The Pioneers; Or, The Sources of the Susquehanna

by James Fenimore Cooper

  CHAPTER IV

  "How now? whose mare's dead? what's the matter?" --Falstaff

  A large lumber sleigh, drawn by four horses, was soon seen dashingthrough the leafless bushes which fringed the road. The leaders wereof gray, and the pole-horses of a jet-black. Bells innumerable weresuspended from every part of the harness where one of the tinkling ballscould be placed, while the rapid movement of the equipage, in defianceof the steep ascent, announced the desire of the driver to ring them tothe utmost. The first glance at this singular arrangement acquainted theJudge with the character of those in the sleigh. It contained four malefigures. On one of those stools that are used at writing desks, lashedfirmly to the sides of the vehicle, was seated a little man, envelopedin a great-coat fringed with fur, in such a manner that no part ofhim was visible, except a face of an unvarying red color. There wasan habitual upward look about the head of this gentleman, as ifdissatisfied with its natural proximity to the earth; and the expressionof his countenance was that of busy care, He was the charioteer, and heguided the mettled animals along the precipice with a fearless eye and asteady hand, Immediately behind him, with his face toward the other two,was a tall figure, to whose appearance not even the duplicate overcoatswhich he wore, aided by the corner of a horse-blanket, could give theappearance of strength. His face was protruding from beneath a woollennight cap; and, when he turned to the vehicle of Marmaduke as thesleighs approached each other, it seemed formed by nature to cut theatmosphere with the least possible resistance. The eyes alone appearedto create any obstacle, for from either side of his forehead theirlight-blue, glassy balls projected. The sallow of his countenance wastoo permanent to be affected even by the intense cold of the evening.Opposite to this personage sat a solid, short, and square figure. Nopart of his form was to be discovered through his overdress, but a facethat was illuminated by a pair of black eyes that gave the lie to everydemure feature in his countenance. A fair, jolly wig furnished a neatand rounded outline to his visage, and he, well as the other two, woremarten-skin caps. The fourth was a meek-looking, long-visaged man,without any other protection from the cold than that which was furnishedby a black surcoat, made with some little formality, but whichwas rather threadbare and rusty. He wore a hat of extremely decentproportions, though frequent brushing had quite destroyed its nap. Hisface was pale, and withal a little melancholy, or what might be termedof a studious complexion. The air had given it, just now, a lightand somewhat feverish flush, The character of his whole appearance,especially contrasted to the air of humor in his next companion, wasthat of habitual mental care. No sooner had the two sleighs approachedwithin speaking distance, than the driver of this fantastic equipageshouted aloud,

  "Draw up in the quarry--draw up, thou king of the Greeks; draw into thequarry, Agamemnon, or I shall never be able to pass you. Welcome home,Cousin 'Duke--welcome, welcome, black-eyed Bess. Thou seest, Marina dukethat I have taken the field with an assorted cargo, to do thee honor.Monsieur Le Quoi has come out with only one cap; Old Fritz would notstay to finish the bottle; and Mr. Grant has got to put the 'lastly' tohis sermon, yet. Even all the horses would come--by the-bye, Judge, Imust sell the blacks for you immediately; they interfere, and the nighone is a bad goer in double harness. I can get rid of them to--"

  "Sell what thou wilt, Dickon," interrupted the cheerful voice of theJudge, "so that thou leavest me my daughter and my lands. And Fritz,my old friend, this is a kind compliment, indeed, for seventy to pay tofive-and-forty. Monsieur Le Quoi, I am your servant. Mr. Grant," liftinghis cap, "I feel indebted to your attention. Gentlemen, I make youacquainted with my child. Yours are names with which she is veryfamiliar."

  "Velcome, velcome Tchooge," said the elder of the party, with a strongGerman accent. "Miss Petsy vill owe me a kiss."

  "And cheerfully will I pay It, my good sir," cried the soft voice ofElizabeth; which sounded, in the clear air of the hills. Like tones ofsilver, amid the loud cries of Richard. "I have always a kiss for my oldfriend. Major Hartmann."

  By this time the gentleman in the front seat, who had been addressedas Monsieur Le Quoi, had arisen with some difficulty, owing to theimpediment of his overcoats, and steadying himself by placing one handon the stool of the charioteer, with the other he removed his cap, andbowing politely to the Judge and profoundly to Elizabeth, he paid hiscompliments.

