Page:Edgar Huntly, or The Sleep Walker.djvu/196

 expressed her astonishment and commiseration at my seemingly forlorn state, adding that perhaps I was the man whom the men were looking after who had been there some hours before.

My curiosity was roused by this intimation. In answer to my interrogations, she said that three persons had lately stepped, to enquire if her husband had not met, within the last three days, a person of whom their description seemed pretty much to suit my person and dress; he was tall, slender, wore nothing but a shirt and trowsers, and was wounded on the cheek.

"What," I asked, "did they state the rank or condition of the person to be?"

"He lived in Solebury. He was supposed to have rambled in the mountains, and to have lost his way, or to have met with some mischance. It was three days since he had disappeared, but had been seen by some one the last night at Deb's hut."

"What and where was Deb's hut?"

"It was a hut in the wilderness, occupied by an old Indian woman, known among her neighbours by the name of Old Deb; some people called her Queen Mab: her dwelling was eight long miles from this house."

A thousand questions were precluded, and a thousand doubts solved by this information. Queen Mab were sounds familiar to my ears; for they originated with myself.

This woman originally belonged to the tribes of Delawares or Lennilennapee: all these districts were once comprised within the dominions of that nation. About thirty years ago, in consequence of perpetual encroachments of the English colonists, they abandoned their ancient seats, and retired to the banks of the Wabash and Muskingum.

This emigration was concerted in a general council of the tribe, and obtained the concurrence of all but one female: her birth, talents, and age gave her much consideration and authority among her countrymen; and all her zeal and eloquence were exerted to induce them to lay aside their scheme: in this, however, she could not succeed. Finding them refractory, she declared her resolution