"I am ready now, sir," said Sam, "so far at least as the general plan is concerned; little things will have to be dealt with as they arise." "Certainly. What is your plan in outline?" "To go to Florida on a trapping and fishing excursion. I am not a soldier yet, and may go, if I like, peacefully into the territory of a friendly nation. I can take some of my boys with me, and camp by the water side. I can easily go into Pensacola and find out what is going on there. I shouldn't wish to be a spy, general, but this is scarcely that, I think. The enemy has been received by a power professing to be friendly. That power has given us no notice of hostility, and until that is done I see no impropriety in going into his territory for information not about his affairs at all, unless he is proving treacherous, which would entitle us to do that, but about those of our enemy, whom he should regard as an invader, however he may regard him in fact." "You've read some law, I see," said the general. "No sir," replied Sam, blushing to think how he had been expounding to the general, a nice point which that officer must understand much better than he did. "No sir, I have read no law except a book or two on the laws of nations, which my father said every gentleman should be familiar with." "A very wise and excellent father he must be," replied Jackson, "if I may judge of him by the training he has given his son." "Thank you, sir, in his name," answered Sam, rising and making his best bow. "To come back to the business in hand," resumed Jackson. "You'll need a boat and some camp equipments." "A boat, yes, but as for camp equipments, I can make out without them very well. I've camped a good deal and I know how to manage." "Very well, then, you'll be all the lighter. How many of your boys will you need?" "Two or three,--partly to make a show of a camp, but more because it may be necessary to send some of them back with news. My brother Tom and my black boy, with one or two others will be enough." "Very well. Now you must be off as soon as possible. I shall march to Mobile in a day or two, and organize for defence there. Send your news there. You had better march directly from this place, so that your arrival will excite no suspicion. I will provide you with a map of the country. Have you a compass?" "Yes sir, I brought one with me from home." "There are boats enough to be had among the fishermen, I suppose, but how to provide you with one is the most serious problem I have to solve in this matter. My army chest is empty, and my personal purse is equally so." "I can manage all that, sir, if I may take an axe or two and an adze from the shop here." "How?" "By digging out a canoe. I've done it before, and know how to handle the tools." "You certainly do not lack the sort of resources which a commander needs in such a country as this, where he must first create his army and then arm and feed it without money. You'll make a general yet, I fancy."