"Dunder! ish it pizen?" asked Hans, in English.
"Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock will kill me deat if I pizen her."
"It will not kill her; it will only put her in a sleep from which she
will awake after a few hours."
"Quanonshet and Madokawandock will have to take it too, for they don't
sleep any more than she does."
"There is enough for all. To-day mix this with that which the squaw
and Quanonshet and Madokawandock shall eat, and when it grows dark they
will sleep and not awaken till the morrow's sun."
"And what of the gal?"
"When the moon rises above that tree-top yonder, cut the bonds that
bind her, and lead her through the woods to this place. Here Oonomoo
will take her and conduct her to her friends in the settlement."
From this point the Indian dialect was dropped for intelligible English.
"And vot will become of me?" asked Hans Vanderbum, in considerable
alarm. "When Keewaygooshturkumkankangewock wakes up and finds te gal
gone, she will t'inks I done it, and den--den--den--" The awful
expression of his countenance spoke more eloquently than any words, of
the consequences of such a discovery and suspicion upon the part of his
spouse.
"Take some self when git back--go to sleep--squaw wake up first."
Hans' eyes sparkled as he took in the beauty of the scheme prepared by
the Huron. The arrangement was now explained to Lieutenant Canfield,
who could but admire the sagacity and foresight of his Indian friend,
that seemed to understand and provide against every emergency.
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