isen to
consideration purely by the force of talents, sagacity, and, as Bacon
expresses it in relation to all distinguished statesmen, "by a union of
great and mean qualities;" a truth of which the career of the profound
Englishman himself furnishes so apt an illustration. Next to arms,
eloquence offers the great avenue to popular favor, whether it be in
civilized or savage life, and Rivenoak had succeeded, as so many have
succeeded before him, quite as much by rendering fallacies acceptable
to his listeners, as by any profound or learned expositions of truth, or
the accuracy of his logic. Nevertheless, he had influence; and was far
from being altogether without just claims to its possession. Like most
men who reason more than they feel, the Huron was not addicted to the
indulgence of the more ferocious passions of his people: he had been
commonly found on the side of mercy, in all the scenes of vindictive
torture and revenge that had occurred in his tribe since his own
attainment to power. On the present occasion, he was reluctant to
proceed to extremities, although the provocation was so great. Still
it exceeded his ingenuity to see how that alternative could well be
avoided. Sumach resented her rejection more than she did the deaths of
her husband and brother, and there was little probability that the
woman would pardon a man who had so unequivocally preferred death to
her embraces. Without her forgiveness, there was scarce a hope that
the tribe could be induced to overlook its loss, and even to Rivenoak,
himself, much as he was disposed to pardon, the fate of our hero now
appeared to be almost hopelessly sealed.

When the whole band was arrayed around the captive, a grave silence, so
much the more threatening from its profound quiet, pervaded the
place. Deerslayer perceived that the women and boys had been preparing
splinters of the fat pine roots, which he well knew were to be stuck
into his flesh, and set in flames, while two or three of the young men
held the thongs of bark with which he was to be bound. The smoke of a
distant lire announced that the burning brands were in preparation, and
several of the elder warriors passed their fingers over the edges of
their tomahawks, as if to prove their keenness and temper. Even the
knives seemed loosened in their sheathes, impatient for the bloody and
merciless work to begin.

"Killer of the Deer," recommenced Rivenoak, certainly without any signs
of sympathy or pity i