Sam Hardwicke had thrown himself down under a clump of bushes, as I have said, a little apart from the rest of the boys. Before he went to sleep, however, his brother Tom, a lad about twelve years of age, but rather large for his years, came and lay down by his side, the two falling at once into conversation. "What made you fire up so quick with Jake Elliott, Sam?" asked the younger boy. "Because he is a bully who would give trouble if he dared. I didn't want to have a fight with him and so I thought it best to take the first opportunity of teaching him the first duty of a soldier,--obedience." "But you might have reasoned with him, as you generally do with people." "No I couldn't," replied Sam. "Why not?" Tom asked. "Because he isn't reasonable. He's the sort of person who needs a master to say 'do' and 'don't.' Reasoning is thrown away on some people." "But you had good reasons, didn't you, for stopping here instead of going on further?" asked Tom. "Certainly. There's the Mackey house five miles ahead, and if we'd gone on we must have stopped near it to night?" "Well, what of that?" "Jake Elliott would have pilfered something there." "How do you know?" asked Tom in some surprise at his brother's positiveness. "Because," Sam replied, "he tried to steal some eggs last night at Bungay's. I stopped him, and that's why I choose to camp every night out of harm's way, and keep all of you within strict limits. I don't mean to have people say we're a set of thieves. Besides, Jake Elliott has meant to give trouble from the first, and I have only waited for a chance to put him down. He isn't satisfied yet, but he's afraid to do anything but sneak. He'll try some trick to get even with me pretty soon." "Oh, Sam, you must look out then," cried Tom in alarm for his brother. "Why don't you send him back home?" "For two or three reasons. In the first place General Jackson needs all the volunteers he can get." "Well, what else?" "That's enough, but there's another good reason. If I let him go away it would be saying that I can't manage him, and that would be a sorry confession for a soldier to make. I can manage him, and I will, too." "But Sam, he'll do you some harm or other." "Of course he will if he can, but that is a risk I have to take." "Well, I'm going to sleep here by you, any how," said Tom. "No you mustn't," replied the elder boy. "You must go over by the fire where the other boys are, and sleep there." "Why, Sam?" "Well, in the first place, if I'm not a match in wits for Jake Elliott, I've no business to continue captain, and I've no right to shirk any trial of skill that he may choose to make. Besides you're my brother, and it will make the other boys think I'm partial if you stay here with me. Go back there and sleep by the fire. I'll take care of myself." "But Sam--" began Tom.