"
No one opposed this proposition, and the girls withdrew into the
cabin to prepare the evening meal, while the two young men took
their seats on the head of the scow and began to converse. The
dialogue was in the language of the Delawares. As that dialect,
however, is but little understood, even by the learned; we shall
not only on this, but on all subsequent occasions render such
parts as it may be necessary to give closely, into liberal English;
preserving, as far as possible, the idiom and peculiarities of the
respective speakers, by way of presenting the pictures in the most
graphic forms to the minds of the readers.
It is unnecessary to enter into the details first related by Deerslayer,
who gave a brief narrative of the facts that are already familiar
to those who have read our pages. In relating these events,
however, it may be well to say that the speaker touched only on the
outlines, more particularly abstaining from saying anything about
his encounter with, and victory over the Iroquois, as well as to
his own exertions in behalf of the two deserted young women. When
Deerslayer ended, the Delaware took up the narrative, in turn,
speaking sententiously and with grave dignity.
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