Nick of the Woods: A Story of Kentucky, Volume 1Richard Bentley, 1837 |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
66 Truly adventure alarm appearance arms b'ar beast beheld Ben Jones blood Bloody Nathan Braxley Briareus brute cabins called captain of horse-thieves Captain Ralph Cock-a-doodle-doo Colonel Bruce COMUS countenance creatures cried crittur Cunnel danger distance Dodge dreamed Edith emigrants Emperor enemy etarnal evil exclaimed eyes father fear fight follow forest girl h'yar hand heerd horse Indians Injuns James River Jibbenainosay Kentuckian Kentucky kill kinswoman land laugh leave little dog look Lower Ford maize ment mind Nathan Slaughter never Nick niggur old Major party path peace perhaps Peter pony poor reckon replied ride rience rifle river road Roaring Ralph Stackpole Roland Salt River Samuel Sharp savage scalp scarce seemed Shawnees soon spirit station stranger surprise tarnal death Telie Doe terror thar thar's no denying thing thought tion tracks trees uttering Verily visage wandering Whar's wild wilderness woods worthy Wyandot young soldier
Popular passages
Page 1 - The world was all before them, where to choose Their place of rest, and Providence their guide. They, hand in hand with wand'ring steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way.
Page 72 - I'ma gentleman, and my name's Fight! Foot and hand, tooth and nail, claw and mud-scraper, knife, gun, and tomahawk, or any other way you choose to take me, I'm your man ! Cock-a-doodle-doo ! " And with that the gentleman jumped into the air, and flapped his wings, as much to the amusement of the provoker of his wrath as of any other person present. "Come, Ralph," said the commander of the Station, "whar'd' you steal that brown mar
Page 76 - He flapped his wings and crowed, until every chanticleer in the settlement replied to the note of battle ; he snorted and neighed like a horse ; he bellowed like a bull ; he barked like a dog ; he yelled like an Indian ; he whined like a panther ; he howled like a wolf ; until one would have thought he was a living menagerie, comprising within his single body the spirit of every animal noted for its love of conflict.
Page 93 - I cannot and dare not," said Nathan ; and then added, much to the surprise of Forrester, who, sharing his indignation at the brutality of his tormentor, had approached to drive the fellow off, — " But if thee must have thee deserts, thee shall have them. Thee prides theeself upon thee courage and strength — will thee adventure with me a friendly fall ? " " Hurrah for Bloody Nathan ! " cried the young men, vastly delighted at his unwonted spirit, while Captain Ralph...
Page 63 - Injuns that ar' onlucky enough to come in his way, besides scalping them and marking them with his mark. The Injuns call him Jibbenainosay, or a word of that natur', which them that know more about the Injun gabble than I do, say means the...
Page 93 - With that he stooped to gather up his skins, a proceeding that Stackpole, against whom the laugh was turned by this sally of Nathan's, resisted by catching him by the nape of the neck, twirling him round, and making as if he really would have beaten him. Even this the peaceful Nathan bore without anger or murmuring; but his patience fled when Stackpole, turning to the little dog, which by bristling its back and growling, expressed a half inclination to take up its master's quarrel, applied his foot...
Page 86 - and can't I eat him, hoss, dog, dirty jacket, and all? Hold me by the tail, while I devour him !" With that, he executed two or three escapades, demivoltes, curvets, and other antics of a truly equine character, and galloping up to the amazed Nathan, saluted him with a neigh so shrill and hostile that even White Dobbin pricked up his ears, and betrayed other symptons of alarm.
Page xii - The single fact that he wages war — systematic war — upon beings incapable of resistance or defence, — upon women and children, whom all other races in the world, no matter how barbarous, consent to spare, has hitherto been, and we suppose, to the end of our days will remain, a stumbling-block to our imagination : we look into the woods for the mighty warrior, the 'feathercinctured chief,' rushing to meet his foe, and behold him retiring, laden with the scalps of miserable squaws and their...
Page 77 - Whar's your buffalo-bull," he cried, " to cross horns with the roarer of Salt River ? Whar's your full-blood colt that can shake a saddle off ? h'yar's an old nag can kick off the top of a buck-eye ! Whar's your cat of the Knobs, your wolf of the Rolling Prairies ? h'yar's the old brown b'ar can claw the bark off a gum-tree ! H'yar's a man for you, Tom Bruce ! Same to you, Sim Roberts ! to you...
Page 93 - Off with your leather night-cap, and down with your rifle," he cried, giving his own weapon into the hands of a looker-on, " and scrape some of the grease off your jacket ; for, 'tarnal death to me, I shall give you the Virginny lock, fling you headfo'most, and you'll find yourself, in a twinkling, sticking fast right in the centre of the 'arth!" " Thee may find theeself mistaken...