"Sailing with supreme dominion,
Through the azure deep of air,"
to be chained upon a stump, and approached and gazed at by every wayfarer. The imperial bird darts round the lightning of his eyes, but he knows them to be innocuous, and his head droops at the consciousness.
"Remain where ye are," said an Assistant to the soldiers. "The Governor is engaged at this moment."
"Can Neebin," said Winthrop, resuming his interrogatories, "tell me where is Sir Christopher Gardiner?"
"Flower of the forest and of the wild rushing stream," exclaimed Sassacus, in his own language, "be to him as the rock to which the wind whispers an idle tale."
"What says he?" inquired the Assistants of one another, not one of whom understood more than here and there a word.
"Let the chief keep silent," said Winthrop, addressing Sassacus. "He will soon have an opportunity to say what he will;" and he repeated the question.
But the little Indian showed herself no longer docile as before, but to every question returned a stubborn silence.
"We have made a mistake in bringing in the chief," said an Assistant. "She will not open her lips again. He hath said something to frustrate our inquires."