“Do you think they will do that?”
“It is hard telling what they will do now they have started this war. Probably they will do as much damage as possible.”
“I hope you move against them soon.”
“I am impatient to do so, but I must wait for extra horses from Winchester, and for extra men, too. The recruiting has again fallen off, despite the governor’s offer of free homesteads to all who serve.”
“My son Henry wishes to go with you,” put in Joseph Morris. “He has talked about it for two days.”
“Henry!” cried Dave. “If he goes, then I will go too.”
“That will give us two more fighting men,” laughed Washington. “And at least one good shot,” he added, pointedly, remembering the bear hunt.
“My cousin can shoot as well as I, perhaps better,” returned Dave, quickly. “He has brought down a bird on the wing more than once.”
“Then we must have him by all means—and you, too.”
In those days Washington was but twenty-two, full of youthful activity, and bent upon getting together the necessary men by hook or by crook. He continued to talk to Dave and the boy’s uncle for a good half hour, and the upshot of the conversation was that Dave enlisted under him and Joseph Morris promised that Henry should do the same.