Taranteens. Indolently thrown upon
the ground in front of his lodge, in the soft summer morning, he
beheld its master inhaling the fumes of that pernicious but seductive
plant, which is one of the few gifts the North American savage has
transmitted to his conquerors, that promise to perpetuate his memory.
Little children, of whom seldom more than two or three were to be seen
in any wigwam, played around him, now and then obtaining a word of
notice, while the patient squaws were either engaged in ordinary
culinary preparations, or, if more than one wife were in the lodge,
dividing their labors among themselves, the one cooking, a second
mending moccasons or robes, and a third preparing to start with her
agricultural tools, made of Quohaug shells, (a large kind of clam,)
for the maize field. Here and there he could see young men armed with
bows and arrows, leaving for the surrounding woods, in pursuit of that
game on which was their principal dependance for food. Only one old
person did he behold, whence he inferred that their precarious life
was unfavorable to longevity. He lounged throughout the whole
encampment without interruption, sometimes regarded with a frown,
sometimes with a smile, but for the most part treated with
indifference.

The monotony of Indian life affords little to interest during the week
spent by Sir Christopher and Arundel among the Taranteens. It was
passed by the latter in daily hunts with some young Taranteens, with
whom he had contrived to ingratiate himself, and to whom his gun was
no unwelcome assistant in the chase. The Knight had assured him of the
absence of all danger from the Indians, but even without such
assurance, Arundel would have preferred to encounter some peril rather
than submit to the tedium he must otherwise have endured.

As for Sir Christopher, his preconcerted meeting with Father Le Vieux,
and the conversation betwixt them, prove that he had other objects
besides the establishment of peace between the English and the
Taranteens. The determination of the question of peace or war seemed
to be left entirely with the Father. We may consider his remaining in
the village was for the purpose of waiting for the announcement of the
conclusion to which the Indians, under the direction of the Jesuit
priest, should come, and also to arrange their mutual plans; for,
taking advantage of the absence of Arundel, which, as is seen, he
encouraged, the Knight had frequent conferences with t