Besides, in harming Deerslayer, you injure your own friend; when
father and Hurry Harry came after your scalps, he refused to be of
the party, and staid in the canoe by himself. You are tormenting
a good friend, in tormenting this young man!"
The Hurons listened with grave attention, and one among them, who
understood English, translated what had been said into their native
tongue. As soon as Rivenoak was made acquainted with the purport
of her address he answered it in his own dialect; the interpreter
conveying it to the girl in English.
"My daughter is very welcome to speak," said the stern old orator,
using gentle intonations and smiling as kindly as if addressing a
child - "The Hurons are glad to hear her voice; they listen to what
she says. The Great Spirit often speaks to men with such tongues.
This time, her eyes have not been open wide enough to see all that
has happened. Deerslayer did not come for our scalps, that is
true; why did he not come? Here they are on our heads; the war
locks are ready to be taken hold of; a bold enemy ought to stretch
out his hand to seize them. The Iroquois are too great a nation
to punish men that take scalps. What they do themselves, they
like to see others do.
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