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 ñ how she look ñ 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" ñ Hist had
pointed out the planet Jupiter, without knowing it ñ "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 ñ 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! ñ 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 ñ and, Hurry ñ Yes ñ 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 ñ 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 liv'd 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!'"
James Merrick, "The Chameleon," 11.21-26.
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 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.
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