Jim's expression turns dead serious. "Considering the things I've done on the orders of civilized men in civilized clothes holed up in their civilized little offices hundreds of miles from where they sent men like me to do their bidding, I'd say I've earned at least something from men like them."
At Kate's accusative question, he rises from his seat. "I can tell you I have. During my time in the Cavalry before and during the War, I've seen red men kill white men, and white men kill red men, white men, black men, yellow men, rich men, poor men, and every other kind of man you could think of. And dysentery taking more than all of 'em combined.
"I've seen every kind of people on the continent, and if you asked me to tell you the difference between a civilized man and a savage man is from what I've seen, I couldn't tell you. I'm not even sure there is one.
"But I do know that not a single one of you is in any position to know what in the Sam Hill you're talking about. Not even the good Reverend." He gestures toward the preacher.
"Now, I've charged uphill with a thousand rifles pointed at me, but if this goes on any longer, you all are just going to end up boring me to death. So all things considered, I think it'd be better for all our sakes if we'd just calm down and stop talking nonsense about things we've got no basis for understanding."
Jim's service had naturally been as ridiculous as the rest of his life (to the extent that his offscreen life even happened at all). He had enlisted while drunk and was terrible at following orders. But in his experience, waving the bloody flag was a fine way of getting people to shut up. Or start a bar fight, depending on what side they'd supported. He's hoping it's the former in this case.
no subject
At Kate's accusative question, he rises from his seat. "I can tell you I have. During my time in the Cavalry before and during the War, I've seen red men kill white men, and white men kill red men, white men, black men, yellow men, rich men, poor men, and every other kind of man you could think of. And dysentery taking more than all of 'em combined.
"I've seen every kind of people on the continent, and if you asked me to tell you the difference between a civilized man and a savage man is from what I've seen, I couldn't tell you. I'm not even sure there is one.
"But I do know that not a single one of you is in any position to know what in the Sam Hill you're talking about. Not even the good Reverend." He gestures toward the preacher.
"Now, I've charged uphill with a thousand rifles pointed at me, but if this goes on any longer, you all are just going to end up boring me to death. So all things considered, I think it'd be better for all our sakes if we'd just calm down and stop talking nonsense about things we've got no basis for understanding."
Jim's service had naturally been as ridiculous as the rest of his life (to the extent that his offscreen life even happened at all). He had enlisted while drunk and was terrible at following orders. But in his experience, waving the bloody flag was a fine way of getting people to shut up. Or start a bar fight, depending on what side they'd supported. He's hoping it's the former in this case.
He sits back down and crosses his arms.