to that tract of land they bought of the Mohawks, the last time they were
out together on service in the colony militia."

I ought to mention, here, that though my predecessors had made but few
campaigns in the regular army, each had made several in the more humble
capacity of a militia officer.

"This is news to me, Dirck," I answered. "Why should the old gentlemen have
been so sly about such a thing?"

"I cannot tell you, lest they thought silence the best way to keep off the
yankees. You know, my father has a great dread of a yankee's getting a
finger into any of his bargains. He says the yankees are the locusts of the
west."

"But, how came you to know any thing about it, Dirck?"

"I am no yankee, Corny."

"And your father told _you_ on the strength of this recommendation?"

"He told me, as he tells me most things that he thinks it best I should
know. We smoke together, and then we talk together."

"I would learn to smoke too, if I thought I should get any useful
information by so doing."

"Dere is much to be l'arnt from ter pipe!" said Dirck, dropping into a
slightly Dutch accent, as frequently happened with him, when his mind took
a secret direction towards Holland, though in general he spoke English