familiarly on the
back, shake him by the hand till he roared, and kiss his wife and
daughters before his face--in short, there was no pride nor ill-humour
about Heer Antony.

Besides his Indian hangers-on, he had three or four humble friends
among the white men, who looked up to him as a patron, and had the run
of his kitchen, and the favour of being taken with him occasionally on
his expeditions. It was with a medley of such retainers that he was at
present on a cruise along the shores of the Hudson, in a pinnace which
he kept for his own recreation. There were two white men with him,
dressed partly in the Indian style, with moccasons and hunting-shirts;
the rest of his crew consisted of four favourite Indians. They had
been prowling about the river, without any definite object until thay
found themselves in the highlands; where they had passed two or three
days, hunting the deer which still lingered among these mountains.

"It is a lucky circumstance, young man," said Antony Vander Heyden,
"that you happened to be knocked overboard to-day, as to-morrow morning
we start early on our return homewards, and you might then have looked
in vain for a meal among the mountains--but come, lads, stir about!
stir about! Let's see what prog we have for supper; the kettle has
boiled long enough; my stomach cries cupboard; and I'll warrant our
guest is in no mood to dally with his trencher."

There was a bustle now in the little encampment. One took off the
kettle, and turned a part of the contents into a huge wooden bowl;
another prepared a flat rock for a table; while a third brought
various utensils from the pinnace, which was moored close by; and Heer
Antony himself brought a flask or two of precious liquor from his own
private locker--knowing his boon companions too well to trust any of
them with the key.

A rude but hearty repast was soon spread; consisting of venison
smoking from the kettle, with cold bacon, boiled Indian corn, and
mighty loaves of good brown household bread. Never had Dolph made a
more delicious repast; and when he had washed it down with two or
three draughts from the Heer Antony's flask, and felt the jolly liquor
sending its warmth through his veins, and glowing round his very
heart, he would not have changed his situation, no, not with the
governor of the province.

The Heer Antony, too, grew chirping and joyous; told half-a-dozen fat
stories, at which his white followers laughed immoderately, thou