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“These things, which I mention so particularly
now, because they have an intimate
connection with my story, struck me with
some interest at the time. And having, besides,
a natural curiosity to know something
of the individuals who were to be my companions
in the voyage, I made inquiries concerning
them of sundry persons better acquainted
with their history than myself, though
without acquiring much more than I already
knew.

“The young man, Connor, I learned, was
a dependant and protégé of the Colonel, a
son of a poor soldier,—for his origin was no
higher,—who had, in some way or other,

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managed to lose his life in saving that of the
Colonel. The latter, from gratitude to his
preserver, extended his protection to the soldier's
boy, whom he had reared up and educated
in his own house, and almost adopted
as his own child. I was assured, he always
had been, and was still, a great favourite with
the old gentleman, who was extremely fond
of him; but then the Colonel was a whimsical
and violent tempered man, and the gout had,
of late, made him a hundred times more
wayward and irascible than ever, so that it
was scarce possible for any one about him,
but his own daughter, to endure his furious
attacks of ill-humour. Connor was, from his
position continually near his person, more
exposed to suffer from his wrath than others;
but Connor had arrived at an age, when, beginning
to be conscious of his dependant condition,
he was naturally the more intolerant
of unkindness. The Colonel had twitted him
in my presence with certain effeminate propensities,
a love of books, music, female
society, &c., and neglect of all manly accomplishments;
which the young man must have
felt as the more unreasonable, since it was
represented that the Colonel had himself, by
scarce ever allowing the favourite out of his

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sight, prevented his acquiring the active
habits he commended, and compelled him into
those effeminate ones which he condemned.

“But with all the scolding and fault-finding
he was forced to endure, I was assured, Connor
was as much beloved as ever, and that
there was more than a probability the Colonel
would, some day, prove his affection by making
him his son in reality,—that is, by giving
him his fair daughter Alicia to wife.

“Of Captain Sharpe, all I could learn was,
that he was a very gallant officer, a South
Carolinian, and son of an old military friend
and brother-in-arms of Colonel Storm, who
had stumbled upon him by accident in Pittsburg,
and received him to his friendship as a
worthy son of his old comrade. What had
brought such a fine gentleman as Captain
Sharpe to the frontier did not so clearly appear;
though some said it was because of an
unfortunate duel with a brother officer, which,
being of very recent occurrence, had compelled
the surviver to banish himself for a
time from society and the world. I must
confess, that I heard some uncharitable persons
hint a suspicion that Captain Sharpe
was not in all respects the honourable and
exemplary personage his fine appearance

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seemed to show; and of this opinion, it appeared,
was young Connor, the secretary,
who, I was informed, had got himself into a
difficulty with his hot-headed protector, by
acquainting the latter with his suspicions;
for, it seemed, the veteran had been captivated
by the soldier, `a man,' as he called
him, `after his own heart,' and would endure
no imputations against his honour, however,
to appearance, reasonable and just. Of this
I had myself, after a time, very good proof,
as I shall presently relate.

“Having thus obtained all the information
to be then acquired, and visited the Colonel's
boats, to make the acquaintance of my fellow
engagés, my affairs settled, and some money
again in my pocket, I turned about, like a
lad of spirit, to see how I could spend my
few days of liberty to the best advantage.
It happened that a ball, got up by the garrison
officers and others, the gentry of the
town, was to take place that night; and to
this, being blessed with an equal stock of
simplicity and assurance, I resolved to go,
not having the least suspicion that my appearance
there could involve any impropriety.
With a good coat on my back, I felt
myself equal to any body; and my border

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breeding had taught me but little of the distinctions
of society.

“To the ball I accordingly went; and, as
it was held in the big room of a hotel, was
by no means managed with the tender solicitude
to keep out intruders that now prevails
at such entertainments, and exhibited among
its highly miscellaneous assemblage many individuals
not a whit more genteelly dressed
than myself, I neither found difficulty in making
my way into the room, nor, for a long
time, of maintaining my position in it.

“I must confess, that I was at first rather
daunted by the appearance of the company,
so much finer, notwithstanding an occasional
departure from elegance, than any I had ever
seen before; the dashing looks of the officers
in their uniforms, of young civilians with powdered
heads and velvet breeches, and, above
all, of the ladies arrayed in their silks and
satins, their plumes, and ribands, and laces;
and the fine music, for such it appeared to me,
made by a military band, added to some half
a dozen fiddles, had also its effects in abashing
and embarrassing me; and had any body
at that moment made objection to my intrusion,
I have no doubt I should have sneaked
quietly out of the room, conscious, for the

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first time, that I had stumbled into society
quite above my condition.

