bring up the three boys who were her treasures4 ,the boys had helped from the earliest years in which they were capable of helping4 ,they had chopped and sawed and split wood1 worked in the hay fields1 dropped and covered corn1 pulled fodder and done what ever else there was to do that might bring a little wage to eke out the good mother's scant income4 ,in brief they had behaved like the brave1 manly1 mother-loving fellows that they were1 and they had grown into a sturdy strength that promised stalwart manhood to all of them4 ,among the widow's meagre possessions was a vast tract of almost worthless timber land up there on the mountain4 ,it was almost worthless simply because there was no market for the timber that grew upon it4 ,but now had come the railroad enterprise1 whose contractors wanted ties and bridge timbers and unlimited cordwood for use in their engine furnaces4 ,so ,jack and his brothers had decided to omit this winter's attendance upon the ,high school1 and to devote the season to the profitable work of wood chopping on the mountain4 ,there was an exceedingly steep descent on that side of the mountain1 on which their timber lands lay1 so that by building a short chute to give a headway they could send their railroad ties and the other products of their chopping by a steep slide to the valley below by force of gravity and without any hauling whatever4 ,two of their schoolmates--,jim ,chenowith and ,ed ,parmly had asked to join in the expedition4 ,an arrangement had been made with the railroad people to pay a stipulated price for every railroad tie shot down the hill1 a much higher price for every piece of timber big enough for use in bridge building and a fair price for all the cordwood sent down the chute4 ,this latter was to be made of the limbs of trees cut down for ties or bridge timbers--limbs not large enough for other uses1 and which must otherwise go to waste4 ,the two boys who did not belong to the ,ridsdale family--,ed ,parmly and ,jim ,chenowith--were to pay to ,mrs4 ,ridsdale a small price agreed upon for each tie or timber1 or cord of wood that they should cut on her land1 the rest of the price going to themselves4 ,during the last week before their departure ,dr4 ,la,trobe had asked the privilege of joining the expedition4 ,he was a man of means whose home was in ,baltimore1 but who had come to the town in which the boys lived in search of health and strength4 ,he was a tireless student of science1 and in the course of his duty in one of the charity hospitals of ,baltimore he had contracted a fever4 ,his recovery from it was so slow and unsatisfactory that he had abandoned his work and wandered away into ,south ,western ,virginia for purposes of recuperation and had been for some months boarding with ,mrs4 ,ridsdale4 ,in pursuit of health and strength therefore he asked to join the ,ridsdale boys in their mountain expedition4 ,i have quite all the money ,i want1 he explained1 and so the ties and timbers and cordwood that ,i may cut will be counted as your own4 ,all ,i want is the life in the open air1 the exercise1 the freedom1 the health-giving experience of a camping trip4 ,thus it was that the party had come together4 ,they knew perfectly that once in the mountains after winter should set in in earnest their communication with the country below must be very uncertain4 ,they therefore1 took with them on their own backs and on the backs of their pack mules those necessaries which would most certainly render them independent of other sources of supply4 ,the ,doctor had largely directed the selection of food stuffs1 bringing to bear upon it an expert knowledge which the boys1 of course1 did not possess4 ,the basis will be beans1 he said4 ,but why beans8 asked ,jack4 ,for several reasons4 ,first1 because beans will keep all winter4 ,second1 because beans are very nearly perfect food for robust people4 ,they have fat in them1 and that makes heat1 and they have starch and gluten in them too1 so that they are in fact both meat and bread4 ,pound for pound1 dried beans are about the most perfect food possible4 ,to make them palatable we must take some dry salted pork along4 ,we can carry that better than pickled pork in kegs and we shall not have to carry a lot of useless brine if we take the dry salted meat4 ,the ,doctor added some dried beef1 a few hams1 some bacon and a supply of sugar4 ,sugar1 he explained1 is almost pure nutriment4 ,it is food so concentrated that it ought never to be taken in large quantities in its pure state4 ,that's why they were so stingy with me in the matter of candy when ,i was a little chap1 soliloquized ,tom4 ,the total supply of meat taken along was small1 but it was quite well understood that the party must rely upon its guns mainly for that part of its food supply4 ,for bread there was a small quantity of hard tack and a large supply of corn meal4 ,the salt was securely encased in a water-tight and even moisture-proof oil-cloth bag4 ,one big cheese was taken by special request of ,ed's mother1 who had made it a year before1 and the ,doctor approved its inclusion in the list4 ,it weighs fifty pounds1 he said to ,jack who from the first had charge of the expedition1 but it is pure food and we couldn't put in fifty pounds of any thing else that would go so far to ward off starvation in case we get into difficulties4 ,next to a supply of coffee1 nothing could be more useful4 ,there were only four pack mules to carry these things1 but every member of the party carried a heavy pack on his shoulders1 besides his gun and axe1 so that altogether the expedition was reasonably well provisioned1 in view of the fact that it was going into the mountains where game of every kind abounded4 ,no provender was carried for the pack mules4 ,there was grass enough for them to live upon during the journey of two days and at the end of that time they were to be turned loose to find their own way down the mountain1 cropping grass and herbs as they went4 ,there was a grind stone for the sharpening of the axes1 and one of the boys carried a long cross-cut saw4 ,the ammunition supply was large1 and besides cartridges loaded with turkey shot it included several scores that carried full sized buck shot4 ,the ammunition1 added to the rest1 very seriously over-loaded the mules4 ,on a long journey those animals1 large and brawny as they were1 could not have endured the burdens laid upon them4 ,but the trip up the mountain was to occupy a good deal less than two days and so the owner of the mules readily consented to the overloading4 ,that is how it came about that the five boys and ,doctor ,la,trobe were camping up there in a little mountain glade1 on the night on which our story opens4 ,they had less than a mile to go on the next day in order to reach their permanent camping place1 but the journey was mainly a very steep up-hill one1 and1 their halt on the mountain side was in every way wise4 ,healthily weary as they were it did not take the boys long to fall asleep after they had wrapped themselves in their blankets and lain down with feet toward the great blazing fire4 ,it was understood that the one on sentry duty should replenish the fire from time to time1 but at ,jack's wise suggestion the sentry was himself to remain well away from the blazing logs1 and in the shadow of the woodlands beyond4 ,otherwise1 explained ,jack1 an enemy approaching in the dark might easily pick off our sentry1 sitting or standing in the firelight1 and then slip away in the darkness without the possibility of our seeing him4 ,the hours wore away1 however1 with no disturbance in the camp4 ,one after another sentry aroused his successor and himself lay down to sleep4 ,it was nearing daybreak1 and little ,tom was on duty4 ,there was already a rime of white frost on the grass and leaves and the atmosphere was chill4 ,tom looked longingly at the great blazing fire as he walked his beat in the woodland shadows far beyond reach of its comforting radiance4 ,any how this snappy air keeps a fellow from sleeping on post1 he said to himself1 and they punish that crime with death in the army4 ,whew6 how my ears ache6 ,what's that8 he ejaculated under his breath as he heard a stealthy noise4 ,listening he heard a sound as of some one creeping up through the woods4 ,he cocked both barrels of his shot gun1 each of which carried nine buck shot1 and breathlessly waited1 listening and looking4 ,presently he fired1 and instantly every member of the party was on his feet1 gun in hand1 for they were all sleeping with their pieces beside them4 ,what is it8 ,where is it8 ,who is it8 and so on with question after question they bombarded little ,tom4 ,it's breakfast1 said little ,tom1 calmly walking to the foot of a tree and there picking up a fat opossum4 ,there was a laugh1 for half asleep as the boys were they saw the humor of the situation and realized under what a nervous strain they had been sleeping4 ,now go to sleep again1 said ,tom1 and when ,i wake you next time breakfast will be ready4 ,he went away into the woods and there dressed the opossum4 ,then he so far disregarded orders as to go to the fire and rig up a device for cooking the dainty animal4 ,he cut two forked sticks1 sharpened their lower ends and drove them firmly into the earth4 ,across these he laid another stick and from it he hung the opossum by a bit of twine which he twisted till it set and kept the roast revolving4 ,then he returned to the shadows1 but every now and then he came back to the fire to inspect his roast and to set the string twirling anew4 ,finally1 just as day was breaking1 little ,tom aroused the rest with a demand that some of them should make some bread1 brew some coffee and make themselves generally useful1 as he phrased it4 ,the sun was not yet up when the last bones of the pig-like little animal were picked clean and the final drop of coffee was drunk4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,the ,doctor's ,plans ,the little company had only a mile1 or a trifle more1 to go before reaching their final destination4 ,but it was literally up hill work4 ,often it was worse even than that1 involving the climbing of cliffs and difficult struggles to force the mules through rocky and tangled woodlands4 ,it was nearly ten o'clock therefore when they at last came to a halt in a body of thick-growing timber1 and after a careful inspection of the situation1 decided to pitch their permanent camp there4 ,there were many points to be considered in locating themselves4 ,they must have water of course and there was a spring here under the cliff that rose at the back of the plateau4 ,it needed some digging out to form a basin1 but an hour's or two hours' work by two of the party would accomplish that4 ,they must be near the cliff on the other side over which their ties and timbers were to be sent into the slide that was to carry them to the valley below1 and this spot seemed the best of all for the purpose4 ,finally the timber1 consisting chiefly of vigorous young oaks1 hickories and chestnuts1 but having many giant trees besides1 was here especially dense in its growth1 and ready to their hands and axes4 ,there's a steep reach of mountain looming up just behind us1 said the ,doctor1 and when the snows come it may give us some trouble in the way of avalanches1 floods and the like1 but on the whole ,i think this is the best spot we could select4 ,so the pack mules were relieved of their loads1 and turned loose4 ,it was certain that the sagacious animals would slowly retrace the road over which they had come and return to their master in the valley below4 ,at any rate the master of them was confident of that and his agreement with the boys had been that the mules should simply be turned loose when their task was done4 ,now let's all get together1 said ,jack ,ridsdale when the mules disappeared over the edge of the last troublesome ascent4 ,let's all get together and lay out our work4 ,that's right1 said the ,doctor4 ,we must first of all provide for immediate needs1 and next for a permanent camp4 ,now first1 what are our immediate needs8 ,water1 fire1 and a temporary shelter1 promptly answered little ,tom the readiest thinker as well as the most experienced woodsman in the whole company4 ,well we'll set two fellows at work digging out a large basin for that spring1 said ,jack4 ,that will give us an adequate water supply for all winter4 ,you ,tom1 and ,ed ,parmly1 are detailed to that work4 ,now as to shelter4 ,of course we've got to build a permanent winter quarters4 ,but that will take several days--perhaps a week1 and in the meantime we're likely to have snows or rains and we must have some sort of temporary abode4 ,we must build that to-day4 ,how shall it be done8 ,easy enough1 answered ,harry ,ridsdale4 ,we can set up some poles just under the cliff back there and make a shed open in front and covered with bushes so arranged as to shed the rain4 ,of course the place wouldn't be a good one for permanent quarters1 but in ,november there are no avalanches or anything else of that sort1 and so a temporary shed there will answer our purpose for the present4 ,but how are we going to keep it warm8 asked ,ed4 ,by building a big fire in front of it1 answered ,harry4 ,but suppose the wind should blow hard from the north and blow all the smoke into our shed8 said ,ed4 ,well1 let it1 answered ,harry4 ,the smoke will rise1 especially in a high wind1 and our bush roof will certainly be porous enough to let it through4 ,after a little further discussion it was decided to adopt ,harry's plan1 and by the time that ,tom and ,ed had completed the work of digging out a water reservoir1 the rest of the party had constructed a temporary shelter under the cliff1 quite sufficient for their immediate needs4 ,by this time hunger--that always recurring condition--had seized upon them and they prepared a rather late dinner of squirrels that had been shot by one and another of the party on the journey4 ,they were tired1 too1 and the need of rest was imperative4 ,so they decided to do no more work that day1 but to devote its remaining hours to the task of planning their winter quarters4 ,first of all they selected a location for their winter house which the ,doctor thought the avalanches and the floods from the mountains would not seriously inconvenience4 ,the ground on which they were camping was a sort of plateau1 with a cliff rising behind and with the steep mountain side falling away into the fathomless depths in front4 ,the plateau embraced several acres of land1 and it was fairly level2 but the spot selected for winter quarters was a little knoll which rose above the general level very near the top of the steep front4 ,by the time that all this had been accomplished night fell1 and there was supper to get4 ,after supper ,jack said3 ,now we've laid out our camp1 but we haven't named it yet4 ,with the enmity of the moonshiners already aroused1 it's a venture--our staying here ,i mean--but we're going to make the venture4 ,so ,i propose that we call this camp of ours ',camp ,danger1' or ',camp ,risk' or camp something else of the sort4 ,why not call it ',camp ,venture8' asked ,harry4 ,good6 ',camp ,venture' it is1 answered ,ed ,parmly and the ,doctor in unison4 ,let it be ',camp ,venture' and1 added the ,doctor1 if we are up to our business we'll show our friends that ',camp ,venture' did not venture more than its members were able to carry out4 ,i'll tell you what1 boys1 ,i'm going to keep a diary setting forth all our adventures1 and when the thing is over and done for1 ,i'm going to write a book about it4 ,then we'll all be heroes of romance1 said ,jack4 ,who'll be the villain of the piece8 ,not at all1 answered the ,doctor4 ,i shall use fictitious names for all of you and even for myself1 so that nobody shall ever know who we are or who it was that lived and experienced and perhaps suffered in ',camp ,venture4' ,i'm not going to spoil you superb fellows by making public personages of you before your time4 ,but ,i'm going to write a book about your doings and sayings1 which will perhaps interest some other boys and help them to meet duty as it ought to be met4 ,this story is the book that the ,doctor wrote4 ,,chapter ,,iv ,a ,new ,declaration of ,independence ,well1 said little ,tom long before supper1 if you fellows are too lazy to do any more work after an easy day like this1 ,i am going out into the sunset to look for a turkey4 ,i'm not fond of salt meat1 and besides we've got to spare our salt pork against a time of need4 ,i'll be back by supper time4 ,with that he shouldered his gun1 withdrew one of the buckshot cartridges1 inserted one loaded for turkeys in its stead1 and strolled away up the mountain side4 ,an hour passed and little ,tom did not return4 ,another hour went by and still no little ,tom came4 ,by this time darkness had set in and supper was ready4 ,the boys were growing uneasy1 but they comforted themselves with the thought that ,little ,tom knows how to take care of himself1 anyhow4 ,so they sat down to their evening meal with a great fire crackling and glowing in front of their temporary shelter1 and filling it with fierce light which completely blinded their eyes to everything in the gloom beyond4 ,they had carelessly stacked their arms in a corner1 a dozen feet beyond reach1 and were chatting in a jolly way when suddenly there appeared before them the tall mountaineer of the night before4 ,this time he was wilier than on his previous appearance4 ,this time he levelled his gun at the party and quickly stepped between them and their arms4 ,then1 with his rifle at his shoulder and his finger near the hair trigger that was set to go off at the very lightest touch1 he called out3 ,you got the drap on me las' night1 but now ,i've dun got the drap on you4 ,will you now git out'n this here mounting8 ,i've dun give you notice that us fellers what lives up here don't want no visitors from down below4 ,so throw up your hands and march right now1 every one of you4 ,i'll take keer o' your guns an' other things1 an' ,i'm not a goin' to take this rifle from my shoulder till the last one of you is well started down the mounting4 ,come now6 ,git a move onto you6 ,at that moment a noise as of some heavy body falling was heard in the outer darkness just beyond the limits of the firelight4 ,the next instant little ,tom leaped upon the mountaineer's back grasped his throat with both hands and dragged him to earth4 ,his rifle went off in the mlee1 but fortunately the bullet had no billet and flattened itself against the side of the cliff4 ,of course the mountaineer was more than a match for little ,tom and in a prolonged struggle would easily have got the better of him4 ,but the other boys instantly came to their comrade's assistance and the intruder was quickly and completely overcome4 ,he had received some ugly hurts in the encounter1 among them a broken arm1 but the ,doctor dressed the wounds and meantime the man became placative in his mood4 ,i was about to shoot him1 said little ,tom1 but it isn't a pleasant thing to shoot a man even when you must1 and so ,i thought of the other plan1 and jumped on his back instead4 ,i knew ,i couldn't hold him down by myself1 but ,i knew you other fellows would come to my assistance1 so ,i risked that mode of operations4 ,if you had shot him1 said the ,doctor1 you'd have been justified both in law and in morals4 ,yes1 ,i know that1 said little ,tom1 but ,i shouldn't have slept well afterwards and ,i'm fond of my sleep4 ,well now eat your supper1 said the ,doctor1 and perhaps our friend the enemy here will join you in enjoying it4 ,to the astonishment of all1 the mountaineer eagerly replied3 ,well1 ,i don't keer if ,i do4 ,i ain't et nothin' sence a very early breakfast1 an' it wa'n't much of anything that ,i et then4 ,as for the little scrimmage1 ,i don't bear no malice when ,i gits hurt in a fair fight--least of all against a young chap like that4 ,you see ,i had got the drap on you fellers1 an' when he come up sort o' unexpected like and unbeknownst to me1 he jist naterally took the drap on me4 ,it was all fair an' right1 an' ,i want to say ,i'm grateful to him for not usin' his gun4 ,he could 'a shot me like a dog1 an' he didn't4 ,all this while the lean and hungry mountaineer was eating voraciously and in spite of his wounds with an eager relish4 ,how do you people live up here8 asked the ,doctor4 ,you can't grow much in the way of crops4 ,do you generally have enough to eat8 ,well hardly to say generally4 ,sometimes we has1 and more oftener we hasn't4 ,you see our business is onsartain4 ,that's why we don't like strangers prowlin' around in the mountings4 ,now ,i've got somethin' friendly like1 to say to you fellers4 ,fust off ,i want to tell you ,i'm not agoin' to bother you agin4 ,i'm a believin' that you've come up here on a straight business4 ,but there's others that ain't got so much faith as me4 ,they'll make trouble for you if you stay4 ,my advice to you is to git out'n the mountings jest as quick as you kin4 ,but my friend1 said the ,doctor1 ,why should we leave the mountains8 ,we are on land owned by the mother of my young friends here4 ,we have come only to see if we can't get some money for her out of lands that have never paid her anything--not even earning the taxes that she has paid on them4 ,why shouldn't we stay here and do this8 ,this is a free country1 and-- ,they's taxes in it1 said the mountaineer1 gritting his teeth1 an' they's jails for them that tries to carry on business without a payin' of the taxes4 ,i don't call that no free country4 ,it would be idle to argue that question1 replied the ,doctor4 ,but we1 at least1 have nothing to do with the taxes4 ,we are here to make a little money in a perfectly legitimate way1 by hard work4 ,we are not interfering with any body and we don't intend to interfere with any body4 ,but we're going to stay here all winter and carry on our business4 ,yes6 added ,jack1 and if any body interferes with us it will be the worse for him4 ,well1 you're makin' of a mistake1 said the mountaineer1 an' ,i give you friendly warnin'4 ,as ,i done told you before1 ,i believe you4 ,i think you're dead straight4 ,but there's them what ain't so charitable1 as the preachers say4 ,there's them that'll believe you're lyin'1 and 'll stick to that there belief till the cows come home1 an' they'll make a mighty heap o' trouble fer you fellers ef you tries to stay here4 ,they're men that won't be watched ,i tell you1 and forty witnesses1 all on their ,bible oaths couldn't persuade 'em but what you're here to watch 'em4 ,it's friendly advice ,i give you when ,i tells you to git out'n these mountings4 ,all right1 broke in little ,tom1 but while you're scattering friendly advice around suppose you advise your friends to let us alone4 ,tell them that little ,tom ,ridsdale proposes to shoot next time1 and to shoot his buckshot barrel at that4 ,tom rose to his feet and added3 ,you and your people mean war4 ,very well4 ,i for one1 accept the issue4 ,hereafter it will be war1 and in war every man shoots to do all the damage he can4 ,i have a perfect right to be here on my mother's land1 and here ,i am going to stay4 ,if every other fellow in the party should start down the mountain this night1 ,i would stay here alone to fight it out all winter4 ,and every other fellow in our party feels just as ,i do4 ,go to your criminal friends and tell them that6 ,but warn them that if they interfere with us we'll not wrestle with them1 we'll shoot and we'll take no chance of missing4 ,we'll shoot to produce effects4 ,we'll never interfere with you or your friends1 but you and your friends mustn't interfere with us4 ,if you do1 you'll get war and all you want of it4 ,we've tried to do the right thing by you2 and now ,i give you fair warning4 ,well1 all ,i've got to say1 said the mountaineer1 as he took his departure1 is jest this3 ,you fellers has dealt fair with me1 an' ,i'll deal fair with you4 ,that boy that threw me down an' broke my arm mout just as easy have shot me through the body2 an' then the tender way that the ,doctor done up my arm6 ,why even a woman couldn't 'a' been tenderer like4 ,now ,i ain't got no quarrel with you fellers1 an' that's why ,i'm advisin' you to git down out'n the mountings as soon as you kin4 ,there's others1 ,i tell you1 an' they ain't soft hearted like me4 ,they'll give you a heap o' trouble if you stay here4 ,let them try it1 answered little ,tom4 ,let them try it4 ,then we'll see who's who1 and what's what4 ,now tell your friends what ,i've said to you4 ,there6 good night6 ,i hope your arm will get well4 ,if it doesn't1 come over here and let the ,doctor look at it4 ,with that defiant farewell in his ears the mountaineer took his leave4 ,was it prudent1 ,tom8 asked ,ed ,parmly1 to send that sort of defiant message to the moonshiners8 ,yes1 quite prudent4 ,we want them to know that we are here on our own business and not on theirs1 at all4 ,we want them to know that we propose to stay here whether they want us to do so or not4 ,and finally1 we want them to understand that any interference with us on their part1 will mean war4 ,i've simply issued a ,declaration of ,independence1 and-- ,and to it1 called out ,jim ,chenowith1 quoting1 we pledge our lives1 our fortunes and our sacred honor4 ,now1 said ,jack1 from this hour forward we'll keep a sentinel always on duty1 so that we may not be caught napping4 ,during the daytime1 of course1 when we're chopping ties and timbers1 we'll need no sentinels4 ,we'll keep our guns within easy reach1 and so every one of us will be a sentinel1 but when night comes on we mustn't let anybody 'get the drap' on us as that fellow did to-night4 ,by the way1 ,tom1 did you get any game8 ,why1 yes4 ,i forgot all about that4 ,i dropped it out there to tackle that mountaineer4 ,i had carried and dragged it for weary miles1 and ,i wonder at my forgetfulness4 ,without questioning him further two of the boys went off into that circle of darkness which seemed impenetrably black when looked at from the fireside1 but which was light enough when they got within its environment4 ,there they found a deer1 weighing perhaps a hundred and fifty pounds1 which little ,tom had shot high up on the mountain and had laboriously dragged1 in part1 and carried on his shoulders in other part1 all the way to camp4 ,tom was much too weary to attend to it1 but there were eager hands to help1 and while ,tom slept1 they dressed the venison1 and when ,tom waked in the morning1 he found that he had been completely excused from sentry duty throughout the night4 ,his toilsome hunt1 his painful carrying of the deer1 his nervous strain over the necessity of encountering the mountaineer1 and pretty seriously injuring him1 and above all1 his rise in wrath and his deliverance of a new ,declaration of ,independence as a defiance to the mountaineers1 had been decreed by unanimous vote of the party to be the full equivalent of sentry service1 and so ,tom had been permitted to sleep through all the hours till breakfast was served4 ,,chapter ,v ,the ,building of a ,cabin ,jack routed out the entire party before daylight next morning and bade them get breakfast quick and eat it in a hurry4 ,we've got to begin our house to-day1 he added4 ,they were eager enough1 for1 apart from the frolic of house building1 they knew how badly they should need a more secure shelter than their temporary abode could furnish1 should rain or snow come1 as was likely now at any time4 ,breakfast over1 ,jack took his axe and marked a number of trees for cutting4 ,most of them were trees nearly a foot in thickness--none under eight inches--and all were situated in the thickest growth of timber4 ,why not choose trees farther out in the open8 asked ,ed ,parmly1 where they would be easier to get at and get out4 ,because1 if you will use your eyes1 ,ed1 you'll see that out in the open1 the trees taper rapidly from stump to top4 ,i want trees that will yield at least one1 and if possible1 two logs apiece1 with very little taper to them4 ,otherwise1 our house will be lop-sided4 ,but ,i say1 ,jack1 what causes the difference8 ,why do trees in the thick woods grow so much taller and straighter and of more uniform size than trees out in the open8 ,because every tree is continually hunting for sunlight and air1 answered ,jack4 ,out in the open1 each tree finds these easily and goes to work at once to put out its branches1 about ten feet from the ground1 and to make itself generally comfortable4 ,but where the trees are crowded close together each has to struggle with all the rest for its share of sunlight and air4 ,they do not waste their energies in putting out branches that they can do without1 but just keep on growing straight up in search of the air and sunlight4 ,so you see if you want long sticks you must go into the thick woods for them4 ,out there in that half open glade there isn't a single tree with a twenty-foot reach before you come to its branches1 while the trees ,i have marked here in the thick woods will give us1 most of them two logs apiece twenty-one feet long and with not more than three or four inches difference between their diameters at the butt and their diameters at the extreme upper end4 ,it's a good deal so with men1 by the way4 ,those that must struggle for a chance usually achieve the best results in the end4 ,by this time the axes were all busy felling the marked trees1 and within an hour or so they all lay upon the ground1 trimmed of their branches1 and cut into the required lengths of twenty-one feet each4 ,having felled his share of them1 ,jack went a little further into the woodlands1 and began blocking out great chips from one after another big chestnut tree4 ,having blocked out these chips1 ,jack sat down and began to split them1 observing the result in each case with care4 ,presently he satisfied himself and set to work to cut down the giant chestnut whose chip had yielded the best results4 ,what's all that for1 ,jack8 asked the ,doctor4 ,why did you split up those chips in that way1 like a little boy with a new hatchet8 ,i was hunting for some timber that isn't 'brash1' answered ,jack1 to make our clapboards out of4 ,what do you mean by 'brash8' ,why1 some timber splits easily and straight along its grain1 while other wood breaks away slantwise across the grain4 ,that last kind is called 'brash1' and1 of course1 it is of no account for clapboards4 ,see here6 and with that he took up two of the big sample chips and illustrated his meaning by splitting them and showing the ,doctor how one of them split straight with the grain1 while the other showed no such integrity4 ,oh1 then1 you're going to make clapboards out of this tree to roof our shanty with and to close up its gables4 ,i'm going to make clapboards for our roof1 answered ,jack1 but not for our gables4 ,they'll be made of logs1 in true mountain fashion4 ,but how is that possible8 eagerly asked the ,doctor4 ,i'll show you when we come to build4 ,i can't very well explain it in advance4 ,and another thing1 ,doctor1 you remember that we have only ten pounds or so of nails1 all told4 ,that's true6 exclaimed the ,doctor1 almost in consternation4 ,we can't roof our house till somebody goes down the mountain and brings a supply4 ,that's where you are mightily mistaken1 ,doctor4 ,there isn't a log cabin in these mountains that has a nail in its roof4 ,but how then are the clapboards held in place8 ,that again is a thing ,i can show you far better than ,i can explain it without demonstration4 ,but we must first get our clapboards1 and if you'll go back to the camp and bring a cross cut saw1 ,i'll have this giant of the forest laid low by the time you get back1 and then you and ,i will cut it into four-foot lengths for clapboards4 ,it should be explained that in the mountains of ,virginia the word clapboard and the simpler word board1 mean something quite different from what they signify elsewhere4 ,when the ,virginia mountaineer speaks of a board or a clapboard he means a rough shingle1 four feet long1 simply split out of a piece of timber and not dressed in any way4 ,when the ,doctor returned with the cross cut saw1 ,jack first marked off ten feet of his great tree at the butt and the two set to work to sever it4 ,but you said we were to cut it into four-foot lengths1 said the ,doctor1 as they began to pull the saw back and forth4 ,so we are1 answered ,jack1 after we saw off this butt4 ,you see1 the butt of a tree is always rather brash1 and so we won't use that for clapboards4 ,besides1 ,i've another use for it4 ,what8 asked the ,doctor4 ,i'm going to dig it out into a big trough and make a bath tub out of it4 ,you see1 that spring up there under the cliff has a fine flow of water4 ,i'll sink this trough in the ground1 at a proper angle1 and train the water into it4 ,it will run in at one end and out at the other1 continually1 so we'll always have a fresh bath ready for any comer4 ,but will the boys relish a cold bath out of doors when the thermometer gets down into the small figures8 ,well they'd better4 ,little ,tom is a crank on cold bathing in the morning1 and if any fellow in the party doesn't relish that sort of thing1 ,tom will souse him in any how till he teaches him to like it4 ,he won't do you that way1 ,doctor1 of course1 but-- ,but why not8 ,i need the tonic influence of cold morning baths more than anybody else in the party1 and as soon as we get our bath tub in place ,i shall begin taking them4 ,and more than that1 ,i'll help little ,tom in the work of dousing any boy in the party that neglects that hygienic regimen4 ,having sawed off the butt of this big tree1 ,jack went back to the house site and directed the boys as to the work of building4 ,the forty sticks of timber already cut1 when piled into a crib would make the body of a cabin nearly twenty feet square1 allowing for the overlapping of the timbers1 and about ten feet high under the eaves4 ,jack showed the boys how to notch the logs at their ends so as to hold them securely in place and so also as to let them lie very close together throughout their length4 ,for1 of course1 without notching1 each log would lie the whole thickness of another log above the timber below it4 ,having thus started the four in the work of building1 he returned to the woods where he and the ,doctor continued the work of sawing the big tree trunk into four-foot lengths4 ,about noon the ,doctor volunteered to go and prepare a roast venison dinner1 and ,jack proceeded to split the tree-lengths into sizes convenient for the riving of the clapboards4 ,by the time that he had accomplished this1 the ,doctor whistled through his fingers to announce dinner1 and every member of the party was eagerly ready for the savory meal1 the very odor of which made their nostrils glad while they were washing their hands and faces in preparation for it4 ,there were not many dishes included in it--only some sweet potatoes roasted in the ashes1 and some big pones of black ash cake1 to go with the great haunch of roast venison4 ,ash cake is a species of corn bread1 consisting of corn meal mixed up with cold water and a little salt1 and baked hard in a bed of hot ashes and hotter coals1 and if any reader of this story has ever eaten ash cake1 properly prepared1 ,i need not tell him that there is no better kind of bread made anywhere--no1 not even in ,paris1 a city that prides itself about equally upon its pain--bread1--and its paintings1 of which it has the finest collections in all the world4 ,finally1 there was the sauce--traditionally1 the best in the world1--namely1 hunger4 ,half a dozen young fellows high up on a mountain side1 who had breakfasted before daylight and swung axes and lifted logs till midday1 needed no highly-spiced flavoring to give savor to their meat4 ,they ate like the healthy1 hard working fellows that they were1 and they had no fear of indigestions to follow their eating4 ,after dinner the work of building went on apace4 ,the main crib of the house was finished by noon of the next day1 and the roof and gables only remained to be completed after that4 ,this was to be done as follows3 ,logs to form the gables were cut1 each a few feet shorter than the one below4 ,then poles six inches in diameter were cut to form a resting place for the clapboards1 and were placed lengthwise the building1 resting in notches in the steadily shortening gable timbers4 ,the gable timbers were permitted1 however1 to extend two feet or so beyond the notches in which the lengthwise poles rested1 and a second notch was cut in each end of each of them4 ,when a row of clapboards was laid on the lengthwise poles1 another lengthwise pole was placed on top to hold the clapboards in place1 and this top pole rested in the outer notches of the gable logs1 thus securely holding the roof in position1 and as the clapboards overlapped each other as shingles do1 the roof was rainproof4 ,meantime ,jack had been riving clapboards with a fro4 ,does the reader know what a fro is8 ,the dictionaries do not tell you in any adequate way1 though in ,virginia and throughout the south and the great west that implement has played an important part in enabling men to house themselves with clapboards or shingles for their roofs4 ,so ,i must do the work that the dictionaries neglect4 ,a fro is an iron or steel blade about eight or ten inches long1 about three inches wide1 a quarter of an inch thick at top1 tapering to a very dull edge at bottom4 ,in one end of it is an eye to hold a handle4 ,the fro is used in splitting out clapboards and rough shingles4 ,the operator places its dull edge on the end of a piece of timber of proper width1 at the distance of a clapboard's thickness from the side of the timber4 ,then he hits the back of the fro blade with a mallet or club1 driving it well in like a wedge4 ,then1 by working the handle backwards and forwards1 and pushing the fro further and further into the crack1 as it opens1 he splits off a shingle1 or a clapboard1 as the case may be4 ,in the south1 and in some parts of the west nearly all of the shingles and clapboards used are still split out in this way with the fro4 ,until recent years1 when shingle making machines were introduced1 all shingles were made in that way1 so that next to the axe1 and the pitsaw1 which used to do the work now done by the saw mill1 the fro played the most conspicuous part in the creation of human habitations in all that pioneer period when sturdy arms were conquering the ,american wilderness and stout hearts were creating the greatness in which we now rejoice4 ,it is stupid of the dictionaries not to tell of it4 ,in splitting out his clapboards from three-cornered sections of his chestnut logs1 ,jack gradually reduced those sections to a width too small for the further making of clapboards4 ,this left in each case a three-cornered stick two inches thick at its thickest part1 and perhaps three inches wide to its edge4 ,the ,doctor wanted to utilize these sticks for firewood and proposed to carry a lot of them to the temporary shelter for that purpose4 ,not by any means1 said ,jack4 ,those wedge-shaped pieces are to be used for chinking4 ,what's chinking8 asked the ,doctor4 ,why1 you see1 answered ,jack1 the logs of which our house or hut is built1 are not quite straight1 though they are the straightest we could find in the woods4 ,there are spaces between them that are open1 and when the zero weather comes we should be very uncomfortably cold in there if these spaces remained open4 ,no fire that we could make in our chimney would keep us warm under such conditions4 ,so we must stop up the cracks4 ,we'll do that by fitting these pieces of chinking into the cracks between the logs1 and then 'daubing' the smaller cracks with mud4 ,that's an operation that will try your resolution1 ,doctor1 and determine whether you are really only sixteen years old1 as we voted that you were1 or are a much older person1 to be specially considered by us boys--for ,i don't know any more disagreeable job than daubing a log cabin4 ,good6 answered the ,doctor4 ,i'll submit myself to the test very gladly4 ,you'll show me how to 'daub' of course1 and if ,i don't 'daub' with the best and youngest of you1 then ,i'll give up and go down the mountain1 acknowledging myself a failure4 ,but ,i give you fair warning that ,i don't expect or intend either to give up or to go down the mountain4 ,we should all be very sorry if you did1 ,doctor4 ,we've adopted you now4 ,we've decreed that for this winter1 at any rate1 you are only sixteen years of age1 and upon my word1 if you'll allow me to say so-- ,now1 stop right there1 broke in the ,doctor4 ,don't say 'if you'll allow me to say so4' ,that undoes the whole arrangement4 ,you fellows have accepted me as a boy among boys1 and you've got to stick to that4 ,there are to be no deferences to me4 ,there is to be precisely the same comradeship between me and the rest of you that exists among yourselves1 otherwise ,i shall consider myself an intruder4 ,all right1 responded ,jack1 seizing the ,doctor's hand and pressing it warmly4 ,we all feel that you are altogether one of us1 and ,i for one shall hereafter treat you as such4 ,so when the daubing time comes ,i'll set you your task like the rest of them and ,i'll criticize every crevice you leave open4 ,what with an open roof--for a clapboard roof is very open--through which the wind can blow at its own sweet will1 and what with the necessity of keeping the door open most of the time for light1 it's going to be very hard work to keep the place comfortably warm4 ,but why keep the door open for light8 asked the ,doctor4 ,why not let in the light through windows8 ,we haven't any windows1 answered ,jack1 and we haven't any sash or glass to make them with4 ,of course not1 said the ,doctor1 but still1 if you'll let me1 ,i'll show you how to have windows that will keep out the wind and let in light at the same time4 ,i've all the necessary materials in my shoulder pack4 ,i can't guess how you're going to do it1 ,doctor1 but at any rate ,i accept your statement1 and if you'll tell me what sized openings you want in the walls for your windows1 ,i'll go at once and saw them out4 ,that's what troubles me1 said the ,doctor4 ,i don't see how we are going to make window openings without sawing through the logs1 and ,i don't see how that is to be done without weakening the structure1 and letting the unsupported ends of the logs fall out of place4 ,oh1 that's easy enough1 answered ,jack4 ,you tell me what sized window openings you want in our walls1 and ,i'll take care of the logs4 ,the ,doctor thought a moment1 and then said3 ,well1 we ought to have two windows1 each about two feet and a half one way by about three feet or a little more the other way4 ,does it make any difference1 asked ,jack1 whether the long way is up and down1 or to the right and left8 ,none4 ,you can make the openings long either way and short either way4 ,good6 answered ,jack4 ,then ,i'll make them long to right and left and short in their up and down dimensions1 so that ,i shall have to saw out only two logs for each window4 ,jack went immediately to work4 ,he split out six or eight boards1 each four times the thickness of any ordinary clapboard1 and1 taking a handful of the small supply of nails on hand1 went to the cabin now well advanced in construction1 and selected the places for the two window openings4 ,then he nailed the thick boards securely to the logs1 one on each side of one of the proposed window openings4 ,the boards were long enough to reach over four of the logs4 ,jack nailed them securely to all four of the logs1 thus binding the timbers together1 and making each a support to all of the others4 ,then he sawed out three-foot lengths of the two middle logs1 leaving their ends securely supported by the boards which were firmly nailed to them1 and also to the uncut logs above and below4 ,then1 to make all secure1 he fitted pieces of his thick boards to the ends of the sawed logs1 and nailed them firmly into place as an additional protection against sagging4 ,now1 then1 ,doctor1 he called out1 come on with your windows4 ,i'm curious to see what they are like4 ,in a minute1 answered the ,doctor1 who was busy with his materials on a log in front of the house4 ,he had taken two strips of thin yard-wide muslin each a little over four feet long1 and with the inside of a bacon rind he was busily greasing them4 ,the result of the greasing was to render the thin cotton fabric quite translucent1 and indeed1 almost transparent4 ,with tacks1 of which there was a small supply in the ,doctor's own pack1 he securely fastened one of these pieces of greased muslin on the outside of the window opening that ,jack had made1 and the other on the inside1 leaving a space of several inches between4 ,there1 he said1 when all was done1 that will let in light almost as well as glass could do1 and it will keep out wind and cold even better than the logs you sawed away could have done1 no matter how well chinked and daubed they might have been4 ,then he and ,jack proceeded to deal with the other window opening in the same way4 ,by the time that they had done the boys were clamorously calling them to supper1 and they were not reluctant to answer the summons4 ,by this time the roof was on the house and a door of clapboards1 split out of double thickness1 was hung by hinges made of limber twigs1 called withes1 to pegs in the logs1 and supplied with a wooden latch1 catching into a wooden slot4 ,the door opening was made precisely as the window holes were4 ,the mountain form of log cabin involved the least possible use of metal in its construction1 and except for the nails used in making the door and windows this one had involved the use of no metal at all4 ,it was not all done1 by any means1 but at least its outer shell was done after two days of hard work1 and the rest could be safely left till the morrow--all of it1 except one thing1 of which ,jack was mindful during supper4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,after ,supper ,boys1 said ,jack while supper was in process of consumption1 ,i'm afraid we've all got to do a little work to-night by moonlight4 ,fortunately there is a moon1 but these thin1 fleecy clouds mean snow or ,i'm mistaken4 ,what is the work to be done1 ,jack1 asked ,ed4 ,why1 said ,jack1 we've got to have some dry broom straw for our beds1 and we've got to gather it to-night4 ,otherwise it'll all be wet4 ,broom straw in ,virginia means a tall grass of the prairie grass kind1 which grows thickly in every open space4 ,in winter it is dry and nothing makes a sweeter smelling bed4 ,the boys were tired after their hard day's work1 but their enthusiasm instantly outvoted their weariness1 for their proceedings had not yet lost the character of a sort of frolic in their minds4 ,besides1 said little ,tom as the supper drew to an end1 ,i for one am not half as tired as ,i was when we sat down to eat4 ,naturally not1 said the ,doctor4 ,but why is it8 asked ,tom4 ,i don't see how ,i have got rested so soon4 ,you've fired up1 replied the ,doctor4 ,did you ever see an engine that worked badly for want of steam8 ,did you ever observe what the engineer does in that case8 ,yes1 of course2 he sets the stoker to firing up under the boiler4 ,but what has that to do with getting tired and getting rested again8 ,i don't see the connection4 ,yet it is clear enough1 the ,doctor responded4 ,the human system is a machine4 ,it must have energy or force or whatever you choose to call it1 to enable it to do its work4 ,now an engine gets its energy from the coal or wood burned under its boiler4 ,this human machine derives its energy solely from food put into the stomach4 ,when you are tired it means simply that your supply of physical force has run low4 ,when you eat you replenish the supply1 just as firing up does it for the engine4 ,but ,doctor1 said ,jack with an accent of puzzled inquiry1 how about those people that are always tired--'born tired' as they say8 ,they eat1 but they never get over being tired4 ,dyspeptics1 every one of them1 replied the ,doctor4 ,it doesn't help an engine to shovel coal into its furnace if the coal doesn't burn4 ,in the same way it doesn't strengthen a man to eat unless he digests and assimilates his food4 ,well now1 if you people have sufficiently assimilated your food and your ideas1 broke in little ,tom1 let's get to work4 ,some of the boys pulled the grass and piled it in rude shocks4 ,the others carried it to the hut and bestowed it in one corner1 ready for use4 ,as they carried on the work the moon slowly went out1 and just as they were finishing it1 ,jim ,chenowith called out3 ,there's the snow1 and very gently the flakes began descending4 ,jack you're a good weather prophet1 and this time it's lucky for us that you are4 ,otherwise we should have had wet broom straw to sleep on all winter4 ,by the way1 how are we going to arrange our beds8 ,why1 we'll build a platform of small poles along the eastern wall of our house--the fireplace being on the western side4 ,we'll divide this platform into compartments1 each to serve as a bed4 ,we'll lay clapboards on the poles to make a smooth surface1 and on them we'll pile all the broom straw we've got4 ,then we'll wrap ourselves in our blankets and crawl in4 ,do you see8 ,yes1 but how about the fellows that must sleep under the ,doctor's muslin window8 asked ,harry4 ,won't they sleep pretty cold1 ,doctor8 ,i don't think so1 answered the ,doctor4 ,the windows will keep out the cold quite as well as the logs themselves do4 ,but how can they8 ,how can two thin sheets of muslin keep cold out or heat in1 which ,i believe is the better way of putting it8 asked ,harry4 ,they can't1 answered the ,doctor4 ,bring those two sheets of muslin together and they would let heat out and cold in as freely almost as an open hole does4 ,it isn't the muslin that keeps the cold out or the heat in--which ever way you choose to put it4 ,it is the imprisoned air between the two pieces of muslin4 ,there is hardly anywhere a worse conductor of heat than confined air4 ,that is why in building fire proof structures in the great cities they use hollow bricks for partition walls4 ,no amount of heat on one side can pass through the confined air in the bricks and set fire to anything on the other side of the wall4 ,in the contracts for such buildings it is often stipulated that the owner shall be free to build as hot a bonfire as he pleases in any room he may select1 and if it sets fire to anything in any other room the contractor shall pay a heavy penalty4 ,but where did you get your idea of greased muslin windows1 ,doctor8 asked ,jack4 ,i never heard of it before4 ,i got it by reading history1 answered the ,doctor4 ,in old ,english times nobody but princes could afford to use glass4 ,its cost was too great4 ,and then later1 when glass became cheaper1 a stupid government put a tax on windows1 and so men went on using greased cloth instead of glass in order to get the light of heaven into their habitations without having their substance eaten up by a window tax4 ,but why was it 'stupid' as you say for the government to raise revenue by so simple a means as that of taxing windows8 asked ,jack4 ,because governments exist for the good of the people governed1 and not the reverse of that4 ,otherwise no government would have any right to exist at all4 ,a window tax discourages the use of windows4 ,as a result the people live in darkness and foul air1 which is not good for them4 ,but governments in the old days assumed not that the government existed for the good of the people1 but that the people existed for the good of the government4 ,never until our ,american ,republic was established was that notion driven out of the minds of ,kings1 ,princes and great ministers of state4 ,it is one of our country's best services to human kind that it has taught this lesson until now in every part of the civilized world it is perfectly understood that the government is the servant of the people1 not the people the servant of the government4 ,yes1 ,i remember1 said ,jack1 that when the colonies were resisting ,british oppression1 ,thomas ,jefferson put into an address to ,george ,,iii a pointed and not very polite reminder that the ,king was after all only a chosen chief magistrate of the people1 appointed by them to do their service and promote their happiness4 ,there wasn't much idea of 'the divine right of kings' in ,jefferson's noddle4 ,no1 responded the ,doctor1 nor in ,franklin's1 or ,patrick ,henry's or ,john ,adams's or ,james ,otis's4 ,jefferson simply formulated the thought of all of them when he contended that the ,british parliament had no more right to pass laws for the government and taxation of ,virginia than the ,virginia legislature had to pass laws for the government and taxation of ,great ,britain4 ,but the beauty of the whole thing lies in the fact that these great truths1 asserted by the ,americans in justification of their rebellion1 have been fastened upon the minds of men everywhere1 and all civilized governments have been compelled to accept and submit to them4 ,there are kings and emperors still1 but they have completely changed their conception of their functions4 ,they have been taught1 mainly by ,american statesmen1 that they are nothing more than the servants of the people1 and that so far from owning the people1 the people are their masters4 ,but come boys1 it's time to get to bed4 ,so turn in at once4 ,i'm on guard for the next hour and a half4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,a ,painter ,there was still much to do on the house and the boys set themselves at work on it very early the next morning4 ,first of all there was a chimney to be built4 ,jack directed two of the boys to saw out a space nine feet wide for the fireplace1 first securing the logs in position by nailing pieces of timber to them1 just as he had done with the ,doctor's windows4 ,he decided that the fireplace when finished should be five feet wide4 ,you see1 he said1 we've a hard house to keep warm and we must have a lot of fire4 ,now the width of a fire means as much as its other dimensions1 and so ,i'm going to have a wide fire4 ,we'll burn full length cordwood in our fireplace1 and we'll make room for plenty of it in front of a big back log4 ,in earlier times an open wood fire place was the only heating apparatus people had1 and they managed very well with it4 ,nowadays people insist that an open fire will not heat a room4 ,i'm disposed to think that that's because they make their fireplaces too small4 ,we'll make ours big1 like those of our grandfathers4 ,then ,jack turned to the ,doctor and asked3 ,is it freezing8 ,no1 answered the ,doctor4 ,the thermometer stands at forty-six1 and before noon this little skim of snow will be gone ,i think4 ,but why do you ask8 ,because we want to chink and daub our house as soon as possible1 and of course we can't do it in freezing weather4 ,why not8 asked the ,doctor4 ,we can warm our hands from time to time and make out to stand it4 ,yes1 answered ,jack1 but that isn't the point4 ,if we daub in freezing weather the mud will all drop out4 ,you see it freezes and then when a thaw comes the whole thing goes to pieces4 ,so ,i'm glad it isn't freezing to-day4 ,now come you fellows1 and let me show you how to chink and daub4 ,he dug away the soil at several spots1 exposing the clay that lay beneath4 ,then pouring great pailfuls of water into the holes thus made1 he set the boys at work mixing the clay into a soft plastic mud4 ,by the time that this was well started the two who were to saw out a fireplace opening had finished that task1 and ,jack set all at work fitting chinkings into the cracks between the logs1 and so daubing them with the soft mud as to close up all cracks1 big and little1 against the ingress of the winter's air4 ,now1 ,doctor1 he said1 when the boys began showing something like skill in this work1 if you'll come with me1 we'll start a chimney4 ,they went into the woods and set to work splitting some chestnut logs into thick slabs1 six or seven feet long4 ,with these they made a sort of crib work outside the house at the point where the fireplace was to be4 ,this1 as ,jack explained1 was to hold the fire place4 ,inside of this crib1 or box--about two feet inside--,jack drove some sharpened sticks into the ground and behind them he placed some clapboards set on edge4 ,then he called for mud and with it filled in the space between the clapboards and the crib walls behind4 ,then he set another tier of clapboards and added more mud1 and so on till he had the whole inside of the slab crib lined with two feet of mud held in place by clapboards set on edge and braced with stakes4 ,now1 then1 said ,jack1 when we build a fire the clapboards will slowly burn away1 but very slowly because no air can get behind them1 and in the meantime the mud will bake into one great solid brick4 ,now for the top of the chimney4 ,then he went outside and built upon this fireplace a smoke stack1 consisting of cribwork of sticks split out for the purpose1 embedding each stick in a thick daubing of mud as he went4 ,by the time he finished it was night--for so eager had the boys been with their work that they had not stopped on this third day for dinner1 but had contented themselves with cold bites left over from breakfast4 ,in the meantime also the other boys had finished chinking and daubing the house4 ,now we're ready to move in1 said ,jim ,chenowith as they sat down round the fire to eat their supper4 ,indeed we're not1 answered little ,tom4 ,we haven't built our bed yet or a table to eat on1 or any chairs to sit on1 and besides that the fireplace must have at least twenty-four hours in which to dry before we can build a fire in it4 ,you're always in a hurry ,jim4 ,if we get comfortably moved into our winter quarters by this time day after to-morrow we'll do very well indeed4 ,yes1 interposed ,jack1 but we'll move in to-morrow night nevertheless4 ,by that time we'll have the bed constructed and a table and some sort of chairs made1 and we shall be much more comfortable in the house than out here under the cliff where it is very uncomfortably wet and muddy since the snow began to melt4 ,of course we can't have a fire in the house for two or three days yet1 but we can have one outside1 in front of the door4 ,so the programme for to-morrow is to make beds1 chairs and a table8 asked the ,doctor4 ,that's the programme for the other boys1 ,doctor4 ,you and ,i will in the meantime set up the chute through which we are to send the results of our chopping into the valley below4 ,fortunately there is a straight slide down the mountain1 free from trees and landing at the right place4 ,it was used some years ago to send big stones down4 ,all we've got to do is to build a short chute at this end of it4 ,gravity will do the rest4 ,but1 ,i say ,jack1 broke in little ,tom1 ,if we begin to chute sticks down there and anybody should be in the way-- ,but there'll be nobody in the way1 answered ,jack4 ,you don't imagine that ,i left so serious a matter as that to chance1 do you8 ,i've arranged the whole thing4 ,our slide ends in a spreading sort of flat down there in the valley that embraces an acre or so of level ground4 ,our timbers will go down there with the speed of cannon balls1 but when they get there they'll slow up as the descent grows gentler1 and stop on the level ground4 ,now ,i've arranged with the railroad people that we're not to send anything down the chute till to-morrow afternoon at the earliest1 and that after that we are to send nothing down till three o'clock each day4 ,that's to give them a chance to collect the stuff1 haul it away and measure it4 ,by the way1 asked the ,doctor1 how are we going to keep tab on their counts and measurements8 ,must we simply trust the contractor's men for all that8 ,not by any means1 answered ,jack1 who carried a very good business head on his shoulders4 ,not by any means4 ,we'll keep our own count up here4 ,on every hundredth tie that we send down ,i am to mark #ajj1 #bjj1 #cjj and so forth1 according to the count1 using a piece of red keel for the purpose4 ,on every big bridge timber that we send down ,i am to mark the length and smallest diameter1 keeping an account of it all up here4 ,as for cordwood1 every time we have sent down ten cords ,i am to send down a slab indicating the amount4 ,all these markings of mine will be verified below1 of course1 and when we go down in the spring the contractor or1 rather1 his agent with whom ,i made our bargain--for ,i didn't meet the contractor himself--will settle with us4 ,he knows us only as a single source of supply1 and will credit everything we send down to the whole party of us4 ,so as between ourselves we must keep our own accounts so as to make a proper and equitable division of the proceeds of our work when the springtime comes4 ,to that function ,i appoint ,ed ,parmly4 ,he is to keep our books4 ,he has had experience in that sort of work in his father's store1 and we'll look to him to keep a record of every fellow's contribution to the supply of timber sent down4 ,but ,jack1 broke in little ,tom1 how are we to estimate the amount of cordwood we send down the chute8 ,we won't estimate it at all4 ,we'll cord it up and measure it before we send it down1 just as we'll count our ties and measure up our bridge timbers4 ,what's that8 ,all the boys had started to their feet at the sound of something that seemed to be a human being in excruciating agony4 ,after a long pause there was a repetition of the strange1 pitiful cry4 ,may ,i use your rifle1 ,doctor8 asked little ,tom4 ,that's a fellow that ,i don't care to tackle with a shot gun1 and ,i've located him pretty well4 ,what is it1 anyhow8 asked ,ed ,parmly and ,jim ,chenowith1 in a breath4 ,it's a panther1 answered ,tom as he took the gun from the ,doctor's hands1 slipped off his boots and crept stealthily and noiselessly into the woods4 ,stay here1 all of you1 he commanded1 and don't make the least noise4 ,tom was a chronic huntsman4 ,from his tenth year onward1 as has been already told1 he had spent a large part of his vacation alone in the woods in pursuit of game4 ,sometimes he had been absent from home for a week at a time1 having taken no supplies with him1 but depending exclusively upon his gun for the means of subsistence4 ,then he had come home heavily burdened with wild turkeys1 squirrels1 opossums1 raccoons and game of every other species that the mountains afforded4 ,in every matter pertaining to the chase his present comrades were willingly ready to pay deference to little ,tom's superior skill1 knowledge and sagacity4 ,so they all obeyed him when he bade them remain where they were1 and keep perfectly still4 ,there was a long time of waiting4 ,then came another of the demoniacal screams1 but still no response from little ,tom4 ,several minutes later came three rapidly succeeding reports from the repeating rifle1 and after half a minute more little ,tom called out-- ,come here all of you1 and bring your guns4 ,the boys all hurried to the place from which the voice came1 the ,doctor carrying a brand from the camp fire to give light4 ,it was well that he had thought of that1 for light was just then badly needed4 ,little ,tom was lying at the root of a tree1 covered with blood and manifestly fainting4 ,only a few feet away lay the panther1 shot three times through the body but still sufficiently alive to be striking out madly with his fearfully clawed fore feet in a desperate endeavor to destroy his enemy4 ,illustration3 ,,tom ,,was ,,lying ,,at ,,the ,,foot ,,of ,,the ,,tree4 ,by the light of the ,doctor's torch three charges of buckshot were quickly driven into the beast's vitals1 and at last he lay still4 ,then1 all attention was given to ,little ,tom4 ,throwing his torch upon the ground the ,doctor called out3 ,build a fire right there1 boys1 as quickly as you can4 ,i must have light by which to examine the boy's wounds4 ,willing hands produced the desired light within a very few moments1 and stripping off part of ,tom's clothing1 the ,doctor discovered that the beast had dealt him two vicious blows with his horridly armed claws1 one tearing his left arm severely and the other lacerating his chest4 ,after a hurried examination1 the ,doctor said3 ,he can stand removing to the camp if you'll carry him gently1 boys1 and ,i can treat him better there than here4 ,then he gave a few hurried directions as to the best way of carrying the wounded boy1 and the others very lovingly obeyed his instructions in removing their comrade to the main camp fire4 ,now1 said the ,doctor1 remove all his clothing as quickly and as gently as you can4 ,this was done and the ,doctor carefully examined the wounds4 ,it's all right1 boys1 he said1 presently4 ,tom is very painfully hurt1 but the 'painter' didn't know enough of anatomy to deliver his blows in vital parts4 ,tom will get well1 but he's fainting now4 ,lower his head and throw a gourdful of cold water into his face and another over his chest4 ,it was no sooner said than done1 and no sooner was it done than ,tom revived4 ,after blinking his eyes for a moment1 he asked3 ,did you fellows finish the painter8 ,indeed we did1 answered ,jack2 but it's you old fellow1 that we're concerned about now4 ,that's all right1 said ,tom1 but that fellow's hide is worth a good many dollars1 and better than that1 we're rid of him4 ,if ,i hadn't shot him he would have dropped from a tree upon some one or other of us1 and in that case he wouldn't have left anything for the ,doctor to do4 ,meanwhile the ,doctor was carefully cleansing the boy's wounds and drenching them in water in which disinfectant tablets from his pocket case had been dissolved4 ,here and there it was necessary to draw the edges of deep gashes together by a stitch or two with a surgical needle4 ,but the main thing1 the ,doctor expounded1 is to cleanse and disinfect the wounds4 ,nature itself1 he added1 will repair any wound that does not involve a vital part1 if it is cleansed and kept clean4 ,the danger always is that the wound will become infected1 that inflammation and blood poisoning will set in and kill the patient4 ,fortunately1 we surgeons know now how to prevent that1 and ,i'll answer for it that nothing of the kind shall happen to little ,tom4 ,but what is it that causes the inflammation and blood poisoning8 asked ,harry4 ,microbes1 answered the ,doctor2 little things that you can't see without a microscope--and some that you can't see with one4 ,the greatest advance that was ever made in medical and surgical science was the discovery of the fact that nearly all diseases and all hurtful and dangerous inflammation is due to the presence of microbes in a wound4 ,the moment the ,doctors found that out they set to work to kill the microbes4 ,they studied them under the most powerful microscopes4 ,they tried all sorts of experiments with them till they learned how to kill them4 ,thus they discovered two greatly good things--antiseptic surgery first and after that aseptic surgery4 ,antiseptic surgery aims to kill all the evil germs that are already in a wound4 ,aseptic surgery aims to keep all evil germs out of the wounds that the surgeon must make4 ,would you mind giving us some illustrations1 ,doctor8 asked ,jack4 ,certainly not1 if you are interested1 said the ,doctor4 ,i have practiced both antiseptic and aseptic surgery on little ,tom to-night1 so his case will serve to illustrate both4 ,i have washed all his wounds with a solution of bi-chloride of mercury1 commonly called corrosive sublimate1 for the purpose of killing all the germs that may have got into them from that beast's claws or in any other way4 ,that was antiseptic surgery4 ,then1 wherever ,i found it necessary to take a stitch or two1 ,i have used ligatures drawn directly out of a disinfecting solution1 and perhaps you observed that ,i thoroughly disinfected my needles and other implements by passing them through a blaze before using them4 ,so1 also1 as to my hands4 ,before touching ,tom's wounds ,i thoroughly scoured my hands in a solution of corrosive sublimate1 so that they might not carry any possible infection to the scratches4 ,all that is aseptic surgery4 ,in the hospitals1 where all conditions can be controlled they do this aseptic business completely4 ,first of all1 they have an operating table made of glass1 which absorbs nothing and could be easily and perfectly cleansed after each operation by mere washing with water4 ,but not content with that they scour the table with a disinfecting solution immediately before every operation4 ,then the surgeon1 his assistant1 and all the attendants are clad in garments that have been rendered 'sterile' as they call it1 by roasting4 ,so of all the towels and sheets and everything else employed about the patient's person4 ,everything is sterilized4 ,the bandages and the thread or the catgut to be used are drawn from thoroughly disinfected supplies4 ,the surgeon's instruments of every kind are laid in a panfull of a disinfecting fluid1 and there are so many of each that if any one of them is accidentally dropped its use is abandoned and another is used in its stead4 ,but come6 ,little ,tom1 you are comfortable now4 ,why not tell us how it all happened8 ,well1 you see1 answered little ,tom1 when ,i heard that cry and located it1 ,i knew what it meant4 ,i knew it was a painter or a catamount1 or a puma1 or a panther1 or a mountain lion--or whatever else you choose to call it1 for it bears all those names and some others4 ,and ,i knew what it was after4 ,it wanted that last leg of venison of ours1 but it wasn't over particular4 ,if it couldn't get the venison it was quite ready to take any one of us boys instead4 ,it's a smart beast1 the panther4 ,it sneaks on its prey and springs upon any animal1 human or other1 that it may fancy1 for lunch4 ,and yet it is a fool in some ways4 ,it suffers itself to grow enthusiastic now and then1 though that is very rare1 and when that happens it gives that excruciating yell that we heard4 ,i never heard that except once1 before to-night4 ,well1 when ,i heard it1 ,i knew what it meant4 ,i knew that unless somebody killed that panther1 that panther would kill somebody in this company4 ,at his second yell ,i located him pretty accurately1 though1 of course1 you can't depend too confidently upon that1 as the beast often runs a dozen yards in a few seconds4 ,so ,i took your gun1 ,doctor1 and went out to find the gentleman4 ,for a time1 ,i couldn't get a sight of him1 but after awhile he yelled again1 and ,i 'spotted' him4 ,i crept up in the very dim light till ,i got a good view of him1 crouching on a limb1 and evidently planning to spring upon me and accept me in lieu of the venison4 ,then ,i fired three bullets through him with that splendid repeating rifle of yours1 ,doctor1 and then ,i had an illustration of the old adage about 'the ruling passion' being 'strong in death4' ,for1 instead of dropping to the ground1 as ,i had expected him to do1 the beast sprang twenty or thirty feet forward and attacked me with his hideously long and sharp claws4 ,he tore me to ribbons at his first onset1 but then the three bullets ,i had given him from your gun seemed suddenly to dishearten him4 ,so ,i managed to creep out of his way and call to you fellows to come to my rescue4 ,the rest of the story you fellows know better than ,i do4 ,for the next thing ,i recollect was when you doused me with the water so that ,i should become conscious of the prick of the ,doctor's needles1 as he sewed me up4 ,by the way1 ,doctor1 am ,i seriously hurt8 ,seriously1 yes1 answered the ,doctor4 ,but not dangerously1 ,i think4 ,you're going to have a good long rest in one of our beds over there in the new house1 but surgery is now so exact a science that ,i think ,i can promise you an entirely certain recovery within a few days1 or a few weeks at furthest1 if you'll be a good boy and obey my instructions4 ,i say1 boys1 called out ,tom1 how fortunate we've been in bringing a ,doctor along1 even if we did have to resolve half his age away6 ,doctor1 ,i never met any other boy of only sixteen years old who knew half as much as you do6 ,now1 ,i'm tired4 ,i'm going to sleep4 ,call me when it comes my turn for guard duty4 ,and with that the boy sank to sleep4 ,but there was no call upon him that night or for many nights yet to come1 for sentinel service4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,the ,condition of the ,moonshiners ,the next day the boys moved from their temporary shelter into their permanent winter quarters1 building a fire in front of the door and making themselves as comfortable as they could under the circumstances4 ,meantime the ,doctor and ,jack had got the chute ready4 ,it was a strong1 rough structure of stout poles1 forming a sort of trough1 beginning on a level with the ground at the turn of the hill and extending with a heavy incline for twenty yards or so over the steep brow of the mountain4 ,it was supported by strong hickory and oak posts and braces throughout its length4 ,any piece of timber placed in its upper end and gently impelled forward would quickly traverse it to its farther end and there make a tremendous leap and a long slide down the steep1 into the depths below4 ,little ,tom1 greatly to his disgust1 was peremptorily ordered into bed by command of the ,doctor1 but two of the boys had volunteered to strip off that valuable panther skin for him1 salt it and stretch it out on the logs of the cabin to dry4 ,it was on ,saturday that the boys removed to their new quarters1 and the next day1 being ,sunday1 was to be spent in resting4 ,but ,little ,tom1 as he lay there in his broom straw bed about midday on ,saturday became troubled in his mind about the provisioning of the garrison4 ,we've eaten up the last of the venison to-day1 he said1 and there isn't an ounce of fresh meat in the camp4 ,if ,i didn't hurt so badly1 and if the ,doctor wasn't such a tyrant1 with his arbitrary orders for me to lie still1 ,i'd go out this afternoon and get something better than salt meat for all of us to eat to-morrow4 ,why don't some of you other fellows go8 ,if you can't get a deer1 you can at any rate kill a turkey or a pheasant or two1 or some partridges or squirrels1 or1 as a last resort1 some rabbits4 ,oh1 how my head aches6 ,go1 some of you1 and get what you can4 ,with that the poor bed-ridden boy turned over in his bunk and sought sleep4 ,but ,ed ,parmly and ,jim ,chenowith acted upon his wise suggestion4 ,a few hours later they returned to ,camp ,venture bearing three hares and seven squirrels on their shoulders1 and dragging a half-grown hog by withes4 ,i don't know but what we've made a mistake1 said ,ed to ,jack2 the hog may belong to the moonshiners1 and if so1 they'll present their bill in a fashion that we sha'n't want to have it presented4 ,never mind about that1 called out ,tom1 from inside the house4 ,we're at war with those people1 you know1 and in war you capture all you can of the enemy's supplies4 ,but why can't you let a fellow see your game8 ,the boys dragged the shoat into the hut1 and ,tom1 expert huntsman that he was1 had only to glance at it in order to pronounce it one of the wild hogs of the mountains1 and anybody's property4 ,don't you see1 he said1 that although it is only a half-grown shoat1 it has tusks already4 ,no domesticated hog ever developed in that way4 ,and besides1 the moonshiners haven't any hogs or anything else1 for that matter4 ,they are the poorest and most starved human beings ,i ever saw or heard of4 ,i passed a week as a prisoner in one of their huts once1 and ,i never dreamed of such poverty or such indolence4 ,so long as they have corn pones or anything else to distend their stomachs with1 they simply will not exert themselves to get anything better4 ,they won't even go out and shoot a rabbit if they've got anything else to eat4 ,you simply can't conceive of their poverty or of the indolence that produces it4 ,if one of them owned a hog he'd kill it without taking the trouble to fatten it1 and he'd eat it to the picking of the last bone before he would exert himself to procure another morsel of food4 ,when was it1 ,tom1 that you learned all this8 asked ,harry4 ,a year ago4 ,you remember the time ,i went hunting and didn't get back for two weeks8 ,yes1 but tell us-- ,well1 that time ,i was captured by the moonshiners and held for a week as a spy4 ,i didn't say anything about it at home except confidentially to ,jack1 for fear mother would worry when ,i went hunting again4 ,but ,i tell you fellows you never dreamed of the sort of poverty that those men and their families live in4 ,i don't know whether they are poor because they lead criminal lives1 or whether they lead criminal lives because they are poor4 ,but ,i do know that that fellow told the truth the other night when he said that they do not usually have enough to eat4 ,you saw how starved he was4 ,that's the chronic condition of all of them2 and yet these mountains are full of game and any man of even half ordinary industry can feed himself well by killing it4 ,the trouble is they are hopeless people4 ,they have no ambition1 no energy1 no 'go' in them4 ,they drink too much of their illicit whiskey for one thing1 ,i suppose1 but ,i don't think that's the bottom trouble4 ,they seem to be people born without energy4 ,they like to sit still in the sunshine1 unless there is a revenue officer to hunt down and shoot4 ,i suppose they are what somebody in the newspapers calls 'degenerates'--people that are run down even before they are born4 ,but tell us1 ,tom1 broke in ,harry1 how did you get away from them8 ,why1 ,i watched my chance1 answered ,tom1 till one day ,i 'got the drap' on my jailer1 to employ their own language4 ,with a cocked gun at his breast1 ,i made him promise not to follow me1 and then ,i retreated 'in good order' as the soldiers say1 down the mountain1 with both barrels cocked4 ,but really1 fellows1 you can have no idea of the abject poverty or the inconceivable indolence of these people4 ,the little energy they have is expended in making illicit whiskey and sneaking it down the mountain without getting caught4 ,many of them have already served long terms in prison1 but they regard that merely as a manifestation of the law's injustice1 just as they do the hanging of one of their number now and then1 when he is caught shooting an agent of the revenue4 ,they don't understand4 ,they are as ignorant as they are poor1 and their poverty exceeds anything that it is possible for us to conceive4 ,by this time ,tom's scant strength was exhausted1 and after muttering3 ,that's anybody's wild hog1 he turned himself over in bed and went to sleep4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,a ,sunday ,discussion ,i say1 ,tom1 said the ,doctor1 on ,sunday morning1 after the breakfast things had been cleared away1 and the first fire had been lighted in the new fireplace1 ,i want to ask you something about your experience on your hunting trips4 ,go on1 ,doctor4 ,no boy of sixteen--and we've voted you to be of that age--can ask me anything that ,i'll hesitate to answer4 ,thank you1 said the ,doctor1 with a laugh4 ,now1 think of me as exactly sixteen and tell me all about it4 ,as ,i understand1 you have frequently spent from a week to ten days in the mountains1 living exclusively upon what you could kill4 ,so far1 ,doctor1 you are absolutely right1 answered the boy1 who1 having laid aside his headache1 was disposed to be facetious4 ,well1 that must have been animal food exclusively1 said the ,doctor4 ,absolutely1 answered ,tom4 ,i had always a little of the mineral food salt to season it with1 but as for bread or potatoes1 or anything else of a vegetable character1 why ,i simply couldn't get them4 ,all right4 ,now1 the theory is that a man must have starchy foods in order to keep in good health4 ,you had no starchy food for from a week to two weeks at a time on each of these occasions1 but lived exclusively on meat4 ,now1 what effects of this diet did you observe8 ,none whatever1 except that little ,tom ,ridsdale had a mighty keen relish for bread when he got home again4 ,the ,doctor then asked detailed questions as to particular symptoms1 to all of which the substance of ,tom's replies was that in his case no symptoms whatever had manifested themselves4 ,i think1 ,doctor1 he added1 as the result of my own experience that a healthy young human animal like me1 when living night and day in the open air and taking a great deal of exercise1 can eat pretty much anything he pleases that we commonly recognize as food1 or rather anything of that kind that he can get--without much danger of injuring himself4 ,no1 ,i don't know so well about that4 ,once1 ,i got hurt in the mountains1 and lived for a week in a barn1 eating nothing but corn4 ,i was all right in a general way1 but ,i suffered a good deal with cold4 ,when ,i got out and killed a 'coon and roasted and ate it1 the weather seemed suddenly to warm up4 ,precisely1 answered the ,doctor4 ,the fat of the coon furnished you with fuel1 and you needed it4 ,the more ,i study the subject1 the more firmly convinced ,i become of two things--first1 that man is essentially a carnivorous1 or meat-eating animal1 and second1 that while starchy foods are desirable as a part of his diet1 they are not absolutely necessary to him1 except at comparatively long intervals4 ,you know a baby simply cannot digest starchy foods at all4 ,it would starve to death with a stomach full of them4 ,every baby lives exclusively upon the animal food milk4 ,yes1 answered ,jack1 but so does every colt and every calf4 ,yet1 neither horses nor cows eat any animal food whatever after they cease to be colts and calves4 ,that is true1 said the ,doctor1 meditatively4 ,i hadn't thought of that4 ,then1 after a minute's thought1 he added--but neither cows nor horses have any carnivorous teeth whatever1 any teeth fit for the chewing of meat1 while man has4 ,besides that1 physicians have observed that behind almost every case of obstinate1 low fevers and that sort of debilitated disease1 there is a history of underfeeding1 and particularly of an insufficient use of meat1 whether as a matter of necessity1 or merely as a matter of choice4 ,persons who eat no meat1 or very little meat1 may seem very robust so long as positive disease does not attack them1 but when they contract maladies of a serious sort1 they are very likely to show a lack of stamina1 a deficiency of recuperative power4 ,then you don't believe at all1 any more than we meat-eating ,virginians do--in the doctrines of the vegetarians8 asked ,jack1 as he finished the hind legs of a broiled squirrel4 ,it will be time enough1 answered the ,doctor1 to consider the doctrines of the vegetarians when they agree among themselves as to what those doctrines are4 ,why1 how do you mean8 asked ,tom4 ,well1 some vegetarians held a congress1 or a convention1 or something of that sort in ,new ,york a little while ago4 ,there were only fifty-seven of them present1 ,i believe1 and yet they managed to split their congress up into four groups1 each antagonizing the views of all the others with something approaching violence of temper4 ,what were their differences8 asked ,tom4 ,well first of all there was a group who advocated the eating of vegetable matters only1 except that they saw no harm in the use of milk1 eggs1 cheese and butter4 ,next there was a group who bitterly condemned milk1 eggs1 cheese and butter as animal foods1 tending to inflame evil passions and utterly to be rejected1 though they ate milk biscuit and butter crackers4 ,this second group looked with favor upon all fruits and vegetables1 but here a third group took issue with them1 contending that only those vegetables should be eaten which grow above ground1 and utterly rejecting the thought of eating potatoes1 parsnips1 beets1 turnips1 onions1 carrots1 radishes and other things that develop beneath the surface of the earth4 ,finally there was a fourth group that agreed with the third except that they made a plea in behalf of celery1 on the ground that it is naturally a plant growing above ground and is artificially imbedded in earth only by way of making it tender and palatable4 ,but how about circuses then8 asked ,tom4 ,i don't understand1 the ,doctor answered4 ,why how can anybody go to a circus without eating peanuts8 ,and about three-fourths of all the peanuts are developed under ground by burying the blossoms4 ,it's all very funny1 said ,jack4 ,but the funniest thing about it is the fetish worship of that word 'vegetable4' ,patent medicines are often advertised as 'purely vegetable1' as if that settled the question of their harmlessness4 ,yet ,i know at least a dozen 'purely vegetable' plants that grow in these woods which are poisonous4 ,of course1 answered the ,doctor1 and for that matter the most virulent poisons known to man are 'purely vegetable4' ,there's strychnia for example1 as purely vegetable in its origin as apple-butter itself is4 ,and there are others1 such as morphine1 stramonium1 and nux vomica and worst of all hydrocyanic acid1 commonly called prussic acid4 ,that is so deadly that it is almost never made or kept in its pure state1 because a single whiff of its fumes in the nostrils would kill almost instantly4 ,yet it is an extract of peach pits or bitter almonds4 ,well now ,i say1 broke in ,tom1 let's return to the subject of foods1 for ,i am hungry1 and ,i'm going to declare war on the ,doctor if he doesn't let me have some light thing to eat like a chop from that wild boar or something of an equally digestible sort4 ,well1 we'll see about that1 said the ,doctor1 going to ,tom's bed and examining and redressing his wounds4 ,after the inspection he said3 ,you were entirely right1 ,tom1 when you called yourself a perfectly healthy human animal a little while ago4 ,i never yet saw wounds heal in the way they are doing on you4 ,so you may sit up for dinner to-day1 and you may have whatever you want to eat4 ,all right6 cried ,tom1 hastily scrambling out of bed4 ,my clamor is for pork4 ,how are you going to cook the pig boys8 ,after a little consultation1 it was decided to hang the shoat before the great fire in the new fire place1 and roast it whole4 ,after all1 it doesn't weigh more than forty pounds1 and that isn't much to divide between six of us1 said ,harry1 laughingly4 ,and besides1 added ,ed1 roast wild shoat is as good cold as hot1 or rather better4 ,so we'll roast the gentleman whole1 and ,i for one volunteer to sit down before him and baste him so that all the juices that belong to him shall be found succulently pervading his muscular structure4 ,i'll help in that1 called ,jim ,chenowith from outside the cabin1 where he was just finishing a turn of guard duty4 ,thus the little company rested and grew strong during the ,sunday1 and by bed time they were eager for the morning and the hard1 outdoor work of tree felling that it would bring with it4 ,with a great glowing blaze in the fireplace1 which each sentinel replenished with wood before summoning his successor to take his place1 the log hut seemed a delightful place to sleep in4 ,,chapter ,x ,beginning ,work ,the ,doctor was the first boy to crawl out of bed in the morning4 ,he carefully inspected his weather instruments and reported3 ,it's a stinging morning4 ,thermometer only ten degrees above zero outside2 wind ,north-northwest1 and blowing at twenty miles an hour2 barometric pressure very high1 indicating prolonged clear and cold weather2 hygrometer indicating a minimum of moisture in the atmosphere1 promises a clear sky and a bright sun to-day4 ,good6 shouted the other boys4 ,now for a hearty breakfast to begin with4 ,well ,i for one am going to begin with an invigorating cold bath1 said the ,doctor seizing a sponge and two towels and running nearly naked through the biting air1 to the spring under the cliff4 ,after a shudder of hesitation all the other boys gave chase to him4 ,the bathing trough was not yet in place1 but by dipping sponges into the sluiceway that flowed out of the spring1 and rapidly drenching their bodies with the intensely cold water1 gasping for breath as they did so1 they all set their blood aflow and their skins a-tingling4 ,then1 vigorously rubbing themselves with towels as they went1 they ran to the cabin and there dressed before a mighty fire of freshly replenished logs4 ,why does a bath like that feel so good after it's over8 asked ,jack4 ,for answer the ,doctor gave a little physiological explanation which need not be repeated here4 ,he ended it with this dictum3 ,for a man or woman or boy in full health1 whose heart and lungs are sound1 there is no such tonic in the world as a very cold bath on a very cold morning4 ,then suddenly he called out3 ,why hello1 ,tom6 you didn't bathe1 did you8 observing the boy vigorously polishing his back with a sharp ,turkish towel4 ,oh1 didn't ,i though4 ,i've done that sort of thing every morning since ,i was a very little fellow1 except when ,i hadn't the chance to do it4 ,but ,tom1 said the ,doctor in much concern1 ,i'm afraid this was very imprudent4 ,some of your wounds are still unhealed1 and you might take cold in them4 ,why1 ,doctor1 you have just been telling us how a cold morning bath renders it nearly impossible for one to take cold1 by reason of the stimulated skin and full circulation4 ,still1 answered the ,doctor doubtfully1 ,i didn't mean all that to apply to a fellow who was cut into ribbons by a catamount's claws only a few nights ago4 ,at any rate you mustn't wear those wet bandages1 so the other boys will have to get breakfast while ,i take them all off and replace them with dry ones4 ,with that he hastily slipped on a scanty covering of clothes and set to work to re-dress ,tom's wounds4 ,well bless my soul6 he exclaimed presently4 ,what's the matter ,doctor8 ,anything gone wrong with that shoulder8 asked ,tom4 ,gone wrong6 ,well ,i should say not4 ,i never in my life saw the process of healing advance so rapidly4 ,why ,i gave that big scratch two weeks at least to get well in1 and if ,i'm not absolutely blind it is practically healed up already4 ,bring a light one of you6 ,there1 hold it so1 and with a strong magnifying glass1 the ,doctor minutely examined the wounded part4 ,then he sat back and said3 ,tom ,ridsdale you are certainly the healthiest human animal ,i ever saw or heard of4 ,why a surgeon in private practice wouldn't make his salt if all his patients recovered after your fashion4 ,you are practically so nearly well that ,i am going to leave off all your bandages1 only holding this newly healed cut together with a strip or two of rubber plaster for extra safety4 ,but ,i certainly never saw anything like it6 ,perhaps that's because you never before had a perfectly healthy1 out-of-door boy like me as a surgical patient4 ,of course that's it4 ,but now that ,i've taken off all your bandages and given you leave to eat whatever you want1 you must be good enough to obey my orders in other respects4 ,otherwise1 you might spoil this splendid result4 ,i will1 ,doctor4 ,honestly1 ,i'll do whatever you tell me4 ,well1 we're going to begin chopping now1 and ,i peremptorily forbid you to do any work for a day or two--at least1 until the healing of those lacerated muscles is complete and their union firm4 ,it would be very easy now to tear the wounds open again1 and if you did that they would not heal again in a hurry4 ,so1 you must do no chopping1 no lifting1 no work of any kind for the present4 ,promise me that and in return ,i'll faithfully promise to release you from the restraint at the first moment when ,i think it safe to do so4 ,all right1 ,doctor1 answered ,tom1 ,i'll potter about and 'keep camp' till you say ,i may go to work4 ,and in the meantime ,i'm going to make some soup out of our scraps and bones4 ,it will warm you fellows up when you come in cold and hungry from your chopping in this excessively cold air4 ,with that ,tom got out their biggest camp kettle1 threw all the meat fragments into it1 broke up all the bones with a hatchet1 and threw them in1 and then filling the kettle nearly full of cold water1 set it on the fire to boil4 ,the other boys1 after breakfast1 had taken their axes and gone out to begin the work of chopping4 ,first of all1 they built a fire near the timber they were about to cut1 so that benumbed hands and half frozen feet might be warmed as occasion required4 ,they all had good axes1 and they all knew how to use them expertly1 for these boys had been brought up in a heavily timbered country and had been used all their lives to chopping4 ,now1 let's begin right1 said ,jack ,ridsdale1 and then we'll go on right4 ,there are two ways to fell trees in a forest1 a right way and a wrong way4 ,the wrong way is to fell them in any way that comes handy1 regardless of any incidental damage that may be done as they fall4 ,the right way is so to fell your big tree that in falling it won't smash any of the smaller trees standing around4 ,you see1 we aren't going to cut down any tree that isn't big enough to make railroad ties--that is to say any tree that isn't full seven inches in diameter4 ,in doing that1 if we take a little care1 we can save all the smaller trees1 and in the course of a year or two they will grow up1 and we fellows can come out here and spend another winter in chopping4 ,it all depends upon the way in which we do our work this time1 whether these lands remain a splendid forest or become a desolate waste with all the soil washed off for lack of roots to hold it1 and with no hope of anything ever growing upon them again4 ,then ,jack1 who was an expert woodchopper1 explained to all the others how to chop down a tree so as to make it fall wherever the chopper wishes it to fall4 ,now1 another thing1 added ,jack4 ,you1 ,doctor1 have had less experience than the rest of us1 in this business1 and perhaps you'd best practice on the easier part of it first4 ,i propose that instead of cutting down trees you devote yourself to-day to making cordwood out of the unused parts of the trees we cut to build our house with4 ,there are several cords of good wood in them4 ,you can cut the branches into round wood and split the rest with the mauls and wedges and gluts4 ,a glut is a big wooden wedge used to supplement the work of the axe and the iron wedge4 ,the ,doctor assented readily--the more because he had learned1 during his sojourn in ,virginia how to cut and split wood with very tolerable skill1 but had never yet practiced the art of felling trees4 ,with brisk axes expertly wielded by strong arms1 the party had goodly piles of ties and timbers and cordwood ready for the chute before noon1 and as they were not to begin sending it down the hill until three o'clock the next day1 they had every prospect of making a good showing with their two days' work4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,an ,armed ,negotiation ,just before noon1 ,tom carefully removed all the bones and meat fragments from his soup kettle4 ,then he mixed up some corn meal dumplings and dropped them into the kettle1 after the southern culinary fashion4 ,these would answer as a sufficient substitute for bread1 and as for meat1 the company was to dine that day on the cold roast wild boar4 ,just as ,tom dropped the last of the dumplings into the kettle1 he looked out through the half-open door and saw an ugly looking mountaineer creeping stealthily1 and with his rifle in hand1 up over the little cliff to the east of ,camp ,venture4 ,his attention was evidently riveted upon the chopping boys1 the scene of whose labors lay to the northwest of the house4 ,apparently1 the man supposed the hut to be empty and intended to pass to the south of it1 using it as a secure cover for his approach to the boys chopping4 ,tom was a person distinctly quick of apprehension4 ,in an instant1 he saw what the man's plans were1 and in another instant he had seized and cocked the ,doctor's repeating rifle1 which had fortunately been left in the hut4 ,as the mountaineer stealthily crept by the cabin1 ,tom drew a bead on him at not more than six paces distant1 and called out3 ,lay down your gun instantly1 or ,i'll shoot4 ,there was nothing to do but obey without a moment's loss of time4 ,the mountaineer dropped his gun4 ,now1 step inside1 commanded ,tom1 still keeping the magazine rifle in position for instant and deadly use4 ,step inside4 ,i want to talk with you4 ,the man obeyed4 ,now1 sit down on that stool1 said ,tom1 and tell me what you're up to4 ,come1 now6 ,no lying6 ,tell me what you were sneaking into this camp for6 ,the man1 who seemed much surlier and was certainly much brawnier than the former visitor to the camp1 hesitated4 ,tom stimulated his utterance1 by saying3 ,come1 speak up6 ,my patience is about exhausted1 and ,i'm not going to wait for you to think of something false to say4 ,answer1 or ,i'll shoot4 ,don't shoot1 pard6 pleaded the man4 ,i didn't mean no harm4 ,i only come to negotiate like4 ,then why were you sneaking and creeping upon my comrades with your rifle at full cock8 ,well1 you see1 we fellers what lives up here in the mountings has to be keerful like4 ,i wanted to make a bargain with you fellers1 but if ,i'd 'a' walked into your camp regular like1 why mebbe some on you'd 'a' shot me unbeknownst like4 ,so ,i thought ,i'd just creep up like a catamount and git the drap on some on you1 an' then tell you1 simple like1 as how ,i didn't want to do you no harm if you'd do us fellers no harm4 ,i wanted to negotiate1 that's all4 ,well1 ,i don't like your way of negotiating1 answered ,little ,tom1 still keeping his rifle in poise against his hip ready for instant use4 ,i don't like to negotiate with a man that's 'got the drap on me' as you say4 ,but now that ,i've 'got the drap' on you instead1 ,i don't mind opening diplomatic relations--,i don't suppose you know what that means1 but never mind4 ,go on and tell me what it is you want4 ,well1 you see1 said the mountaineer1 first off we wanted you fellers to clear out'n here and git down out'n the mountings4 ,we sent a man to you to negotiate that1 an' you used him up so bad that he ain't no 'count no more in such business4 ,well1 you won't go4 ,we all seed that clear enough an' at first we was a plannin' to come over here with our guns and jes' exterminate you all4 ,but then we knew what a hullabaloo that would raise4 ,you see1 it would 'a' give us away1 like1 an' next thing we know'd the revenue agents would 'a' come up here with a pack o' soldiers at their back1 an' us fellers would 'a' been shot down like rabbits4 ,so we held a little confab1 like1 an' we decided to let you fellers stay up here in the mountings ef you'd agree to behave decent1 like4 ,how exceedingly kind of you6 ejaculated ,tom1 derisively4 ,and how considerate6 ,but go on2 ,i didn't mean to interrupt4 ,in what particular way do you exact that we shall behave ourselves in order to win your gracious permission to remain here on land that belongs to us8 ,now1 you're a gittin' at the pint1 answered the man4 ,we're willin' to let you alone ef you'll let us alone4 ,we're willin' to let you stay in the mountings an' cut all the timber you like1 ef you won't bother us in any way4 ,in what way have we bothered you8 asked ,tom1 who was growing steadily angrier with the man's extraordinary insolence4 ,well1 you see1 you fellers has planted your wood chute jist edzackly wrong4 ,how so8 ,well1 ef you should send anything down that chute it would run right through a little shanty we've got down there under the cliff4 ,an illicit still1 you mean8 asked ,tom4 ,well1 as to that-- ,never mind4 ,you needn't lie about it4 ,i understand4 ,now1 as ,i catch your meaning1 you want us to change the direction of our wood chute1 so as to spare an illicit still that you have set up down there under the cliff1 to hide it from the revenue officers4 ,you've located that still on my mother's property1 without leave or license1 for she owns the whole of this side of the mountain down to its very foot2 you are using her timber to fire up with under your still1 without paying her a cent for it4 ,in brief1 you are thieves and robbers1 and you have the insolence now to come here and demand that we shall change our chute in order to leave you undisturbed in your robbery of the government on the one hand and of my mother on the other4 ,very well1 we will do nothing of the kind4 ,at five minutes after three o'clock to-morrow afternoon we shall begin sending timber down through the chute4 ,if you can remove your criminal apparatus by that time we'll not interfere with you4 ,if you can't get it away by then1 you'll simply have to take the consequences4 ,but1 at any rate1 you can yourselves get out of the way1 so that our timbers will not hurt you personally4 ,now go6 ,get away from here--no1 don't pick up your rifle2 ,i'll take care of that4 ,you people have declared war on us1 and in war it is not the custom to return arms to men captured and turned loose1 ,i believe4 ,i don't want your property1 but ,i'm going to keep it for the present4 ,if you'll come peaceably to my mother's house down in the town there1 after we fellows go home1 ,i'll give your rifle back to you4 ,but not now1 when you want it to shoot some of us with4 ,go now6 and whether you get your still out by three o'clock to-morrow or not1 be very careful that neither you nor any of your comrades remain there after that hour1 for then the chute will begin to carry its load4 ,the evil-visaged man slunk away over the cliff by which he had ascended1 and down the mountain4 ,there was revenge written in every line of his countenance1 and ,tom quite well understood that he and his comrades must take care of themselves4 ,just as the fellow was marching away1 with ,tom's rifle leveled at him and with his own rifle lying upon the ground as a spoil of war1 the rest of the company came up1 but they did not interfere4 ,they trusted ,tom as a strategist1 and they instantly saw that this was an incident closed as the diplomatists say4 ,when the fellow was completely gone1 ,tom lowered the hammer of his rifle1 restored it to its place1 picked up the captured gun of the mountaineer1 lowered its hammer to half cock1 and carefully bestowed it in a convenient corner4 ,what is it1 ,tom8 eagerly asked the others4 ,wait a minute6 said the boy1 till ,i dish up the soup4 ,i hope it isn't spoiled1 and as for the rest1 ,i'll tell you all about it after dinner4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,a ,midnight ,alarm ,when the boys were well under way with the business of eating dinner1 they again asked ,tom to tell them the nature of his negotiation with the moonshiner4 ,well1 ,i'll tell you what he said and what he demanded and what answer ,i made4 ,but you must bear in mind that what he said may not have been true1 and what he demanded may not have been what he really wanted4 ,you see1 ,i had 'got the drap' on him and naturally he made his explanations as plausible and his demands as small as he could4 ,i had caught him creeping up with a cocked gun in his hand1 evidently to take a shot at some one of you fellows1 meaning1 when the murder was done1 to slip back over the rocks yonder without being seen or recognized by anybody4 ,thanks to the cat that scratched me1 ,i was here to head him off in that4 ,then he pretended only to want us to remove our chute4 ,i suppose that was a fetch1 just to secure a way of escape from the awkward position in which ,i and your splendid rifle1 ,doctor1 had placed him4 ,they may have a still down there in the line of the chute1 or they may not4 ,but they have a still and perhaps several of them somewhere about here and so they are determined to drive us down the mountain4 ,that1 at least1 is my reading of the riddle4 ,it is pretty certainly correct1 said ,jack1 after thinking for a moment4 ,at any rate that's the understanding upon which we must base our proceedings4 ,we must not for one moment relax our vigilance2 we must not be caught napping2 we mustn't let any of those people 'git the drap' on us4 ,they have declared war on us1 and we