Chapter XXVI.
"Upon two stony tables, spread before her, She lean'd her bosom, more than stony hard, There slept th' impartial judge, and strict restorer Of wrong, or right, with pain or with reward; There hung the score of all our debts, the card Where good, and bad, and life, and death, were painted; Was never heart of mortal so untainted, But when the roll was read, with thousand terrors fainted."
Giles Fletcher, Christ's Victory in Heaven, lxv.
"We've done an unthoughtful thing, Sarpent--yes, Judith, we've done anunthoughtful thing in taking life with an object no better than vanity!"exclaimed Deerslayer, when the Delaware held up the enormous bird, byits wings, and exhibited the dying eyes riveted on its enemies withthe gaze that the helpless ever fasten on their destroyers. "'Twas morebecomin' two boys to gratify their feelin's in this onthoughtful manner,than two warriors on a warpath, even though it be their first. Ah's!me; well, as a punishment I'll quit you at once, and when I find myselfalone with them bloody-minded Mingos, it's more than like I'll haveoccasion to remember that life is sweet, even to the beasts of the woodsand the fowls of the air. There, Judith; there's Kildeer; take him back,ag'in, and keep him for some hand that's more desarving to own such apiece."
"I know of none as deserving as your own, Deerslayer," answered the girlin haste; "none but yours shall keep the rifle."
"If it depended on skill, you might be right enough, gal, but we shouldknow when to use firearms, as well as how to use 'em. I haven't l'arntthe first duty yet, it seems; so keep the piece till I have. The sightof a dyin' and distressed creatur', even though it be only a bird,brings wholesome thoughts to a man who don't know how soon his own timemay come, and who is pretty sartain that it will come afore the sunsets; I'd give back all my vain feelin's, and rej'icin's in hand andeye, if that poor eagle was only on its nest ag'in, with its young,praisin' the Lord for anything that we can know about the matter, forhealth and strength!"
The listeners were confounded with this proof of sudden repentance inthe hunter, and that too for an indulgence so very common, that menseldom stop to weigh its consequences, or the physical suffering it maybring on the unoffending and helpless. The Delaware understood what wassaid, though he scarce understood the feelings which had prompted thewords, and by way of disposing of the difficulty, he drew his keenknife, and severed the head of the sufferer from its body.
"What a thing is power!" continued the hunter, "and what a thing it isto have it, and not to know how to use it. It's no wonder, Judith, thatthe great so often fail of their duties, when even the little and thehumble find it so hard to do what's right, and not to do what's wrong.Then, how one evil act brings others a'ter it! Now, wasn't it for thisfurlough of mine, which must soon take me back to the Mingos, I'd findthis creatur's nest, if I travelled the woods a fortnight--thoughan eagle's nest is soon found by them that understands the bird'snatur',--but I'd travel a fortnight rather than not find it, just to putthe young, too, out of their pain."
"I'm glad to hear you say this, Deerslayer," observed Hetty, "and Godwill be more apt to remember your sorrow for what you've done, than thewickedness itself. I thought how wicked it was to kill harmless birds,while you were shooting, and meant to tell you so; but, I don't know howit happened,--I was so curious to see if you could hit an eagle at sogreat a height, that I forgot altogether to speak, 'till the mischiefwas done."
"That's it; that's just it, my good Hetty. We can all see our faults andmistakes when it's too late to help them! Howsever I'm glad you didn'tspeak, for I don't think a word or two would have stopped me, just atthat moment, and so the sin stands in its nakedness, and not aggravatedby any unheeded calls to forbear. Well, well, bitter thoughts are hardto be borne at all times, but there's times when they're harder than atothers."
Little did Deerslayer know, while thus indulging in feelings thatwere natural to the man, and so strictly in accordance with hisown unsophisticated and just principles, that, in the course of theinscrutable providence, which so uniformly and yet so mysteriouslycovers all events with its mantle, the very fault he was disposed soseverely to censure was to be made the means of determining his ownearthly fate. The mode and the moment in which he was to feel theinfluence of this interference, it would be premature to relate, butboth will appear in the course of the succeeding chapters. As forthe young man, he now slowly left the Ark, like one sorrowing for hismisdeeds, and seated himself in silence on the platform. By this timethe sun had ascended to some height, and its appearance, taken inconnection with his present feelings, induced him to prepare to depart.The Delaware got the canoe ready for his friend, as soon as apprised ofhis intention, while Hist busied herself in making the few arrangementsthat were thought necessary to his comfort. All this was done withoutostentation, but in a way that left Deerslayer fully acquainted with,and equally disposed to appreciate, the motive. When all was ready, bothreturned to the side of Judith and Hetty, neither of whom had moved fromthe spot where the young hunter sat.
