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exception to the usages of men of his cast, as not only to wish to hold
discourse on such occasions, but as often to create a similar desire in his
companions.
The meal ended, and the humble preparations removed, the whole party
assembled on the platform to heat the expected intelligence from Deerslayer,
on the subject of his visit. It had been evident he was in no haste to make
his communications; but the feelings of Judith would no longer admit of delay.
Stools were brought from the ark and the hut, and the whole six placed
themselves in a circle, near the door, watching each other s countenances, as
best they could, by the scanty means that were furnished by a lovely starlight
night. Along the shore, beneath the mountains, lay the usual body of gloom;
but in the broad lake no shadow was cast, and a thousand mimic stars were
dancing in the limpid element, that was just stirred enough by the evening air
to set them all in motion.
Now, Deerslayer, commenced Judith, whose impatience resisted further
restraint; now, Deerslayer, tell us all the Hurons have to say, and the
reason why they have sent you on parole, to make us some offer.
Furlough, Judith; furlough is the word; and it carries the same meaning with
a captyve at large as it does with a soldier who has leave to quit his
colours. In both cases the word is past to come back: and now I remember to
have heard that s the ra al signification, furlough meaning a word passed
for the doing of any thing, or the like. Parole, I rather think, is Dutch, and
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has something to do with the tattoos of the garrisons. But this makes no great
difference, since the vartue of a pledge lies in the idee, and not in the
word. Well, then, if the message must be given, it must; and perhaps there is
no use in putting it off. Hurry will soon be wanting to set out on his journey
to the river, and the stars rise and set, just as if they cared for neither
Indian nor message. Ah s! me; tisn t a pleasant, and I know it s a useless
ar n d; but it must be told.
Harkee, Deerslayer, put in Hurry, a little authoritatively; you re a
sensible man in a hunt, and as good a fellow on a march as a sixty-miler-a-day
could wish to meet with; but you re oncommon slow about messages, especially
them that you think won t be likely to be well received. When a thing is to be
told, why, tell it, and don t hang back like a Yankee lawyer pretending he
can t understand a Dutchman s English, just to get a double fee out of him.
I understand you, Hurry, and well are you named tonight, seeing you ve no
time to lose. But let us come at once to the p int, seeing that s the object
of this council; for council it may be called, though women have seats among
us. The simple fact is this. When the party came back from the castle, the
Mingos held a council, and bitter thoughts were uppermost, as was plainly to
be seen by their gloomy faces. No one likes to be beaten, and a red-skin as
little as a pale-face. Well, when they had smoked upon it, and made their
speeches, and their council-fire had burnt low, the matter came out. It seems
the elders among em consaited I was a man to be trusted on a furlough.
They re wonderful obsarvant, them Mingos;that their worst inimies must allow;
but they consaited I was such a man; and it isn t often-- added the hunter,
with a pleasing consciousness that his previous life justified this implicit
reliance on his good faith-- it isn t often they consait any thing so good of
a pale-face; but so they did with me, and therefore they didn t hesitate to
speak their minds, which is just this: --You see the state of things. The lake
and all on it, they fancy, lie at their marcy. Thomas Hutter is deceased, and
as for Hurry, they ve got the idee he has been near enough to death to-day,
not to wish to take another look at him this summer. Therefore, they account
all your forces as reduced to Chingachgook and the two young women, and, while
they know the Delaware to be of a high race, and a born warrior, they know
he s now on his first war-path. As for the gals, of course they set them down
much as they do women in gineral.
You mean that they despise us! interrupted Judith, with eyes that flashed
so brightly as to be observed by all present.
That will be seen in the end. They hold that all on the lake lies at their
marcy, and, therefore, they send by me this belt of wampum, showing the
article in question to the Delaware as he spoke, with these words:--Tell the
Sarpent, they say, that he has done well for a beginner; he may now strike
across the mountains, for his own villages, and no one shall look for his
trail. If he has found a scalp, let him take it with him; the Huron braves
have hearts, and can feel for a young warrior who doesn t wish to go home
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