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."