"The best fri'nds must often part," the last began, when he saw thewhole party grouped around him--"yes, fri'ndship can't alter the waysof Providence, and let our feelin's be as they may, we must part. I'veoften thought there's moments when our words dwell longer on the mindthan common, and when advice is remembered, just because the mouth thatgives it isn't likely to give it ag'in. No one knows what will happen inthis world, and therefore it may be well, when fri'nds separate under alikelihood that the parting may be long, to say a few words in kindness,as a sort of keepsakes. If all but one will go into the Ark, I'll talkto each in turn, and what is more, I'll listen to what you may have tosay back ag'in, for it's a poor counsellor that won't take as well asgive."
As the meaning of the speaker was understood, the two Indiansimmediately withdrew as desired, leaving the sisters, however, stillstanding at the young man's side. A look of Deerslayer's induced Judithto explain.
"You can advise Hetty as you land," she said hastily, "for I intend thatshe shall accompany you to the shore."
"Is this wise, Judith? It's true, that under common sarcumstancesa feeble mind is a great protection among red-skins, but when theirfeelin's are up, and they're bent on revenge, it's hard to say what maycome to pass. Besides--"
"What were you about to say, Deerslayer?" asked Judith, whose gentlenessof voice and manner amounted nearly to tenderness, though she struggledhard to keep her emotions and apprehensions in subjection.
"Why, simply that there are sights and doin's that one even as littlegifted with reason and memory as Hetty here, might better not witness.So, Judith, you would do well to let me land alone, and to keep yoursister back."
"Never fear for me, Deerslayer," put in Hetty, who comprehended enoughof the discourse to know its general drift, "I'm feeble minded, and thatthey say is an excuse for going anywhere; and what that won't excuse,will be overlooked on account of the Bible I always carry. It iswonderful, Judith, how all sorts of men; the trappers as well as thehunters; red-men as well as white; Mingos as well as Delawares doreverence and fear the Bible!"
"I think you have not the least ground to fear any injury, Hetty,"answered the sister, "and therefore I shall insist on your going to theHuron camp with our friend. Your being there can do no harm, not even toyourself, and may do great good to Deerslayer."
"This is not a moment, Judith, to dispute, and so have the matter yourown way," returned the young man. "Get yourself ready, Hetty, and gointo the canoe, for I've a few parting words to say to your sister,which can do you no good."
Judith and her companion continued silent, until Hetty had so farcomplied as to leave them alone, when Deerslayer took up the subject,as if it had been interrupted by some ordinary occurrence, and in a verymatter of fact way.
"Words spoken at parting, and which may be the last we ever hear from afri'nd are not soon forgotten," he repeated, "and so Judith, I intendto speak to you like a brother, seein' I'm not old enough to be yourfather. In the first place, I wish to caution you ag'i
n your inimies,of which two may be said to ha'nt your very footsteps, and to beset yourways. The first is oncommon good looks, which is as dangerous a foeto some young women, as a whole tribe of Mingos could prove, and whichcalls for great watchfulness--not to admire and praise--but to distrustand sarcumvent. Yes, good looks may be sarcumvented, and fairlyoutwitted, too. In order to do this you've only to remember that theymelt like the snows, and, when once gone, they never come back ag'in.The seasons come and go, Judith, and if we have winter, with storms andfrosts, and spring with chills and leafless trees, we have summer withits sun and glorious skies, and fall with its fruits, and a garmentthrown over the forest, that no beauty of the town could rummage out ofall the shops in America. 'Arth is in an etarnal round, the goodness ofGod bringing back the pleasant when we've had enough of the onpleasant.But it's not so with good looks. They are lent for a short time inyouth, to be used and not abused, and, as I never met with a young womanto whom providence has been as bountiful as it has to you, Judith, inthis partic'lar, I warn you, as it might be with my dyin' breath, tobeware of the inimy--fri'nd, or inimy, as we deal with the gift."
