My friend has come here on account of a
little string held by a girl, that can pull the whole body of the
sternest warrior?"
"You are nearer the truth, now, Huron, than you've been afore,
since we began to talk. This is true. But one end of that string
was not fast to my heart, nor did the Wild Rose hold the other."
"This is wonderful! Does my brother love in his head, and not in
his heart? And can the Feeble Mind pull so hard against so stout
a warrior?"
"There it is ag'in; sometimes right, and sometimes wrong! The
string you mean is fast to the heart of a great Delaware; one of
Mohican stock in fact, living among the Delawares since the disparsion
of his own people, and of the family of Uncas - Chingachgook by
name, or Great Sarpent. He has come here, led by the string, and
I've followed, or rather come afore, for I got here first, pulled
by nothing stronger than fri'ndship; which is strong enough for such
as are not niggardly of their feelin's, and are willing to live a
little for their fellow creatur's, as well as for themselves."
"But a string has two ends - one is fast to the mind of a Mohican;
and the other?"
"Why the other was here close to the fire, half an hour since.
Pages:
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507