overing they had been
understood, and hearing themselves addressed in their own tongue.
But only an expressive hugh! and an involuntary stroke of the paddle,
which sent the canoe dancing over the water, betrayed their surprise.
Holden stood for a moment gazing after them, then turning, directed
his steps towards the hut. We will not follow him, but pursue the
departing Indians.

For five minutes, perhaps, they paddled on in silence, each apparently
unwilling to betray any curiosity about a circumstance that engrossed
the thoughts of both. At last the woman spoke.

"The Great Spirit has taught the words of the wigwam to the man with
the Long Beard."

A shrug of the shoulders and another hugh! were the only notice taken
by her companion of the observation. Again a silence followed, which
was broken this time by the man. As if to express his dissent from the
conjecture of the squaw, he said,

"The Long Beard has drunk of the streams that run towards the setting
sun, and there he learned the speech of warriors. Did he charm
the ears of Peena with their sounds when he taught her to run his
errands?"

The blood crimsoned deeper into the cheeks of the woman, but with
an effort she subdued the rising feeling of resentment, while she
answered,

"Let Ohquamehud listen, and the darkness shall depart from his path.
The sun has eaten the snows of fifteen winters, and fifteen times the
song of the summer birds have been silent since the Long Beard came
to the river of the Pequots. And the pale faces desired his
companionship, but he turned away his steps from theirs, and built his
wigwam on the Salmon Isle, for the heart of the Long Beard was lonely.
There he speaks to the Great Spirit in the morning clouds. The young
cub that sprung from the loins of Huttamoiden had already put on his
moccasins for the Spirit land, and the tears of Peena were falling
fast when the Long Beard came to her wigwam. And he stretched his arms
over the boy and asked of the Great Spirit that he might stay to lead
his mother by the hand when she should be old and blind, and to pluck
the thorns from her feet. And the Great Spirit listened, for he loves
the Long Beard, and unloosed the moccasins from the feet of the boy,
and the fire in his breath went out, and he slept, and was well.
Therefore is Peena a bird to fly with the messages of the Long Beard.
But this is the first time she has heard from white lips the language
of the red man."

The India