must defend ourselves at every point4 ,the dinner was eaten in doors by all except ,harry ,ridsdale1 who sat outside acting as a sentinel1 and took his dinner on a log4 ,after dinner1 and again the next morning1 ,tom volunteered to act as sentinel1 inasmuch as the ,doctor would not yet let him chop1 or hew ties1 or lift logs1 or do any other work that might reopen his now nearly healed wounds4 ,promptly at five minutes after three o'clock on ,tuesday afternoon1 the first product of their industry was sent thundering down the chute4 ,it was a huge timber thirty feet long and full two and a half feet thick at its smaller end4 ,jack had cut it at a point very near the mouth of the chute1 and by united efforts1 with handspikes and the slope of the hill to assist them1 the company had rolled it into place4 ,jack took out his watch and observed the time carefully4 ,three o'clock was the time agreed upon with the railroad people for having everything clear down there in the valley1 he said1 but according to railroad usage we'll allow five minutes for variation of watches4 ,when the time was fully up the boys at the forward end of the great timber withdrew the handspikes with which they had been holding it securely in place4 ,at the same time those at the rear end of it gave it a push with their handspikes4 ,the log slid slowly into the chute1 then with a grinding noise slipped rapidly through it1 gave a great leap1 and went careering down the precipitous hill1 making a noise as of thunder4 ,tom1 with the ,doctor's rifle over his shoulder--for he was acting as sentinel--had come to observe this splendid beginning of their winter's work4 ,as the great timber bounded down the hill1 and an echo of its final fall came back to announce its arrival at its destination1 ,tom quietly remarked3 ,there may have been a distillery in the path of that log yesterday1 but ,i wouldn't give much for the remains of it now4 ,no1 said ,jack1 but there's money in that stick of wood4 ,we must send down as many such as we can1 and what remains of the tree from which ,i cut it will make many railroad ties and a lot of cordwood4 ,then ,jack examined the chute to see what effect the passage of the great timber had produced upon it4 ,he found that pretty nearly all the bark had been stripped off the poles of which the chute was made4 ,that was an advantage1 inasmuch as it rendered the chute smoother for the passage of lighter timbers1 which would presently render its surfaces glass-like in their polish4 ,on the other hand the great timber in its passage had done no harm of any kind to the structure4 ,that's a tribute1 ,jack1 said ,ed1 to your skill and the ,doctor's1 as engineers4 ,for if that great stick didn't break any of your poles or twist any of the posts on which they rest1 nothing else that we shall send down the hill will4 ,i call it good construction1 when a chute made of such stuff as you have used1 carries such a weight as that without giving way anywhere4 ,yes1 answered ,jim ,chenowith1 and1 of course1 the strain on the chute will never be so great again1 now that the bark has been stripped off its poles4 ,it must have been a tremendous trial when that big log slid down1 resting so heavily on the poles as to strip off every particle of bark that it touched6 ,thanks for your compliments1 boys1 said ,jack1 but now we've got to set ourselves to work4 ,between now and six o'clock we've got to send down all the ties that we've got ready1 and all the cordwood besides4 ,so quit talking and come on4 ,it was hard work4 ,the railroad ties were so heavy that it required two boys to each to handle them comfortably1 and the supply of cordwood was large enough to tax all the industry of the camp to complete the work before six4 ,in the meantime ,tom had gone to the cabin to prepare supper1 keeping up his sharp lookout all the while4 ,after supper had been disposed of1 ,tom quietly took his own double-barreled shot gun1 slipped a charge of buckshot into each of its chambers1 belted a loaded cartridge holder round his waist1 and went out just to look around1 he said4 ,tom was so given to this sort of prowling1 both by day and by night1 that none of the boys attached any importance to his present movements4 ,had they thought anything at all about it1 they would have felt certain that little ,tom had gone out only to stroll around the outskirts of the camp1 as it was his habit to do4 ,instead of that1 however1 he walked straight to the chute and presently clambered over the edge of the cliff1 and by holding to bushes dropped to a ledge below4 ,thence1 he had a very precipitous but practicable path before him for at least half way down the mountain4 ,hard working and early rising as the boys were1 they enjoyed their evenings in front of the great fireplace in their hut1 and usually they did not go to bed till ten o'clock4 ,this gave them three or four hours of enjoyable fireside conversation1 and1 as they arose sharply at six in the morning during these short days it left them eight hours for sleep1 and that is quite enough for any well man1 however hard he may have worked in the open air during the day4 ,but when bedtime came and little ,tom did not reappear1 they all began to feel uneasiness4 ,still1 it was well understood in the camp that ,little ,tom knows how to take care of himself1 and so one by one the boys went to bed1 all but the sentinel4 ,about midnight1 ,jim ,chenowith1 who had been on guard1 came into the hut and aroused his comrades4 ,i say1 fellows1 he said1 in a deprecative voice1 ,i hate to disturb you1 but ,i'm getting uneasy about ,tom4 ,it's twelve o'clock now1 and he hasn't returned to the camp4 ,instantly the entire party sprang out of bed and each began to slip into his clothes4 ,we must build a bonfire1 said the ,doctor1 as a first suggestion4 ,you see1 ,tom may have lost his way1 and it isn't easy to find one's way about in these mountains of a dark night4 ,if we build a bonfire1 he will be able to locate the camp4 ,if anything worse has happened to the boy1 why we will-- ,the ,doctor did not complete his sentence1 but the other boys understood1 and with one voice they answered in boy vernacular3 ,you bet we will6 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,a ,night of ,searching ,the bonfire was quickly built and stout1 willing hands piled upon it the brush left over from their chopping till the blaze of it rose thirty feet into the air1 illuminating the entire mountain side4 ,so far as anybody could plan there was nothing else to be done while the night lasted1 except scour the woodlands and thickets round about1 hallooing now and then2 but nothing that the boys could do produced any result4 ,hour after hour passed and still ,tom did not appear4 ,it would be useless1 said ,jack1 to go off into the darkness to look for him4 ,we simply must wait for daylight1 particularly as we don't know what direction he took4 ,possibly by daylight we may track him4 ,but unfortunately there is no snow on the ground4 ,unfortunately there will be snow on the ground before daylight comes1 said the ,doctor1 who had conceived a great affection for little ,tom1 and it will obliterate whatever tracks the boy may have made4 ,all the indications are for snow1 and indeed it is beginning to snow now4 ,i tell you1 boys1 we must make some torches and study the ground by their light4 ,perhaps we may find ,tom's tracks before the snow covers them4 ,the suggestion was no sooner made than it was carried out1 and by the light of great1 flaring torches the whole party minutely scanned the ground1 beginning at the cabin door1 and prosecuting their researches in every direction4 ,after an hour of this work1 the ,doctor called out from a point near the chute3 ,come here1 boys6 and when they came he said3 ,tom went over the bank at this point4 ,see6 ,here are his tracks in the soft earth1 and look6 ,there are the bent and broken bushes by which he let himself down over that cliff4 ,thank heaven we know now in what direction to look for him as soon as morning comes4 ,it would be useless suicide to attempt to follow his trail now4 ,well1 ,i don't know1 said ,jack4 ,but ,i'm ready for that sort of suicide in behalf of little ,tom4 ,give me your best torch1 boys6 ,i'm going to follow the trail down the mountain4 ,you see ,tom may have slipped off a cliff somewhere down there and broken his legs or rendered himself helpless in some other way4 ,i'm going to follow him right now1 and the rest of you can come after daylight--which isn't more than half an hour off now4 ,no6 said the ,doctor4 ,if you think best to follow the trail now1 we're going with you1 every one of us4 ,but first let us get our guns and some necessaries4 ,if ,tom is hurt anywhere down there ,i must have some appliances with which to dress his wounds4 ,if he has fallen into the hands of the moonshiners we must rescue him1 and to that end we must have guns and ammunition4 ,let us go over his trail by all means1 but let us go prepared to do him some good when we find him6 ,to this thought there was unanimous assent1 and instantly the ,doctor and ,jim ,chenowith hurried back to the house to bring surgical appliances1 guns and ammunition4 ,meantime ,jack1 who was greatly excited turned to the two boys who remained with him1 and said1 in a voice so cold and calm that they knew it meant intense emotion-- ,boys6 ,if the moonshiners have caught little ,tom and done any harm to him1 ,i am going to drive every moonshiner out of these mountains and into a penitentiary or better still to a gibbet1 if ,i have to give my whole life to it4 ,will you join me in that8 ,and if ,i get killed will you promise to go on with the work8 ,by that time the others had returned1 and they had caught enough of what ,jack had said to understand its purport4 ,for answer the ,doctor grasped ,jack's hand and said with emotion3 ,to that purpose ,i pledge my whole life and all of my fortune6 ,if those beasts have dealt foully with little ,tom1 ,i'll hire and bring here from ,baltimore a hundred desperately courageous men1 every one of them armed with the latest magazine rifle there is and commissioned by the revenue chief1 and ,i pledge you my honor that when ,i am through with the job there will not be a moonshiner left in these mountains6 ,i'll do that1 ,jack1 if ,i have to hang for it4 ,the other boys responded with enthusiasm1 ,we'll be with you in that job1 ,doctor1 without any hiring6 ,thank you1 comrades6 ,that was all that ,jack could say before the strain upon him overcame even his iron nerves1 and for a moment he lost consciousness4 ,it was only for a moment1 however4 ,at the end of that time ,jack led the way over the cliff1 five torches lighting the journey4 ,presently daylight came1 and the torches were thrown away4 ,the trail that ,tom had made of broken bushes1 cliff growing saplings1 bent down in letting himself drop over bluffs and declivities1 and boot marks where he had scrambled over a ledge1 was not very difficult to follow for a space4 ,but then came a long stretch of shelving rock entirely bare1 with a dense forest growth beyond1 where the leaves that had fallen in the autumn were still a foot deep1 and beyond that point it was impossible to trace ,tom's course4 ,after earnest endeavors to recover the trail1 the effort was abandoned1 and sadly the little company made their way back to camp by a circuitous route1 for they could not climb again the cliffs over which they had managed to clamber down4 ,on the way back they were encouraged by the hope that they might find ,tom in the camp1 when they got there1 but in this they were disappointed4 ,they were all disposed to sit down and mourn dejectedly1 but at that point the ,doctor's scientific knowledge came to the rescue4 ,see here1 boys1 he said2 we've got some strenuous work to do for ,tom's rescue1 and we must do some clear and earnest thinking before we begin it1 in order that we may do it in the best way4 ,we're exhausted4 ,we have passed a night with only two hours or less of sleep1 and we've eaten nothing for fifteen hours1 for it's now after nine o'clock4 ,in the meantime we have made a tiresome journey down the mountain and back again and worse still--for worry is always more wearing than work--we have undergone a great stress of anxiety4 ,now we're going to do all that human endeavor can do to rescue ,tom4 ,to that end we must have strength in our bodies and alertness in our minds4 ,we must have breakfast at once and a hearty breakfast at that4 ,none of the boys had an appetite1 but the ,doctor insisted and presently there was a breakfast served1 consisting of bacon1 cut into paper-thin slices and broiled on the sharpened point of a stick1 held in a blaze from the fire2 corn pones baked to a crisp brown in a skillet1 and a brimming pot of hot and strong coffee4 ,for butter on their bread1 the boys had a mixture of the drippings from their recent roasts--the venison1 the wild boar1 the rabbits and the rest--all of which drippings they had carefully saved for that purpose4 ,appetizing as such a breakfast was to hardworking1 sleep-losing and exhausted boys1 not one of them felt the least relish for it4 ,it required all of the ,doctor's urging to make them even taste their food1 till presently ,harry1 who stood outside as a sentinel1 threw down his gun and started away at a break-neck pace1 calling out at the top of his voice as he went3 ,there's ,tom6 ,there's ,tom6 ,there's ,tom1 and he's all right6 ,with that the whole company abandoned breakfast and rushed out to greet the returning boy4 ,they plied and bombarded him with questions1 of course1 until at last he said pleadingly3 ,please1 boys1 ,i'm awfully hungry and tired4 ,i'll answer all your questions after awhile4 ,just now the only things you really want to know are that ,i'm back safe and sound1 and that nothing worse has happened to me than the loss of a night's sleep1 a good deal of anxiety about you fellows1 and the getting up of a positively famished appetite4 ,i say1 he added1 as he entered the cabin1 who broiled that bacon8 and as he asked the question he picked up two or three slices of it and thrust them one after another into his mouth4 ,i did1 answered ,ed1 and now that you're back1 ,tom1 ,i'm going to eat a lot of it too4 ,well cut three or four times as much more of it1 ,tom said1 slipping still another slice of the dainty between his teeth1 and following it with a mouthful of corn pone1 and ,i'll help you toast it4 ,but don't let's talk till we eat something to talk on4 ,ed quickly cut a great plateful of the bacon slices1 and every boy in the party except the one on guard duty1 sharpened a stick and helped in the broiling4 ,tom had brought their appetites back with him4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,tom ,gives an ,account of ,himself ,now first of all1 said ,tom1 when breakfast was over and the boys again began questioning him as to his night's adventure1--first of all if ,i ever disappear again you're not any of you to worry about me4 ,you all say that 'little ,tom knows how to take care of himself1' and ,i believe ,i do1 particularly when ,i have a double-barrelled shotgun with me and forty cartridges loaded with buckshot in my belt4 ,now to explain4 ,i was curious to find out how far the moonshiner who 'negotiated' with me at the muzzle of your magazine rifle1 ,doctor1 was telling the truth1 and how far he was lying4 ,so ,i made up my mind to climb down the mountain1 following the line of our chute1 and find out whether or not that big timber had made a wreck of an illicit still down there4 ,of course it hadn't4 ,that was only an 'explanation' invented by the fellow for immediate use1 when he was caught sneaking up here to shoot some of us4 ,his sole purpose was to drive us 'out'n the mountings' as these people put it4 ,his plan was to sneak up here behind the house and shoot some one or other of us1 and thus compel us to 'git down out'n the mountings4' ,he thought we'd all be out there chopping and that after dropping one of us he could slip away unseen and of course unrecognized4 ,he thought that then we'd quit4 ,he didn't know that that cat had scratched me so badly that the ,doctor had condemned me to stay here at the house1 and so he was taken completely by surprise when ,i levelled that repeating rifle at him1 at less than six paces distance4 ,so he resorted to humanity's last resource1 lying4 ,i remember reading in a book somewhere that ,queen ,elizabeth said that 'a lie is an intellectual way of meeting a difficulty4' ,well that fellow was very intellectual4 ,he lied 'to the queen's taste'--even ,queen ,elizabeth's taste4 ,he told me that he had come up here to ask us fellows to change the direction of our chute1 lest it demolish his still down there--though of course he didn't admit that it was a still4 ,i wanted to find out about that and so ,i slipped away and climbed down the mountain4 ,i found the still all right--indeed ,i found three of them--on my mother's land1 but there isn't one of them in the line of our chute or within a quarter of a mile of it4 ,all that was a fable made up to cover the moonshiner's murderous mission4 ,well when ,i found the stills in full blast ,i made up my mind to watch their operations for a time4 ,i was securely ensconced upon a ledge which ,i thought inaccessible from below1 but it wasn't4 ,for presently those fellows threw out their pickets1 and one of them climbed up to my particular ledge1 to keep 'watch and ward' there4 ,there were only two things for me to do4 ,either ,i must shoot the fellow and take my chances of running away over a difficult track with which the moonshiners were familiar while ,i was not1 or ,i must crouch away somewhere where the moonshining picket was not likely to see me4 ,as the more prudent of the two courses open to me1 ,i chose the latter4 ,there was a sort of half cave there1 a crevice in the rocks1 and ,i crawled into that1 and there ,i stayed all night1 with my gun at full cock and with ,little ,tom every instant on the alert4 ,my plan was to keep myself hidden as long as ,i could1 and if discovered to get in the first shot1 and then run as fast as ,i could4 ,fortunately ,i was not discovered1 and about half past six o'clock the stills ceased operations and the pickets were called in4 ,then ,i made my way around the side of the mountain and got back to camp4 ,there1 that's the whole story of ,little ,tom's night adventure4 ,now let's get to work at our chopping1 for ,i am well enough now to do my share and ,i hereby declare my independence of the ,doctor4 ,that's all right1 said the ,doctor1 but if you break open any of those wounds1 ,i'll order you to bed again4 ,but wait awhile1 interposed ,jack4 ,there's something serious in all this4 ,obviously these people don't intend to make open war upon us4 ,their plan is to sneak upon us and now and then to shoot one of us from some hiding place1 in order to drive us out of the mountains4 ,now we've got to look out for that4 ,we can do it in two ways4 ,first we can send a slab down the chute with a message in it asking our friends down below to send up the revenue officers and a company of soldiers to arrest all these men1 telling the revenue people that we'll show them the stills and the men4 ,in other words we can 'carry the war into ,africa' as the ,romans did1 and put these fellows on the defensive instead of ourselves standing in that position4 ,or1 if we don't care to do that--and there are reasons against it-- ,what are the reasons against it8 asked ,little ,tom1 whose disposition it was always to take the offensive in a righteous controversy4 ,well1 not more than a dozen or twenty of these mountaineers are actively engaged in this illicit distilling business1 but all the rest of the mountaineers are their friends and most of them are their relatives1 for these mountaineers have intermarried until almost every one of them is the near kinsman of all the rest4 ,now if we call in the assistance of the revenue officers and the troops behind them1 the best that we can hope for is to put a dozen or so of them into jail1 while possibly two or three of them will be shot in the mlee4 ,that will leave the rest of them to make war upon us1 with the assistance of all the men of the mountains4 ,well what's the other plan1 asked ,tom1 who very reluctantly gave up the idea of aggressive fighting4 ,we must so place a sentinel every day that no man can come within rifle range of us without being discovered and stopped--with a bullet if necessary4 ,fortunately our camp is so placed that there are only two points at which it can be reached1 and fortunately again there is one sheltered point--out there under the cliff--from which a sentinel can see anybody approaching by either of the only two roads that lead into our camp4 ,my plan is to keep a sentinel always under the cliff out there4 ,jack had so thoroughly thought the matter out that it needed no discussion4 ,his plan was instantly adopted1 one boy was sent to the sentry's post under the cliff1 and the rest made a late beginning of the day's work of wood chopping4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,two ,shots that ,hit ,the days passed rapidly now1 as they always do when people are busily at work1 and little by little the boys sent a great number of ties and timbers and many cords of wood down the chute4 ,one evening ,tom and ,ed were playing on the piano4 ,that is to say they were grinding axes by the firelight4 ,for when the grind-stone was provided with a proper frame and set up in the house1 ,tom insisted upon calling it the piano1 though some of the boys wanted to consider it as a sewing machine or a typewriter4 ,one thing was certain1 it must be kept in doors4 ,otherwise the water would freeze upon it1 rendering it useless4 ,as ,tom and ,ed played upon the piano immediately after supper1 ,tom said to the ,doctor3 ,tell us some more about beans8 ,i don't clearly catch your meaning1 answered the ,doctor4 ,why you once began telling us how valuable beans were as human food1 said ,tom1 and as those that ,i ate for supper are sitting rather heavily upon my soul1 ,i want to be encouraged by hearing some more about how good they are for me4 ,wait a minute1 said the ,doctor4 ,then he went to his medicine case and put a small quantity of something white into a tin cup4 ,after that he opened the camp box of baking soda and added half a teaspoonful of that article2 then he dissolved the whole mixture in a cupful of water and handed it to ,tom4 ,there6 ,drink that6 he said1 and ,i think you will be in better condition to listen to what ,i may have to say about beans4 ,tom swallowed the mixture and then insisted upon hearing about beans4 ,well1 said the ,doctor1 the most interesting thing ,i know about beans is that without them the great whaling industry which brought a vast prosperity to this country a generation or two ago1 would have been impossible4 ,how so8 asked ,jack4 ,why you see in order to make whaling voyages profitable the sailing ships that carried on the business1 had to be gone for four years at a time1 and of course they had to carry food enough to last that long4 ,for meats they carried corned beef and pickled pork4 ,for vegetables they had to carry beans because they are the only vegetable product that will keep so long4 ,there were no canned goods in those days1 so it was beans or no whaling4 ,didn't they get fearfully tired of four years' living on nothing but beans and salt meats8 ,of course4 ,and of course they managed sometimes to pick up some fresh food1 like sea birds' eggs or the sea birds themselves--though they are very bad eating because of their fishy flavor2 and sometimes1 too1 the whaling ships would stop at ports on their way to the ,north ,pacific whaling waters and buy whatever they could of fresher food4 ,but in the main the men on whaling voyages had to live on salt meat and beans1 and one of their most serious troubles was that they suffered a great deal from scurvy4 ,by the way1 that's something that we must look out for4 ,that was caused by eating too much pickled meat1 wasn't it8 asked ,tom4 ,they thought so then1 said the ,doctor1 but we have another theory now4 ,that's a very curious point4 ,for a long time it was confidently supposed that there was something in the salt meats that gave men scurvy4 ,after a while it was discovered that it was something left out of the pickled meats that produced that effect4 ,it seems that the brine in which meat is pickled extracts from the meat certain nutritious principles which are necessary to health1 and that it is the lack of these nutritious principles that gives men scurvy4 ,so an old whaling captain1 with a sound head on his shoulders1 concluded that the thing needed to prevent scurvy was for the men to consume the brine in which the meat was pickled4 ,he ordered that the brine should be used instead of water in mixing up bread1 cooking vegetables and the like4 ,did the thing work8 ,yes1 excellently1 and the plan was adopted in all the ,canada lumber camps where scurvy was as great an enemy to success as it was on the whaling vessels themselves4 ,another thing they do in the lumber camps is to quit cooking their potatoes the moment that symptoms of scurvy appear4 ,raw potatoes seem to have a specific effect in preventing and even in curing scurvy4 ,scurvy is a sore mouth1 isn't it8 asked ,tom4 ,not by any means1 answered the ,doctor4 ,sore mouth is one of the earliest and mildest symptoms of the disease1 and nobody knows what sore mouth means till he has had a touch of scurvy4 ,it means that the mouth in all its membranes is afire1 and that everything put into the mouth1--even though it be a piece of ice--burns like so much molten iron4 ,but the mouth symptoms are only a beginning4 ,presently the knees and other joints turn purple and become excruciatingly painful4 ,then they suppurate1 and in the end amputation becomes necessary4 ,there are few worse diseases than scurvy1 and we boys must protect ourselves against it by every means in our power4 ,it threatens us with a much more serious danger than any that the moonshiners can bring upon us4 ,by the way1 said ,jack1 the moonshiners seem to be letting us alone now4 ,perhaps they have given us up as a bad job4 ,that's just what they want us to think1 responded ,tom4 ,they are lying low1 in the hope that we'll accept precisely that idea and relax our vigilance4 ,that is the one thing that we mustn't do on any account4 ,that reminds me that it's time for me to go and relieve ,jim ,chenowith on guard duty4 ,well1 before you go1 ,tom1 said the ,doctor1 ,i want to suggest that you take a day off to-morrow and get some fresh meat for us4 ,we have lived on salt meat for five or six days now1 and a big snow may come at any time to cut us off from fresh meat supplies4 ,besides our provisions are very sharply limited in quantity and we mustn't use them up too rapidly4 ,we don't want scurvy in the camp and we don't want a starving time4 ,so boys ,i propose that ,tom1 as the best huntsman in the party1 be detailed and ordered to devote to-morrow to the duty of getting some game for our larder4 ,the suggestion was instantly and unanimously accepted4 ,then spoke up ,harry ,ridsdale3 ,it'll be a hard day's work for ,tom1 as there's a slippery1 soaplike snow on the ground1 and he needs to be fresh for it4 ,so ,i volunteer to take his turn on guard to-night and let him get in a good1 straightaway sleep4 ,good for you1 ,harry1 said ,jack4 ,but ,tom protested that he was perfectly ready to stand his turn of guard duty and insisted upon doing so4 ,the others unanimously overruled him1 however1 and so ,harry shouldered his gun and went to relieve ,jim ,chenowith as picket4 ,before going he said3 ,now1 fellows1 there is to be no more talking to-night1 for when the ,doctor talks ,i want to listen4 ,i've a whole catechism of questions to bother him with1 but it's bed time now and you fellows must crawl into your bunks at once1 without any further chatter4 ,to bed1 every one of you6 ,as it was full ten o'clock the boys accepted the suggestion1 and in a few minutes afterward1 ,camp ,venture sank into silence1 while ,harry stood guard out there under the cliff1 and the stars glittered above him in a wintry sky4 ,meantime the logs blazed and sputtered lazily in the great fireplace1 and the night wore on1 with no disturbance in the hut except when a sentinel came in1 woke up his successor1 replenished the fire and crept into his broomstraw bed4 ,about four o'clock the boys were startled out of sleep by the crack of a rifle1 and the instant response of both barrels of a shotgun4 ,they were up and out in a moment1 for it was their habit just then to sleep in their clothes and even in their boots1 and for each to keep his gun by his side ready for instant use4 ,running as fast as possible1 they quickly joined ,ed ,parmly1 who was on picket at the time1 and hurriedly questioned him4 ,he reported that the rifle shot had come from the edge of the cliff over which the road down the mountain led4 ,he added3 ,i sent two charges of buckshot in that direction1 but without aim1 of course1 as it is too dark to see4 ,i reloaded at once1 and while ,i was doing so ,i heard a groan off there4 ,perhaps we'd better look the matter up4 ,just then came another groan1 and1 at ,tom's suggestion1 torches were lighted and an exploration made4 ,just over the edge of the little cliff they found a mountaineer4 ,he was in a state of collapse1 nine buckshot having passed through the fleshy part of his thigh1 cutting arteries and big veins enough to cause profuse hmorrhage4 ,the man is badly hurt1 said the ,doctor4 ,we'll carry him to the hut at once and see what can be done for him4 ,willing hands lifted and carried the fainting man1 and once in the hut the ,doctor called for all the torches that could be lighted4 ,hurriedly he inspected the man's wounds1 taking up an artery and putting a compress on a severed vein as he went4 ,finally he said3 ,fortunately none of the buckshot struck the bone4 ,it is only a flesh wound though it is a very bad one4 ,by the way--the ,doctor was seized with a kindly thought--,ed ,parmly is probably more anxious about this thing than any other boy in the party1 and he is still out there on picket4 ,suppose one of you fellows goes out there to relieve him and let him come in to find out the amount of damage done by his shot4 ,the thought appealed at once to the kindly feelings of the boys and they all instantly volunteered1 but ,jack1 as the next in order on the sentry list1 claimed the privilege of relieving ,ed4 ,when ,ed came in he first of all wanted to hear whether or not the man he had shot in the darkness was likely to die of his wounds4 ,the ,doctor promptly reassured him on that point4 ,then ,ed said3 ,well1 ,doctor1 if you are quite through with him1 suppose you look at a little scratch that he gave me4 ,i didn't want to say anything about it1 but maybe it is better to have it attended to4 ,the ,doctor turned instantly and began stripping off the boy's clothing4 ,he found that a bullet1 striking him in the left side1 had passed between two ribs1 almost penetrating the hollow of the lower chest1 but without quite doing so4 ,it was one of those wonderful vagaries of bullet wounds that would kill in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred1 but which in the hundredth case do a minimum of damage4 ,the ,doctor having satisfied himself that no vital organ had been touched1 carefully disinfected the wound and swathed it in bandages4 ,as he did so he said to the boy3 ,why didn't you tell us at the start1 ,ed1 that you were wounded8 ,well you see1 said ,ed1 ,i was more concerned about the other fellow4 ,it isn't a pleasant thing to kill a man1 even when you've got to do it in self defence4 ,so as ,i knew by his groans that he was worse hurt than ,i was1 ,i didn't say anything about what his bullet had done till you were through with the job of dressing his wounds4 ,will you permit me to remark1 said the ,doctor1 quite casually and in parentheses as it were1 that you1 ,ed ,parmly1 are a hero8 ,i haven't met a great many heroes in my time1 but you are one of the few4 ,now you're going to bed1 and ,i'm going to play tyrant over you till this wound gets well4 ,but upon my word1 ,i never knew two shots fired in darkness that did their work so effectively as yours and that mountaineer's did4 ,with the instinct of his science the ,doctor had no thought of questioning the wounded moonshiner4 ,but ,tom had no scientific training and no particular scruples concerning the matter4 ,so he turned to the mountaineer1 who was occupying his bed1 and asked in a peremptory voice3 ,why did you shoot ,ed8 ,what harm had he done you8 ,what right had you to shoot at him4 ,well1 you see1 said the mountaineer1 taking up the familiar parable1 we fellers what lives up here in the mountings can't afford to have no intruders around4 ,you fellers is intruders1 and we're agoin' to drive you out'n the mountings4 ,you mout as well make up your minds to that fust as last4 ,we's done give you notice to quit1 fair and square4 ,you won't quit4 ,so all they is fer it is to kill you an' that's what we've set out to do4 ,but1 my friend1 said the ,doctor1 whose training had taught him to regard reason as the ultimate court of appeals in human affairs1 we are here with a perfect right to be here4 ,we have in no way interfered with you or your friends4 ,you have absolutely no right to interfere with us4 ,all that don't make no difference whatsomever1 answered the mountaineer4 ,we fellers what lives up here in the mountings don't want no spies an' nobody else up here4 ,you fellers has got to get out'n the mountings an' that's all about it4 ,but what right have you8 asked the ,doctor1 to drive us out8 ,well1 we ain't a discussin' of rights now1 answered the mountaineer4 ,we're a talkin' business4 ,you fellers has got to git out'n the mountings4 ,here ,tom broke in1 with his hot temper3 ,so that's your last word1 is it8 ,well1 now let me give you our last word4 ,we are going to stay here4 ,we are going to defend ourselves in our rights1 and now that you've threatened to kill us1 and tried to kill us1 we've a perfect right to do a little shooting on our own account1 and ,i give you warning that if any one of you is caught in this camp1 or anywhere near it1 we'll understand that he has come here to carry out your threats1 and we'll shoot him without waiting to ask any questions4 ,as for you1 we ought to send you to jail for shooting one of our party4 ,i for one vote to do that4 ,we can lock you up in the penitentiary for that offense1 and we're going to do it4 ,just as soon as the ,doctor says you're able to travel1 ,i'm going to take you down the mountains at the muzzle of a gun1 and put you in jail4 ,i'm tired of this thing4 ,this aspect of the case had not presented itself to the minds of the other boys1 but they approved ,tom's plan instantly4 ,the right thing is always and obviously to appeal to the law for redress where a wrong has been done1 and perhaps the jailing of the mountaineer1 under a charge of assault with intent to kill--an offense punishable by a long term of imprisonment1--might deter the others from like offenses4 ,well1 it's pretty hard1 said the mountaineer4 ,i've just got out only three months ago1 after a year in prison1 for nothin' but helpin' some other fellers to make a little whiskey without a payin' of the tax2 an' now ,i've got to go back to grindin' stove lids for nothin' but shootin' at people that stays in the mountings in spite of all our warnin's4 ,obviously the man was utterly incapable of realizing the nature or the atrocity of his crime4 ,obviously1 also1 he was incapable1 as his comrades were1 of seeing that anybody but themselves had a right to stay in the mountains when they objected4 ,but ,tom was bent upon carrying out his idea of taking the man down the mountain and bringing him to trial for shooting ,ed1 and the other boys fully sanctioned it4 ,it may teach these people1 said ,jack1 that there are other people in the world who have rights4 ,that will be a civilizing lesson4 ,yes1 said ,tom1 and besides that1 it will lock up a man who seems to know how to shoot straight even in the dark4 ,anyhow1 ,i've made up my mind4 ,as a 'law-abiding and law-loving citizen' ,i'm going to put that fellow into jail1 and send him afterwards to the penitentiary for a ten years' term1 if ,i can1 for shooting ,ed ,parmly with intent to kill him4 ,it will be a wholesome reminder to the rest of these moonshiners that they had better not shoot at us fellows4 ,so1 just as soon as the ,doctor says he's able to travel1 ,i'm going to escort him down the mountain and deliver him to the sheriff of the county4 ,in the meantime1 daylight is breaking and it's time for you fellows who have the job in charge to begin the preparation of breakfast4 ,so1 after all1 ,tom did not get much sleep as a preparation for his game hunting trip of the coming day4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,the ,doctor ,explains ,ed's wound did not incapacitate him for the task of standing guard over the wounded and captured mountaineer4 ,ed was able to get out of bed and sit about the house with a gun slung casually across his knees or his shoulder1 as the case might be1 and the mountaineer perfectly understood that ,ed did not mean for him to escape1 by any possible chance1 even when his strength should return4 ,so he was content to lie still and reflect as he did1 that this is better than the prison anyhow4 ,tom went hunting1 as the ,doctor had suggested that he should4 ,three of the boys continued the chopping1 while one stood guard--a duty that had been made more imperative than ever by the mountaineer's declaration of the fixed purpose of the moonshiners4 ,when ,tom returned in the evening he was overladen with game1 as it was his custom to be on his return from a hunting expedition4 ,he had two big wild turkey gobblers1 a great necklace of fat squirrels1 nearly a dozen hares and a small deer which he had dragged down the mountain because of his inability to carry it with his other load upon him4 ,here's meat enough1 he said1 to last till ,christmas anyhow1 for it was now well on into ,december1 and ,i've seen a big turkey gobbler that ,i mean to get for our ,christmas dinner4 ,he can't weigh less than twenty or twenty-five pounds1 and he's a shy1 wise1 experienced old boy2 but ,i've found out what his usual rambles are and if the ,doctor will lend me that long range rifle of his1 ,i'll promise to get that bird for ,christmas4 ,i don't believe it would be possible to get within shot gun range of him4 ,oh1 you can take that gun1 ,tom1 whenever you please1 answered the ,doctor4 ,in fact1 ,i'm going to give it to you right now4 ,only ,i'll ask you when you go down the mountain with our prisoner1 to mail a letter for me1 in which ,i will order another gun of the same sort4 ,but1 ,doctor1 said ,tom1 in protest1 ,i didn't mean-- ,of course you didn't1 answered the ,doctor4 ,if you'd meant anything of the kind1 ,i wouldn't have thought of giving you the gun4 ,as it is1 ,i don't know anybody living that could make a better use of such a gun than you can4 ,so it is yours1 and ,i'm going to send for another just like it for myself4 ,in the meantime1 ,i'll borrow your shotgun for such casual uses as our camp life may require4 ,of course1 you'll need the shot gun also1 sometimes1 but the rifle's yours1 and ,i am sure it could not be in better hands4 ,the boy made his acknowledgments as best he could1 and the best part of them was his fondling of the rifle itself in loving appreciation4 ,but in his embarrassment over the ,doctor's generosity1 he wanted to turn the subject of conversation1 and as supper was by this time over1 he said3 ,now1 ,doctor1 you were telling us the other night something about the old-time whaling ships4 ,won't you tell us to-night something about the modern ocean steamers8 ,yes1 broke in ,jack4 ,you see1 you are the only 'boy' among us who has ever seen a ship1 and ,i believe you have crossed the ocean several times4 ,yes1 many times1 answered the ,doctor1 meditatively1 and there are many points of interest about a great modern ocean steamship1 which it will please me to tell you about if it will interest you to hear4 ,the boys expressed an eager desire to hear1 and so the ,doctor proceeded4 ,in the first place1 he said1 there is nothing in the world so complete1 so independent1 so self-reliant1 as a first-class steamship4 ,she has everything on board that she can possibly need1 or else she has the means of making it for herself4 ,she makes her own electric lights1 and every stateroom is supplied with them4 ,she does not carry fresh water for drinking and cooking use1 because she has a distilling apparatus capable of producing all needed fresh water from the salt water of the sea4 ,this is a great advantage4 ,if you have ever read sea tales1 you know that in cases of long detention1 one of the worst of troubles in the old days was that the water became foul and the use of it bred disease4 ,the modern steamship always has a supply of perfectly pure distilled water4 ,but1 ,doctor1 asked ,ed1 suppose one of the big steamers should break down at sea1 with her machinery out of order1 and wallow around out there on the waves for a month or two1 wouldn't the crew and passengers all starve to death8 ,that could hardly happen1 said the ,doctor1 for reasons which ,i will explain presently4 ,but even if it did happen1 the crew and passengers would not starve1 for the reason that every great ocean liner carries in her hold enough food to last her passengers and crew for fully six months1 although ,i believe the law requires them to carry only one month's supply4 ,how many are there on board usually8 ,oh1 that varies with every voyage4 ,the big ships often carry three or four hundred first-class passengers and have crews numbering from seventy to one hundred men4 ,but some of them carry1 also1 a large number of steerage passengers4 ,i once crossed from ,italy on the ,north ,german ,lloyd's steamer ,ems1 when we had only twelve first class passengers1 five second class and fifteen hundred in the steerage4 ,and she carried food enough for all those people for six months8 asked ,jack1 in wonder4 ,yes1 and more4 ,what sort of food was it8 ,beans by scores of tons2 corned beef and mess pork by hundreds of barrels1 and an almost unlimited supply of canned meats and vegetables1 answered the ,doctor4 ,now1 as ,i said1 the ,doctor resumed1 no great steamer is ever likely to be delayed for a month or anything like a month1 at sea4 ,in the first place1 each of them carries a skilled chief engineer and a corps of competent assistant engineers1 a force of blacksmiths and machinists1 and better still1 duplicates of all those parts of her engines that are liable to break down4 ,i remember one voyage on the ,american liner ,berlin1 when in midocean one of our cylinders cracked and threatened to burst under the steam pressure4 ,the captain stopped the ship and the engineers and machinists cut that cylinder out4 ,we lay there for twenty hours in a surging sea1 and then proceeded1 running with only two of our three cylinders in use4 ,but what an awful bobbing about you must have got1 said ,ed1 lying out there on the sea1 with no headway4 ,oh1 no6 answered the ,doctor4 ,our bow was kept always toward the oncoming waves1 so that we rode rather more easily than if we had been running under steam1 for if we had been running we should have laid our course straight for ,new ,york1 taking the waves from any direction4 ,as it was1 we got them dead ahead4 ,but how did they hold the bow always toward the coming waves8 asked ,ed4 ,by the use of what they call 'sea anchors4' ,these are great hollow cones1 made of iron4 ,at the big end of each a cable is fastened1 and the anchors are thrown overboard1 usually three or four of them4 ,of course1 it is impossible in deep seas to send an anchor down to the bottom1 but these big cones catch the water1 and by their dragging in it1 they hold the ship pretty nearly stationary1 and1 more important still1 they keep her head always pointed toward the wind and waves1 so that she rides easily4 ,whenever a ship breaks down at sea she hoists three great black disks into her rigging4 ,these mean to any ship that may approach1 that the steamer is 'not under control'--that is to say1 that as she is not running1 she has no power to steer to one side or the other or in any other way to keep out of the path of the approaching vessel4 ,then1 the approaching vessel steers clear of the disabled steamer1 and usually she hoists a set of signal flags1 asking if the steamer needs or wants any assistance1 and the steamer replies with another set of flags giving her response to the offer4 ,the flag signalling system has been so completely perfected by international agreement that two captains can carry on any conversation they please by means of it1 even though neither can speak a word of the other's language4 ,now this is the other reason why no steamer is ever likely to lie crippled on the ocean for a month or any thing like it4 ,there are regular pathways on the ocean over which all the regular line steamers pass4 ,so1 while the ocean is so immense that you may steam over it for days without seeing a vessel of any kind1 nevertheless no steamer is likely to lie disabled for more than a few days without sighting some other that stands ready to render assistance4 ,if the disabled steamer needs anything the other furnishes it4 ,if she is too far broken down in her machinery to repair it at sea1 the other will generally take her in tow4 ,if she is likely to sink--the most unlikely of all things--the other will take off her crew and passengers and leave the ship to her fate4 ,why do you say1 ,doctor1 that sinking is the most unlikely of all things8 asked ,jack4 ,i should think it the most likely4 ,not at all1 the ,doctor replied4 ,the modern steamship is perhaps the most perfect product we have of scientific precision in construction4 ,as well as you know that twice two makes four1 the builders of a modern steamship know to the uttermost pound the amount of strain that any wave blow can put upon any part of the ship1 and they provide for it four times over4 ,except in case of collision in a fog1 the great ocean liner simply cannot sink at sea4 ,if you took her out to mid ocean and there abandoned her1 she would float securely until some current should drive her on rocks or some other sort of shore4 ,at sea1 she is absolutely unsinkable1 except as ,i say by collision1 and that is as true when she is carrying thousands of tons of freight as at any other time4 ,it is very wonderful1 said ,jack4 ,of course it is4 ,if ,i were called upon to name the modern seven wonders of the world1 ,i should unhesitatingly put the ocean greyhound first in the list4 ,but come boys6 ,it is past our bed time1 and we've heavy work to do to-morrow in getting those three great timbers ready to send down the chute4 ,i'm awfully sorry1 said ,tom4 ,sorry--for what8 asked the ,doctor4 ,why1 now that you've told us so much about the great ships1 ,i want to hear more4 ,i've at least a hundred questions to ask you4 ,very well1 said the ,doctor4 ,the winter will be long and we'll have abundant opportunities of evenings to ask and answer all the questions we please4 ,but just now our business is to get to bed and to sleep1 or rather that's the business of you other fellows4 ,my business is to go out and relieve ,jim ,chenowith as our picket guard4 ,so good night boys1 and good1 refreshing slumbers to you6 ,with that the ,doctor shouldered a gun1 first carefully examining its cartridges1 and strode out into the bitterly cold night to do his turn at guard duty4 ,he had indeed made himself a boy among boys1 and he had won all hearts4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,christmas in ,camp ,venture ,as breakfast was in course of preparation the next morning1 ,ed brought a large dripping pan and set it in front of the fire4 ,now you fellows1 he said1 who are broiling bacon on the points of sharpened sticks1 will please let the fat from it drip into this pan1 and you'll kindly do the same from now till ,christmas4 ,what's up ,ed8 asked ,jack4 ,what do you want us to do that for8 ,why the ,doctor insists that ,i must stay indoors till after ,christmas1 so quite naturally it is going to fall to me to cook the ,christmas dinner4 ,i take it for granted that little ,tom is going to get that big turkey gobbler he told us about1 and ,i'm going to cook it properly--or as nearly so as the limited resources of ,camp ,venture will permit4 ,to that end ,i shall want some drippings from broiling bacon4 ,so save all the fat you can1 boys1 from now until ,christmas4 ,the boys asked no questions1 knowing that ,ed ,parmly was by all odds the best cook in the camp1 but they saved all they could of the drippings from the slices of bacon that they were toasting in the fire4 ,three days before ,christmas1 ,tom took his rifle and went out on the mountain in search of his big turkey4 ,he brought back some game--,tom never failed to do that--but he came back without the big turkey1 though it was well after nightfall when he arrived at the camp4 ,some of the boys were disposed to joke him about his failure1 though of course in a friendly way4 ,that's all right fellows1 answered ,tom4 ,but ,i've promised you that big turkey1 and ,i'm going to deliver the goods4 ,how can you speak so confidently1 ,tom8 asked ,harry4 ,you've missed getting him to-day and you may miss getting him to-morrow and next day4 ,but ,i shan't do that1 answered ,tom with that confidence which is born of knowledge and skill4 ,i know where that turkey and his flock are roosting to-night1 and ,i'll be there before daylight to-morrow morning4 ,i'll be right under him when he wakes1 and ,i'll have my shot gun with me1 for the range to a roost is short4 ,i'll have that turkey gobbler here before noon to-morrow1 or ,i'll admit that ,i'm no hunter4 ,but suppose he quits his roost during the night and wanders away somewhere1 suggested the ,doctor1 who knew nothing of the habits of wild turkeys4 ,turkeys never do that1 answered ,tom4 ,when once they go to roost they stay there till the dawn broadens into full daylight4 ,nothing could persuade them to quit their perches much before sunrise1 and before that time ,i'll have that stately gentleman flung over my shoulder4 ,accordingly ,tom left camp about two hours before the daylight came1 and about ten o'clock he returned1 bearing the gigantic gobbler1 in triumph1 and with it two smaller turkeys which he had also killed4 ,there you doubters6 he said as he flung down the birds1 ,i promised you a turkey dinner for ,christmas and ,i've kept my word4 ,it only remains for ,ed to cook the big bird properly and ,i haven't the least doubt that he'll do that4 ,the other two will keep in such weather as this as long as we care to keep them4 ,what with the game we already have on hand1 and these three turkeys1 ,i think we're in no pressing danger of an outbreak of scurvy in camp1 are we ,doctor8 ,so long as you are around1 ,tom1 answered the ,doctor1 ,i shall feel no apprehension of scurvy1 and still less of starvation4 ,tom had shown his spoil at that part of the camp where the other boys were chopping4 ,having done so he carried the turkeys to the house and delivered them over to ,ed1 who1 incapacitated for other work by his wound1 had made himself at once sentinel in charge of the prisoner and company cook4 ,as soon as ,tom left the choppers1 ,jack stopped his work1 and said to the others3 ,i say1 boys1 ,tom was a ,christmas baby1 and this coming ,christmas day will be his eighteenth birthday4 ,isn't there any way in which we can celebrate it8 ,yes1 answered the ,doctor1 ,we'll give a big dinner in his honor on that occasion and surprise him with it4 ,i have been jealously saving a few onions and potatoes that ,i brought up the mountain in my pack4 ,i have carefully guarded them