  "Cover thy poll, Gaul, cover thy poll," cried the driver, who was Mr.Richard Jones; "cover thy poll, or the frost will pluck out the remnantof thy locks. Had the hairs on the head of Absalom been as scarce asthine, he might have been living to this day." The jokes of Richardnever failed of exciting risibility, for he uniformly did honor to hisown wit; and he enjoyed a hearty laugh on the present occasion, whileMr. Le Quoi resumed his seat with a polite reciprocation in his mirth.The clergyman, for such was the office of Mr. Grant, modestly, thoughquite affectionately, exchanged his greetings with the travellers also,when Richard prepared to turn the heads of his horses homeward.

  It was in the quarry alone that he could effect this object, withoutascending to the summit of the mountain. A very considerable excavationhad been made in the side of the hill, at the point where Richardhad succeeded in stopping the sleighs, from which the stones used forbuilding in the village were ordinarily quarried, and in which he nowattempted to turn his team. Passing itself was a task of difficulty, andfrequently of danger, in that narrow road; but Richard had to meetthe additional risk of turning his four-in-hand. The black civillyvolunteered his services to take off the leaders, and the Judge veryearnestly seconded the measure with his advice. Richard treated bothproposals with great disdain.

  "Why, and wherefore. Cousin 'Duke?" he exclaimed, a little angrily; "thehorses are gentle as lambs. You know that I broke the leaders myself,and the pole-horses are too near my whip to be restive. Here is Mr. LeQuoi, now, who must know something about driving, because he has rodeout so often with me; I will leave it to Mr. Le Quoi whether there isany danger."

  It was not in the nature of the Frenchman to disappoint expectationsso confidently formed; although he cat looking down the precipice whichfronted him, as Richard turned his leaders into the quarry, with a pairof eyes that stood out like those of lobsters. The German's muscles wereunmoved, but his quick sight scanned each movement. Mr. Grant placed hishands on the side of the sleigh, in preparation for a spring, but moraltimidity deterred him from taking the leap that bodily apprehensionstrongly urged him to attempt.

  Richard, by a sudden application of the whip, succeeded in forcing theleaders into the snow-bank that covered the quarry; but the instant thatthe impatient animals suffered by the crust, through which they brokeat each step, they positively refused to move an inch farther in thatdirection. On the contrary, finding that the cries and blows of theirdriver were redoubled at this juncture, the leaders backed upon thepole-horses, who in their turn backed the sleigh. Only a single log layabove the pile which upheld the road on the side toward the valley, andthis was now buried in the snow. The sleigh was easily breed across soslight an impediment, and before Richard became conscious of his dangerone-half of the vehicle Was projected over a precipice, which fellperpendicularly more than a hundred feet. The Frenchman, who by hisposition had a full view of their threatened flight, instinctively threwhis body as far forward as possible, and cried,

  "Oh! mon cher Monsieur Deeck! mon Dieu! que faites vous!"

  "Donner und blitzen, Richart!" exclaimed the veteran German, lookingover the side of the sleigh with unusual emotion, "put you will preakter sleigh and kilt ter horses!"

  "Good Mr. Jones," said the clergyman, "be prudent, good sir--becareful."

  "Get up, obstinate devils!" cried Richard, catching a bird's-eye view ofhis situation, and in his eagerness to move forward kicking the stoolon which he sat--"get up, I say--Cousin 'Duke, I shall have to sell thegrays too; they are the worst broken horses--Mr. Le Quoi" Richard wastoo much agitated to regard his pronunciation, of which he was commonlya little vain: "Monsieur La Quoi, pray get off
my leg; you hold my legso tight that it's no wonder the horses back."

  "Merciful Providence!" exclaimed the Judge; "they will be all killed!"Elizabeth gave a piercing shriek, and the black of Agamemnon's facechanged to a muddy white.

