The only problem is, he thought to himself, how can I do it!* * *Later on that day, after school, young Peter Goodge and his friend Seth Robertswere h...nging out at Seth's house, talking about their mishap the previous day."So was your Dad hopping mad?" Not really, he just told me that I was a little young for such things and that I shouldwatch my step from now on, he was kind of embarrassed if you know what I meanand didn't really want to talk about it anymore." Did he say anything else about. You wouldn't hurt me. I know you wouldn't." It hasn't been long since my ex-wife left me. I'm not over that yet." That sounded hollow even to me."Only about eleven years. Were you planning on taking that to the grave?" I was nuts for most of that time. I haven't gotten used to it, now that I'm sane." I thought you were nutso now. Suddenly you're sane?"She said it with a smile. I was amazed that she was maintaining a good humor throughout all this. Probably it was because it was all going. "Golding and the fellow who runs the Mother Lode let them sleep in the stables, between the horses. The problem is food. Those poor saps spend all this year's winnings, just to get some bread. The merchants charge outrageously for provisions." Good Lord! What are they going to do?" The Marshal sent to Denver, asking for relief. They're still waiting for an answer. In this weather, no mules can come through anyway." What did you do, then?" Ned asked.Jim grinned."Walked around, asking for free. Thomas’ role in this sorry affair was to command a small detachment of twenty one artillery cadets from the VMI and two howitzers at the subsequent trial and martyrdom of Brown at Charlestown. With tensions rising high, the state of Virginia had beefed up its military presence around the trial fearing outbreaks of unrest. Brown was hanged on the 2nd of December in 1859 and while Thomas (now a major) hardly had much in the way of a military command he could at least have boasted to be present at.