"Why they want to call theirselves by all them long names
nobody can pronounce, when there are a lot o' good, nice, short, handy
names like Dick, an' Jim, an' Bill, an' Bob, an' Hank, layin' 'roun' loose
an' jest beggin' to be used, is more'n I kin understand."
"We must soon decide what to do," said Henry. "If the Spanish captain
concludes to help the Indians, and with Braxton Wyatt at his elbow I think
he is likely to do it, our people in Kentucky will again be in great
danger. We must drive the Spaniards back to New Orleans."
"I agree with you," said Paul, "but how is it to be done?"
"Mebbe we kin shoo 'em back, skeer 'em, so to speak," said Shif'less Sol.
"We're jest bound to keep Spain out o' this country."
"It is true," said Paul. "Great things grow out of little ones. Such a
land as this is sure to have a great population some day and what we five
do now, obscure and few as we are, may help to decide what that population
is to be."
As Paul spoke, his comrades and the shadowed glen floated away, and the
look of seer came upon him. Again he saw great towns and a nation. The
others regarded him with a little awe. The spiritual, or rather prophetic,
quality in Paul always had their deep respect.
"Paul shorely does take mighty long looks ahead," whispered Shif'less Sol
to Henry, "an' sometimes I can't follow him clean to the end.
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