  At this critical moment, the young hunter, who during the salutations ofthe parties had sat in rather sullen silence, sprang from the sleigh ofMarmaduke to the heads of the refractory leaders. The horses, whichwere yet suffering under the injudicious and somewhat random blowsof Richard, were dancing up and down with that ominous movement thatthreatens a sudden and uncontrollable start, still pressing backward.The youth gave the leaders a powerful jerk, and they plunged aside, andre-entered the road in the position in which they were first halted.The sleigh was whirled from its dangerous position, and upset, withthe runners outward. The German and the divine were thrown, ratherunceremoniously, into the highway, but without danger to their bones.Richard appeared in the air, describing the segment of a circle, ofwhich the reins were the radii, and landed, at the distance of somefifteen feet, in that snow-bank which the horses had dreaded, right enduppermost. Here, as he instinctively grasped the reins, as drowningmen seize at straws, he admirably served the purpose of an anchor. TheFrenchman, who was on his legs, in the act of springing from the sleigh,took an aerial flight also, much in the attitude which boys assume whenthey play leap-frog, and, flying off in a tangent to the curvature ofhis course, came into the snow-bank head foremost, w-here he remained,exhibiting two lathy legs on high, like scarecrows waving in acorn-field. Major Hartmann, whose self-possession had been admirablypreserved during the whole evolution, was the first of the party thatgained his feet and his voice.

  "Ter deyvel, Richart!" he exclaimed in a voice half serious,half-comical, "put you unload your sleigh very hautily!"

  It may be doubtful whether the attitude in which Mr. Grant continuedfor an instant after his overthrow was the one into which he had beenthrown, or was assumed, in humbling himself before the Power that hereverenced, in thanksgiving at his escape. When he rose from his knees,he began to gaze about him, with anxious looks, after the welfare ofhis companions, while every joint in his body trembled with nervousagitation. There was some confusion in the faculties of Mr. Jones also:but as the mist gradually cleared from before his eyes, he saw thatall was safe, and, with an air of great self-satisfaction, he cried,"Well--that was neatly saved, anyhow!--it was a lucky thought in meto hold on to the reins, or the fiery devils would have been over themountain by this time. How well I recovered myself, 'Duke! Anothermoment would have been too late; but I knew just the spot where to touchthe off-leader; that blow under his right flank, and the sudden jerk Igave the rein, brought them round quite in rule, I must own myself." *

  * The spectators, from immemorial usage, have a right to laugh at the casualties of a sleigh ride; and the Judge was no sooner certain that no one was done than he made full use of the privilege.

  "Thou jerk! thou recover thyself, Dickon!" he said; "but for that bravelad yonder, thou and thy horses, or rather mine, would have been dashedto pieces--but where is Monsieur Le Quoi?"

  "Oh! mon cher Juge! mon ami!" cried a smothered voice, "praise be God, Ilive; vill you, Mister Agamemnon, be pleas come down ici, and help me onmy leg?"

  The divine and the negro seized the incarcerated Gaul by his legs andextricated him from a snow-bank of three feet in depth, whence his voicehad sounded as from the tombs. The thoughts of Mr. Le Quoi, immediatelyon his liberation, were not extremely collected; and, when he reached thelight, he threw his eyes upward, in order to examine the distance hehad fallen. His good-humor returned, however, with a knowledge of hissafety, though it was some little time before he clearly comprehendedthe case.

  "What, monsieur," said Richard, who was busily assisting the blackin taking off the leaders; "are you there? I thought I saw you flyingtoward the top of the mountain just now."

  "Praise be God, I no fly down into the lake," returned the Frenchman,with a visage that was divided between pain, occasioned by a few largescratches that he had received in forcing his head through the crust,and the look of complaisance that seemed natural to his pliablefeatures.

  "Ah! mon cher Mister Deeck, vat you do next?--dere be noting you notry."

  "The next thing, I trust, will be to learn to drive," said the Judge,who bad busied himself in throwing the buck, together with several otherarticles of baggage, from his own sleigh into the snow; "here are seatsfor you all, gentlemen; the evening grows piercingly cold, and the hourapproaches for the service of Mr. Grant; we will leave friend Jones torepair the damages, with the assistance of Agamemnon, and hasten to awarm fire. Here, Dickon, are a few articles of Bess' trumpery, that youcan throw into your sleigh when ready; and there is also a deer of mytaking, that I will thank you to bring. Aggy! remember that there willbe a visit from Santa Claus * to-night."

  * The periodical visits of St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, as he is termed, were never forgotten among the inhabitants of New York, until the emigration from New England brought in the opinions and usages of the Puritans, like the "bon homme de Noel." he arrives at each Christmas.

