"Eric Flint - TOG 02 - 1824, The Arkansas War" - читать интересную книгу автора (Flint Eric)

He turned and strode toward the door, where Chester was waiting. The slave raised the pistol as if to
offer it to his master, but Houston shook his head.

тАЬNo, no, you keep it. Ido have enemies, itтАЩs true enough. Some of the rascals might be lurking outside.
Since you shoot better than I do, best you keep the pistol.тАЭ

тАЬYes, sir, Mr. Sam. If you say so.тАЭ

Houston stopped abruptly. тАЬOf course I do! Makes sense, doesnтАЩt it? The slave shoots them, and the
master guts тАЩem.тАЭ

He patted the knife under his blanket, turned around, and bestowed the grin on the whole room.

тАЬYou see, gentlemen? Easiest thing in the world to figure out, if youтАЩre not an imbecile like Calhoun.I
never have trouble with runaway slaves. YouтАЩre not planning to flee from lawful bondage, are you,
Chester?тАЭ

тАЬNo, sir. DonтАЩt need to. тАЩBout another two months, and IтАЩll have saved up enough to buy my way free.тАЭ

HoustonтАЩs eyes widened. тАЬWhyтАжso you will. And since you learned how to blacksmith along the way,
you wonтАЩt have any trouble setting yourself up.тАЭ

Akins didnтАЩt know whether to laugh or cry. On the one hand, seeing Baxter get his comeuppance was
worth its weight in gold. On the otherтАж

Hiring out slaves as craftsmen was common, of course. Many of them were quite skilled, in fact. But
HoustonтАЩs practice of letting his slaveskeep their wages was just plainтАж

тАЬSome people say IтАЩm a lunatic, Chester,тАЭ Houston boomed. тАЬA veritable bedlamite!тАЭ

тАЬYes, Mr. Sam. But maybe we ought to be going, now. Before your enemies learn where you are.тАЭ

тАЬProbably a good idea. Mr. Akins, the bill, if you please.тАЭ

Less than a minute later, Akins had the moneyтАФa tavern still intact, tooтАФand Houston was on his way.

He watched him and the slave Chester for a while. The slave rode a horse just as well as the colonel did.

тАЬThat man is pure crazy,тАЭ he muttered.

His wife had come out of the tavern and was standing next to him.

тАЬI thought you saidтАФbeanтАЩt more than two months agoтАФthat if Colonel Houston ever ran for senator
from Kentucky, youтАЩd vote for him.тАЭ

тАЬWell, yes. He got rid of the Indians for us, didnтАЩt he? And he backs Jackson against the stinking bank.
The SenateтАЩs way out there on the coast, anyway. But I sure wouldnтАЩt vote for him asgovernor. тАЭ
тАЬNobody would,тАЭ his wife agreed, тАЬoutside of a bedlam house.тАЭ