and expanding with smiles and joyous laughter. His cap
is jauntily set, and his fine brown curls, hanging against the rich
roseate skin of his cheeks, give to his countenance an expression of
extreme health and boyish beauty. His merry laugh and free air tell you
he is not the boy for books. He is not much of a hunter neither. In
fact, he is not particularly given to anything--one of those easy
natures who take the world as it comes, look upon the bright side of
everything, without getting sufficiently interested to excel in
anything.

These three youths were dressed nearly alike. The eldest wore the
costume, as near as may be, of a backwoods hunter--a tunic-like
hunting-shirt, of dressed buckskin, leggings and mocassins of the same
material, and all--shirt, leggings, and mocassins--handsomely braided
and embroidered with stained quills of the porcupine. The cape of the
shirt was tastefully fringed, and so was the skirt as well as the seams
of the mocassins. On his head was a hairy cap of raccoon skin, and the
tail of the animal, with its dark transverse bars, hung down behind like
the drooping plume of a helmet. Around his shoulders were two leathern
belts that crossed each other upon his breast. One of these slung a
bullet-pouch covered with a violet-green skin that glittered splendidly
in the sun. It was from the head of the "wood-duck" (_Anas sponsa_),
the most beautiful bird of its tribe. By the other strap was suspended
a large crescent-shaped horn taken from the head of an Opelousas bull,
and carved with various ornamental devices. Other smaller implements
hung from the belts, attached by leathern thongs: there was a picker, a
wiper, and a steel for striking fire with. A third belt--a broad stout
one of alligator leather--encircled the youth's waist. To this was
fastened a holster, and the shining butt of a pistol could be seen
protruding out; a hunting-knife of the kind denominated "bowie" hanging
over the left hip, completed his "arms and accoutrements."

The second of the youths was dressed, as already stated, in a somewhat
similar manner, though his accoutrements were not of so warlike a
character. Like the other, he had a powder-horn and pouch, but instead
of knife and pistol, a canvass bag or haversack hung from his shoulder;
and had you looked into it, you would have seen that it was half filled
with shells, pieces of rock, and rare plants, gathered during the day--
the diurnal storehouse o