ghtly the deep melancholy of his face--"as to this Lombard war;
why, Sir, if it were possible to collect an army of Western Americans
and put them into that there territory"--waving his hand grandly
toward the Apennines--"the way they would walk the Austrians off to
their own country would be a caution. For the Western American man,
as an individual, is physically and spiritually a gigantic being, and
an army of such would be irresistible. Two weeks would wind up the
Lombard war. Our Americans, Sir, are the most military people in the
wide universe."

"As yet, though, they haven't done much to show their capacity," said
Windham. "You don't call the Revolutionary war and that of 1812 any
greater than ordinary wars, do you?"

"No, Sir; not at all," said Obed Chute. "We are well aware that in
actual wars we have as yet done but little in comparison with our
possibilities and capabilities. In the revolutionary war, Sir, we
were crude and unformed--we were infants, Sir, and our efforts were
infantile. The swaddling bands of the colonial system had all along
restrained the free play of the national muscle; and throughout the
war there was not time for full development. Still, Sir, from that
point of view, as an infant nation, we did remarkable
well--re-markable. In 1812 we did not have a fair chance. We had got
out of infancy, it is true; but still not into our full manhood.
Besides, the war was too short. Just as we began to get into
condition--just as our fleets and armies were ready to _do_
something--the war came to an end. Even then, however, we did
re-markable well--re-markable. But, after all, neither of these
exhibited the American man in his boundless possibility before the
world."

"You think, I suppose, that if a war were to come now, you could do
proportionally better."

"Think it!" said Obed; "I know it. The American people know it. And
they want, above all things, to have a chance to show it. You spoke
of that American who was blue-moulded for want of a fight. I said
that man was a typical American. Sir, that saying is profoundly true.
Sir, the whole American nation is blue-moulded, Sir. It is spilin for
want of a fight--a big fight."

"Well, and what do you intend to do about it?"

"Time will show," said Obed, gravely. "Already, any one acquainted
with the manners of our people and the conduct of our government will
recognize the remarkable fact that our nation is the most wrathy,
cantankerous, high-me