``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.``Asword, 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.''
I rose, sick at heart, but every man was standing.And then a strange thing happened.I saw General Wilkinson at the far end of the room; his hand was raised, and there was that on his handsome face which might have been taken for a smile, and yet was not a smile.Others saw him too, I know not by what exertion of magnetism.
They looked at him and they held their tongues.
``I fear that we are losing our heads, gentlemen,'' he said; ``and I propose to you the health of the first citizen of Kentucky, Colonel George Rogers Clark.
I found myself out of the tavern and alone in the cool May night.And as I walked slowly down the deserted street, my head in a whirl, a hand was laid on my shoulder.I turned, startled, to face Mr.Wharton, the planter.
``I would speak a word with you, Mr.Ritchie,'' he said.``May I come to your room for a moment?''
``Certainly, sir,'' I answered.
After that we walked along together in silence, my own mind heavily occupied with what I had seen and heard.We came to Mr.Crede's store, went in at the picket gate beside it and down the path to my own door, which I unlocked.I felt for the candle on the table, lighted it, and turned in surprise to discover that Mr.
Wharton was poking up the fire and pitching on a log of wood.He flung off his greatcoat and sat down with his feet to the blaze.I sat down beside him and waited, thinking him a sufficiently peculiar man.
``You are not famous, Mr.Ritchie,'' said he, presently.
``No, sir,'' I answered.
``Nor particularly handsome,'' he continued, ``nor conspicuous in any way.''
I agreed to this, perforce.
``You may thank God for it,'' said Mr.Wharton.
``That would be a strange outpouring, sir,'' said I.
He looked at me and smiled.
``What think you of this paragon, General Wilkinson?''
he demanded suddenly.
``I have Federal leanings, sir,'' I answered``Egad,'' said he, ``we'll add caution to your lack of negative accomplishments.I have had an eye on you this winter, though you did not know it.I have made inquiries about you, and hence I am not here to-night entirely through impulse.You have not made a fortune at the law, but you have worked hard, steered wide of sensation, kept your mouth shut.Is it not so?''
Astonished, I merely nodded in reply.
``I am not here to waste your time or steal your sleep,''
he went on, giving the log a push with his foot, ``and Iwill come to the point.When I first laid eyes on this fine gentleman, General Wilkinson, I too fell a victim to his charms.It was on the eve of this epoch-making trip of which we heard so glowing an account to-night, and Imade up my mind that no Spaniard, however wily, could resist his persuasion.He said to me, `Wharton, give me your crop of tobacco and I promise you to sell it in spite of all the royal mandates that go out of Madrid.' He went, he saw, he conquered the obdurate Miro as he has apparently conquered the rest of the world, and he actually came back in a chariot and four as befitted him.A heavy crop of tobacco was raised in Kentucky that year.Ihelped to raise it,'' added Mr.Wharton, dryly.``I gave the General my second crop, and he sent it down.Mr.
Ritchie, I have to this day never received a piastre for my merchandise, nor am I the only planter in this situation.Yet General Wilkinson is prosperous.''
My astonishment somewhat prevented me from replying to this, too.Was it possible that Mr.Wharton meant to sue the General? I reflected while he paused.
I remembered how inconspicuous he had named me, and hope died.Mr.Wharton did not look at me, but stared into the fire, for he was plainly not a man to rail and rant.