  The black grinned, conscious of the bribe that was offered him forsilence on the subject of the deer, while Richard, without in the leastwaiting for the termination of his cousin's speech, began his reply:

  "Learn to drive, sayest thou, Cousin 'Duke? Is there a man in the countywho knows more of horse-flesh than myself? Who broke in the filly, thatno one else dare mount, though your coachman did pretend that he hadtamed her before I took her in hand; but anybody could see that helied--he was a great liar, that John--what's that, a buck?" Richardabandoned the horses, and ran to the spot where Marmaduke had thrown thedeer, "It is a buck! I am amazed! Yes, here are two holes in him, hehas fired both barrels, and hit him each time, Egod! how Marmaduke willbrag! he is a prodigious bragger about any small matter like this now;well, to think that 'Duke has killed a buck before Christmas! There willbe no such thing as living with him--they are both bad shots though,mere chance--mere chance--now, I never fired twice at a cloven foot inmy life--it is hit or miss with me--dead or run away-had it been a bear,or a wild-cat, a man might have wanted both barrels. Here! you Aggy! howfar off was the Judge when this buck was shot?"

  "Oh! massa Richard, maybe a ten rod," cried the black, bending under oneof the horses, with the pretence of fastening a buckle, but in realityto conceal the grin that opened a mouth from ear to ear.

  "Ten rod!" echoed the other; "way, Aggy, the deer I Killed last winter'was at twenty--yes! if anything it was nearer thirty than twenty. Iwouldn't shoot at a deer at ten rod: besides, you may remember, Aggy, Ionly fired once."

  "Yes, massa Richard, I 'member 'em! Natty Bumppo fire t'oder gun. Youknow, sir, all 'e folks say Natty kill him."

  "The folks lie, you black devil!" exclaimed Richard in great heat. "Ihave not shot even a gray squirrel these four years, to which that oldrascal has not laid claim, or some one else for him. This is a damnedenvious world that we live in--people are always for dividing the creditat a thing, in order to bring down merit to their own level. Now theyhave a story about the Patent,* that Hiram Doolittle helped to planthe steeple to St. Paul's; when Hiram knows that it is entirely mine;a little taken front a print of his namesake in London, I own; butessentially, as to all points of genius, my own."

  * The grants of land, made either by the crown or the state, were but letters patent under the great seal, and the term "patent" is usually applied to any district of extent thus conceded; though under the crown', manorial rights being often granted with the soil, in the older counties the word "manor" is frequently used. There are many manors in New York though all political and judicial rights have ceased.

  "I don't know where he come from," said the black, losing every mark ofhumor in an expression of admiration, "but eb'rybody say, he wounerfulhandsome."

  "And well they may say so, Aggy," cried Richard, leaving the buck andwalking up to the negro
with the air of a man who has new interestawakened within him, "I think I may say, without bragging, that it isthe handsomest and the most scientific country church in America. Iknow that the Connecticut settlers talk about their West Herfieldmeeting-house; but I never believe more than half what they say, theyare such unconscionable braggers. Just as you have got a thing done, ifthey see it likely to be successful, they are always for interfering;and then it's tea to one but they lay claim to half, or even all ofthe credit. You may remember, Aggy, when I painted the sign of the bolddragoon for Captain Hollister there was that fellow, who was about townlaying brick-dust on the houses, came one day and offered to mix whatI call the streaky black, for the tail and mane; and then, because itlooks like horse-hair, he tells everybody that the sign was painted byhimself and Squire Jones. If Marmaduke don't send that fellow off thePatent, he may ornament his village with his own hands for me," HereRichard paused a moment, and cleared his throat by a loud hem, whilethe negro, who was all this time busily engaged in preparing the sleigh,proceeded with his work in respectful silence. Owing to the religiousscruples of the Judge, Aggy was the servant of Richard, who had hisservices for a time,* and who, of course, commanded a legal claim to therespect of the young negro. But when any dispute between his lawful andhis real master occurred, the black felt too much deference for both toexpress any opinion.

  * The manumission of the slaves in New York has been gradual. When public opinion became strong in their favor, then grew up a custom of buying the services of a slave, for six or eight years, with a condition to liberate him at the end of the period. Then the law provided that all born after a certain day should be free, the males at twenty--eight and the females at twenty-five. After this the owner was obliged to cause his servants to be taught to read and write before they reached the age of eighteen, and, finally, the few that remained were all unconditionally liberated in 1826, or after the publication of this tale. It was quite usual for men more or less connected with the Quakers, who never held slaves to adopt the first expedient.

