claw-footed chairs and dark mahogany tables shone like mirrors;and irons,with their accompanying shovel and tongs,glistened from their covert of asparagus tops;mock oranges and conch shells decorated the mantelpiece;strings of various colored birds'eggs were suspended above it;a great ostrich egg was hung from the center of the room,and a corner cupboard,knowingly left open,displayed immense treasures of old silver and well-mended china. 24 From the moment Ichabod laid his eyes upon these regions of delight,the peace of his mind was at an end,and his only study was how to gain the affections of the peerless daughter of Van Tassel.In this enterprise,however,he had more real difficulties than generally fell to the lot of a knight-errant of yore,who seldom had anything but giants,enchanters,fiery dragons,and such like easily conquered adversaries to contend with;and had to make his way merely through gates of iron and brass,and walls of adamant,to the castle keep,where the lady of his heart was confined;all which he achieved as easily as a man would carve his way to the center of a Christmas pie;and then the lady gave him her hand as a matter of course. Ichabod,on the contrary,had to win his way to the heart of a country coquette,beset with a labyrinth of whims and caprices,which were forever presenting new difficulties and impediments;and he had to encounter a host of fearful adversaries of real flesh and blood,the numerous rustic admirers,who beset every portal to her heart,keeping a watchful and angry eye upon each other,but ready to fly out in the common cause against any new competitor. 25 Among these the most formidable was a burly,roaring,roystering blade,of the name of Abraham,or,according to the Dutch abbreviation,Brom Van Brunt,the hero of the country round,which rang with his feats of strength and hardihood.He was broad-shouldered and double-jointed,with short curly black hair,and a bluff but not unpleasant countenance,having a mingled air of fun and arrogance.From his Herculean frame and great powers of limb,he had received the nickname of BROM BONES,by which he was universally known.He was famed for great knowledge and skill in horsemanship,being as dexterous on horseback as a Tartar.He was foremost at all races and cockfights;and,with the ascendency which bodily strength acquires in rustic life,was the umpire in all disputes,setting his hat on one side and giving his decisions with an air and tone admitting of no gainsay or appeal.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 for miles around.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 by for a squall.Sometimes his crew would be heard dashing along past the farmhouses at midnight,with whoop and halloo,like a troop of Don Cossacks;and the old dames,startled out of their sleep,would listen for a moment till the hurry-scurry had clattered by,and then exclaim,"Ay,there goes Brom Bones and his gang!"The neighbors looked upon him with a mixture of8 claw-footed chairs and dark mahogany tables shone like mirrors; and irons, with their accompanying shovel and tongs, glistened from their covert of asparagus tops; mock oranges and conch shells decorated the mantelpiece; strings of various colored birds’ eggs were suspended above it; a great ostrich egg was hung from the center of the room, and a corner cupboard, knowingly left open, displayed immense treasures of old silver and well-mended china. 24 From the moment Ichabod laid his eyes upon these regions of delight, the peace of his mind was at an end, and his only study was how to gain the affections of the peerless daughter of Van Tassel. In this enterprise, however, he had more real difficulties than generally fell to the lot of a knight-errant of yore, who seldom had anything but giants, enchanters, fiery dragons, and such like easily conquered adversaries to contend with; and had to make his way merely through gates of iron and brass, and walls of adamant, to the castle keep, where the lady of his heart was confined; all which he achieved as easily as a man would carve his way to the center of a Christmas pie; and then the lady gave him her hand as a matter of course. Ichabod, on the contrary, had to win his way to the heart of a country coquette, beset with a labyrinth of whims and caprices, which were forever presenting new difficulties and impediments; and he had to encounter a host of fearful adversaries of real flesh and blood, the numerous rustic admirers, who beset every portal to her heart, keeping a watchful and angry eye upon each other, but ready to fly out in the common cause against any new competitor. 25 Among these the most formidable was a burly, roaring, roystering blade, of the name of Abraham, or, according to the Dutch abbreviation, Brom Van Brunt, the hero of the country round, which rang with his feats of strength and hardihood. He was broad-shouldered and double-jointed, with short curly black hair, and a bluff but not unpleasant countenance, having a mingled air of fun and arrogance. From his Herculean frame and great powers of limb, he had received the nickname of BROM BONES, by which he was universally known. He was famed for great knowledge and skill in horsemanship, being as dexterous on horseback as a Tartar. He was foremost at all races and cockfights; and, with the ascendency which bodily strength acquires in rustic life, was the umpire in all disputes, setting his hat on one side and giving his decisions with an air and tone admitting of no gainsay or appeal. 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 for miles around. 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 by for a squall. Sometimes his crew would be heard dashing along past the farmhouses at midnight, with whoop and halloo, like a troop of Don Cossacks; and the old dames, startled out of their sleep, would listen for a moment till the hurry-scurry had clattered by, and then exclaim, “Ay, there goes Brom Bones and his gang!” The neighbors looked upon him with a mixture of