With noiseless step
she lifted aside the curtain of skins that guarded it, and stood at the
entrance. Light as was her step, it awakened the sleeper; she raised
herself on her arm and looked up with a dreamy and abstracted air as
Catharine, stretching forth her hand in tones low and tremulous, thus
addressed her in the Ojebwa tongue:--
"The Great Spirit sends me to thee, O woman of much sorrow; he asks of
thee a great deed of mercy and goodness. Thou hast shed blood, and he is
angry. He bids thee to save the life of an enemy--the blood of thy murdered
husband flows in her veins. See that thou disobey not the words that he
commands."
She dropped the curtain and retired as she had come, with noiseless step,
and lay down again in the tent beside Indiana. Her heart beat as though it
would burst its way through her bosom. What had she done?--what dared? She
had entered the presence of that terrible woman alone, at the dead hour of
night! she had spoken bold and presumptuous words to that strange being
whom even her own people hardly dared to approach uncalled-for! Sick with
terror at the consequences of her temerity, Catharine cast her trembling
arms about the sleeping Indian girl, and hiding her head in her bosom, wept
and prayed till sleep came over her wearied spirit.
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