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

CHAPTER 3


тАЬProbably shouldnтАЩt have done that,тАЭ Sam admitted, a couple of hours later. TheyтАЩd stopped at a creek
crossing to let their horses drink.

Chester studied the creek intently, as if the small stream were vastly more fascinating than any other
body of moving waters on the face of the globe. тАЬ тАШProbablyтАЩ meaning how, Mr. Sam? тАШProbably,тАЩ as in
тАШI probably shouldnтАЩt have baited that bearтАЩ? Or тАШprobably,тАЩ as in тАШI probably shouldnтАЩt have stuck a
pitchfork in Sam HillтАЩ?тАЭ

Houston grinned. тАЬOh, surely the latter. But since IтАЩm not a sinnerтАФwell, not much of oneтАФwhat do I
have to fear? Sam Hill wonтАЩt have no hold on me, when the blessed day comes. Hand me the whiskey.тАЭ

Chester rummaged in the saddle pack and came out with the bottle. He didnтАЩt say anything, but the
expression on his face made clear his disapproval.

тАЬAnd stop nattering at me,тАЭ Sam said.

тАЬDidnтАЩt say a word.тАЭ

тАЬDidnтАЩt need to.тАЭ He opened the bottle, took a hefty but not heroic slug from the contents, stoppered it
up, and handed it back to Chester. тАЬSee? Just needed something to take the taste out of my mouth.
Blasted meat was practically raw.тАЭ

As always, the warm glow in his belly steadied his nerves. Which needed it, in truth. ThereтАЩd been a lot
of encounters like that over the past two or three years. TheyтАЩd been getting uglier, too.

The United States had been hit by a series of crises, coming in quick succession. Sam thought people
would have handled the Panic of 1819 and the economic dislocation that followed. TheyтАЩd also have
handledтАФwell enough, anywayтАФthe Missouri Compromise that Henry Clay had engineered the
following year, and the political tensions that came with it. Sam was no admirer of Clay, but heтАЩd admit
the manтАЩs vaunted political skills had been fully evident in that crisis.

But together, the Panic and the Compromise had brought the nation to a heated point just short of
boilingтАФand then John Calhoun had seized upon the Treaty of Oothcaloga and the Algiers Incident to
advance his proslavery political program. His speeches and actions had met a receptive audience in much
of the South and the West. Almost overnight, it seemed, Sam Houston had gone from being a man
generally admired both for his heroism in the war with Britain and for his settlement of the most acute
Indian land questions, to the architect of a fiendish scheme to undermine the supremacy of the European
race in America in favor of its lesser races.

тАЬStill not sure how that happened,тАЭ he muttered, looking down at the back of his hand. тАЬMy own skinтАЩs
still as white as ever.тАЭ

тАЬWhat was that, Mr. Sam?тАЭ

Houston glanced at Chester. тАЬJust talking to myself.тАЭ