Beverley was not a mere youth, although yet somewhat under thirty.
Educated abroad and naturally of a thoughtful and studious turn,
he had enriched his mind far beyond the usual limit among young
Americans of the very best class in that time; and so he appeared
older than he really was: an effect helped out by his large and
powerful form and grave dignity of bearing. Clark, who found him
useful in emergencies, cool, intrepid, daring to a fault and
possessed of excellent judgement, sent him with Helm, hoping that
he would offset with his orderly attention to details the somewhat
go-as-you-please disposition of that excellent officer.
Beverley set out in search of the French commander's house,
impressed with no particular respect for him or his office.
Somehow Americans of Anglo-Saxon blood were slow to recognize any
good qualities whatever in the Latin Creoles of the West and
South. It seemed to them that the Frenchman and the Spaniard were
much too apt to equalize themselves socially and matrimonially
with Indians and negroes. The very fact that for a century, while
Anglo-Americans had been in constant bloody warfare with savages,
Frenchmen had managed to keep on easy and highly profitable
trading terms with them, tended to confirm the worst implication.
"Eat frogs and save your scalp," was a bit of contemptuous
frontier humor indicative of what sober judgement held in reserve
on the subject.
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