No doubt the savages will try the torments, to make me give in, and to revenge the loss of their warrior, but I must hold out ag'in nat'ral weakness in the best manner I can.
You may tell Judith to feel no consarn on my account-it will come hard I know, seeing that a white man's gifts don't run to boasting and singing under torment, for he generally feels smallest when he suffers most - but you may tell her not to have any consarn.
I think I shall make out to stand it, and she may rely on this, let me give in, as much as I may, and prove completely that I am white, by wailings, and howlings, and even tears, yet I'll never fall so far as to betray my fri'nds.
When it gets to burning holes in the flesh, with heated ramrods, and to hacking the body, and tearing the hair out by the roots, natur' may get the upperhand, so far as groans, and complaints are consarned, but there the triumph of the vagabonds will ind; nothing short of God's abandoning him to the devils can make an honest man ontrue to his colour and duty."
Hetty listened with great attention, and her mild but speaking countenance manifested a strong sympathy in the anticipated agony of the supposititious sufferer.
At first she seemed at a loss how to act; then, taking a hand of Deerslayer's she affectionately recommended to him to borrow her Bible, and to read it while the savages were inflicting their torments.
When the other honestly admitted that it exceeded his power to read, she even volunteered to remain with him, and to perform this holy office in person.
The offer was gently declined, and Rivenoak being about to join them, Deerslayer requested the girl to leave him, first enjoining her again to tell those in the Ark to have full confidence in his fidelity.
Hetty now walked away, and approached the group of females with as much confidence and self-possession as if she were a native of the tribe.
On the other hand the Huron resumed his seat by the side of his prisoner, the one continuing to ask questions with all the wily ingenuity of a practised Indian counsellor, and the other baffling him by the very means that are known to be the most efficacious in defeating the finesse of the more pretending diplomacy of civilization, or by confining his answers to the truth, and the truth only.
Chapter XVIII
"Thus died she; never more on her Shall sorrow light, or shame.
She was not made Through years or moons the inner weight to bear, Which colder hearts endure till they are laid By age in earth; her days and pleasure were Brief but delightful - such as had not stayed Long with her destiny; but she sleeps well By the sea-shore whereon she loved to dwell." Byron. Don Juan, IV, lxxi.
The young men who had been sent out to reconnoitre, on the sudden appearance of Hetty, soon returned to report their want of success in making any discovery.
One of them had even been along the beach as far as the spot opposite to the ark, but the darkness had completely concealed that vessel from his notice.
Others had examined in different directions, and everywhere the stillness of night was added to the silence and solitude of the woods.
It was consequently believed that the girl had come alone, as on her former visit, and on some similar errand.
The Iroquois were ignorant that the ark had left the castle, and there were movements projected, if not in the course of actual execution, by this time, which also greatly added to the sense of security. A watch was set, therefore, and all but the sentinels disposed themselves to sleep.
Sufficient care was had to the safe keeping of the captive, without inflicting on him any unnecessary suffering; and, as for Hetty, she was permitted to find a place among the Indian girls in the best manner she could. She did not find the friendly offices of Hist, though her character not only bestowed impunity from pain and captivity, but it procured for her a consideration and an attention that placed her, on the score of comfort, quite on a level with the wild but gentle beings around her.
She was supplied with a skin, and made her own bed on a pile of boughs a little apart from the huts. Here she was soon in a profound sleep, like all around her.
There were now thirteen men in the party, and three kept watch at a time.
One remained in shadow, not far from the fire, however.
His duty was to guard the captive, to take care that the fire neither blazed up so as to illuminate the spot, nor yet became wholly extinguished, and to keep an eye generally on the state of the camp.
Another passed from one beach to the other, crossing the base of the point, while the third kept moving slowly around the strand on its outer extremity, to prevent a repetition of the surprise that had already taken place that night.
This arrangement was far from being usual among savages, who ordinarily rely more on the secrecy of their movements, than or vigilance of this nature; but it had been called for by the peculiarity of the circumstances in which the Hurons were now placed.
Their position was known to their foes, and it could not easily be changed at an hour which demanded rest.
Perhaps, too, they placed most of their confidence on the knowledge of what they believed to be passing higher up the lake, and which, it was thought, would fully occupy the whole of the pale-faces who were at liberty, with their solitary Indian ally.
It was also probable Rivenoak was aware that, in holding his captive, he had in his own hands the most dangerous of all his enemies.
The precision with which those accustomed to watchfulness, or lives of disturbed rest, sleep, is not the least of the phenomena of our mysterious being.
The head is no sooner on the pillow than consciousness is lost; and yet, at a necessary hour, the mind appears to arouse the body, as promptly as if it had stood sentinel the while over it. There can be no doubt that they who are thus roused awake by the influence of thought over matter, though the mode in which this influence is exercised must remain hidden from our curiosity until it shall be explained, should that hour ever arrive, by the entire enlightenment of the soul on the subject of all human mysteries.
Thus it was with Hetty Hutter.
Feeble as the immaterial portion of her existence was thought to be, it was sufficiently active to cause her to open her eyes at midnight.
At that hour she awoke, and leaving her bed of skin and boughs she walked innocently and openly to the embers of the fire, stirring the latter, as the coolness of the night and the woods, in connection with an exceedingly unsophisticated bed, had a little chilled her.
As the flame shot up, it lighted the swarthy countenance of the Huron on watch, whose dark eyes glistened under its light like the balls of the panther that is pursued to his den with burning brands.
But Hetty felt no fear, and she approached the spot where the Indian stood.
Her movements were so natural, and so perfectly devoid of any of the stealthiness of cunning or deception, that he imagined she had merely arisen on account of the coolness of the night, a common occurrence in a bivouac, and the one of all others, perhaps, the least likely to excite suspicion.
Hetty spoke to him, but he understood no English.
She then gazed near a minute at the sleeping captive, and moved slowly away in a sad and melancholy manner.
The girl took no pains to conceal her movements.
Any ingenious expedient of this nature quite likely exceeded her powers; still her step was habitually light, and scarcely audible.
As she took the direction of the extremity of the point, or the place where she had landed in the first adventure, and where Hist had embarked, the sentinel saw her light form gradually disappear in the gloom without uneasiness or changing his own position.
He knew that others were on the look-out, and he did not believe that one who had twice come into the camp voluntarily, and had already left it openly, would take refuge in flight. In short, the conduct of the girl excited no more attention that that of any person of feeble intellect would excite in civilized society, while her person met with more consideration and respect.
Hetty certainly had no very distinct notions of the localities, but she found her way to the beach, which she reached on the same side of the point as that on which the camp had been made.
By following the margin of the water, taking a northern direction, she soon encountered the Indian who paced the strand as sentinel.
This was a young warrior, and when he heard her light tread coming along the gravel he approached swiftly, though with anything but menace in his manner.
The darkness was so intense that it was not easy to discover forms within the shadows of the woods at the distance of twenty feet, and quite impossible to distinguish persons until near enough to touch them.
The young Huron manifested disappointment when he found whom he had met; for, truth to say, he was expecting his favourite, who had promised to relieve the ennui of a midnight watch with her presence.
This man was also ignorant of English, but he was at no loss to understand why the girl should be up at that hour.
Such things were usual in an Indian village and camp, where sleep is as irregular as the meals.
Then poor Hetty's known imbecility, as in most things connected with the savages, stood her friend on this occasion.