  In the mean while, Richard continued watching the negro as he fastenedbuckle after buckle, until, stealing a look of consciousness toward theother, he continued: "Now, if that young man who was in your sleigh isa real Connecticut settler, he will be telling everybody how he saved myhorses, when, if he had let them alone for half a minute longer, I wouldhave brought them in much better, without upsetting, with the whip amidrein--it spoils a horse to give him his heal, I should not wonder ifI had to sell the whole team, just for that one jerk he gave them,"Richard paused and hemmed; for his conscience smote him a little forcensuring a man who had just saved his life. "Who is the lad, Aggy--Idon't remember to have seen him before?"

  The black recollected the hint about Santa Claus; and, while he brieflyexplained how they had taken up the person in question on the top ofthe mountain, he forbore to add anything concerning the accident or thewound, only saying that he believed the youth was a stranger. It was sousual for men of the first rank to take into their sleighs any one theyfound toiling through the snow, that Richard was perfectly satisfiedwith this explanation. He heard Aggy with great attention, and thenremarked: "Well, if the lad has not been spoiled by the people inTempleton he may be a modest young man, and, as he certainly meant well,I shall take some notice of him--perhaps he is land-hunting--I say,Aggy, maybe he is out hunting?"

  "Eh! yes, massa Richard," said the black, a little confused; for, asRichard did all the flogging, he stood in great terror of his master, inthe main--"Yes, sir, I b'lieve he be."

  "Had he a pack and an axe?"

  "No, sir, only he rifle."

  "Rifle!" exclaimed Richard, observing the confusion of The negro,which now amounted to terror. "By Jove, he killed the deer! I knew thatMarmaduke couldn't kill a buck on the jump--how was it, Aggy? Tellme all about it, and I'll roast 'Duke quicker than he can roast hissaddle--how was it, Aggy? the lad shot the buck, and the Judge boughtit, ha! and he is taking the youth down to get the pay?"

  The pleasure of this discovery had put Richard in such a good humor,that the negro's fears in some measure vanished, and he remembered thestocking of Santa Claus. After a gulp or two, he made out to reply;

  "You forgit a two shot, sir?"

  "Don't lie, you black rascal!" cried Richard, stepping on the snow-bankto measure the distance from his lash to the negro's back; "speaktruth, or I trounce you." While speaking, the stock was slowly risingin Richard's right hand, and the lash drawing through his left, in thescientific manner with which drummers apply the cat; and Agamemnon,after turning each side of himself toward his master, and finding bothequally unwilling to remain there, fairly gave in. In a very few wordshe made his master acquainted with the truth, at the same time earnestlyconjuring Richard to protect him from the displeasure of the lodge"I'll do it, boy, I'll do it," cried the other, rubbing his hands withdelight; "say nothing, but leave me to manage Duke. I have a great mindto leave the deer on the hill, and to make the fellow send for his owncarcass; but no, I will let Marmaduke tell a few bounces about it beforeI come out upon him. Come, hurry in, Aggy, I must help to dress thelad's wound; this Yankee* doctor knows nothing of surgery--I had to holdout Milligan's leg for him, while he cut it off."

  * In America the term Yankee is of local meaning. It is thought to be derived from the manner in which the Indians of New England pronounced the word "English," or "Yengeese." New York being originally a Dutch province, the term of course was not known there, and Farther south different dialects among the natives themselves probably produced a different pronunciation Marmaduke and his cousin, being Pennsylvanians by birth, were not Yankees in the American sense of the word.

  Richard was now seated on the stool again, and, the black taking thehind seat, the steeds were put in motion toward home, As they dasheddown the hill on a fast trot, the driver occasionally turned his face toAggy, and continued speaking; for, notwithstanding their recent rupture,the most perfect cordiality was again existing between them, "This goesto prove that I turned the horses with the reins, for no man who isshot in the right shoulder can have strength enough to bring round suchobstinate devils. I knew I did it from the first; but I did not wantto multiply words with Marmaduke about it.--Will you bite, youvillain?--hip, boys, hip! Old Natty, too, that is the best of it!--Well,well--'Duke will say no more about my deer--and the Judge fired bothbarrels, and hit nothing but a poor lad who was behind a pine-tree. Imust help that quack to take out the buckshot for the poor fellow." Inthis manner Richard descended the mountain; the bells ringing, and histongue going, until they entered the village, when the whole attentionof the driver was devoted to a display of his horsemanship, to theadmiration of all the gaping women and children who thronged the windowsto witness the arrival of their landlord and his daughter.