Having finished their breakfast, Ichabod proceeded to communicate to Ralph and Barton what he had witnessed, together with a brief account of the treachery of Panther towards Eagle's-Wing. It was at once resolved that the Tuscarora should be protected.
"For," said Barton, "if the Senecas should dare to attack the cottage, they will find that we have ample mean of defence. But I do not think they will do so; they will not dare so openly to violate the neutrality which now exists."
"That tribe is proverbially treacherous," said Ralph, "and from Eagle's-Wing's story, the chief of this party is especially so. I think they will attack us, if they learn that the Tuscarora is sheltered here, but I agree with you that we are bound to protect him. The cottage is in a good state of defence, and we can defend it against twice the number of this party.
"Yes, and were they ten times as strong," answered Barton, "the Tuscarora should not be surrendered. His services in our behalf are too recent to be so soon forgotten; and besides, I would protect any individual of the Oneida or Tuscarora nation, against those perfidious rascals."
The old man said this with an animation and energy that settled the question.
The Tuscarora, however, did not seem to assent, willingly, to the arrangement. With a sensitiveness and courtesy which are almost peculiar to the Indian warrior, he endeavored to decline a shelter which would be likely to bring Barton and his family into some peril on his behalf.
"No," he said, "let Canendesha go. He knows the woods, and the warrior likes the woods. There is plenty chance to fight—plenty good place to hide. Warrior can't fight here—can't take any scalp here."
Sambo put his hand to his head, with a vivid remembrance of the joke of the night before; and even Barton and Ralph were a good deal shocked at the cool-blooded way in which the Tuscarora spoke of this peculiar mode of Indian warfare. Barton felt called to enter his protest, at once.
"Tuscarora," he said, "it isn't Christian to scalp. I supposed that the Tuscaroras and Oneidas had better notions than to do so."
"What Christian do, eh?" asked Eagle's-Wing, quietly.