Chapter 7

"Is there not milking-time,
When you go to bed, or kiln-hole,
To whistle off these secrets; but you must be
Tattling before all our guests?"

Winter's Tale

Long experience hath shown that the white man, when placed in situations
to acquire such knowledge, readily becomes the master of most of that
peculiar skill for which the North American Indian is so remarkable, and
which enables him, among other things, to detect the signs of a forest
trail, with a quickness and an accuracy of intelligence that amount nearly
to an instinct. The fears of the family were therefore greatly quieted by
the reports of the scouts, all of whom agreed in the opinion that no party
of savages, that could be at all dangerous to a force like their own, was
lying near the valley; and some of whom, the loudest of which number being
stout Eben Dudley, boldly offered to answer for the security of those who
depended on their vigilance, with their own lives. These assurances had,
beyond a doubt, a soothing influence on the apprehensions of Ruth and her
handmaidens; but they somewhat failed of their effect, with those
unwelcome visiters who still continued to cumber Wish-Ton-Wish with their
presence. Though they had evidently abandoned all ideas connected with the
original object of their visit, they spoke not of departure. On the
contrary as night approached, their chief entered into council with old
Mark Heathcote, and made certain propositions for the security of his
dwelling, which the Puritan saw no reason to oppose.

A regular watch was, in consequence, set, and maintained till morning, at
the palisadoes. The different members of the family retired to their usual
places of rest, tranquil in appearance, if not in entire confidence of
peace; and the military messengers took post in the lower of the two
fighting apartments of the citadel. With this simple, and to the strangers
particularly satisfactory arrangement, the hours of darkness passed away
in quiet; morning returning to the secluded valley, as it had so often
done before, with its loveliness unimpaired by violence or tumult.

In the same peaceful manner did the sun set successively three several
times, and as often did it arise on the abode of the Heathcotes, without
further sign of danger, or motive of alarm. With the passage of time, the
agents of the Stuart gradually regained their confidence. Still they never
neglected to withdraw within the protection of the block house with the
retiring light; a post which the subordinate named Hallam, more than once
gravely observed, they were, by their disciplined and military habits,
singularly qualified to maintain. Though the Puritan secretly chafed under
this protracted visit, habitual self-denial, and a