The Deerslayer; or, The First Warpath . . . Volume 1

by James Fenimore Cooper

  Judith did as desired, first bringing the pieces, and retiring with her sister into their own room. Deerslayer had acquired some knowledge of most of the Indian dialects of that region, and he knew enough of the Iroquois to hold a dialogue in the language. Beckoning to the lad, therefore, he caused him to take a seat on the chest, when he placed two of the castles suddenly before him. Up to that moment, this youthful savage had not expressed a single intelligible emotion, or fancy. There were many things, in and about the place, that were novelties to him, but he had maintained his self-command with philosophical composure. It is true, Deerslayer had detected his dark eye scanning the defences and the arms, but the scrutiny had been made with such an air of innocence, in such a gaping, indolent, boyish manner, that no one but a man who had himself been taught in a similar school, would have even suspected his object. The instant, however, the eyes of the savage fell upon the wrought ivory, and the images of the wonderful, unknown beasts, surprise and admiration got the mastery of him. The manner in which the natives of the South Sea Islands first beheld the toys of civilized life, has been often described; but the reader is not to confound it with the manner of an American Indian, under similar circumstances. In this particular case, the young Iroquois, or Huron, permitted an exclamation of rapture to escape him, and then he checked himself, like one who had been guilty of an indecorum. After this, his eyes ceased to wander, but became riveted on the elephants, one of which, after a short hesitation, he even presumed to handle. Deerslayer did not interrupt him for quite ten minutes; knowing that the lad was taking such note of the curiosities, as would enable him to give the most minute and accurate description of their appearance, to his seniors, on his return. When he thought sufficient time had been allowed to produce the desired effect, the hunter laid a finger on the naked knee of the youth, and drew his attention to himself.

  “Listen,” he said; “I want to talk with my young friend from the Canadas. Let him forget that wonder for a minute.”

  “Where t’other pale brother?” demanded the boy, looking up, and letting the idea that had been most prominent in his mind, previously to the introduction of the chess-men, escape him involuntarily.

  “He sleeps--or if he isn’t fairly asleep, he is in the room, where the men do sleep,” returned Deerslayer. “How did my young friend know there was another?”

  “See him from the shore. Iroquois have got long eyes-- see beyond the clouds--see the bottom of the great spring!”

  “Well, the Iroquois are welcome. Two pale-faces are prisoners in the camp of your fathers, boy.”

  The lad nodded, treating the circumstance with great aptant. Deerslayer seated himself on a stool, and watched the progress of the ambassador; sometimes closely scanning the whole line of shore, as far as eye could reach, and then placing an elbow on a knee, he remained a long time with his chin resting on the hand.

  During the interview between Deerslayer and the lad, a different scene took place in the adjoining room. Hetty had inquired for the Delaware, and being told why and where he remained concealed, she joined him. The reception which Chingachgook gave his visiter was respectful and gentle. He understood her character; and, no doubt, his disposition to be kind to such a being was increased by the hope of learning some tidings of his betrothed. As soon as the girl entered, she took a seat, and invited the Indian to place himself near her, and then she continued silent, as if she thought it decorous for him to question her, before she consented to speak on the subject she had on her mind. But, as Chingachgook did not understand this feeling, he remained respectfully attentive to any thing she might be pleased to tell him.

  “You are Chingachgook--the Great Serpent of the Delawares, ar’n’t you?” the girl at length commenced, in her own simple way, losing her self-command in the desire to proceed, but anxious first to make sure of the individual.

  “Chingachgook,” returned the Delaware, with grave dignity. “That say Great Sarpent, in Deerslayer tongue.”

  “Well, that is my tongue. Deerslayer, and father, and Judith, and I, and poor Hurry Harry--do you know Henry March, Great Serpent? I know you don’t, however, or he would have spoken of you, too.”

  “Did any tongue name Chingachgook, Drooping-Lily?” for so the chief had named poor Hetty. “Was his name sung by a little bird among the Iroquois?”

