The Peddler Spy

to that veracious chronicle known as "Knickerbocker's History of New York," you will find that it was built by the good people of New Netherlands, to prevent further encroachment on the part of a r

es upon the river, determined to keep back, as far as possible,

. The stolid Dutchmen were poorly suited to contend with them in an encounter in which wit was the weapon used. Placed face to face, each with a stout oak cudgel in his hand, pe

an could claim the soil at all, their claim was prior to that of the English. But, with the wholesome proviso that "might makes rig

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ctice of "swapping horses" with the men of Good Hope; and, although the beasts they brought for "dicker" were, to all appearance, good ones, yet no sooner was the bargain completed than the horses begun to show traits which had not been "set down in the bill." Indeed, it begun to be proverbial that horse-trading with the Windsor people meant a transaction in which a Dutchman gave a very good beast and some gelt for a very poor one and no gelt at all. Moreover, the English were addicted to the practice of overreaching the spouses of absent Hans and Yawcop with trans

order with those of Good Hope. On whose side the blame lay, we will leav

y were not eating or drinking. Their leader, Van Curter, was one of those fiery, self-willed men sometimes found in his nation, who mistake pig-headed obstinacy for firmness of heart. An old soldier, trained under the unhappy Prince of Orange, he thought no people like his own, and no soldier like himself. He had seen, with ill-disguised jealousy, that a people were growing up about him who were ahead of his own in

the proclamation, but continued to take up land, and increase the limits of their colony. The only reply they did vouchsafe to the demand of the governor was that they claimed the land in the right of possession, and would not give it up. The New Netherlanders

f our day, he made his way into every house from Boston to the City of Brotherly Love. His pack was welcomed in the houses of his own countrymen, who, being as sharp in buying as he was in selling, seldom allowed him to get the better of them. But the Dutchme

ty years of age, clad in a suit of gray homespun. His pack was, as usual strapped upon his back, while he led a forlorn-looking Narragansett pony, which paced slowly along behind its master, like a captive led to the stake. Boston had so

an unmistakable Teuton, with a broad, bulky figure, built after the manner of Wouter Von Twiller, then Governor of New

eh? You sell dat knife to me;

d the Yankee. "I never

t ish von pig lie! You va

m his shoulder and took the

the matter with this kni

ig sheat knife. Goot for nix. Das

et. "This is a good knife, I reckon. You broke the rivet. Now look at me, and see how far we are in advance of you

1

cers, riveted the blade in, pounded it

an would have done that long ago, instead of waiting fo

for dat? I says de knife vil

u put it in hot water, I know. Tell the tru

id; but da

ct a knife to be that you can buy for a shilling, E

ish d

uldn't give an English penny for it to-day. For why? A Dutch

of the knife laid so fully upon his guiltless shoulders.

an the one which Hans had returned. "Now, I'll tell you what I will do. 'Tisn't right, I know it; 'tisn't behaving properly to those who bought the last lot I had, but you may have that knife for four shillings sterling. You stare. I d

Dat ish too mo

t six shillings, and here I offer it to you at four. Many a time I am tempted to shut up my pack and[14] tramp through the woods no more; but when I think that it will be impossible for you to get alo

. He had been beaten again and again by this same peddler, and did not care

goot kn

't tell, scarcely. No, 'tain't probable you can. Then I'll tell you. He uses it for an ax, and he can cut down a good-sized maple with it about as soon as

u sell me bad knife two, t'ree, vour dimes. Dat

They are worth money-they are good combs. I throw them into the pile, and what else? Here is a good pair of shoe-buckles. I throw them in, and beg you to take the pile away for six shillings. You won't? I thought so. You ain't capable of it, more's the pity. I'll a

t speaking. Vell, I takes dem. Py Shoseph, if tey

ind to take it

1

s dem goots. Dey ish mine.

gh of resignation. "I lose by you, but I

proceeded blithely on his way, while Hans Drinker hurried away to display his treasures, and chuckle over h

you sleutzen Y

's old Swedlepipe. Now he will

his cottage, and rushed out into the road. He was a stout-built o

my dear friend Mynheer Swedlepipe? Give me your ha

wedlepipe. Vat you do, you Yankee rascal? You comes to Good Hope mid your flimps

ynheer, what have I done? Just tell

ish place von old hoss dat ish not vorth von guilder. Hein, you curry him unt you comb him, unt you make him look ver' nice. I dinks it ish von

with an immovable countenance, watching every motion on the part of the other with[16] h

h the horse, mynheer,

n disease vich a horse c

e know

sh de

es

e ring

es

sh bone-s

es

prained-s

es

es! S'all I dell you one more t'ing? Vell,

se. "He had when I brought hi

feed him. Ton't lie to me. You put his teet' in to sell

ossible that you consider m

aw

him for, nor the horse is not what you took him for. Well, who is to blame? I take it, that it is the

the peddler would not certainly have the surpassing effrontery to deny the fact

en, dat you don't know d

s

1

a pat. He ish teaf. You

ose to his ear, one day, and he didn't even

n't know dat de nice tail he carr

e has got the money, and we can't help ourselves. I didn't tell you that I gave a hundred and ten guilders

hat a farmer near Hartford had lost a horse by drowning. Boston had taken possession of his tail and teeth, and by the aid of the two had so contrived to

give Boston Bainbridge a taste of wholesome Dutch cudgel, if he ever dared to set foot in Good Hope again. And

ly known that the horse was a bad one, I would have brought you an

dem dere, for dey ne

wouldn't stop when you threatened to blow his sloop out of water. Of course they don't send away their best horses often.

1

g rascal

Wal, that hos

Ten E

es

a very

ould know which to put my money on. That's the same hoss, mynheer, that went from Providence to Salem in jist tew days. You don't believe it? Wal, I don't as

ck send for

high dudgeon. "'Tain't no use for y

gif's yo

ey

s you more mon

would

uch he

y gui

ei

y gui

tuy

ust go on and leave the hoss. Wa

hav' dat hoss. I gif's y

ord for ten guilders?" cried

ven

eig

sev

. Come, git u

's it. I get

here. By the way, wher

im out to

1

ou five guil

e not wort t

Yankee; "but to me he may

and reappeared a moment after, and

e I can do for

aw

t is

eat Ten Eyck so bad ash you sheat

a bargain

at hoss, unt he laughs von whole day

now I don't often do it; but, to please a good friend, I will d

ll you

have done it, you shall hear from me. I

u wants him. How you

ow. I'll tell y

against his entrance; but he got through at last. Swedlepipe gazed after him, with open mouth, until his form was con