you see, d'you see, says I, 'Tom Bruce, do you stick to the
critter, and he'll holp you out of the skrimmage;' and, says I, 'I'll
take the back-track, and foller atter madam.' And, says he, says he--But,
'tarnal death to me, let's scalp these h'yar dead villians, and do the
talking atter! Did you see the licking I gin this here feller? It war a
reggular fair knock-down-and-drag-out, and I licked him! Thar's all sorts
of ways of killing Injuns; but, I reckon, I'm the only gentleman in all
Kentuck as ever took a scalp in the way of natur'! Hurrah for Kentuck!
and hurrah for Ralph Stackpole, for he ar' a screamer!"

The violation of the dead bodies was a mode of crowning their victory
which Roland would have gladly dispensed with; but such forbearance,
opposed to all border ideas of manly spirit and propriety, found no
advocate in the captain of horse-thieves, and none, we are sorry to say,
even in the conscientious Nathan; who, having bathed his peaceful sword
too deep in blood to boggle longer at trifles, seemed mightily inclined
to try his own hand at the exercise. But this addition to the catalogue
of his backslidings was spared him, Roaring Ralph falling to work with an
energy of spirit and rapidity of execution, which showed he needed no
assistance, and left no room for competition.--Such is the practice of
the border, and such it has been ever since the mortal feud, never
destined to be really ended but with the annihilation, or civilisation,
of the American race, first began between the savage and the white
intruder. It was, and is, essentially a measure of retaliation,
compelled, if not justified, by the ferocious example of the red man.
Brutality ever begets brutality; and magnanimity of arms can be only
exercised in the case of a magnanimous foe. With such, the wildest and
fiercest rover of the frontier becomes a generous and even humane enemy.

The Virginian was yet young in the war of the wilderness: and turning in
disgust from a scene he could not prevent, he made his way to the fire,
where the haunch of venison, sending forth a savoury steam through the
whole valley, was yet roasting on the rude Indian spit,--a spectacle
which (we record it with shame) quite banished from his mind not only all
thoughts of Ralph's barbarism, but even the sublime military ardour
awakened by the din and perils of the late conflict. Nor were its effects
less potential upon Nathan and Ralph, who, having first washed from their
h