The girl who had so suddenly arrested the steps of Hetty was dressed
in a calico mantle that effectually protected all the upper part of
her person, while a short petticoat of blue cloth edged with gold
lace, that fell no lower than her knees, leggings of the same, and
moccasins of deer-skin, completed her attire. Her hair fell in
long dark braids down her shoulders and back, and was parted above
a low smooth forehead, in a way to soften the expression of eyes
that were full of archness and natural feeling. Her face was oval,
with delicate features, the teeth were even and white, while the
mouth expressed a melancholy tenderness, as if it wore this peculiar
meaning in intuitive perception of the fate of a being who was doomed
from birth to endure a woman's sufferings, relieved by a woman's
affections. Her voice, as has been already intimated, was soft
as the sighing of the night air, a characteristic of the females
of her race, but which was so conspicuous in herself as to have
produced for her the name of Wah-ta-Wah; which rendered into English
means Hist-oh-Hist.
In a word, this was the betrothed of Chingachgook, who - having
succeeded in lulling their suspicions, was permitted to wander around
the encampment of her captors.
Pages:
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293