Peter had the sagacity to see that by
attempting further to save le Bourdon and Margery, he should only
endanger his own ascendancy, without effecting his purpose. Here he
completely overlaid the art of Ungque, turning his own defeat into
an advantage. After the matter had been discussed for fully an hour,
and this mysterious chief perceived that it was useless to adhere to
his new resolution, he gave it up with as much tact as the sagacious
Wellington himself could manifest in yielding Catholic emancipation,
or parliamentary reform; or, just in season to preserve an
appearance of floating in the current, and with a grace that
disarmed his opponents.
"Brothers," said Peter, by way of closing the debate, "I have not
seen straight. Fog sometimes gets before the eyes, and we cannot
see. I have been in a fog. The breath of my brother has blown it
away. I now see clearly. I see that bee-hunters ought not to live.
Let this one die--let his squaw die, too!"
This terminated the discussion, as a matter of course. It was
solemnly decided that all the pale-faces then in the Openings should
be cut off. In acquiescing in this decision, Peter had no mental
reservations.
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