Tom Anderson, Dare-Devil: A Young Virginian in the Revolution — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

2 - Tom Anperson, Dare-DEVIL Both boys laughed noisily. They were riding along the “big road” from Charlottesville. The hour was sunset. The time was November, 1779. And the place was Albemarle County, Virginia. “Did he fetch any news, fom ?”’ “Oh, big tales about the strength of the British and the slaughter of our men around Savannah. Wish old Lincoln would n’t shut himself up in Charleston the way he does.” “Ts he waiting for Clinton to come and smoke him out — like a rabbit out of a root? What’s the use of doing nothing? The Devil himself sets us one good example — activity! He had ‘git-up-and-git!’”’ Peachy’s laugh was a bit startled. Tom faced about with vehement eyes. “As sure as God made this planet, He made ws to be ‘doers also:’”’ “Reckon if I had an army of six thousand men, I’d sit down in Charleston?” resumed Tom the tempestuous. “T’d bust out of there like a bustin’ mill-dam! I’d lick the redcoats out of their boots!” “Yes, ’n’ they’d shoot you down, too, — the way they did Jasper and Pulaski t’other day.” “Ts there any better way to die?” A sheepish red crawled over Peachy’s neck and face. What was the sense of “talkin’ bout dyin’ — like preach- ers and women?” Peachy admired his friend immensely; still Tom Anderson had phases which disconcerted Peachy. “Say, Tom, arms and ammunition must be getting almighty scarce?”’ “M-m-m. Don’t we all know it?” ‘What you reckon?” Peachy’s voice fell to the key mysterious. “The Governor’s ordered Pat Carr to make tomahawks for Gates’s army.”’ Tom turned on the speaker sharply. [he movement re- minded Peachy that the overseer’s boy at Oxheart had once said of Tom, ‘“‘He-un’s suddent ez a horsefly!’’ The saying had never worn out. CORNICE OOOKS »EO m