The Pioneers; Or, The Sources of the Susquehanna

mare's dead? wha

lst

his countenance was that of busy care, He was the charioteer, and he guided the mettled animals along the precipice with a fearless eye and a steady hand, Immediately behind him, with his face toward the other two, was a tall figure, to whose appearance not even the duplicate overcoats which he wore, aided by the corner of a horse-blanket, could give the appearance of strength. His face was protruding from beneath a woollen night cap; and, when he turned to the vehicle of Marmaduke as the sleighs approached each other, it seemed formed by nature to cut the atmosphere with the least possible resistance. The eyes alone appeared to create any obstacle, for from either side of his forehead their light-blue, glassy balls projected. The sallow of his countenance was too permanent to be affected even by the intense cold of the evening. Opposite to this personage sat a solid, short, and square figure. No part of his form was to be discovered through his overdress, but a face

duke that I have taken the field with an assorted cargo, to do thee honor. Monsieur Le Quoi has come out with only one cap; Old Fritz would not stay to finish the bottle; and Mr. Grant has got to put the 'last

old friend, this is a kind compliment, indeed, for seventy to pay to five-and-forty. Monsieur Le Quoi, I am your servant. Mr. Grant," lifting

der of the party, with a strong German

which sounded, in the clear air of the hills. Like tones of silver, amid the l

y, owing to the impediment of his overcoats, and steadying himself by placing one hand on the stool of the charioteer, w

been living to this day." The jokes of Richard never failed of exciting risibility, for he uniformly did honor to his own wit; and he enjoyed a hearty laugh on the present occasion, while Mr. Le Quoi resumed his seat with a polite r

ighs, from which the stones used for building in the village were ordinarily quarried, and in which he now attempted to turn his team. Passing itself was a task of difficulty, and frequently of danger, in that narrow road; but Richard had t

the leaders myself, and the pole-horses are too near my whip to be restive. Here is Mr. Le Quoi, now, who must know somet

leaders into the quarry, with a pair of eyes that stood out like those of lobsters. The German's muscles were unmoved, but his quick sight scanned each movement. Mr. Grant plac

hat the cries and blows of their driver were redoubled at this juncture, the leaders backed upon the pole-horses, who in their turn backed the sleigh. Only a single log lay above the pile which upheld the road on the side toward the valley, and this was now buried in the snow. The sleigh was easily breed across so sligh

eur Deeck! mon Dieu

an, looking over the side of the sleigh with unusual emot

he clergyman, "be pruden

t-"get up, I say-Cousin 'Duke, I shall have to sell the grays too; they are the worst broken horses-Mr. Le Quoi" Richard was too much agitated to regard his

be all killed!" Elizabeth gave a piercing shriek, and

re first halted. The sleigh was whirled from its dangerous position, and upset, with the runners outward. The German and the divine were thrown, rather unceremoniously, into the highway, but without danger to their bones. Richard appeared in the air, describing the segment of a circle, of which the reins were the radii, and landed, at the distance of some fifteen feet, in that snow-bank which the horses had dreaded, right end uppermost. Here, as he instinctively grasped the reins, as drowning men seize at straws, he admirably served the

a voice half serious, half-comical, "pu

f his companions, while every joint in his body trembled with nervous agitation. There was some confusion in the faculties of Mr. Jones also: but as the mist gradually cleared from before his eyes, he saw that all was safe, and, with an air of great self-satisfaction, he cried, "Well-that was neatly saved, anyhow!-it was a lucky thought in me to

immemorial usage, have

ride; and the Judge was

an he made full us

that brave lad yonder, thou and thy horses, or rather mine, w

ce, "praise be God, I live; vill you, Mister Agamem

mbs. The thoughts of Mr. Le Quoi, immediately on his liberation, were not extremely collected; and, when he reached the light, he threw his eyes upward, in order to exam

e black in taking off the leaders; "are you there? I though

ivided between pain, occasioned by a few large scratches that he had received in forcing his h

ck, vat you do next?-der

gentlemen; the evening grows piercingly cold, and the hour approaches for the service of Mr. Grant; we will leave friend Jones to repair the damages, with the assistance of Agamemnon, and hasten to a warm fire. Here, Dickon, a

ts of St. Nicholas, o

otten among the inhabit

England brought in the

he "bon homme de Noe

ist

lence on the subject of the deer, while Richard, without in the least

rd abandoned the horses, and ran to the spot where Marmaduke had thrown the deer, "It is a buck! I am amazed! Yes, here are two holes in him, he has fired both barrels, and hit him each time, Egod! how Marmaduke will brag! he is a prodigious bragger about any small matter like this now; well, to think that 'Duke has killed a buck before Chris

er one of the horses, with the pretence of fastening a buckle, but

at twenty-yes! if anything it was nearer thirty than twenty. I wouldn't shoo

tty Bumppo fire t'oder gun. You know,

a damned envious world that we live in-people are always for dividing the credit at a thing, in order to bring down merit to their own level. Now they have a story about the Patent,* that Hiram Doolittl

ade either by the crown

e great seal, and the t

ct of extent thus con

ts being often grante

d "manor" is frequentl

ough all political an

as

losing every mark of humor in an expression of admi

rfering; and then it's tea to one but they lay claim to half, or even all of the credit. You may remember, Aggy, when I painted the sign of the bold dragoon for Captain Hollister there was that fellow, who was about town laying brick-dust on the houses, came one day and offered to mix what I call the streaky black, for the tail and mane; and then, because it looks like horse-hair, he tells everybody that the sign was painted by himself and Squire Jones. If Marmaduke don't send that fellow off the Patent, he may ornament his village with h

he slaves in New York

trong in their favor, t

of a slave, for six

him at the end of th

after a certain day s

e females at twenty-fi

his servants to be ta

e age of eighteen, and

onditionally liberate

ale. It was quite usu

kers, who never held s

edi

l be telling everybody how he saved my horses, when, if he had let them alone for half a minute longer, I would have brought them in much better, without upsetting, with the whip amid rein-it spoils a horse to give him his heal, I should not wonder

ieved the youth was a stranger. It was so usual for men of the first rank to take into their sleighs any one they found toiling through the snow, that Richard was perfectly satisfied with this explanation. He heard Aggy with great attention, a

; for, as Richard did all the flogging, he stood in great t

pack and

, only h

that Marmaduke couldn't kill a buck on the jump-how was it, Aggy? Tell me all about it, and I'll roast 'Duke quicker than he can ro

that the negro's fears in some measure vanished, and he remembered th

it a two

de of himself toward his master, and finding both equally unwilling to remain there, fairly gave in. In a very few words he made his master acquainted with the truth, at the same time earnestly conjuring Richard to protect him from the displeasure of the lodge "I'll do it, boy, I'll do it," cried the other, rubbing his hands with delight; "say nothing, but leave me

ankee is of local meani

in which the Indians o

"Yengeese." New York

course was not known t

ng the natives themsel

Marmaduke and his cous

ankees in the Americ

n who is shot in the right shoulder can have strength enough to bring round such obstinate devils. I knew I did it from the first; but I did not want to multiply words with Marmaduke about it.-Will you bite, you villain?-hip, boys, hip! Old Natty, too, that is the best of it!-Well, well-'Duke will say no more about my deer-and the Judge fired both barrels, and hit nothing but a poor lad who was behind a pine-tre