The Deerslayer

we go and kil

s me, the poor

urghers of thi

own confines, w

round haunc

ike It,

he summoned his companion to the canoe, that they might go down the lake in quest of the family. Previously to embarking, however, Hurry carefully examined the whole of the northern end of the water with an indiffere

th end this fine weather, and has left the castle to defend itself. Well, now we know that he is n

s he followed his companion into the canoe; "to my eye it is such a solitude as one mi

r, to which them disquiet rogues don't go? Where is the lake, or even the deer lick, that the blackg

I dare to say that such a lovely spot as this, would not be likely to be overlooked by such plunderers, for, though I've not been in the way of quarr

ience, or for that matter, any oth

r hand, manifested a very different temper, proving by the moderation of his language, the fairness of his views, and the simplicity of his distinctions, that he possessed every disposition to hear reason, a strong, innate desire to do justice, and an ingenuousness that was singularly indisposed to have recourse to sophism to maintain an argument; or to defend a prejudice. Still he was not altogether free from the influence of the latter feeling.

proposal, consarning white men, even. All white men are not faultless, and therefore all Indians can't be faultless. And so your argument is out at the elbow in the start. But this is what I call reason. Here's three colors on 'arth: white, black, and red. White is the highes

ll three al

igger like a white man,

hough I'll not deny that he gave each race its gifts. A white man's gifts are Christianized, while a red-skin's are more for the wilderness. Thus, it would be a great offence for a white man to scalp the dead; whereas it

ars of wolves for the bounty, or stripping a bear of its hide. And then you're out significantly, as to taking the poll of a red-sk

ow they are not; but I will maintain that tradition, and use, and color, and laws, make such a difference in races as to amount to gifts. I do not deny that there are tribes among the Indians that are nat'rally pervarse and wicked, as there are nations among the whites. Now, I account the M

ony can make an onlawful law? Isn't an onlawful law more ag'in natur' than

laws, run ag'in the laws of God, they get to be onlawful, and ought not to be obeyed. I hold to a white man's respecting white laws, so long as they do not cross the track of a law comin' from a higher authority; and for a red man to obey his own red-skin u

the ordering of this glorious setting of forest been submitted to his control. The points and bays, too, were sufficiently numerous to render the outline broken and diversified. As the canoe kept close along the western side of the lake, with a view, as Hurry had explained to his companion, of reconnoitering for enemies, before he trusted himself too openly in sight, the expect

ppointed, however; and they had got within a mile of the southern end of the lake, or a distance of quite two leagues from the "castle," which was now

, which was about a mile distant, and open to his scrutiny for more than half its length; "for he has taken to trapping considerable, o

ening in the banks or the trees, that looks as if it w

tlet, because it passes atween high, steep banks; and the pines, and hemlocks and bass-woods hang over it, as a roof hangs over a house. If ol

name of the "Rat's Cove," from the circumstance of its being a favorite haunt of the muskrat; and which offer

ok at 'em afore they come too near. Now it's war, such caution is more than commonly useful, since a Canada man or a Mingo might get i

w inimies, if any happened to find the lake; a thing onlikely enoug

r fri'nd. Some take up the hatchet because you don't think just as they think; other some because you run ahead of 'em in the same idees; and I once know'd a vagabond that quarrelled with a fr

some ricommend in the way of good conduct. There's few nobler looking men to be seen than yourself, Hurry; and I know that I am not to expect any to turn their eyes on me, when such a one as you can be gazed on

st physical superiority, he was well aware of it, and, like most men who derive an advantage from the acciden

her, for a parter tongue isn't to be found in any gal's head, in or out of the settlements, if you provoke her to use it. My advice to you is, never to aggravate Ju

he will tell me no more th

dn't fri'nds tell each other these little trifles? If you was handsome, or ever like to be, I'd be one of the first to tell you of it; and that

been created more comely to the eye, and more like such a one as yourself in them particulars; but then I get the feelin' under by remembering how much better off I am, in a great many respects, than some fellow-mortals. I might have been born lame, and onfit even for a squirrel-hunt, or blind, which would have made me a burden on myself as well as on my fri'nds; or without heari

the better of the passing feeling of personal vanity. He regretted the allusion he had made to the other's appearance, and end

ny little slight to your appearance. I will not say that Jude will greatly admire you, for that might raise hopes that would only breed disapp'intment; but there's Hetty, now, would be just as likely to find satisfaction in looking at you, as in looking at any other man. Then you're al

d turning back towards his companion with every trace of feeling banished from his honest-looking and frank countenance. "I never yet know'd ev

he southern termination of the water. In this bay Hurry felt almost certain of finding the ark, since, anchored behind the trees that covered the narrow strip of the point, it might have lain concealed from prying eyes an entire summer. So complete, indeed, was the cover,

e the water was so deep as actually to appear black; "he loves to burrow up among the rushes, and w

