ncline,--"all this here top of his 'ead ain't the sure enough top;
the Injuns scalped that off. This is just sich top as growed since; he
ain't got no real top to his 'ead."

Fifine's baby hands traveled around this substitute top; her mouth
quivered pitifully; then she bent down and kissed the grim wounds in
several places with a sputter of babbling commiseration. At this moment
Hamish caught sight of her and advanced in great contrition. He flushed
to the roots of his hair as he spoke to the man, for as a rule those few
fortunate yet unfortunate persons who had chanced to survive the cruel
disaster of being scalped were exceedingly sensitive on the subject of
their disfigurement--it was usually a subject not to be mentioned. But
this settler looked at Hamish in surprise as the boy said, "Pray excuse
the little girl, sir. I had lost sight of her and didn't know she was so
vexatious with her curiosity."

"No, no," returned the stalwart giant, in a singularly languid voice,
mild and deep and pacific to the last degree. "It pleases the chil'n,
an' don't hurt me."

He was busying himself in tying up the horrible exhibition in his red
handkerchief preparatory to putting on his coonskin cap, for the brisk
interest the children took in disrobing, so to speak, his scalpless
head, did not extend to the task of properly accoutering it again, and
repairing the disarray they themselves had made, for they had scampered
off through the great gate of the fort. His voice gave Hamish a sort of
intimation how they had had the hardihood to venture on these
familiarities with one so formidable of aspect. Hamish learned afterward
that he had lost his scalp rather through this quality of quiet
indulgence, so open to treachery, than to inability to keep it. A
terrible fighter he was when he was roused, though even then his utmost
prowess was exerted without anger. In the Indian fights his friends had
often exhorted him to scalp the wretches he slew, as he had been
scalped, and thus complete his revenge, for the Indians believed that a
scalpless person would be excluded from the happy hunting-grounds of
heaven, their fury thus following their foes from this world into the
next.

"Let 'em have all the heaven they can git," he would remark, wiping his
bloody knife upon the mane of his horse. "I expec' to smoke the pipe o'
peace with all I meet on Canaan's shore,--Cherokees, Creeks, or
Chickasaws,--Reg'lars, Millish, or Settlers."

For he