against frost as well as against use1 meaning to keep them all winter in case scurvy should appear among us4 ,but evidently ,tom is taking care of that by keeping us abundantly supplied with fresh meat4 ,so ,i'm going to suggest to ,ed that on ,christmas day he roast the onions in a pan or skillet and bake the potatoes in the ashes4 ,that1 with the big turkey1 will give us a dinner fit for princes4 ,good6 cried the others1 and we'll pretend to forget all about it's being ,tom's birthday1 added ,jim ,chenowith1 till the dinner is dished up in his honor4 ,then we'll congratulate him4 ,ed fell in with the plan with all heartiness when he was told of it4 ,he was a notably good cook considering that he was a boy1 and he was determined to produce the best result he could with the meagre means at his disposal4 ,on ,christmas morning he took the giblets of his big turkey--the gizzard1 liver1 heart1 the outer ends of the wings and the upper part of the neck1 and put them on the fire to stew4 ,then he puzzled his brain over the question of a stuffing for the gigantic turkey4 ,he had no wheaten bread of any kind1 and he doubted that corn bread could be made to answer4 ,just then he remembered that a box of crackers1 two-thirds full1 remained among ,camp ,venture's stores4 ,he hunted them out and took as many of them as he needed4 ,he toasted each to a rich crisp brown4 ,when all were toasted he reduced them to crumbs4 ,next he mixed the crumbs together with the bacon fat drippings that he had made the boys save from their broiling4 ,he added just enough water to make the mass half adhere together4 ,then he chopped up one small onion and mixed it with the stuffing4 ,after adding a little chopped bacon and a liberal supply of black pepper1 he pressed the whole mass into the hollow of the big bird and hung the turkey up before the fire to roast1 placing a dripping pan under it1 setting it whirling at the end of a string1 and from time to time basting it with the drippings that fell into the pan4 ,a little later he placed the potatoes in the hot embers to bake4 ,he put the onions into a skillet and placing live coals under and upon the lid of that utensil1 left them to roast4 ,still later he made up some corn pones and set them to bake in another skillet4 ,finally1 just before dinner time1 he brewed a great pot of coffee4 ,but in the meantime he had taken the giblets off the fire1 chopped them to a mince meat and poured them into the dripping pan that had reposed under the turkey as it roasted4 ,into this he poured the water in which the giblets had been stewed and added a little of the cracker crumbs for thickening1 a little salt and a liberal supply of pepper4 ,this done he stirred all together vigorously and produced a gravy of which even his mother--the best cook he had ever known--might have been proud4 ,at the very last he dug the potatoes out of the ashes1 split open one side of each and inserted1 in the mealy depths1 a freshly broiled slice of bacon4 ,this was to replace the butter which he had not4 ,then he called the boys to dinner1 but as the day was warm he served the meal on an improvised table out of doors1 from which both points of possible invasion of the camp could be fairly well observed4 ,he did this in order that the whole company1 sentinel and all1 might sit down together in celebration of ,christmas and of little ,tom's birthday4 ,when the little company assembled1 each member of it grasped ,tom's hand and warmly congratulated him1 and when the boy learned how they had exerted themselves to make his natal day one to be remembered1 he fairly broke down with affectionate emotion4 ,it was assigned to him to carve the great turkey gobbler1 which in the absence of scales on which to weigh him1 the boys pretty accurately estimated at twenty-six pounds4 ,jack served the roast onions1 which were done to a beautiful brown1 and ,ed himself dished out the potatoes1 roasted to a hard crust without and enticing mealiness within4 ,the coffee was drunk with the meal after the manner of the country1 and of course there was no milk to go with it1 but these healthy1 happy1 out-of-door boys enjoyed that ,christmas dinner as they had never enjoyed a dinner before4 ,just as they were finishing the eating of it something struck and penetrated the clapboards that formed the extemporized table4 ,tom instantly glanced at the mark made1 estimated direction and1 turning1 sent a bullet from his long range rifle toward the point from which he believed the shot to have come4 ,a moment later there came another shot and another1 and this time ,tom saw the smoke of the rifles from which they came4 ,he aimed carefully but quickly1 and fired two shots in reply4 ,there6 he said4 ,they are shooting from long range1 or what they regard as such1 up there on the mountain4 ,they think we have nothing but shot guns and their plan is to shoot at us from too great a distance for us to shoot back4 ,i reckon those three bullets of mine will give them a new idea of the situation1 for this rifle carries at least twice as far as any they have4 ,apparently ,tom was right1 for after his shots were delivered no more was heard from the assailing mountaineers4 ,now that teaches us a lesson1 said ,jack4 ,our house door faces directly south and up the mountain4 ,there are points up there from which those rascals can fire right into our house through the door1 whenever they feel so disposed4 ,we must stop that right now4 ,but how8 asked the ,doctor4 ,by building a bullet proof barricade of poles right here1 ten feet in front of our door1 answered ,jack4 ,we can easily do it this afternoon and still get some chopping done4 ,jack's suggestion was adopted instantly and the boys set to work at once to carry it out4 ,they set up some poles about fifteen feet high and six feet apart1 burying their lower ends deep in the earth4 ,then they set up a second line in the same way about eight inches in front of the first line4 ,next they placed in the space between the two lines a tier of poles about five inches thick and so closely fitted together as to be bullet proof4 ,then for complete safety they cut small brush into pieces1 and with them filled in what space remained between the two lines of poles4 ,now then1 said ,jack1 ,camp ,venture is in a state of defence4 ,but it needs offensive as well as defensive advantages4 ,we are pretty well protected against stray bullets by the wooden barrier we have erected1 but we must also be able to shoot over it whenever that becomes necessary4 ,let's build a platform inside of it1 so that one of us standing on it can see everything beyond and shoot as from a breast work1 if those fellows insist upon shooting as a condition of the game4 ,so the boys built the platform of poles1 with a little ladder leading up to it1 and as it gave a full view of every part of the camp1 it was decided that the sentry should thereafter be stationed there in a protected position1 instead of being required to expose himself out under the cliff4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,parole ,during the next week or two after ,christmas the boys made notable progress with their chopping1 for even the ,doctor had by this time become as expert as any of them in wielding an axe1 while the other boys1 who could scarcely be more expert with that implement than they were at the beginning1 acquired a good deal of extra skill in the particular work they were now doing4 ,they more readily recognized the use to which each piece of timber could be put2 they acquired new deftness in shaping railroad ties to their destined use1 so that the work was done more quickly and with a smaller expenditure of time and force2 especially they learned and invented many devices to facilitate their handling of the great bridge timbers1 of which they were now sending many down the chute4 ,all of them except ,ed chopped all day4 ,ed volunteered to take the duty of camp guard upon himself all day every day1 so long as his wound should incapacitate him for the hard work of chopping4 ,there was double guard duty to do now of course1 for in addition to the guarding of the camp there was the prisoner to watch4 ,but now that the barricade with its platform was built in front of the hut1 ,ed was confident of his ability to watch both inside and outside1 particularly as the wounded man was pretty nearly helpless still1 and the boys took all the guns with them when they went chopping1 except the one that ,ed was using as sentinel4 ,there was still another advantage in the fact that there was now nearly a foot of snow on the ground1 and it would have been easy to see a man toiling over its white surface at a great distance4 ,so ,ed played cook and camp guard all through the days and was excused from all night duty4 ,in the meantime there was no more trouble from the mountaineers1 except that the wounded one in camp continually bewailed his fate and indulged in dismal forebodings of the long term he must serve in prison4 ,finally one ,sunday1 when his wounds were nearly well again1 he said3 ,it ain't so much for myself ,i care4 ,i kin stand purty nigh anything4 ,what ,i'm thinkin' about1 boys1 is my wife an' my little gal4 ,you see my wife she's consumptive like an' not much fit fer work1 an' my little gal1 she's only six year old4 ,so ,i don't know what's to become of 'em when ,i'm sent up1 an' that'll be mighty soon now1 as ,i'm gettin' well enough to walk4 ,now listen to me a minute1 said ,tom in a voice as stern as he could make it with the tears that were in it--for the picture presented to his mind of that poor invalid wife and still more of that little six year old girl left to struggle with that mountain poverty and starvation which he knew something about1 had touched all that was tender in his nature4 ,now listen to me6 ,i'm going to have a plain talk with you4 ,the only reason you are to go to prison is that you tried your best to kill ,ed4 ,why didn't you think of your wife and little girl before you committed that crime8 ,answer me honestly now6 ,well1 ,i will1 ,tom4 ,you see ,i ain't much account4 ,i ain't enough account to own a little share in one o' the stills that does a purty poor business up here in the mountings4 ,so ,i has to live on odd jobs like1 an' at best ,i barely manage to keep a little bread and meat in the mouths of my wife an' little gal an' a calico dress on their backs4 ,no1 that ain't edzacly the truth nother1 an' as you an' me is talkin' fair an' square now1 ,i don't want to misrepresent nothin'4 ,i'll own up that oncet--just oncet ,i bought the little gal a doll down there in town1 jest becase she seemed so lonely an' longin' like as she looked at it4 ,it cost me five cents4 ,by this time all the boys had business with their handkerchiefs1 which they felt it necessary to go out of doors to attend to4 ,after awhile ,tom mastered himself sufficiently to say3 ,go on6 ,tell us why you shot ,ed8 ,well1 as ,i wuz a tellin' you1 resumed the mountaineer1 ,i ain't no account an' so ,i has to live by odd jobs4 ,well1 when you fellers come up here1 the other fellers made up their minds that you must go back1 an' so they decided like to have you persecuted till you did go4 ,so1 as they didn't want to take the risk of the job theirselves1 they come to me an' another feller--that feller what got his arm broke in your camp-- ,yes1 ,i remember him1 said ,tom2 go on and tell us all about it4 ,well1 they come to us two no 'count fellers1 him an' me1 an' says1 says they1 'ef you two fellers'll do the job we'll see as how you an' your families will have enough1 meal an' meat1 to last till blackberry time4' ,you see1 we no 'count fellers always looked forrard to blackberry time4 ,ef we kin pull through till the blackberries is ripe1 we're all right for a spell4 ,well1 nuther on us liked the job1 but we didn't see no way out'n it4 ,so he come fust an' twicet4 ,the second time he got too bad hurt like to go on with the job1 an' so then ,i took it up4 ,my pard he had reasoned and argified with you an' you wouldn't listen4 ,so the fellers what was hirin' of me says1 says they1 ',bill1 you've got to shoot4 ,if you kin drap one o' them fellers without gittin' caught they'll quick enough git out'n the mountings4' ,that's why ,i shot ,ed4 ,you see yourselves as how ,i couldn't help it4 ,all that ,tom had tried to tell his comrades about the squalid poverty of the poorer class of mountaineers had made no such impression upon their minds as the prisoner's simple narrative4 ,they were horrified at the destitution which he pictured and shocked at the dullness and perversion of his moral sense1 manifested by his confident assumption that they would see that in trying to kill ,ed he had done nothing wrong or unusual4 ,here was that degradation of mind and soul which frankly regards crime--even including the murder of innocent persons--as a legitimate means of livelihood--like the picking of blackberries--a degradation which nevertheless leaves the soul capable of emotions of affection and tender pity such as this man so manifestly felt for his invalid wife and his little gal4 ,unhappily this degradation1 this perversion of the moral sense1 is not confined to mountain moonshiners4 ,there is very much of it in our great cities and it is the thing that gives the police force their hardest work4 ,it is also the source of the most serious danger that threatens all of us4 ,the man had evidently finished with what he had to say1 and as for the boys1 they had from the first left this man's case in ,little ,tom's hands4 ,their throats ached too badly now with a pained pity1 for them to make even a suggestion4 ,so ,tom took up the conversation4 ,now ,i want to say something to you1 he said1 and ,i want you to try to understand me4 ,you and ,i are talking1 fair and square1 as you said a little while ago1 aren't we8 ,that's what we is1 ,tom1 answered the man2 an' whatever you say'll be right1 ,i don't doubt2 but you see may be ,i won't quite understand it1 like4 ,i'll do my best4 ,but ,i ain't got no eddication like4 ,all ,i know is how to write my name1 and may be print a few words on paper4 ,the sergeant major taught me that when ,i was in the army4 ,then you served in the army8 asked ,tom1 somewhat eagerly4 ,yes1 ,i was conscripted1 but after ,i was conscripted ,i thought ,i mout as well be a good soldier as a bad one an' so ,i fought all ,i could4 ,i never did make it out quite clear in my head what they was a fightin' about1 but ,i says to myself1 says ,i1 ',bill1' says ,i1 'you're in for this thing an' they's only one thing to do1 an' that is fight as hard as you kin on the side yer on4' ,well if you were in the army1 interposed ,tom1 you know what a parole is8 ,oh1 yes1 ,i know that4 ,i had one o' them things oncet4 ,that's how ,i got out'n the army4 ,i was tooken pris'ner along with a lot of other fellers1 an' after talkin' to us a lot1 the officers what had us pris'ners sort o' explained the parole business to us1 an' after we signed papers promisin' not to fight no more1 they let us go home1 tellin' us that ef we was caught fightin' agin they'd hang us4 ,fur a long time ,i was afraid the conscript officers would ketch me1 an' make me fight again1 but when one on 'em did ketch me at last he tole me he couldn't make me fight agin1 'cause ,i was a prisoner on parole4 ,so ,i know mighty well what a parole means1 though at first we all thought it meant a pay-roll an' that we was to be paid for not fightin'4 ,well you understand it better now1 said ,tom4 ,you understand that when a man is paroled1 he promises not to fight again1 and if he does1 and is caught at it1 he gets shot8 ,oh1 yes1 ,i understand all that now4 ,i was only tellin' you how as ,i didn't know fust off4 ,well1 now that we're 'talking fair and square1' as you say1 ,i want to say that ,i think you ought to go to state prison for a long term for shooting ,ed1 and ,i intended at first to send you there4 ,perhaps ,i may do so yet4 ,but now1 if ,ed will forgive you for shooting him--,i'll ask him presently--,i'm going to put you on parole1 just because of your sick wife and your little girl4 ,you have been in our camp for several weeks now4 ,you know what we are here for4 ,you know that we are not here to bother your friends or to interfere with them in any way4 ,oh1 any fool could see that6 exclaimed the man4 ,very well1 then4 ,i am going to make you sign a parole and then send you home1 but mind1 if you violate your parole ,i'll go down the mountain and bring enough soldiers up here to capture the last one of your gang and send all of you to prison4 ,i know where some of your stills are1 and ,i can find all the others4 ,so you had better keep your parole1 and your friends had better let us alone4 ,are you ready to sign the parole8 ,the man rose from the chair on which he was sitting and threw his arms about ,tom4 ,his expressions of gratitude were rude in the extreme1 but at least they were genuine1 and he finished in tears as he exclaimed3 ,oh1 thank goodness ,i can go back now an' look after the wife an' little one1 an' you kin bet your bottom dollar ef the other fellers makes any trouble fer you fellers1 ,bill ,jones'll be here to help you agin 'em4 ,i'm a goin' to explain things to 'em4 ,i'm agoin' to give it to 'em straight1 an' then ef they make trouble fer you1 ,i'll be with you4 ,tom drew up the parole and ,jones signed it with extraordinary pride in his ability to write his own name in clumsy printing letters1 with the ,j turned backwards4 ,but strong man as he was1 the tears kept coming into his eyes as he said over and over again3 ,you're mighty good to me1 ,tom6 ,all you fellers is mighty good to me4 ,an' ,i'm agoin' to teach that little gal o' mine when she says her 'now ,i lay me' to wind it up with ',god bless ,tom an' the other fellers4' ,with that he wiped away his tears with the back of his hand for lack of a handkerchief4 ,the next morning the mountaineer insisted upon departing in spite of the ,doctor's assurance that he was not yet well enough to make the journey4 ,i must1 ,doctor1 he said4 ,you see1 ,i don't know what's happened to my wife an' my little gal while ,i've been gone4 ,very well1 answered the ,doctor1 only ,i want to add a promise to your parole4 ,i want you to promise me that if your wounds give you trouble you'll either come here yourself1 or if you can't do that1 you'll send for me to go to you and dress them4 ,then seeing that the man was about saying something emotional the ,doctor quickly added3 ,you see1 ,i'm a ,doctor1 and it hurts my pride to have a case that ,i attend go bad4 ,so if you have any trouble with your hurts you are to come to me or send for me at once4 ,then after such rude adieus as the mountaineer could make1 he started off up the mountain1 the ,doctor accompanying him a part of the way1 upon pretense of wanting to see whether or not he was really fit to walk and carry his gun1 which had of course been restored to him4 ,but the ,doctor had another purpose in view4 ,just before parting with the mountaineer he took a twenty dollar bill from his pocket and pressed it into the man's hand4 ,there6 he said4 ,perhaps that will keep meat and bread in your cabin till the blackberries get ripe1 and with that he suddenly turned on his heel and rapidly strode back toward the camp1 giving the man no chance to refuse the gift or to thank him for it4 ,but while the ,doctor had taken every possible precaution to prevent any of his comrades from seeing what he did1 the sentry on the platform saw and reported the facts4 ,so when the ,doctor returned to camp and set to work with his axe1 the boys were quietly discussing a little plan of their own1 talking in low tones1 as they worked4 ,that night at supper ,jack opened the subject1 saying3 ,doctor1 we shall be very sorry to part with you1 but you have forfeited your right to remain in our camp4 ,you have violated your parole4 ,why1 how8 ,what can you mean8 asked the ,doctor in bewilderment4 ,why1 you agreed to be one of us boys1 and to 'share and share alike' with us in work and in everything else4 ,now1 this morning you gave that mountaineer some money out of your own pocket1 basely trying to conceal the fact from us4 ,even yet we don't know the amount of your gift4 ,now1 we have unanimously decided not to submit to any such proceeding4 ,but my dear ,jack1 interrupted the ,doctor-- ,but my dear ,doctor1 broke in ,jack1 hear me out4 ,what we have decided is to require you to tell us the amount of your benefaction to that man1 so that we may owe you our share of it until we go down the mountain in the spring and collect our money4 ,we are sharing and sharing alike in every thing or nothing1 so out with it6 ,how much money did you give the man8 ,but ,jack1 permit me to explain1 said the ,doctor4 ,you see1 if ,i gave that fellow any money1 it was of my own impulse and without any consultation with you4 ,it was a bit of personal almsgiving in which ,i have no right to let you share4 ,i did it solely to relieve my own mind1 not yours4 ,it wasn't a company transaction at all1 and besides ,i could well afford it inasmuch as by coming up here with you boys and sharing your camp life this winter ,i have cut off nearly the whole of my personal expenses and am actually saving money4 ,now listen6 said ,jack4 ,we all wanted to give that poor fellow some money with which to feed his wife and little girl 'till blackberries get ripe' next summer1 and we should have done so if any of us had had any money4 ,so in relieving your own mind you have relieved ours just as much4 ,we all shared alike in the cost of fitting out this expedition4 ,we have all shared alike in the building of our house and in all the other camp work4 ,we have all shared alike in guard duty1 in danger and in everything else1 and we're going to do so to the end of the chapter4 ,so we're going to share alike in this gratuity of yours1 our shares to be paid to you as soon as we collect our money down below4 ,so you must tell us how much you gave the man1 or else our whole partnership and comradeship will be at an end4 ,come1 ,doctor1 tell us all about it6 ,well1 said the ,doctor1 ,i don't think it fair to let you boys share in what was a purely personal bit of almsgiving1 done without any sort of consultation with any of you1 but as you insist ,i will say that ,i gave the man a twenty dollar bill4 ,all right1 said ,tom4 ,that gives us a chance to impose upon you4 ,it is three dollars and thirty-three and a third cents apiece for us4 ,we'll never pay that third of a cent1 doctor1 and so you'll be out a cent and two-thirds besides your own share in the gift4 ,that will help to buy another doll for 'the little gal1' and ,i suppose you won't mind the expense4 ,no1 said the ,doctor1 but what can be done to relieve these people's wretchedness and lift them up8 ,not one of the boys could answer the question4 ,perhaps there was no answer4 ,there often is none to questions of that kind4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,a ,stress of ,circumstances ,the next few weeks brought nothing of adventure to the boys4 ,their work went on wonderfully well4 ,they sent down the mountain innumerable ties and all the cordwood that the trees yielded after the ties were cut4 ,they sent down also a large number of great timbers for use in bridge building and the like1 but nothing occurred to justify the name of their camp--,camp ,venture4 ,their firelight conversations were briefer and less spirited than before1 because they were working so strenuously now that they were over-weary when supper was done1 and they went to bed at least an hour earlier than they had done before4 ,the earlier novelty of camping had at last worn out and with it the excitement that tends to keep people awake4 ,nevertheless they constituted a happy company1 all the more so because their work was producing larger results even than they had anticipated4 ,they were sending down the mountain more ties1 more cordwood and many more of the high-priced bridge timbers than they had expected to send4 ,looking over the accounts one evening in ,february1 when the snow was beginning to melt1 ,jack said3 ,boys1 we've already accomplished more than we expected to do during the whole winter and spring4 ,if we keep it up at the same rate we shall earn quite twice the money we expected to make4 ,so ,camp ,venture is clearly a success4 ,it is getting so well along in the year now that we need not fear deep snows or avalanches1 or anything of that sort to bother us or interfere with our work4 ,nevertheless1 said the ,doctor1 returning from an examination of his scientific instruments1 we're in for a snow storm to-night4 ,it is already beginning and so far as my instruments are to be trusted1 it is likely to be very heavy1 with high winds4 ,the boys all went out and took a look at the sky4 ,there was as yet no wind of any consequence1 but the snow1 in fine1 dry1 meal-like flakes1 was coming down in a way that promised a heavy fall4 ,about nine o'clock the boys went to bed--all but ,harry ,ridsdale1 who stayed outside as the sentry4 ,about ten o'clock the wind rose to a gale and the roaring of it awakened the ,doctor1 who instantly arose and with a brand from the fireplace to serve as a torch1 went out to consult his instruments4 ,when he returned his stamping and brushing off of snow aroused the others1 and the howling of the tempest brought them all into a very wide-awake condition4 ,i say1 boys1 said the ,doctor1 throwing the brand he had carried into the fire again1 this is an awful night4 ,the snow is coming down in blankets1 the wind is blowing at a rate which is between a whole gale and a hurricane1 and of course the snow is drifting terribly4 ,all right1 said ,jack4 ,then he went to the door and called1--,come in here1 ,harry6 ,we shall have no use for pickets to-night4 ,in answer to some questions he said3 ,no mountaineer is going to prowl about the hills in such a storm as this4 ,if he did he would be smothered in a snowdrift before he got a hundred yards from his cabin door4 ,we're perfectly safe for this night without a sentry1 so we'll all crawl into our bunks and go to sleep4 ,the soundness of ,jack's opinion was obvious enough1 and so no more sentries were posted that night4 ,the fire was reinforced with some big logs and all ,camp ,venture ventured for once to go to sleep4 ,the hours passed on4 ,the wind howled more and more fiercely1 and but for the solidity of its thick log walls the house would have shaken in a way to wake the heaviest sleeper4 ,as it was the boys slept on undisturbed4 ,finally the fire burned low1 so that it gave very little light in the cabin4 ,little ,tom waked and feeling no need for further sleep he got up and piled on some additional logs4 ,then he went back to bed1 but somehow his eyes would not close again4 ,the other boys also waked up1 and1 turn over as they might1 could not go to sleep again4 ,finally ,harry1 seeing that all were awake1 called out3 ,i say1 fellows1 let's get up and have some breakfast4 ,i for one am hungry4 ,so am ,i1 answered ,jack1 springing out of bed4 ,so say we all of us1 responded ,tom4 ,by the way1 what time is it8 ,harry fumbled among the ,doctor's belongings and looked at that gentleman's watch4 ,doctor1 you forgot to wind your watch last night4 ,it has run down at a quarter past nine4 ,no1 ,i didn't1 answered the ,doctor1 leaping out of bed1 where he had lazily lingered for a time4 ,i certainly wound it before ,i went to bed4 ,with that he went across the cabin1 took the watch1 looked at it1 and then put it to his ear4 ,it's running all right1 he presently said1 whereupon the other two members of the company who had watches brought them out4 ,all pointed to a quarter past nine4 ,just then ,jack opened the door and something like half a ton of snow fell into the house1 but no light came with it4 ,boys6 he cried1 we're utterly snowed in4 ,it is a quarter past nine in the morning1 but the house is completely buried in snow6 ,you see there is no light coming in even through the loosely laid roof1 while the ,doctor's windows are as black as midnight4 ,yet by looking up the chimney you can see daylight plainly4 ,the fire has kept that open4 ,can there have been twenty odd feet of snowfall in a single night8 asked ,harry in astonishment4 ,no1 certainly not1 answered the ,doctor4 ,we're caught in a snowdrift1 that's all4 ,you see with the fearful gale that has been blowing all night the snow has drifted greatly and now that ,i think of it1 our house is peculiarly well situated to be caught in a drift4 ,how so1 ,doctor8 ,why1 the wind has been from the north1 northwest1 or very nearly north4 ,our house stands on a plateau on the northerly side of the mountain4 ,less than a hundred feet south of it1 rises a high cliff4 ,that1 of course1 catches all the snow that comes on a north1 northwest wind4 ,then again the house itself is an obstruction1 catching and holding all the snow that strikes it4 ,the snow storm has been a tremendous one1 probably a three-foot fall1 and we are caught under all of it that ought to have been scattered over several miles of mountainside4 ,let's postpone the explanations1 fellows1 broke in ,tom1 who always devoted himself to the practical1 and give our attention for the present to the problem of ,what to ,do ,now4 ,that is after all the thing to think about in every case of emergency1 and this is a case of emergency if ever there was one4 ,how do you mean1 ,tom8 asked ,jim ,chenowith4 ,why1 in the first place1 we have less than a quarter of a cord of wood in the cabin1 and1 after such a storm1 it is likely to turn very cold4 ,so we must first of all dig a passageway to one of our wood piles1 or else we must freeze to death4 ,we can't get to the spring1 of course1 and if we did1 it would be frozen up4 ,but we can get all the water we need by melting snow4 ,the worst of our problems is that of a food supply4 ,that's so1 said ,jack1 in something like consternation4 ,we haven't a pound of fresh meat on hand and ,i remember that you1 ,tom1 intended to go out with your gun to-day to get some4 ,we have eaten up all our hams and bacon1 and we haven't anything left except the coffee1 two small pieces of salt pork1 some corn meal and the beans4 ,that means1 said ,tom1 that we've got to dig our way out of here in a hurry1 and we haven't a shovel in the camp4 ,no1 said ,jack1 but we've got a pile of leftover clapboards over there in the corner1 and we can soon make some snow shovels4 ,let's get to work at that4 ,after a breakfast on corn pones--for the pork must be saved for use with the beans--the boys set to work to manufacture rude shovels that would do as implements with which to handle snow4 ,for handles they used such round sticks as they found in their meagre supply of fire wood4 ,in half an hour the whole company of boys were armed for an attack upon the snowdrift4 ,in the meantime ,tom had thought out methods4 ,first of all1 he explained1 we must attack the snow directly in front of the door1 and work our way to the top of the drift4 ,we must shovel that snow into the house1 because we haven't any where else to put it4 ,we'll put on all the kettles we have and reduce as much as we can of the housed snow to water for use in drinking1 cooking1 washing and so forth4 ,when we break through to the top1 we can shovel the snow to the right and left till we open a passageway to the wood pile4 ,it's going to be mighty hard work1 said ,ed1 for the snow is so soft that we'll sink up to our waists in it4 ,yes1 answered ,harry1 but light snow like that will be easier to handle than if it had settled and frozen4 ,with that the boys set to work to break a passage from the door to the top of the snowdrift4 ,when they had accomplished that they found1 to their sorrow1 that it was still snowing heavily1 a fact which threatened to undo much of their work after it was done4 ,still the snow was dry and light1 and standing up to their waists in it1 they shovelled it to right and left1 making a passageway through it that led towards their nearest wood supply4 ,they did not pause for a midday meal1 and yet when night came they had not reached the wood pile1 while the snow continued to fall as heavily as ever4 ,fortunately the high wind had gone down1 so that no more great drifts were blown into their trench4 ,they had not tried to dig to the ground in making their passageway4 ,they had simply created an upward incline from the door of their house to the top of the drift1 and then dug a sort of inclined trench towards the wood pile4 ,now ,i say1 fellows1 said ,jack1 as they left off work to get such supper as they could1 we've got to keep this thing up all night4 ,we have barely wood enough left to get supper and breakfast with1 and we simply must get to that wood pile by morning4 ,of course we can't all work all night2 we must have some sleep2 so ,i propose that we divide the company into three shifts of two boys each1 one shift to keep up the work of shovelling while the others sleep4 ,we'll let each shift work for an hour and then wake up the next shift to take its place4 ,that will let every fellow have two hours' sleep between his one hour spells of work4 ,the plan seemed in all respects the best that could be devised4 ,three sticks of wood were all that now remained in the cabin and it was decided not to burn any of these during the night1 but to save them for use in cooking breakfast in the morning4 ,breakfast1 it was agreed1 should consist of a kettle of corn meal mush1 with two slices of salt pork and a pint of coffee to each member of the party4 ,the boys would have foregone the pork1 saving it for a worse emergency1 but the ,doctor advised against that course4 ,with so much work to do1 he said1 we shall need the strength that comes from meat4 ,and besides1 said ,tom1 this snow will pack down pretty soon and freeze over with a crust hard enough to bear a man4 ,as soon as that happens ,i am going out to get some game4 ,the night's work was awkwardly pursued1 owing to the darkness1 which was rendered intense by the continued and very heavy snow fall4 ,but while they had not reached the wood pile by daylight1 they were nearing it and in fact believed themselves to be almost over it--for they had made their trench a shallow one1 in order to hasten their advance4 ,so1 when the working shift was called to breakfast1 ,harry reported3 ,we're almost over the wood pile4 ,after breakfast1 when we all get to work1 we'll soon make a sloping path down to it4 ,as it is still snowing1 without a sign of quitting1 ,i move that when we reach the wood1 we all set to work to bring a houseful of it in here1 against emergencies4 ,that's our best plan1 said the ,doctor4 ,if we are destined to live on starvation rations and it should turn very cold1 as is likely1 we must have artificial heat to replace that which a full supply of food would make4 ,a starving man practically freezes to death4 ,so the first thing is to bring into our cabin as large a supply of wood as it will hold4 ,luckily we have plenty of it4 ,there are twenty cords at least in that first pile4 ,with that the boys set to work on their scant breakfast of coffee1 mush and salt pork4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,in ,perilous ,plight ,after breakfast the boys began again the snow digging for their wood pile4 ,they had somewhat miscalculated its locality1 and so when they reached the ground with their descending path1 the wood pile was not there4 ,nor could they easily correct their reckoning until little ,tom came to the rescue with his keen eyes and his alert intelligence4 ,climbing to the top of the snowdrift and standing1 hips deep in the soft snow1 he studied the trees round about1 or so much of them as protruded above the snow4 ,it was ,tom's excellent habit to observe things closely1 even when there was no apparent occasion to observe them at all1 and he had observed that one of the trees between which the wood had been ranked up had a peculiar knot on it about thirty feet from the ground1 caused by some injury received while yet it was young4 ,so he looked for that tree4 ,the snow had so changed the aspect of the landscape that all its recognizable features had disappeared1 but ,tom remembered that peculiar knot and eagerly looked out for it4 ,presently he discovered it1 in spite of the fact that a mass of snow that had collected on top of it seriously impaired its proportions4 ,instantly he called out directions to the boys to carry their pathway south toward the tree in question4 ,but we're already south of the wood pile1 said ,harry4 ,your plan will take us directly away from it4 ,it is north of here1 ,i tell you4 ,all right1 answered ,tom4 ,i know where the wood pile is1 and if ,i am wrong ,i'll do all the rest of the digging myself4 ,only if you'll dig in the direction ,i tell you1 you'll come to it in about forty feet4 ,so confused were the geographical perceptions of all the boys1 and so confident were they that ,tom was wrong1 that they made earnest protest against digging in the direction indicated by him4 ,but his insistence was so resolute1 and their faith in his sagacity was so strong1 that after making their protest they yielded and pushed the snow excavation in the direction he had indicated4 ,an hour's digging brought as its reward the discovery of the wood pile1 and instantly every fellow set to work to carry wood into the house over the very imperfect pathway1 which was being every hour rendered less and less passable by the continuing snow fall4 ,by working hard1 however1 they managed to fill all the spare space in the house with wood and to pile five or six cords more around the doorway4 ,as they used about half a cord a day in ordinary winter weather1 and from a cord and a half to two cords a day when the thermometer sank low1 this was not a large supply4 ,but at least it would ward off the present danger of freezing1 and now that the way was open to the wood pile1 and could be kept open by a little shovelling now and then1 they could get more from time to time1 as they might need it4 ,it was past nightfall when this work was completed4 ,the boys had not stopped for a midday dinner1 but ,ed1 with the foresight of an accomplished cook1 had put a kettle of beans on to boil about midday1 with just enough pork in it to give the beans a relish1 and when night came he dished up the meal4 ,there's no bread1 boys1 he said1 because we can't afford two dishes at one meal now4 ,but you remember the ,doctor told us that beans are bread as well as meat1 and so that's all ,i have provided4 ,after supper the boys were very tired from their hard day's work1 and yet they were disposed to talk1 and at any rate it would not do to go to bed until their supper of boiled pork and beans should have had time to digest4 ,if this snow continues1 said ,ed1 we fellows will pretty soon have to take our beans without the pork4 ,i have a little of that bacon dripping left and ,i'll use that while it lasts4 ,but unless we get some sort of supplies within three days we shall be out of meal4 ,are we so near the end as that8 asked ,jack4 ,yes4 ,we have nothing left now except two small pieces of salt pork1 about twenty pounds of corn meal1 and the beans4 ,the pork and the meal won't last us more than two or three days1 and as for the beans1 well1 we have less than half a peck of them left4 ,this announcement was received with something like consternation4 ,we're nearing the starving point1 said ,jack4 ,we must recognize the fact and put ourselves at once upon starvation diet4 ,i move that the ,doctor take charge of such provisions as are left to us1 with full power1 to dole them out in the best way to keep life in us till the conditions change4 ,good6 cried all the boys in chorus1 and so the motion was carried4 ,if worse comes to worst1 said ,tom1 ,i'll take my gun1 break my way out of here1 and kill something fit to eat1 at whatever risk4 ,the game of every sort is starving now as well as we are4 ,the turkeys1 deer1 rabbits and all the rest of them will be out on the mountains hunting for something to eat on those spots that the wind has blown clear of snow4 ,it will be curious if ,i don't get some of them4 ,we'll permit nothing of the kind1 said ,jack1 till the snow stops and freezing weather makes a crust upon it4 ,to go out now would simply mean suicide4 ,you wouldn't live to get out of this snowdrift1 and if you did1 you'd perish in the next one1 ,tom4 ,probably1 answered ,tom1 in a meditative voice4 ,but ,i'd rather die that way1 in an effort to save the whole company than stay here and starve like a rat in a hole4 ,but1 broke in the ,doctor1 we are not yet starving4 ,we are hungry1 of course1 having had an insufficient supply of food to-day4 ,and we'll be hungrier to-morrow1 and still hungrier next day4 ,but as ,i reckon it we have food enough1 at least to keep life in our bodies for three or four days to come if we hoard it carefully and eat only so much as is necessary to sustain life4 ,by that time the weather will have changed in some way1 and we shall have found some means of supplying ourselves4 ,so it was decided that ,tom should not court death by attempting to go out upon the mountain under existing conditions4 ,by the way1 ,doctor1 asked ,ed1 what are your weather predictions8 ,i can't make any1 answered the ,doctor4 ,it is still snowing hard2 the barometer is low2 the wind1 which amounts to nothing1 has shifted to the south-west--a bad quarter1 suggesting more snow--and so far as ,i can see there is no promise of severe cold weather1 which is what we most want now4 ,in this melancholy plight the boys went to bed1 and1 thanks to their high health and extreme weariness1 they slept soundly4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,an ,enemy to the ,rescue ,the plan had been to set to work next morning to dig the house out of the snow2 that is to say1 to dig away a space around the cabin4 ,but the ,doctor forbade it4 ,the more force we expend in work1 he said1 the more food we must have1 and as we have pretty nearly no food now1 we absolutely mustn't expend any force unnecessarily4 ,we must simply rest to-day1 doing no more shoveling than is necessary to open a little larger area around the door1 and to keep our path to the wood pile open4 ,that day1 the next and the next were passed in idleness and with growing hunger4 ,the snow ceased for a time on the second day1 but the severe cold weather which alone could release the boys from their terrible plight1 did not come4 ,on the third day1 the snow began to fall again in a pitiless and discouraging way1 and by that time the food supply had run so low that the ,doctor's dole of it was too small even to ward off the severe pangs of hunger4 ,tom said that night3 ,boys1 ,i don't care what the consequences are1 ,i'm going to break out of this to-morrow morning or perish in the attempt4 ,i'd rather die in a snow bank1 fighting for a chance1 than sit here and slowly starve to death4 ,my strength is already waning1 and before it goes altogether ,i'm going to make an effort to get some food4 ,if ,i wait longer ,i sha'n't have either the strength or the courage to go at all4 ,this time nobody interposed an objection1 but foreseeing ,tom's need1 and knowing that he would accept nothing not shared equally by the others1 the ,doctor deliberately dealt out a larger supply of beans than usual that night4 ,the meal was all gone4 ,the pork had been eaten up1 and after the ,doctor gave out this supper1 which it would take till eleven or twelve o'clock at night to cook1 there was left only about two quarts of beans in the camp1 and absolutely not an ounce of food of any other kind4 ,in ordinary circumstances1 if the boys had been thus shut up in their cabin and deprived of physical activity1 they would have held long talks and learned much4 ,especially they would have beset the ,doctor with questions1 the answers to which would have interested them4 ,but now they were too hungry for material food1 too starved of body and far too depressed in mind to care for conversation of any kind4 ,they simply sat still and starved1 in gloomy silence1 and under the terrible oppression of hopelessness and helplessness4 ,all but ,little ,tom4 ,his courage survived1 and as he sat before the fire waiting for the beans to cook1 he was resolutely planning ways and means by which1 if possible1 to make the morrow's expedition successful4 ,the chances1 he knew1 were a hundred to one against him1 and he was trying1 by the exercise of a careful foresight1 to bring that one chance in a hundred within his grasp4 ,presently he took off his boots and drove the heaviest nails there were in the camp into their heels1 letting the heads protrude more than a quarter of an inch below the surface4 ,what's that for1 ,tom8 asked ,jack1 in listless fashion4 ,to keep me from slipping1 ,tom answered1 in climbing over rocks with snow or ice on them4 ,but you're not really going to try this thing to-morrow1 are you8 ,it will be madness to attempt it4 ,probably1 answered ,tom4 ,but madness or sanity ,i'm going to make the attempt4 ,i don't see anything particularly sane in staying here in camp and trusting to a quart or two of beans to keep life in six already starved boys4 ,i'd rather die trying than sitting still4 ,so ,i'm going to start at daylight4 ,there was no use in arguing1 particularly as the argument was manifestly all on ,tom's side4 ,so all the boys remained silent4 ,i'm going to take two guns1 said ,tom1 presently1 the rifle and a shot gun1 so as to lose no chance of any game1 big or little4 ,i'll pretty certainly lose one of the guns before ,i get back if ,i ever get back at all4 ,nobody said anything in reply4 ,tom's remark had been addressed to nobody in particular4 ,indeed it was rather a reflection out loud than a remark4 ,then ,tom proceeded to get his ammunition belt ready4 ,the rifle was already loaded in its magazine1 with fourteen cartridges4 ,for the shot gun1 ,tom put into his belt1 twenty cartridges loaded with nine buckshot each1 and twenty that carried turkey shot--these last for game smaller than deer4 ,i'll kill anything ,i see1 he said1 presently1 from a skunk to a big buck deer4 ,we are hungry enough now to eat any sort of meat that may come to our hand4 ,just then a noise was heard on the snow-covered roof--a noise as of scratching and slipping4 ,nobody heard it but ,tom1 but his senses were already in that condition of alertness which the morrow's work would require for its success4 ,so1 without saying anything to his comrades1 ,tom took the rifle1 opened the door1 and went out to see what the matter might be4 ,he reflected as he did so1 that it was probably only some slipping of the snow and ice upon the clapboards1 but at any rate he wanted to see for himself the cause of it4 ,a few minutes later the boys inside the hut were startled by two cracks of a rifle and a heavy fall1 just in front of the door4 ,they seized their guns and rushed out1 stumbling over something at the door as they did so4 ,look out there6 called ,tom1 eagerly2 don't risk a blow from his claws yet4 ,he may have life in him still4 ,let me give him one more bullet to make sure4 ,with that ,tom advanced and fired once more into the carcass of the large black bear that he had already killed4 ,it's pretty hard1 isn't it8 said ,tom4 ,what is8 asked the ,doctor4 ,why1 to shoot a friend that had come to our rescue as that fellow did4 ,i don't understand4 ,oh1 yes you do1 or at least you ought to1 answered ,tom1 in whom the long continued1 but now released1 nervous strain1 had wrought an irritable mood4 ,don't you see that fellow came here just in time to rescue us from starvation--for ,i had hardly a hope of getting back with any game from to-morrow's expedition--and he brought a huge supply of bear's meat with him1 under his skin4 ,by the way1 boys1 skin him carefully1 as his hide will be a valuable addition to my collection of pelts4 ,i have the painter's coat1 a deer's hide1 the skins of several raccoons and opossums1 thirty or forty squirrel and hare skins1 and now this bear's thick overcoat will greatly increase the value of my collection4 ,skin him carefully1 but quickly1 for we're going to have a dinner of bear beef before we go to bed1 and we'll eat bear beef to our hearts' content till the weather releases us from our prison4 ,i'm not going out for game to-morrow4 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,all ,night ,work ,the bear was dragged into the cabin4 ,jack picked out a bent stick of round wood1 and with an axe quickly sharpened its ends into points1 making of it a gambrel stick1 about two and a half feet long4 ,inserting its sharpened ends under the big tendons of the animal's hind legs1 he had him ready to hang up for dressing4 ,meantime1 another of the boys had driven another stick in between two of the upper logs of the cabin1 letting its end protrude a foot or two into the cabin4 ,four of the boys seized the bear1 which weighed not much less than two hundred pounds1 and after some exertion succeeded in hanging it1 head downwards1 upon this stick4 ,then1 with sharp knives1 they set to work to skin it4 ,oh stop6 cried ,ed4 ,i know a better plan than that4 ,if you wait to skin the bear1 we sha'n't get any meat to eat before morning4 ,treat him as a butcher treats a deer or calf4 ,cut him open1 and give me the heart1 liver and kidneys to cook1 and you can skin him afterwards just as well as before4 ,in the meantime ,i'll be getting supper4 ,the boys were much too nearly famished to dispute over any suggestion that promised to hurry meal time1 so they did at once what ,ed had bidden them do4 ,they ripped the animal open1 removed the viscera1 detached the heart1 liver and kidneys1 and delivered them into ,ed's hands4 ,ed washed them and cut them into small bits1 discarding the gristle-like linings of the heart4 ,then he put the whole mass into the kettle in which the beans were cooking1 adding a goodly piece of the bear's fat and a pint or two of water4 ,it'll be a new dish1 he muttered to himself--'bear giblets and beans'4 ,but if ,i'm not mistaken nobody in this company will hesitate to eat of it4 ,i say1 fellows1 he called out presently1 save every ounce of that fat6 ,we'll need it for cooking purposes if ever we get anything besides bear beef to cook4 ,by the way1 ,tom1 said ,jack1 as he worked at the task of skinning the bear1 how did this fellow come to be prowling around our cabin8 ,he was hungry1 like the rest of us1 answered ,tom4 ,the snow has cut off his customary sources of supply1 so he set out1 precisely as ,i intended to do in the morning1 to find something to eat4 ,bears always do that when the snow is heavy4 ,they have often gone down1 in hard winters1 to the ,piedmont region--sometimes as far as ,amelia or ,powhatan county4 ,they are searching for something to eat--corn in a crib if they can get at it1 or pork in a barrel1 or a robust boy if they can't get anything better4 ,this fellow was hunting for anything he could find1 and1 unluckily for him1 he found me1 with my rifle4 ,what a splendid gun that is1 by the way1 ,doctor6 ,every shot ,i fired at the big beast went right through him and hurtled off into the air beyond4 ,that's the nitro powder1 said the ,doctor4 ,by which you mean--what8 asked ,tom4 ,why1 nitro powder is smokeless powder4 ,it is mainly composed of nitro-glycerine1 and it has an explosive force many times greater than that of ordinary gunpowder4 ,that is what gives to the guns that are loaded with it so much greater a range than ordinary guns have4 ,you see1 it starts the bullet with a vastly greater velocity than that of a bullet propelled by the explosion of ordinary gunpowder1 and so the missile goes very much faster1 with very much more force1 and in a much straighter line1 and the gun is more accurate and greatly deadlier in its aim4 ,well1 now ,i want to say1 interrupted ,ed1 that ,i've got a supper ready which will go to the spot with a much surer aim than any bullet ever did in the world4 ,the boys responded instantly1 as a matter of course4 ,they