Chapter 9 - Page 2

refer
certain readers, who dwell in the other hemisphere, to the Common Law of
England, on this interesting subject, as it is ingeniously expounded by
Keeble and approved by the twelve judges of that highly civilized and
enlightened island. With this brief reference to so grave authorities, in
support of what we have now to offer, we shall return to the matter of the
narrative, fully trusting that its incidents will throw some additional
light on the subject of so deep and so general concern.

Content waited respectfully until his father had taken his seat, and then
perceiving that the venerable Puritan had no immediate intention of moving
personally in the affair, he commenced the examination of his dependant as
follows; opening the matter with a seriousness that was abundantly
warranted by the gravity of the subject itself.

"Thou hast spoken of one met in the forest," he said: "proceed with the
purport of that interviews and tell us of what manner of man it was."

Thus directly interrogated, Eben Dudley disposed himself to give a full
and satisfactory answer. First casting a glance around, so as to embrace
every curious and eager countenance, and letting his look rest a little
longer than common on a half-interested, half-incredulous, and a somewhat
ironical dark eye, that was riveted on his own from a distant corner of
the room, he commenced his statement as follows:

"It is known to you all," said the borderer, "that when we had gained the
mountain-top, there was a division of our numbers, in such a fashion that
each hunter should sweep his own range of the forest, in order that
neither moose, deer, nor bear, might have reasonable chance of escape.
Being of large frame and it may be of swifter foot than common, the young
Captain saw fit to command Reuben Ring to flank one end of the line, and a
man, who is nothing short of him in either speed, or strength, to do the
same duty on the other. There was nothing particularly worthy of mention
that took place on the flank I held, for the first two hours; unless
indeed the fact, that three several times did I fall upon a maze of
well-beaten deer-tracks, that as often led to nothing----"

"These are signs common to the woods, and they are no more than so many
proofs that the animal has its sports, like any other playful creature,
when not pressed by hunger or by danger," quietly observed Content.

"I pretend not to take those deceitful tracks much into the account,"
resumed Dudley; "but shortly after losing the sound of the conchs, I
roused a noble buck from his lair beneath a thicket of hemlocks, and
having the game in view, the chase led me wide-off towards the wilderness,
it