  Hetty did not answer at first; but, with that indescribable feeling that awakens sympathy and intelligence among the youthful and unpractised of her sex, she hung her head, and the blood suffused her cheek, ere she found her tongue. It would have exceeded her stock of intelligence to explain this embarrassment; but, though poor Hetty could not reason on every emergency, she could always feel. The colour slowly receded from her cheek, and the girl looked up archly at the Indian, smiling with the innocence of a child, mingled with the interest of a woman.

  “My sister, the Drooping-Lily, hear such bird!” Chingachgook added, and this with a gentleness of tone and manner, that would have astonished those who sometimes heard the discordant cries that often came from the same throat; these transitions from the harsh and guttural, to the soft and melodious, not being infrequent in ordinary Indian dialogues. “My sister’s ears were open--has she lost her tongue?”

  “You are Chingachgook--you must be; for there is no other red man here, and she thought Chingachgook would come.”

  “Chin-gach-gook,” pronouncing the name slowly, and dwelling on each syllable; “Great Sarpent, Yengeese* tongue.”

  “Chin-gach-gook,” repeated Hetty, in the same deliberate manner. “Yes, so Hist called it, and you must be the chief.”

  “Wah-ta!-Wah,” added the Delaware.

  “Wah-ta!-Wah, or Hist-oh!-Hist. I think Hist prettier than Wah, and so I call her Hist.”

  “Wah! very sweet, in Delaware ears!”

  “You make it sound differently from me. But, never mind; I did hear the bird you speak of sing, Great Serpent.”

  “Will my sister say words of song? What she sing most --how she look--often she laugh?”

  “She sang Chin-gach-gook oftener than any thing else; and she laughed heartily, when I told how the Iroquois waded into the water after us, and couldn’t catch us. I hope these logs haven’t ears, Serpent!”

  “No fear logs; fear sister next room. No fear Iroquois; Deerslayer stuff his eyes and ears, with strange beast.”

  “I understand you, Serpent, and I understood Hist. Sometimes I think I’m not half as feeble-minded as they say I am. Now, do you look up at the roof, and I’ll tell you all. But you frighten me, you look so eager, when I speak of Hist.”

  The Indian controlled his looks, and affected to comply with the simple request of the girl.

  “Hist told me to say, in a very low voice, that you mustn’t trust the Iroquois in any thing. They are more artful than any Indians she knows. Then she says that there is a large bright star, that comes over the hill, about an hour after dark,--(Hist had pointed out the planet Jupiter, without knowing it)--and just as that star comes in sight, she will be on the point where I landed last night, and that you must come for her, in a canoe.”

  “Good--Chingachgook understand well enough, now; but he understand better, if my sister sing to him, ag’in.”

  Hetty repeated her words, more fully explaining what star was meant, and mentioning the part of the point where he was to venture ashore. She now proceeded in her own unsophisticated way to relate her intercourse with the Indian maid, and to repeat several of her expressions and opinions, that gave great delight to the heart of her betrothed. She particularly renewed her injunctions to be on their guard against treachery; a warning that was scarcely needed, however, as addressed to men as wary as those to whom it was sent. She also explained, with sufficient clearness--for on all such subjects the mind of the girl seldom failed her--the present state of the enemy, and the movements they had made since morning. Hist had been on the raft with her, until it quitted the shore; and was now somewhere in the woods, opposite to the castle, and did not intend
to return to the camp, until night approached; when she hoped to be able to slip away from her companions, as they followed the shore on their way home, and conceal herself on the point. No one appeared to suspect the presence of Chingachgook, thought it was necessarily known that an Indian had entered the ark, the previous night, and it was suspected that he had since appeared in and about the castle, in the dress of a pale-face. Still some little doubt existed on the latter point; for, as this was the season when white men might be expected to arrive, there was some fear that the garrison of the castle was increasing by these ordinary means. All this had Hist communicated to Hetty while the Indians were dragging them along shore; the distance, which exceeded six miles, affording abundance of time.

  “Hist don’t know, herself, whether they suspect her or not, or, whether they suspect you; but she hopes neither is the case. And now, Serpent, since I have told you so much from your betrothed,” continued Hetty, unconsciously taking one of the Indian’s hands, and playing with the fingers, as a child is often seen to play with those of a parent; “you must let me tell you something from myself. When you marry Hist, you must be kind to her, and smile on her, as you do now on me; and not look cross, as some of the chiefs do at their squaws. Will you promise this?”

