CHAPTER XXI.—Cora receives her reward. CHAPTER XXII.—Death of Thomas Quick, Sr., and the threat of his son Tom. CHAPTER XXIII.—Tom kept his vow and had his revenge. CHAPTER XXIV.—Killing a buck with seven skins—The biter bitten—Throwing a young Indian down the rocks—Hiding guns in hollow trees. CHAPTER XXV.—The whiskey scene—Six Indians roasted. CHAPTER XXVI.—Capture, escape and death of Tom—Honored by a monument. [Illustration] [Illustration] CHAPTER I. A Bird’s Eye View of the Delaware and Neversink Valleys From Hawk’s Nest Mountain. It is contrast that makes the beautiful. What a monotonous world this would be if it was one entire level plane. It is the variegated colors that makes the landscape beautiful and harmonious. In fact it is upon contrasts that we build all of our notions of the beautiful. Yet the same object seen by different persons, from the same standpoint, creates different impressions. Some admire the Alpine mountains and deep blue sky of Italy, and the towering majesty of Mont Blanc. Here, with them, all creation is centered, and there is nothing beautiful that is not connected with Italian skies, hills or landscapes. Others view Vesuvius, and admire the smoke and fire as it is thrown heavenward. Others immure themselves within the walls of cities like New York or London, and satiate their eyes with brick and mortar, and their ears with a jargon of sounds. Others admire a more extended scenery, or rather a scenery where nature is represented in all its variegated colors; where river and rivulet are blended into one; where the cascade and cataract drop their moisture into the depth below; where the fauna and flora are equally distributed; where the mountain ascends thousands of feet, in contrast with the plain below. In a word, where nature’s great architect has faithfully executed the fore-ordained design. But where can this perfection be found? Where is this Eden? I have gazed upon all the cities of the world: From Mont Blanc I have viewed Italy and Switzerland; From Pike’s Peak I have viewed the Pacific and the western slope; I have stood over the thundering and majestic Niagara and viewed the spray going heavenward. All these views are grand and sublime, yet they lack contrast between great and small things that are calculated to make nature beautiful in all its parts and satisfy the mind, eye and ear at a single glance. Yet there is one such spot on earth; one beautiful place where all these things are combined; one pinnacle of the mountain top, where the eye can take in all these beauties at a single glance. It is that pinnacle that rises hundreds of feet above the level and embraces within its view the beautiful valley of the Delaware.