that nature had placed there, became visible. The placid water swept round in a graceful curve, the rushes bent gently towards its surface, and the trees overhung it as usual; but all lay in the soothing and s

ssy water appearing to float in air, partaking of the breathing stillness that seemed to pervade the entire scene. At this instant a dry stick was heard cracking on the narrow s

eatur'," whispered Hurry, "and it

too light for the other. Put your paddle in the water, and send the canoe in, to that log;

ked out of the thicket, proceeded with a stately step to the sandy extremity of the point, and began to slake his thirst from the water of the lake. Hurry hesitated an instant; then raising his rifle hastily to his shoulder, he took sight and fired. The effect of this sudden interruption of the solemn stillness of such a scene was not its least striking peculiarity. The report of the weapon had the usual sharp, short sound of the rifle: but when a few moments of silence had succeeded the sudden crack, during which the noise was floating in air across the water, it reached the rocks of the opposite mountain, where the vibrations accumulated, and were rolled

n the way of schooling and traditions, even though I've never yet been on a war-path. And, moreover, venison can hardly be called in season now, and we do not want for food. They call me Deerslayer, I'll own, and perhaps I desarve the name, in

nning his fingers through his handsome but matted curls, as if he would loosen his

t have done us harm. Them echoes are more awful in my ears, than your mistake, Hurry, for

is said or done on the Glimmerglass, in this calm summer weather. If a paddle falls you hear of it sometimes, ag'in and ag'in, as if the hills were mocking yo

t, for I don't know what they are to gain by it, but all the Delawares tell me that, as courage is a warrior's first vartue,

ver, and let him know visiters are at hand. Come, lad; get into

the two were now steering, was not quite a mile, and, their progress being always swift, it was fast lessening under the skilful, but easy sweeps of the paddles. When about half way across, a slight noise drew the eyes of the men towards the nearest la

a great danger. You ought to have some of the same feelin's, Hurry, to think your eye wasn't true, or that y

h a cock'd rifle and a striving for the chance! Them's the situations, Nathaniel, to try the sight and the hand, for they begin with trying the narves. I never look upon killing a creatur' as an explite; but killing a savage is. The time will come to try your hand, no

's lucky. I dare say I shall not pull upon a human mortal a

I dare say any man would have his feelin's when it got to be life or death, ag'in another human mortal; but there would

their gifts, and their religion, it's true; but that makes no difference in the e

akes the man. This is reason; else how are people to judge of each other. The skin is put on, over all, in order when a creatur', or a mor

oking back and smiling, "neverth

not say that a red man and

g different gifts and traditions, but, in the main, with the same natur'. Bot

gmatical or fierce. His conscience accused him of sundry lawless acts against the Indians, and he had found it an exceedingly easy mode of quieting it, by putting the whole family of redmen, incontinently, without the category of human rig

t I hold'em all to be animals; with nothing human about 'em but cunning. That they have, I'll allow; but so has a fox, or even a bear. I'm older than you, and have lived longer in the woods - or, for that matter, have lived alway

knew the uselessness of attempting to convince such a being of anything against his prejudices, to feel a desire to undertake the task; and he was not sorry that the approach of the canoe to the southeastern curve of the lake gav

be a matter of doubt with men who could not now have been more than two hundred yards distant from the precise spot. It will be recollected, however, that the

ing up in the canoe, the better to look about him. "Ay, there's the rock, showing

hich elevation rose above the lake. The incessant washing of the water for centuries had so rounded its summit, that it resembled a large beehive in shape, its form being more than usually regular and even. Hurry remarked, as they

so shut in by trees and bushes as to look more like an and-

The high banks might have been a hundred feet asunder; but, on the western side, a small bit o

ld not easily detect any opening in the shore, to mark the egress of the water. In the forest above, no traces of this outlet were to be seen from the lake, the whole presenting the same connected and seemingly interminab

ed to secrecy and watchfulness; "depend on it, old Tom has burrowed with the ark somewhere

" returned the other; "it appears to me that w

in a narrow stream, of a sufficient depth of limpid water, with a strong current, and a canopy of leaves upheld by arches composed of the limbs of hoary trees. Bushes lined the shores, as usua

ards, with jealous vigilance. Turn after turn, however, was passed, and the canoe had dropped down with the current some little distance, when Hurry caught a bush, and arrested its movement so suddenly and silent

e mud and water, looking to the traps and the bait. But for the life of me I can see nothing of the ark; though I'll bet every skin I take this season, Jude isn't trusting her pretty little feet

I dare to say this Judith, now, is no such admirer of herself, and no such scorner of our sex as you seem to think; and that s

isteners start. "As for you, Master Hurry, fair words are so apt to choke you, that I no longer expect to hear them from your mouth; the last you uttered sticking in your throat, a

raciously on the young man; and the frown that she cast on Hurry, though simulated and pettish, had the effect to render her beauty more striking, by exhibiting the

rk, which had been purposely concealed in bushes cut and arranged for the purpose; and Judith Hutter ha