It was so grateful to Judith to hear these unequivocal admissions of herpersonal charms, that much would have been forgiven to the man whomade them, let him be who he might. But, at that moment, and from a farbetter feeling, it would not have been easy for Deerslayer seriouslyto offend her, and she listened with a patience, which, had it beenforetold only a week earlier, it would have excited her indignation tohear.
"I understand your meaning, Deerslayer," returned the girl, with ameekness and humility that a little surprised her listener, "and hope tobe able to profit by it. But, you have mentioned only one of the enemiesI have to fear; who, or what is the other."
"The other is givin' way afore your own good sense and judgment, Ifind, Judith; yes, he's not as dangerous as I supposed. Howsever, havin'opened the subject, it will be as well to end it honestly. The firstinimy you have to be watchful of, as I've already told you, Judith,is oncommon good looks, and the next is an oncommon knowledge of thesarcumstance. If the first is bad, the last doesn't, in any way, mendthe matter, so far as safety and peace of mind are consarned."
How much longer the young man would have gone on in his simple andunsuspecting, but well intentioned manner, it might not be easy to say,had he not been interrupted by his listener's bursting into tears, andgiving way to an outbreak of feeling, which was so much the more violentfrom the fact that it had been with so much difficulty suppressed. Atfirst her sobs were so violent and uncontrollable that Deerslayer was alittle appalled, and he was abundantly repentant from the instant thathe discovered how much greater was the effect produced by his words thanhe had anticipated. Even the austere and exacting are usually appeasedby the signs of contrition, but the nature of Deerslayer did not requireproofs of intense feelings so strong in order to bring him down to alevel with the regrets felt by the girl herself. He arose, as if anadder had stung him, and the accents of the mother that soothes herchild were scarcely more gentle and winning than the tones of his voice,as he now expressed his contrition at having gone so far.
"It was well meant, Judith," he said, "but it was not intended to hurtyour feelin's so much. I have overdone the advice, I see; yes, I'veoverdone it, and I crave your pardon for the same. Fri'ndship's an awfulthing! Sometimes it chides us for not having done enough; and then,ag'in it speaks in strong words for havin' done too much. Howsever, Iacknowledge I've overdone the matter, and as I've a ra'al and strongregard for you, I rej'ice to say it, inasmuch as it proves how muchbetter you are, than my own vanity and consaits had made you out to be."
Judith now removed her hands from her face, her tears had ceased, andshe unveiled a countenance so winning with the smile which renderedit even radiant, that the young man gazed at her, for a moment, withspeechless delight.
"Say no more, Deerslayer," she hastily interposed; "it pains me to hearyou find fault with yourself. I know my own weakness, all the better,now I see that you have discovered it; the lesson, bitter as I havefound it for a moment, shall not be forgotten. We will not talk anylonger of these things, for I do not feel myself brave enough for theundertaking, and I should not like the Delaware, or Hist, or even Hetty,to notice my weakness. Farewell, Deerslayer; may God bless and protectyou as your honest heart deserves blessings and protection, and as Imust think he will."
Judith had so far regained the superiority that properly belonged to herbetter education, high spirit, and surpassing personal advantages, asto preserve the ascendancy she had thus accidentally obtained, andeffectually prevented any return to the subject that was as singularlyinterrupted, as it had been singularly introduced. The young manpermitted her to have every thing her own way, and when she pressed hishard hand in both her own, he made no resistance, but submitted to thehomage as quietly, and with quite as matter of course a manner, as asovereign would have received a similar tribute from a subject, or themistress from her suitor. Feeling had flushed the face and illuminatedthe whole countenance of the girl, and her beauty was never moreresplendant than when she cast a parting glance at the youth. Thatglance was filled with anxiety, interest and gentle pity. At the nextinstant, she darted into the hut and was seen no more, though she spoketo Hist from a window, to inform her that their friend expected herappearance.
