" Catharine, wondering at the calm and fearless manner with which the
young Mohawk waved back the dusky matron who approached as if with the
design of laying hands upon her unwelcome guest, followed with beating
heart till they stood in the entrance of the lodge of the Bald Eagle;
it was filled with the hunters, who were stretched on skins on the floor
reposing in quiet after the excitement of the chase.

The young Mohawk bent her head down and crossed her arms, an attitude
of submission, over her breast as she stood in the opening of the
lodge; but she spoke no word till the old chief waving back the men, who
starting to their feet were gathering round him as if to shield him from
danger, and sternly regarding her, demanded from whence she came and for
what purpose.

"To submit myself to the will of my Ojebwa father," was the meek reply.
"May the daughter of the Bald Eagle's enemy speak to her great father?"

"Say on," was the brief reply, "the Bald Eagle's ears are open."

"The Bald Eagle is a mighty chief, the conqueror of his enemies and the
father of his people," replied the Mohawk girl, and again was silent.
"The Mohawk squaw speaks well; let her say on."

"The heart of the Mohawk is an open flower, it can be looked upon by the
eye of the Great Spirit. She speaks the words of truth. The Ojebwa chief
slew his enemies, they had done his good heart wrong; he punished them
for the wrong they wrought; he left none living in the lodges of
his enemies save one young squaw, the daughter of a brave, the
grand-daughter of the Black Snake. The Bald Eagle loves even an enemy
that is not afraid to raise the war-whoop or fling the tomahawk in
battle. The young girl's mother was a _brave."_ She paused, while her
proud eye was fixed on the face of her aged auditor. He nodded assent,
and she resumed, while a flush of emotion kindled her pale cheek and
reddened her lips,--

"The Bald Eagle brought the lonely one to his lodge, he buried the
hatchet and the scalping knife, he bade his squaws comfort her; but her
heart was lonely, she pined for the homes of her fathers. She said, I
will revenge my father, my mother, and my brothers and sisters; and her
heart burned within her: but her hand was not strong to shed blood,
the Great Spirit was about my Ojebwa father; she failed, and would have
fled, for an arrow was in her flesh. The people of the Bald Eagle took
her, they brought her down the great river to the council hill, they
b