The Deerslayer

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sual, and the interior of the cabin had no more elevation than was necessary for comfort, this unusual addition had neither a very clumsy nor a very obtrusive appearance. It was, in short, little more than a modern canal-boat, though more rudely constructed, of greater breadth than common, and bearing about it the signs of the wilderness, in its bark-covered posts and roof. The scow, however, had been put together with some skill,

e shores, where the banks were highest and the nearest to a perpendicular, Hutter had found no difficulty in letting the ark drop under one of these covers, where it had been anchored with a view to conceal its position; security requiring some such precautions, in his view of the case. Once beneath the trees and bushes, a few stones fastened to the ends of the branches had caused them to bend sufficiently to dip into the river; and a few seve

which was extorted by her brilliant and singular beauty; but even this could detain him but a single instant from the indulgence of his interest in Hutter's contrivances. Step by step did he look into the construction of the singular abode, investigate its fastenings and strength, ascertain its means of defence, and make every inquiry that would be likely to occur to one whose thoughts dwelt principally on such expedients. Nor was the cover neg

the more artful qualities, and to retain its ingenuousness and love of truth. It had often been remarked of this girl, by the few who had seen her, and who possessed sufficient knowledge to discriminate, that her perception of the right seemed almost intuitive, while her aversion to the wrong formed so distinctive a feature of her mind, as to surround her with an atmosphere of pure morality; peculiarities that are not infrequent with persons who are termed feeble-minded; as if God had forbidden the evil spirits to invade a precinct so defenceless, with the benign purpose of extending a direct protection to those who had been left without the usual aids of humanity. Her person, too, was agreeable, having a strong resemblance to that of her sis

self, assuming a kindness of tone and manner that were singularly adapted to win the confide

e, aided by some education, had preserved from vulgarity of tone and utteran

and he is free of speech when he can find other people's consa

is gone a-trapping, and Judith an

young woman, seeing that I'm so young, and yet have borne

n't throw away one name, before

showing his true natur', in the council, or on the warpath; which has never behappened me; seeing firstly, because I'm not born a red-skin and have no right to sit in their councillings, and am much too humble to be called on

looking up at him artlessly, "and,

rve. You can see the truth of this in the Mingo names, which, in their own tongue, signify the same things as the Delaware names,- at least, so they tell me, for I

nd was too simple to separate things from professions, and she did

ke yourself, and my parents had a name that came down from father to son, as is a part of their gifts. My father was called

up from her work again, with a smile: "you are Natty, and I'm Hetty-thoug

world with it. I did not go by this name, howsoever, very long; for the Delawares soon found out, or t

earnestly, and in a positive manner; "d

me, as they are with some. After a while they found out I was quick of foot, and then the

!" exclaimed Hetty; "pi

well as their appearance. From carrying messages, and striking blind trails, I got at last to following the hunters, when it was thought I was qu

swered Hetty; "I hope you

bdued manner; "then it was seen I could keep a wigwam in ven'son; and in time I got the name of 'Deerslayer,' which is that

hey're all naught to me. She says the officers are great, and gay, and of soft speech; but they make me shudder, for their busines

s I should have expected. They tell me your sister is handsome

; "if you never have, go at once and look at her. Even Hurry Harry is

ace had flushed a little, and her eye, usually so mild and serene,

f the boat; "this comes of good looks, if a light tongue has had no consarn in it. It's easy to s

among the bushes that served as a sort of moat to his position. It would seem that Hutter, or Floating Tom, as he was familiarly called by all the hunters who knew his habits, recognized the canoe of Hurry, for he expressed

idn't arrive. There came a runner through, to warn all the trappers and hunters that the colony and the Canadas were again in

ch darters as Judith and Hetty, my exper'ence would tell the same story, though in gin'ral I am j

knew that the Canada savages are likely to be stirring," returned Hutter, giv

he Delawares, and Christian-born, and Christian-edicated, too, like you and me. The lad is not parfect, perhaps, but there's worse men in the country that he came from, and it's likely he'll

