“You don’t expect me to believe,” he said, jeeringly, “that you came all the way down here, just to fight for the sacred cause of liberty.”
I may occasionally exaggerate a bit in representing myself to be a more important person than I really am, but if I were taught nothing else at the Point, I was taught to tell the truth, and when Aiken questioned my word I felt the honor of the whole army rising within me and stiffening my back-bone.
“You had better believe what I tell you, sir,” I answered him, sharply. “You may not know it, but you are impertinent!”
I have seldom seen a man so surprised as was Aiken when I made this speech. His mouth opened and remained open while he slowly removed his feet from the table and allowed the legs of his chair to touch the floor.
“Great Scott,” he said at last, “but you have got a nasty temper. I’d forgotten that folks are so particular.”
“Particular--because I object to having my word doubted,” I asked. “I must request you to send my trunk to Pulido’s. I fancy you and I won’t hit it off together.” I rose and started to leave the room, but he held out his hands to prevent me, and exclaimed, in consternation:
“Oh, that’s no way to treat me,” he protested. “I didn’t say anything for you to get on your ear about. If I did, I’m sorry.” He stepped forward, offering to shake my hand, and as I took his doubtfully, he pushed me back into my chair.
“You mustn’t mind me,” he went on. “It’s been so long since I’ve seen a man from God’s country that I’ve forgotten how to do the polite. Here, have another drink and start even.” He was so eager and so suddenly humble that I felt ashamed of my display of offended honor, and we began again with a better understanding.
I told him once more why I had come, and this time he accepted my story as though he considered my wishing to join Laguerre the most natural thing in the world, nodding his head and muttering approvingly. When I had finished he said, “You may not think so now, but I guess you’ve come to the only person who can help you. If you’d gone to anyone else you’d probably have landed in jail.” He glanced over his shoulder at the open door, and then, after a mysterious wink at me, tiptoed out upon the veranda, and ran rapidly around and through the house. This precaution on his part gave me a thrill of satisfaction. I felt that at last I was a real conspirator that I was concerned in something dangerous and weighty. I sipped at my glass with an air of indifference, but as a matter of fact I was rather nervous.