The whole party now looked up at him, as men are apt to turn their
eyes on some unexpected object of general interest. One or two of the
young men repeated the words "sea-shore" and the woman tendered him
one of those civilities with which, uncouth as they were, she was
little accustomed to grace her hospitality, as if in deference to the
travelled dignity of her guest. After a long, and, seemingly, a
meditating silence, the emigrant, who had, however, seen no apparent
necessity to suspend the functions of his masticating powers, resumed
the discourse.

"It is a long road, as I have heard, from the waters of the west to
the shores of the main sea?"

"It is a weary path, indeed, friend; and much have I seen, and
something have I suffered, in journeying over it."

"A man would see a good deal of hard travel in going its length!"

"Seventy and five years have I been upon the road; and there are not
half that number of leagues in the whole distance, after you leave the
Hudson, on which I have not tasted venison of my own killing. But this
is vain boasting. Of what use are former deeds, when time draws to an
end?"

"I once met a man that had boated on the river he names," observed the
eldest son, speaking in a low tone of voice, like one who distrusted
his knowledge, and deemed it prudent to assume a becoming diffidence
in the presence of a man who had seen so much: "from his tell, it must
be a considerable stream, and deep enough for a keel-boat, from top to