eople, if she would; who
asks for succor."

"Tell me, my children," continued the patriarch, hoarsely, motioning to
those around him, though his eyes still dwelt upon the kneeling form of
Cora, "where have the Delawares camped?"

"In the mountains of the Iroquois, beyond the clear springs of the
Horican."

"Many parching summers are come and gone," continued the sage, "since
I drank of the water of my own rivers. The children of Minquon* are the
justest white men, but they were thirsty and they took it to themselves.
Do they follow us so far?"

* William Penn was termed Minquon by the Delawares, and, as
he never used violence or injustice in his dealings with
them, his reputation for probity passed into a proverb. The
American is justly proud of the origin of his nation, which
is perhaps unequaled in the history of the world; but the
Pennsylvanian and Jerseyman have more reason to value
themselves in their ancestors than the natives of any other
state, since no wrong was done the original owners of the
soil.

"We follow none, we covet nothing," answered Cora. "Captives against our
wills, have we been brought amongst you; and we ask but permission
to depart to our own in peace. Art thou not Tamenund--the father, the
judge, I had almost said, the prophet--of this people?"

"I am Tamenund of many days."

"'Tis now some seven years that one of thy people was at the mercy of
a white chief on the borders of this province. He claimed to be of the
blood of the good and just Tamenund. 'Go', said the white man, 'for
thy parent's sake thou art free.' Dost thou remember the name of that
English warrior?"

"I remember, that when a laughing boy," returned the patriarch, with the
peculiar recollection of vast age, "I stood upon the sands of the sea
shore, and saw a big canoe, with wings whiter than the swan's, and wider
than many eagles, come from the rising sun."

"Nay, nay; I speak not of a time so very distant, but of favor shown to
thy kindred by one of mine, within the memory of thy youngest warrior."

"Was it when the Yengeese and the Dutchmanne fought for the
hunting-grounds of the Delawares? Then Tamenund was a chief, and first
laid aside the bow for the lightning of the pale faces--"

"Not yet then," interrupted Cora, "by many ages; I speak of a thing of
yesterday. Surely, surely, you forget it not."

"It was but yesterday," rejoined the aged man, with touching path