It shall be done, Cousin Bess——it shall be done, I say.
How this cursed south wind makes one’s eyes water!”
“Now, Richard,” said the laughing maiden, “now I think you will find something to do.
I have often heard you complain of old that there was nothing to do in this new country, while to my eyes it seemed as if everything remained to be done.”
“Do!” echoed Richard, who blew his nose, raised his little form to its greatest elevation, and looked serious.
“Everything depends on system, girl.
I shall sit down this afternoon and systematize the county.
I must have deputies, you know.
I will divide the county into districts, over which I will place my deputies; and I will have one for the village, which I will call my home department.
Let me see—ho!
Benjamin! yes, Benjamin will make a good deputy; he has been naturalized, and would answer admirably if he could only ride on horseback.”
“Yes, Mr. Sheriff,” said his companion; “and as he understands ropes so well, he would be very expert, should occasion happen for his services in another way.”
“No,” interrupted the other; “I flatter myself that no man could hang a man better than—that is—ha!—oh! yes, Benjamin would do extremely well in such an unfortunate dilemma, if he could be persuaded to attempt it. But I should despair of the thing.
I never could induce him to hang, or teach him to ride on horseback.
I must seek another deputy.”
“Well, sir, as you have abundant leisure for all these important affairs, I beg that you will forget that you are high sheriff, and devote some little of your time to gallantry.
Where are the beauties and improvements which you were to show me?”
“Where? why, everywhere!
Here I have laid out some new streets; and when they are opened, and the trees felled, and they are all built up, will they not make a fine town?
Well, ‘Duke is a liberal-hearted fellow, with all his stubbornness.
Yes, yes; I must have at least four deputies, besides a jailer.”
“I see no streets in the direction of our walk,” said Elizabeth, “unless you call the short avenues through these pine bushes by that name.
Surely you do not contemplate building houses, very soon, in that forest before us, and in those swamps.”
“We must run our streets by the compass, coz, and disregard trees, hills, ponds, stumps, or, in fact, anything but posterity.
Such is the will of your father, and your father, you know——”
“Had you made sheriff, Mr. Jones,” interrupted the lady, with a tone that said very plainly to the gentleman that he was touching a forbidden subject.
“I know it, I know it,” cried Richard; “and if it were in my power, I’d make ‘Duke a king.
He is a noble hearted fellow, and would make an excellent king; that is, if he had a good prime minister. But who have we here? voices in the bushes—a combination about mischief, I’ll wager my commission.
Let us draw near and examine a little into the matter.”
During this dialogue, as the parties had kept in motion, Richard and his cousin advanced some distance from the house into the open space in the rear of the village, where, as may be gathered from the conversation, streets were planned and future dwellings contemplated; but where, in truth, the only mark of improvement that was to be seen was a neglected clearing along the skirt of a dark forest of mighty pines, over which the bushes or sprouts of the same tree had sprung up to a height that interspersed the fields of snow with little thickets of evergreen.
The rushing of the wind, as it whistled through the tops of these mimic trees, prevented the footsteps of the pair from being heard, while the branches concealed their persons.
Thus aided, the listeners drew nigh to a spot where the young hunter, Leather-Stocking, and the Indian chief were collected in an earnest consultation.
The former was urgent in his manner, and seemed to think the subject of deep importance, while Natty appeared to listen with more than his usual attention to what the other was saying.
Mohegan stood a little on one side, with his head sunken on his chest, his hair falling forward so as to conceal most of his features, and his whole attitude expressive of deep dejection, if not of shame.
“Let us withdraw,” whispered Elizabeth; “we are intruders, and can have no right to listen to the secrets of these men.”
“No right!” returned Richard a little impatiently, in the same tone, and drawing her arm so forcibly through his own as to prevent her retreat; “you forget, cousin, that it is my duty to preserve the peace of the county and see the laws executed, these wanderers frequently commit depredations, though I do not think John would do anything secretly.
Poor fellow! he was quite boozy last night, and hardly seems to be over it yet.
Let us draw nigher and hear what they say.”
Notwithstanding the lady’s reluctance, Richard, stimulated doubtless by his sense of duty, prevailed; and they were soon so near as distinctly to hear sounds.
“The bird must be had,” said Natty, “by fair means or foul.
Heigho! I’ve known the time, lad, when the wild turkeys wasn’t over-scarce in the country; though you must go into the Virginia gaps if you want them now. ‘to be sure, there is a different taste to a partridge and a well-fatted turkey; though, to my eating, beaver’s tail and bear’s ham make the best of food.
But then every one has his own appetite.
I gave the last farthing, all to that shilling, to the French trader, this very morning, as I came through the town, for powder; so, as you have nothing, we can have but one shot for it.
I know that Billy Kirby is out, and means to have a pull of the trigger at that very turkey.
John has a true eye for a single fire, and, some how, my hand shakes so whenever I have to do anything extrawnary, that I often lose my aim.
Now, when I killed the she-bear this fall, with her cubs, though they were so mighty ravenous, I knocked them over one at a shot, and loaded while I dodged the trees in the bargain; but this is a very different thing, Mr. Oliver.”
“This,” cried the young man, with an accent that sounded as if he took a bitter pleasure in his poverty, while he held a shilling up before his eyes, “this is all the treasure that I possess—this and my rifle!
Now, indeed, I have become a man of the woods, and must place my sole dependence on the chase.
Come, Natty, let us stake the last penny for the bird; with your aim, it cannot fail to be successful.”
“I would rather it should be John, lad; my heart jumps into my mouth, because you set your mind so much out; and I’m sartain that I shall miss the bird.