"You know enough of red-skin natur', and red-skin usages, Wah-ta-Wah,to see the condition I am in on account of this furlough," commenced thehunter in Delaware, as soon as the patient and submissive girl ofthat people had moved quietly to his side; "you will therefore bestonderstand how onlikely I am ever to talk with you ag'in. I've butlittle to say; but that little comes from long livin' among your people,and from havin' obsarved and noted their usages. The life of a woman ishard at the best, but I must own, though I'm not opinionated in favor ofmy own colour, that it is harder among the red men than it is amongthe pale-faces. This is a p'int on which Christians may well boast, ifboasting can be set down for Christianity in any manner or form, which Irather think it cannot. Howsever, all women have their trials. Red womenhave their'n in what I should call the nat'ral way, while white womentake 'em innoculated like. Bear your burthen, Hist, becomingly, andremember if it be a little toilsome, how much lighter it is than that ofmost Indian women. I know the Sarpent well--what I call cordially--andhe will never be a tyrant to any thing he loves, though he will expectto be treated himself like a Mohican Chief. There will be cloudy daysin your lodge I suppose, for they happen under all usages, and among allpeople, but, by keepin' the windows of the heart open there will alwaysbe room for the sunshine to enter. You come of a great stock yourself,and so does Chingachgook. It's not very likely that either will everforget the sarcumstance and do any thing to disgrace your forefathers.Nevertheless, likin' is a tender plant, and never thrives long whenwatered with tears. Let the 'arth around your married happiness bemoistened by the dews of kindness."
"My pale brother is very wise; Wah will keep in her mind all that hiswisdom tells her."
"That's judicious and womanly, Hist. Care in listening, andstout-heartedness in holding to good counsel, is a wife's greatprotection. And, now, ask the Sarpent to come and speak with me, for amoment, and carry away with you all my best wishes and prayers. I shallthink of you, Hist, and of your intended husband, let what may come topass, and always wish you well, here and hereafter, whether the last isto be according to Indian idees, or Christian doctrines."
Hist shed no tear at parting. She was sustained by the high resolutionof one who had decided on her course, but her dark eyes were luminouswith the feelings that glowed within, and her pretty countenance beamedwith an expression of determination that was in marked and singularcontrast to its ordinary gentleness. It was but a minute ere theDelaware advanced to the side of his friend with the light, noiselesstread of an Indian.
"Come this-a-way, Sarpent, here more out of sight of the women,"commenced the Deerslayer, "for I've several things to say that mustn'tso much as be suspected, much less ov
erheard. You know too wellthe natur' of furloughs and Mingos to have any doubts or misgivin'sconsarnin' what is like to happen, when I get back to the camp. On themtwo p'ints therefore, a few words will go a great way. In the firstplace, chief, I wish to say a little about Hist, and the manner in whichyou red men treat your wives. I suppose it's accordin' to the gifts ofyour people that the women should work, and the men hunt; but there'ssuch a thing as moderation in all matters. As for huntin', I see no goodreason why any limits need be set to that, but Hist comes of too good astock to toil like a common drudge. One of your means and standin' neednever want for corn, or potatoes, or anything that the fields yield;therefore, I hope the hoe will never be put into the hands of any wifeof yourn. You know I am not quite a beggar, and all I own, whether inammunition, skins, arms, or calicoes, I give to Hist, should I not comeback to claim them by the end of the season. This will set the maidenup, and will buy labor for her, for a long time to come. I suppose Ineedn't tell you to love the young woman, for that you do already, andwhomsoever the man ra'ally loves, he'll be likely enough to cherish.Nevertheless, it can do no harm to say that kind words never rankle,while bitter words do. I know you're a man, Sarpent, that is less apt totalk in his own lodge, than to speak at the Council Fire; but forgetfulmoments may overtake us all, and the practyse of kind doin', and kindtalkin', is a wonderful advantage in keepin' peace in a cabin, as wellas on a hunt."
"My ears are open," returned the Delaware gravely; "the words of mybrother have entered so far that they never can fall out again. Theyare like rings, that have no end, and cannot drop. Let him speak on; thesong of the wren and the voice of a friend never tire."
"I will speak a little longer, chief, but you will excuse it for thesake of old companionship, should I now talk about myself. If the worstcomes to the worst, it's not likely there'll be much left of me butashes, so a grave would be useless, and a sort of vanity. On that scoreI'm no way partic'lar, though it might be well enough to take a lookat the remains of the pile, and should any bones, or pieces be found,'twould be more decent to gather them together, and bury them, than tolet them lie for the wolves to gnaw at, and howl over. These matterscan make no great difference in the mind, but men of white blood andChristian feelin's have rather a gift for graves."