were literally starving1 or so nearly so1 that they afterwards confessed that they had had great difficulty in resisting the temptation1 while skinning the bear1 to cut off mouthfuls of the meat and consume it raw4 ,there was1 of course1 no criticism1 therefore1 upon ,ed's new dish of bear giblets and beans1 and not until the last morsel of it was consumed1 did any boy in the party relinquish his assiduous attention to it4 ,now1 said ,jack1 we can go to work again4 ,to-morrow1 we'll dig the house out of the snowdrift any how4 ,yes1 said ,tom1 and as ,i needn't go hunting now1 ,i'll help in that4 ,the snow has settled a good deal by its own weight now and it will settle a good deal more before morning4 ,why8 asked ,ed4 ,because it is raining1 said ,tom1 and nothing settles snow like a drizzling rain4 ,it is now two o'clock1 said ,jack1 and ,i for one am going to bed4 ,better sit up for half an hour longer1 said the ,doctor4 ,why8 asked ,jack4 ,because our stomachs are full4 ,they have been seriously weakened by several days of starvation1 and are apt to do their work rather badly for a time4 ,let's give them a chance4 ,but1 ,doctor1 said ,jack1 ,i have noticed that all the animals lie down and sleep as soon as they have fed heartily4 ,why isn't it a good thing for men to do the same thing8 ,men are after all1 animals on one side of their nature4 ,yes1 ,i know1 said the ,doctor1 and ,i have known physicians to argue in that way in favor of late suppers4 ,but experience hardly bears out the argument4 ,a man may sleep well on a heavy meal1 but often he gets up with a bad taste in his mouth and with a morbid craving for food1 which means that he hasn't properly assimilated the food that he has already eaten4 ,what do you mean by 'assimilating' food8 asked ,tom1 adding3 ,i'm afraid you'll think me very ignorant4 ,not at all1 replied the ,doctor4 ,most people don't understand that4 ,you see1 there are two distinct processes by which we turn food to account in building up our bodies1 making strength and heat1 and generally carrying on the processes of life4 ,one of those processes is digestion1 and the other assimilation4 ,digestion simply reduces the food which we have eaten to a condition in which it can be assimilated4 ,by assimilation certain organs of the body take up the food thus prepared for them1 convert it into blood and send it through the system to nourish it4 ,in the passage of the blood through the arteries and veins1 it leaves deposits of muscle here1 fat there1 bone in another place1 and so on4 ,this is a very rude statement of the matter1 but it is sufficient to show you what ,i mean1 at least in a general way4 ,very well4 ,it does a man no good whatever to digest his food if he doesn't assimilate it4 ,no matter how perfectly the stomach does its work1 the body is not nourished unless the organs charged with the function of assimilating the digested food do theirs also4 ,once1 in a hospital1 ,i saw a little baby die of actual starvation1 although it had an abundance of food1 and digested it perfectly4 ,it simply could not assimilate4 ,but what has that to do with our going to bed at two o'clock in the morning8 asked ,jack1 who was disposed to be a trifle cross as the result of the long starvation and strain4 ,only this1 answered the ,doctor1 that unless we give our weakened stomachs a little chance to digest our food properly before we go to sleep1 the process of assimilation will be very imperfectly performed and we shall not be as perfectly nourished as we need to be4 ,still1 ,i think we might safely go to bed now1 added the ,doctor1 as the half hour is gone1 and it is now two thirty--looking at his watch4 ,with that the exhausted company prepared for bed4 ,jim ,chenowith was the first to approach the bunks1 under which the earthen floor was a little lower than in the rest of the cabin4 ,as he did so1 having slipped off his boots1 ,jim called out3 ,hello6 ,what's this8 ,i say1 fellows1 we have a creek here under our beds6 ,a hasty examination confirmed his statement4 ,there was a vigorous stream of water running directly under the bunks1 and worse still1 as an exploration with torches soon revealed1 the water was not only running in under the lower logs of the hut1 but was also pouring through every opening it could find in the chinking of the walls above1 and streaming into the bunks4 ,the ,doctor hastily went outside to study conditions and1 returning1 said3 ,there's a terrific rain on1 boys1 and the thermometer stands at fifty4 ,so the snow is melting rapidly1 and the two things together--the rain and the melting snowdrift--are flooding us4 ,tired and sleepy as ,jack was1 he rose instantly to the occasion4 ,there's no sleep for us to-night1 boys6 he said4 ,we must go to work at once and dig the house out of the snowdrift4 ,get some fatwood torches ready and let's go to work4 ,the boys responded quickly1 and presently all of them except ,ed1 whom the ,doctor forbade to do any further work that involved strenuous physical exertion1 were engaged in shoveling the snow away from the house and opening a passageway around it fully eight feet wide4 ,by daylight this was accomplished4 ,it put an end to the inflow of water through the chinking of the upper logs2 but1 as ,tom expressed it1 there was still a young river flowing into the house1 from the bottom of the snow bank1 underneath the lower logs of the hut4 ,not only was all the warm rain flowing through the snow bank1 but in its passage it was dissolving a great deal of the snow1 and so the volume of water flowing out at the bottom and running into the house was quite double that which the rain itself would have supplied4 ,we ought to have made a bank of earth around the lower part of the cabin1 said the ,doctor1 after studying the situation for a time4 ,true1 said ,jack1 but we had no tools with which to do it4 ,neither have we any now4 ,so ,i don't see what is to be done4 ,i do6 said ,tom1 the alert of mind4 ,i do1 and it is perfectly simple4 ,what's your idea1 ,tom8 asked ,jack4 ,why1 to make the snow protect us against itself4 ,but how8 ,why1 by building a little snow bank between the big snow bank and the house1 hammering it into solid ice1 with our mauls1 and in that way making a ditch that will carry off the water around the end of the house and down over the cliff4 ,that's a superb idea1 ,tom1 said ,jack1 and we'll get to work at it at once4 ,i'd give the proceeds of all my winter's work for a head half as good as yours1 ,tom4 ,oh1 pshaw6 said ,tom4 ,my head isn't of much account4 ,it is only that ,i look straight at things and try to use common sense4 ,yes1 said the ,doctor1 and that is what we call 'genius' in science4 ,it is the men who 'look straight at things and try to use common sense' who do the great things in science4 ,darwin did that1 and so did ,asa ,gray1 and ,edison1 and ,agassiz1 and all the rest of them4 ,scientific genius is nothing in the world but common sense1 reinforced by a habit of observation4 ,but there was no further time for talk4 ,the boys quickly built a low snow embankment between their house and the great snowdrift1 and beat it down with their mauls1 into a condition of solid ice4 ,with this barrier to aid them they succeeded in compelling the water from the rain and the melting snow to flow in a sort of ditch around their house1 and to cease flowing through it4 ,inside1 however1 the condition of things was deplorable4 ,the earthen floor under the bunks was a mud hole4 ,the broom straw that constituted the beds was soaking wet1 and the task of drying it promised to be no easy one4 ,we've simply got to sleep on hard clapboards for two or three nights1 said ,ed4 ,well1 what of that8 asked ,tom1 ,i've often slept on much harder beds than clapboards make4 ,for example8 asked ,jim4 ,well1 ,i've slept on big rocks for one thing4 ,why did you do that8 ,why didn't you sleep on the softer ground8 ,because the softer ground was much too soft1 being mud4 ,i've slept on two rails placed about eight inches apart1 with one end stuck into a fence so as to keep me out of the mud1 and a pretty good bed rails make4 ,finally1 ,i have slept on the worst bed there is in the world4 ,what is that8 ,why1 a pile of pebbles4 ,that's the very worst there is1 but you can sleep on it1 if you've got to4 ,now1 let's have some breakfast1 ,ed1 and after devouring a proper quantity of bear steak1 ,i'll show you fellows how a healthy fellow who has worked all night can sleep on clapboards in spite of the daylight that the ,doctor's rag windows are letting in1 now that we've shoveled the snow away from them4 ,ed had breakfast already well under way4 ,it was to consist solely of bear steak and coffee1 for coffee was their one supply which was not exhausted1 and during the starving time they would hardly have endured their hunger but for that resource4 ,but1 said ,jack1 as they ate their breakfast1 what are we going to do with that bear meat8 ,it won't keep long in this soft weather4 ,by the way1 ,jim1 throw another stick on the fire4 ,it's cold4 ,so it is1 said the ,doctor1 who had just come in after a consultation with his scientific instruments4 ,the thermometer has sunk twenty degrees within the last hour1 and stands now at two degrees below freezing4 ,it will go much lower1 for the barometer is rising and the wind has shifted to the northwest4 ,we're in for a trip to the ,arctic regions without doing any traveling to get there4 ,let's hang the bear out of doors1 then1 said ,jack4 ,it will freeze there4 ,yes1 and every carnivorous animal in these woods will come and eat for us1 said ,tom1 whose authority on the habits of wild creatures was accepted by all the boys as final4 ,besides1 said the ,doctor1 it isn't necessary4 ,our bear will freeze hanging just where he is1 by the door there4 ,with that he arose1 went outside1 and brought in a thermometer1 which he pinned to the bear's carcass4 ,we're down to twenty-six degrees outside now1 he said1 and it is growing steadily colder4 ,then1 after waiting for five minutes1 he consulted the thermometer that he had hung upon the bear1 and announced3 ,it stands at thirty-three degrees--fruit-house temperature4 ,what do you mean by 'fruit-house temperature8' asked ,tom4 ,why1 don't you know8 ,the houses in which fresh fruits of the summer are preserved for winter use are kept always at a temperature of thirty-three degrees4 ,if the temperature were higher than that1 the fruits would ferment and decay4 ,if it were a single degree lower they would freeze--for thirty-two degrees is the freezing point4 ,but at a temperature of thirty-three degrees nothing decays and nothing freezes4 ,so they keep the fruit houses always at that temperature1 and they keep fresh strawberries and peaches and all the rest of the fruits all winter in nearly as good condition as when they were picked4 ,well1 what do they do with a boy1 asked ,tom1 who has worked all night and is mightily sleepy1 except let him go to bed1 even if it is the usual time for going to work1 instead8 ,good morning1 and pleasant dreams to all of you4 ,with that ,tom rolled himself up in his blanket and lay down upon the clapboard flooring of his bed1 taking a stick of wood with him for a pillow4 ,the rest immediately followed his example and in spite of adverse conditions1 they were all presently sound asleep4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,a ,loan ,negotiated ,zero weather1 boys1 and below1 called the ,doctor1 who was first to wake1 about four o'clock that afternoon1 and who1 before waking the others1 had gone out to inspect his weather recording instruments4 ,the bear hanging here by the door is frozen hard1 and so is all the water in the house4 ,so all that want a bath will have to join me in a roll in the snow out there4 ,with that he shed the scant clothing that he had on him and1 rushing out1 plunged into a snow bank4 ,the rest1 determined not to be out-done in robustness1 quickly followed him1 and after a vigorous rubbing with their coarse towels1 they felt like entirely new persons4 ,how glad our friends will be1 said ,tom1 when they hear that each of us is 'another fellow4' ,that's an old joke1 ,tom1 responded ,ed4 ,yes1 to other people1 perhaps1 but not to this crew of new people1 every one of whom has proclaimed himself 'a new man' after that snow bath4 ,now1 we can accomplish something1 said ,jack4 ,the rain and natural settling have reduced the depth of snow out there where we're chopping to two or three feet1 and in this weather the surface of it will be as hard as ice itself4 ,so we'll all drive nails in our heels to-night1 as ,tom has done with his1 and early to-morrow we'll set to work again with the axes4 ,ed was already broiling some slices of juicy bear beef1 and had a big pot of coffee ready for use4 ,as they ate supper1 ,harry said3 ,this bear beef is delicious1 of course1 but ,i would give something pretty if ,i had an ash cake or a pone of bread to go with it4 ,it may be true that a healthy person can live on meat alone for a good while1 but it is a good deal more comfortable to have some bread with it4 ,and it is more wholesome1 too1 said the ,doctor4 ,man was made to eat a mixed diet1 and it isn't well for him to live too long on meat without starchy food1 or starchy food without meat4 ,i'm going to observe the effects of this exclusively meat diet on all of us very closely4 ,any how1 said ,jack1 the ,indians1 when they go on their big hunting trips or on the war-path1 used to live on meat alone for weeks and months at a time4 ,so ,i don't think we'll starve while our bear lasts1 and before it is gone we can depend on ,tom to provide something else4 ,now that the snow is hard1 ,tom will go prowling about the mountains before many days pass4 ,oh1 we shan't starve1 said the ,doctor4 ,but it has been a good many days now since we had any bread1 and we are all beginning to feel the need of it4 ,the beans we had with our bear giblet stew were a very imperfect substitute for bread1 and the quart or so of beans that we have left are not to be used at all so long as we keep fairly well4 ,i'm saving them for hospital diet4 ,how the ,doctors in the hospitals would laugh at the suggestion of a bean diet in illness6 ,and yet we may have to come to that for lack of any other starchy food4 ,what is it you fear1 ,doctor8 asked ,jack4 ,why1 ,i fear that an exclusive diet of meat may result in some sort of inflammation or other disturbance of the digestive organs4 ,if that happens1 even a few beans1 boiled without meat1 may save a life4 ,at any rate1 ,i am going to keep the beans for such an emergency4 ,all this while ,tom was taking no part in the conversation4 ,tom was thinking--looking straight at things and using common sense4 ,presently1 he took his gun and went out to take a look at the situation1 he said4 ,on his return1 he reported that everything is frozen as hard as a brick1 and if the moonshiners ever intend to attack us1 now is their time4 ,we must put out a sentinel at once4 ,as ,i want to think a little ,i'll take the first turn1 and the rest of you fellows can arrange as you like for the other turns4 ,one thing ,i want to suggest1 broke in the ,doctor4 ,the cold is intense4 ,the thermometer is considerably below zero4 ,it will be cruel to keep any boy on guard outside for any prolonged time4 ,so ,i propose that while this weather lasts we run the guard duty in half hour shifts4 ,that will give each boy half an hour out there in the cold1 and two hours and a half in which to sleep and get warm before he has to go on duty again4 ,it's an excellent idea1 said ,jack1 and we'll arrange it so4 ,all right1 said ,tom1 only as ,i am taking the first and best turn1 ,i'll stay out for an hour4 ,the fact was1 though ,tom did not mention it1 that the boy wanted a full hour in which to think out some plans that he had vaguely conceived4 ,it was always ,tom's habit to try to better the conditions in which he was placed1 instead of accepting them as inevitable4 ,whenever anything was wrong and uncomfortable1 ,tom began asking himself if there might not be some way in which he could make it right and comfortable4 ,he could endure hardship with a plucky resolution that often astonished others2 but he never endured hardship without giving all his energies to the task of ridding himself of it if that were possible4 ,it was a familiar saying among those who knew him that ,little ,tom ,ridsdale never will admit that he is beaten1 and so at last he never is beaten4 ,as ,tom paced up and down the platform1 stamping his feet and clapping his hands against his sides to keep them from freezing1 the ,doctor came out with a burning brand to consult his weather instruments4 ,when he had done1 ,tom called to him1 saying3 ,would you mind coming up here for a minute or two1 ,doctor8 ,no1 certainly not1 answered the ,doctor4 ,do you want to go in and warm yourself8 ,no2 oh1 no1 answered ,tom1 quickly4 ,i only want to consult you a little4 ,the ,doctor mounted the platform1 and after some hesitation1 ,tom asked3 ,do you happen to have any more money in your pockets1 ,doctor8 ,yes1 of course4 ,i always keep a little money with me4 ,would you mind lending me two dollars in the common interest of the company1 ,i giving you an order on our paymaster down below for that amount1 to be paid to you out of my share when we collect8 ,yes1 answered the ,doctor4 ,i would mind that very much4 ,in fact1 ,i positively decline to lend you any money on any such terms1 ,tom4 ,but if you want some money1 be it two dollars1 or ten1 simply as from one friend to another1 and without any 'orders' on paymasters1 you can have it4 ,tom understood1 and he did not contest the point4 ,he pressed the ,doctor's hand and said3 ,well1 then1 let me have two dollars1 please8 ,make it five1 said the ,doctor4 ,no1 answered ,tom4 ,two dollars will be quite enough4 ,somebody in the mountains might murder me for five dollars4 ,and1 besides1 nobody up there could change the bill4 ,so1 if you will let me have two one dollar bills ,i shall be grateful4 ,what are you going to do1 ,tom8 ,nothing rash1 ,i hope4 ,i don't know yet what ,i'm going to do1 answered ,tom4 ,and please don't say anything to the other boys about it4 ,i'll be gone from here when they get up in the morning4 ,maybe ,i'll bring back some game4 ,you see that bear won't last very long with six hearty men eating three meals a day off it1 with no other food to help fill up4 ,the ,doctor saw that ,tom did not want to talk of his plans--it was always ,tom's way to keep such things to himself--and so he asked no more questions1 but went to the doorway for light1 selected two one dollar bills1 and returning1 placed them in ,tom's hand4 ,then ,tom said3 ,now1 ,doctor1 you fellows are not to worry about me if ,i don't turn up when you expect me4 ,i shall probably be away from camp for several days--may be a week1 or possibly even more than that4 ,don't worry1 in any case4 ,remember that ,i know how to take care of myself4 ,the ,doctor promised1 but it was with much of apprehension in his mind4 ,he saw that ,tom was looking forward to his projected expedition with a good deal less of confident hope than he usually manifested on such occasions1 and he gravely feared that the boy was planning to take some serious1 if not even desperate1 risk4 ,he knew that ,tom was daring to a fault1 and that when he had formed a purpose he pursued it to its ultimate accomplishment or failure1 with no regard whatever to the risks run1 except that prudent forethought and circumspection which might enable him to avoid threatened evils4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,in the ,high ,mountains ,tom's second tour of guard duty ended at four o'clock in the morning1 and he woke the ,doctor to succeed him4 ,then1 without attracting the other boys' attention1 he rolled his blanket into a compact bundle and strapped it high upon his shoulders4 ,he next loaded his cartridge belt with twenty buckshot cartridges on one side and twenty cartridges that carried turkey shot on the other4 ,he put a box of matches into one pocket and two thick slices of bear beef into another4 ,finally1 he took one of the empty meal bags1 carefully folded it up and thrust it into the breast of his hunting shirt4 ,thus equipped he sallied out1 and bidding the ,doctor good morning as he passed the picket post1 started off up the mountain4 ,he had to pick his way very carefully till daylight came1 and by that time he had passed well over the side of a ridge and was completely out of sight of ,camp ,venture4 ,selecting a suitable spot where the wind had swept a rock clear of snow1 he laid aside his gun and blanket1 and set to work to build a little fire and cook one slice of his meat for breakfast4 ,the other he reserved for a late dinner4 ,as he moved on after breakfast1 he came upon a flock of quails--or partridges1 as they are more properly called in ,virginia4 ,they were helplessly huddled under the edge of a stone and were manifestly freezing to death4 ,for when ,tom1 who was too much of a sportsman to shoot birds in the covey1 tried to flush them1 meaning to shoot them on wing1 they were barely able to flutter about on the ground1 and wholly incapable of rising in flight4 ,i may as well have them1 said the boy1 seeing that they'll be frozen to death in another half hour4 ,so1 after a little scrambling1 he caught the eleven birds and quickly put them out of their suffering4 ,drawing some twine from a pocket1 he strung the birds together and threw them over his neck for ease of carrying4 ,the mountain up here was rugged and uneven1 scarred and seamed with chasms and deep hollows4 ,tom devoted all his energies to peering into these as if searching for something4 ,at one time1 as he was hunting for a place from which to get a good view of a small but deep ravine1 he flushed a flock of wild turkeys1 seven or eight in number1 and scarcely more than twenty feet distant from him4 ,curiously enough1 he let them scamper away without so much as taking a shot at them4 ,that was exceedingly unlike little ,tom ,ridsdale1 and obviously it meant something4 ,but what it meant did not appear4 ,but shooting makes a noise and attracts attention4 ,tom did not want to attract attention4 ,about two o'clock in the afternoon1 ,tom carefully reconnoitered a spot where great blocks of stone had fallen from cliffs above to a ledge below lying loosely there and making small caverns4 ,having satisfied himself that neither human habitation nor any human being was within miles of this little hiding place1 ,tom collected some sticks and built a little fire in one of the crevices between the great blocks of stone4 ,here1 he cooked and ate his remaining piece of bear beef4 ,then he opened his blanket1 rolled himself in it1 and disposed himself to sleep1 in a half sitting1 half lying posture with his head and shoulders resting against the rock4 ,i must get a little sleep now1 he said to himself1 as ,i didn't get any too much last night1 and1 of course1 can't take any at all to-night4 ,for if ,i slept without a fire in this weather1 ,i'd freeze to death1 and it would never do to build a fire up here at night1 when it could be seen for miles away4 ,healthy boy that he was1 he fell almost immediately into slumber1 and it was nightfall when he woke4 ,he took the risk of throwing two or three small sticks on his well-hidden fire1 in order to broil one of his partridges for his supper4 ,that done1 he repacked his blanket1 took up his gun1 and set out again on his search for that something for which he had been looking all day4 ,all night long ,tom toiled about1 up and down hills1 over rocks and cliffs1 through snow that was now beginning to soften as the weather was growing milder1 but the search resulted in nothing4 ,when morning came1 the well-nigh exhausted boy sought out what seemed a safe spot for the purpose1 created a little fire1 cooked three partridges and ate them1 seasoning them with a little salt which he always1 on his hunting trips1 carried in a little ,india rubber tobacco bag4 ,then he stretched himself out for a sleep1 no longer fearing to freeze1 as the weather had become very much warmer than before4 ,it was four o'clock in the afternoon when ,tom awoke4 ,as he did so1 he felt a hand pulling at that part of his blanket in which his head was wrapped--for all huntsmen and all soldiers1 when they sleep in the open1 even in the warmest weather1 find it necessary to wrap up their heads4 ,illustration3 ,,he ,,felt ,a ,,hand ,,pulling ,,at ,,his ,,blanket4 ,well1 law's sakes6 exclaimed the mountaineer1 who1 rifle in hand1 was bending over him1 ,ef it ain't ,little ,tom6 ,well1 ,i'm glad ,i didn't shoot1 as ,i was fust off about to6 ,why1 ,tom1 ,i wouldn't have shot you fer another of the ,doctor's twenty dollar bills6 ,no1 not fer a pocket full of 'em6 ,you don't know what you done fer me an' fer my little gal when you pay-rolled me--the man always pronounced parole pay-roll4 ,you see1 ,i got home jest in time to save the little gal from starvin'4 ,her mother was dead in the cabin--you 'member ,i tole you she was consumptive like--well1 she got to bleedin' one day at the nose an' mouth an' jist quit livin' like4 ,so the little gal was left all alone there1 an' there wan't nothin' whatsomever in the place to eat an' of course a little gal only six year old didn't know what to do4 ,so fur two days before ,i got there she hadn't had a mouthful4 ,well1 ,i had a little left from what you fellers had giv' me to eat when ,i left camp1 an' ,i fust off fed her on that4 ,it made her sick like1 'cause she hadn't been used to eatin' as you mout say1 an' maybe ,i give her too much at oncet4 ,but she quick got over that1 an' ,i had that twenty dollar bill6 ,you jest bet ,i hustled off down into the holler to a still an' brought some o' the ground up corn an' rye an' a gallon of the 'lasses that they uses with it to make whiskey out'n an' took it home fer the little gal to eat4 ,i am very sorry1 said ,tom1 to hear of your wife's death1 but very glad you got home in time to save the little girl4 ,well1 as to my ole woman1 of course ,i can't help mournin'1 cause any how she was always a better wife than a no 'count feller like me deserves to have4 ,but you see it wan't unexpected1 like4 ,we'd both on us seed it a comin' for a year or two1 an' always comin' a little nigher1 so it didn't seem so onnateral like as it would ef she'd been strong an' healthy an' laughin' like1 as she used to be before ,i went away to prison4 ,with that the man buried his face in his hands and sobbed4 ,after all1 the well-to-do1 the refined1 the cultivated people of this world have no monopoly of love or of tender sensibilities4 ,tom took the man's hand and pressed it warmly4 ,then by way of turning the conversation he said3 ,i suppose you're wondering what ,i am doing up here in the high mountains8 ,well1 yes--it's risky of you1 like4 ,you see1 ,i've done all the talkin' ,i could to persuade our people1 like1 that you fellers ain't here to interfere with 'em1 an' lately they've let you alone4 ,but still it ain't safe fer you1 an' my earnest advice to you still is to git down out'n these mountings4 ,i'm agoin' to keep on a talkin' in your favor an' a doin' all ,i kin fer to make it safe fer you to stay1 but it won't never be real safe4 ,you see1 there's them up here in the high mountings what's suspicious like4 ,they don't want to take no risks4 ,they're always a lookin' out fer tricks1 an' they won't believe but what you fellers mout be up to some trick4 ,anyhow they say 'men that ain't up in the mountings can't tell what's a goin' on up in the mountings1' an' some of 'em says1 says they1 'men that's dead don't tell nothin' to the revenue officers4' ,nevertheless we're not going to be driven out1 as you know1 said ,tom4 ,so now let's get to business4 ,all right1 ,tom4 ,ef there's anythin' in this world ,i kin do fer you without hangin' fer it1 ,i'll do it4 ,well1 said ,tom1 ,i came up here at risk of my life to look for you4 ,i thought ,i might find your cabin or more probably find you standing guard over some still somewhere1 and so ,i've been looking out for stills4 ,now1 that's curious1 said the man1 very curious4 ,fer that's edzactly what you found me a doin'4 ,you see1 they's a still near here an' it's about as snugly tucked away as any still ever was in all these mountings4 ,you'd never find it in the world1 though you ain't at this minute more'n two hundred yards away from it4 ,still the folks what runs it don't feel overly safe in spite of their hidin' of the still4 ,so they've give me a job like to climb about over the cliffs an' look out fer spies4 ,that's how ,i come to find you1 ,tom4 ,well1 ,i'm glad you did find me1 said ,tom1 for in all probability ,i never should have found you1 and ,i stood a good chance of getting myself shot in trying4 ,you said just now that you would do anything you could for me4 ,yes1 an' ,i will6 answered the man1 with emphasis4 ,jest you try me1 ,tom1 an' see ef ,i don't4 ,very well1 said ,tom4 ,i believe you4 ,now1 what ,i want isn't much4 ,we boys down there in ,camp ,venture ran out of something to eat the other day1 and we nearly starved for a time4 ,finally1 by good luck1 we got a bear1 and we have more than half of it left1 and of course1 now that the snow storm has passed away1 ,i can get more game as we need it4 ,but we haven't had any bread for more than a week1 and we're hungry4 ,so ,i have come out here to look for you1 to see if you can't get me a bag of ground-up corn or rye from one of the stills4 ,i have money with me with which to pay for it4 ,but you can't pay fer it1 ,tom1 said the man solemnly4 ,they ain't any body around the still now1 'cause it's knocked off runnin' fer the next week er so1 but they's plenty of ground corn an' rye there1 an' ,i'll bring you all you kin carry of it1 ef you'll wait here fer fifteen minutes1 an' not a cent to pay4 ,but it doesn't belong to you8 said ,tom4 ,no1 in course not4 ,i don't own no still4 ,i wish ,i was rich enough4 ,then of course ,i can't let you give me the meal4 ,i must pay full price for it or ,i'll go without it4 ,but say1 ,tom1 that stuff ain't never measured up or weighed up1 an' nobody'd ever miss a bagful or two4 ,why1 ,i carry a small bagful of it to my cabin every mornin'1 jest as a sort o' safeguard like fer the little gal till blackberry time comes4 ,i'll bring you a bagful an' ,i tell you it shan't cost you a cent4 ,and ,i tell you1 said ,tom1 that ,i won't take an ounce of it on any such terms4 ,that meal belongs to other people4 ,i want some of it--just as much as ,i can carry to ,camp ,venture with me--but ,i must pay for every ounce of it or ,i won't take any of it4 ,i never steal1 and ,i don't intend to let you steal for me4 ,oh1 it ain't stealin' like1 answered the man2 you see people never care fer what they lose ef they don't know that they loses it4 ,i don't suppose ,i can make you understand1 said ,tom1 realizing the utter inability of the mountaineer's mind to grasp an ethical principle1 even of the simplest kind1 but ,i tell you plainly that ,i want this bagful of corn meal if you'll let me pay honestly for it1 and otherwise ,i don't want it at all1 and won't take it4 ,i would rather see every boy in ,camp ,venture starve than do a dishonest thing4 ,well1 you see1 you people from down the mounting draw these things a good deal finer than us folks up here in the mountings kin4 ,i'm a member of the church an' ,i tries to behave accordin'4 ,you never heard me swear an' you never will4 ,you've done me the greatest favor any body ever done me1 an' like an honest man ,i want to repay it a little1 but you won't let me4 ,tom saw that there was no use in trying to enlighten the mountaineer's perverted ethical sense and so he gave up the effort and simply said3 ,will you let me have the meal and let me pay for it1 or will you not8 ,in course ,i will1 said the mountaineer4 ,how many bags is you got8 ,only this one1 said ,tom4 ,i couldn't carry more than that4 ,it will hold a hundred pounds of meal4 ,yes1 but ,i kin carry some1 said the man1 and ,i'm a goin' to4 ,i tell you you done me the biggest turn any body ever done me1 when you put me on pay-roll1 an' ,i'm bound to get even with you ef ,i kin4 ,so ,i'm a goin' to fill your bag an' one that ,i've got down there of my own1 an' ,i'm a goin' to tote one of 'em while you tote the other4 ,i know easier paths than you do about these mountings an' ,i'm a goin' to show 'em to you4 ,in some places we kin slide the meal bags down a incline fer a quarter of a mile at a time1 jest on the ice1 without no totin' at all4 ,so we'll git two big bags o' meal to your camp betwixt this an' mornin'4 ,but why not wait for daylight8 asked ,tom4 ',cause then the fellers would lynch me fer carryin' food to the enemy4 ,you see it won't do fer me even to go into yer camp4 ,i'll tote my bag to the top o' that bluff like1 that rises this side o' the camp4 ,then ,i'll git out quick an' afterwards you kin slip the bag over the bluff like an' ,i'll git into no trouble4 ,with that the mountaineer took ,tom's bag and disappeared over a sort of cliff4 ,ten minutes later he returned with the bag full of a rude meal1 made by grinding corn in a big coffee mill of the kind that grocers use4 ,now you jest stay here fer ten minutes or so an' ,i'll be back with the other sack4 ,it's a good deal bigger'n this 'un1 but ,i kin tote a good deal more'n you kin1 an' you'll need all the meal you kin git4 ,wait a minute1 said ,tom4 ,how much am ,i to pay for this meal8 ,i have only two dollars with me and perhaps it will not be enough4 ,well1 you see1 ,tom1 ,i done tole you you needn't pay nothin' fer it1 but you wouldn't have it that way on no account4 ,so ,i reckon ,i'll charge you the same price ,i pay when ,i buy that sort o' meal from the still4 ,that's a dollar fer them two bags4 ,that's very cheap1 said ,tom4 ,are you sure it's a proper price8 ,sartin' sure1 answered the man4 ,you see it's a mighty poor sort o' meal--jest soft mounting corn ground up like in a coffee mill to make whiskey out'n4 ,you'll have to wet it up mouty soft like to make it stick together fer bread1 an' ,i'll tell you a trick about that4 ,you jest wet it up with boilin' hot water4 ,that sort o' cooks it like4 ,make it very wet an' don't mind even ef a little o' the water stan's on top o' the dough in the pan4 ,that'll cook away an' your bread'll be all the better fer it4 ,but a dollar is a high price fer it4 ,by the time the second bag of meal came it was high time for the pair to start if they were to reach ,camp ,venture before daylight4 ,but the mountaineer knew all the short cuts1 and better still1 all the easy cuts--paths that gave a minimum of up-hill work while presenting other advantages of importance4 ,at one point1 for example1 he led ,tom to a spot where there was a steep shelving rock1 completely coated with hard ice4 ,now1 he said1 ,you an' me couldn't go down that slide without breakin' every bone we've got4 ,but we kin slip our meal bags down it 'thout no hurt to nobody4 ,then ,i'll show you a way round it1 so's we kin git the meal agin4 ,with that he placed his meal bag in position1 gave it a little push1 and instantly it disappeared down the hill in the darkness4 ,tom did the same with his bag1 and then1 striding off to the right1 the mountaineer led the way by a difficult but practicable path around the rock to a point quite a quarter of a mile below1 where the two found their bags of meal safely reposing in a snow bank4 ,this was repeated at several points on the journey1 while at other points where the bags could not be thus slidden down1 because of an insufficient incline1 it was easy for the two to drag them as they walked and this they did4 ,as the way was almost entirely down hill1 there was very little of what the mountaineer called toting to be done4 ,about three o'clock in the morning the two reached the brow of that cliff under which the boys had made their first temporary encampment1 and which constituted the mountainside limit of ,camp ,venture4 ,there they parted1 the mountaineer protesting his eager desire to hurry back and look arter the little gal4 ,wait a minute1 said ,tom4 ,i've paid you for this meal1 but ,i haven't paid you for carrying it down the mountain or for the risk you've taken in doing that4 ,i don't want no pay1 ,tom1 protested the man with eagerness4 ,i hain't fergot that you put me on pay-roll jest in the nick o' time4 ,that's all right1 said ,tom4 ,but ,i took two dollars with me and ,i expected to pay all of it for the meal4 ,now ,i want you to take the remaining dollar to the 'little gal' as a present from ,tom4 ,there1 don't stop to say anything or you'll be late in getting back1 added ,tom1 as he pressed the dollar bill into the man's hands4 ,well1 all ,i'll stop to say1 ,little ,tom1 said the mountaineer1 is this3 ,ef you git out'n meal agin1 you come to the same place ,i found you in4 ,i'll keep a look out fer you there every day4 ,an' ef they's war made on you it won't be long before ,i'm takin' a hand on your side with my rifle1 an' it don't make no difference whatsomever who it is that's a fightin' of you4 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,a ,difficulty ,little ,tom was now in a quandary4 ,he was on the bluff overlooking and south of the camp1 but he did not know how to get into the camp4 ,to walk in would be dangerous1 of course4 ,the sentinel might mistake him for an enemy and shoot at him4 ,a high wind was blowing from the direction of ,camp ,venture1 so that no call of ,tom's could be heard there4 ,it was a little after three o'clock in the morning1 very dark1 very cold1 and ,tom was very tired with his labor in bringing the meal down the mountain4 ,finally an idea dawned in his mind4 ,if ,i can't go to ,camp ,venture ,i can at any rate bring ,camp ,venture to me1 he said to himself4 ,with that he collected some of the dry broom straw that protruded above the snow and such sticks and other combustibles as he could find1 and set to work to build a fire4 ,when the sentinel sees a fire here1 he said to himself1 he'll call the other boys1 and they'll all get their guns and come out here to see what's the matter4 ,i'll stand up in the full glare of the light and on the camp side of the fire1 so that they can recognize me4 ,his plan worked to perfection4 ,it was not five minutes after he got a good blaze going before the whole company surrounded him4 ,what is it1 ,tom8 they cried4 ,why did you build a fire here8 ,wait6 said ,tom4 ,there are two bags of corn meal down there just under the bluff4 ,some of you go and carry them to the house4 ,i'm fearfully tired and cold4 ,the boys quickly saw how true this was1 and they plied the poor1 exhausted fellow with no more questions4 ,he strode away to the hut1 entered it1 threw down his remaining partridges1 set his gun in its customary place and stood for a few minutes with his back to the big fire1 warming himself4 ,presently1 when the boys all came in with the bags of meal1 ,jack1 seeing the look of almost helpless exhaustion in ,tom's face1 himself removed the blanket from the boy's shoulders1 untied it and spread it out upon the bunkful of broom straw1 for by this time ,ed had got all their bedding dry again4 ,meantime the ,doctor went to a kettle that sat near the fire1 placed it upon some very hot coals1 and a minute later dipped up a tin cup of its contents4 ,here1 ,tom1 drink this1 he said4 ,it'll do you good and give you strength4 ,it was a soup that ,ed had made--or a broth rather--from the bones and scraps of their bear dinners1 and to ,tom's exhausted system it seemed wonderfully refreshing4 ,meantime ,harry asked3 ,are your feet frozen1 ,tom8 ,no1 answered the boy4 ,they are scarcely at all cold4 ,you see1 ,i've been using them too vigorously for that4 ,but they are dreadfully sore and tired4 ,with that ,harry filled their one foot tub with hot water and directing ,tom to sit down ,harry himself removed the boy's boots and socks1 felt of his feet to make sure that they were not frosted1 and placed them in the hot water4 ,the ,doctor applauded the performance and when it was over1 and ,tom's whole body was warm again1 the boys rolled him up1 not in his own blanket alone1 but in all the other blankets there were in the camp and tumbled him into his bunk4 ,there now6 said ,jack1 sleep till you wake of your own accord4 ,we'll all keep as still as mice4 ,no1 don't1 said ,tom4 ,i shall sleep better if you go on talking as usual4 ,then ,i'll know when ,i half wake that ,i'm here in camp and ,i'll go to sleep again easily4 ,then1 after the boys thought him asleep ,tom turned over and said1 with much solicitude in his voice3 ,boys1 ,i'm sorry ,i broke up your sleep so early this morning1 but ,i couldn't very well help myself4 ,never you mind about that1 said ,jim ,chenowith4 ,you're on duty now1--sleep duty1--and if you don't shut up and go to sleep ,i'll pour buckets of cold water over you4 ,we're not suffering for sleep just because we were waked up an hour or so earlier than usual4 ,tom was too tired to argue or to resist4 ,he turned over on his side and a minute later he was asleep4 ,meantime the boys busied themselves with breakfast4 ,ed was still the head cook1 partly because he knew more about cooking than any body else did1 and partly because the ,doctor still refused to let him work with an axe4 ,but all the boys helped him with this meal1 as they always did when they were in the house at the time of the preparation of meals4 ,how long will it be1 ,doctor1 before ,tom will wake up hungry8 asked ,ed solicitously4 ,not more than two hours at farthest1 answered the ,doctor4 ,but why8 ,well1 ,i want to have something ready for him when he wakes--something hot and appetizing4 ,and ,ed accomplished his purpose4 ,he gave the other boys their breakfast of broiled bear's meat and ash cakes and then he set to work on ,tom's breakfast4 ,he dressed two of the quails and laid them aside4 ,then he mixed some of the meal and made pones of it1 baking them in a skillet4 ,when ,tom began to stir restlessly ,ed raked out a fine bed of clean coals and placed the two quails upon them to broil4 ,they required very close and constant attention1 of course1 to prevent burning1 and just as ,ed was finally taking them off the fire ,tom sat up in his bunk and asked3 ,hello1 ,ed6 what's up8 ,you've got something there that smells mighty good to a hungry fellow like me4 ,what is it8 ,i'll answer your questions one at a time1 answered ,ed4 ',what's up8' ,why1 you are1 of course4 ',what is it'--that ,i'm cooking8 ,you just get out of bed and see4 ,tom obeyed4 ,creeping stiffly out of bed he seized the foot tub that had stood there for two hours or more and felt of the water4 ,it was by this time sharply cold4 ,tom stripped off his clothing1 soused his head into the water and then taking a sponge1 sluiced his whole body with the nearly freezing liquid4 ,a rapid rub down followed1 and ,tom called out3 ,now1 ,ed1 bring on your breakfast as soon as you can4 ,i'm nearly starved4 ,with that he slipped again into his clothing and a minute later was devouring a quail and a big pone of very coarse corn bread which ,ed had buttered with the scant remains of the ante-,christmas bacon drippings4 ,where are the other fellows8 asked ,tom1 as he ate4 ,out chopping1 answered ,ed4 ,did they have bacon dripping butter on their bread this morning8 ,indeed they didn't4 ,that was saved1 by unanimous vote1 for you4 ,for but for you there wouldn't have been any bread in ,camp ,venture to butter with anything4 ,oh1 well1 said ,tom1 but you see it isn't fair4 ,you ought to have divided the bacon fat-- ,now look here1 ,tom1 ,ed broke in1 if you'll find a single boy in this company who is growling about the breakfast he got this morning--the best part of it due to your exertions in getting us the meal1--,i'll agree to eat that boy and all his complaints4 ,i tell you this bacon fat was saved for you by special request of every fellow in the camp1 and that's all there is about it4 ,i foresaw that you'd want to divide it up1 so ,i put it on your bread myself instead of leaving that for you to do4 ,you see you can't help eating it now4 ,ed1 you fellows are the very best and kindliest that ever were in this world1 said ,tom1 with so much of emotion that he did not venture to say any more4 ,but ,i say1 ,tom1 said ,ed1 eager to turn the course of the talk1 where and how did you get this meal8 ,oh1 that's a long story1 answered ,tom1 and the other fellows will want to hear it1 and really ,i can't tell it twice4 ,besides1 now that ,i've had my breakfast ,i'm going out to do my share of the chopping4 ,i'll tell you all about it while we sit around the fire to-night4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,the ,doctor's ,talk ,tom went at once to his chopping1 for being1 as the ,doctor said1 a healthy young animal1 his sleep1 his bath and his breakfast had completely cured him of his exhaustion4 ,at noon the boys made a hasty dinner1 as was their custom when chopping1 for the days were still short and they liked to utilize as many of the daylight hours as they could4 ,they had contracted to deliver a specified number of ties by the first of ,april or sooner1 and they had already completed that part of their task2 but their contract permitted them to send down as many more ties1 doubling the number if they could2 while1 as for cordwood and bridge timbers1 there was no limit set upon their deliveries4 ,they were anxious to cut all they could and thus to make their winter's work as profitable as possible1 and so they were not disposed to waste any part of a day so fine as this one was4 ,while they were chopping in the afternoon1 just as a big tree on which the ,doctor was at work began swaying to its fall1 a large raccoon which had been hiding in the hollow of one of its upper limbs leaped to the ground4 ,the ,doctor1 who had become almost as quick on trigger as ,tom himself1 seized a shotgun and fired4 ,the animal fell instantly1 riddled with turkey shot1 and a minute later the ,doctor held it up by the tail1 saying3 ,here's a supper for us1 boys6 ,it'll be a change from bear beef1 any how1 and you are to have the skin1 ,tom4 ,the boys shouted for joy1 for they were growing exceedingly weary of bear meat by this time1 and there are few things more appetizing than a fat raccoon4 ,so the ,doctor carried his game to the house1 where ,ed proceeded at once to dress it for supper4 ,it was not until after supper that ,tom related the story of his mountain adventure1 and as he was an expert mimic1 he succeeded in so presenting the mountaineer's part in the conversation as to cause a deal of laughter1 in which ,tom himself joined heartily1 although his own memory of his difficult journey was anything but ludicrous4 ,the weather had grown exceedingly cold again and the logs were piled high on the fire4 ,as the boys basked in the heat that was radiated into the room1 some one said3 ,what a pity it is to waste all the heat that is going off up the chimney6 ,it would run an engine4 ,so it would1 said the ,doctor1 but that is what all the world is constantly doing4 ,the wood that we have burned since supper would supply a ,french or ,italian house with fire for a month at least4 ,but how8 asked ,jack4 ,surely wood burns up as fast in ,france or ,italy as it does here4 ,of course4 ,but the ,french and ,italians--especially the ,italians--have very little wood1 and they use it very sparingly4 ,when they make an open fire it is made of sticks about eight or ten inches long1 very small and usually consisting of round wood4 ,they rarely have a split stick1 because they never cut down a tree1 or if they do they use every part of it that is bigger than your wrist for some kind of lumber useful in the arts4 ,but if they don't cut down trees1 asked ,harry1 how do they get any wood at all8 ,they have very few trees1 answered the ,doctor1 and instead of cutting them down they trim off the branches from time to time and make fire wood of them1 utilizing every particle1 even down to the smallest twigs1 which they cut into eight inch lengths and tie up in bundles for use in boiling their soup kettles4 ,in some parts of ,southern ,california1 continued the ,doctor1 they get their fire wood in the same way1 though they do not have to bother with the little twigs1 as tree growth is enormously rapid in that winter-less climate4 ,at ,san ,bernardino ,i have seen many houses standing in large grounds1 with a row of cottonwood trees all around at the edge of the sidewalk4 ,i have often seen these trees with every limb cut off close to the stem of the tree--not more than a few feet from it at farthest4 ,in that way the owner gets his fire wood--he doesn't need much of it--for three years to come4 ,the trees thus pollarded quickly put out a host of new branches and as these grow rapidly in a climate that has no winter1 they are ready to be cut again three years later4 ,but if trees grow so rapidly there1 asked ,tom1 how is it that there are no woodlands there8 ,because it is a rainless region4 ,it is a desert simply for a lack of water1 and when men build reservoirs up in the mountains and bring water down in irrigating ditches that desert literally blossoms like a rose4 ,the soil is as rich as any down in our valleys and creek low grounds here1 and as there is no winter every living thing grows all the year round4 ,at ,riverside1 for example1 you find a luxuriance of growth unmatched anywhere in these mountains4 ,eucalyptus trees border all the roads1 towering to great heights4 ,back of them are orange and lemon groves and still further back vast vineyards in which the stumps of the vines--for they are cut back to a stump every year1 to make them bear--are from four to six inches in diameter1 so that they need no stakes to support them as vines do here4 ,often also there are rows of luxuriant pepper trees flourishing in the middle of the road4 ,in short1 you can nowhere on earth except in swamps1 find a more luxuriant riot of vegetation than at ,riverside4 ,yet until men made reservoirs and ditches and brought water down there from the mountains the ground that now supports all this splendid growth was as bare as the palm of your hand1 and when you drive out of ,riverside in any direction1 you come instantly to an absolute desert1 without even a weed growing on it1 the moment you pass beyond the line of irrigating ditches4 ,is there much land of that sort8 asked ,jack1 land that is fertile ,i mean in itself1 but is desert because of a lack of water8 ,millions of acres of it1 though much of it has already been redeemed by irrigation4 ,general ,sherman once said that when he first crossed the ,san ,joaquin and ,sacramento valleys he could have bought the whole of them for twenty-five cents1 and in fact would not have given a penny for both4 ,yet to-day those valleys are the most productive wheat fields in the world1 not even excepting ,minnesota and the ,dakotas4 ,in a single year they have been known to furnish fifty million bushels of wheat for export1 after feeding the ,pacific coast fat4 ,but is there always water to be had for irrigating purposes8 asked ,jack1 who was becoming intensely interested4 ,practically1 yes1 the ,doctor answered4 ,that is a country of vast mountain ranges1 all the way from the ,rockies to the sea1 with great valleys and plains lying between4 ,it is almost always raining or snowing in the mountains1 and indeed the tops of the higher ranges are nearly always snow clad1 even in summer4 ,i remember once crossing the ,utah desert1 which lies between the ,rocky mountains proper and the ,wassach range4 ,there is no sand or gravel there1 but only a singularly rich soil1 barren for lack of rain alone4 ,during the entire trip across we were never for one minute out of sight of either a snow storm or a rain storm some where in the mountains that surround the desert4 ,obviously enough water falls in the mountains to make of that desert the very garden spot of ,america when ever men take measures