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Then, holding him so, the Mohican passed his knife through the man's heart, striking with swiftness incredible again and again; and as his victim collapsed, he eased him down into the water, turned him over, and took his shoulders between his knees. "God!" I whispered. "Don't wait for that!" But the Siwanois warrior was not to be denied; and in a second or two the wet scalp flapped at his belt.
On the second day we crossed to the other side of the Hudson in flat boats, with our horses. But on that night it was the same, I feigning sleep when it came time for the Siwanois to relieve the man on guard. And once again, after he had silently inspected us all, the Sagamore stole away into leafy depths, but halted as before within earshot still.
For there existed nowhere at that time any social and political society among any Indian nation which combined clan and tribal, and, in a measure, national identity, except only among the Siwanois people, who were all three at the same time.
I glanced at Captain Simpson and Lieutenant Boyd, hesitating for a moment. Then I said: "Mayaro is a Sagamore, Major a noble and an ensign of a unique clan the Siwanois, or magic clan, of the Mohican tribe of the great Delaware nation. You may address him as an equal. Our General Schuyler would so address him. The corps of officers in this regiment can scarce do less, I think."
"But now, to one of them to the Mohican Mayaro, Sagamore of the Siwanois, Sachem of the Enchanted Clan, is given the greatest mission ever offered to any Delaware since Tamenund put on his snowy panoply of feathers and flew through the forest and upward into the air-ocean of eternal light.
If the Siwanois perceived any undue precaution in the Major's manner of lodging him, he did not betray by the quiver of an eyelash that he comprehended he was practically under guard. He stalked forth and across the parade beside me, head high, bearing dignified and tranquil.
"So you've done this business every night as soon as I slept," said I. "You've crept beyond our outer pickets, risking your life, imperilling the success of this army, merely to satisfy your vanity. This is not well, Mayaro." He said proudly: "Mayaro is safe. What warrior of the Cat-People need a Sagamore of the Siwanois dread?" "Do you count them warriors then, or wizards?"
A child may safely play in the forest now from the upper castle and Torloch to the Minnisink." "Has Amochol gone?" "To make strong magic for his dead Cats, little brother. The Siwanois hatchets are still sticking in the heads of Hiokatoo's Senecas. Let their eight Sachems try to pull them out." "So you have managed to wound a Seneca or two?"
The Major received me, inquiring particularly whether I had contrived to keep the Sagamore well affected toward our cause; and seemed much pleased when I told him that this Siwanois and I had practiced the rite of blood-brotherhood. "Excellent," said he.
But perhaps the rosy throat could not understand the language of a Siwanois." "You warned her not to rove alone?" He inclined his head quietly. "She refused to heed you! Is that true? She left Westchester in spite of your disapproval?" "Loskiel does not lie." "She must be mad!" I said, with some heat. "Had she not managed to keep our camp in view, what had become of her now, Sagamore?"
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