"It shall be done as my brother says," returned the Indian, gravely. "Ifhis mind is full, let him empty it in the bosom of a friend."
"I thank you, Sarpent; my mind's easy enough; yes, it's tolerable easy.Idees will come uppermost that I'm not apt to think about in common,it's true, but by striving ag'in some, and lettin' other some out, allwill come right in the long run. There's one thing, howsever, chief,that does seem to me to be onreasonable, and ag'in natur', though themissionaries say it's true, and bein' of my religion and colour I feelbound to believe them. They say an Injin may torment and tortur' thebody to his heart's content, and scalp, and cut, and tear, and burn,and consume all his inventions and deviltries, until nothin' is left butashes, and they shall be scattered to the four winds of heaven, yet whenthe trumpet of God shall sound, all will come together ag'in, and theman will stand forth in his flesh, the same creatur' as to looks, if notas to feelin's, that he was afore he was harmed!"
"The missionaries are good men--mean well," returned the Delawarecourteously; "they are not great medicines. They think all they say,Deerslayer; that is no reason why warriors and orators should be allears. When Chingachgook shall see the father of Tamenund standing in hisscalp, and paint, and war lock, then will he believe the missionaries."
"Seein' is believin', of a sartainty; ahs! me--and some of us may seethese things sooner than we thought. I comprehind your meanin' aboutTamenund's father, Sarpent, and the idee's a close idee. Tamenund is nowan elderly man, say eighty every day of it, and his father was scalped,and tormented, and burnt, when the present prophet was a youngster. Yes,if one could see that come to pass, there wouldn't be much difficultyin yieldin' faith to all that the missionaries say. Howsever, I amnot ag'in the opinion now, for you must know, Sarpent, that the greatprinciple of Christianity is to believe without seeing, and a man shouldalways act up to his religion and principles, let them be what theymay."
"That is strange for a wise nation!" said the Delaware with emphasis."The red man looks hard, that he may see and understand."
"Yes, that's plauserble, and is agreeable to mortal pride, but it's notas deep as it seems. If we could understand all we see, Sarpent, theremight be not only sense, but safety, in refusin' to give faith to anyone thing that we might find oncomperhensible; but when there's so manythings about which it may be said we know nothin' at all, why, there'slittle use, and no reason, in bein' difficult touchin' any one inpartic'lar. For my part, Delaware, all my thoughts haven't been on thegame, when outlyin' in the hunts and scoutin's of our youth. Many's thehour I've passed, pleasantly enough too, in what is tarmed conterplationby my people. On such occasions the mind is actyve, though the bodyseems lazy and listless. An open spot on a mountain side, where a widelook can be had at the heavens and the 'arth, is a most judicious placefor a man to get a just idee of the power of the Manitou, and of hisown littleness. At such times, there isn't any great disposition to findfault with little difficulties, in the way of comperhension, as thereare so many big ones to hide them. Believin' comes easy enough to me atsuch times, and if the Lord made man first out of 'arth, as they tell meit is written in the Bible; then turns him into dust at death; I seeno great difficulty in the way to bringin' him back in the body,though ashes be the only substance left. These things lie beyond ourunderstandin', though they may and do lie so close to our feelin's. But,of all the doctrines, Sarpent, that which disturbs me, and disconsartsmy mind the most, is the one which teaches us to think that a pale-facegoes to one heaven, and a red-skin to another; it may separate in deaththem which lived much together, and loved each other well, in life!"
"Do the missionaries teach their white brethren to think it is so?"demanded the Indian, with serious earnestness. "The Delawares believethat good men and brave warriors will hunt together in the same pleasantwoods, let them belong to whatever tribe they may; that all the unjustIndians and cowards will have to sneak in with the dogs and the wolvesto get venison for their lodges."
