[Nick of the Woods by Robert M. Bird]@TWC D-Link bookNick of the Woods CHAPTER XXIX 10/13
But the feelings of the white-man prevailed; he hesitated, faltered, and dropping the mat in its place, retreated silently from the door.
Then restoring his knife for a second time to its sheath, listening awhile to hear if the drunken Wenonga yet stirred in his lair, and taking a survey of the sleepers at the nearly extinguished fire, he crept away, retraced his steps through the village, to the place where he had left the captain of horse-thieves, whom,--to the shame of that worthy be it spoken,--he found fast locked in the arms of Morpheus, and breathing such a melody from his upturned nostrils as might have roused the whole village from its repose, had not that been at least twice as sound and deep as his own. "Tarnal death to me!" said he, rubbing his eyes when Nathan shook him from his slumbers, "I war nigh gone in a dead snooze!--being as how I ar'n't had a true reggelar mouthful of snortin' this h'yar no-time,--considering I always took it with my hoptical peepers right open.
But, I say, Nathan, what's the last news from the abbregynes and anngelliferous madam ?" "Give me one of thee halters," said Nathan, "and do thee observe now what I have to say to thee." "A halter!" cried Ralph, in dudgeon; "you ar'n't for doing all, and the hoss-stealing too ?" "Friend," said Nathan, "with this halter I must bind one that sits in watch over the maiden; and, truly, it is better it should be so, seeing that these hands of mine have never been stained with the blood of woman." "And you have found my mistress ?" said Ralph, in a rapture.
"Jist call the Captain, and let's be a doing!" "He is a brave youth, and a youth of a mighty heart," said Nathan; "but this is no work for them that has never seen the ways of an Injun village.
Now, friend, does thee hear me? The town is alive with fighting-men, and there is a war-party of fourteen painted Wyandotts sleeping on the Council-square.
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