“And did she seem happy—content?”
“Wal, that’s difficult saying; wimmen don’t tell out all that’s in their bosom at once. She looked sort of anxious, but there’s no telling what it was about; but if you stay in these parts long, and my out-room is empty if you want it—you’ll likely as not see her yourself; when the young Injun gal is here, Catharine Montour can’t be far off. The hull tribe camped under Campbell’s Ledge a year or two ago, and held a grand council with the Injuns about the Wind Gap. I hope they won’t come for anything wuss the next time.”
“And did you converse with this lady?”
“Yes; I reckon what was said atween us might ’a’ been considered convarsing. She sent a message to Mary Derwent, and I carried it. The talk was purty much all about that.”
“And this is all you can tell me of her?” said the stranger, in a tone of bitter disappointment, which interested the old maid more and more in his behalf.
“It is all I know, sartainly; but if you want to hear more about her, the Injun missionary’ll tell you all about her. He was up to the camp when they held that council-fire, and talked with her face to face——”
“And where can this missionary be found?”
“Well, jest now, that would be hard to say; he’s been in the valley, off and on, all last year; but a month or two ago he went away to Philadelphia to tell the Congress and Gineral Washington to send our own sojers back to take care of us, if they can’t afford nothing more. But he ought to be back about this time, and I shouldn’t wonder if you found him at his old place, in Toby’s Eddy. He’s got a cabin down there, in the very spot where the rattlesnake scared off the Injuns when they went to kill Mr. Zin—Zin—Zin——”
“Zinzendorf, probably that is the name,” said the traveller, smiling gravely. “I remember the circumstance. So, you think it possible that I might find the minister at Toby’s Eddy? Can you tell me what direction to take?”
“Keep on down stream till you come to a spot where the river gives a bend like this.” Here Aunt Polly bent her elbow into an angle, which she endeavored in vain to torture into a curve which should describe that magnificent crescent formed in the banks of the Susquehanna, and known as Toby’s Eddy.