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

seated.

тАЬOh, certainly,тАЭ General Scott replied. тАЬDriscolтАЩs been building another Line of Torres Vedras in those
mountains. The original took Wellington over a year to buildтАФand he had the population of Lisbon to
draw on. Even with all the negroes who have migrated to Arkansas the past few years, Driscol doesnтАЩt
begin to have that large a labor force. And the Cherokees and Creeks are useless for that sort of work,
of course. For the most part, at least.тАЭ

The secretary of state, the third man in the room, cleared his throat. тАЬPerhapsтАжтАЭ John Quincy Adams
pursed his lips. тАЬThe work stretched out over that long a period of timeтАжтАЭ

President Monroe shook his head. тАЬI thank you, John, but letтАЩs not be foolish.Sam Houston? тАЭ

He chuckled. тАЬI remind you that my son-in-law is the same man who, at the age of sixteen, crossed sixty
miles of Tennessee wilderness after running away from home. Then he lived among the Cherokee for
several years, even being adopted into one of their clans. He could find his way through any woods or
mountains in Creation.тАЭ

The presidentтАЩs tone of voice grew somber. тАЬEven drunk, as he so often is these days.тАЭ

Monroe finally turned away from the window. тАЬNo, letтАЩs not be foolish. He spends as much time in the
Confederacy as he does here at home, since the treaty was signed. There is no chance that Sam Houston
failed to see what his friend Patrick Driscol was doing. Nor, given his military experience, that he didnтАЩt
understand what he was seeing.тАЭ

As he resumed his seat at his desk, Monroe nodded toward Scott. тАЬIt didnтАЩt take Winfield here more
than a few days to figure it out, when he visited the area. AndтАФmeaning no offenseтАФWinfieldтАЩs not half
the woodsman Houston is.тАЭ

The generalтАЩs notorious vanity seemed to be on vacation that day. His own chuckle was a hearty thing.
тАЬNot a tenth, say better! IтАЩve traveled with Houston a time or two. But it didnтАЩt matter on this occasion.
Patrick provided me with a Cherokee escort, who served as my guides. He made no attempt to keep me
from seeing what he had wrought in those mountains. Quite the contrary, I assure you. Hewants us to
know.тАЭ

A bit warily, Scott studied the president. John Quincy Adams didnтАЩt wonder as to the reason. James
Monroe was normally the most affable and courteous of men, but they were treading on very delicate
ground here. That most treacherous and shifting ground of all, where political and personal affairs
intersected.

Sam HoustonтАЩs marriage to James MonroeтАЩs younger daughter Maria Hester in 1819, following one of
the young nationтАЩs most famous whirlwind courtships, had added a great deal of flavor and spice to an
administration that was otherwise principally noted for such unromantic traits as efficiency and political
skill. The girl had only been seventeen at the time. The famous Hero of the CapitolтАФstill young, too,
being only twenty-six himself, and as handsome and well spoken as everтАФreceiving the hand in marriage
of the very attractive daughter of the countryтАЩs chief executive. What could better satisfy the smug
assurance of a new republic that it basked in the favor of the Almighty?
 It hadnтАЩt been all show, either. Very little of it, in fact. Allowing for his constant absences as the
administrationтАЩs special commissioner for Indian affairs, Houston had proved to be something of a model
husband. He treated Maria Hester exceedingly well; she, in turn, doted on the man. And, thankfully,