“I can’t help it. I know that is a wonderful country. Great work will be done there in the next few years and I want a share in it.”
“I reckon I’d wait till the war is over an’ the redskins are tamed.”
“Well, I suppose I’ll have to. But it’ll be either the West or the war for me before long.”
Zeb looked shrewdly at his friend, wondering why he was so restless, for he had prospered. “It’s nigh two years since we licked Burgoyne an’ they don’t make much headway. Reckon we’ll hev to go back an’ show ’em how we used to do it. But, if we ain’t needed, it will be too bad to leave things here just as we’ve got ’em into shape.”
“You ought never to go to the front again, Zeb. You’ve done your share and, with your wound and your rheumatism, you couldn’t last long in camp. You stay at home and take charge of matters and let me go. I heard yesterday that the British are having things their own way down in South Carolina, murdering and pillaging. Cornwallis evidently intends to frighten the people into submission and then invade Virginia.”
“He hasn’t licked ’em to a standstill yet awhile. 278 Thar’s Sumter an’ Marion left, an’ the boys o’ the mountains,––oh! but he’ll have trouble.”
“I hear the Tories down there are helping the British much more than the Tories in any other part of the country have been able to do.”
“Unless they do they won’t help much. They were goin’ ter help Burgoyne an’ didn’t amount to a pinch o’ snuff. All they can do in the way o’ fightin’ is killing women an’ children an’ then scalpin’ ’em. Anyhow, if ye can’t keep contented at home any longer I’ll try to look after matters here while you are away. But why not get advice from your friend at Monticello? ’Pears to me you have done your share of the fightin’.”
“I don’t like to bother him with my petty affairs, with his many important duties. Being governor of Virginia is enough for one man, let alone all he’s doing for national affairs and for education. I wouldn’t be surprised if he did something to abolish slavery; father believed he would. You know Mr. Jefferson says he trembles for the future when he thinks that God is just.”
“We’ll never live to see it, Rodney.”