At the next instant,
his heavy foot was heard stamping in the passage above; that which
separated the chambers of the father and daughters, and into which
the trap opened. He then gave a shout of triumph.
"Come on, old Tom," the reckless woodsman called out from within the
building - "here's your tenement, safe and sound; ay, and as empty
as a nut that has passed half an hour in the paws of a squirrel!
The Delaware brags of being able to see silence; let him come here,
and he may feel it, in the bargain."
"Any silence where you are, Hurry Harry," returned Hutter, thrusting
his head in at the hole as he uttered the last word, which instantly
caused his voice to sound smothered to those without - "Any silence
where you are, ought to be both seen and felt, for it's unlike any
other silence."
"Come, come, old fellow; hoist yourself up, and we'll open doors
and windows and let in the fresh air to brighten up matters. Few
words in troublesome times, make men the best fri'nds. Your darter
Judith is what I call a misbehaving young woman, and the hold of
the whole family on me is so much weakened by her late conduct,
that it wouldn't take a speech as long as the ten commandments to
send me off to the river, leaving you and your traps, your Ark and
your children, your man servants and your maid servants, your oxen
and your asses, to fight this battle with the Iroquois by yourselves.
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