t to his
knees, and belted round his waist, by a broad worsted sash. This
excellent garment was composed of a thick coarse homespun woollen,
bottle-green in color, with a fringe and bindings of dingy red, to match
the sash about his waist. From the sash was suspended an otter skin
pouch, containing bullets and patches, nipple wrench and turn-screw, a
bit of dry tow, an oiled rag, and all the indispensables for rifle
cleaning; while into it were thrust two knives--one a broad two-edged
implement, with a stout buck-horn haft, and a blade of at least twelve
inches--the other a much smaller weapon, not being, hilt and all, half
the length of the other's blade, but very strong, sharp as a razor, and
of surpassing temper. While he was fitting all these in their proper
places, and slinging under his left arm a small buffalo horn of powder,
he continued talking:

"Now," he said, "if you take my advice, you'll go into my room, and
there, hanging against the wall, you'll find my winter shooting jacket,
I had it made last year when I went up to Maine, of pilot cloth, lined
throughout with flannel. It will fit you just as well as your own, for
we're pretty much of a size. Frank, there, will wear his old monkey
jacket, the skirts of which he razeed last winter for the very purpose.
Ah, here is Brower--just run up, Brower, and bring down my shooting
jacket off the wall from behind the door--look sharp, will you! Now,
then, I shall load, and I advise you both to do likewise; for it's bad
work doing that same with cold fingers."

Thus saying, he walked to the corner, and brought out his rifle, a short
heavy double barrel, with two grooves only, carrying a bitted ball of
twelve to the pound, quite plain but exquisitely finished. Before
proceeding, however, to load, he tried the passage of the nipple with a
fine needle--three or four of which, thrust into a cork, and headed with
sealing wax, formed a portion of the contents of his pouch--brushed the
cone, and the inside of the hammer, carefully, and wiped them, to
conclude, with a small piece of clean white kid--then measuring his
powder out exactly, into a little charger, screwed to the end of his
ramrod, he inverted the piece, and introduced the rod upward till the
cup reached the chamber; when, righting the gun, he withdrew it, leaving
the powder all lodged safely at the breech, without the loss of a single
grain in the groovings. Next, he chose out a piece of leather, the
finest gr