ships, and on what terms
they have been received by the Spaniards. If they are made welcome at
Pensacola, and permitted by the Spaniards to make that a convenient
base of operations against us, the government may see fit to authorize
me to break up the hornet's nest before the swarm gets too big to be
handled safely. However, that is another matter. What I want is
positive information of the exact facts, whatever they are. The
difficulties in the way are great. We are at peace with Spain, and
must do no hostile act upon her soil. I cannot even send an armed
scouting party to get the information I need. If you go, you must go
unarmed, and even then you may be arrested and dealt hardly with. It
will require the utmost discretion as well as courage, to accomplish
the task, and I have no wish that you should undertake it if you
hesitate to do so."

"I do not hesitate, sir," replied Sam, "if, after hearing my plan, you
think me competent for the business."

"Very well then," replied the general, "when will you be ready to lay
your plan before me?"

"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