Chapter II: Act I: Scene I

_Scene: Alexandria, Va., the garden in front of the Lees' home in the spring of 1819._

Characters

Robert Lee, aged 12
Bud, his chum, aged 11
Slats, a friend, aged 12
Fat, another friend, aged 13

(_Enter ROBERT and BUD. BUD has a fishing rod. ROBERT is carrying his school books. SLATS follows tossing a ball in the air and catching it. FAT trails along last, as usual._)

BUD--An say, Rob, get your pole and come on fishing. They say they're biting great. Have you asked your mother if you could go?

ROBERT--No, I haven't.

SLATS--Well what do you think she is, a mind reader or something?

FAT--No, probably he thinks if he waits long enough, somebody will ask her for him.

BUD--Don't judge everybody by yourself. Rob always does everything for himself and a lot of things for other people, and you know it, unless your head's too fat.

SLATS--Well, aren't you going to ask her Rob?

ROBERT--No, I told you before, I couldn't go fishing.

FAT--Well, how do you know you can't if you haven't even asked? Talk about my head being fat!

BUD--You better be careful what you say to Rob. He could trim the life out of you, and you know it.

ROBERT--I don't see what you boys are making all this fuss about. I just can't go fishing, that's all. You fellows go ahead and have a good time and tomorrow tell me all about that biggest fish that got away.

BUD--Don't you want to go, Rob?

ROBERT--Of course I want to go, but I simply can't this afternoon, that's all.

BUD--Aw what's the secret, Rob? Aren't you and I pardners?

ROBERT--There isn't any secret, Bud. I'm just going to take mother out to ride just as I always do.

SLATS--Well say, can't she stay home just for once?

ROBERT--She does stay home all the time except when I take her out to ride. Now be careful, or she might hear you, and not want me to take her out.

FAT--Say, if I'd thought of that sooner, I'd have talked at the top of my lungs.

BUD--Be careful, Fat, or Rob'll have you yelling at the top of your lungs.

ROBERT--Good luck, boys. Run along and have a good time. I hope the fish bite as fast as snapping turtles. (_He goes in the house._)

BUD--Come on boys, no use trying to get Rob. When he makes up his mind, you might just as well not try to budge him.

FAT--Aw, he's tied to his mother's apron strings.

SLATS--You shut up before I make you!

BUD (_To FAT_)--Say if you were half as manly as he is, no one would know you.

FAT--I didn't mean anything. I like Rob just as well as the rest of you, but if I did all the things for my mother that he does for his, everyone'd call me a sissy.

SLATS--Yes, and probably they'd be right. Come on, Fat, I mean "Sissy."

(_BUD, SLATS and FAT go on their way. Negro servant leads out horse and carriage. ROBERT comes out of the house helping his mother down the stairs._)

MRS. LEE--Don't strain yourself, Robert.

ROBERT--You don't know how strong I am, Mother. Lean harder. I don't feel you at all.

MRS. LEE--I don't know what I'd do without you Robert. You're both sons and daughters to me.

(_ROBERT helps her into the carriage._)

ROBERT--There, are you quite comfortable, mother? (_He arranges the cushions for her._)

MRS. LEE--Yes thank you dear, but I do feel as if you ought to be out playing instead of taking an old invalid like me out to ride.

ROBERT--You aren't old and you must get well so fast that you won't be an invalid any longer, and both of us are going to have the best possible ride. (_They drive away._)

SCENE II

_The Harbor of St. Louis, banks of the Mississippi River, 1839._

Characters

Captain Robert E. Lee
First Lieutenant Smith
Buck Brown, Town Bully
Coyote Jim, his pal, a half-breed
Soldiers at work
Eight friends of Buck and Coyote Jim

BUCK--I'm a-lookin' for the boss of these diggin's.

LIEUTENANT--You want Captain Lee. (_Pointing to him._)

BUCK--Be you Captain Lee?

LEE--That's my name. What can I do for you?

BUCK--You can't do nothin' for me. Me and my friends can do anything we want for ourselves. We ain't helpless, see?

LEE--That being the case, I wish you would proceed to your own affairs and allow me to attend to mine.

BUCK--We'd be happy to have you, but this here you're doing now, don't happen to be none of your business.

LEE--Evidently you are looking for trouble, but I am much too busy to oblige you.

BUCK--Unless you leave off being busy right here and now, you're pretty liable to land in a heap o' trouble.

LEE--I am not in the least interested in your threats and I will ask you to be kind enough to leave in order to save me the trouble of having you put out.

BUCK--I reckon you don't know who you're talking to. I'm Buck Brown and this is Coyote Jim, my running mate, and all the rest of these here is our pals and have come to back us up in anything we say.

LEE--I am here to work not to argue. If you are not away from these works in three minutes, I will take means to see that you are.

BUCK--Did you know the city gov'ment wasn't going to give you no money for your work?

LEE--They can do as they like with their own, but I was sent here to do certain work, and I will do it.

BUCK--(_Pointing._) Do you see them cannons up there? Unless you quit your dirty meddlin', you'll have a chance to get acquainted with them.

LEE--Do you think I'd be kept from doing my duty by a pack of bullies and cowards? Go back and hide behind your cannon. You'll need more than those to protect you if you meddle again.

(_BUCK and his friends skulk out._)

SCENE III

_Banquet Hall of the Palace, City of Mexico, after its conquest by the American forces. Officers sitting around the table._

Characters

General Scott
General Wilcox
General Twiggs
General Magruder
Thirty other officers

WILCOX--Well, I must say I'm thankful it's all over and I do hope it isn't long before we can get back to God's own country. Furthermore, I for one am thankful enough to be sitting here enjoying myself.

SCOTT--I am inclined to believe that if it had not been for one Captain Robert E. Lee, you and I would still be fighting those slippery Mexicans.

PIERCE--Yes, I have the utmost confidence in the skill and judgment of Captain Lee.

TWIGGS--His gallantry and good conduct deserve the highest praise.

WILCOX--(_Rising and raising his glass._) Gentlemen, I wish to propose a toast that I know you will all drink heartily. I propose the health of the Captain of Engineers who found a way for our army into the city. Gentlemen, (_Raising his glass again_) the health of Captain Robert E. Lee!

(_All the officers rise at once and lift their glasses. Then look around for LEE._)

WILCOX--Why he isn't here. What can be the matter.

MAGRUDER--I'll go and fetch him.

SCOTT--You might know Lee would be first in the battle and last at a banquet.

TWIGGS--I thought all of the crowd were here.

SCOTT--They are all here but Lee. Evidently we were all too much interested in our food to notice anything else. Let's sing a song to welcome him. (_They sing two stanzas of "Yankee Doodle."_)

TWIGGS--Here comes Magruder alone. (_MAGRUDER enters._) Why, what's the matter? Couldn't you find him?

MAGRUDER--Oh, I found him all right, but that was all the good it did me.

SCOTT--Is he ill?

MAGRUDER--If he is, I wish I had the same thing the matter with me. He's suffering from a sense of duty.

TWIGGS--You don't have to worry then.

WILCOX--Tell us all about it.

MAGRUDER--You might as well sit down first because he isn't coming. (_They all sit down but MAGRUDER._) You see I found him in a little room in a corner of the palace hard at work on a map. I asked him why he wasn't at the banquet and he said he was too busy. I told him it was just drudgery and to let some one else do it, but he looked up at me with that mild, calm gaze we all know so well and said, "No, I'm just doing my duty."