Последний из Могикан
Chapter 10
"Hereissomeconfusioninnamesbetweenus,LeRenard,"saidDuncan,hopingtoprovokeadiscussion."DaimistheFrenchfordeer,andcerfforstag;élanisthetrueterm,whenonewouldspeakofanelk."
"Yes,"mutteredtheIndian,inhisnativetongue;"thepale-facesareprattlingwomen!theyhavetwowordsforeachthing,whilearedskinwillmakethesoundofhisvoicespeakforhim."Thenchanginghislanguage,hecontinued,adheringtotheimperfectnomenclatureofhisprovincialinstructors,"Thedeerisswift,butweak;theelkisswift,butstrong;andthesonofLeSerpentisLeCerfAgile.Hasheleapedtherivertothewoods?"
"IfyoumeantheyoungerDelaware,hetooisgonedownwiththewater."
AstherewasnothingimprobabletoanIndianinthemanneroftheescape,Maguaadmittedthetruthofwhathehadheard,withareadinessthataffordedadditionalevidencehowlittlehewouldprizesuchworthlesscaptives.Withhiscompanions,however,thefeelingwasmanifestlydifferent.
TheHuronshadawaitedtheresultofthisshortdialoguewithcharacteristicpatience,andwithasilencethatincreaseduntiltherewasageneralstillnessintheband.WhenHeywardceasedtospeak,theyturnedtheireyes,asoneman,onMagua,demanding,inthisexpressivemanner,anexplanationofwhathadbeensaid.Theirinterpreterpointedtotheriver,andmadethemacquaintedwiththeresult,asmuchbytheactionasbythefewwordsheuttered.
