“Eat, boys,” gasped the lieutenant. “Fortune has favored us. There’s more meat below. But we’ll eat first.”
Everybody hacked and tore at the red humps, and in a jiffy the strips from them were being thrust into the fire by ramrods; without waiting for more than a scorching and a warming through, the men devoured like wolves. With the meat juice daubing his chin and staining the men’s beards, Stub thought that never before had he tasted such sweetness. He forgot his other hungers.
Whew! One by one the men drew back, to chew the last mouthfuls, and light pipes, contented. The meat all had vanished.
“Send Brown to me, sergeant,” the lieutenant ordered. There was something he had not forgotten.
John Brown arose and shambled to where the lieutenant and the doctor were sitting. He looked sheepish and frightened. The lieutenant stood, to front him; did not acknowledge his salute, but scanned him sternly, his haggard eyes commencing to blaze bluely.
“Brown, you this day presumed to make use of language that was seditious and mutinous; I then passed it over, pitying your situation and laying your conduct to your distress from hunger, rather than to desire to sow discontent amongst the party. Had I saved provisions for ourselves, whilst you were starving,” reproached the lieutenant; “had we been marching along light and at our ease, whilst you were weighed down with your burden, then you would have had some excuse for your remarks: but when we all were equally hungry, weary, worn, and charged with burdens which I believe my natural strength is less able to bear than any man’s in the party—when we are always foremost in breaking the road, reconnoitering and enduring the fatigues of the chase, it was the height of ingratitude in you to let an expression escape that showed discontent. Your ready compliance and firm perseverance I had reason to expect, as the leader of men who are my companions in misery and danger. But your duty as a soldier (the young lieutenant’s voice rang, and his eyes flashed) called on your obedience to your officer, and a suppression of such language. However, for this time I will pardon; but I assure you, should that ever be repeated, I will answer your ingratitude and punish your disobedience by instant death.”
John Brown had shrunk and whitened.
“Yes, sir,” he faltered. “Thank you, sir. I’ll remember. It shan’t happen again.”
“You may go.” The lieutenant’s eyes left Brown’s face and traveled over the other men. “I take this opportunity,” he said, “likewise to express to you, soldiers, generally, my thanks for your obedience, perseverance, and ready contempt of every danger, which you have in common shown. And I assure you that nothing shall be lacking on my part to procure you the rewards of our Government and the gratitude of your countrymen.”
“Three cheers for the cap’n, lads,” shouted Sergeant Meek. “Hooray, now! Hooray! Hooray!”