The hands had nearly finished loading the wood, and the captain ordered
the bell to be rung and the whistle to be blown, in order to call back
his passengers, who were wandering about on shore. He paid me eighty
dollars in gold for the wood; for in this wild region we used only hard
coin, and did not believe in banks hundreds or thousands of miles
distant. I took the money, and with a portion of it purchased a barrel
of flour, a keg of sugar, a quantity of ground coffee, and some other
supplies needed at the Castle. The steamer hauled in her plank, and
casting off her hawser, renewed her long voyage up the river. Mounting
Cracker, I rode back to the Castle, and harnessed both horses to the
wagon, in order to haul up the stores I had purchased.

While I was thus employed, I saw the young lady, who had landed from
the steamer, walking very deliberately across the field from the
forest, to which she had extended her promenade. In her hand she
carried some of the little flowers which blossomed in the grass.
Occasionally she held them to her nose, and seemed to enjoy their
fragrance very much. I drove my horses down the slope, and intercepted
her as she reached the road. I knew she had made a serious mistake in
not returning before; but she, as yet, had no suspicion that the
steamer had departed. I hauled in my horses, but she was not disposed
to take any notice of me.

I may say now, fifteen years after, that I was not a dandy, and my
appearance was not calculated to make an impression upon a young lady.
I wore coarse gray pants, "fearfully and wonderfully made," besides
being fearfully soiled with grease and dirt, the legs of which were
stuffed into the tops of my boots, after the fashion of our backwoods
locality. Above these I wore a hunting-frock, made of a yellow blanket,
with a belt around my waist. My cap was of buffalo hide, and shaped
like a gallon tin-kettle. My frock was dirty, greasy, and ragged, for I
wore it while cooking, taking care of the pigs and horses, and in doing
other dirty work about the house and barn.

I thought the young lady did not like my appearance, for she seemed to
be very timid, and perhaps thought I was a brigand. I was near enough
to see that she was very pretty, even according to the standard of
later years, though I had no means of making a comparison at that time.

Though I pulled in my horses, she only glanced at me, and resumed her
walk towards the landing, apparently determined