Page:Lives of the presidents in words of one syllable (1903).djvu/64

 are dead. His fa-ther was brave, and lost his life with his face to the foe. Let him die, too. Kill him now; it is best."

Then the head of the troops, Gen. Jack-son, broke out in a great rage. "The boy shall live!" he said. "I'll tend him, if no one else will. Take him to my tent."

There was not much to eat in that tent. All the men were lean for want of food. Some brown su-gar was found, and this, put with wa-ter, kept life in the babe till they could get him as far as Jack-son's home, where his kind wife was glad to keep him, raise him, and call him son. He had that good home and those to love him for seven-teen years when the call came for him to pass on to the next world.

Jack-son's work in the Creek war and at New Or-leans made all think much of him as one who could lead and do great work for a great cause. Folks meant to have him for Pres-i-dent some day, but they had to wait twelve years for it. But all the while his strength grew. At last, in 1829, An-drew Jack-son was made Pres-i-dent and kept the chair two terms, or, till 1837.

There were some in the South then who felt that there was more wealth and land for the North than was fair. There were few mills in the South and few goods. Some, said they would cut loose and set up a new band of States. They went so far as to drill for war, and a man was found to lead. His name was John C. Cal-houn.

Then Pres-i-dent Jack-son said that "our land would come to naught, if a State could go out when it chose." So he sent ships and troops and made a quick end of all that.

From the time Jack-son came to the chair the land grew