Chapter 21 - Page 2

have been dangerous, under our circumstances, to offend a red-man, by
putting him aside for another, even after compensating him fully for the
disappointment. By Mr. Traverse's advice, therefore, we took both. The
Indian or Mohawk name of Jumper, was Quissquiss, a term that, I fancy,
signified nothing very honourable or illustrious.

The girls betrayed deep interest in us, on our taking leave; more, I
thought, than either had ever before manifested. Guert had told me,
privately, of an intention, on his part, to make another offer to Mary
Wallace; and I saw the traces of it in the tearful eyes and flushed cheeks
of his mistress. But, at such a moment, one does not stop to think much of
such things; there being tears in Anneke's eyes, as well as in those of her
friend. We had a thousand good wishes to exchange; and we promised to keep
open; the communication between the two parties, by means of our runners
semi-weekly. The distance, which would vary from fifteen to thirty miles,
would readily admit of this, since either of the Indians would pass over
it, with the greatest ease to himself, in a day, at that season of the
year.

After all, the separation was to be short, for we had promised to come over
and dine with Herman Mordaunt on his fiftieth birth-day, which would occur
within three weeks. This arrangement made the parting tolerable to us young
men, and our constitutional gaiety did the rest. Half an hour after the
last breakfast at Ravensnest saw us all on our road, cheerful, if not
absolutely happy. Herman Mordaunt accompanied us three miles; which led him
to the end of his own settlements, and to the edge of the virgin forest.
There he took his leave, and we pursued our way with the utmost diligence,
for hours, with the compass for our guide, until we reached the banks of a
small river that was supposed to lie some three or four miles from the
southern boundaries of the patent we sought. I say, 'supposed to lie,' for
there existed then, and, I believe, there still exists much uncertainty
concerning the land-marks of different estates in the woods. On the banks
of this stream, which was deep but not broad, the surveyor called a halt,
and we made our dispositions for dinner. Men who had walked as far and as
fast as we had done, made but little ceremony and for twenty minutes every
one was busy in appeasing his hunger. This was no sooner accomplished,
however than Mr. Traverse summoned the Indians to the side of the fallen
tree on which we had taken our seats, when the first occasion occurred for
putting the comparative intelligence of the two runners to the proof. At
the same time the principal chain-bearer, a man whose life had been passed
in his present occupation, was brought into the consultation, as