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"The Aberginians," begun the Taranteen again, with a gesture of contempt, "are cowards and dumb dogs: if spoken to, they dare not reply, even with a whine: the Taranteens have put petticoats on them, and there is nothing baser than themselves except their allies, the Pequots." The hitherto undisturbed mien of Waqua changed at these last words, as by magic.
"If the white chief will deliver to us the murderers of Pieskaret, and release our brothers from slavery," said the Taranteen, slowly and impressively, "it is well, and we will smoke with Owanux and forget what has happened; but if he will not," and here his voice sounded like the growl of a bear, as, putting his hand into his bosom, he took out a small package and handed it to Winthrop, "we speak to the white chief thus:"
"He says," answered the Knight, to the look of Winthrop, "that it is not the custom of Taranteen ambassadors to run away, and that they know how to protect themselves from the Aberginians." "I protest," said Winthrop, "that, however different my own opinion, I do half believe that these blinded savages in fact imagine their tribes-men were murdered by the whites.
No sound, whether of approval or the contrary, escaped their lips, as, surrounding the corpse of their companion, they regarded it with ominous brows, until the Knight concluded, when an Indian addressed him in reply. "How hast thou prevailed?" inquired Dudley, when the Taranteen stopped.
Various questions were now asked by the curious, who thronged around the savages, but no answer was returned save the word Taranteen, and some words that sounded like an attempt at French.
That's not it, but it's as much like as children generally are to their fathers." "Plenipotentiaries you mean," answered the young man, with a smile. "No, this is not a Taranteen; he is one of our own Massachusetts Bay countrymen." "I thought," said the Captain, "he looked too young for such a line of business, though he looms up as grand as a king's ship.
While uttering these words, he had kept his eyes fastened on the face of Waqua, as if to watch their effect; and he paused. But the features of Waqua remained undisturbed, and he steadily returned the fiery glances of the speaker. "Pieskaret asks," resumed the Taranteen, "what have the Aberginians to do with our treaties?
First came the musicians, whose number it must be confessed was not very large; next followed twenty stout men bearing halberds or staves of about five feet in length, finished off at the end with a steel head in the shape of an axe; immediately after these marched the Governor, attended by his Council of Assistants, all wearing swords at their sides, and several "ministers;" after whom followed the Taranteen embassy, consisting of about a dozen noble looking Indians of various ages, from thirty to seventy; and the whole was closed by two or three hundred men, completely armed with both the offensive and defensive arms of the period.
For rightly did the sagacious chief judge that no Taranteen could be induced to believe that an Indian would forbear to possess himself, if he were able, of the coveted prize, especially that of so mighty a warrior as Pieskaret.
"I am unable to fix the exact time;" said the Knight; "but the young moon that looks now like the eye brow of Mesandowit, will probably not be round before we shall meet again." They parted at these words, and while Sir Christopher and Philip turned their faces homeward, the Taranteen pursued the same direction in which they had been traveling.
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