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. With a clear, steady voice, while his stature seemed to
increase, he suddenly cried out:

"Pieskaret, if that be the name of the scolding squaw, is a liar. He
knows that when the Taranteens hear the steps of a Pequot they run
like wood-chucks to their holes. Sassacus says that they are old
women."

Of course, the whole of these speeches was unintelligible, except to
the interpreter, to whom no opportunity was given to translate them,
and to the Indians. Great surprise, therefore, was felt as the
Taranteens all sprung to their feet at the name of Sassacus, and
attempted to push through the dense circle that surrounded them. So
solid, however, was the mass, that this was a work of some difficulty;
even although the politeness of the angry warriors had restrained them
less than it did from jostling others out of the way; and, by the time
when the foremost Indian had reached the spot where Waqua or Sassacus
had stood, the Pequot had vanished. They returned, disappointed, to
their places, snorting the name of the redoubtable warrior who had
ventured from his distant river to intrude upon a council of his
enemies, and shaking their heads with resentment. When Mr. Eliot had
explained to the Governor and Assistants the cause of the excitement,
Winthrop endeavored to appease their indignation by expressions of
regret, and protestations that he was ignorant that the famous
head-sachem of the Pequots was among them; but his words were not
attended with much effect, and it seemed that the council was about to
be broken up, when Sir Christopher asked permission to speak to the
Indians. It was granted; and to the surprise of all the Knight began,
with great fluency, to address them in their own language. The tones
of his voice were as sweet as those of a bubbling spring, and they
seemed to fall with a soothing effect upon the irritated spirits of
the sons of the forest. What he said Eliot himself could not
understand, for the Knight spoke in the peculiar dialect of the
Taranteens, which varies considerably from the Algonquin tongue before
used. For, besides the general language which received from the French
the name of Algonquin, and was nearly univ