Camp Venture: A Story of the Virginia Mountains

As he spoke, two or three shots came from the enemy in front, the bullets burying themselves harmlessly in the wooden barrier well below the feet of the boys, as they stood on the platform, for the barrier could not be seen in the darkness, and the men shooting aimed at about where they thought a man's breast would be if he stood upon the ground.

The temptation to return the fire was almost irresistible, particularly to Tom, who had his magazine rifle in hand. But Jack resolutely insisted upon reserving fire in order to be ready to repel a charge whenever it should come.

The light was now growing stronger and here and there it was possible to make out one of the enemy, crouching behind a rock or in some little depression of the ground. 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 one. Somebody remarked upon this fact, whereupon Jack replied, still speaking in a whisper:

"That's true! But if they make the rush that I'm expecting they won't outnumber us much by the time they get here."

As the light grew still stronger, Tom set his gun down, ejaculating "Well, well, well."

"What is it, Tom?" asked the Doctor.

"Why, those aren't moonshiners, but revenue officers and soldiers!"

A little further scrutiny convinced the boys that Tom's keen eyes had seen aright. The bullets were still pattering now and then against the wooden parapet, but evidently the enemy was not yet ready to make the charge which alone could give him possession of the fortress.

Tom felt in his pocket, drew out a handkerchief and tied it to the end of his gun. Then he descended the little ladder to the ground.

"What are you going to do Tom?" asked Jack.

"Why, I'm going out under a flag of truce to explain to those fellows what a stupid blunder they've made. They've mistaken Camp Venture for an illicit distillery, as if anybody would set up a still in such an open place as this."

"But wait, Tom! It is still so dark that they may not see your flag of truce. They may all fire at you at once. Wait till broad daylight comes."

"Yes," answered Tom, "and in the meantime those fellows may make their charge, – they're forming for it now, – and in that case we'll have to shoot half of them. No, I'm going out with my flag of truce now, and I'll simply have to take the chances of getting shot."

With that he passed around the end of the barrier and sallied forth, holding his flag of truce above him and calling as he went "Truce! Truce! A flag of truce! I bear a flag of truce! Don't shoot!"

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 mission. At last he understood it and calling to Tom to halt where he stood, which was about midway between the two forces – the lieutenant who commanded the troops, hoisted another white handkerchief and went out to meet the boy.

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 themselves.

The lieutenant looked at him incredulously at first, and then laughed.

"That's a good one on us!" he said presently, "if what you say is true."

"I never tell lies!" said Tom, in resentment.

"I don't believe you do," said the officer. "You don't look it, anyhow. But of course we mustn't take any risk of being caught in a trap. So I'll send a squad of my men with you to inspect. Here, Sergeant Malby; take a detail of four men and go with this young man to the camp yonder. In the meantime, my boy, I'll detain that magazine rifle of yours, if you please, till I satisfy myself."

Tom handed over his gun and led the sergeant and his squad into Camp Venture. As daylight had now fully come, the soldiers had little trouble in satisfying themselves that there was no still there, and that the company consisted only of five boys and the Doctor. The sergeant so reported to the lieutenant and that officer was disposed to be satisfied. Not so the three revenue agents, however.

"It's a fishy story these fellows tell," said the chief of them, "and I for one don't intend to be drawn into a trap. There may be no still and only a small company of boys in that cabin, but who knows how many stills there may be hidden around here, or how many moonshiners may be hiding about us, ready to massacre us?"

"All right," said the lieutenant, in some disgust at the revenue officer's timidity. "I'll settle all that. Stay here, men, and wait for orders."

With that he strode off alone to the cabin and entered it. He there explained the situation to the boys and said:

"I'm afraid I shall have to ask you fellows to go out there and stack your arms, 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 men. They were so sure that they had surprised a still here that they can't get over the notion. So we must humor them."

The boys readily consented to the plan. They marched out to a point designated by the lieutenant and there stacked their arms, over which the lieutenant summoned two of his men to stand guard. Then he bade the revenue officers come on, and under escort of his file of soldiers they minutely scrutinized the entire camp. The felled trees not yet chopped into shape for sending down the mountain; the large quantity of ties and cordwood that were piled near the chute; the multitude of stumps from which timber had been recently cut; the great piles of brush left over from the chopping; and finally the chute itself, now nearly worn out with use – all these attested the character of the camp and indicated an industry on the part of its occupants, such as no company of moonshiners ever displayed.

At last the Lieutenant said to the chief revenue officer, with some show of impatience:

"Aren't you satisfied, yet? Why don't you look under these boys' finger nails? How do you know they haven't some stills secreted there?"

"Yes, I'm satisfied with all but one thing," answered the agent of the excise.

"What's that?" asked Jack. "Whatever it is, I'll try to satisfy you concerning it."

"Why, I don't understand, if you aren't engaged in any crooked business, what you built that fortification for. If you didn't feel the need of resisting the government agents, what need had you for a barrier like that to shoot behind?"

"We built that to protect ourselves against moonshiners," answered Jack.

"But why should moonshiners disturb you?" asked the still incredulous revenue agent.

"Because they believed when we first came up here that we were spies of the internal revenue and most of them still believe it. They began by ordering us to quit the mountains and when we wouldn't they sent men to shoot at us. One of our party is still suffering from a bullet wound received at their hands. When we found that we must defend ourselves we erected that barrier to help us. Now that you have come up here we'll need it you may be sure."

"Why?" asked the revenue officer.

"Because they'll never believe now that we didn't send for you and bring you here. They'll make ceaseless war on us now."

Meanwhile the Lieutenant was examining the fortification. Presently he turned to Jack and said:

"Will you allow me to suggest an improvement in your defensive work?"

"Certainly," answered Jack. "We shall be very glad."

"Well the top of your parapet is level. Whenever you shoot over it you must expose your head, neck and shoulders above it. 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 persons."

The suggestion was so obviously a good one that Jack determined on the instant to adopt it.

"I'll do that, Lieutenant, as soon as you release us from arrest and let us have our guns again."

"Oh, I forgot that," answered the Lieutenant. "Here sentinel," to the man who had been posted outside, "tell Sergeant Malby to send those guns back to the house, and to withdraw you from duty here. Young men, you are released from arrest."

Then turning to the chief revenue officer, for whose timid lack of sagacity he had obviously the profoundest contempt, he asked:

"What's your program now?"

"Well I'm going to clear this whole mountain of stills."

"How long do you reckon it will take?" asked the Lieutenant.

"Well a week or two weeks perhaps."

"And what provisions have you made for your commissariat for such a length of time?"

"What do you mean?"