, looking into each only to encounter
additional disappointment, until he had made the entire circuit of the village.
Abandoning a species of inquiry that proved so fruitless, he retraced his steps
to the council lodge, resolved to seek and question David, in order to put an
end to his doubts.
    On reaching the building, which had proved alike the seat of judgment and
the place of execution, the young man found that the excitement had already
subsided. The warriors had re-assembled, and were now calmly smoking, while they
conversed gravely on the chief incidents of their recent expedition to the head
of the Horican. Though the return of Duncan was likely to remind them of his
character, and the suspicious circumstances of his visit, it produced no visible
sensation. So far, the terrible scene that had just occurred, proved favourable
to his views, and he required no other prompter than his own feelings to
convince him of the expediency of profiting by so unexpected an advantage.
    Without seeming to hesitate, he walked into the lodge, and took his seat
with a gravity that accorded, admirably, with the deportment of his hosts. A
hasty, but searching glance, sufficed to tell him, that though Uncas still
remained where he had left him, David had not re-appeared. No other restraint
was imposed on the former, than the watchful looks of a young Huron, who had
placed himself at hand; though an armed warrior leaned against the post that
formed one side of the narrow door-way. In every other respect, the captive
seemed at liberty; still, he was excluded from all participation in the
discourse, and possessed much more of the air of some finely moulded statue,
than of a man having life and volition.
    Heyward had, too recently, witnessed a frightful instance of the prompt
punishments of the people, into whose hands he had fallen, to hazard an exposure
by any officious boldness. He would greatly have preferred silence and
meditation to speech, when a discovery of his real condition might prove so
instantly fatal. Unfortunately for this prudent resolution, his entertainers
appeared otherwise disposed. He had not long occupied the seat wisely taken, a
little in the shade, when another of the elder warriors, who spoke the French
language, addressed him -
    »My Canada father does not forget his children!« said the chief; »I thank
him. An evil spirit lives in the wife of one of my young men. Can the cunning
stranger frighten him away?«
    Heyward possessed some knowledge of the mummery practised among the Indians,
in the cases of such supposed
