and
jealous eyes, totally unobserved. In the latter particular, however,
even the vigilance of the quick-sighted Ellen was deceived.

The first act of Paul Hover, on finding himself the master of Ishmael's
citadel, had been to sound the note of victory, after the quaint and
ludicrous manner that is so often practised among the borderers of the
West. Flapping his sides with his hands, as the conquering game-cock is
wont to do with his wings, he raised a loud and laughable imitation of
the exultation of this bird; a cry which might have proved a dangerous
challenge had any one of the athletic sons of the squatter been within
hearing.

"This has been a regular knock-down and drag-out," he cried, "and no
bones broke! How now, old trapper, you have been one of your training,
platoon, rank and file soldiers in your day, and have seen forts taken
and batteries stormed before this--am I right?"

"Ay, ay, that have I," answered the old man, who still maintained his
post at the foot of the rock, so little disturbed by what he had just
witnessed, as to return the grin of Paul, with a hearty indulgence in
his own silent and peculiar laughter; "you have gone through the exploit
like men!"

"Now tell me, is it not in rule, to call over the names of the living,
and to bury the dead, after every bloody battle?"

"Some did and other some didn't. When Sir William push'd the German,
Dieskau, thro' the defiles at the foot of the Hori--"

"Your Sir William was a drone to Sir Paul, and knew nothing of
regularity. So here begins the roll-call--by the by, old man, what
between bee-hunting and buffaloe humps, and certain other matters,
I have been too busy to ask your name; for I intend to begin with my
rear-guard, well knowing that my man in front is too busy to answer."

"Lord, lad, I've been called in my time by as many names as there are
people among whom I've dwelt. Now the Delawares nam'd me for my eyes,
and I was called after the far-sighted hawk. Then, ag'in, the settlers
in the Otsego hills christened me anew, from the fashion of my leggings;
and various have been the names by which I have gone through life;
but little will it matter when the time shall come, that all are to be
muster'd, face to face, by what titles a mortal has played his part!
I humbly trust I shall be able to answer to any of mine, in a loud and
manly voice."

Paul paid little or no attention to this reply, more than half of which
was lost in the distance