Part 13 (1/2)
”Be seated, gentlemen,” he said. ”You must feel the need of warmth. Have you come to me as friends or foes?”
”It is more easy to ask that question than answer it,” the hunter said, honestly; ”up to the present our intentions are kindly; you will decide yourself, Captain, as to the terms on which we shall leave you.”
”In any case, you will not refuse some slight refreshment?”
”For the present, I must ask you to excuse us,” Tranquil replied, who appeared to be spokesman for himself and friend; ”it is better, I think, to settle at once the point that brings us here.”
”Hum!” the Captain muttered, annoyed in his heart at this refusal, which foreboded nothing good; ”in that case speak, and an amicable interview will not depend on me.”
”I, wish it with all my heart, Captain; the more so, because if I am here it is with the object of avoiding the consequences either of a mistake or a moment of pa.s.sion.”
The Captain bowed his thanks, and the Canadian went on.
”You are an old soldier, sir,” he said, ”and the shorter the speech the better you will like it; in two words, then, this is what brings us: the Snake p.a.w.nees accuse you of having seized their village by treachery, and ma.s.sacred the greater part of their relations and friends. Is that true?”
”It is true that I seized their village, but I had the right to do so, since the Redskins refused to surrender it to me; but I deny that I acted treacherously: on the contrary, the p.a.w.nees behaved in that way to me.”
”Oh!” Black-deer exclaimed, as he rose quickly, ”the Paleface has a lying tongue in his mouth.”
”Peace!” Tranquil cried, as he forced him to take his seat again, ”leave me to disentangle this skein, which seems to me very troublesome.
Forgive me for insisting,” he went on, addressing the Captain, ”but the question is a grave one, and the truth must out. Were you not received, on your arrival, by the Chiefs of the tribe, in the light of a friend?”
”Yes; our first relations were amicable.”
”Why, then, did they become hostile?”
”I have told you; because, contrary to sworn faith and pledged word, they refused to give up the land.”
”What do you say?”
”Certainly, because they had sold me the territory they occupied.”
”Oh, oh, Captain! This requires an explanation.”
”It is very easy to give, and to prove my good faith in the matter, I will show you the deed of sale.”
The hunter and the Chief exchanged a glance of surprise.
”I am quite out of my reckoning,” said Tranquil.
”Wait a moment,” the Captain went on, ”I will fetch the deed and show it to you.”
And he went out.
”Oh, sir!” the young lady exclaimed, as she clasped her hands entreatingly, ”try to prevent a quarrel.”
”Alas, madam!” the hunter said sadly, ”that will be very difficult, after the turn matters have taken.”
”Here, look,” the Captain said, as he came in and showed them the deed.