HOW WE CONQUERED HALLECK TUSTENUGGEE. 317 



was a little more gentle and observant, Potter a little 

 rougher and jollier, more rollicksome, hailing everybody, 

 singing wherever there was eating and drinking, and run- 

 ning every danger to be present at a fight. His leathern 

 suit, rifle, and knife, were the prominent features of his 

 dress, and a keen eye and huge mouth and limb, the first 

 points noticed in his person. 



Mike knew him, and recognized him with a smile and 

 a question : 



"Up?" 



" No, down." 



"S'Gustine?" 



" Wall, you'd better b'lieve it." 



" Seen Injins ?" 



" Stacks of 'em — slinkin' about like coots on the St. 

 Johns. Squaws, too ; somethin's up — reckon they're 

 a-goin' to purr a little ; sent a letter to the old man. 

 Who's your old man here now ?" continued the hui^ter, 

 pulling out, as he talked, from his bullet-pouch at his belt 

 a little roll of birch-bark ; " took 'em an all-fired time to 

 write it, and had a big pow-wow to read it when wrote. 

 Scissors! I saw some good looking Injin gals at that 

 camp. Came as near being tuck that time as ever I did ; 

 felt my hayar jist fixllin' off; thought I was wolf's meat 

 that run. Yer see I'd been dodgin' tracks all day, so's 

 to git to this clearin', and night cum on. I sez to myself, 

 Go it, boots ! and made a bee line. Fust thing I knowed 

 I had walked right into an Injin camp. No fire — fire'd 

 gone out — cuss the fire ! Pitched slam-bang over a red- 



