As for the gals, of course they set them down much as they do women in gin'ral."
"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, for the Huron braves have hearts, and can feel for a young warrior who doesn't wish to go home empty-handed.
If he is nimble, he is welcome to lead out a party in pursuit.
Hist, howsever, must go back to the Hurons, for, when she left there in the night, she carried away by mistake, that which doesn't belong to her"
"That can't be true!" said Hetty earnestly. "Hist is no such girl, but one that gives every body his due -"
How much more she would have said in remonstrance cannot be known, inasmuch as Hist, partly laughing and partly hiding her face in shame, passed her own hand across the speaker's mouth in a way to check the words.
"You don't understand Mingo messages, poor Hetty -" resumed Deerslayer, "which seldom mean what lies exactly uppermost.
Hist has brought away with her the inclinations of a young Huron, and they want her back again, that the poor young man may find them where he last saw them!
The Sarpent they say is too promising a young warrior not to find as many wives as he wants, but this one he cannot have.
That's their meaning, and nothing else, as I understand it."
"They are very obliging and thoughtful, in supposing a young woman can forget all her own inclinations in order to let this unhappy youth find his!" said Judith, ironically; though her manner became more bitter as she proceeded.
"I suppose a woman is a woman, let her colour be white, or red, and your chiefs know little of a woman's heart, Deerslayer, if they think it can ever forgive when wronged, or ever forget when it fairly loves."
"I suppose that's pretty much the truth with some women, Judith, though I've known them that could do both.
The next message is to you.
They say the Muskrat, as they called your father, has dove to the bottom of the lake; that he will never come up again, and that his young will soon be in want of wigwams if not of food.
The Huron huts, they think, are better than the huts of York, and they wish you to come and try them.
Your colour is white, they own, but they think young women who've lived so long in the woods would lose their way in the clearin's.
A great warrior among them has lately lost his wife, and he would be glad to put the Wild Rose on her bench at his fireside.
As for the Feeble Mind, she will always be honored and taken care of by red warriors.
Your father's goods they think ought to go to enrich the tribe, but your own property, which is to include everything of a female natur', will go like that of all wives, into the wigwam of the husband.
Moreover, they've lost a young maiden by violence, lately, and 'twill take two pale-faces to fill her seat."
"And do you bring such a message to me," exclaimed Judith, though the tone in which the words were uttered had more in it of sorrow than of anger. "Am I a girl to be an Indian's slave?"
"If you wish my honest thoughts on this p'int, Judith, I shall answer that I don't think you'll, willingly, ever become any man's slave; red-skin or white.
You're not to think hard, howsever, of my bringing the message, as near as I could, in the very words in which it was given to me.
Them was the conditions on which I got my furlough, and a bargain is a bargain, though it is made with a vagabond.
I've told you what they've said, but I've not yet told you what I think you ought, one and all, to answer."
"Ay; let's hear that, Deerslayer," put in Hurry. "My cur'osity is up on that consideration, and I should like, right well, to hear your idees of the reasonableness of the reply.
For my part, though, my own mind is pretty much settled on the p'int of my own answer, which shall be made known as soon as necessary."
"And so is mine, Hurry, on all the different heads, and on no one is it more sartainly settled that on your'n.
If I was you, I should say -'Deerslayer, tell them scamps they don't know Harry March!
He is human; and having a white skin, he has also a white natur', which natur' won't let him desart females of his own race and gifts in their greatest need.
So set me down as one that will refuse to come into your treaty, though you should smoke a hogshead of tobacco over it.'"
March was a little embarrassed at this rebuke, which was uttered with sufficient warmth of manner, and with a point that left no doubt of the meaning.
Had Judith encouraged him, he would not have hesitated about remaining to defend her and her sister, but under the circumstances a feeling of resentment rather urged him to abandon them.
At all events, there was not a sufficiency of chivalry in Hurry Harry to induce him to hazard the safety of his own person unless he could see a direct connection between the probable consequences and his own interests.
It is no wonder, therefore, that his answer partook equally of his intention, and of the reliance he so boastingly placed on his gigantic strength, which if it did not always make him outrageous, usually made him impudent, as respects those with whom he conversed.
"Fair words make long friendships, Master Deerslayer," he said a little menacingly. "You're but a stripling, and you know by exper'ence what you are in the hands of a man. As you're not me, but only a go between sent by the savages to us Christians, you may tell your empl'yers that they do know Harry March, which is a proof of their sense as well as his.
He's human enough to follow human natur', and that tells him to see the folly of one man's fighting a whole tribe.
If females desart him, they must expect to be desarted by him, whether they're of his own gifts or another man's gifts.
Should Judith see fit to change her mind, she's welcome to my company to the river, and Hetty with her; but shouldn't she come to this conclusion, I start as soon as I think the enemy's scouts are beginning to nestle themselves in among the brush and leaves for the night."
"Judith will not change her mind, and she does not ask your company, Master March," returned the girl with spirit.
"That p'int's settled, then," resumed Deerslayer, unmoved by the other's warmth. "Hurry Harry must act for himself, and do that which will be most likely to suit his own fancy.
The course he means to take will give him an easy race, if it don't give him an easy conscience.
Next comes the question with Hist - what say you gal?
- Will you desart your duty, too, and go back to the Mingos and take a Huron husband, and all not for the love of the man you're to marry, but for the love of your own scalp?"
"Why you talk so to Hist!" demanded the girl half-offended. "You t'ink a red-skin girl made like captain's lady, to laugh and joke with any officer that come."
"What I think, Hist, is neither here nor there in this matter.