As yet, however, judging from other appearances, there was no violence meditated by the stranger.  He was simply insolent, and he was in the way.  He carried no weapons—­none which met the sight, at least, and there was nothing in his personal appearance calculated to occasion apprehension.  His frame was small, his limbs slight, and they did not afford promise of much activity.  His face was not ill favored, though a quick, restless black eye, keen and searching, had in it a lurking malignity, like that of a snake, which impressed the spectator with suspicion at the first casual glance.  His nose, long and sharp, was almost totally fleshless; the skin being drawn so tightly over the bones, as to provoke the fear that any violent effort would cause them to force their way through the frail integument.  An untrimmed beard, run wild; and a pair of whiskers so huge, as to refuse all accordance with the thin diminutive cheeks which wore them; thin lips, and a sharp chin;—­completed the outline of a very unprepossessing face, which a broad high forehead did not tend very much to improve or dignify.

Though the air of the stranger was insolent, and his manner rude, our young traveller was unwilling to decide unfavorably.  At all events, his policy and mood equally inclined him to avoid any proceeding which should precipitate or compel violence.

“There are many good people in the world”—­so he thought—­“who are better than they promise; many good Christians, whose aspects would enable them to pass, in any crowd, as very tolerable and becoming ruffians.  This fellow may be one of the unfortunate order of virtuous people, cursed with an unbecoming visage.  We will see before we shoot.”

Thus thought our traveller, quickly, as became his situation.  He determined accordingly, while foregoing none of his precautions, to see farther into the designs of the stranger, before he resorted to any desperate issues.  He replied, accordingly, to the requisition of the speaker; the manner, rather than the matter of which, had proved offensive.

“Toll!  You ask toll of me!  By what right, sir, and for whom do you require it?”

“Look you, young fellow, I am better able to ask questions myself, than to answer those of other people.  In respect to this matter of answering, my education has been wofully neglected.”

The reply betrayed some intelligence as well as insolence.  Our traveller could not withhold the retort.

“Ay, indeed! and in some other respects too, not less important, if I am to judge from your look and bearing.  But you mistake your man, let me tell you.  I am not the person whom you can play your pranks upon with safety, and unless you will be pleased to speak a little more respectfully, our parley will have a shorter life, and a rougher ending, than you fancy.”

“It would scarcely be polite to contradict so promising a young gentleman as yourself,” was the response; “but I am disposed to believe our intimacy likely to lengthen, rather than diminish.  I hate to part over-soon with company that talks so well; particularly in these woods, where, unless such a chance come about as the present, the lungs of the heartiest youth in the land would not be often apt to find the echo they seek, though they cried for it at the uttermost pitch of the pipe.”