He may
have had an additional motive for this proceeding, which most probably
enforced its necessity. He well knew that fearless courage, among this
people, was that quality which most certainly won and secured their
respect; and the policy was not unwise, perhaps which represented this
as a good opportunity for a display which might have the effect of
protecting him from wanton insult or aggression hereafter. To a certain
extent he was at their mercy; and conscious, from what he had seen, of
the unscrupulous character of their minds, every exhibition of the kind
had some weight in his favor.
It was with a lively and excited spirit that he surveyed, from the
moderate eminence on which he stood, the events going on around him.
Though not sufficiently near the parties (and scrupulous not to expose
himself to the chance of being for a moment supposed to be connected
with either of them) to ascertain their various arrangements, from what
had met his observation, he had been enabled to form a very correct
inference as to the general progress of affairs.
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