LEATHERSTOCKING TALES – Complete Collection. Джеймс Фенимор Купер

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СКАЧАТЬ they can. I’m sorry Judith sent you, for I suppose she wants you to go back ag’in.”

      “All that’s settled, Deerslayer,” returned the girl, in a low, confidential and meaning manner, “and you may trust me to outwit the best Indian of them all. I know I am feeble minded, but I’ve got some sense, and you’ll see how I’ll use it in getting back, when my errand is done!”

      “Ahs! me, poor girl; I’m afeard all that’s easier said than done. They’re a venomous set of riptyles and their p’ison’s none the milder, for the loss of Hist. Well, I’m glad the Sarpent was the one to get off with the gal, for now there’ll be two happy at least, whereas had he fallen into the hands of the Mingos, there’d been two miserable, and another far from feelin’ as a man likes to feel.”

      “Now you put me in mind of a part of my errand that I had almost forgotten, Deerslayer. Judith told me to ask you what you thought the Hurons would do with you, if you couldn’t be bought off, and what she had best do to serve you. Yes, this was the most important part of the errand — what she had best do, in order to serve you?”

      “That’s as you think, Hetty; but it’s no matter. Young women are apt to lay most stress on what most touches their feelin’s; but no matter; have it your own way, so you be but careful not to let the vagabonds get the mastery of a canoe. When you get back to the Ark, tell ’em to keep close, and to keep moving too, most especially at night. Many hours can’t go by without the troops on the river hearing of this party, and then your fri’nds may look for relief. ’Tis but a day’s march from the nearest garrison, and true soldiers will never lie idle with the foe in their neighborhood. This is my advice, and you may say to your father and Hurry that scalp-hunting will be a poor business now, as the Mingos are up and awake, and nothing can save ’em, ‘till the troops come, except keeping a good belt of water atween ’em and the savages.”

      “What shall I tell Judith about you, Deerslayer; I know she will send me back again, if I don’t bring her the truth about you.”

      “Then tell her the truth. I see no reason Judith Hutter shouldn’t hear the truth about me, as well as a lie. I’m a captyve in Indian hands, and Providence only knows what will come of it! Harkee, Hetty,” dropping his voice and speaking still more confidentially, “you are a little weak minded, it must be allowed, but you know something of Injins. Here I am in their hands, after having slain one of their stoutest warriors, and they’ve been endivouring to work upon me through fear of consequences, to betray your father, and all in the Ark. I understand the blackguards as well as if they’d told it all out plainly, with their tongues. They hold up avarice afore me, on one side, and fear on t’other, and think honesty will give way atween ’em both. But let your father and Hurry know, ’tis all useless; as for the Sarpent, he knows it already.”

      “But what shall I tell Judith? She will certainly send me back, if I don’t satisfy her mind.”

      “Well, tell Judith the same. 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

       Table of Contents

      “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, СКАЧАТЬ