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 visitor 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; 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 Iroquois?"
Hetty did not answer at first, but, with that indescribable feeling that awakens sympathy and intelligence among the youthful and unpracticed 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 cheeks, 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." [It is singular there should be any question concerning the origin of the well-known sobriquet of "Yankees." Nearly all the old writers who speak of the Indians first known to the colonists make them pronounce the word "English" as "Yengeese." Even at this day, it is a provincialism of New England to say "Anglish" instead of "Inglish," and there is a close conformity of sound between "Anglish" and "yengeese," more especially if the latter word, as was probably the case, be pronounced short. The transition from "Yengeese," thus pronounced, to "Yankees" is quite easy. If the former is pronounced "Yangis," it is almost identical with "Yankees," and Indian words have seldom been spelt as they are pronounced. Thus the scene of this tale is spelt "Otsego," and is properly pronounced "Otsago." The liquids of the Indians would easily convert "En" into "Yen."]
"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 anything.
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 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, though 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.