Sleepy Hollowpage 13 / 32
He was always ready for either a fight or a frolic; but had more mischief than ill-will in his composition; and with all his overbearing roughness, there was a strong dash of waggish good humor at bottom. He had three or four boon companions, who regarded him as their model, and at the head of whom he scoured the country, attending every scene of feud or merriment formiles round. In cold weather he was distinguished by a fur cap, surmounted with a flaunting fox's tail; and when the folks at a country gathering descried this well-known crest at a distance,whisking about among a squad of hard riders, they always stood byfor a squall. Sometimes his crew would be heard dashing alongpast the farmhouses at midnight, with whoop and halloo, like atroop of Don Cossacks; and the old dames, startled out of theirsleep, would listen for a moment till the hurry-scurry hadclattered by, and then exclaim, "Ay, there goes Brom Bonesand his gang!" The neighbors looked upon him with a mixtureof awe, admiration, and good-will; and, when any madcap prankor rustic brawl occurred in the vicinity, always shook theirheads, and warranted Brom Bones was at the bottom of it.
This rantipole hero had for some time singled out the blooming Katrina for the object of his uncouth gallantries, and though his amorous toyings were something like the gentle caresses and endearments ofa bear, yet it was whispered that she did not altogether discourage his hopes. Certain it is, his advances were signals for rival candidates to retire, who felt no inclination to cross a lion in his amours; insomuch, that when his horse was seen tied to Van Tassel's paling, on a Sunday night, a sure sign that his master was courting, or, as it is termed, " sparking," within, all other suitors passed by in despair, and carried the war into other quarters.
Such was the formidable rival with whom Ichabod Crane had to contend, and, considering, all things, a stouter man than he would have shrunk from the competition, and a wiser man would have despaired.