there being no shelter other than the brushy wigwams and scraps of canvas the militiamen rigged near their fires , he was escorted back to smith 's big , threadbare tent , given supper-which he forced down , not much noticing what he ate-and then tethered to the tent pole with a long , thin rope run through the chain of his irons , with sufficient play as to allow him to lie down or use the utensil .