LEATHERSTOCKING TALES – Complete Collection. Джеймс Фенимор Купер

and which I forgot to ask for, on account of consarn at parting in anger. Show it to your chiefs. When you bring us our fri’nds, two more shall be added to it, and,” hesitating a moment in distrust of the expediency of so great a concession; then, deciding in its favor —“and, if we see them afore the sun sets, we may find a fourth to make up an even number.”

      This settled the matter. Every gleam of discontent vanished from the dark countenance of the Iroquois, and he smiled as graciously, if not as sweetly, as Judith Hutter, herself. The piece already in his possession was again examined, and an ejaculation of pleasure showed how much he was pleased with this unexpected termination of the affair. In point of fact, both he and Deerslayer had momentarily forgotten what had become of the subject of their discussion, in the warmth of their feelings, but such had not been the case with Rivenoak’s companion. This man retained the piece, and had fully made up his mind, were it claimed under such circumstances as to render its return necessary, to drop it in the lake, trusting to his being able to find it again at some future day. This desperate expedient, however, was no longer necessary, and after repeating the terms of agreement, and professing to understand them, the two Indians finally took their departure, moving slowly towards the shore.

      “Can any faith be put in such wretches?” asked Judith, when she and Hetty had come out on the platform, and were standing at the side of Deerslayer, watching the dull movement of the logs. “Will they not rather keep the toy they have, and send us off some bloody proofs of their getting the better of us in cunning, by way of boasting? I’ve heard of acts as bad as this.”

      “No doubt, Judith; no manner of doubt, if it wasn’t for Indian natur’. But I’m no judge of a red-skin, if that two tail’d beast doesn’t set the whole tribe in some such stir as a stick raises in a beehive! Now, there’s the Sarpent; a man with narves like flint, and no more cur’osity in every day consarns than is befitting prudence; why he was so overcome with the sight of the creatur’, carved as it is in bone, that I felt ashamed for him! That’s just their gifts, howsever, and one can’t well quarrel with a man for his gifts, when they are lawful. Chingachgook will soon get over his weakness and remember that he’s a chief, and that he comes of a great stock, and has a renowned name to support and uphold; but as for yonder scamps, there’ll be no peace among ’em until they think they’ve got possession of every thing of the natur’ of that bit of carved bone that’s to be found among Thomas Hutter’s stores!”

      “They only know of the elephants, and can have no hopes about the other things.”

      “That’s true, Judith; still, covetousness is a craving feelin’! They’ll say, if the pale-faces have these cur’ous beasts with two tails, who knows but they’ve got some with three, or for that matter with four! That’s what the schoolmasters call nat’ral arithmetic, and ’twill be sartain to beset the feelin’s of savages. They’ll never be easy, till the truth is known.”

      “Do you think, Deerslayer,” inquired Hetty, in her simple and innocent manner, “that the Iroquois won’t let father and Hurry go? I read to them several of the very best verses in the whole Bible, and you see what they have done, already.”

      The hunter, as he always did, listened kindly and even affectionately to Hetty’s remarks; then he mused a moment in silence. There was something like a flush on his cheek as he answered, after quite a minute had passed.

      “I don’t know whether a white man ought to be ashamed, or not, to own he can’t read, but such is my case, Judith. You are skilful, I find, in all such matters, while I have only studied the hand of God as it is seen in the hills and the valleys, the mountain-tops, the streams, the forests and the springs. Much l’arning may be got in this way, as well as out of books; and, yet, I sometimes think it is a white man’s gift to read! When I hear from the mouths of the Moravians the words of which Hetty speaks, they raise a longing in my mind, and I then think I will know how to read ’em myself; but the game in summer, and the traditions, and lessons in war, and other matters, have always kept me behind hand.”

      “Shall I teach you, Deerslayer?” asked Hetty, earnestly. “I’m weak-minded, they say, but I can read as well as Judith. It might save your life to know how to read the Bible to the savages, and it will certainly save your soul; for mother told me that, again and again!”

      “Thankee, Hetty — yes, thankee, with all my heart. These are like to be too stirring times for much idleness, but after it’s peace, and I come to see you ag’in on this lake, then I’ll give myself up to it, as if ’twas pleasure and profit in a single business. Perhaps I ought to be ashamed, Judith, that ’tis so; but truth is truth. As for these Iroquois, ‘tisn’t very likely they’ll forget a beast with two tails, on account of a varse or two from the Bible. I rather expect they’ll give up the prisoners, and trust to some sarcumvenion or other to get ’em back ag’in, with us and all in the castle and the Ark in the bargain. Howsever, we must humour the vagabonds, first to get your father and Hurry out of their hands, and next to keep the peace atween us, until such time as the Sarpent there can make out to get off his betrothed wife. If there’s any sudden outbreakin’ of anger and ferocity, the Indians will send off all their women and children to the camp at once, whereas, by keeping ’em calm and trustful we may manage to meet Hist at the spot she has mentioned. Rather than have the bargain fall through, now, I’d throw in half a dozen of them effigy bow-and-arrow men, such as we’ve in plenty in the chist.”

      Judith cheerfully assented, for she would have resigned even the flowered brocade, rather than not redeem her father and please Deerslayer. The prospects of success were now so encouraging as to raise the spirits of all in the castle, though a due watchfulness of the movements of the enemy was maintained. Hour passed after hour, notwithstanding, and the sun had once more begun to fall towards the summits of the western hills, and yet no signs were seen of the return of the raft. By dint of sweeping the shore with the glass, Deerslayer at length discovered a place in the dense and dark woods where, he entertained no doubt, the Iroquois were assembled in considerable numbers. It was near the thicket whence the raft had issued, and a little rill that trickled into the lake announced the vicinity of a spring. Here, then, the savages were probably holding their consultation, and the decision was to be made that went to settle the question of life or death for the prisoners. There was one ground for hope in spite of the delay, however, that Deerslayer did not fail to place before his anxious companions. It was far more probable that the Indians had left their prisoners in the camp, than that they had encumbered themselves by causing them to follow through the woods a party that was out on a merely temporary excursion. If such was the fact, it required considerable time to send a messenger the necessary distance, and to bring the two white men to the spot where they were to embark. Encouraged by these reflections, a new stock of patience was gathered, and the declension of the sun was viewed with less alarm.

      The result justified Deerslayer’s conjecture. Not long before the sun had finally disappeared, the two logs were seen coming out of the thicket, again, and as it drew near, Judith announced that her father and Hurry, both of them pinioned, lay on the bushes in the centre. As before, the two Indians were rowing. The latter seemed to be conscious that the lateness of the hour demanded unusual exertions, and contrary to the habits of their people, who are ever averse to toil, they labored hard at the rude substitutes for oars. In consequence of this diligence, the raft occupied its old station in about half the time that had been taken in the previous visits.

      Even after the conditions were so well understood, and matters had proceeded so far, the actual transfer of the prisoners was not a duty to be executed without difficulty. The Iroquois were compelled to place great reliance on the good faith of their foes, though it was reluctantly given; and was yielded to necessity rather than to confidence. As soon as Hutter and Hurry should be released, the party in the castle numbered two to one, as opposed to those on the raft, and escape by flight was out of the question, as the former had three bark canoes, to say nothing of the defences of the house and the Ark. All this was understood by both parties, and it is probable the arrangement never could have been completed, had not the honest countenance and manner of Deerslayer wrought their usual effect on Rivenoak.

      “My brother knows I put faith in him,” said the latter, as he advanced with Hutter, whose legs had been released to enable the old man