"What! think you, Captain, that a man, who has spent more than
threescore years in the wilderness, has not learned the virtue of
discretion. What red warrior runs to tell the sights he has seen,
until a fitting time? I took the Doctor to the place, in order to see
whether his skill might not come in use; and our friend, the bee-
hunter, being in company, was knowing to the fact that the bushes held
the body."
"Ay; it ar' true," said Paul; "but not knowing what private reasons
might make the old trapper wish to hush the matter up, I said as
little about the thing as possible, which was just nothing at all."
"And who was the perpetrator of this deed?" demanded Middleton.
"If by perpetrator you mean him who did the act, yonder stands the
man; and a shame, and a disgrace is it to our race, that he is of the
blood and family of the dead."
"He lies! he lies!" shrieked Abiram. "I did no murder; I gave but blow
for blow."
The voice of Ishmael was deep, and even awful, as he answered--
"It is enough.
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