For an instant Lord H---- was completely puzzled to discover what it was that gave such peculiarity to the missionary's language; for the words and accent were those of an ordinary Englishman of no very superior education; and it was not until Mr. Gore had uttered one or two sentences more that he perceived that what he said often arranged itself into a sort of blank verse, not very poetical, not very musical, even, but scanable easily enough.
In the meanwhile the Black Eagle and his host had entered the house and proceeded straight to the great eating-hall, where the whole party seated themselves in silence, Otaitsa taking her place close to the side of Edith, while Walter stationed himself where he could watch the bright girl's eyes without being remarked himself.
For a moment or two no one spoke, in deference to the Indian habits, and then Mr. Prevost broke silence, saying: "Well, Black Eagle, how fares it with my brother?"
"As with the tamarac in the autumn," answered the warrior, "the cold wind sighs through the branches and the fine leaves wither and fall, but the branch stands firm, as yet, and decay has not reached the heart."
"This is a chief from the land of my white fathers," said Mr. Prevost, waving his hand gracefully toward Lord H----. "He has but lately crossed the great water."
"He is welcome to what was once the redman's land," said Black Eagle, and bending his eyes upon the ground, but without any sign of emotion at the thoughts which seemed to be beneath his words, he lapsed into silence for a minute or two. Then raising his head again, he asked: "Is he a great chief? Is he a warrior, or a man of council, or a medicine man?"
"He is a great chief and a warrior," answered Mr. Prevost. "He is, moreover, skilled in council, and his words are clear as the waters of Horicon."
"He is welcome," repeated the chief. "He is our brother. He shall be called the Cataract, because he shall be powerful, and many shall rejoice at the sound of a calm voice. But, my brother----"
"Speak on," said Mr. Prevost, seeing that he paused. "They are friendly ears that listen."
"Thou art too near the Catarqui, thou art too near to Corlear," said the warrior, meaning the river St. Lawrence and Lake Champlain. "There is danger for our brother, and the wings of the Black Eagle droop when he is in his solitary place afar midst the children of the Stone, to think that thou art not farther within the walls of the Long House."
"What does he mean by the walls of the Long House?" asked Lord H---- in a whisper, addressing Edith.
"Merely the territory of the Five Nations, or Iroquois, as the French call them," answered his fair companion.
"I fear not, brother," replied Mr. Prevost. "The fire and the iron have not met to make the tomahawk which shall reach my head."
"But for the maiden's sake," said Black Eagle. "Is she not unto us as a daughter? Is she not the sister of Otaitsa? I pray thee, White Pine Tree, let her go with the Eagle and the Blossom into the land of the children of the Stone but for a few moons, till thy people have triumphed over their enemies, and till the Five Nations have hewed down the trees of the Huron and the Algonquin; till the war hatchet is buried and the pipe of peace is smoked."
"'Twere better, truly, my good friend Prevost," said Mr. Gore. "We have seen sights to-day would make the blood of the most bold and hardy man on earth turn cold and icy, to behold, and know he had a daughter near such scenes of death."
"What were they, my good friend?" asked Mr. Prevost "I have heard of nothing very new or near. The last was the capture of Fort William Henry, some six weeks since; but as yet we have not heard the whole particulars, and surely, if we are far enough away for the tidings not to reach us in six weeks, it is not likely that hostile armies would approach us very soon."
"Thou art deceived, my brother," answered Black Eagle. "One short day's journey lies betwixt thee and the battlefield. This morning we crossed when the sun wanted half an hour of noon, and we are here before he has gone down behind the forest. What we saw chilled the blood of my brother here, for he has not seen such things before. The children of Stone slay not women and children when the battle is over."
"Speak! speak! my good friend, Mr. Gore!" said the master of the house. "You know our habits better, and can tell us more of what has happened. Things which are common to his eye must be strange to yours."
"We passed the ground between the one fort and the other," answered the missionary. "The distance is but seven or eight miles; and in that short space lay well nigh a thousand human bodies, slain by every dark and terrible means of death. There were young and old: the gray-headed officer, the blooming youth, fresh from his mother's side; women and boys and girls, and little infants snatched from the mother's breast, to die by the hatchet or the war club. We heard the tiger Montcalm, in violation of his given word, in defiance of humanity, Christianity, and the spirit of a gentleman, stood by and saw his own convention broken, and gallant enemies massacred by his savage allies. But what the chief says is very true, my friend. You are far too near this scene; and although, perhaps, no regular army could reach this place ere you received timely warning, yet the Indian forerunners may be upon you at any moment, your house in flames, and you and your children massacred ere anyone could come to give you aid. The troops of our country are far away, and no force is between you and Horicon but a small body of our Mohawk brethren, who are not as well pleased with England as they have been."
Mr. Prevost turned his eyes toward Lord H----, and the young Englishman replied to Mr. Gore at once, saying, with a quiet inclination of the head: "On one point you are mistaken, sir. Lord London has returned, and there is now a strong force at Albany. I passed through that city lately, and I think that by the facts which must have come to his knowledge, General Montcalm will be deterred from pushing his brutal incursions further this year, at least. Before another shines upon him he may receive some punishment for his faithless cruelty."
"If not here, hereafter," said the missionary. "There is justice in heaven, sir, and often it visits the evil-doer upon earth. That man's end cannot be happy. But I fear you will not give us aid in persuading our friend here to abandon for a time his very dangerous position."
"I know too little of Mr. Prevost's affairs," replied Lord H----, "to advise either for or against. I know still less of the state of the country between this and the French line. Perhaps in a day or two I may know more; and then, as a military man myself, I can better tell him what are the real dangers of his situation. At all events, I should like to think over the matter till to-morrow morning before I offer an opinion. From what was said just now, I infer that the Hurons and the French having gone back, there can be no immediate peril."
Mr. Gore shook his head, and the Indian chief remained in profound and somewhat dull silence, seeming not very well pleased with the result of the discussion. A few minutes after the evening meal was brought in, and to it, at least, the Black Eagle did ample justice, eating like a European, with a knife and fork, and displaying no trace of the savage in his demeanor at the table. He remained profoundly silent, however, till the party rose, and then, taking Mr. Prevost's hand, he said: "Take counsel of thine own heart, my brother. Think of the flower that grows up by thy side; ask if thou wouldst have it trodden down by the redman's moccasin, and listen not to the Cataract, for it is cold."
Thus saying, he unrolled one of the large skins which lay at the side of the room, and stretched himself upon it to take repose.
Edith took Otaitsa by the hand, saying, "Come, Blossom, you shall be my companion as before;" and Walter retiring the moment after, left Lord H---- and his host to consult together with Mr. Gore.
CHAPTER V
One hour after the sun had risen again, three travelers took their way onward from the house of Mr. Prevost, along a path which led to the northeast.
Two other persons watched them from the door of the house, and two negro men and a negro woman gazed after them from the corner of the building which joined on to a low fence encircling