  “Alway good to Wah!--too tender to twist hard; else she break.”

  “Yes, and smile, too; you don’t know how much a girl craves smiles from them she loves. Father scarce smiled on me once, while I was with him--and, Hurry--yes-- Hurry talked loud, and laughed; but I don’t think he smiled once either. You know the difference between a smile and a laugh?”

  “Laugh, best. Hear Wah! laugh, think bird sing!”

  “I know that; her laugh is pleasant, but you must smile. And then, Serpent, you mustn’t make her carry burthens and hoe corn, as so many Indians do; but treat her more as the pale-faces treat their wives.”

  “Wah-ta!-Wah no pale-face--got red skin; red heart, red feelin’s. All red; no pale-face. Must carry papoose.”

  “Every woman is willing to carry her child,” said Hetty, smiling; “and there is no harm in that. But you must love Hist, and be gentle, and good to her; for she is gentle and good herself.”

  Chingachgook gravely bowed, and then he seemed to think this part of the subject might be dismissed. Before there was time for Hetty to resume her communications, the voice of Deerslayer was heard calling on his friend, in the outer room. At this summons the Serpent arose to obey, and Hetty joined her sister.

  CHAPTER XIV.

  “ ‘A stranger animal,’ cries one,

  ‘Sure never lived beneath the sun;

  A lizard’s body, lean and long,

  A fish’s head, a serpent’s tongue,

  Its foot, with triple claw disjoined;

  And what a length of tail behind!’ ”

  Merrick The first act of the Delaware, on rejoining his friend, was to proceed gravely to disencumber himself of his civilized attire, and to stand forth an Indian warrior again. The protest of Deerslayer was met by his communicating the fact that the presence of an Indian in the hut, was known to the Iroquois, and that his maintaining the disguise would be more likely to direct suspicions to his real object, than if he came out openly as a member of a hostile tribe. When the latter understood the truth, and was told that he had been deceived in supposing the chief had succeeded in entering the ark undiscovered, he cheerfully consented to the change, since further attempt at concealment was useless. A gentler feeling than the one avowed, however, lay at the bottom of the Indian’s desire to appear as a son of the forest. He had been told that Hist was on the opposite shore; and nature so far triumphed over all distinctions of habit, and tribes, and people, as to reduce this young savage warrior to the level of a feeling which would have been found in the most refined inhabitant of a town, under similar circumstances. There was a mild satisfaction in believing that she he loved could see him; and as he walked out on the platform, in his scanty, native attire, an Apollo of the wilderness, a hundred of the tender fancies that fleet through lovers’ brains, beset his imagination and softened his heart.

  All this was lost on Deerslayer, who was no great adept in the mysteries of Cupid, but whose mind was far more occupied with the concerns that forced themselves on his attention, than with any of the truant fancies of love. He soon recalled his companion, therefore, to a sense of their actual condition, by summoning him to a sort of council of war, in which they were to settle their future course. In the dialogue that followed, the parties mutually made each other acquainted with what had passed in their several interviews. Chingachgook was told the history of the treaty about the ransom; and Deerslayer heard the whole of Hetty’s communications. The latter listened with generous interest to his friend’s hopes, and promised cheerfully all the assistance he could lend.

  “ ’T is our main ar’n’d, Sarpent, as you know; this battling for the castle and old Hutter’s darters, coming in as a sort of accident. Yes--yes--I’ll be actyve in helping little Hist, who’s not only one of the best and handsomest maidens of the tribe, but the very best and handsomest. I’ve always encouraged you, chief, in that liking; and it’s proper, too, that a great and ancient race like your’n shouldn’t come to an end. If a woman of red skin and red gifts, could get to be near enough to me to wish her for a wife, I’d s’arch for just such another, but that can never be; no, that can never be. I’m glad Hetty has met with Hist, howsever, for though the first is a little short of wit and understanding, the last has enough for both. Yes, Sarpent,” laughing heartily, “put’em together, and two smarter gals isn’t to be found in all York colony!”

