on the Sagamore. Not
that he appeared cast down or humiliated; not that his gait was
uncertain, or his bearing less proud; but a shadow, the shadow of a
prison house, encompassed him. The iron was evidently beginning to
enter his soul. The free denizen of the boundless forest could no more
live without liberty, than flame without air. He was like an eagle
struck down from his home in the clouds,

"Sailing with supreme dominion,
Through the azure deep of air,"

to be chained upon a stump, and approached and gazed at by every
wayfarer. The imperial bird darts round the lightning of his eyes, but
he knows them to be innocuous, and his head droops at the
consciousness.

"Remain where ye are," said an Assistant to the soldiers. "The
Governor is engaged at this moment."

"Can Neebin," said Winthrop, resuming his interrogatories, "tell me
where is Sir Christopher Gardiner?"

"Flower of the forest and of the wild rushing stream," exclaimed
Sassacus, in his own language, "be to him as the rock to which the
wind whispers an idle tale."

"What says he?" inquired the Assistants of one another, not one of
whom understood more than here and there a word.

"Let the chief keep silent," said Winthrop, addressing Sassacus. "He
will soon have an opportunity to say what he will;" and he repeated
the question.

But the little Indian showed herself no longer docile as before, but
to every question returned a stubborn silence.

"We have made a mistake in bringing in the chief," said an Assistant.
"She will not open her lips again. He hath said something to frustrate
our inquires."

"Thou hast rightly divined," said Winthrop, after another vain attempt
to induce the child to speak. "And now what shall be done? for I hold
it unmeet that she should be sent back to the source whence, instead
of the Gospel truth she should have been taught, she hath sucked only
error."

"That were indeed a deadly unkindness to the poor fawn," said Sir
Richard, "seeing it would be imperiling her eternal salvation."

"Better," said Endicott, "that she should continue in a darkness
penetrated only by the dim light of nature than be made a victim of
Roman superstition."

"If any one of ye, gentlemen, will take her in charge," said Winthrop,
"gladly will I resign the child into your hands; but if not, then
will I receive her into mine own household, where, by God's grace, the
tares which the enemy hath sown may be eradicated."

No one manifesti