could always feel. The colour slowly receded from
her cheeks, and the girl looked up archly at the Indian, smiling with
the innocence of a child, mingled with the interest of a woman.

"My sister, the Drooping Lily, hear such bird!" Chingachgook added, and
this with a gentleness of tone and manner that would have astonished
those who sometimes heard the discordant cries that often came from the
same throat; these transitions from the harsh and guttural, to the soft
and melodious not being infrequent in ordinary Indian dialogues. "My
sister's ears were open--has she lost her tongue?"

"You are Chingachgook--you must be; for there is no other red man here,
and she thought Chingachgook would come."

"Chin-gach-gook," pronouncing the name slowly, and dwelling on each
syllable` "Great Sarpent, Yengeese tongue."

[It is singular there should be any question concerning the origin of
the well-known sobriquet of "Yankees." Nearly all the old writers who
speak of the Indians first known to the colonists make them
pronounce the word "English" as "Yengeese." Even at this day, it is a
provincialism of New England to say "Anglish" instead of "Inglish," and
there is a close conformity of sound between "Anglish" and "yengeese,"
more especially if the latter word, as was probably the case, be
pronounced short. The transition from "Yengeese," thus pronounced, to
"Yankees" is quite easy. If the former is pronounced "Yangis," it is
almost identical with "Yankees," and Indian words have seldom been spelt
as they are pronounced. Thus the scene of this tale is spelt "Otsego,"
and is properly pronounced "Otsago." The liquids of the Indians would
easily convert "En" into "Yen."]

"Chin-gach-gook," repeated Hetty, in the same deliberate manner. "Yes,
so Hist called it, and you must be the chief."

"Wah-ta-Wah," added the Delaware.

"Wah-ta-Wah, or Hist-oh-Hist. I think Hist prettier than Wah, and so I
call her Hist."

"Wah very sweet in Delaware ears!"

"You make it sound differently from me. But, never mind, I did hear the
bird you speak of sing, Great Serpent."

"Will my sister say words of song? What she sing most--how she
look--often she laugh?"

"She sang Chin-gach-gook oftener than any thing else; and she laughed
heartily, when I told how the Iroquois waded into the water after us,
and couldn't catch us. I hope these logs haven't ears, Serpent!"

"No fear logs; fear sister next room. No fear Iroquois; Deerslayer stuff
his e