Oncle Jazon came in a minute, his fiddle and bow clamped under his
arm, to receive a verbal commission, which sent him with some
scouts of his own choosing forthwith to the Wabash portage, or far
enough to ascertain what the English commander was doing.
After the conference Beverley made haste to join Alice; but he
found that she had gone home.
"One hell of a fix we'll be in if Hamilton comes down here with a
good force," said Helm.
Beverley felt like retorting that a little forethought, zeal and
preparation might have lessened the prospective gloom. He had been
troubled all the time about Helm's utter lack of military
precaution. True, there was very little material out of which that
optimistic officer could have formed a body of resistance against
the army probably at Hamilton's command; but Beverley was young,
energetic, bellicose, and to him everything seemed possible; he
believed in vigilance, discipline, activity, dash; he had a great
faith in the efficacy of enthusiasm.
"We must organize these Frenchmen," he said; "they will make good
fighters if we can once get them to act as a body. There's no time
to be lost; but we have time enough in which to do a great deal
before Hamilton can arrive, if we go at it in earnest."
"Your theory is excellent, Lieutenant, but the practice of it
won't be worth a damn," Helm replied with perfect good nature.
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