"Is that all?" demanded Dennis. "Shure, it was twinty cints when I left camp, and you have not put it up over five cints since the mornin"! I thought you would have it up to fifty cints shure by this time. Levi, have you a bit of a conscience at all left yet?"
"I vas all consciences," replied Levi, spreading out his hands as he spoke. "I don"t think how I shall be able to do business here much longer. Dese things gets me--"
"Of course you won"t do business here much longer," broke in Dennis.
"You won"t have to. Before you go, some of the boys will have to come down and give you a good send-off."
"No! No!" protested Levi excitedly. "They must not do dat. I haf been der very goot friend. I have made leedle, very leedle money."
"Don"t be scared, Levi. We know just how much money you have made. Some of the boys have been kapin" tabs on you. If we should take whativer you have here, you would still be rich enough, and the boys would feel that they were only gittin" even with you for the way you have treated them."
The eyes of the angry sutler snapped, as he turned sharply upon the young soldier. "If I choose I can reports to der colonel vat you have been doing."
"What have I been doin"?" demanded Dennis innocently.
"You know dere vas strict orders against foraging. I think now I shall report to the colonel."
The young soldiers remained no longer at the sutler"s tent.
"I believe that fellow will report you to the colonel," Noel said to his companion.
"To be shure he will. He"s likely to do that, and if he does he"s likely to get somethin" more."
The reports were current in the camp that orders had been reissued against any foraging on the part of any of the men.
Whether or not it was due to the feast which Dennis and Noel prepared that night when their pig was roasted, or to the monotony of the camp fare to which the soldiers still irreverently referred as "S. B.," is not known, but at all events the temptation to find fresh food, and especially fresh meat, outside the boundaries of the camp proved to be too strong for many of the boys in blue.
It was not long afterward when Dennis with others was tempted beyond his power of resistance and again was found among those who were foraging in the regions adjacent to the camp.
A dozen or more were in the company and, as the soldiers believed, through the reports of Levi Kadoff, the colonel had been informed of the escapade. Consequently when the men returned to the camp the angry colonel, taking a position near the guard, ordered the entrance of the men singly or in pairs, and then demanded of every one that he should disclose what he had obtained in this foraging, against the strict command which had been issued.
Shamefacedly and with many threats against the little sutler, the returning soldiers showed what they had secured, oftentimes through hard labor.
Meanwhile the pile upon which the colonel had commanded every soldier to cast whatever he had obtained grew steadily. Chickens, an occasional ham, various vegetables, and other articles composed the greater part of the rapidly increasing heap.
Most of those who had been engaged in the forbidden occupation had already returned to camp, when Dennis O"Hara at last appeared. This time, however, Noel Curtis was not with his friend.
As Dennis drew near the guard he discovered the presence of the colonel, but if he was alarmed by his discovery, his feeling was not betrayed by any change in the expression of his face. And yet apparently Dennis was the most guilty of all the men. Inside his coat was something which caused the garment to protrude in such a manner as to reveal, and yet at the same time to conceal, whatever Dennis had secured.
Demurely the young Irish soldier approached the waiting colonel and, as the officer sharply ordered him to halt, Dennis and a few watching soldiers were aware that the colonel"s patience was entirely exhausted.
He was not only angry that his commands had been disobeyed, but manifestly the indifference of the young soldier increased his feeling of irritation.
"What have you inside your coat?" demanded the irate colonel.
"Yis, sor! Yis, sor!" retorted Dennis, saluting as he spoke.
"What have you inside your coat?" repeated the angry officer.
"Nothin" of any value, sor."
"I don"t believe what you say! A man who will disobey orders will lie about his disobedience! Unb.u.t.ton your coat, sir, and show me what you have!"
"Indade, sor," protested Dennis, ""tis nothin" I have which will interest the likes of you, Colonel Rathbun. "Tis nothin" of any value at all I have."
"Unb.u.t.ton your coat, sir, and throw what you have stolen on to this pile, where the rest of your thievish comrades have placed what they stole!"
"Indade, sor," protested Dennis once more, ""tis nothin" of any value. I didn"t rob anybody, sor! I--"
"Do as I tell you!" demanded the angry colonel, "or I will order you to be taken to the guard-house!"
"Yis, sor! Yis, sor!" responded Dennis promptly, as he began to fumble at the b.u.t.tons of his jacket.
The garment, however, had been drawn so tightly about him to cover the object he was trying to conceal that it was with great apparent difficulty he obeyed.
Watching the awkward attempts of the young Irish soldier to comply with the demand of the colonel, many of the men of the regiment were crowding about the place. Curiosity as to the prize which Dennis had secured and suspicion that his sober face belied the feeling in his heart, and the general knowledge that Dennis O"Hara was one of the worst practical jokers in the camp, combined with other motives that steadily increased the number of the spectators.
After several attempts Dennis succeeded in unb.u.t.toning the upper b.u.t.tons of his jacket, and then again he paused and facing the colonel said, ""Tis nothin" that will interest you, Colonel. I haven"t taken anything of value--"
"Not another word from you, sir!" shouted the angry officer. "Do as I tell you! Unb.u.t.ton your coat and show what you have stolen and throw it on the heap where the other things are piled!"
"Yis, sor! Yis, sor!" said Dennis, speaking almost sadly, as he resumed his occupation and in a brief time succeeded in unb.u.t.toning his jacket.
As he did so a small block of wood fell to the ground. For a moment the men stared blankly at Dennis"s "prize" and then broke into loud and prolonged laughter.
The colonel"s face flushed slowly when he discovered the true possession of the young Irishman, and then in a good-natured way he struck the block of wood with his sword and turning to his men said, "Sold! I have been sold, and shall have to own up to it. You young rascal," he said, once more addressing Dennis, "I have half a mind to send you to the guard-house on general principles. You had no business to play such pranks as that."
"But, Colonel," protested Dennis demurely, "I didn"t want to play it. I did my best not to, but you ordered me to, so you see I had to. I was just bringing in a present."
"A present?" demanded the colonel, as the men laughed again. "A present?
To whom were you going to give that block of wood?"
"Shure I was going to give it to the sutler," replied Dennis. "I had an idea that it would match his head."
The boys dispersed, pleased that the colonel had been so lenient with them and that their only punishment had been the loss of the articles which they had secured in their expedition.
When the two young soldiers were again in their tent, Dennis said to Noel, "That little sutler, Levi, is to blame for all this trouble. He thought the boys would be after buyin" not so much of him. He"s the first of all the men who put us on hard tack that was "cut and dried long before Noah died."" And Dennis began to sing noisily,--
"My rations are S.B., Taken from porkers three Thousand years old; And hard-tack cut and dried Long before Noah died,-- From what wars left aside Ne"er can be told."
"I"m afraid the colonel won"t be so easy next time," suggested Noel.
"Don"t you worry about that," said Dennis. "The next time there won"t be any Levi to carry tales to him. I have got it all fixed up in me mind.
We"re going to make Levi a good soldier."
"You can"t do that," laughed Noel, "unless you begin at his feet."
"That"s where we propose to begin."
"What are you going to do?"