  “I will go to the Iroquois camp,” returned the Delaware, gravely. “No one knows Chingachgook but Wah!, and a treaty for lives and scalps should be made by a chief! Give me the strange beasts, and let me take a canoe.”

  Deerslayer dropped his head, and played with the end of a fish-pole in the water, as he sate dangling his legs over the edge of the platform, like a man who was lost in thought, by the sudden occurrence of a novel idea. Instead of directly answering the proposal of his friend, he began to sotiloquize; a circumstance, however, that in no manner rendered his words more true, as he was remarkable for saying what he thought, whether the remarks were addressed to himself, or to any one else.

  “Yes--yes,” he said, “this must be what they call love! I’ve heard say that it sometimes upsets reason altogether, leaving a young man as helpless, as to calculation and caution, as a brute beast. To think that the Sarpent should be so lost to reason, and cunning, and wisdom! We must, sartainly, manage to get Hist off, and have’em married as soon as we get back to the tribe, or this war will be of no more use to the chief, than a hunt a little oncommon and extr’ornary. Yes--yes--he’ll never be the man he was, till this matter is off his mind, and he comes to his senses, like all the rest of mankind. Sarpent, you can’t be in airnest, and therefore I shall say but little to your offer. But you’re a chief, and will soon be sent out on the war-path at the head of parties, and I’ll just ask if you’d think of putting your forces into the inimy’s hands, afore the battle is fou’t?’

  “Wah!” ejaculated the Indian.

  “Ay--Wah!--I know well enough it’s Wah!, and altogether Wah! Ra’ally, Sarpent, I’m consarned and mortified about you! I never heard so weak an idee come from a chief, and he, too, one that’s already got a name for being wise, young and inexper’enced as he is. Canoe you shan’t have, so long as the v’ice of fri’ndship and warning can count for any thing.”

  “My pale-face friend is right. A cloud came over the face of Chingachgook, and weakness got into his mind, while his eyes were dim. My brother has a good memory for good deeds, and a weak memory for bad. He will forget.”

  “Yes, that’s easy enough. Say no more about it chief; but if another of them clouds blow near you, do your endivour to get out of its way. Clouds are bad enough in the weather; but when they come to the reason, it gets to be serious. Now, sit down by me here, and let u
s calculate our movements a little, for we shall soon either have a truce and a peace, or we shall come to an actyve, and bloody war. You see the vagabonds can make logs serve their turn, as well as the best raftsmen on the rivers; and it would be no great expl’ite for them to invade us in a body. I’ve been thinking of the wisdom of putting all old Tom’s stores into the ark, of barring and locking up the castle, and of taking to the ark, altogether. That is moveable, and by keeping the sail up, and shifting places, we might worry through a great many nights, without them Canada wolves finding a way into our sheep-fold.”

  Chingachgook listened to this plan, with approbation. Did the negotiation fail, there was now little hope that the night would pass without an assault; and the enemy had sagacity enough to understand, that, in carrying the castle, they would probably become masters of all it contained, the offered ransom included, and still retain the advantages they had hitherto gained. Some precaution of the sort appeared to be absolutely necessary; for now the numbers of the Iroquois were known, a night attack could scarcely be successfully met. It would be impossible to prevent the enemy from getting possession of the canoes and the ark, and the latter itself would be a hold in which the assailants would be as effectually protected against bullets as were those in the building. For a few minutes, both the men thought of sinking the ark in the shallow water, of bringing the canoes into the house, and of depending altogether on the castle for protection. But reflection satisfied them that, in the end, this expedient would fail. It was so easy to collect logs on the shore, and to construct a raft of almost any size, that it was certain the Iroquois, now they had turned their attention to such means, would resort to them seriously, so long as there was the certainty of success by perseverance. After deliberating maturely, and placing all the considerations fairly before them, the two young beginners in the art of forest warfare, settled down into the opinion, that the ark offered the only available means of security. This decision was no sooner come to, than it was communicated to Judith. The girl had no serious objection to make, and then all four set about the measures necessary to carrying the plan into execution.