Prevod
Ko so si Angleži podredili mesto New Amsterdam in začeli širiti svoje naselbine vzdolž Hudsona, so se Indijanci v velikem številu zbrali ob jezeru Mahopac in zavrnili vse ponudbe za odkup tistega ozemlja. Pri njihovi odločitvi jih je podpiral mladi poglavar Omoyao, ki pod nobenim pogojem ni hotel zapustiti dežele, kjer so njegovi predniki tako dolgo lovili, ribarili in si postavljali bivališča. Mešanec po imenu Joliper, pripadnik tega plemena, je bil skrivaj v službi Angležev, a vabljive obljube in namigovanja, ki jih je trosil v njihovem imenu, so bila prav tako jalova kakor šepet vetra v listju. Naposled so se belci razjezili. Deželo bodo dobili, pa čeprav z zlom, če jim je ne prepustijo zlepa; Joliperja so pooblastili, naj v njihovem imenu odločno ukrepa, in mu zagotovili vojaško pomoč, če pogajanja spodletijo. Toda temu možu se pogajanja sploh niso zdela potrebna. Poznal je značaj svojega plemena, do poglavarja pa je čutil preveč ljubosumja, da bi ga prosil za usluge, saj je ljubil Mayo, Omoyaovo izbranko.
Pred vhodom v Mayin šotor jo je rotil, naj gre z njim v naselbine belcev, ko pa ga je zavrnila, je izbruhnil v besne grožnje in v slepi strasti izjavil, da bo ubil njenega ljubega in povedel Angleže nad pleme. Ne da bi kdo od njiju vedel, je Omoyao slišal njun pogovor in nemudoma poslal sle, naj vsem bojevnikom njegovega ljudstva naročijo, da se takoj zberejo pri njem na otoku sredi jezera. Čeprav je slom zabičal, naj svojo nalogo ohranijo v tajnosti, je Joliper verjetno zaslutil, da je bilo ljudstvo posvarjeno, in sklenil nemudoma udariti. Zbral je torej svoje odpadnike, se naslednji večer prikradel v tabor in se napotil k Mayinemu vigvamu, da bi jo odpeljal na varno. Ko je pri vhodu zagledal poglavarja, je vanj izstrelil puščico, a je zgrešila in ubila dekletovega očeta. Ob napadu je poglavar spoznal, da so ga prelisičili in da je njegovih ljudi manj kakor sovražnikov. Zaklical je Mayi, naj se z njim sreča na otoku, in ko se je prepričal, da je zbežala v nasprotno smer, planil v goščavo. Maščevalni Joliper mu je bil s svojimi odpadniki tesno za petami in poglavarja so ujeli; nato so sklenili, da ga usmrtijo, da ne bi mogel priti v stik s svojim ljudstvom ali zavirati pohoda nanj.
Privezali so ga k drevesu, zažgali gozd okoli njega in ga prepustili usodi; sovražniki so ga pustili pogubi, saj se jim je mudilo do kraja posveta, kjer so nameravali pobiti ali zajeti vse zbrane. Komaj so se oddaljili toliko, da jih ni bilo več slišati, je skozi bučanje plamenov zazvenelo pljuskanje vesla. Maya je skočila na breg, prerezala vezi svojega ljubega in se z njim odpravila proti otoku, kamor sta po varni poti prispela pred napadalci. Povedala sta, kako krut in izdajalski je bil Joliper, in ko so zagledali njegove čolne, ki so se bližali bregu, so imeli zbrane misli in pripravljene roke le še zanj. Prvi je stopil na kopno. Komaj se je dotaknil obale, ga je obkrožila podivjana množica in že je padel, krvaveč iz stotih ran.
Po kratkem in krvavem odporu so bili Indijanci premagani. Reševali so se z begom. Omoyao in Maya sta splezala na skalo nad svojim »svetovalnim prostorom« in ugotovila, da je večini njunega ljudstva sicer uspelo pobegniti, njuna pot za umik pa je odrezana in da ne moreta doseči nobenega kanuja. Raje sta izbrala smrt kakor mučenje in ujetništvo, zato sta se prijela za roke in skupaj skočila s pečine, Angleži pa so si naslednji dan prilastili deželo.
Izvirnik
After the English had secured the city of New Amsterdam and had begun to extend their settlements along the Hudson, the Indians congregated in large numbers about Lake Mahopac, and rejected all overtures for the purchase of that region. In their resolution they were sustained by their young chief Omoyao, who refused to abandon on on any terms the country where his fathers had solong hunted, fished, and built their lodges. A half-breed, one Joliper, a member of this tribe, was secretly in the pay of the English, but the allurements and insinuations that he put forth on their behalf were as futile as the breathing of wind in the leaves. At last the white men grew angry. Have the land they would, by evil course if good ways were refused, and commissioning Joliper to act for them in a decisive manner, they guaranteed to supply him with forces if his negotiations fell through. This man never thought it needful to negotiate. He knew the temper of his tribe and he was too jealous of his chief to go to him for favors, because he loved Maya, the chosen one of Omoyao.
At the door of Maya's tent he entreated her to go with him to the white settlements, and on her refusal he broke into angry threats, declaring, in the self-forgetfulness of passion, that he would kill her lover and lead the English against the tribe. Unknown to both Omoyao had overheard this interview, and he immediately sent runners to tell all warriors of his people to meet him at once on the island in the lake. Though the runners were cautioned to keep their errand secret, it is probable that Joliper suspected that the alarm had gone forth, and he resolved to strike at once; so he summoned his renegades, stole into camp next evening and made toward Maya's wigwam, intending to take her to a place of safety. Seeing the chief at the door, he shot an arrow at him, but the shaft went wide and slew the girl's father. Realizing, upon this assault, that he was outwitted and that his people were outnumbered, the chief called to Maya to meet him at the island, and plunged into the brush, after seeing that she had taken flight in an opposite direction. The vengeful Joliper was close behind him with his renegades, and the chief was captured; then, that he might not communicate with his people or delay the operations against them, it was resolved to put him to death.
He was tied to a tree, the surrounding wood was set on fire, and he was abandoned to his fate, his enemies leaving him to destruction in their haste to reach the place of the council and slay or capture all who were there. Hardly were they out of hearing ere the plash of a paddle sounded through the roar of flame and Maya sprang upon the bank, cut her lover's bonds, and with him made toward the island, which they reached by a protected way before the assailants had arrived. They told the story of Joliper's cruelty and treason, and when his boats were seen coming in to shore they had eyes and hands only for Joliper. He was the first to land. Hardly had he touched the strand before he was surrounded by a frenzied crowd and had fallen bleeding from a hundred gashes.
The Indians were overpowered after a brief and bloody resistance. They took safety in flight. Omoyao and Maya, climbing upon the rock above their “council chamber,” found that while most of their people had escaped their own retreat was cut off, and that it would be impossible to reach any of the canoes. They preferred death to torture and captivity, so, hand in hand, they leaped together down the cliff, and the English claimed the land next day.
