usual posts, and seated in their usual places; but one was missing, the
great Ramm Rapelye, who for many years had filled the chair of state.
His place was supplied by a stranger, who seemed, however, completely
at home in the chair and the tavern. He was rather under-size, but
deep-chested, square, and muscular. His broad shoulders, double joints,
and bow-knees, gave tokens of prodigious strength. His face was dark
and weather-beaten; a deep scar, as if from the slash of a cutlass, had
almost divided his nose, and made a gash in his upper lip, through
which his teeth shone like a bull-dog's. A mass of iron gray hair gave
a grizzly finish to his hard-favored visage. His dress was of an
amphibious character. He wore an old hat edged with tarnished lace, and
cocked in martial style, on one side of his head; a rusty blue military
coat with brass buttons, and a wide pair of short petticoat trousers,
or rather breeches, for they were gathered up at the knees. He ordered
every body about him with an authoritative air; talked in a brattling
voice, that sounded like the crackling of thorns under a pot; damned
the landlord and servants with perfect impunity, and was waited upon
with greater obsequiousness than had ever been shown to the mighty Ramm
himself.

Wolfert's curiosity was awakened to know who and what was this stranger
who had thus usurped absolute sway in this ancient domain. He could get
nothing, however, but vague information. Peechy Prauw took him aside,
into a remote corner of the hall, and there in an under-voice, and with
great caution, imparted to him all that he knew on the subject. The inn
had been aroused several months before, on a dark stormy night, by
repeated long shouts, that seemed like the howlings of a wolf. They
came from the water-side; and at length were distinguished to be
hailing the house in the seafaring manner. "House-a-hoy!" The landlord
turned out with his head-waiter, tapster, hostler, and errand boy--that
is to say with his old negro Cuff. On approaching the place from whence
the voice proceeded, they found this amphibious-looking personage at
the water's edge, quite alone, and seated on a great oaken sea-chest.
How he came there, whether he had been set on shore from some boat, or
had floated to land on his chest, nobody could tell, for he did not
seem disposed to answer questions, and there was something in his looks
and manners that put a stop to all questioning. Suffice it to say, he