sadly. He turned and walked slowly to a nine-pounder cannon that stood at the back of the storehouse. The gun had been captured at Saratoga and Revere now stroked its long barrel with a capable, broad-fingered hand. “For years, General,” he spoke quietly, “I have pursued and promoted the cause of liberty.” He was staring down at the royal cipher on the gun’s breech. “When you were learning books, General, I was riding to Philadelphia and New York to spread the idea of liberty. I risked capture and imprisonment for liberty. I threw tea into Boston Harbor and I rode to warn Lexington when the British started this war. That’s when we first met, General, at Lexington.”
“I remember it’” Wadsworth began.
“And I risked the well-being of my dear wife,” Revere interrupted hotly, “and the welfare of my children to serve a cause I love, General.” He turned and looked at Wadsworth who stood in the buttress of sunlight cast through the wide-open door. “I have been a patriot, General, and I have proved my patriotism’.”
“No one is suggesting’.”
“Yes, they are, General!” Revere said with a sudden passion. “They are suggesting I am a dishonest man! That I would steal from the cause to which I have devoted my life! It’s Major Todd, isn’t it?”
“I’m not at liberty to reveal’.”
“You don’t need to,” Revere said scathingly. “It’s Major Todd. He doesn’t like me, General, and I regret that, and I regret that the major doesn’t know the first thing he’s talking about! I was told, General, that thirty men of the Barnstable County militia were being posted to me for artillery training and I ordered rations accordingly, and then Major Fellows, for his own reasons, General, for his own good reasons held the men back, and I explained all that, but Major Todd isn’t a man to listen to reason, General.”
“Major Todd is a man of diligence,” Wadsworth said sternly, “and I am not saying he advanced the complaint, merely that he is a most efficient and honorable officer.”
“A Harvard man, is he?” Revere asked sharply.
Wadsworth frowned. “I cannot think that relevant, Colonel.”
“I’ve no doubt you don’t, but Major Todd still misunderstood the situation, General,” Revere said. He paused, and for a moment it seemed his indignation would burst out with the violence of thunder, but instead he smiled. “It is not peculation, General,” he said, “and I don’t doubt I was remiss in not checking the books, but mistakes are made. I concentrated on making the guns efficient, General, efficient!” He walked towards Wadsworth, his voice low. “All I have ever asked, General, is for a chance to fight for my country. To fight for the cause I love. To fight for my dear children’s future. Do you have children, General?”
“I do.”
“As do I. Dear children. And you think I would risk my family name, their reputation, and the cause I love for thirty loaves of bread? Or for thirty pieces of silver?”
Wadsworth had learned as a schoolmaster to judge his pupils by their demeanor. Boys, he had discovered, rarely looked authority in the eye when they lied. Girls were far more difficult to read, but boys, when they lied, almost always looked uncomfortable. Their gaze would shift, but Revere’s gaze was steady, his face was earnest, and Wadsworth felt a great surge of relief. He put a hand inside his uniform coat and brought out a paper, folded and sealed. “I had hoped you would satisfy me, Colonel, upon my soul, I had hoped that. And you have.” He smiled and held the paper towards Revere.
Revere’s eyes glistened as he took the warrant. He broke the seal and opened the paper to discover a letter written by John Avery, deputy-secretary of the Council of State, and countersigned by General Solomon Lovell. The letter appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Revere as the commander of the artillery train that was to accompany the expedition to Majabigwaduce, where
“I remember it’” Wadsworth began.
“And I risked the well-being of my dear wife,” Revere interrupted hotly, “and the welfare of my children to serve a cause I love, General.” He turned and looked at Wadsworth who stood in the buttress of sunlight cast through the wide-open door. “I have been a patriot, General, and I have proved my patriotism’.”
“No one is suggesting’.”
“Yes, they are, General!” Revere said with a sudden passion. “They are suggesting I am a dishonest man! That I would steal from the cause to which I have devoted my life! It’s Major Todd, isn’t it?”
“I’m not at liberty to reveal’.”
“You don’t need to,” Revere said scathingly. “It’s Major Todd. He doesn’t like me, General, and I regret that, and I regret that the major doesn’t know the first thing he’s talking about! I was told, General, that thirty men of the Barnstable County militia were being posted to me for artillery training and I ordered rations accordingly, and then Major Fellows, for his own reasons, General, for his own good reasons held the men back, and I explained all that, but Major Todd isn’t a man to listen to reason, General.”
“Major Todd is a man of diligence,” Wadsworth said sternly, “and I am not saying he advanced the complaint, merely that he is a most efficient and honorable officer.”
“A Harvard man, is he?” Revere asked sharply.
Wadsworth frowned. “I cannot think that relevant, Colonel.”
“I’ve no doubt you don’t, but Major Todd still misunderstood the situation, General,” Revere said. He paused, and for a moment it seemed his indignation would burst out with the violence of thunder, but instead he smiled. “It is not peculation, General,” he said, “and I don’t doubt I was remiss in not checking the books, but mistakes are made. I concentrated on making the guns efficient, General, efficient!” He walked towards Wadsworth, his voice low. “All I have ever asked, General, is for a chance to fight for my country. To fight for the cause I love. To fight for my dear children’s future. Do you have children, General?”
“I do.”
“As do I. Dear children. And you think I would risk my family name, their reputation, and the cause I love for thirty loaves of bread? Or for thirty pieces of silver?”
Wadsworth had learned as a schoolmaster to judge his pupils by their demeanor. Boys, he had discovered, rarely looked authority in the eye when they lied. Girls were far more difficult to read, but boys, when they lied, almost always looked uncomfortable. Their gaze would shift, but Revere’s gaze was steady, his face was earnest, and Wadsworth felt a great surge of relief. He put a hand inside his uniform coat and brought out a paper, folded and sealed. “I had hoped you would satisfy me, Colonel, upon my soul, I had hoped that. And you have.” He smiled and held the paper towards Revere.
Revere’s eyes glistened as he took the warrant. He broke the seal and opened the paper to discover a letter written by John Avery, deputy-secretary of the Council of State, and countersigned by General Solomon Lovell. The letter appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Revere as the commander of the artillery train that was to accompany the expedition to Majabigwaduce, where
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