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"Sister, thy boy is a big idiot a very big idiot!" said Gerrit Van Swearingen, the Schout of New Amstel. Then the Schout struck his long official staff on the ground, and went off in a grand manner to frighten debtors. The Widow Cloos made no reply, but dropped a couple of tears as she saw her son, Nanking, shrink away before his uncle's frown and roll his head in deprecation of such language.

Proclamation was made that New Amstel should for all the future be named New-castle, and that Gerrit Van Swearingen, the refractory schout, should yield up his noble property to Captain John Carr, of the invaders, and Peter Alrichs lose every thing for the benefit of the fortunate William Tom. The English soldiery proceeded to make barracks of the Amsterdam warehouse.

The news was presently dispersed, and all felt an interest, until finally Nanking produced his stork. "It is like a stork, indeed!" uttered Peter Alrichs; "'tis big as one, too, but its wings are all white!" "'Tis a stork, yah, op myne eer! Upon my honor, it is!" muttered uncle Van Swearingen. "Nanking is not an idiot, papa!" said Elsje, overjoyed.

The next day Schout Van Swearingen, the great dignitary, came in and said to Nanking: "As you are a big idiot and good for nothing else, I will give you an office. Even there you will be a failure, for you are too simple to steal any thing."

The room rang with the cry, "Incurable idiot!" and Gerrit Van Swearingen cried louder than any, "Go drown thyself, and spare thy mother shame!" "Then I shall not marry Elsje?" exclaimed Nanking, bursting into tears. "No!" stormed Peter Alrichs; "thou shalt marry a calf. Away!" When Nanking arrived home he found his mother sitting very close to Ffob Oothout. He told his tale with a broken heart.

He is simple and fatherless, poor and confiding. Thank God, at least he is not a woman!" The Widow Cloos had come but recently from Holland, sent out by charity at the instance of her brother, Van Swearingen, the schout or bailiff of New Amstel colony.

He found compensation for Elsje's contumely in his gun, and roved the forests through, and peeped from time to time at his mystic treasures. One day the news came overland that the English had taken New Amsterdam. Then the great Hinoyossa and uncle Van Swearingen and Alrichs and Beeckman swore dreadfully, and said they would fight to the last man.

But not an Indian was in sight when, in less than an hour more, sturdy old Captain Boggs, Colonel Andrew Swearingen and Major David Williamson trotted up the hill, leading seventy mounted men.

None of them ever managed to capture Sam Brady and keep him. He defied them and lived on. In 1786 he married the lovely Drusilla Swearingen daughter of another noted soldier and Indian fighter, Captain Van Swearingen who was called "Indian Van." Captain Swearingen did not favor the match. "It will only make Dru a widow," he said. "I do not wish her to mate with a man who is always on the trail."

Against the would-be burgess they set up one Captain Thomas Swearingen, whom Washington later described as "a man of great weight among the meaner class of people, and supposed by them to possess extensive knowledge." As a result, the poll showed Swearingen elected by two hundred and seventy votes, and Washington defeated with but forty ballots.