I remember, now, to have seen one of the officers at the
garrison with a set of fox and geese made in some such a design
as these, and here is something hard, wrapped in cloth, that may
belong to your idols."
Deerslayer took the bundle the girl gave him, and unrolling it, he
found the board within. Like the pieces it was large, rich, and
inlaid with ebony and ivory. Putting the whole in conjunction the
hunter, though not without many misgivings, slowly came over to
Judith's opinion, and finally admitted that the fancied idols must
be merely the curiously carved men of some unknown game. Judith
had the tact to use her victory with great moderation, nor did she
once, even in the most indirect manner, allude to the ludicrous
mistake of her companion.
This discovery of the uses of the extraordinary-looking little
images settled the affair of the proposed ransom. It was agreed
generally, and all understood the weaknesses and tastes of Indians,
that nothing could be more likely to tempt the cupidity of the
Iroquois than the elephants, in particular. Luckily the whole of
the castles were among the pieces, and these four tower-bearing
animals it was finally determined should be the ransom offered.
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