"'Tis wonderful how many consaits mankind have consarnin' happiness andmisery, here after!" exclaimed the hunter, borne away by the power ofhis own thoughts. "Some believe in burnin's and flames, and some thinkpunishment is to eat with the wolves and dogs. Then, ag'in, some fancyheaven to be only the carryin' out of their own 'arthly longin's, whileothers fancy it all gold and shinin' lights! Well, I've an idee of myown, in that matter, which is just this, Sarpent. Whenever I've donewrong, I've ginirally found 'twas owin' to some blindness of the mind,which hid the right from view, and when sight has returned, then hascome sorrow and repentance. Now, I consait that, after death, whenthe body is laid aside or, if used at all, is purified and without itslongin's, the spirit sees all things in their ra'al lights and neverbecomes blind to truth and justice. Such bein' the case, all that hasbeen done in life, is beheld as plainly as the sun is seen at noon;the good brings joy, while the evil brings sorrow. There's nothin'onreasonable in that, but it's agreeable to every man's exper'ence."
"I thought the pale-faces believed all men were wicked; who then couldever find the white man's heaven?"
"That's ingen'ous, but it falls short of the missionary teachin's.You'll be Christianized one day, I make no doubt, and then 'twill allcome plain enough. You must know, Sarpent, that there's been a greatdeed of salvation done, that, by God's help, enables all men to finda pardon for their wickednesses, and that is the essence of the whiteman's religion. I can't stop to talk this matter over with you anylonger, for Hetty's in the canoe, and the furlough takes me away, butthe time will come I hope when you'll feel these things; for, after all,they must be felt rather than reasoned about. Ah's! me; well, Delaware,there's my hand; you know it's that of a fri'nd, and will shake it assuch, though it never has done you one half the good
its owner wishes ithad."
The Indian took the offered hand, and returned its pressure warmly. Thenfalling back on his acquired stoicism of manner, which so many mistakefor constitutional indifference, he drew up in reserve, and preparedto part from his friend with dignity. Deerslayer, however, was morenatural, nor would he have at all cared about giving way to hisfeelings, had not the recent conduct and language of Judith given himsome secret, though ill defined apprehensions of a scene. He was toohumble to imagine the truth concerning the actual feelings of thatbeautiful girl, while he was too observant not to have noted thestruggle she had maintained with herself, and which had so often ledher to the very verge of discovery. That something extraordinary wasconcealed in her breast he thought obvious enough, and, through asentiment of manly delicacy that would have done credit to the highesthuman refinement, he shrunk from any exposure of her secret that mightsubsequently cause regret to the girl, herself. He therefore determinedto depart, now, and that without any further manifestations of feelingeither from him, or from others.
"God bless you! Sarpent--God bless you!" cried the hunter, as the canoeleft the side of the platform. "Your Manitou and my God only know whenand where we shall meet ag'in; I shall count it a great blessing, and afull reward for any little good I may have done on 'arth, if we shall bepermitted to know each other, and to consort together, hereafter, as wehave so long done in these pleasant woods afore us!"
Chingachgook waved his hand. Drawing the light blanket he wore overhis head, as a Roman would conceal his grief in his robes, he slowlywithdrew into the Ark, in order to indulge his sorrow and his musings,alone. Deerslayer did not speak again until the canoe was half-way tothe shore. Then he suddenly ceased paddling, at an interruption thatcame from the mild, musical voice of Hetty.
"Why do you go back to the Hurons, Deerslayer?" demanded the girl. "Theysay I am feeble-minded, and such they never harm, but you have as muchsense as Hurry Harry; and more too, Judith thinks, though I don't seehow that can well be."
"Ah! Hetty, afore we land I must convarse a little with you child,and that too on matters touching your own welfare, principally. Stoppaddling--or, rather, that the Mingos needn't think we are plotting andcontriving, and so treat us accordingly, just dip your paddle lightly,and give the canoe a little motion and no more. That's just the idee andthe movement; I see you're ready enough at an appearance, and might bemade useful at a sarcumvention if it was lawful now to use one--that'sjust the idee and the movement! Ah's! me. Desait and a false tongue areevil things, and altogether onbecoming our colour, Hetty, but it is apleasure and a satisfaction to outdo the contrivances of a red-skin inthe strife of lawful warfare. My path has been short, and is like soonto have an end, but I can see that the wanderings of a warrior aren'taltogether among brambles and difficulties. There's a bright side to awarpath, as well as to most other things, if we'll only have the wisdomto see it, and the ginerosity to own it."
"And why should your warpath, as you call it, come so near to an end,Deerslayer?"
