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Chapter 28
ThentheyfledtotheDelawares—for,saythey,theDelawaresareourfriends;theirmindsareturnedfromtheirCanadafather!"
Thisinsinuationwasahomethrust,andonethatinamoreadvancedstateofsociety,wouldhaveentitledMaguatothereputationofaskilfuldiplomatist.Therecentdefectionofthetribehad,astheywellknewthemselves,subjectedtheDelawarestomuchreproachamongtheirFrenchallies;andtheywerenowmadetofeelthattheirfutureactionsweretoberegardedwithjealousyanddistrust.Therewasnodeepinsightintocausesandeffectsnecessarytoforeseethatsuchasituationofthingswaslikelytoprovehighlyprejudicialtotheirfuturemovements.Theirdistantvillages,theirhunting-grounds,andhundredsoftheirwomenandchildren,togetherwithamaterialpartoftheirphysicalforce,wereactuallywithinthelimitsoftheFrenchterritory.Accordingly,thisalarmingannunciationwasreceived,asMaguaintended,withmanifestdisapprobation,ifnotwithalarm.
"Letmyfatherlookinmyface,"saidLeCœur-dur;"hewillseenochange.Itistrue,myyoungmendidnotgooutonthewar-path;theyhaddreamsfornotdoingso.Buttheyloveandveneratethegreatwhitechief."
