When she stood forth before the whole
party, therefore, the children that she led by the hands fully
justified all she did.
"You see me before you, cruel pale-face," the woman commenced;
"your spirit must tell you my errand. I have found you; I cannot
find le Loup Cervier, nor the Panther; I have looked for them in
the lake, in the woods, in the clouds. I cannot say where they
have gone."
"No man knows, good Sumach, no man knows," interposed the captive.
"When the spirit leaves the body, it passes into a world beyond
our knowledge, and the wisest way, for them that are left behind,
is to hope for the best. No doubt both your warriors have gone
to the Happy Hunting Grounds, and at the proper time you will see
'em ag'in, in their improved state. The wife and sister of braves
must have looked forward to some such tarmination of their 'arthly
careers."
"Cruel pale-face, what had my warriors done that you should slay
them! They were the best hunters, and the boldest young men of
their tribe; the Great Spirit intended that they should live until
they withered like the branches of the hemlock, and fell of their
own weight-"
"Nay - nay - good Sumach," interrupted Deerslayer, whose love of
truth was too indomitable to listen to such hyperbole with patience,
even though it came from the torn breast of a widow -"Nay - nay,
good Sumach, this is a little outdoing red-skin privileges.
Pages:
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848