The Pioneers | Page 9

old Hector was too exhilarating to be quiet; though I hardly
think I struck him, either.”
“No—no——Judge,” returned the hunter, with an inward chuckle, and
with that look of exultation that indicates a consciousness of superior
skill, “you burnt your powder only to warm your nose this cold evening.
Did ye think to stop a full-grown buck, with Hector and the slut open
upon him within sound, with that pop-gun in your hand! There’s plenty
of pheasants among the swamps; and the snow-birds are flying round
your own door, where you may feed them with crumbs, and shoot them
at pleasure, any day; but if you’re for a buck, or a little bear's meat,
Judge, you’ll have to take the long rifle, with a greased wadding, or
you’ll waste more powder than you’ll fill stomachs, I’m thinking.”
As the speaker concluded he drew his bare hand across the bottom of

his nose, and again opened his enormous mouth with a kind of inward
laugh.
“The gun scatters well, Natty, And it has killed a deer before now,”
said the traveller, smiling good-humoredly. “One barrel was charged
with buckshot, but the other was loaded for birds only. Here are two
hurts; one through the neck, and the other directly through the heart. It
is by no means certain, Natty, but I gave him one of the two
“Let who will kill him.” said the hunter, rather surily.
“I suppose the creature is to be eaten.” So saying, he drew a large knife
from a leathern sheath, which was stuck through his girdle, or sash, and
cut the throat of the animal, “If there are two balls through the deer, I
would ask if there weren’t two rifles fired— besides, who ever saw
such a ragged hole from a smooth-bore as this through the neck? And
you will own yourself, Judge, that the buck fell at the last shot, which
was sent from a truer and a younger hand than your’n or mine either;
but, for my part, although I am a poor man I can live without the
venison, but I don’t love to give up my lawful dues in a free country.
Though, for the matter of that, might often makes right here, as well as
in the old country, for what I can see.”
An air of sullen dissatisfaction pervaded the manner of the hunter
during the whole of his speech; yet he thought it prudent to utter the
close of the sentence in such an undertone as to leave nothing audible
but the grumbling sounds of his voice.
“Nay, Natty,” rejoined the traveller, with undisturbed good-humor, “it
is for the honor that I contend. A few dollars will pay for the venison;
but what will requite me for the lost honor of a buck’s tail in my cap?
Think, Natty, how I should triumph over that quizzing dog, Dick Jones,
who has failed seven times already this season, and has only brought in
one woodchuck and a few gray squirrels.”
“Ah! The game is becoming hard to find, indeed, Judge, with your
clearings and betterments,” said the old hunter, with a kind of
compelled resignation. “The time has been when I have shot thirteen

deer without counting the fa’ns standing in the door of my own hut;
and for bear’s meat, if one wanted a ham or so, he had only to watch
a-nights, and he could shoot one by moonlight, through the cracks of
the logs, no fear of his oversleeping himself neither, for the howling of
the wolves was sartin to keep his eyes open. There’s old Hector”—
patting with affection a tall hound of black and yellow spots, with
white belly and legs, that just then came in on the scent, accompanied
by the slut he had mentioned; “see where the wolves bit his throat, the
night I druv them from the venison that was smoking on the chimney
top—that dog is more to be trusted than many a Christian man; for he
never forgets a friend, and loves the hand that gives him bread,”
There was a peculiarity in the manner of the hunter that attracted the
notice of the young female, who had been a close and interested
observer of his appearance and equipments, from the moment he came
into view. He was tall, and so meagre as to make him seem above even
the six feet that he actually stood in his stockings. On his head, which
was thinly covered with lank, sandy hair, he wore a cap made of
fox-skin, resembling in shape the one we have already described,
although much inferior in finish and ornaments. His face was skinny
and thin al most to emaciation; but yet it bore no signs of disease— on
the contrary, it had every indication of the