Encouraging him with a look, which plainly proclaimed that
martial qualities in no degree lessened the stripling in his favor, he
observed that--
"The youth who is not afraid to think of the fight, or to reason on its
chances, will lead to a manhood of spirit and independence. A hundred
thousand striplings like this, might have spared Winthrop his jewel, and
the Stuart the shame of yielding to so vain and so trivial a bribe. But
thou mayst also see, child, that had we come to the death-hug, the wicked
Wampanoag might have found a blade as keen as his own."
The stranger, while speaking, loosened a few strings of his doublet, and
thrust a hand into his bosom. The action enabled more than one eye to
catch a momentary glimpse of a weapon of the same description, but of a
size much smaller than those he had already so freely exhibited. As he
immediately withdrew the member, and again closed the garment with studied
care, no one presumed to advert to the circumstance, but all turned their
attention to the long sharp hunting-knife that he deposited by the side of
the pistols, as he concluded.
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