"Because, my good girl, my furlough comes so near to an end. They'relikely to have pretty much the same tarmination, as regards time, onefollowing on the heels of the other, as a matter of course."
"I don't understand your meaning, Deerslayer--" returned the girl,looking a little bewildered. "Mother always said people ought to speakmore plainly to me than to most other persons, because I'm feebleminded. Those that are feeble minded, don't understand as easily asthose that have sense."
"Well then, Hetty, the simple truth is this. You know that I'm now acaptyve to the Hurons, and captyves can't do, in all things, as theyplease--"
"But how can you be a captive," eagerly interrupted the girl--"when youare out here on the lake, in father's best canoe, and the Indians are inthe woods with no canoe at all? That can't be true, Deerslayer!"
"I wish with all my heart and soul, Hetty, that you was right, and thatI was wrong, instead of your bein' all wrong, and I bein' only too nearthe truth. Free as I seem to your eyes, gal, I'm bound hand and foot inra'ality."
"Well it is a great misfortune not to have sense! Now I can't see orunderstand that you are a captive, or bound in any manner. If you arebound, with what are your hands and feet fastened?"
"With a furlough, gal; that's a thong that binds tighter than anychain. One may be broken, but the other can't. Ropes and chains allow ofknives, and desait, and contrivances; but a furlough can be neither cut,slipped nor sarcumvented."
"What sort of a thing is a furlough, then, if it be stronger than hempor iron? I never saw a furlough."
"I hope you may never feel one, gal; the tie is altogether in thefeelin's, in these matters, and therefore is to be felt and not seen.You can understand what it is to give a promise, I dare to say, goodlittle Hetty?"
"Certainly. A promise is to say you will do a thing, and that binds youto be as good as your word. Mother always kept her promises to me, andthen she said it would be wicked if I didn't keep my promises to her,and to every body else."
"You have had a good mother, in some matters, child, whatever she mayhave been in other some. That is a promise, and as you say it must bekept. Now, I fell into the hands of the Mingos last night, and they letme come off to see my fri'nds and send messages in to my own colour, ifany such feel consarn on my account, on condition that I shall be backwhen the sun is up to-day, and take whatever their revenge and hatredcan contrive, in the way of torments, in satisfaction for the life ofa warrior that fell by my rifle, as well as for that of the young womanshot by Hurry, and other disapp'intments met with on and about thislake. What is called a promise atween mother and darter, or even atweenstrangers in the settlements is called a furlough when given by onesoldier to another, on a warpath. And now I suppose you understand mysituation, Hetty."
The girl made no answer for some time, but she ceased paddlingaltogether, as if the novel idea distracted her mind too much to admitof other employment. Then she resumed the dialogue earnestly and withsolicitude.
"Do you think the Hurons will have the heart to do what you say,Deerslayer?" she asked. "I have found them kind and harmless."
"That's true enough as consarns one like you, Hetty, but it's a verydifferent affair when it comes to an open inimy, and he too the owner ofa pretty sartain rifle. I don't say that they bear me special malice onaccount of any expl'ites already performed, for that would be bragging,as it might be, on the varge of the grave, but it's no vanity to believethat they know one of their bravest and cunnin'est chiefs fell by myhands. Such bein' the case, the tribe would reproach them if they failedto send the spirit of a pale-face to keep the company of the spirit oftheir red brother; always supposin' that he can catch it. I look forno marcy, Hetty, at their hands; and my principal sorrow is that such acalamity should befall me on my first warpath: that it would come sooneror later, every soldier counts on and expects."
"The Hurons shall not harm you, Deerslayer," cried the girl, muchexcited--"'Tis wicked as well as cruel; I have the Bible, here, to tellthem so. Do you think I would stand by and see you tormented?"
"I hope not, my good Hetty, I hope not; and, therefore, when the momentcomes, I expect you will move off, and not be a witness of what youcan't help, while it would grieve you. But, I haven't stopped thepaddles to talk of my own afflictions and difficulties, but to speak alittle plainly to you, gal, consarnin' your own matters."
"What can you have to say to me, Deerslayer! Since mother died, few talkto me of such things."
"So much the worse, poor gal; yes, 'tis so much the worse, for one ofyour state of mind needs frequent talking to, in order to escape thesnares and desaits of this wicked world. You haven't forgotten HurryHarry, gal, so soon, I calculate?"
