German composition

Section 43 The Indian Chief. — III

In⁠1 the meantime the spring returned, and the Indians again took the field. The old man, who was still vigorous, and able to bear the fatigues of war⁠2, set out with them, and was accompanied by his prisoner. They marched above⁠3 two hundred leagues across the forests, and came at length to⁠4 a plain, where the British forces⁠5 were encamped. The old man showed his prisoner the tents at a distance⁠6: “There,” said he, “are thy countrymen. There is the enemy who⁠7 waits to give us battle. Remember⁠8 that I have saved thy⁠9 life, that I have taught⁠10 thee to conduct a canoe, to arm thyself with⁠11 bow and arrows, and to surprise⁠12 the beaver in the forest. What wast thou when I first took thee to my hut? Thy hands were those of an infant. They could neither procure⁠13 thee sustenance nor safety. Thy soul was⁠14 in utter darkness. Thou wast ignorant of everything. Thou owest all things to me. Wilt thou, then⁠15, go over to thy nation, and take up the hatchet against us?”

Notes

1 Say ‘Meanwhile it became spring’; to take the field, ins Feld ziehen.

2 die Kriegsbeschwerden; ‘to set out’, here ziehen.

3 more than.

4 to = into.

5 forces = troops; to encamp, sein Lager auf´schlagen.

6 von weitem, which place before the accusative.

7 who waits, der darauf lauert; to give battle = to attack.

8 Bedenke.

9 A. The definite article is often used instead of the possessive adjective pronoun in cases where the possessor is clearly seen from the context; as—
Ich habe die Feder in der Hand. I have the pen in my hand.
B. The possessor is often indicated by a personal pronoun in the dative case; as—
Ich will mir die Hände waschen. I will wash my hands.
The latter mode of construction must be applied in this case.

10 ‘I have taught thee to conduct a canoe.’ Read once more S. 42, N. 4, and mark further that: that which is taught is often expressed in the form of a Supine, as in this instance.

11 We say ‘mit Pfeil und Bogen’.

12 überfal´len.

13 gewäh´ren; sustenance, Nahrung, f.

14 lag in Finsternis gehüllt.

15 also; nation = people; to take up = to seize.