d round Big Hand then, and, in their way, they
said pretty much what Genet had said. They put it to him, here was
France and England at war, in a manner of speaking, right across the
United States' stomach, and paying no regards to any one. The French
was searching American ships on pretence they was helping England, but
really for to steal the goods. The English was doing the same, only
t'other way round, and besides searching, they was pressing American
citizens into their Navy to help them fight France, on pretence that
those Americans was lawful British subjects. His gentlemen put this
very clear to Big Hand. It didn't look to them, they said, as though the
United States trying to keep out of the fight was any advantage to her,
because she only catched it from both French and English. They said that
nine out of ten good Americans was crazy to fight the English then and
there. They wouldn't say whether that was right or wrong; they only
wanted Big Hand to turn it over in his mind. He did--for a while. I
saw Red Jacket and Cornplanter watching him from the far side of the
clearing, and how they had slipped round there was another mystery. Then
Big Hand drew himself up, and he let his gentlemen have it.'

'Hit 'em?' Dan asked.

'No, nor yet was it what you might call swearing. He--he blasted 'em
with his natural speech. He asked them half-a-dozen times over whether
the United States had enough armed ships for any shape or sort of war
with any one. He asked 'em, if they thought she had those ships, to give
him those ships, and they looked on the ground, as if they expected to
find 'em there. He put it to 'em whether, setting ships aside, their
country--I reckon he gave 'em good reasons--whether the United States
was ready or able to face a new big war; she having but so few years
back wound up one against England, and being all holds full of her own
troubles. As I said, the strong way he laid it all before 'em blasted
'em, and when he'd done it was like a still in the woods after a storm.
A little man--but they all looked little--pipes up like a young rook
in a blowed-down nest, "Nevertheless, General, it seems you will be
compelled to fight England." Quick Big Hand wheeled on him, "And is
there anything in my past which makes you think I am averse to fighting
Great Britain?"

'Everybody laughed except him. "Oh, General, you mistake us entirely!"
they says. "I trust so," he says. "But I know my duty. We must have
pea