Calling us inside the tent and changing our bayonet candlestick to a position where it would be protected from the wind, while the light would still shine on the prisoner through the open tent door, Tom, in a low voice, began giving us the talk that we intended Tucker should overhear.
"Now, men," began the old man, "the objects of our expedition are so nearly accomplished that I thought I'd better explain the situation to you more fully so that you will clearly understand the parts you are to play in our future movements. Everything is working out, so far, just as the captain planned it. I don't believe that anybody along the road or any of these jayhawkers suspects us of being soldiers or anything else but jest what we've told 'em, that we are three wolf hunters goin' out to the buffalo range. There's nothin' military about our team an' camp outfit except the Sibley tent an' our rifles, an' lots of citizens use them; an' laying aside our uniforms an' puttin' on these new buckskin togs makes us look like three tenderfeet tryin' to imitate frontiersmen. I must give our captain credit for long-headedness, for 'twas him planned the whole expedition."
"An' I give the captain credit," interrupted Jack, "for selectin' a sergeant, among all the non-coms of the company, who could carry out his plans to the letter."
"Thanks," returned Tom with a wink. "An' the two privates that were selected to go with the sergeant shows that our captain knows his men."
"Now," continued Tom, "ef things turn out as they look now, I think our trip'll end right here, for we've got our game purty nigh bagged. The captain, with the company, has kept just far enough behind us to keep out of sight, an' to-night they're about ten miles back on the road; an' ef he gits the message I sent to him this afternoon, which I'm sure he will, they ought to be here, or over about the store, rather—for there's where I promised to meet 'em—a little after midnight."
I could see that our prisoner was taking a keen interest in Tom's remarks, craning his neck forward and turning an ear toward the tent door in an attitude of attentive listening.
"I have arranged with the boy," continued the old veteran, "who carried my message back to the captain, to guide the company up to the store an' to meet me there not later than two o'clock to-night. An' this boy has been down to the jayhawkers' camp an' knows the lay of the land all around there; an' when I join the captain an' company the boy is to guide us all to the camp, or nigh enough so that the captain can string the company all around 'em; an' as soon as it's light enough we'll close in on 'em an' make sure that nary one gits away. From what Jack says, they are all pretty full of whiskey an' will be apt to sleep sound, an' it'll be an easy matter to gobble the whole caboodle."
"Sh, sergeant," I said in a loud enough whisper for the prisoner to hear. "Don't talk so loud—the jayhawker might hear you."
"Oh, I don't think he could hear what I say, 'way out there; but it won't make much difference ef he does, fer he'll never live long enough to profit by what he might hear, for he's pretty nigh as good as a dead man right now. His time's short."
Tucker had dropped his head forward—in our direction—as far as he could lean, and had closed his eyes as if asleep, but was trying to catch every word that was said.