Around his throat he had negligently fastened
a stock of black silk. His body was enveloped in a hunting-shirt of
dark green, trimmed with the yellow fringes and ornaments that were
sometimes seen among the border-troops of the Confederacy. Beneath
this, however, were visible the collar and lapels of a jacket, similar
in colour and cloth to the cap. His lower limbs were protected by
buckskin leggings, and his feet by the ordinary Indian moccasins. A
richly ornamented, and exceedingly dangerous straight dirk was stuck
in a sash of red silk net-work; another girdle, or rather belt, of
uncoloured leather contained a pair of the smallest sized pistols, in
holsters nicely made to fit, and across his shoulder was thrown a
short, heavy, military rifle; its horn and pouch occupying the usual
places beneath his arms. At his back he bore a knapsack, marked by the
well known initials that have since gained for the government of the
United States the good-humoured and quaint appellation of Uncle Sam.
"I come in amity," the stranger said, like one too much accustomed to
the sight of arms to be startled at the ludicrously belligerent
attitude which Dr.
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