"I!--I forget Henry March!" exclaimed Hetty, starting. "Why should Iforget him, Deerslayer, when he is our friend, and only left us lastnight. Then the large bright star that mother loved so much to gaze atwas just over the top of yonder tall pine on the mountain, as Hurry gotinto the canoe; and when you landed him on
the point, near the east bay,it wasn't more than the length of Judith's handsomest ribbon above it."
"And how can you know how long I was gone, or how far I went to landHurry, seein' you were not with us, and the distance was so great, tosay nothing of the night?"
"Oh! I know when it was, well enough," returned Hettypositively--"There's more ways than one for counting time and distance.When the mind is engaged, it is better than any clock. Mine is feeble,I know, but it goes true enough in all that touches poor Hurry Harry.Judith will never marry March, Deerslayer."
"That's the p'int, Hetty; that's the very p'int I want to come to.I suppose you know that it's nat'ral for young people to have kindfeelin's for one another, more especially when one happens to be a youthand t'other a maiden. Now, one of your years and mind, gal, that hasneither father nor mother, and who lives in a wilderness frequented byhunters and trappers, needs be on her guard against evils she littledreams of."
"What harm can it be to think well of a fellow creature," returned Hettysimply, though the conscious blood was stealing to her cheeks in spiteof a spirit so pure that it scarce knew why it prompted the blush, "theBible tells us to 'love them who despitefully use' us, and why shouldn'twe like them that do not."
"Ah! Hetty, the love of the missionaries isn't the sort of likin' Imean. Answer me one thing, child; do you believe yourself to have mindenough to become a wife, and a mother?"
"That's not a proper question to ask a young woman, Deerslayer, andI'll not answer it," returned the girl, in a reproving manner--much asa parent rebukes a child for an act of indiscretion. "If you have anything to say about Hurry, I'll hear that--but you must not speak evil ofhim; he is absent, and 'tis unkind to talk evil of the absent."
"Your mother has given you so many good lessons, Hetty, that my fearsfor you are not as great as they were. Nevertheless, a young womanwithout parents, in your state of mind, and who is not without beauty,must always be in danger in such a lawless region as this. I would saynothin' amiss of Hurry, who, in the main, is not a bad man for oneof his callin', but you ought to know one thing, which it may not bealtogether pleasant to tell you, but which must be said. March has adesperate likin' for your sister Judith."
"Well, what of that? Everybody admires Judith, she's so handsome, andHurry has told me, again and again, how much he wishes to marry her.But that will never come to pass, for Judith don't like Hurry. She likesanother, and talks about him in her sleep; though you need not ask mewho he is, for all the gold in King George's crown, and all the jewelstoo, wouldn't tempt me to tell you his name. If sisters can't keep eachother's secrets, who can?"
"Sartainly, I do not wish you to tell me, Hetty, nor would it be anyadvantage to a dyin' man to know. What the tongue says when the mind'sasleep, neither head nor heart is answerable for."
"I wish I knew why Judith talks so much in her sleep, about officers,and honest hearts, and false tongues, but I suppose she don't like totell me, as I'm feeble minded. Isn't it odd, Deerslayer, that Judithdon't like Hurry--he who is the bravest looking youth that ever comesupon the lake, and is as handsome as she is herself. Father always saidthey would be the comeliest couple in the country, though mother didn'tfancy March any more than Judith. There's no telling what will happen,they say, until things actually come to pass."
"Ahs! me--well, poor Hetty, 'tis of no great use to talk to them thatcan't understand you, and so I'll say no more about what I did wishto speak of, though it lay heavy on my mind. Put the paddle in motionag'in, gal, and we'll push for the shore, for the sun is nearly up, andmy furlough is almost out."
The canoe now glided ahead, holding its way towards the point whereDeerslayer well knew that his enemies expected him, and where he nowbegan to be afraid he might not arrive in season to redeem hisplighted faith. Hetty, perceiving his impatience without very clearlycomprehending its cause, however, seconded his efforts in a way thatsoon rendered their timely return no longer a matter of doubt. Then,and then only, did the young man suffer his exertions to flag, and Hettybegan, again, to prattle in her simple confiding manner, though nothingfarther was uttered that it may be thought necessary to relate.
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