He stopped again, frowning, then added: 'I escaped often into the forest. Always I found peace there.'

Later he told her of his struggles with learning. His indomitable Scottish mother had sent him daily on a ten-mile walk to the cabin of an old preacher, turned hermit. 'I had no liking for books, no mind for spelling or fine speech. But I was quick at figuring, and the study of maps came easy. In a few months I learned all the geography and arithmetic the old man could teach me, and I would not go back to him. Mother soon found she could not force me for all her scoldings and switchings. So she let me be.'

'I think no one could force you to do anything, Meme,' said Theo softly.

He shrugged. 'Maybe not. I've always gone my own way.'

He told her of his one close friend, Billy Clark, a lad four years older and yet the gentler and more biddable of the two. So that it was Meme who commanded and Billy who followed. They were separated awhile, when Billy went to soldiering, then, as soon as his age permitted, Meme followed his friend into the army. They fought together in the Whiskey Rebellion in '94. After that for a few years Meme acted as regimental paymaster. The life had suited him. It gave him travel, danger, constant opportunity to exercise his alert, resourceful brain.

The safe transporting of the gold was no easy task. With his saddle-bags bulging with gold eagles, he rode regularly from Philadelphia to the forts at Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Cincinnati, and even on to the rough new blockhouse at Detroit. Often he was without escort and had many a brush with marauders both white and Indian. Yet his record was unstained. Not only did he safely deliver the government gold, but, far more remarkable in a soldier, he never made a mistake in accounting or apportioning. His books balanced to the last ha'penny.

Jefferson had known him as a boy, for Monticello was not far from the Lewis homestead. After Meme received his captaincy, Jefferson kept in close touch with him, until two years ago, when he had offered him the post of presidential secretary.

'Tis not much in my line,' said Meme, with a wry smile, 'crouching over a desk, smoothing down touchy ministers, handing teacups to the ladies. I cannot say I do it well or find it congenial. But it has pleasured me mightily to be near Jefferson in any capacity. He's a great man, and a good one.'

'Father doesn't think so. He thinks him a dolt and overfond of shilly-shallying'. She spoke without thinking, repeating words she had heard many times from Aaron.

Meme's face darkened. 'Colonel Burr——' he began roughly, but checked himself. 'We do not see alike on a great many matters.'