therefore behooves them to be cautious in expressing it, Big Black Burl,
with emphatic pauses between phrases and now and then an emphatic
gesture, thus made response:

"Well----take him up dis side an' down dat----at de britch an' in de
barr'l----Mars Dan--Colonel Boone, I mean--is----I s'pose you may
say----de greates' man in de worl', but," an emphatic gesture, "if you
mean by dat, is he de greates' Injun-fighter in de worl', den says I,
No, sir, Colonel Boone ain't de greates' Injun-fighter in de worl'. He's
a leetle too tender-hearted to be a real, giniwine, tip-top, out-an'-out
Injun-fighter. W'y, sir, he neber tuck a skelp in all his life. Time an'
agin has I been out wid him Injun-huntin', a-scourin' de woods, hot on
de heels uf de red varmints, an' when he shoots 'em down, dare he lets
'em lay an' neber fetches a har uf de skelps. Den says he, 'It does seem
sich a pity to kill de pore cretors, dey looks so much like humins, but
it's boun' to be done: ef we don't kill 'em dey'll kill us, nip an'
tuck.' Den says I, 'Mars Dan--no, I don't say dat--Colonel Boone,' says
I, 'what you gwine to do wid de skelps?' Says he, 'Jest let 'em stay
whar dey is fur de buzzards.' Den says I, 'Colonel Boone, let me have de
skelps to hang up in my cabin to 'member you by.' Says he, 'Burlman
Rennuls,' dat's me, you know, Bushie; 'Burlman Rennuls,' says he, 'you's
'tirely welcome to de skelps, ef you kin take 'em widout cuttin' an'
spilin' de skin.' H-yah, h-yah, h-yah!" And the black braggart laughed
as sincerely as if he were for the moment self-deceived into thinking
that he was dealing in facts. But quickly recovering his lofty air,
which had vanished while he laughed, the Fighting Negro thus proceeded
with his observations upon the lights of the age: "Now, ef you'd like to
know my 'pinion as to who's de greates' Injun-fighter in de worl', den
says I agin, it ain't Colonel Boone; I will say it ain't Colonel Logan;
yes, an' I'll say it ain't Giner'l Clarke; but dat man, sir, is----" an
emphatic pause, "Cap'n Simon Kenton. Cap'n Simon Kenton, sir, is de
greates' Injun-fighter in de worl'."

"Does Cap'n Kenton take scalps?" inquired Bushie.

"Does he take de skin uf a bar when he traps it? Does he take de
tail-feathers uf a eagle when he shoots it? Course he takes skelps.
How'd people know he had kilt de red varmints ef he didn't hab de
top-nots to show fur it? Cap'n Kenton, sir, is a man uf grit. None o'
yo' tender-hearted flinc