sight of your errors and to see the
truth,« said Middleton, »do not things by halves, but, by the generosity of your
conduct, purchase friends, who may be of use in warding off any future danger
from the law -«
    »Young man,« interrupted the squatter, with a dark frown, »you, too, have
said enough. If fear of the law had come over me, you would not be here to
witness the manner in which Ishmael Bush deals out justice.«
    »Smother not your good intentions, and remember if you contemplate violence
to any among us, that the arm of that law you affect to despise reaches far, and
that though its movements are sometimes slow, they are not the less certain.«
    »Yes, there is too much truth in his words, squatter,« said the trapper,
whose attentive ears rarely suffered a syllable to be uttered unheeded in his
presence. »A busy and a troublesome arm, it often proves to be, here, in this
land of America, where as they say, man is left greatly to the following of his
own wishes, compared to other countries, and happier, ay, and, more manly, and
more honest too, is he for the privilege. Why, do you know, my men, that there
are regions where the law is so busy as to say, in this fashion shall you live,
in that fashion shall you die, and in such another fashion shall you take leave
of the world to be sent before the judgement seat of the Lord! A wicked and a
troublesome meddling is that with the business of one, who has not made his
creatures to be herded, like oxen and driven from field to field, as their
stupid and selfish keepers may judge of their need and wants. A miserable land
must that be where they fetter the mind as well as the body, and where the
creatures of God, being born children are kept so by the wicked inventions of
men who would take upon themselves the office of the great Governor of all!«
    During the delivery of this pertinent opinion Ishmael was content to be
silent, though the look with which he regarded the speaker manifested any other
feeling than that of amity. When the old man was done, he turned to Middleton,
and continued the subject which the other had interrupted.
    »As to ourselves, young Captain, there has been wrong on both sides. If I
have borne hard upon your feelings, in taking away your wife, with an honest
intention of giving her back to you