“But no one noticed me, and my embarrassment
began gradually to wear away; and
besides, I fell upon a means of recruiting my
courage in a still more expeditious and effectual
way. I observed that many of the gentlemen
dancers, after handing the usual ball-room
refreshments to their partners, turned
up their own noses at them—that is, not at
their partners, but the refreshments—and
slyly slipped down stairs to the bar of the
hotel, where more manly refreshments were
to be had. Perceiving this, and not knowing
what I could better do than imitate my betters,
I slipped down likewise, and, sorry I am
to say, not once only, but several times; so
that, in the end, my modesty took to itself
wings, and I found myself as bold as a lion
and happy as a lord; in short, entirely beside
myself. It must be recollected, that I was a
young and ignorant booby, who, besides being
just let loose upon the world, and therefore
incapable of taking care of myself, possessed
a brain none of the strongest for resisting
generous liquors.

“My first glass infused such courage into
my veins, that I was able to look boldly

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around me upon the assembly, here giving a
gentleman a stiff look, and there staring a
lady out of countenance. While thus engaged,
my eyes fell by chance upon my employer's
daughter, the fair Alicia, who, it
seemed, was present, and, indeed, was considered
the great beauty of the ball. She was
about to dance a minuet, and, as it proved,
with Captain Sharpe, who led her into the
middle of the room; where space was immediately
made for them, the company clustering
eagerly around, as if expecting to witness
an uncommon display of elegant dancing.
Nor were they deceived. I had never before
seen such a dance as a minuet; the measures
which I had learned to tread being confined
to jigs and reels, and the still more primitive
double-shuffle. I saw a minuet, therefore,
for the first time, and, as it happened, danced
by as superb a pair of creatures as ever
trode a ball-room floor, or walked through
the mazes of that dance, the most dignified
and beautiful ever invented. Every body
was in raptures at the spectacle, and when
the dance was over, many clapped their
hands, and cried Bravo and Brava; while I
myself, being as much intoxicated with delight
as the rest, cried aloud, `Hurrah for

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pretty-toes!' (meaning the fair Alicia,) `go it
ag'in for God's sake!' It was fortunate that
the plaudits of the company, which were loud
and numerous, drowned my voice, and so
prevented the compliment outraging the ears
of the beautiful dancer, or, indeed, reaching
those of any other person.

“After this, I frequently observed the
Colonel's daughter, who was, during the
whole evening, so closely besieged by Captain
Sharpe, that no one else seemed able to
approach her; and I thought to myself, thinks
I, `if we don't get them boats off in no time,
the sodger will have the gal from the secretary,
or there an't no moonshine.' Verily,
the Captain seemed pleased with the lady,
and the lady with the Captain.

“It was no very long time after this that
I reached that grand acme of courage of
which I have spoken; and being tired of playing
the looker-on, I resolved to have a dance
as well as my betters. So, having paid
another visit to the bar, I returned to the
ball-room to select a partner; and, as the
Old Imp, the father of impudence, would have
it, who so proper to serve my turn as the
queen of the ball, the lovely Alicia. I can't
pretend to recollect what were precisely the

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thoughts and feelings which at that moment
crowded my conceited noddle; but, I believe,
I had a kind of impression that,—from having
seen her, during the audience with her
father,—I had quite a right to claim her
acquaintance. At all events, I remember
well enough, that I marched up to her, and
making a bow and scrape, that unfortunately
swept a lieutenant of infantry off his legs,
besides some damage done to the skirts of a
lady's dress, `begged to ax the honour to go
a jig with her.' She started up, looking as
proud and haughty as a peacock, and gave
me such a bitter stare as I never thought
could come from such amiable eyes. I felt
quite incensed at her, thinking myself insulted;
and no doubt should have told her so;
had not a great confusion suddenly arisen
among the gentlemen, some of whom asked
`who the drunken scoundrel was, and how
he got in?' while others swore `I was a rascally
boatman,' and `must be kicked out.'
A tall officer, with two epaulettes on, seized
me by the shoulders, to hustle me out;
whereupon I knocked him down;—a favour
that was repaid with interest by half a dozen
others, who fell upon me, amidst a confusion
of shrieks from the women and outcries from

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the men; which is the last I recollect of the
adventure; for what with kicks and cuffs, of
which I received an abundance, and a tumble
down the stairs, that terminated the controversy,
I was soon deprived of all sense and
remembrance.

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