to look death in the face, or shall I run the risk of the hounds
raising an outcry and go in myself. You see the pup is willing to run with an
open mouth, already.«
    »Am I man enough! venerable trapper, our communications have a recent
origin, or thy interrogatory might have a tendency to embroil us in angry
disputation. Am I man enough! I claim to be of the class, mammalia; order,
Primates; genus, homo! Such are my physical attributes; of my moral properties,
let posterity speak; it becomes me to be mute.«
    »Physick may do for such as relish it; to my taste and judgment, it is
neither palatable nor healthy, but morals never did harm to any living mortal,
be it that he was a sojourner in the forest, or a dweller in the midst of glazed
windows, and smoking chimnies. It is only a few hard words that divide us,
friend; for I'm of an opinion that, with use and freedom, we should come to
understand one another, and mainly settle down into the same judgments of
mankind and of the ways of the world. Quiet, Hector, quiet, what ruffles your
temper, pup; is it not used to the scent of human blood!«
    The Doctor bestowed a gracious but commiserating smile on the Philosopher of
nature, as he retrograded a step or two from the place whither he had been
impelled by his excess of spirit, in order to reply with less expenditure of
breath and with a greater freedom of action and attitude. »A homo, is certainly
a homo,« he said, stretching forth an arm in an argumentative manner, »so far as
the animal functions extend there are the connecting links of harmony, order,
conformity, and design, between the whole genus; but there the resemblance ends.
Man may be degraded to the very margin of the line which separates him from the
brute, by ignorance; or he may be elevated to a communion with the Great Master
Spirit of All by knowledge - nay, I know not, if time and opportunity were given
him, but he might become the Master of all learning, and consequently equal to
the great moving principle.«
    The old man, who stood leaning on his rifle, in a thoughtful attitude, shook
his head, as he answered with a native steadiness that entirely eclipsed the
imposing air which his antagonist had seen fit to assume -
    »This is neither more nor less than mortal wickedness! Here have I been a
dweller on the 'arth for fourscore