His acquaintance Rivenoak, however, was present, being seated in
the foreground of a picture that Salvator Rosa would have delighted
to draw, his swarthy features illuminated as much by pleasure as
by the torchlike flame, while he showed another of the tribe one of
the elephants that had caused so much sensation among his people.
A boy was looking over his shoulder, in dull curiosity, completing
the group. More in the background eight or ten warriors lay half
recumbent on the ground, or sat with their backs reclining against
trees, so many types of indolent repose. Their arms were near
them all, sometimes leaning against the same trees as themselves,
or were lying across their bodies in careless preparation. But
the group that most attracted the attention of Deerslayer was that
composed of the women and children. A1l the females appeared to
be collected together, and, almost as a matter of course, their
young were near them. The former laughed and chatted in their
rebuked and quiet manner, though one who knew the habits of the
people might have detected that everything was not going on in its
usual train. Most of the young women seemed to be light-hearted
enough; but one old hag was seated apart with a watchful soured
aspect, which the hunter at once knew betokened that some duty of
an unpleasant character had been assigned her by the chiefs.
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