in one of the
Presidency! I'm glad the House decided in favor of Jefferson. He is bad
enough, but Burr would have been even worse. Are you a Federalist or a
Democrat, Mr. Dudley?"

"How could a Virginian be anything but a supporter of the great
Jefferson?" replied Abner. "Could I have done so, I should have
remained in Virginia until after the election, so as to cast my vote
for Jefferson; but it was necessary for me to come to this State."

"An' glad we air thet you come," said Rogers, heartily.

"Being a Virginian ought to make you a Federalist, I should say,"
suggested Gilcrest. "You forget that a greater than Jefferson was born
in Virginia."

"Then, as Massachusetts is your native State," said Dudley, "I suppose
your Federalistic convictions are modeled according to the
hard-and-fast principles laid down by Adams, rather than the more
elastic federalism which Washington taught. That is, if place of birth
really has anything to do with shaping one's political views."

"One could not have a better leader than John Adams," Gilcrest stoutly
asserted.

"Whut!" exclaimed Rogers. "Afteh them Alien an' Sedition outrages?"

"Why, man!" Gilcrest retorted, "those very laws were for the saving of
the nation."

"Though a Democrat, I'm inclined to agree with you there, Mr.
Gilcrest," Dudley said.

"Ha, Mr. Dudley," said Gilcrest, pleasantly, "I've hopes of your
conversion into a good Federalist yet. You're young, and your political
prejudices haven't become chronic--as is the case with Mason here."

"My motto," rejoined Rogers, "is, 'Our State fust, then the nation.'
The Federal Government didn't do no gre't shakes towa'ds he'pin'
Kaintucky when redskins an' British skunks wuz 'bout to drive us offen
the face o' the livin' airth."

"But, Mason, remember that at that time our nation was battling for
independence, and could ill spare aid for us in our struggle for
supremacy in this western frontier."

"Jes' so!" retorted Rogers. "An' whar'd you an' me an' the rest uv us
who wuz strugglin' fur footholt heah hev been, ef we'd depended on the
Federal Government to fight Caldwell, McKee, Simon Girty, an' ther red
devils? We had to do our own fightin' then, you'll agree, Hiram."

"Why, Major Gilcrest," Dudley exclaimed, "were you an Indian-fighter? I
thought you were a Revolutionary soldier."

"So I was," Gilcrest answered, "from the battle of Lexington until
badly wounded in Virginia by Arnold's raiders in the spring