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Chapter 29
Tamenundturnedhisheadtowardsoneofhissupporters,andlistenedtotheshortexplanationthemangave.Thenfacingtheapplicant,heregardedhimamomentwithdeepattention;afterwhichhesaid,inalowandreluctantvoice—
"JusticeisthelawofthegreatManitou.Mychildren,givethestrangerfood.Then,Huron,takethineownanddepart."
Onthedeliveryofthissolemnjudgment,thepatriarchseatedhimself,andclosedhiseyesagain,asifbetterpleasedwiththeimagesofhisownripenedexperiencethanwiththevisibleobjectsoftheworld.AgainstsuchadecreetherewasnoDelawaresufficientlyhardytomurmur,muchlessopposehimself.Thewordswerebarelyutteredwhenfourorfiveoftheyoungerwarriors,steppingbehindHeywardandthescout,passedthongssodexterouslyandrapidlyaroundtheirarms,astoholdthembothininstantbondage.Theformerwastoomuchengrossedwithhispreciousandnearlyinsensibleburden,tobeawareoftheirintentionsbeforetheywereexecuted;andthelatter,whoconsideredeventhehostiletribesoftheDelawaresasuperiorraceofbeings,submittedwithoutresistance.Perhaps,however,themannerofthescoutwouldnothavebeensopassive,hadhefullycomprehendedthelanguageinwhichtheprecedingdialoguehadbeenconducted.
Maguacastalookoftriumpharoundthewholeassemblybeforeheproceededtotheexecutionofhispurpose.Perceivingthatthemenwereunabletoofferanyresistance,heturnedhislooksonherhevaluedmost.