to store the water and bring it down to the desert lands below4 ,the ,mormons1 who have made a rich farming region in this way out of the desert west of the ,wassach range1 have already begun doing this on the eastern side in a limited way4 ,at ,pleasant ,valley they have brought water down from the mountains and made gardens that are a delight to the eye and mind4 ,they grow there the finest black ,hamburg grapes in the world4 ,but neither that nor any other of the great deserts can be redeemed entirely until either the government or some great company able to spend money by scores of millions shall undertake the work in a systematic way1 selling water rights with every farm4 ,of course no farmer can provide a water supply for himself from mountains twenty miles away1 but if a great company or the government would catch and store the water and sell the right to use it to each farmer1 as is done in parts of ,southern ,california1 the major part of what used to be called 'the great ,american desert' would soon become the great ,american garden4 ,of course the alkali deserts of ,nevada and worse still1 the arid1 sandy1 gravelly1 soilless plains of ,arizona and ,new ,mexico can never be reclaimed in that way4 ,but the regions that are barren only because they get no rain1 can be redeemed and very certainly will be when this country becomes so crowded with population that every acre of arable land will be needed4 ,but isn't this country pretty badly crowded already8 asked ,tom4 ,crowded8 ,no1 answered the ,doctor4 ,it is very sparsely settled instead4 ,this country has a population of only twenty people to the square mile1 while ,belgium has #ebi and ,england #edj to the square mile4 ,long before we fill up to any such extent as that all our arid lands that are fit for cultivation will be watered from the mountains1 and regions where now even a cactus cannot grow will produce wheat1 corn1 cattle and fruits in lavish abundance4 ,but ,i say1 boys1 we've talked till after eleven o'clock4 ,this will never do2 let's get to bed4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,some ,features of the ,situation ,every morning ,tom prowled1 as he put it1 all around the camp1 just to see how things are1 he said4 ,two mornings after the talk reported in the last chapter ,tom found1 out under the bluff1 a big bag of rye meal or rather of rye coarsely ground for whiskey making purposes4 ,he dragged it over the hard snow to camp and opened it4 ,in its mouth he found a piece of paper and written upon it in rude letters was the following3 ,u ,pade #b ,mutch ,fer the ,mele4 ,heares ,a nother bag to ,mak it ,,skwar4 ,dont gim me ,awa4 ,,bill ,,jones4 ,tom called all the boys into conference before deciding what to do with this present4 ,he said to them3 ,bill's ideas of morality are somewhat confused4 ,in his eagerness to render me some return for my act in letting him go back to his 'little gal' on parole1 he wanted to give me the meal ,i brought to camp the other morning4 ,it never occurred to him that as the meal didn't belong to him1 he had no right to give it to me1 and all ,i could say to him was utterly futile as an effort to make him take a moral or rational view of the case4 ,now ,i am seriously afraid our friend ,bill stole this rye meal4 ,that would perfectly fit in with his ideas of morality1 gratitude and all that sort of thing4 ,still we don't know that he did steal it4 ,after all ,i did pay him a double price for the meal we got1 and possibly he has applied part of the surplus payment to the purchase of this additional supply from his criminal friends the distillers4 ,after all ,i have no means of knowing that he ever paid the original owners of that first meal any part of the money that ,i gave him for it4 ,he couldn't see at the time why he shouldn't steal it for me1 and so he may have stolen this4 ,well1 said the ,doctor1 you honestly paid him for the former supply of meal1 insisting that you wouldn't take it at all unless you paid for it4 ,he understands that perfectly4 ,he has a sufficient sense of honesty now to bring you an additional bag on the ground that you paid an excessive price for the former supply and that he wants to make it 'skwar4' ,i don't see how we can go behind that1 especially as we cannot possibly return the meal either to him or to its owners if he stole it4 ,our only option is to eat the stuff or take it back out there to the foot of the bluff and leave it there to rot4 ,after some further discussion it was decided to eat the rye meal as practically the only thing that could be done with it4 ,one week later another bag of meal--corn meal this time--was found out under the bluff1 but with it came no explanation of any kind4 ,thus the bread supply in ,camp ,venture was made secure for a time at least1 and for a meat supply the guns did all that was necessary--especially ,tom's gun1 for ,tom spent many of his hours wandering over the mountains in search of game1 and ,tom rarely sought game in vain4 ,it was coming on to be ,march now1 and the weather had greatly moderated4 ,the snow was melting off the mountains and the spring rains were falling freely4 ,our meal will run out before long1 said the ,doctor one night1 but the time is near at hand when we can send a boy down the mountain to bring up a pack mule with some supplies4 ,indeed you can't1 said ,tom4 ,but why not8 asked the ,doctor4 ,simply because there are some mountain torrents in the way1 that no human being could pass1 even if he had one of your big steamships to help him in the crossing4 ,but ,i saw no mountain torrents on our way up1 said the ,doctor4 ,certainly not1 answered ,tom1 for they weren't mountain torrents then1 but the dry beds of streams4 ,but now it is different4 ,it would be as impossible now for us to 'git down out'n the mountings' as to fly to the moon--unless we went down over the cliffs there1 following the chute4 ,and of course we couldn't bring a pack mule up that way4 ,no1 we've got to stick it out and live on what we can get till our work is done1 and then--as the spring is coming on and the way is blocked by the torrents of which ,i spoke1--we've got to make our way over the cliffs down there by the chute1 for we simply cannot get down the mountain by the way we came4 ,how do you know this1 ,tom8 asked ,harry4 ,why1 ,i've tried it4 ,you see any road down the mountain that furnishes an easy way is sure to be crossed by creeks that are dry in the summer and fall1 but raging whirlpools when spring melts the snow and sends millions of gallons of water every minute down the steep inclines4 ,i count myself a strong swimmer4 ,but ,i could no more swim across one of those sluiceways than ,i could climb up a sunbeam to the rainbow4 ,i tell you we can get nothing from down below now1 and ,i tell you that we can't ourselves go down the mountain by the way by which we came up1 for two or three months to come4 ,what are we to do1 then1 ,tom8 asked the ,doctor4 ,well1 first1 we're to feed ourselves as best we can till we've finished our work2 and then we're to go down the mountain on its steep side along the chute4 ,that will involve a great deal of toil and some danger4 ,we shall have to let ourselves down over cliffs by hanging on to bushes1 with the certainty that if the bushes give way we shall be dashed to pieces on the rocks below4 ,but that's the only way we can get down the mountain unless we are willing to wait for summer4 ,well1 the question is not an immediately pressing one1 said ,jack4 ,we've got a lot of work ahead of us yet1 and we've got plenty of game and plenty of bread stuffs in camp4 ,plenty of game1 yes1 said the ,doctor4 ,but as for bread stuffs1 ,i don't think we have more than a peck or so left4 ,the next morning ,tom1 in his prowlings found two big bags of corn and rye meal lying there under the bluff4 ,it's a case of bread cast upon the waters returning to us after many days1 said ,tom4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,the ,capture of ,camp ,venture ,tom had miscalculated the weather1 misled as every body is apt to be by the calendar4 ,as he had not at all anticipated1 the softness of early ,march presently gave way to a severe cold wave1 which not only put an end to the spring rains1 but stopped the melting of the snow upon the mountains and dried up those torrents that had alone blocked the way down the mountain since the great snowdrift barriers had disappeared4 ,i take it all back1 fellows1 he said1 one night4 ,i didn't look for such weather as this in ,march4 ,but any how any fellow in the party can go down the mountain now4 ,whether he ever gets back again or not is a question not easily determined4 ,a very little thaw would make that impossible4 ,my view1 said the ,doctor1 is that we'd better not risk it4 ,this cold weather simply cannot last long at this season of the year1 and we can't spare any boy from our company4 ,we have two bags of meal in camp--enough to last us three or four weeks--and of course ,tom's gun will provide us with meat4 ,it seems to me it would be exceedingly unwise to send any one of our number down the mountain and not only unwise but wholly unnecessary4 ,what do you think1 boys8 ,every boy in the party shared the ,doctor's opinion1 and so it was decided not to send one of the company down the mountain at this time1 although the weather conditions were especially favorable for the moment at least4 ,they proved also to be favorable to something else4 ,just before daylight the next morning ,jim1 who was on guard1 quitted his post and came hurriedly into the house4 ,he waked his comrades1 saying3 ,get up quickly1 boys1 and get your guns4 ,the moonshiners have completely surrounded ,camp ,venture4 ,ten seconds later all the boys were out on the platform1 fully armed4 ,it was still too dark to see men even at a short distance1 but low voices could be heard in every direction round the camp4 ,the boys themselves consulted only in whispers4 ,jack took command1 of course4 ,don't shoot1 boys1 even if they shoot at us1 he said4 ,they can do little damage that way1 as we have this wooden barrier to stop their bullets4 ,what we've got to look out for is a rush1 and we must reserve our fire to repel that with4 ,hadn't some of us better go to the rear of the house8 asked ,harry4 ,they may rush us from that direction4 ,no1 answered ,jack4 ,there's no opening to the house on that side2 and we have no barrier there to fight behind4 ,if they attack from that direction we must fight from inside the house4 ,suppose you go in ,harry and knock out three or four pieces of chinking about breast high1 so as to give us a port hole to fire through4 ,keep a keen look out through the crack1 and if they advance from that direction call us at once4 ,but don't any of you shoot1 front or rear1 till they make a rush4 ,as he spoke1 two or three shots came from the enemy in front1 the bullets burying themselves harmlessly in the wooden barrier well below the feet of the boys1 as they stood on the platform1 for the barrier could not be seen in the darkness1 and the men shooting aimed at about where they thought a man's breast would be if he stood upon the ground4 ,the temptation to return the fire was almost irresistible1 particularly to ,tom1 who had his magazine rifle in hand4 ,but ,jack resolutely insisted upon reserving fire in order to be ready to repel a charge whenever it should come4 ,the light was now growing stronger and here and there it was possible to make out one of the enemy1 crouching behind a rock or in some little depression of the ground4 ,enough of them could be seen by this time to show clearly that they outnumbered the garrison of ,camp ,venture more than four or five to one4 ,somebody remarked upon this fact1 whereupon ,jack replied1 still speaking in a whisper3 ,that's true6 ,but if they make the rush that ,i'm expecting they won't outnumber us much by the time they get here4 ,as the light grew still stronger1 ,tom set his gun down1 ejaculating ,well1 well1 well4 ,what is it1 ,tom8 asked the ,doctor4 ,why1 those aren't moonshiners1 but revenue officers and soldiers6 ,a little further scrutiny convinced the boys that ,tom's keen eyes had seen aright4 ,the bullets were still pattering now and then against the wooden parapet1 but evidently the enemy was not yet ready to make the charge which alone could give him possession of the fortress4 ,tom felt in his pocket1 drew out a handkerchief and tied it to the end of his gun4 ,then he descended the little ladder to the ground4 ,what are you going to do ,tom8 asked ,jack4 ,why1 ,i'm going out under a flag of truce to explain to those fellows what a stupid blunder they've made4 ,they've mistaken ,camp ,venture for an illicit distillery1 as if anybody would set up a still in such an open place as this4 ,but wait1 ,tom6 ,it is still so dark that they may not see your flag of truce4 ,they may all fire at you at once4 ,wait till broad daylight comes4 ,yes1 answered ,tom1 and in the meantime those fellows may make their charge1--they're forming for it now1--and in that case we'll have to shoot half of them4 ,no1 ,i'm going out with my flag of truce now1 and ,i'll simply have to take the chances of getting shot4 ,with that he passed around the end of the barrier and sallied forth1 holding his flag of truce above him and calling as he went ,truce6 ,truce6 ,a flag of truce6 ,i bear a flag of truce6 ,don't shoot6 ,nevertheless several bullets from improved army rifles passed uncomfortably close to him--one of them cutting a hole through the top of one of his boots--before the officer in command of the assailing party could be made to understand the nature of ,tom's mission4 ,at last he understood it and calling to ,tom to halt where he stood1 which was about midway between the two forces--the lieutenant who commanded the troops1 hoisted another white handkerchief and went out to meet the boy4 ,to him ,tom explained the nature and purpose of ,camp ,venture and invited him and his party to come in and inspect the place for themselves4 ,the lieutenant looked at him incredulously at first1 and then laughed4 ,that's a good one on us6 he said presently1 if what you say is true4 ,i never tell lies6 said ,tom1 in resentment4 ,i don't believe you do1 said the officer4 ,you don't look it1 anyhow4 ,but of course we mustn't take any risk of being caught in a trap4 ,so ,i'll send a squad of my men with you to inspect4 ,here1 ,sergeant ,malby2 take a detail of four men and go with this young man to the camp yonder4 ,in the meantime1 my boy1 ,i'll detain that magazine rifle of yours1 if you please1 till ,i satisfy myself4 ,tom handed over his gun and led the sergeant and his squad into ,camp ,venture4 ,as daylight had now fully come1 the soldiers had little trouble in satisfying themselves that there was no still there1 and that the company consisted only of five boys and the ,doctor4 ,the sergeant so reported to the lieutenant and that officer was disposed to be satisfied4 ,not so the three revenue agents1 however4 ,it's a fishy story these fellows tell1 said the chief of them1 and ,i for one don't intend to be drawn into a trap4 ,there may be no still and only a small company of boys in that cabin1 but who knows how many stills there may be hidden around here1 or how many moonshiners may be hiding about us1 ready to massacre us8 ,all right1 said the lieutenant1 in some disgust at the revenue officer's timidity4 ,i'll settle all that4 ,stay here1 men1 and wait for orders4 ,with that he strode off alone to the cabin and entered it4 ,he there explained the situation to the boys and said3 ,i'm afraid ,i shall have to ask you fellows to go out there and stack your arms1 considering yourselves under arrest till our timid friends of revenue officers can make a tour of inspection all about your camp under the armed escort of my men4 ,they were so sure that they had surprised a still here that they can't get over the notion4 ,so we must humor them4 ,the boys readily consented to the plan4 ,they marched out to a point designated by the lieutenant and there stacked their arms1 over which the lieutenant summoned two of his men to stand guard4 ,then he bade the revenue officers come on1 and under escort of his file of soldiers they minutely scrutinized the entire camp4 ,the felled trees not yet chopped into shape for sending down the mountain2 the large quantity of ties and cordwood that were piled near the chute2 the multitude of stumps from which timber had been recently cut2 the great piles of brush left over from the chopping2 and finally the chute itself1 now nearly worn out with use--all these attested the character of the camp and indicated an industry on the part of its occupants1 such as no company of moonshiners ever displayed4 ,at last the ,lieutenant said to the chief revenue officer1 with some show of impatience3 ,aren't you satisfied1 yet8 ,why don't you look under these boys' finger nails8 ,how do you know they haven't some stills secreted there8 ,yes1 ,i'm satisfied with all but one thing1 answered the agent of the excise4 ,what's that8 asked ,jack4 ,whatever it is1 ,i'll try to satisfy you concerning it4 ,why1 ,i don't understand1 if you aren't engaged in any crooked business1 what you built that fortification for4 ,if you didn't feel the need of resisting the government agents1 what need had you for a barrier like that to shoot behind8 ,we built that to protect ourselves against moonshiners1 answered ,jack4 ,but why should moonshiners disturb you8 asked the still incredulous revenue agent4 ,because they believed when we first came up here that we were spies of the internal revenue and most of them still believe it4 ,they began by ordering us to quit the mountains and when we wouldn't they sent men to shoot at us4 ,one of our party is still suffering from a bullet wound received at their hands4 ,when we found that we must defend ourselves we erected that barrier to help us4 ,now that you have come up here we'll need it you may be sure4 ,why8 asked the revenue officer4 ,because they'll never believe now that we didn't send for you and bring you here4 ,they'll make ceaseless war on us now4 ,meanwhile the ,lieutenant was examining the fortification4 ,presently he turned to ,jack and said3 ,will you allow me to suggest an improvement in your defensive work8 ,certainly1 answered ,jack4 ,we shall be very glad4 ,well the top of your parapet is level4 ,whenever you shoot over it you must expose your head1 neck and shoulders above it4 ,now if you raise it by ten or twelve inches and then cut embrasures or notches in the top of it to shoot through you can put up a fight with far less exposure of your persons4 ,the suggestion was so obviously a good one that ,jack determined on the instant to adopt it4 ,i'll do that1 ,lieutenant1 as soon as you release us from arrest and let us have our guns again4 ,oh1 ,i forgot that1 answered the ,lieutenant4 ,here sentinel1 to the man who had been posted outside1 tell ,sergeant ,malby to send those guns back to the house1 and to withdraw you from duty here4 ,young men1 you are released from arrest4 ,then turning to the chief revenue officer1 for whose timid lack of sagacity he had obviously the profoundest contempt1 he asked3 ,what's your program now8 ,well ,i'm going to clear this whole mountain of stills4 ,how long do you reckon it will take8 asked the ,lieutenant4 ,well a week or two weeks perhaps4 ,and what provisions have you made for your commissariat for such a length of time8 ,what do you mean8 ,why1 ,i have forty men here and ,i'm under your orders1 to do whatever you say1 but every one of my forty men has a mouth to feed1 and under my orders ,i brought only three days' rations in the haversacks4 ,if you intend to keep us up here for a week or two1 ought you not to have made some provision for a food supply8 ,why didn't you look after that8 asked the revenue officer4 ,because it was none of my business4 ,i'm a soldier4 ,i obey orders4 ,my orders were to take three days' cooked rations and march my men up here to support the revenue officers in whatever they undertook4 ,that's always the way1 said the revenue man4 ,the troops always fail us at the critical moment4 ,that's why our efforts to break up moonshining always come to nothing4 ,pardon me1 sir1 answered the officer rising in his wrath4 ,i'll trouble you to take that back4 ,the troops under my command have not failed you and they will not4 ,we have nothing to do with collecting the revenue4 ,that's your business4 ,ours is merely to fight anybody that resists you4 ,that duty we are ready to do just so long as you may desire4 ,we'll force a way for you to any part of these mountains that you may desire to visit and we'll keep it up for a year if you wish4 ,but in the meantime somebody must provide my men with food6 ,if that's the way you look at the matter1 said the revenue officer1 we might as well go down the mountain at once4 ,it isn't a question of how ,i look at the matter1 answered the lieutenant1 impatiently4 ,i tell you ,i'm ready and my men are ready for any service you may assign to us4 ,but ,i tell you also that we must have something to eat1 and it is your duty to arrange it4 ,but how can ,i8 ,would it be impertinent in me to suggest1 asked the lieutenant1 that you ought to have thought of that before you began your raid8 ,if you had said to the commandant that your expedition was likely to occupy a week or two he would have ordered the commissary to furnish me with two or three weeks' provisions and the quarter-master to supply enough stout pack mules to carry them4 ,as it was1 you represented this as a two days' trip and he ordered me to carry three days' rations in the haversacks4 ,well1 we'd better retreat at once1 answered the revenue officer4 ,but why8 ,it isn't even yet too late to repair your blunder4 ,why can't you send one of your men down the mountain at once to bring up a train of pack mules loaded with provisions8 ,he can be back here in less than two days if he hurries4 ,but ,i don't know-- began the man4 ,i don't care what you know or don't know1 answered the young ,west ,pointer4 ,i simply tell you that as soon as my men run out of rations ,i'll march them down the hill again4 ,it is my duty to see that they don't starve4 ,but if ,i send a man down the mountain1 answered the revenue agent1 some moonshiner might shoot him on the way4 ,very probably1 answered the lieutenant4 ,that's a risk that men engaged in the revenue service are bound to take1 ,i suppose4 ,but if you request it1 ,i will send a squad of four soldiers to guard your man on the way down and to protect the pack train on its way back4 ,manifestly the revenue officer was anxious to git down out'n the mountings1 but he feared the report which in that case the angry and disgusted lieutenant would probably make1 even more than he feared the moonshiners4 ,still he hesitated to detail one of his men to go down the mountain under escort of a corporal and three men4 ,this matter being still unsettled1 the lieutenant said3 ,now1 what next8 ,how do you mean8 ,why1 what is your next move8 ,well1 ,i suppose we must remain here till the provisions come1 if we decide to send for them1 answered the man4 ,the lieutenant shrugged his shoulders1 and for the moment remained silent4 ,presently he said3 ,of course that's for you to determine4 ,but for myself ,i can't see why you should deliberately waste two days giving the moonshiners time in which to rip out their stills and bury them where even your sagacity will never find them4 ,i don't see why you shouldn't utilize the time of waiting for supplies in finding and capturing stills4 ,however that is none of my business4 ,will you tell me where you wish to make your headquarters1 so that ,i may pitch my camp accordingly8 ,at that moment bullets began pattering in the camp and the lieutenant instantly leaped to his feet and hurried to the platform of the parapet4 ,using his field glass he presently located the points from which the firing came4 ,then calmly but quickly he descended and called to ,sergeant ,malby3 ,form the men in open order out there under the bluff4 ,then he strode away hurriedly to the bluff and hastily examined it1 selecting the points at which it was easiest of ascent4 ,with a few quietly given orders1 he mounted to the top of the rock1 and in half a minute more his men1 crouching down to shield themselves from the fire1 were in line of battle by his side4 ,i'm going to see that1 said ,tom1 seizing his rifle and hurrying to the line of troops4 ,it's better than a game of chess4 ,by this time1 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 line1 and were rapidly creeping up the mountain1 with the evident purpose of getting to the rear of the moonshiners4 ,meantime the lieutenant stood up with his glass to his eyes1 minutely observing the progress of his flanking parties4 ,by his orders his men all lay down1 taking advantage of every rock and inequality of the ground for protection1 and delivering a steady fire all the time4 ,presently the lieutenant lowered his glass and turning1 saw little ,tom standing erect by his side4 ,this will never do1 my boy6 he exclaimed4 ,lie down quick or one of those mountaineers will pick you off with his rifle4 ,illustration3 ,,lie ,,down2 ,,quick6 ,i can stand up as long as you can1 ,lieutenant1 answered ,tom1 even if ,i am not a soldier4 ,but it is my duty to stand just now1 said the lieutenant4 ,i must direct this operation and strike from here the moment my flanking parties reach proper positions4 ,and it is my pleasure to stand1 answered ,tom1 to see how you do it4 ,the lieutenant again brought his glass to his eyes4 ,then he lowered it and looked earnestly at ,tom1 who still stood erect by his side1 paying no heed to the rain of bullets about him4 ,why aren't you at ,west ,point8 he asked4 ,you're the sort we want in the army4 ,then1 without waiting for an answer1 the lieutenant again looked through his glass and seeing that his flanking parties had gained the positions desired in rear of the mountaineers1 he ordered the whole line to advance as rapidly as possible4 ,at the same time the flanking parties closed in upon the rear of the mountaineers1 and five minutes later the action ended in the surrender of all the moonshiners4 ,tom saw it all1 but when it was over he discovered a pain in his left ear1 and1 feeling1 found that a small-bore bullet had passed through what he called the flap of it1 boring a hole as round as if it had been punched with a railroad conductor's instrument4 ,the captured mountaineers were brought at once to ,camp ,venture4 ,two of them were dead and three severely wounded4 ,to these last and to two of the lieutenant's men who had also received bullets in their bodies1 the ,doctor ministered assiduously4 ,the unwounded mountaineers were placed in a hastily constructed guard house1 built just under the bluff4 ,,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 officer4 ,that person was more halting and irresolute than ever4 ,he had hidden1 in a crouching position behind the barrier during the fight1 and ,jack1 seeing him thus screened1 had said to him3 ,perhaps you now begin to understand why we needed our protective work2 but the man made no answer4 ,the lieutenant said to him after the mlee3 ,now that ,i have two of my own men and three of the mountaineers severely wounded1 ,i cannot march down the mountain4 ,i shall stay here and answer any duty call you may make upon me4 ,but ,i must have food for my men and for your prisoners4 ,are you going to provide it or are you not8 ,the man who was not only irresolute but an arrant coward as well1 hesitated4 ,he pleaded for time to think4 ,but while you are thinking1 answered the soldier1 we'll all starve4 ,are you ready to send one of your men down the mountain under escort or are you not8 ,yes or no1 and ,i'll act accordingly4 ,well1 you see1 this fuss will bring all the moonshiners in the mountains down upon us1 answered the man1 and really1 ,lieutenant1 ,i don't think it would be prudent just now1 to weaken your force by detaching any of your men4 ,we might all be butchered here at any moment4 ,the military officer was exasperated almost beyond endurance by the manifest cowardice and obstinacy of the revenue agent4 ,he was on the point of breaking out into denunciation1 but he restrained himself and called to a sentinel instead4 ,when the sentinel came he said to him3 ,tell ,sergeant ,malby to report to me1 and when the sergeant touched his hat and stood at attention1 the lieutenant said3 ,go at once and make out a requisition for one month's supplies for all the troops and all the prisoners1 and for pack mules enough to bring the stuff up the mountain4 ,order ,corporal ,jenkins to report to me with a detail of four men1 equipped for active work1 immediately4 ,then borrowing writing materials from the boys1 he wrote a hurried note to his commandant below1 relating the events that had occurred and setting forth the circumstances in which he was placed4 ,by the time that this was done1 the sergeant returned with the requisition ready for signature1 and the corporal reported with his squad4 ,with a few hurried instructions to the corporal1 the lieutenant sent him down the mountain1 specially charging him to hurry both going and coming4 ,you see we've got all these prisoners to feed--seven of them1 not counting the wounded--as well as ourselves4 ,we'll all be starving in another twenty-four hours4 ,so make all haste4 ,then the lieutenant sought out the boys1 who had gone to work at their chopping--all of them except the ,doctor1 who was still busy over the wounded men1--for ,ed was now well enough to do a little work each day1 under orders to avoid severe strains and heavy lifting4 ,when the officer sought out ,jack and asked him for a conference1 ,jack called the other boys about him1 explaining3 ,our camp is sort of a republic1 ,lieutenant1 in which all have an equal voice1 while each does the thing that he can do better than anybody else can4 ,so with your permission ,i will call all the boys together for our talk4 ,the lieutenant assented and all sat down on the logs that were lying about4 ,we're in a rather awkward position1 said the military man4 ,that revenue agent asked our commandant for some soldiers to protect him in raiding a still up here4 ,he gave us the impression that it would take one day to come up here and do the work1 and one day for our return4 ,so ,i was ordered to take half a company1 with three days' cooked rations1 and accompany the revenue officers4 ,they knew just where your camp was1 and they thought they knew that it was the still they wanted4 ,now the irresolute--,well never mind that4 ,the revenue agent insists upon staying in the mountains for an indefinite time1 and now that two of my men and three of our prisoners are severely wounded and in the hands of your good young ,doctor1 ,i am not reluctant to stay4 ,but we must have food1 and that sublimated idiot has provided none and is afraid even to send after any4 ,so ,i have myself sent a squad down the mountain with a requisition4 ,they will return just as quickly as possible1 but ,i don't see how it will be possible for them to get back under two1 or more--probably three days4 ,so ,i want to ask you to lend us some provisions1 which ,i will return the moment the caravan gets here4 ,but we have no provisions6 said ,jack1 in consternation4 ,our total supply consists of less than two bags of meal and perhaps half a dozen squirrels and rabbits4 ,that wouldn't go far among so many4 ,i'll tell you what1 broke in ,tom4 ,if the lieutenant will lend me two men to help carry1 ,i'll go foraging and see what ,i can bring in in the way of game4 ,jack explained to the military man that ,tom had been from the first the camp's reliance for meat supplies1 and that incidentally he had secured all the meal that was then in camp4 ,excellent6 exclaimed the lieutenant4 ,we have more bread than anything else1 and we needn't borrow any of your meal4 ,but if your brother--by the way1 it was you who stood by me in the fight out there this morning1 wasn't it8 ,are you much hurt8 ,oh1 no1 answered ,tom4 ,one of those moonshiners thought ,i ought to wear earrings1 and so he pierced my left ear with a bullet1 that's all1 said ,tom1 whose ear the ,doctor had carefully disinfected and bandaged4 ,but why aren't you at ,west ,point8 again asked the officer4 ,i never saw a cooler hand or a boy that the army so clearly needed4 ,why aren't you at ,west ,point8 ,because ,i can't get an appointment1 said ,tom4 ,why can't you get an appointment8 ,because ,i have no political influence4 ,you see my father1 while he lived1 was very active in politics1 and he belonged to a party just the opposite of the one our present ,congressman belongs to4 ,would you like to go8 asked the lieutenant4 ,very much1 indeed1 answered ,tom4 ,i want just the sort of education they give there4 ,could you stand the entrance examinations--say a year hence8 ,yes4 ,i could stand them now4 ,i went all over that ground when ,i first tried to get an appointment4 ,well now1 broke in ,jack1 this isn't getting meat4 ,tom1 go hunting immediately1 and keep on going hunting till the famine in this camp is over4 ,i haven't a doubt the lieutenant will lend you the men you want to help carry game4 ,certainly6 answered the lieutenant1 beckoning to a sentinel to come to him4 ,tell ,sergeant ,malby to send me two strong men instantly4 ,tom took two guns with him1 requiring one of the soldiers to carry the rifle1 while he carried the shot gun1 double loaded1 for big or little game4 ,it was now about noon1 and the hunting party did not return till after dark4 ,when they did they brought with them as the spoil of our young ,nimrod's guns1 a half grown bear1 a deer weighing perhaps a hundred and fifty pounds1 three wild turkeys and a big string of hares and squirrels4 ,besides these ,tom was laboriously dragging by a string a big wild boar4 ,that boar's a disputed bird1 he said4 ,this soldier1 ,johnson1 and ,i fired at him at the same instant4 ,he set out to rip ,johnson open with his tusks1 like a vest with no buttons on it1 and ,johnson fired to protect himself4 ,at the same moment ,i fired a charge of buckshot into the beast4 ,johnson's bullet struck him in the neck1 just about where ,i fondly imagine the jugular vein or something else of that sort to be1 while my nine buckshot striking him just behind the left fore leg1 went through him about where his heart ought to be if it's in the right place4 ,anyhow the animal gave up the ghost in an astonishing hurry1 and possibly the ,doctor might find out1 by a post mortem examination1 which shot killed him4 ,but in my humble opinion the time necessary for that can be better spent in preparing the gentleman for the table4 ,i move that we roast him whole and invite the soldiers to dine with us6 ,he's big enough to go round4 ,it did not take long to carry that motion or to begin carrying it into effect4 ,the lieutenant ordered the company cook to assist ,ed in preparing the wild boar and roasting him4 ,ed carefully saved the giblets for future use1 a proceeding which gave the company cook a totally new economic suggestion in the use of animals killed for food4 ,then the two required the other soldiers to build a great fire out-of-doors1 and to erect a pole frame work near it1 from which they hung the boar to roast4 ,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 animal4 ,what do you do that for8 asked the company cook4 ,for two reasons1 answered ,ed4 ,first1 because ,i want all this fat to cook with and to use as butter hereafter4 ,you've no idea how far it goes when people are on short rations4 ,secondly1 because if all this fat fell upon these glowing coals it would blaze up and our hog would be scorched and burned4 ,you are a company cook and ,i never was anything of the sort4 ,but ,i honestly believe ,i could teach you some things about cooking4 ,of course you could1 said the soldier4 ,and perhaps ,i could teach you some also4 ,i could show you how to bake bread on a barrel head1 or even on a ramrod1 only we don't have ramrods since these new-fangled breech-loading guns came into use4 ,two or three hours later1 at ten o'clock1 the big porker was roasted to a turn1 and ,jack1 recognizing the necessity of maintaining military distinctions in all that related to association in military life1 invited the lieutenant to take the night dinner with him and his companions inside the house1 leaving the soldiers to dine out of doors1 in accordance with their custom4 ,so ,jack asked ,ed to cut off a ham and some other choice parts of the wild boar and send them into the hut4 ,there the boys and the lieutenant dined together1 with the three revenue officers for additional guests4 ,the lieutenant had no very kindly feelings for the chief revenue officer1 because he had discovered him to be a coward1 and a brave man never likes to touch elbows with a coward1 at dinner or any where else4 ,on the other hand the chief revenue officer had no very kindly feelings for the lieutenant1 because he knew that the lieutenant had found him out for the coward and incapable that he was1 and it is not in human nature for any man to feel kindly toward another who has found him out to that extent4 ,nevertheless the dinner passed off pleasantly enough until the lieutenant1 at its end1 asked of the revenue agent3 ,are you going to raid any stills to-night8 ,no6 angrily answered the officer4 ,why do you keep on asking me that question8 ,only that ,i may make my dispositions accordingly1 calmly answered the lieutenant4 ,you forget that ,i am here in an entirely subordinate capacity4 ,i am under no orders to raid stills4 ,i am here only to support you in any raids you may make4 ,you represent the civil arm1 ,i the military1 and the military arm is always subordinate to the civil4 ,it is not for me to suggest that you might successfully raid half a dozen stills to-night4 ,it is my duty simply to offer my services and those of my men in aid of any plans you may have formed4 ,and1 as it is my duty to consult the comfort of my men1 so far as that is possible1 ,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 bivouac4 ,as ,i now understand that you do not contemplate any active operations to-night1 ,i will make my dispositions accordingly4 ,sentinel6 ,this last was a summons to the soldier who always stands guard just outside the door of any house or tent in which a commanding officer may be4 ,the sentinel entered immediately and saluted4 ,call the corporal of the guard1 commanded the lieutenant1 and bid him report to me for instructions4 ,in half a minute the corporal came4 ,the only instructions he received were these3 ,bid the sergeant report to me here4 ,thus in military life is everything done decently and in order4 ,the sentinel could not have summoned the sergeant without quitting his post2 but he could summon the corporal by a simple guard call1 and the corporal could go to the sergeant and summon him to the lieutenant's presence4 ,when he appeared and deferentially saluted1 the lieutenant said to him3 ,we shall remain where we are till further orders4 ,dispose the men in the best way you can to make them comfortable and let them build camp-fires4 ,throw out six pickets up the mountain on the south1 one below here on the north1 one on the east and one on the west4 ,send the men on the south as far up the mountain as where the enemy was encountered this morning4 ,then charge the sentries who are guarding our prisoners to be on the alert and serve as camp guards as well4 ,they are to listen for shots from any of the pickets and report to me as soon as one is heard from any direction4 ,i shall sleep under the bluff1 near the spring4 ,the watchword is 'alert2' the countersign 'attention4' ,but1 lieutenant1 said ,jack1 when the sergeant had taken his leave1 why will you not accept our hospitality8 ,why will you not sleep here in our house8 ,we have five wounded men here1 it is true1 but there is one spare bunk and you are more than welcome to it4 ,i am very grateful1 ,i am sure1 said the lieutenant1 but it is the rule of my life that whenever ,i am in command and my men have to sleep in the open1 ,i also sleep in the open4 ,i have lived up to that rule even in a blizzard on the plains4 ,besides1 this--well1 this revenue officer--has done just enough to provoke the moonshiners and their friends1 and not half enough to intimidate them4 ,that is why ,i ordered our pickets thrown so far out to-night4 ,there is a half sunken road running across the ridge up there4 ,they had it for a breastwork this morning4 ,i mean to have it next time4 ,but what ,i was going to say is this3 ,a man sleeping in a house sleeps soundly2 a man sleeping in the open sleeps very lightly4 ,as it is my purpose to visit all my pickets at least three times to-night1 ,i want to sleep very lightly2 so with all thanks for your courteous hospitality1 ,i will sleep out under the bluff to-night1 and now ,i must say good night4 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,a ,point of ,honor ,there was no disturbance that night1 and the next morning ,tom took his two soldiers and went hunting again4 ,tom had a positive genius for getting game4 ,this time he brought back no deer1 no wild boar1 and no half grown bear2 but he and his soldiers were loaded down with turkeys1 squirrels and hares4 ,there was meat enough in the camp now to last for a day or two1 but the bread supply was nearly exhausted1 inasmuch as the boys had divided their meal with the soldiers4 ,in this situation the lieutenant went to ,tom and engaged him in conversation4 ,now1 ,i know1 he said1 that there are many stills around here4 ,every one of them has a supply of ground up grain1 and ,i want some of it4 ,you have hunted all over the mountains1 and of course you know where some at least of the stills are4 ,yes1 ,i know where several of them are1 answered ,tom4 ,well1 ,i propose to raid some of them1 to get breadstuffs4 ,will you go with my men and point out the stills8 ,no6 answered ,tom1 with emphasis on the monosyllable4 ,but why not8 asked the lieutenant4 ,surely you are not afraid4 ,not the least bit1 answered ,tom4 ,but ,i've entered into an honorable agreement with the moonshiners and ,i mean to keep it4 ,i've assured them that we boys were not here to spy them out and betray them1 and ,i've pledged them my honor that if they let us alone we would let them alone4 ,you see this illicit distilling is none of my business1 or yours either1 ,lieutenant4 ,it's the business of the revenue officers4 ,now under our honorable agreement these people1 who began by ordering us off the mountain and followed that up by shooting at us for not going1 have let us alone for many weeks past1 and ,i am going to keep my promise to let them alone in return4 ,but they haven't let you alone1 answered the lieutenant4 ,their assault upon the camp-- ,pardon me1 answered ,tom4 ,that was not an assault upon us1 but upon the revenue officers and their military support4 ,i do not think it absolves me from my promise4 ,besides that1 ,i doubt if you have any right to raid stills except under orders of the revenue officers1 and they are too badly frightened to undertake anything of the kind4 ,you have no warrants4 ,your sole duty and right and privilege is to go with these revenue officers and protect them in the execution of their duty4 ,that is certainly true1 answered the lieutenant after a moment's pause for consideration4 ,i hadn't thought of it in that way4 ,and still further1 said ,tom1 it is very certain that there isn't an illicit still now running on this mountain4 ,the moment you fellows appeared every still was ripped off its furnace and buried somewhere1 every mash tub was emptied and sent bowling down the mountain1 and every scrap of evidence that there had ever been an illicit still there was completely destroyed4 ,so1 even if you find the buildings in which the business was formerly carried on1 what right will you have to seize upon the meal or anything else you may find there8 ,you might as well raid a mill and seize all that you find in it4 ,but you know1 ,tom1 and ,i know1 that these people are lawlessly engaged in defrauding the revenue4 ,of course1 said ,tom4 ,but that doesn't justify you in violating the law and robbing them of their meal4 ,if you could catch them in defrauding the revenue you might perhaps have a right to confiscate their materials1 as the law prescribes1 though as you're not a revenue officer ,i doubt that4 ,just now you can't possibly catch them doing anything of the kind4 ,understand me1 ,lieutenant1 ,i am as much devoted as you are to law and order4 ,i know these men to be thieves and upon occasion murderers4 ,but neither of us has a right to convict them without proof of their guilt4 ,tom had never made so long a speech in all his life or one inspired by so much of earnestness4 ,the lieutenant sat silent for a while1 thinking the matter over4 ,presently he arose1 took ,tom's hand and said3 ,i believe you are right1 ,tom4 ,at any rate you are right on the point of honor that controls your own course in this matter4 ,we are taught at ,west ,point that whenever there is the least or the greatest doubt as to a point of honor1 it is an honorable man's duty to give honor the benefit of the doubt4 ,we'll make no raids except under the warrants of the revenue officers4 ,we'll live on meat till the caravan comes up the mountain4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,corporal ,jenkins's ,march ,but the caravan did not come4 ,a thaw had set in1 reinforced by a rain1 and all the mountain streams were torrents again--utterly impassable4 ,when ,tom explained the case the lieutenant said3 ,nevertheless ,corporal ,jenkins will get here with the supplies4 ,he may be much longer in coming than we hoped for1 but he will come4 ,he is a man of resource and he never gives up4 ,in the meantime ,corporal ,jenkins was in a very bad way half way up the mountain side4 ,he had passed one torrent while yet it was only half full1 and now it was so full that he could not even retreat with his mule caravan4 ,in front was another torrent that it would have been sheer insanity to attempt to cross--a stream fifty feet wide1 rushing down through a gorge with a violence that carried great stones with it1 some of them weighing many tons1 while the water was almost completely filled with a tangled mass of whirling trees that had been torn up by the roots by the on rush of the waters4 ,we'll have to go back1 ,corporal1 suggested one of the men4 ,we can't go back1 he replied4 ,that last stream we crossed is as full as this one now4 ,besides we must get these supplies to camp4 ,but how8 ,i don't know how6 ,shut up and let me think the thing out4 ,after his thinking the corporal ordered the caravan to leave the trail and work its way up the mountain in the space between the two streams4 ,it was a difficult and sometimes a perilous ascent4 ,there were cliffs in the way around and over which a passage was partly found and partly forced by great labor4 ,at some places the pathway was so steep that no mule could carry his load up it4 ,here the corporal divided the loads and led the mules up with only one-fourth or one-fifth of the burden upon each4 ,then unloading that he took the animals back again and placed another portion of their load upon their backs1 repeating the journey as often as might be necessary4 ,as he had twenty mules in his pack train it sometimes took half a day to get over thirty or forty yards of distance in this tedious and toilsome fashion4 ,but at any rate there was progress made4 ,often1 too1 there were great detours to be made in order to get around obstacles that could not be overcome4 ,thus day after day was consumed in the tedious climb up the mountain4 ,the corporal knew how anxiously his commanding officer was awaiting his coming1 but he could not hurry it more than he was already doing4 ,what's your plan1 ,corporal8 asked one of the men when a bivouac was made one evening4 ,simple enough1 answered the corporal4 ,when you've served in the mountains as long as ,i have1 you'll know that every mountain torrent has a beginning somewhere up towards the top of the mountain4 ,i'm simply following this one up to find its head waters and go around them4 ,the raging stream had grown much smaller now1 as the caravan neared its place of beginning1 and the next morning the corporal found a place at which he thought it safe to attempt a crossing4 ,it was perilous work1 but after an hour or two of struggle all the mules and all the men were got safely to the farther side4 ,the corporal knew that he was much higher up the mountain than the site of ,camp ,venture4 ,but it was no part of his plan to descend until he had passed the head waters of all other streams and reached a point directly south of the camp and above it4 ,so he proceeded westward around the mountain4 ,without knowing what the trusty corporal's plans or proceedings would be1 the lieutenant felt that he was likely to have difficulty in locating the camp4 ,so he ordered a brush fire kept burning night and day1 so that the smoke of it by day and the light of it by night might be seen from a great distance4 ,finally1 exactly ten days from the time of the corporal's departure1 his caravan was seen slowly and toilsomely descending the mountain toward the camp4 ,a great shout of gladness went up from all the men1 who had tasted nothing but meat for a week past1 and ,tom1 seizing his rifle started up the hill at a rapid pace to show the corporal the easiest way down the steep mountain side4 ,when the corporal reached camp the lieutenant complimented him highly upon his skill and success in overcoming difficulties1 and declared his purpose to make a commendatory report of his conduct of the expedition4 ,but how did you happen to come to us from up the mountain instead of from down the mountain8 asked the lieutenant1 while eagerly devouring an ash cake4 ,why1 said the corporal1 when ,i found my road up the mountain blocked by an impassable torrent1 ,i remembered some of my old soldier experiences and ,i turned them around4 ,i remembered that when we camp on hills and set out in search of water the rule is to keep always going down hill1 because that's the way water runs4 ,if you keep on doing that you'll come to water after awhile4 ,so1 turning that around1 ,i said to myself1 'all this water comes from up the mountain4 ,the only way to get past it is to go clear up to where it comes from4' ,that's what ,i did1 and then ,i marched straight around the high mountain till ,i saw your brush fire last night about midnight4 ,i wanted to come right on1 but both the men and the mules were exhausted by a terrific day's work and besides it was too dark to see the difficult way2 so ,i bivouacked for the night and started down the hill between daylight and sunrise4 ,there1 ,lieutenant1 that's the whole story1 and it isn't much of a story1 at that4 ,well1 ,i don't know1 said the lieutenant1 meditatively4 ,it's enough of a story at any rate to make a sergeant out of ,corporal ,jenkins1 if my recommendations carry any weight at headquarters4 ,corporal1 you have conducted this affair in a masterly manner1 with zeal1 skill and discretion4 ,my report will mention these facts4 ,thank you1 ,lieutenant1 was all that the soldier could say4 ,but it was quite enough4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,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 rations1 except a dozen sides of bacon1 commuted into rations of flour1 meal1 maccaroni1 rice1 potatoes and other starchy foods4 ,his first care1 after the mules were unloaded1 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 supplies4 ,and besides1 he said1 ,camp ,venture is just now my hospital1 with five wounded men in it1 to every one of whom ten days' rations are overdue4 ,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 meat4 ,now that five of the six bunks in ,camp ,venture were occupied by wounded men1 the boys made for themselves the