ssage to New York. Now the Captain had a kind
heart; but had sworn eternal enmity to the whole race of aborigines. His
ears filled with recitals of Indian outrages, when scouting on the
frontiers; an eye-witness of the cruelties inflicted on peaceable
communities by the firebrand and the tomahawk; yes, his soul harrowed at
the sight of innocent victims, as they lay in their gore, murdered and
scalped; if there was on earth an object at sight of which his very
blood boiled, it was an _Indian_! David knew it well, yet the young
rogue sent the Indian into the cabin to see the Captain. "What do you
want?" asked the latter gruffly. "To go to New York, Captain," said the
poor native. "Get out of this, you Indian dog," was his only answer,
while the Captain's cudgel at his heels, as he scrambled up the
companionway, sent the applicant off at a much livelier gait than "an
Indian trot." But then it was that the joke turned on David, when he had
to meet the scathing question,--How he _dared_ to send an _Indian_ into
the cabin to him!

But we said the Captain himself enjoyed a joke. In 1821, he and Squire
Daniel Riker took a friendly tour, in the latter's gig, as far as Orange
County; Mr. V. to see his kindred and acquaintances, and one of his
daughters being also there on a visit. Concluding to go as far as
Monticello, they set out from Bloomingburgh, the Squire and Deborah in
the gig, and the Captain on horseback. Shortly before reaching the
Neversink River, the latter stopped to have a shoe set, but told the
Squire to drive on and he would soon follow. Now the Squire was a spruce
widower of fifty, but Deborah just out of her teens. So on they went
reaching the toll-gate in high glee and at a lively pace. The
inquisitive gate-keeper had noticed the speed at which they rode, and
overheard a tell-tale remark let fall by the Squire, that by driving
fast they might reach the Neversink bridge _before the Captain could
catch them_! Soon the Captain arrived in seeming haste, and reigning
his horse at the gate, inquired of the keeper if he had seen a runaway
couple that way; an old man eloping with his daughter. "Yes, yes," said
the man, "they just passed, and were hurrying, to reach the bridge
before you could catch them; but you'll do it if you're only smart."
"Quick, quick, hand me my change," said the Captain, and spurring his
horse, on he went, almost bursting before he could give vent to his
laughter; while the gate-keeper ran in