"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."