best beds they could1 on the earthen floor4 ,at first it was proposed that the ,doctor should occupy the one bunk not devoted to the use of a wounded man1 but the ,doctor dismissed the suggestion with scorn4 ,next it was suggested that ,ed should still consider himself an invalid and accept the hospitality of the bunk4 ,but ,i'm no longer an invalid1 answered ,ed1 almost angrily4 ,i'm well enough now to chop down trees1 and take cold baths4 ,a pretty sort of sick fellow ,i am6 ,finally it was agreed that the several boys should occupy the bunk in succession1 one each night1 and lots were drawn for the order in which they should occupy it4 ,as the soldiers now kept guard it was no longer necessary for the boys to keep a sentinel awake4 ,the lieutenant's second care after provisioning the boys1 was to make another appeal to the revenue officer1 or rather to place that person again in his rightful position of responsibility4 ,i have provisioned my force1 he said4 ,are you contemplating any further operations in the mountains8 ,if so ,i shall be glad to place myself and my men at your disposal4 ,we can march at a moment's notice4 ,i don't know1 said the officer1 whether further operations just now would yield results commensurate with the risk4 ,what do you think1 ,lieutenant8 ,oh1 it is not my business to think1 answered the military man1 at least not on questions of that kind4 ,i have been ordered up here to give military support to any operations that you may undertake against the illicit distillers4 ,beyond giving such military support ,i have no functions whatever4 ,but what do you think1 ,lieutenant8 ,i tell you ,i am not thinking4 ,i am simply waiting for orders4 ,but surely you have some opinion4 ,won't you give me the benefit of it8 ,yes1 answered the lieutenant4 ,i have an opinion--several of them1 in fact--and as you insist1 ,i will give you the benefit of them4 ,it is my opinion that you have conducted your affairs like an imbecile4 ,you were sent up here to break up the illicit stills and you haven't found one of them yet and never will4 ,you found this camp of wood chopping boys and made me capture it for you4 ,then the moonshiners took the offensive1 while you were pottering around here trying to find a still where a mere glance would have convinced an intelligent man that there was none4 ,very well1 ,i captured the moonshiners while you were hiding behind the ,camp ,venture barricade4 ,they are our prisoners1 no thanks to you4 ,i think now1 as ,i told you at the time1 that then1 if ever1 was your time to search out the stills and capture them4 ,you would not do it1 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 existence4 ,you've got the materials for a report1 of course1--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 them4 ,i captured them and ,i had a right to do so1 because they attacked a body of regular troops engaged in doing their duty4 ,in other words1 they levied war upon the ,united ,states and were caught in the act4 ,the charge of treason cannot be sustained against them1 probably2 if not they are guilty of rioting1 assault and battery and all that sort of thing4 ,but what charge can you bring against them8 ,you may say that they are moonshiners1 but you can't offer a particle of proof of that1 simply because you would not follow up this affair by hunting out the stills4 ,there1 you have a few of my leading 'opinions1' and as you don't seem to relish them1 perhaps ,i needn't give you any more4 ,the revenue agent was dejected beyond measure4 ,for a time he sat still with a flushed and angry face4 ,then1 as he realized the situation in which he had placed himself by his foolishness and indecision1 he turned pale4 ,finally he appealed again to the lieutenant3 ,won't you advise me what to do now at any rate8 he asked4 ,i'll advise you as to nothing4 ,when the time to act came ,i volunteered some advice and you rejected it4 ,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 duty4 ,but1 ,lieutenant-- ,i tell you ,i have said all ,i am going to say1 broke in the military man1 angered quite as much by the man's imbecility as by his obvious cowardice4 ,i await any requisition you may make upon me for military support1 and ,i will instantly respond to every such requisition4 ,as to advice1 ,i have none to offer4 ,when we go back down the mountain1 you doubtless will make your report4 ,i will make mine also4 ,good night1 sir4 ,and with that the lieutenant strode away to his camp fire out under the bluff1 gave his orders for the night and went to sleep with a clear conscience4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,a ,homing ,prospect ,the revenue officers and the soldiers remained at ,camp ,venture1 the ,doctor caring for the wounded men who were rapidly recovering as the days went by4 ,meantime the boys were nearing the end of their winter's work and were looking forward rather eagerly to a home-going in the near future4 ,tom continued to hunt for game1 and his diligence in that direction provided a sufficient supply of meat1 while the lieutenant's stores furnished enough bread stuffs for all4 ,the chief revenue officer announced his purpose to take his party down the mountain as soon as the streams should be passable1 and ,jack announced his intention of taking his party down as soon as they should have finished the work they had laid out for themselves4 ,i shan't wait for the streams to get out of the way1 he said4 ,we'll go down the mountain not by the road1 but over the cliffs as ,tom did that night we were so scared about him4 ,there are no streams to cross there4 ,that's perfectly feasible1 isn't it1 ,tom8 ,oh1 yes1 answered ,tom1 particularly as we shall have the ,doctor along to patch up any broken legs or arms that we may get in dropping down over precipices4 ,is there serious danger of that8 asked ,jim4 ,yes1 if you are careless2 no1 if you are careful1 answered ,tom4 ,in fact1 my experience teaches me that that's usually the case4 ,the man who doesn't look out for himself usually meets with what he calls 'accidents' and blames ,luck1 or ,fortune or ,providence with mishaps which a little intelligent care on his own part would have averted4 ,in fact ,i don't believe there is any such thing as accident1 strictly speaking4 ,how about that perforated ear of yours1 ,tom8 asked ,ed4 ,oh1 that illustrates my point4 ,that wasn't an accident at all4 ,i might have stayed here in the house that morning1 and ,i'd have been perfectly safe4 ,you see1 ,i had no business out there on the line4 ,the work to be done there belonged exclusively to the soldiers4 ,but1 with my curiosity to see how such things were managed ,i went out there and then like a young idiot ,i stood up by the lieutenant1 when all the soldiers were lying down4 ,if ,i hadn't done that ,i wouldn't have got my ear pierced4 ,no1 there's no such thing as accident in a world that is governed by law4 ,but ,tom1 asked ,jim ,chenowith1 suppose you are on a railroad train and it runs off the track and you are considerably done up4 ,isn't that an accident8 ,no4 ,the train would never have run off the track if everybody had done his duty4 ,but somebody laid the rails carelessly1 or some engineer failed to discover that a stone was loose on the cliff above and about to drop down on the track1 or somebody else failed somewhere2 otherwise the train would never have run off the track4 ,i tell you ,i don't believe there is any such thing as accident1 in the strict sense of the word4 ,this world is governed by law4 ,causes produce their effects as certainly as the multiplication table gives its results4 ,the trouble is we don't take enough care of the causes4 ,but sometimes we don't know enough to do that1 said ,jack4 ,well1 ignorance is the cause in that case4 ,i don't say that one is always to blame for the evils that befall him4 ,i only say that they don't befall him by 'accident1' and that with due care we can avoid most of them4 ,that is particularly true in letting yourself down over a precipice by holding on to bushes4 ,some bushes hold on tenaciously and some give way with the smallest pull4 ,the thing to do is never to let go of the secure one till you have tried the next one and satisfied yourself of its stability--or better still1 never to trust yourself to one bush except while making an instantaneous change1 but hold by two always4 ,but ,i say1 ,jack1 how near are we to the end of our job8 ,well1 said ,jack1 taking out his memorandum book and studying the entries in it1 we have only about sixty more ties to send down4 ,we have already sent a great deal more cord wood than we agreed to1 but as to that the railroad people said 'the more the better1' and so with bridge timbers4 ,we did not agree to furnish any particular number of them and ,i fancy the railroad people didn't expect us to send more than two or three1 while in fact we have sent down twenty-nine and have six more nearly ready to send4 ,my plan is to cut the remaining ties which we are permitted to furnish under our contract1 send down the bridge timbers that we have ready or nearly so1 cut up all the remains of the felled timber into cord wood and send that down1 and then go down ourselves4 ,even if the trail were open1 which it isn't likely to be for some weeks to come1 ,i should favor going down over the cliffs instead1 because that will land us near where we want to be1 while if we went down by the trail we should have to walk fifteen miles to get there4 ,the camp was early astir next morning1 for now that the thought of going home had come to them1 the boys were eager to hasten the time for it4 ,by working hard1 said ,jack1 we can turn out ten or twelve ties a day1 or under favorable conditions twenty4 ,at three o'clock to-day we'll begin working the chutes and as ,i reckon it we'll be ready to start down a little before the first of ,april1 and that was the date set4 ,the weather is fine now and growing finer every day4 ,yes1 answered ,harry1 and the days are growing long enough to enable us to do full days' work4 ,under the new inspiration the axes were briskly used that day until three o'clock4 ,then all hands were called to help roll the big bridge timbers into place and send them down the mountain4 ,four of them were sent off1 the others not being quite ready yet4 ,but the handling of these big timbers was slow work and so night fell before any of the ties or cordwood could be sent down the chute4 ,there were twenty-one ties ready and about thirty cords of wood4 ,but these must wait until three o'clock the next day1 and by that time the number of ties and the quantity of cord wood would be considerably increased4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,in the ,hands of the ,enemy ,weary as they were with their over-energetic day's work1 the boys went to bed early that night--all of them but ,tom4 ,that tireless ,nimrod had found a bear's den the day before and was minded to go out and watch for the bear that inhabited it4 ,your bear is a night prowler1 he said1 and if ,i can catch this one going out of his den or into it to-night1 ,i'll bring home a supply of meat4 ,we're a trifle short of that commodity just now4 ,several of the boys wanted to go with ,tom1 and the lieutenant1 who had dined with them that evening1 wanted to send two soldiers as his assistants4 ,no1 said ,tom1 ,i don't want anybody with me4 ,we'd inevitably talk1 and then we'd never see a bear4 ,i'll go alone4 ,with that he took his rifle and went out into the darkness1 while the rest of the boys went to bed and to sleep4 ,as he neared the bear den which he had discovered during the day and identified by tracks1 ,tom moved very cautiously1 making no noise1 and1 secreting himself between two rock masses1 lay down to await developments4 ,hour after hour passed1 and there were none4 ,still ,tom maintained an attitude of alert attention4 ,presently a great light appeared over a spur of the mountain1 in the direction of ,camp ,venture4 ,there's something the matter over there1 said ,tom to himself1 but with all those soldiers there they don't need me half as much as they need a bear4 ,just at that moment--it was about three o'clock in the morning--,tom heard a crackling of sticks near at hand1 and a moment later a great black bear came waddling and lumbering along on his way to the den4 ,with that instinct of humorous perception which was strong in ,tom1 he could not help likening the belated beast to a convivial gentleman returning from his club in the small hours4 ,then it occurred to him that convivial gentlemen under such circumstances are sometimes held up at their own door ways1 a fact which still further heightened the resemblance between the two cases4 ,it next occurred to ,tom that should his shot prove ineffective or imperfectly effective1 the bear might get the better of him1 as convivial gentlemen sometimes do with footpads4 ,for1 from the point at which ,tom was lying1 there was no avenue of escape except directly in the path of the bear1 and a wounded bear is about as ugly an enemy to encounter as it is possible to find anywhere4 ,moral3 said ,tom to himself1 ,don't shoot till you've got a bead on a vital point4 ,fortunately this rifle has an 'initial velocity' as they call it1 which will send a bullet through the thickest skull that any animal in the world wears as a breastwork to his brains4 ,of course ,tom would have preferred to shoot at the animal's heart1 but there was no chance to do that1 for at that moment the great beast discovered his huntsman and presented his full front to him at a distance of less than ten feet4 ,another second and the bear would make mince meat of the boy4 ,so ,tom taking a hasty aim fired at the animal's forehead1 and the bullet did its work so well that the beast fell instantly dead4 ,after waiting for a minute or so to see if any scratching capacity remained in his game1 ,tom went to the bear and after inspecting it muttered3 ,i've shot ,ursa ,major himself1 for the bear was of unusual bulk1 greatly the largest ,tom had ever seen4 ,i wonder what the stars will look like now that the constellation of the ,great ,bear is done for4 ,the beast was much too heavy for ,tom to carry or even drag to the camp4 ,so he instantly set out in search of assistance4 ,his plan was to go to the camp and secure three or four soldiers to assist him in transporting his game4 ,but he had not gone far on his campward journey before he was held up by three mountaineers4 ,fortunately one of the party--apparently its leader--was his own particular mountaineer1 the one whom he had set free and who had so generously repaid his favor with gifts of corn and rye meal4 ,now set down1 little ,tom1 said the man2 we wants a little talk with you4 ,all right1 said ,tom1 ,i'm ready4 ,well you see1 you done tole me an' ,i done tole the other folks as how you boys had nothin' whatsomever to do with the revenue officers or the soldiers4 ,that's all right1 said ,tom4 ,we haven't had anything to do with them1 we haven't spied upon you fellows or molested you in any way4 ,but there's a big gang o' soldiers an' revenue officers in your camp4 ,yes1 ,i know that1 said ,tom4 ,but are we talking fair and square as we did before8 ,yes1 fa'r an' squar'1 answered the man4 ,very well then1 ,i'll tell you about this matter4 ,we boys don't like your illegal occupation up here in the mountains1 but it is none of our business4 ,we have never spied out your stills and certainly we have given no information to the revenue officers4 ,what did they come up here for then8 asked one of the mountaineer's companions4 ,they came up to capture us4 ,they had seen the lights of ,camp ,venture and had located us4 ,so they thought they had a still sure1 and they came up here to capture it4 ,the first thing they did was to surround us and fire at us in the dark4 ,i explained matters to them and they searched our camp all over4 ,then they decided to camp there till they could get some provisions from down below1 and while they were waiting1 they asked me to tell them where the stills were so that they might raid them for meal4 ,i knew where some stills were of course1 for ,i've seen a lot since ,i came up here1 but ,i refused to tell them4 ,is that honest ,injun1 ,tom8 ,yes1 answered the boy4 ,i never tell lies4 ,but you must understand me clearly4 ,i haven't the smallest respect for you moonshiners or for your business4 ,under ordinary circumstances ,i should not hesitate to tell the revenue officers where a still was if ,i happened to know4 ,but ,i made a bargain with you1 ,bill ,jones4 ,i told you truly that we had come up here to cut railroad ties and not to interfere with you or your criminal business4 ,i told you that if you'd let us alone we'd let you alone4 ,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't4 ,i had promised you and ,i have kept my promise4 ,yes1 answered ,bill ,jones1 an' you let me off in a state prison case1 jest in time to save my little gal from starvin' to death6 ,i'll never forgit it1 an' ,i tell you fellers you mustn't hurt little ,tom4 ,ef you do1 ,i'll stand on his side an' they'll be some ugly work done before you're through with it4 ,well1 said one of the men1 he tells a mighty nice1 slick story like1 an' maybe it's true4 ,but they's jest one question ,i'd like to ask him afore we close the conversation like4 ,ask me any question you please1 said ,tom1 and ,i'll answer it truly4 ,i have nothing to conceal1 and ,i never tell lies4 ,well1 said the man after discharging a quid of tobacco from further service and biting off a new one to take its place1 what ,i want to know is what you'se been doin'1 out here in the mounting all night like4 ,that's easy1 said ,tom4 ,i've been killing a bear4 ,where8 asked the man4 ,about a quarter of a mile back4 ,you see we're getting short of meat down there in camp1 with all these soldiers quartered upon us4 ,then ef you done got a bear whar is it8 asked the man4 ,it is back there1 as ,i tell you1 about a quarter of a mile4 ,why didn't you bring it with you8 asked the man4 ,simply because it is too heavy4 ,it is the biggest bear ,i ever saw4 ,i was on my way to camp1 when you stopped me1 to get some fellows to come out here and help me drag it4 ,will you show it to us8 asked the man1 still incredulously4 ,seein's believin' you know4 ,certainly1 said ,tom4 ,the little old moon is rising now1 and you can get a good look at the bear that ,i've sat up all night to kill4 ,he led the way back and at sight of the bear even the incredulous one of the party was satisfied4 ,now1 spoke up ,bill ,jones1 we've got jest one thing to do4 ,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 in4 ,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 eat4 ,we'll drag the bar to the camp fer ,little ,tom6 ,one of the men offered an objection3 ,we'll git arrested ef we do1 he said4 ,for what8 asked ,tom4 ,why fer moonshining of course4 ,but you haven't been caught moonshining4 ,nobody in camp can accuse you of that or any other crime4 ,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 arrested4 ,that's 'nuff sed1 said ,bill ,jones4 ,little ,tom never goes back on his word1 an' he knows how to manage things4 ,we'll take the bar to camp4 ,the men assented but with hesitation and obvious reluctance4 ,seeing their hesitation ,bill ,jones spoke again3 ,now ,i tell you1 you needn't worry the least little bit4 ,i know whereof ,i speak1 as the ,bible says1 when ,i tell you that you kin bet all you've got on ,little ,tom ,ridsdale4 ,when he says a thing he means it an' when he means it he'll do it ef all the eggs in the basket gits broke4 ,thank you ,bill1 said ,tom4 ,anyhow ,i'll see that you fellows get safely out of our camp or else ,i'll go with you with my rifle in my hand4 ,the men seemed satisfied4 ,seizing the bear they dragged it campwards as the daylight began to grow strong4 ,before ,camp ,venture was reached the sun was well above the horizon1 and as they approached ,tom gained some notion of what had happened there and of what the blaze of the night before had signified4 ,but well outside the camp his mountaineers dropped the bear and bade ,tom good bye4 ,not a vestige of the house in which the boys had lived all winter remained4 ,only the smoke of a still smoldering fire marked the place where it had been4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv ,the ,end of ,camp ,venture ,during the night of ,tom's bear hunt1 the boys slept soundly1 wearied as they were by an especially hard day's work4 ,about three o'clock a soldier from out under the bluff rushed in crying3 ,wake up6 ,wake up6 ,wake up6 ,your chimney's on fire6 ,then came the ,lieutenant with a squad of soldiers to remove the wounded men from the hut4 ,this was a work of some difficulty although all the men were now making satisfactory recovery as the ,doctor phrased it4 ,the ,doctor took charge at this point because he knew as no one else did the exact nature and condition of each man's wound1 and it was his care to see that none should be improperly handled or in any way injured in the removal4 ,yet the house burned so rapidly that there was very little time for care and the excited soldiers had to be sharply restrained by the ,lieutenant to make them comply with every direction of the ,doctor in their handling of the wounded men4 ,meantime the boys removed from the house everything of value1 including even the piano1 which they would need every day for the sharpening of their axes4 ,what had happened was this3 the upper part of the chimney1 as the reader will remember1 had been built of sticks1 laid in a crib1 and daubed all over with mud4 ,the sticks were green1 full of sap and almost incombustible when placed in position1 and besides that the mud daubing protected them4 ,but little by little the mud had dried and fallen away4 ,while the heat of a fire that was maintained night and day for many months had seasoned the sticks first and then dried and parched them to the condition of tinder1 capable of being ignited by the merest spark4 ,that night the spark did its work4 ,the chimney sticks caught fire and burned with fierce violence4 ,the clapboards forming the roof and the resinous pine timbers that held them in place1 had also been roasted into an exceedingly combustible condition1 and by the time that the fire was discovered the house was obviously doomed4 ,that was the origin of the light that ,tom had seen in the direction of ,camp ,venture while waiting for his bear4 ,when he now entered the camp he found the boys getting breakfast by an out door fire1 built near the mouth of the chute4 ,poor old ,camp ,venture6 he exclaimed4 ,how did it happen boys8 ,they hastily explained especially answering ,tom's eager questions as to the condition of the wounded men4 ,they are quite comfortable1 said the ,doctor4 ,all possible care was taken in removing them from the burning house1 and my examination discovers no trace of damage done to any of them4 ,but where have you been and what have you brought back with you8 for ,tom had no game in possession4 ,i've been to the home and headquarters of ,ursa ,major1 and ,i've killed him1 answered ,tom4 ,i want to borrow the ,lieutenant's glass to-night to see how the heavens look without the constellation of the ,great ,bear4 ,what do you mean1 ,tom8 asked the boys eagerly4 ,why simply that ,i have killed the biggest black bear ,i ever saw or heard of in these mountains4 ,where is it8 eagerly asked ,jack1 who had a great longing for fresh meat for breakfast that morning4 ,it's out there just beyond the picket lines1 and some of you must go after it4 ,you see the mountaineers who 'held me up' and then made friends with me1 agreed to bring it to camp under my solemn promise of safe conduct4 ,bill ,jones was at the head of them4 ,but as they drew near the camp and saw the pickets1 their courage failed them and even my invitation to come and breakfast with us1 could not entice them within the picket lines4 ',we don't want to take no risks1' they said1 'an' you kin bring out some fellers to git the bar1 so ef you don't mind1 we'll leave it right here an' say good mornin'4' ,and with that they scurried off up the mountain4 ,jack1 ,harry1 ,ed and ,jim volunteered to go out after the bear1 and with no little difficulty they at last got him to camp1 where they proceeded to dress him4 ,tom1 in the meantime1 ate such breakfast as there was on hand1 and1 rolling himself in his blanket1 stretched his tired limbs before the fire and fell at once into slumber4 ,the other boys left him asleep when they went to their work1 but considerably before noon he joined them with his axe4 ,that night a council of war1 as they called it1 was held4 ,now that our house is burned up1 said ,jack1 we may as well begin to get ready for our descent of the mountain4 ,of course1 we could sleep out of doors in this spring weather1 but there is no use in doing it longer than we must4 ,we sent the last two bridge timbers down the chute to-day4 ,we have only twenty more ties to get ready and if we work hard we can do that to-morrow and next day4 ,that will leave us nothing more to do except to work up the waste into cordwood and send it down4 ,my calculation is that we can leave here one week from to-morrow morning if we are reasonably industrious4 ,tom's bear and the other game he'll get1 will keep us in meat for that time1 and if the ,doctor can leave his patients a week hence1 we'll go4 ,oh1 as to that1 said the ,doctor1 ,i could leave them now4 ,they need nothing now but nursing1 and it won't be very long after we leave before the road will be open for the lieutenant to send them all down the mountain4 ,thus with glad thoughts of a speedy homing1 the boys rolled themselves in their blankets and stretched themselves out to sleep by the fire and under the stars4 ,by the way1 ,tom1 said ,jim1 just as ,tom was sinking into slumber1 you forgot to look for that hole in the sky that you made last night4 ,well1 you'd better make a hole in your talk pretty quick1 ,jim1 if you don't want a bucket of water poured over you1 said ,jack4 ,lie awake as long as you like1 but keep quiet and let the rest of us sleep4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi ,a ,start ,down the ,mountain ,just a week later the boys were ready to quit ,camp ,venture and proceed down the mountain1 or as ,tom1 quoting the mountaineers1 put it1 they prepared to git down out'n the mountings4 ,they had fully accomplished their mission4 ,they had done a great winter's work4 ,they had sent down the mountain every tie they were permitted by their contract to furnish2 they had sent down many noble bridge timbers and greatly more cordwood than they had expected to cut4 ,their work was done1 except that before going home they must go to the headquarters of the railroad contractors1 at the foot of the mountain1 adjust their accounts and collect the money due them4 ,as the best mountain climber among them1 the one who had met and overcome more mountain difficulties in his time than any other1 and the one who best knew how to look straight at things and use common sense1 ,tom was chosen to direct the perilous descent over the cliffs4 ,the boys were all heavily loaded1 of course4 ,each had his axe1 his blanket1 his extra clothing and four days' rations to carry4 ,each also had his gun and there was one extra gun--the rifle that ,tom had captured from the mountaineer--to be carried4 ,for1 said ,tom1 while we have no use for the gun1 ,i've agreed to deliver it to its owner whenever he chooses to call for it at my mother's house1 and ,i tell you1 boys1 a man's first obligation in this world is to keep every promise that he makes no matter what it costs4 ,i'd take that fellow's rifle down the mountain if ,i had to leave my own behind in order to do it4 ,you are right1 ,tom1 said the ,doctor1 and boys1 ,i propose that we take charge of that gun and carry it turn and turn about for ,tom1 for he is otherwise the worst over-loaded fellow in the party4 ,for ,tom had his skins to carry--the panther's hide1 three big bear skins1 several deer hides1 and a large number of pelts from raccoons1 opossums1 hares1 squirrels and other small game4 ,in fact1 said the ,doctor1 ,i move that we throw ,tom down1 take away his load1 and divide it equally among the entire party4 ,that's it4 ,that's the way to manage it6 cried the boys in chorus4 ,but ,tom would hear of nothing of the kind4 ,you fellows may help me with the mountaineer's rifle1 if you choose1 but ,i'll manage my bundle of skins for myself4 ,thank you1 all the same4 ,after all1 our luggage isn't going to bother us half so much1 going down the mountain this way as it would if we went down by the regular trail4 ,why not1 ,tom8 asked ,jack4 ,well1 ,i'll show you after awhile1 said ,tom4 ,and in the meantime1 ,doctor1 ,i'm going to take all your delicate and expensive scientific instruments1 and myself pack them so that they will endure the journey without injury4 ,if carried as you have them1 there wouldn't be one of them that wouldn't lie like a moonshiner by the time we 'git out'n the mountings4' ,let me have them1 please4 ,the ,doctor1 curious to see what the boy was going to do1 turned his instruments over to him and carefully observed his proceedings4 ,tom began by selecting a number of the smaller skins1 which1 instead of drying1 he had tanned with brains1 corn meal-rubbing and other devices known to him as a hunter4 ,these were as limp and soft as so many pieces of muslin1 but greatly tougher4 ,with them ,tom carefully wrapped each instrument separately1 securely tying up each with string1 which the boy seemed always to have hidden somewhere about his person in unlimited quantity and variety of sizes and kinds4 ,that's a trick ,i learned in hunting1 he said1 when questioned4 ,you can never have too much string with you4 ,next he packed these bundles together1 interposing dried and stiff hides between the several parcels1 and again securely tied them together4 ,then he took the hide of his ,ursa ,major1 which was still green and limp1 and which1 as the boys suggested1 smelt uncommonly bad1 and rolled the whole bundle in that1 skinny side out1 binding it securely with stout twine4 ,finally he wrapped the stiff dried hide of the first bear he had killed1 and the equally stiff panther's hide over all1 as a sort of goods box1 he said1 and1 with a piece of red keel1 he playfully marked on the panther's skin1 ,glass6 ,handle with care4 ,but now who is going to carry all this load8 asked ,jack4 ,tom and ,i1 said the ,doctor1 quickly4 ,the skins are ,tom's and the instruments are mine4 ,so we'll take some more of ,tom's string and rig up some handles by which he and ,i can carry the bundle4 ,you see1 said ,tom1 we may possibly have to drop it over a cliff now and then1 and ,i've tried to do it up so as to stand that without breaking the instruments4 ,but ,i think we can manage to avoid that4 ,at any rate1 we'll try4 ,now1 come on1 boys4 ,they had already taken leave of the lieutenant1 and with four days' rations in their haversacks--for the lieutenant had supplied them with those military conveniences--haversacks--they began the descent of the mountain by that difficult way that ,tom had followed on the night when he inspected the stills4 ,it was nine o'clock when they started4 ,they made their way with comparative ease for nearly an hour4 ,then they came upon a bluff of formidable proportions and difficulty4 ,here ,tom's experience and generalship came into play for the first time4 ,all lay off your loads1 he said4 ,now1 ,harry1 you are a discreet fellow and a good climber4 ,strip yourself of everything that can possibly embarrass you1 and go down over the bluff4 ,remember what ,i have told you about bushes4 ,some of them cling tenaciously1 while some of them give way in their roots at the first serious pull4 ,never trust one of them1 but hold on by two always1 and support yourself by your feet on every projection of rock you can find1 so as not to overtax the bushes4 ,when you are holding by two bushes1 never let go of one to catch another lower down till you have satisfied yourself of the security of the other one by which you are holding on1 and then grab the new one as quickly as you can4 ,make your way to the foot of the cliff1 and we'll then let all our baggage and arms down to you with twine4 ,you are to receive it all1 untie the twine and let us pull it up again for the next bundle4 ,when all our luggage is down1 we'll climb down ourselves4 ,there isn't any serious difficulty about it if we're careful4 ,as ,i told you boys awhile ago1 there isn't any such thing as accident4 ,it is all a question of carefulness4 ,harry did his part well in making the descent of this first precipice and the work of lowering the arms and luggage1 including every boy's haversack--for it was imperative that in the bush climb down the cliff1 no boy should carry a single ounce of unnecessary weight--occupied full two hours' time4 ,the ,doctor was the last to go over the edge of the precipice1 and he alone met with mishap4 ,jack1 with his heavy weight1 had preceded him1 and the bushes1 already weakened by the strain the other boys had given them1 were some of them almost torn out by the roots from the rock crevices in which they grew4 ,so when the ,doctor was about half way down1 one of them gave way suddenly1 leaving the ,doctor's right hand with no support and swinging him around in very perilous fashion4 ,but the ,doctor had by this time become a good deal of an athlete1 and instantly realizing his danger1 he swung himself around on his toes1 which rested in a crevice of the cliff1 and grasped with his right hand a sharp edge of rock which protruded some inches from the face of the cliff4 ,it was a perilous hold1 as the boys1 looking on from below1 clearly saw1 and one that obviously could not be long maintained4 ,but the ,doctor had his wits about him1 and after a moment's pause1 he grasped another bush which held securely1 and five minutes later he was on the ledge below4 ,here it was decided to halt for the midday meal4 ,a fire was built2 the game which had been brought--or at least so much of it as was needed for this meal--was broiled upon live coals1 and a pot of coffee was made--for of that sustaining article the original supply had not yet been quite exhausted4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii ,down the ,mountain ,by this time the boys were excessively tired4 ,climbing down over bluffs is weary work4 ,so after dinner they stretched themselves out for a nap with their bundles under their heads in lieu of pillows4 ,an hour later they roused themselves and set out again upon their toilsome journey1 carrying their packs as best they could1 and scrambling through underbrush and over fragments of rock that had fallen from the cliffs and hills above and now seriously obstructed the passage4 ,at last they came to the shelving rock1 mentioned in a preceding chapter4 ,this was a perfectly bare stretch of rock1 extending down the hill for nearly a quarter of a mile1 at an angle which made walking upon it impracticable4 ,now1 fellows1 said ,tom1 get your parcels together and slide them down the hill4 ,the thick woods and bush tangle at the bottom of this rocky incline will bring them to a halt4 ,then ,i'll go down alone and find out if the way is practicable4 ,if ,i get down in safety the rest of you can follow1 doing precisely as you've seen me do4 ,but1 ,tom1 ,i protest1 said the ,doctor4 ,you mustn't take all the risk4 ,oh1 you'll have risk enough for your own share1 answered ,tom1 after ,i've done the trick4 ,it's only that ,i've done this sort of thing before1 and can show you fellows how4 ,in the meantime1 send the parcels down4 ,then one after another1 the shoulder packs were started and went speedily down the rocky incline and into the woodlands at its foot4 ,the guns1 of course1 were not risked in this fashion1 but were securely strapped upon the shoulders of those who were to carry them4 ,when all the luggage had been sent down1 ,tom began his descent1 calling to the others3 ,now watch me carefully1 boys1 and see just how ,i do it4 ,he went down1 face to the ground1 and feet first1 sliding1 with legs and arms spread out1 to offer all possible resistance to gravity1 and with his toes clinging close to the rock to catch every little inequality and thus check his speed4 ,now and then he would encounter an obstruction that brought him to a full stop4 ,when that happened1 he rested awhile1 and then resumed his slide4 ,it was hard work1 accompanied by no little peril1 and the boys did not breathe freely till ,tom reached the bottom1 stood up and waved his hat in token of his victory over the difficulty4 ,then one by one--for ,tom had forbidden any two of them to start down at the same time--they all made the descent in the same way1 without giving the ,doctor a single job to do1 said ,tom1 when all was over4 ,but their clothing was very badly damaged in the descent1 and the hands and knees of some of them were considerably torn4 ,they were now in a very thick woodland1 crowning a gently declining hillside1 and1 after gathering their properties together1 they marched forward for an hour1 descended another bluff1 and decided to encamp there for the night4 ,the distance to the foot of the mountain was now comparatively small1 but the surface was badly broken and precipitous1 and as darkness was not far off1 it was deemed better to wait until morning before completing the journey4 ,on the way through the woodlands1 the ,doctor had surprised and shot a turkey1 and it must of course be roasted1 so the first thing to do was to cut some wood and build a fire4 ,for that a spot was selected just under a slate rock bank that formed a cliff near where they had decided to camp4 ,the water which oozed out at the bottom of this slate rock bank on its western border1 and formed a convenient pool there1 did not prove to be good4 ,it tasted of various minerals1 iron and sulphur among them1 and was distinctly unpalatable4 ,fortunately1 ,jim discovered a spring at a little distance1 however1 which was found to be good4 ,springs were everywhere on this steep face of the mountain1 bearing to the surface the water from the snows that fell in the higher lands above1 sank into the ground1 and percolating through rock fissures1 found its way to daylight again wherever a crack or seam in the rock permitted4 ,so the coffee pot was soon ready for the fire where the turkey was already roasting1 and by the time that night fell1 the supper of roast turkey1 hot biscuit and steaming coffee1 was ready1 and the weary boys were looking rather eagerly forward to the time when the meal should be so far past as to permit them to lie down again to sleep4 ,as they ate they chatted1 of course4 ,the home-going had begun1 and indeed its most serious difficulties had already been overcome4 ,their enthusiasm was again aroused and they again felt interest in whatever subject might come up for discussion4 ,but first of all1 they made ,jack figure up their winter's earnings--exclusive1 of course1 of ,tom's skins--and they were very well satisfied indeed with the results of his figuring4 ,their outfit in the autumn had cost them very little1 and since then they had been at no expense whatever except that they owed the ,doctor their several small shares of the money he had given to ,bill ,jones and of the two dollars he had advanced to ,tom for the purchase of meal on the mountain2 for1 of course1 they all insisted upon sharing that expense1 and ,tom had no reasonable ground for refusing4 ,an hour after supper all lay down to sleep1 after replenishing the fire under the slate rock bank1 for there was no danger from moonshiners down here so near the foot of the mountain4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii ,old ,king ,coal ,it was nearly morning when the boys1 wrapped in their blankets1 began to stir uneasily and kick at their coverings4 ,every one of them was oppressed with heat1 but for a time1 weary as they were1 they did not fully come to a consciousness of what it was that disturbed them4 ,after awhile ,jim sat up1 stripping off his blanket and giving vent to his feeling in the half word1 half whistle1 ,whew6 ,he looked about him for an instant1 and then hastily jumping up1 called to his half-awake companions3 ,i say1 fellows1 wake up1 quick4 ,the slate rock bank is afire6 ,it was true enough4 ,as the boys shook off the cobwebs of their dreams1 they discovered what it was that had been overheating them in their sleep4 ,the whole bank under which they had built their fire was ablaze and throwing out an intense heat4 ,the ,doctor was the first to grasp the situation4 ,drag the fire away from the bank as quickly as you can1 boys6 he cried4 ,fortunately the wood is nearly burned out4 ,that done1 the cliff continued to blaze and sputter and the ,doctor1 who had seized authority and taken control of affairs1 called for water4 ,bring it in your hats1 boys1 or anything else that will hold water1 but bring it quick6 ,the boys obeyed with alacrity1 and when the water came1 the ,doctor made them cast it only upon the lower parts of the burning cliff4 ,we get a double advantage that way1 he explained4 ,we put out the source of the fire1 which originates at the bottom1 and the steam that rises from water thrown there helps to dampen the fire above4 ,but the burning had made such progress that it required quite two hours to put it out4 ,when that was done1 daylight having completely come1 the boys addressed themselves to the work of getting breakfast1 by a new fire kindled at some distance from the lately burning bank4 ,the ,doctor1 meanwhile1 was pottering around the bank1 breaking off bits of the formation with his little geological hammer1 and seriously burning his fingers in efforts to examine them critically4 ,finally he seized his axe and with an entirely reckless disregard of its edge1 he began chopping into the bank4 ,even when breakfast was announced1 he would not quit his exploration for a time4 ,the ,doctor seems interested in that cliff1 said one of the boys4 ,yes1 and he's ruining the edge of his axe upon it1 said another4 ,i suppose he has found something of geologic interest there4 ,just then the ,doctor quitted his work on the bank1 removed his hunting shirt1 tied it up by the neck and filled it full of the blocks he had chopped out of the bank4 ,it held about half a bushel4 ,going to the fire1 he emptied the mass upon it1 and watched for results with eagerness4 ,the slate rock1 as the boys had called it1--burned slowly and gave out a good deal of heat4 ,then the ,doctor addressed himself to his breakfast1 but he ate in silence4 ,after he had done1 he said to ,tom--for he and ,tom had become special cronies--,tom1 ,i wish you would take two of the boys with you this morning1 go down to the railroad camps and buy four or five picks and four or five shovels4 ,certainly1 ,doctor1 answered ,tom4 ,but what is it you want with the picks and shovels8 ,i want to dig into that bank4 ,i want to find out whether what ,i suspect is true or not4 ,what is it you suspect1 ,doctor8 asked ,jack eagerly4 ,i suspect that that slate rock bank is the outcrop of one of the very richest coal mines in ,america4 ,i may be wrong1 but if you'll go down and get the picks and shovels1 we'll soon find out4 ,but why not all go down and bring back some miners with us8 ,because we don't want any miners and especially we don't want anybody to 'jump our claim'--that is to say1 to come here and claim a royalty on the plea that he first discovered the mine4 ,boys1 ,i don't think we'll any of us get home as soon as we expected4 ,this is something worth staying for1 and fortunately we are now within easy reach of supplies4 ,but we haven't any money with which to pay for them1 said ,harry4 ,i'll take care of that1 said the ,doctor4 ,do you happen to remember that the contractor who is to pay you boys for your ties and cordwood and bridge timbers1 is named ,latrobe8 ,why1 yes1 certainly1 said ,tom4 ,but ,i never thought of that4 ,is he a relative of yours8 ,only my father1 answered the ,doctor4 ,i don't think we shall have any difficulty in purchasing any supplies we need while guarding this 'slate rock' mine4 ,after further conversation it was arranged that the ,doctor should send a note by ,tom to the elder ,latrobe1 asking him to send up tools and food supplies4 ,he wrote the letter on a leaf or two torn from his note book and delivered it into ,tom's hands4 ,now1 ,tom1 he said1 as you go down1 suppose you study the ground carefully and see if you can't pick out a route by which you can bring a wagon up4 ,if so1 my father will load it with provisions and it will carry much more than many pack mules could4 ,on the whole1 ,i think you'd better go alone4 ,i suggested taking two others with you1 to help carry the tools1 but you'll bring them in a wagon1 or if you can't find a wagon path1 you'll bring them on pack mules4 ,but find a wagon track if you can4 ,take your time going down4 ,you can't get back much before to-morrow night1 anyhow1 and it is important to secure a wagon way if possible4 ,all right1 said ,tom4 ,but1 ,doctor1 why do you think this is good coal8 ,it looks to me like very poor stuff1 and certainly it doesn't burn like good coal4 ,o1 that's because it is outcrop1 and outcrop coal is always poor stuff4 ,it has been so long exposed to the weather that it has lost most of its combustible constituents4 ,sometimes it will not burn at all4 ,but ,i think this the outcrop of a very fine vein of coal1 because from its location and from what ,i can discover of its formation by examining pieces of it1 ,i think ,i know the 'measure1' as they call it1 to which it belongs4 ,if ,i am right in this1 we have here a vein of the very best and purest coal in the world for making steam1 for direct furnace uses and for making coke4 ,but come1 we have no leisure now for talking about coal or anything else4 ,we want picks and provisions the first thing4 ,so pack your haversack1 ,tom1 and hie you away4 ,i will on one condition1 said ,tom4 ,what is that8 asked the ,doctor4 ,that you won't talk about ,old ,king ,coal to the other fellows till ,i get back1 answered ,tom4 ,i have at least ten thousand questions to ask1 and ,i simply won't go for provisions if you're going to answer any of them while ,i am gone4 ,i promise1 ,tom1 answered the ,doctor1 laughing4 ,i won't even mention ,his ,majesty ,king ,coal1 till you return and ,i'll scalp any boy in the party who asks me a question on that subject while you are away4 ,now1 be off4 ,take plenty of time4 ,we'll kill a little game now and then1 and we have enough flour to last us till you get back4 ,the important thing is for you to get a wagon load of supplies up here1 and you must do it if it takes a week4 ,i'll do it1 answered ,tom4 ,good by1 fellows6 and the boy started off down the hill4 ,,chapter ,,xxxix ,the ,doctor ,sings ,,as soon as ,tom was gone1 the ,doctor turned to the others and said3 ,come1 boys1 we must get to work4 ,what have we got to do8 asked ,jack4 ,why build the new ,camp ,venture1 to be sure4 ,don't you understand that we're to stay here perhaps for a month1 and must protect ourselves against the spring rains8 ,we must build a shelter before ,tom gets back4 ,but1 ,doctor1 interrupted ,harry1 why should we stay here for a month8 ,why1 don't you understand1 said the ,doctor1 that we have discovered1 right here on your mother's land1 a coal mine that will certainly make her comfortable all her life and probably make you boys rich4 ,we've got to find out enough about it to enable us to exploit it1 and that will take a month at least4 ,but tell us about the coal1 said ,jack4 ,the ,doctor replied by singing3 ,old ,king ,coal ,was a jolly old soul1 ,and a jolly old soul was he2 ,he called for his pipe and he called for his bowl1 ,and he called for his fiddlers three4 ,every fiddler had a fine fiddle ,and a very fine fiddle had he1 but1 continued the ,doctor1 not a man jack of them would tune up for ,old ,king ,coal till little ,tom got back1 because they had promised ,tom not to set the fiddles going in his absence4 ,that's a parable4 ,it gives you fair warning that ,i'm going to keep my promise to our dearest comrade1 ,little ,tom1 and tell you nothing about this or any other coal till he comes back4 ,but ,i tell you we shall have to stay here for a month at least1 and that we need some sort of shelter against the heavy spring rains4 ,so come1 ,jack1 you are our architect4 ,tell us what sort of house to build4 ,jack thought a few minutes1 after which he said3 ,we shan't need a house2 at this time of year all we need is a shelter1 closed in on three sides and open to the fire in front4 ,we can build it of poles and cover it with a thatch of pine branches and other brush thick enough to shed the rain4 ,but if we have only three sides to our house1 said ,jim1 how are we to keep the ends of the poles in place8 ,oh1 that's easy1 said ,jack4 ,we'll insert short bits of pole between them1 with deep notches cut into them2 and we needn't chink or daub at all4 ,we ought to be able to build quite all the shelter we need1 to-day and to-morrow1 particularly as we are in a thick grove of young trees1 just the size that we want for our poles4 ,get to work1 every fellow of you1 and cut poles with all your might4 ,just then a thought occurred to ,jack1 and he took the ,doctor aside for consultation4 ,doctor1 he said1 ,it occurs to me that this coal mine1 if it is a coal mine1 is on my mother's land and that therefore it is worth my while and ,harry's and ,tom's to stay here and work up the possibilities of the case4 ,it is also worth your while1 because you are in fact the discoverer of it and my mother will naturally recognize your interest in it1 especially as we shall look to you to find capitalists to work the thing4 ,oh1 ,i'll do that1 of course4 ,if ,i'm right about the mine1 ,i'll have no difficulty in finding plenty of capital4 ,the mine is at exactly the right place1 and as to my interest1 ,i'll take care of that when ,i come to negotiate with the capitalists4 ,i'll see to it that they allow me a proper commission for 'bringing the property to their attention1' as they phrase it4 ,so don't bother about me4 ,no1 but ,i'm bothering about ,ed and ,jim4 ,if they are to stay here and help us for a month or so1 they must be paid in some way4 ,of course1 answered the ,doctor4 ,i've been so long thinking of our party as a unit1 whose constituent members 'shared and shared alike1' that ,i had not thought of them as persons not interested in this new ,camp ,venture4 ,let me think a little6 ,he bowed his head upon his hands for a time in meditation4 ,then he said3 ,of course your mother cannot work this mine herself4 ,it will need at least a hundred thousand dollars of capital to make it productive--perhaps twice that sum4 ,i know enough of the situation to know that ,i can arrange that without going out of my own family4 ,my father and my brothers will put in the entire sum necessary--for ,i tell you there is a vastly valuable property here1--and will allow your mother her proper share of the stock for the mine itself4 ,i'll arrange all that to her perfect satisfaction before anything is concluded4 ,indeed1 ,i must do that4 ,otherwise she would naturally make somebody else her agent4 ,oh1 she'll trust you1 ,doctor1 interrupted ,jack4 ,it isn't a matter of trust1 it's business1 answered the ,doctor4 ,but on purely business principles we shall be able to arrange for your mother to put in the property and my friends to put in the money capital4 ,i shall not ask your mother for a cent1 for she has been like a mother to me ever since ,i came down here for my health and began boarding with her4 ,my own people will allow me out of their share1 a sufficient interest to compensate me4 ,now1 ,i undertake also that they or ,i shall allow to ,ed and ,jim1 half a share each in the mine1 supposing it to be capitalized at a hundred thousand dollars1 in return for their services while we have to stay here4 ,no1 ,doctor1 said ,jack1 ,i will not hear of that4 ,if you'll furnish one-half share1 ,i engage that my mother shall furnish the other4 ,that will divide the thing equally4 ,the ,doctor1 seeing the entire justice of this arrangement1 assented to it1 and the two called ,jim and ,ed into the conference4 ,when they laid the proposition before the pair1 it was joyfully accepted4 ,ed said3 ,even without that1 we shouldn't have left the camp4 ,we fellows have had so good a time together that ,i1 for one1 would have stayed and done my share of the work1 with or without a financial interest in it4 ,so should ,i1 said ,jim1 enthusiastically4 ,now that we are to be capitalists and stockholders and all that sort of thing1 it will require all our self restraint not to grow cocky and refuse to work4 ,still there are a lot of poles to cut for the new shelter1 and if you two fellows are going to stay here all day and talk1 the rest of us must work all the harder4 ,we're going to work at once1 ,jim1 said the ,doctor4 ,but ,i want you to understand that in my judgment this mine is going to be a great property1 and that your share in it will go far to make you prosperous men4 ,then ,ed broke down4 ,he had lived a hard life1 trying to aid his widowed mother by such work as he could do1 and this prospect opened to him1 of a little income independent of his work1 overcame him with emotion as he thought of the good mother released perhaps from the necessity of hard toil for the rest of her life4 ,the simple fact is that as ,ed turned away to hide his emotion1 the tears rolled down his cheeks4 ,but if he sobbed1 it was not until he had gone down the hill well beyond the ledge of broken stones that marked the boundary of the camp4 ,when night came1 the eager boys began again to question the ,doctor about coal and coal mines4 ,to every question1 he replied by singing ,old ,king ,coal1 and declaring anew his resolute purpose not to talk at all on that subject till little ,tom's return4 ,but the ,doctor was jubilant all the same1 and he said presently1 ,his ,majesty ,king ,coal is a very generous monarch and he is going to make all of us well to do if not actually rich4 ,then he broke out again into the song3 ,old ,king ,coal ,was a jolly old soul1 ,and a jolly old soul was he2 ,he called for his pipe and he called for his bowl1 ,and he called for his fiddlers three4 ,,chapter ,,xl ,tom's ,journey ,tom had not gone far on his journey before he discovered that the new ,camp ,venture was in fact situated very nearly at the base of the mountain4 ,the headquarters of the railroad people lay a mile or so to the west1 and perhaps two hundred feet or so lower4 ,but along the foot of the hill was accumulated all the debris that had come tumbling down the steep for ages--great and small fragments of rock split off the cliffs above by the frosts of a multitude of winters and now piled haphazard wherever they could find a resting place4 ,in the midst of such a mass of rocky debris1 now thickly overgrown with forest trees1 ,tom at first despaired of finding a practicable wagon path4 ,but he toiled diligently at the task1 retracing his steps many times and little by little tracing out a way1 which he marked as he went by cutting branches of trees and setting them up as landmarks to show him the way when he should return with a wagon load of supplies4 ,all this occupied so much time that ,tom did not reach his destination that night1 but slept by a little fire on the mountain side4 ,in the morning there was a drenching1 discouraging spring rain falling with pitiless persistence1 and ,tom's clothing and blanket were soaked through1 and his limbs were stiff with cold4 ,fortunately his fire had not been entirely extinguished by the rain1 and when he had replenished it with seasoned branches1 and steamed himself in its glow for a time1 his energy returned1 and he cooked and ate a scant but refreshing breakfast which included the two drumsticks of the ,doctor's turkey4 ,these had been roasted the night before1 but ,tom threw them on the coals to broil a little4 ,i prefer a hot breakfast1 he said1 particularly on a morning like this4 ,how ,i wish ,i had a cup of coffee6 ,then gathering up the few things that he carried1 he left his camp fire and continued his task of picking out a way by which a wagon might be dragged up and along the rocky hill4 ,it was high noon when he reached the little railroad station where ,dr4 ,latrobe's father had established his headquarters as a contractor4 ,tom was enthusiastically received by that gentleman1 who was naturally pleased to hear news of his son's thoroughly restored health4 ,there was a little tavern already established near the station and there ,tom was made to dry and warm himself4 ,having assured ,mr4 ,latrobe that he could conduct a loaded wagon up the hill to the new ,camp ,venture1 ,tom speedily left his occupation of warming himself and joined the older gentleman in choosing the materials that were to constitute the load4 ,mr4 ,latrobe had assigned for the purpose a heavy1 stoutly built wagon1 capable of enduring rough road service1 and to ,tom he said3 ,i've sent a little way down the line for four of the stoutest mules we have1 to draw it1 and for a driver who is used to mountain work4 ,they will be here this evening and in the meantime we'll get the wagon loaded1 so that you can make an early start in the morning4 ,this suited ,tom's plans exactly1 and he set himself at work at once selecting from the contractor's stores1 the things most desirable for his purpose4 ,there were ten large sides of bacon2 half a barrel of sugar2 half a barrel of molasses2 half a barrel of corned beef2 several hundred pounds of corn meal and a like quantity of flour in bags2 a bushel or two of salt1 and a good supply of potatoes1 turnips1 cabbages1 canned vegetables and fruits with which to break the long monotony of the camp diet4 ,mr4 ,latrobe insisted upon adding some prunes1 dried peaches1 dried apples1 and some other things that he thought the boys would enjoy4 ,finally a large box of coffee already ground and put up in damp-proof packages1 was placed in the wagon1 together with ten pounds of tea4 ,you see ,i've done a great deal of camping1 my boy1 said the genial gentleman1 and ,i know how much of comfort there is in tea and coffee when you're rain soaked4 ,all these things were packed into the wagon by some of ,mr4 ,latrobe's men1 and securely lashed into immovability with stout hemp ropes4 ,over them a tarpaulin was spread to protect them from the rain and on top of that the picks and shovels were lashed into place4 ,the wagon was ready and that night ,tom slept in a real bed for the first time in nearly half a year4 ,but he was up at daybreak and off on his journey before the sun's appointed time for rising4 ,whether or not that luminary left his couch when he should1 ,tom had no means of finding out1 for it was still heavily raining4 ,it was a toilsome journey that lay before him and ,tom foresaw that it could not be accomplished much before nightfall1 even should no delaying mishap occur1 and therefore he disregarded the rain and insisted upon the earliest possible start4 ,it was ,tom's function to walk ahead of the wagon1 look out for the landmarks he had set up1 and point the way to the driver who1 armed with a long black snake whip1 rode upon the near1 or left hand1 wheel mule4 ,but the driver was his own sufficient adviser as to how to overcome such obstacles as were met1 and ,tom was greatly interested to observe the skill and good judgment with which the man did this4 ,there is science1 he said1 in everything1 even in driving a wagon over a rough mountain where there is no road4 ,but ,tom got no response from the driver1 who seemed a taciturn fellow1 and who in fact never once spoke during the journey except to scold his mules with shocking profanity4 ,even when he decided to halt about noon to feed the animals1 he said not one word to ,tom1 but simply stopped the wagon1 unhitched the mules and gave them their food1 hitching them up again when he thought it proper to do so and resuming his journey4 ,obviously1 thought ,tom1 that fellow has been used to driving alone4 ,i wonder if he has forgotten how to talk8 ,or is it that he never thinks8 ,even the weather doesn't inspire him to make a remark1 for he hasn't once asked my attention to the fact that the rain has ceased and that the sun is breaking through the clouds4 ,he certainly can't be classified as a companionable personage1 but at any rate he knows how to manage mules and get a wagon over difficulties1 and after all that's what he is employed to do4 ,he gets on wonderfully1 too1 considering the difficulties of the road4 ,i suppose it is like the case of the man who tied his cravats so beautifully because1 as he said1 he 'gave his whole mind to it4' ,so1 silently they proceeded on their way and just before sunset the wagon was stopped on the outskirts of the new ,camp ,venture4 ,the boys all rushed out to greet ,tom and compliment him on his skill and success in bringing the supplies over so difficult a route4 ,tom greeted them all in turn1 and then said3 ,try your hands1 boys1 and see if any of you can extract a single unnecessary word from that driver4 ,i haven't been able to get anything out of him except vituperation for his mules4 ,the driver meanwhile was stripping his mules of their harness and arranging to give them the oats and fodder that he had brought with him for their use4 ,the ,doctor filled a tin cup with coffee--for the boys had heard ,tom coming and made supper ready against his arrival--and carried the steaming liquid out to the driver whose clothes were still sopping wet1 and offered it to him1 saying3 ,you are very wet and it must have been a hard struggle to get your wagon up here4 ,drink this to warm you and when you get your mules fed1 come to our fire and have some supper4 ,you must be hungry4 ,the man took the cup1 drank its contents1 handed it back to the ,doctor and muttered the single abbreviated word1 ',bleeged1 by which the ,doctor understood that he meant1 ,i am obliged to you4 ,finally the man having disposed of his mules for the night1 came to the camp fire for his supper4 ,he received it in silence and proceeded to devour it like the hungry man that he was4 ,still he uttered not a word4 ,at last ,jim ,chenowith tried his hand at drawing him into conversation4 ,it must have been pretty tough work to get a wagon up here1 he said1 tentatively4 ,the man said not a word in reply4 ,this exasperated ,jim and presently he stood up before the wagoner and angrily demanded3 ,what's the matter with you8 ,why don't you answer a civil question8 ,to this the man answered1 ,hey8 at the same time putting his hand to his ear in a futile effort to understand4 ,the man is almost stone deaf1 said the ,doctor4 ,that is the explanation of his silence4 ,tom laughed at himself for not having made this discovery1 and then crept into the bunk prepared for him in the new camp house4 ,,chapter ,,xli ,his ,majesty1 the ,king ,the ,doctor was an advocate of leisurely eating1 but he impatiently hurried the boys through their breakfast the next morning and set them at work upon the bank with picks and shovels4 ,he explained to them as he had before explained to ,tom1 that outcrop coal--that is to say1 the edge of a coal seam exposed by any circumstance and left long exposed1 deteriorates in quality and value4 ,all the combustible parts of this exposed coal have been evaporated1 he said1 until now the stuff is worth scarcely more than so much shale4 ,but unless my knowledge of geology fails me1 there lies behind this stuff1 some of the very richest coal in ,virginia4 ,our task is to dig in here and find out whether we have here a valuable coal mine or nothing at all4 ,suppose it is the kind of coal you think1 ,doctor1 said ,jack1 what is such a mine worth8 ,nothing and everything4 ,it all depends upon circumstances4 ,a year or two ago the finest coal deposit in the world1 located where this is would have been worth no more than the detritus from the hill that is piled up all around here4 ,such a mine at this place now1 is incalculably valuable4 ,but what makes so vast a difference8 asked ,ed4 ,the railroad1 answered the ,doctor4 ,a year ago this coal would have been worthless1 simply because there was no market for it anywhere within reach4 ,now the railroad brings the market to the mouth of the mine1 as it were4 ,but come1 let's get to work4 ,if you want me to talk about ,king ,coal1 ,i'll do it to-night after supper4 ,just now we must dig for his majesty4 ,then he grabbed a pick and broke out again singing-- ,old ,king ,coal ,was a jolly old soul1 etc4 ,the boys dug with a will and by nightfall they had dug away three or four feet of the face of the cliff4 ,every now and then the ,doctor would take a bit of the exposed coal and examine it critically under a strong magnifying glass4 ,every time he did so1 he broke out again into the song about ,old ,king ,coal4 ,the boys had never seen him so jubilant4 ,when they quitted the work and began to prepare supper1 the ,doctor went into the shaft they had started1 broke out a bushel or two of the deepest coal yet reached1 and placed it on the fire4 ,he watched it intently as it burned1 and just as supper was ready he said3 ,we've got it1 boys1 and no mistake4 ,this is a great mine of the very best coal in the world for making gas1 steam and coke1 and as these hills are full of iron ore1 the mine is precisely where it ought to be4 ,when we dig a little further into that bank we shall come to coal that can be shovelled into a furnace with iron ore on top of it1 and used to smelt iron without the trouble or expense of coking4 ,or we can make as good coke of it as there is in the world1 and the vein is eight or nine feet thick1 which means a lot1 and it has a perfect rock roof1 which means a lot more1 and the volcanic upheaval which shoved it up here has kindly so placed it that it trends upward1 so that in mining it we shall not have to do any pumping4 ,all we've got to do is to dig trenches on each side of our coal car tracks and let the water run out by force of gravitation4 ,i tell you boys1 we've discovered the most valuable coal mine in all this region1 and as if to make matters still better1 it lies just high enough up the mountain to enable us to chute its product down to the railroad without any expense whatever for hauling4 ,well now1 said ,jack1 all that is good news4 ,but we boys don't understand the thing the least bit4 ,so you are to explain it to us after supper4 ,you are to stop singing ',old ,king ,coal' and explain to us upon what grounds his majesty's authority rests4 ,all right1 said the ,doctor1 with truly boyish enthusiasm4 ,after supper ,i'll tell you all about my liege lord ,old ,king ,coal4 ,meantime won't somebody give me another cup of coffee and about a dozen more rashers of that paper-thin bacon8 ,i'm hungry4 ,jack replenished the ,doctor's cup1 and ,ed cut for him a dozen or twenty very thin slices of bacon1 leaving him to broil them for himself on the end of a stick and devour them as fast as they were broiled4 ,tom divided a pone of corn bread with him and the supper proceeded to its conclusion4 ,now then1 called ,tom1 when the tin plates and tin cups had been washed and set up on the wall shelf which the ,doctor had made for them1 we're ready to hear all about ',old ,king ,coal' and his claims upon our allegiance4 ,oh1 no you're not1 said the ,doctor4 ,it would take me weeks to tell you the little ,i know on that subject and something like a lifetime for anybody who knows more to tell you 'all about' ,king ,coal4 ,but ,i'll tell you a little any how4 ,first of all tell us why you call it ',king ,coal1' said ,ed4 ,because in our age it is king1 quickly answered the ,doctor4 ,without it every one of our industries would come to an end2 every factory would stop2 every steamship would be laid up forever2 every electric light would go out2 every railroad would become 'two streaks of rust and a right of way'2 in short the whole fabric of modern civilization would tumble to the ground4 ,you see every age has its key note4 ,when men had no better implements than rough stones those people who had most stones were the easy conquerors of the rest4 ,when they began to fashion stones into arrowheads1 axes and the like1 the people who lived in stony countries had a still greater advantage4 ,when men learned to work metals--well you see the way it went4 ,in the pastoral ages the man whose land produced most grass was the 'king pin' of his community and owned more cattle than anybody else4 ,in the military ages the people who fought best were the supreme ones1 and the rest were their dependants4 ,in ecclesiastical ages the great prelates dominated1 and so on through a long catalogue4 ,now ours is an industrial age and coal lies at the very root of productive industry4 ,without it we can't make steam or get power enough for any of the vast enterprises of modern civilization4 ,it smelts iron out of rocks that would not give it up without ,king ,coal's command4 ,it enables us to make steel and to fashion metals to answer our requirements in a thousand ways4 ,it runs our steamships1 our factories1 our railroads and pretty much everything else that we depend upon to make life easy1 to enable us to interchange our products with people at a distance and generally to make ourselves comfortable4 ,in short our whole civilization depends upon coal4 ,that's why ,i call coal 'king4' ,if there ever was a monarch in this world whose authority could not be questioned without destruction to those revolting against it1 that monarch is ',old ,king ,coal4' ,but if we had no coal1 why couldn't we do all these things with wood8 asked ,jim4 ,first1 because we haven't enough wood1 answered the ,doctor4 ,we are using up our supply of wood much too rapidly already1 and there coal is rendering us another important service4 ,it is enabling us to use iron and steel for building materials1 and a thousand other purposes for which we once used wood1 and thus to spare our wood4 ,what is your 'secondly1' ,doctor8 asked ,ed4 ,why secondly1 wood cannot do the work4 ,why not8 ,because it hasn't enough sunshine in it4 ,how do you mean8 ,why you know1 don't you1 that all the heat we get out of burning fuel of any kind1 is simply so much sunshine stored up for us and released by burning8 ,i confess ,i didn't know that1 said ,tom4 ,or at any rate ,i never thought of it4 ,now that ,i do think of it1 ,i see how it is with wood4 ,but what has sunshine to do with coal1 buried as it is deep under rocks and earth8 ,then you don't know what coal is1 and where it comes from8 asked the ,doctor4 ,let me explain4 ,there was a period in the world's remote history when the earth was much warmer than it is now--almost hot in fact4 ,the atmosphere was filled with the gases of carbon1 and the rains were an almost continuous cataclysm4 ,human life was impossible in these conditions4 ,no man could have breathed such an atmosphere and lived4 ,but the conditions were peculiarly favorable to abundant vegetable life4 ,there were forests such as we do not dream of now even in tropical swamps4 ,ferns grew to the height of great trees1 vines and cane and grass and air plants filled up every available inch of space1 and they all grew in that carbonized atmosphere with a rapidity and luxuriance quite impossible now4 ,all this vegetation died of course and fell to the ground as all vegetation does and has done from the beginning of time4 ,wherever it fell into water and was thus shielded from the air1 and wherever it managed to get itself covered with earth or rock1 as in that highly disturbed volcanic age often happened1 it was converted into coal by pressure and by losing certain of its volatile elements1 just as charcoal is made by expelling the volatile parts from wood4 ,so1 without going any further into details1 you see that the coal is preserved vegetation which grew many thousands of years ago1 and that the heat we get from it is simply the sunshine it stored up at a period before ever human life existed4 ,what a pity it is that we have to waste so much of it6 ,how do you mean1 ,doctor8 asked ,jack4 ,why you see we waste almost all the heat that coal gives us4 ,if we could make effective use of it all1 the burning of a single pound of coal would give us force enough to lift more than eleven and a half millions of pounds a foot from the earth2 but the most that we actually get out of it is force enough to lift one and a half million pounds4 ,what8 ,all that from one pound of coal8 asked ,jim4 ,yes1 all that1 and it all means so much sunshine which fell upon the earth thousands of years ago4 ,curious1 isn't it8 ,it's simply astounding1 said ,jack4 ,but why do we burn coal so wastefully1 ,doctor8 ,why can't we utilize more of its heat8 ,and what becomes of the waste heat8 ,our methods are imperfect1 answered the ,doctor4 ,in a big manufacturing city thousands of tons of coal1 or what is essentially the same thing1 go off into the air every day in the shape of black smoke4 ,you see the blackness of smoke is nothing but pure carbon or in other words coal4 ,then again think of the heat that goes up every smoke stack and is wasted in the air4 ,it would run hundreds of great engines if it could be turned to account4 ,and there is all the heat that makes an engine room so horribly torrid4 ,every bit of that is wasted power4 ,little by little1 however1 we are learning to save the power that coal gives us4 ,a high pressure engine1 like an ordinary locomotive1 besides wasting coal1 wastes greatly more than half the expansive force of its steam4 ,it uses the steam only once and that very imperfectly1 and then lets it escape into the open air and go to waste4 ,but the big steamships and many factories have what they call triple or quadruple expansion engines which use the same steam three or four times in propelling the machinery1 and then condense it into hot water and send it back into the boiler1 thus saving a vast deal of the heat that would otherwise be wasted4 ,still even they waste most of the heat that their coal produces4 ,by the way1 ,doctor1 interrupted ,tom1 how much coal does it take to drive one of the big steamers across the ,atlantic8 ,from fifteen hundred to three thousand tons1 answered the ,doctor1 and think what a waste that is when a few hundred tons give force enough to do the work if only the force developed could all be used4 ,but how do they manage to carry any freight when they must carry such an enormous load of coal8 asked ,ed4 ,that is another serious waste1 answered the ,doctor4 ,for every ton of coal carried means one ton less of freight4 ,and then1 too1 think of the expense incurred in putting all that coal aboard4 ,and think too of the cost of feeding and paying wages to a large company of men to handle it after it is on board6 ,for you know besides the stokers who shovel the coal into the furnaces1 there are the 'coal trimmers' as they are called1 whose duty it is to keep the coal heap properly distributed in the ship4 ,you see a ship is not stiff and rigid like a coal pocket4 ,it would never do to begin at one end of a coal heap and use it as it comes4 ,that would presently leave one part of the ship with no coal load at all1 while thousands of tons would burden other parts4 ,no ship that ever was built could stand that4 ,it would twist her out of shape1 warp her seams open and send her to ,davy ,jones in a very little time4 ,so from the moment the stokers begin to shovel coal into the furnaces under a steamship's boilers the coal trimmers and coal carriers must busy themselves with the night and day work of so shifting the coal as to keep its weight properly distributed4 ,but now to come back to what ,i was saying4 ,little by little we are learning to save some small part of the enormous waste in the burning of coal4 ,one example will illustrate4 ,in smelting iron--that is melting it out of the ore and separating it from the rock stuff1--the waste twenty-five years ago was simply appalling4 ,the furnaces were mere pots built of fire clay brick1 and filled with coal or coke beneath and iron ore on top4 ,a blast of steam or hot air was sent into them from below to make the fire burn as hotly as possible4 ,sometimes this blast was strong enough to blow bushels of unburned coal or coke out at the top4 ,that however was a mere trifle as compared with the other waste4 ,for great flames1 nearly hot enough to melt iron1 poured out of every furnace top and were lost in the air4 ,every bit of that heat represented power that was literally cast to the winds4 ,all that has been greatly improved since4 ,the flames and heat that escape from the blast furnaces are now very generally harnessed and made to do further work4 ,they are used to heat great steam boilers and thus create the power that operates rolling mills and gigantic forges1 and vast machine shops4 ,but we still waste very much more than half the heat that coal gives us--often more than nine-tenths of it4 ,but1 ,doctor1 said ,tom1 ,if we go on wasting our coal at such a rate1 won't we use it all up presently8 ,and will not civilization have to stop then8 ,there are three answers to that1 replied the ,doctor3 #ast4 ,that we shall more and more learn to economize in this matter of heat wasting2 #bnd4 ,that our coal supply in this country seems to be sufficient to last for millions of years yet2 and #crd4 ,that long before it is exhausted the ingenuity of man will probably discover means of securing power from some other source than coal4 ,what1 for example8 ,well1 perhaps we shall learn how to utilize terrestrial magnetism directly4 ,you know this earth of ours is a gigantic magnet1 and magnetism is the raw material of electricity1 if ,i may so express it4 ,at present we get all the electricity we use out of the earth1 but we have to do it by burning coal to run dynamos4 ,perhaps we shall find ways to save that expense by drawing the electricity directly from the earth4 ,we have already done something closely resembling that1 with the result of a great saving4 ,how was that8 ,why when the telegraph was first invented it was necessary to double the wire lines1 putting up two wires every time by way of completing the circuit4 ,you know electrical energy will not manifest itself1 or as we say1 the electric current will not flow1 unless there is a circuit established4 ,well at first they established the circuit by running two parallel wires1 one to carry the current one way and the other to bring it back4 ,that's a clumsy way to put it1 but it will answer my purpose in explanation4 ,after a while somebody found out that the earth is a better conductor of electricity than any wire could be1 and so the circuit was established simply by running each end of a single wire into the ground1 making the earth do the work formerly done by the other wire4 ,that simple discovery saved exactly one half the expense of telegraph companies for wires4 ,by this time it was growing late and as the boys had a hard morrow's work before them the ,doctor ceased talking and all went to their bunks4 ,,chapter ,,xlii ,in the ,service of the ,king ,very early the next morning the boys1 who had caught the ,doctor's enthusiasm1 began again their task of digging through the out crop coal1 which began now to grow softer and more workable1 while the coal itself grew steadily better in quality4 ,but about noon1 when they had pushed their little shaft about a dozen feet into the hill1 the ,doctor ordered a cessation of the digging4 ,we must put in some supports for our roof1 he said1 or we shall presently be caught in a cave in4 ,how are we to do it8 asked ,jack4 ,well1 ,i am not a mining engineer1 answered the ,doctor1 but ,i've seen enough of the work to know how to protect a little shaft like this1 anyhow4 ,the engineers1 when they come1 will of course tear out all that we do1 because they must drive a big shaft into the hill1 while all we want to do is to push a little gallery three or four feet wide far enough in to find the best of the coal4 ,but even in doing that we must securely support the roof of our mine4 ,so we'll cut some timber and put it in place4 ,jack1 ,i wish you would choose the trees to be cut4 ,all right6 said ,jack4 ,what dimensions are required8 ,first of all1 answered the ,doctor1 we want from six to ten pieces of oak1 say four feet six inches long and fully twelve inches in diameter4 ,they will serve for roof timbers1 and will be enough to carry us thirty or forty feet further4 ,then for perpendicular supports--one at each end of each timber--we shall need just twice as many perfectly straight oaken sticks eight or nine inches in diameter4 ,but why do you want big sticks to go crossways and comparatively little ones for the perpendicular supports8 asked ,ed4 ,the perpendicular timbers must after all bear the weight4 ,oh1 that's simple enough1 said ,tom1 whose perceptive faculties were always alert4 ,you see a stick set up on end1 if it is perfectly straight and set true1 will bear vastly more weight than a stick of twice or three times its thickness1 if laid crossways4 ,in fact a straight eight-inch stick nine feet long1 if set on end will support nearly as much as another stick nine feet thick--if there were any sticks that thick--laid lengthwise4 ,that's it1 said the ,doctor4 ,we want heavy timbers across the top1 supported by stout eight- or nine-inch sticks set endwise under them4 ,now1 ,jack1 select the best trees and we'll all get to work as soon as dinner is over4 ,we'll get the dinner ready while you choose the timber to be cut4 ,the cutting of the timber was a small task to expert young wood choppers2 but it was a very difficult task for the six boys to bring the timbers to the mine and set them in place4 ,true1 only two frames had to be set up for the present1 but the cross pieces1 short as they were1 were enormously heavy1 and it required all the ingenuity as well as all the strength the boys could command1 to get these two frames up1 each consisting of one cross piece under the roof and two uprights supporting it4 ,when night came only one of the two frames was in place1 and it was obvious1 as ,jack said1 that another half day must be wasted on such work before they could begin mining again4 ,but that evening the ,doctor dug two bushels of coal out of the farthest end of the shaft1 built a special fire1 placed the coal on it1 and carefully covered it with earth4 ,what are you doing1 ,doctor8 asked his crony1 ,tom4 ,i'm making a coke oven1 ,tom1 he replied4 ,i want to see how our coal will coke4 ,but ,i don't understand about coke1 answered ,tom4 ,why is it that when you burn most of the substance out of coal it will make a hotter fire than with all its combustible materials in it8 ,that isn't quite the case1 ,tom1 answered the ,doctor4 ,what we do in making coke is chiefly to expel the gas from the coal and to roast out the sulphur1 which seriously interferes with the making of sufficient heat to smelt iron4 ,some coal gets burnt up in the process2 some makes an indifferent and nearly worthless coke2 while some makes a coke that would melt the heart of a miser4 ,now1 as ,i told you the other night1 ,i am convinced as a geologist1 that a little further in our mine we shall come to coal so free from sulphur that we can smelt iron with it without making coke of it at all4 ,but it is always preferable to make coke of it1 and so ,i'm trying to see what sort of coke our coal will make4 ,of course we haven't come to the real coal yet1 but ,i can tell a good deal by what we have now4 ,we'll let my little coke oven roast all night and in the morning ,i'll know a great deal more than ,i do now4 ,but if you have any question in your mind as to the gas making capacity of this coal1 ,i'll remove it at once4 ,with that he went to the camp fire1 seized a blazing brand and applied it to the little mound of earth under which he had buried his coal4 ,instantly the whole outside of the mound was aflame4 ,that's the gas1 said the ,doctor4 ,you see there's plenty of it1 even in the imperfect coal that we've reached4 ,it will burn out presently and meantime its heat will help roast my coal into coke4 ,after supper the boys again plied the ,doctor with questions concerning coal4 ,tom began it by saying3 ,you told us the other evening1 ,doctor1 that the value of a bed of coal depends upon many things besides its location and its accessibility to market4 ,what are those things8 ,thickness1 for one thing1 answered the ,doctor1 and that is a point in which our mine excels4 ,you see coal seams are of every thickness1 from that of a knife blade to beds #ajj feet through4 ,those last are very rare1 however4 ,in this country the seams vary from knife blade thickness to about nine or ten feet4 ,now1 in working a coal mine the men1 of course1 must have room to stand up in the shaft1 so that wherever the vein is less than six feet thick a good deal of rock or earth must be removed so as to give sufficient height to the mine4 ,it costs as much to remove the rock or earth as to handle a like amount of coal1 and the stuff is worthless4 ,so you see it is greatly more profitable to work a thick than a thin vein4 ,indeed there are very few veins under three or four feet thick that it pays to work at all4 ,our deposit here appears to be about nine feet thick1 and that means much to us4 ,another condition of value in a coal mine is a good roof4 ,there are many rich veins of coal that have only earth or soft shale above them1 and they are practically worthless because they are unworkable4 ,we fortunately have a superb rock roof over our mine4 ,but1 ,doctor1 said ,tom1 you told us the other night that coal is at the basis of modern industrial civilization4 ,then ,i suppose that those nations which have coal must be the foremost ones in industry and consequently in civilization4 ,certainly they are1 said the ,doctor1 as the other boys gathered about to hear the talk2 and they will be more and more so as time goes on4 ,england has more coal than any other country in ,europe and so ,england is by all odds the foremost industrial nation in ,europe1 though other nations there have the advantage of buying ,english coal in an open market4 ,ever since our modern age of industry and machinery set in--that is to say ever since ,old ,king ,coal came to his throne--,england has grown greater and richer1 till now she is by all odds the richest country in ,europe4 ,haven't the other countries there any coal8 asked ,ed4 ,yes1 but comparatively little4 ,let me see if ,i can remember the figures approximately4 ,great ,britain's coal fields cover nearly #ab1jjj square miles2 ,france has only #b1jjj square miles1 ,prussia about the same1 ,belgium has only #ejj square miles1 ,austria less than #b1jjj2 ,italy none at all to speak of1 and as for ,spain1 the ,spanish indolence1 which puts off everything till 'to-morrow' has prevented that country from even finding out what coal she has4 ,russia has vast fields and bids fair to take her place ultimately among the great coal producing and industrial nations of the earth4 ,but as yet her coal fields are imperfectly developed and her coal production is only about one-thirty-fifth as great as that of ,great ,britain4 ,what about the ,united ,states1 ,doctor8 asked ,tom1 who was an aggressive patriot4 ,well1 we have many times more coal than all ,europe combined1 answered the ,doctor4 ,great ,britain's #ab1jjj square miles of coal lands sink into insignificance in comparison with our #bad1jjj square miles of measured coal fields1 our #bjj1jjj or #cjj1jjj square miles in the ,rocky ,mountain states1 and our totally unguessed-at coal fields in ,oregon and ,washington4 ,as four or five hundred thousand and probably more1 is to twelve thousand1 so is our known coal area to that which has made ,great ,britain the greatest industrial nation on earth next to our own4 ,and some of the ,british mines are pretty nearly worked out1 while we have scarcely scratched the surface of ours4 ,then this is likely to become the greatest industrial nation on earth8 said ,jack4 ,it is already that1 answered the ,doctor4 ,we are selling our manufactured goods--even iron and steel products--in ,england to-day1 almost as freely as we are selling our grain and our meat4 ,i tell you1 boys1 there is nothing in this world that can happen to a man that is so good as being born an ,american citizen4 ,amen6 said ,tom4 ,to employ the dialect of my friends among the mountaineers1 'them's my sentiments every time all over and clear through4' ,all right1 said ,jack1 now let's get to bed4 ,i suppose there's a lot more you could tell us about coal1 ,doctor1 said ,jim1 if there was time4 ,of course there is1 the ,doctor responded2 but you'll learn it all practically4 ,for we've a great mine here1 and you boys will have first choice of places in its management4 ,with that they all went to bed4 ,,chapter ,,xliii ,the ,camp ,venture ,mining ,company ,the next morning the ,doctor drew his coke oven1 which was quite cool by that time4 ,he minutely examined the coke and called ,tom to look at it4 ,you see1 he said1 how perfectly it is fused4 ,you see how free it is from any sort of admixture of sand or anything else4 ,i tell you1 ,tom1 we've got a great mine here1 and it is going to make all of us comfortable for the rest of our lives4 ,your good mother is especially to be congratulated4 ,this find will make her not only independent1 but really rich4 ,now ,i want you to understand me1 ,tom4 ,if your mother prefers to have anybody else manage this affair for her1 ,i will instantly withdraw4 ,at present ,i have no interest whatever here1 and ,i can have none except by her consent4 ,this mine is absolutely hers1 to do with as she pleases4 ,i want to serve her in the matter1 by finding among my friends the capitalists who can make the thing 'go4' ,if she prefers to put the matter into other hands1 ,i hope1 ,tom1 you'll urge her to do so4 ,tom arose1 took the ,doctor's hand1 pressed it warmly1 and said simply3 ,i'm not quite an idiot1 ,doctor4 ,go on with your plans4 ,somehow1 although ,jack was ,tom's elder brother1 the ,doctor and indeed the whole company had learned to think of ,tom as essentially the head of his family4 ,curiously enough his mother and the other boys themselves had learned to regard ,tom in precisely the same way4 ,but ,doctor1 said ,tom1 eager to divert the conversation1 why were you in such a hurry to put out the fire here that night when we first discovered the coal8 ,would it have burned any considerable way into the vein8 ,i can best answer you1 ,tom1 by telling you that about fifteen or twenty miles back of ,mauch ,chunk1 in ,pennsylvania1 there is a bed of coal that has been burning for about half a century4 ,everything that human ingenuity could do to put it out has been done1 but all to no avail4 ,the whole mountain is slowly burning away1 and when one walks about on the crust he is liable at any moment to have a foot sink into the fire below4 ,so you see why ,i didn't want our mine to begin its career by getting afire4 ,the next thing on the day's program was work upon the second truss for supporting the mine roof1 and this was got into place before midday1 so that the afternoon was given to vigorous digging into the coal bank4 ,about five o'clock the ,doctor called out3 ,you needn't dig any further1 boys1 we've got it safe enough6 ,then he began singing ,old ,king ,coal1 as he hugged some specimens of the coal he had dug out of the extreme end of their little shaft to his bosom4 ,got what8 asked ,tom1 who watched the ,doctor's antics with eager interest4 ,why1 we've got what we've been looking for1 coal equal to the very best that was ever mined in ,virginia or ,west ,virginia4 ,i was sure ,i could not be mistaken4 ,now ,i know4 ,and with that the ,doctor danced and sang again4 ,now1 he said1 you boys come here4 ,i want to talk with you4 ,i'm going down to the station to-morrow to see my father4 ,i propose1 if you approve the plan1 to have him come up here to inspect our find4 ,then ,i'm going to get him and my brothers and their financial associates to make a plan for capitalizing and working the mine4 ,when their plan is made1 you1 ,tom1 and ,i will go to your mother and see what she thinks of it4 ,you see the mine belongs to her absolutely1 and any interest that any of the rest of us get in it we must buy from her4 ,but1 by way of preparing for such a purchase1 ,i'm going down to the contractor's camp to-morrow1 to get my father to come up here with a mining expert and an engineer1 to look at the property and make up their minds about it4 ,the suggestion was welcomed by the three boys concerned1 and so the ,doctor made his preparations for an early departure in the morning4 ,the distance was not over two or three miles1 and1 as the ,doctor had no wagon road to look out for1 it took him less than an hour and a half to reach his father's headquarters4 ,early in the afternoon a cavalcade reached the camp4 ,it consisted of the ,doctor1 his father1 one of his brothers1 a mining expert and two engineers4 ,they went at once to work to inspect the mine and its roof and every thing else connected with it or in any way affecting its practical working4 ,finally they made their reports quietly to the elder ,latrobe1 and that gentleman bade them mount their mules and return to the contractor's camp4 ,then he asked the ,doctor to bring the ,ridsdale boys into conference with him4 ,seated on a log1 he explained the situation thus3 ,your mother has a very valuable coal mine here1 in a most favorable locality4 ,it will need capital1 of course1 for its development1 and that ,i am prepared to furnish1 as the representative of myself1 my sons1 and my other financial associates4 ,my proposal is this3 that we capitalize the mine at #djj1jjj2 that is to say1 that we organize a company with that amount of stock2 that your mother shall put in the mine as #bjj1jjj1 and receive stock to that amount2 that ,i and my associates--,i will take care of that--shall put in #bjj1jjj in cash and take the remaining stock in payment for our contribution4 ,i don't see1 said ,tom1 but that your proposal is a just and generous one4 ,as ,i understand it1 my mother is to put the mine into the company1 as #bjj1jjj capital1 and you gentlemen are to put in #bjj1jjj in money to be used as working capital1 in operating the mine2 my mother is to own one half the shares and you gentlemen the other half4 ,that is quite correct1 said the elder ,latrobe4 ,then ,i am perfectly satisfied1 answered ,tom4 ,what do you say1 ,jack8 ,what's your view1 ,harry8 ,the two other boys had no objection to offer4 ,indeed the easy rolling of large figures as sweet morsels under the tongues of the financiers completely appalled them1 and so the whole matter was left to ,tom to settle4 ,that evening he went down the mountain with the elder ,latrobe1 leaving the ,doctor and the boys to guard the mine4 ,the next day ,mr4 ,latrobe and ,tom set off on mules for the town1 fifteen miles distant1 where ,tom's mother lived4 ,they arrived about noon1 and ,tom was eager to broach the business at once4 ,but ,mr4 ,latrobe objected4 ,i don't want to talk to you about this business1 ,madam1 without the presence of some legal adviser or man of business1 whose advice will prevent you from making mistakes4 ,oh1 answered the widow1 my ,tom is here and he has a clear head4 ,all the same ,i wish you would send for a lawyer1 answered the gentleman4 ,but ,i cannot afford it1 said the lady4 ,you can1 ,madam4 ,your coal property is rich enough to afford many lawyers4 ,and besides1 ,tom here has money enough to his credit on our books to pay a lawyer's fee ten times over4 ,you have no idea what a winter's work your boys have put in on the mountain4 ,sincerely1 ,i do not wish to lay my proposals before you without the presence of some disinterested1 professional person1 who can wisely advise you as to their acceptance or rejection4 ,i have asked ,tom to come with me in order that he may tell you how rich a property you have in this coal deposit1 and warn your professional adviser against concluding any arrangement with me and my associates which does not give you an adequate recompense for the property that we ask you to put into this venture4 ,so the lady sent for a wise old lawyer1 who1 after hearing ,tom's statement1 earnestly advised the widow to accept the terms offered4 ,then ,mr4 ,latrobe said3 ,madam1 ,i am going to employ this gentleman1 as a trusted friend of yours1 to draw up our articles of incorporation and complete the legal formalities necessary to our mining company's existence4 ,meantime ,tom and ,i will go back to the mine and set men at work in its development4 ,what name will you give to your company8 asked the old lawyer4 ,why1 the ',camp ,venture ,mining ,company1' quickly responded ,tom1 and we'll call the mine itself the ',camp ,venture ,mine4' ,it all came out of ,camp ,venture4 ,,chapter ,,xliv ,little ,tom at the ,end of it ,all ,all arrangements having been agreed upon between ,mrs4 ,ridsdale and ,mr4 ,latrobe1 it was not necessary to wait for the formal organization of the company before beginning the work of developing ,camp ,venture mine4 ,so ,tom and ,mr4 ,latrobe1 as soon as the preliminary papers were drawn up and signed1 mounted their mules and returned to the mine4 ,tom reached the camp that night and told the boys all about the arrangements that had been made4 ,the next morning ,mr4 ,latrobe came up the mountain1 accompanied by a mining engineer1 a company of workmen and a wagon load of tools1 the latter guided by the same deaf and silent driver who had brought up ,tom's load of supplies4 ,the men were set to work at once under direction of the engineer4 ,they cleared away the forest in front of the mine and1 in the course of a few days built a chute so nicely calculated as to its incline that it would carry coal gently but surely to the railroad below4 ,meantime another company of workmen were busy constructing long sidetracks at the foot of the hill and connecting them with the main line of the railroad1 while still another gang was employed in making a good wagon road down the hill4 ,the boys1 seeing their work done1 began to prepare for their home-going--all but ,tom and the ,doctor4 ,those two sat on a log just within the light of the camp fire one night and talked4 ,i am going to stay here1 said the ,doctor4 ,this climate agrees with me as no other ever did1 and besides1 ,i shall be needed here4 ,we shall have half a thousand miners at work here within three months1 and their families will occupy quite a little town1 built upon this ledge4 ,a physician and surgeon will be needed1 and ,i have secured the appointment4 ,the company will pay me a salary for treating all injuries that the miners may receive1 and as for the rest1 of course the miners themselves will pay for my services in their families4 ,anyhow ,i'm going to build myself a comfortable little house up here and live here1 where ,i can be strong and well and happy4 ,i'm going to stay too1 said ,tom4 ,i'm going in as a miner if ,i can't get anything better to do4 ,but you can get something much better1 said the ,doctor1 and ,i was just about to speak of that4 ,i have already talked to the chief engineer about it4 ,he introduced the subject himself4 ,he is a person of very quick perceptions1 as every engineer must be if he hopes for success1 and he has discovered certain qualities in you which commend you to him very strongly4 ,he has found out that1 as you once put it1 you 'look straight at things and use common sense4' ,apart from a little technical mathematics1 that is absolutely all there is of engineering1 and he has taken a fancy to have you for an executive assistant4 ,you see1 in starting a mine so great as this1 he will be obliged to plan many things which he will have no time to supervise in the execution4 ,he wants you as an 'engineer's overseer1' he calls it4 ,that is to say1 when he plans a truss or a support1 or anything else that is necessary and explains it to you1 he wants to leave the matter in your hands1 leaving you to direct the workmen and to see to it that his plans are intelligently carried out4 ,after his talk with me concerning you1 he was certain that you are precisely the kind of assistant he wants1 and the appointment is open to you at a very fair salary4 ,how can ,i ever thank you enough1 ,doctor8 said ,tom1 with tears in his voice4 ,as for his eyes they could not be seen in the darkness4 ,by not thanking me at all4 ,don't you understand1 ,tom1 that my father1 my brothers and myself have invested heavily in this mining venture8 ,i have put into it every spare dollar ,i had in the world1 and naturally ,i want it to 'go4' ,i believe that your practical common sense can mightily help in accomplishing that1 and for that reason ,i have encouraged the chief engineer in his purpose to make you his overseer4 ,thank you1 ,doctor1 said ,tom4 ,but if you know me at all you know ,i'm honest4 ,i made up my mind to stay here on any terms that ,i could make1 because ,i want to study this thing that you call mine engineering4 ,i wanted to see how it is done1 so that some day ,i could do it myself4 ,i don't intend to remain an engineer's overseer all my life4 ,i intend to be the best engineer ,i can make out of the raw material in me4 ,so my plan is to stay here1 keep my eyes and my mind open1 and learn all ,i can of practical engineering work1 till the mine begins to pay4 ,then ,i intend to go away to some scientific school and take a regular course in engineering4 ,that's admirable6 said the ,doctor1 with enthusiasm4 ,now1 ,i'll venture some suggestions4 ,how much mathematics do you know8 ,algebra1 elementary and higher1 and a little geometry4 ,good6 exclaimed the ,doctor4 ,now1 ,i propose this plan3 ,you shall live with me in the little house that ,i'm going to build1 and serve as the chief engineer's executive at a fair salary from the company4 ,i'll teach you all ,i know of general chemistry and geology of evenings1 and ,i'll interest the chief engineer to teach you trigonometry1 the calculus and surveying4 ,in the meantime you'll be learning the practical part of engineering in your daily work1 and when you go off to that scientific school its faculty will have little to do except to take your fees1 record your name1 and grant you your diploma4 99 99 99 99 99 ,six years later ,camp ,venture mine was1 in the phrase of the investors1 one of the richest paying enterprises in that part of the country4 ,dr4 ,latrobe had become president of the company after the death of his father1 and the enterprise owed much of its success1 as every body agreed1 to the skill1 the energy1 and the wonderful common sense of its chief engineer1 ,thomas ,ridsdale1 ,esq41 graduate of a noted school of mines4 ,tom was only twenty-four years old then1 but he had always been accounted old for his age1 and as he stood upon the bluff1 contemplated the long line of cars loaded with the product of ,camp ,venture mine and planned new side tracks in order that cars enough might stand there to receive the other waiting cargoes of the concentrated sunshine of thousands of years ago1 ,little ,tom1 grown now to six feet two inches in his stockings1 was satisfied with his life and his work4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,books ,,for ,,boys ,,by ,,george ,,cary ,,eggleston ,,the ,,last ,,of ,,the ,,flatboats4 ,a ,story of the ,mississippi and ,its ,interesting ,family of ,rivers4 ,,camp ,,venture4 ,a ,story of the ,virginia ,mountains4 ,adventures among the ,moonshiners4 ,,the ,,bale ,,marked ,,circle ,x4 ,a ,blockade-,running ,adventure4 ,,jack ,,shelby4 ,a ,story of the ,indiana ,backwoods4 ,,long ,,knives4 ,the ,story of ,how ,they ,won the ,west4 ,a ,tale of ,george ,rogers ,clark's ,expedition4 ,,what ,,happened ,,at ,,quasi4 ,the ,story of a ,carolina ,cruise4 ,a ,tale of ,sport and ,adventure4 ,,lothrop1 ,,lee ,,shepard ,,co41 ,,boston