Baker then spoke, almost as an equal. “It will take me a few days to shift my duties to others. In the meantime, let me give you the same assignment as for the other young officers I have trained, sir. Except for the marching and close-order drill, you must master the parts of the manual that pertain to the handling of weapons, transmission of commands, and basic infantry tactics. In addition, it’s the physical strength and endurance that’s important. It won’t be easy with your sore foot.”

Brown didn’t say that he had already begun studying military tactics, but just nodded at the sergeant’s preliminary suggestions on both the texts and physical exercises. By the time the two men had shared a beef stew and several more tankards of ale, the earlier strain between them had dissipated.

During the following weeks, Brown exceeded in every instance the assignments that Baker gave him, and even surprised himself with the rapid recovery from his burn injuries. In addition to rigorous exercises in the privacy of his quarters, he found that long walks in soft sand just above the packed-sand beach were easy on his right foot, calmed his troubled and impatient nature, and added rapidly to his stamina. Brown was also impressed and pleased with the sergeant’s eager desire for information about political circumstances, both in England and in the colonies. They soon realized that their new partnership was mutually advantageous, and at the end of a month there was no consideration of terminating the arrangement. They were developing a sense of partnership and mutual respect, and a growing sense of purpose, almost without need for spoken words.

Brown was fully occupied with both his official assignment as an assistant intelligence officer and the development of his prowess as a soldier, and began to see that the two might be increasingly intertwined as his skills evolved. Sergeant Baker responded favorably to Brown’s suggestion that they recruit an Indian warrior as an additional instructor, and agreed to join Brown in wilderness training. It required several weeks of interviews and trials before they finally decided on a middle-aged Seminole named Sunoma, who spoke the language of the Creeks and was also somewhat familiar with English. He had been the leader or chief of a town on the Ogeechee River but had decided to move to Florida for reasons he declined to give. His breechcloth, which was all he chose to wear in the woods, revealed a repulsive scar across his upper abdomen, which he said came from a spear thrust in battle. Although somewhat skeptical of his veracity at times, both Brown and Baker were soon impressed with the Indian’s knowledge of the forests and swamps.