man who by the very dominance of his character had awed into submission
the fierce Northern tribes of a continent, who had compelled men to
follow him until the life had all but ebbed from their bodies, who had
led them to victory in the end. And I remembered a boy who had stood
awe-struck before this man in the commandant's house at Fort Sackville.
Ay, and I heard again his words as though he had just spoken them,
"Promise me that you will not forget me if I am--unfortunate." I did
not understand then. And now because of a certain blinding of my eyes, I
did not see him clearly as he got slowly to his feet. He clutched the
table. He looked around him--I dare not say--vacantly. And then,
suddenly, he spoke with a supreme anger and a supreme bitterness.

"Not a shilling has this government given me," he cried. "Virginia was
more grateful; from her I have some acres of wild land and--a sword." He
laughed. "A sword, gentlemen, and not new at that. Oh, a grateful
government we serve, one careful of the honor of her captains.
Gentlemen, I stand to-day a discredited man because the honest debts I
incurred in the service of that government are repudiated, because my
friends who helped it, Father Gibault, Vigo, and Gratiot, and others have
never been repaid. One of them is ruined."

A dozen men had sprung clamoring to their feet before he sat down. One,
more excited than the rest, got the ear of the company.

"Do we lack leaders?" he cried. "We have them here with us to-night, in
this room. Who will stop us? Not the contemptible enemies in Kentucky
who call themselves Federalists. Shall we be supine forever? We have
fought once for our liberties, let us fight again. Let us make a common
cause with our real friends on the far side of the Mississippi."