The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1889-02-08

trees, leaving Cna6lub Oh ueep Bloolu uune
resembled entrances to caverns. A small
brook rippled close by. betrayed By, the
quivering reflection Of the flame. There
were two figures moving about the fire
and others squatted before It,. AS they
were between him and the light they
were in complete shadow; but one or
them happening to move round TO the
opposite side, Dolph was startled ut per-
cefving, by the full glare falling, on
painted features and glittering on silver
ornaments, that he was an Indian. lie
now looked more narrowly, and saw
guns leaning against tree and dead
body lying ON the ground.
Dolph began to doubt whether he was
not in a worse condition than before;
here was the very foe that had fired at
him from the glen. He endeavored to
retreat quietly, not caring to intrust
himself to these half human beings in so
savage and lonely a place. 1t was too
late. The Indian, with that eagle quick
ness of eve so remarkable in his race,
perceived something stirring among the
bushes on the rock. He seized one of
the guns that leaned against the tree; one
moment more, and Dolph might have
had his passion for adventure cured by a
bullet. He hallooed loudly with the In
dian salutation of friendship; the whole
party sprang upon their feet; the saluta-
ton was returned, and the straggler was
invited to join them at the fire.
On approaching he found, to his con-
ISOLATION, that the party was composed of
white men as well as Indians. One, who
was evidently the principal parsonage or
commander, was seated on the trunk of
a tree before the fire. He was large,
stout man, somewhat advanced in life,
but hale and hearty. His face was
bronzed almost to the color of an In
dams; he had strong but rather jovial
features, an aquiline nose and mouth
shaped like a mastiff's. His face was
half thrown in shade by broad hat
with buck's-tail in it. His gray hair
hung short in his neck. He wore a
hunting frock, with Indian leggings,
and moccasins, and tomahawk in the
broad wampum belt round his waist.
As Dolph caught distinct view of his
person and features, he was struck with
something that reminded him of the old
man of the haunted house. The man
before him, however, was different in.
his dress and age; he was more CHEEKY,
too, in his aspect, and it was hard to de-
fine where the vague resemblance lay
but resemblance there certainly was.
Dolph felt some degree of awe in APP
preaching him; but was assured by the
frank, hearty welcome with which he
was received. AS he cast his eyes about,
too, he was still further encouraged by
perceiving that the dead body, which
had caused him some alarm, was that OF
a deer; and his satisfaction was complete
in discerning, by the savory steams
which issued from kettle suspended by
a hooked stick over the fire, that there
was part cooking for the evenings re-
past.
He now found that he had fallen in
with rambling hunting party, such as
often took place in those days among the
settlers along the river. The hunter is
always hospitable; and nothing makes
men more social and unceremOnious than
meeting in the wilderness. The COM
mander of the party poured him out a
dram of cheering liquor, which he gave
him with merry leer, to warm his
h9art; and ordered one Of his followers
to fetch Some garments from a pinnace,
which was moored in cove close by,
while those in which our hero was drip
ping might be dried before the fire.
Dolph found, as he had suspected, that
the shot from the glen, which had come
SO near giving him his quietus when on
the precipice, was from the party before
him. He had nearly crushed one of
them by the fragment of rock which he
had detached; and the jovial old hunter,
in the broad hat and bucktail, had fired
at the place where he saw the bushes
move, supposing it to be some wild ami
NAL. He laughed heartily at the blum
der; it being what is considered an ex-
ceeding good joke among hunters; g but,
faith, my lad," said he, '.if had but
canght a glimpse of you to take sight at,
you would have followed the rock. An
tony Wander Heyden is seldom known to
miss his aim" These last words were at
once clew to Dolph's curiosity; and
a few questions led him completely
into the character of the man be-
fore him, and of his band of woodland
rangers. The commander in the broad
hat and hunting frock was no less per-
sonage than the Heer Antony Wander
Heyden, of Albany, of whom Dolph had
time heard. He was, in fact,
the hero of many story, being a man of
singular humors and whimsical habits,
that were matters of wonder to his quiet
Dutch neighbors. AS he was a man of
having had father before
him, from whom he inherited large
tracts of wild land, and whole barrels
full of wampum, he could indulge his
humors without control. Instead of
staying quietly at home, eating and
drinking at regular meal times, amusing
himself by smoking his pipe on the
bench before the door, and then turning
into comfortable bed at night, he de-
lighted in all kinds of rough, wild ex-
petitions. He was never SO happy as
when on hunting party in the wilder
ness, sleeping under trees or bark sheds,
or cruising down the river, or on some
lake, fishing and fowling, and
living the Lord knows how.
He was great friend to Indians, and
to an Indian mode of life; which he con-
sidered true natural liberty and manly
When at home he had al
ways several Indian hangers on, who
loitered about his house, sleeping like
hounds in the sunshine, or preparing
hunting and fishing tackle for some new
or shooting at marks with
bows and arrows.
Over these vagrant beings Heer An
tony had as perfect command as hunts
man over his pack; though they were
great nuisances to the regular people Of
his neighborhood. AS he was a rich |
man no one ventured to thwart his |
indeed, he had a hearty, joyous
about him that made him uni
III