y; "in such times, a white face is a friend's, and I count on you as a support. Children sometimes make a stout heart

hat as nat'ral. If we had darters, it's more than probable we should have some such feelin's; and I honor the man that owns

e had been better taught than her father's life and appearance would give reason to expect. "Many thanks to you; but Judith Hutter has the spirit and the experience that will make her depend more

r the truth. There are savages on the lake shore already, and no man can say how

it did not denote any unmanly alarm, "if this be true, your ark is in a most misfortunate position, for, though the cover did

ed stream, which has many advantages to hide in, but which is almost fatal to them that are discovered. The savages are

are ra'al Canadas?" asked Deerslayer, in a modest but earnest

he corner of a swamp, and moving northward. The man had not passed an hour; and I know'd it for an Indian footstep, by the size of the foot, and the intoe, even before I found a worn mocca

r sunk in the river such signs of his passage; and your trail is, quite likely, a peaceable trail. But the moccasin may greatly relieve my mind, if you bethought

demanded Hutter, in a tone and in a manner that sufficiently indicated the motive of the question; these rude beings seldom hesitating, on the score of

er, who's a young man of truth, if he has no other ricommend. I'll

is errand in this strang

ters, who occupies a lake, after your fashion, has just the same right to inquire into a stranger's business in his neighborhood, as the colony would have to demand the reason why the

king, friend, let me hear yo

ct state of things for 'em. This I did, and, after delivering my talk to the chiefs, on my return, I met an officer of the crown on the Schoharie, who had messages to send to some of the fri'ndly tribes that live farther west. This was thought a good occasion for Chingachgook, a young chief who has never struck a foe, a

petuosity, and even having the grace to colour a little, at the manner in which she had betra

r afore sunset tomorrow evening, after which we shall go our way together, molesting none but the king's inimies, who are lawfully our own. Knowing Hurry of old, who once trapped in our hunting grounds, and falling in with

ay have been that of your friend

ht. If I saw the moccasin, howsever, I could tell, in a m

to the canoe in quest of it. "Tell us what it says; friend or enemy.

ds, where I distrust foes," grumbled Tom: "but, speak out

ing for the foot with a cautious eye. "I'm too young on a war-path to be positive, but

lready distrusted the presence of an enemy on the opposite shore of the narrow and sinuous stream. "It wants but an hour or so of night, and to move

rry, who now felt the indiscretion of which he had been

them on the look-out, and be a means of discovering us. You

imself to let off his rifle in a wilderness that is a thousand miles sq

k, without making a noise that could not fail to attract Indian ears. Any strollers in their vicinity would keep near the river or the lake; but the former had swampy shores in many places, and was both so crooked and so fringed with bushes, that i

a pull than a push. My anchor is now lying above the suction, in the open lake; and here is a line, you see, to haul us up to it. Without some such help, a single pair of bands would make heavy work in forcing a sco

; "this is a safe cover, and a stout defence might be made from the inside of this cabin. I've never fou't unless

ain enough, young man! Did you ever see as broad a sheet of w

"Youth is the time to l'arn; and I'm far from wishing to rai

hrough the crevices of the logs. Now, on the other hand, we should have nothing but a forest to aim at. Then we are not safe from fire, here, the bark of this roof being little better than so much kindling-wood. The castle, too, might be entered and ransac

t has a rational sound;

ooner we make a beginning, the sooner we shall know whe

rrent. Not a soul on board heard the rustling of the branches, as the cabin came against the bushes and trees of the western bank, without a feeling of uneasiness; for no one knew at what moment, or in what place, a secret and murderous enemy might unmask himself. Perhaps the gloomy light that still struggled through the impending canopy of leaves, or found its way through the narrow, ribbon-like opening, which seemed to mark, in the air above, the cour

its "backing" from the anchor, or grapnel, that lay well out in the lake. In consequence of this expedient, the ark floated clear of the incumbrances of the shore, against which it would otherwise have been unavoidably hauled at every turn, producing embarrassments that Hutter, single-handed, would have found it very difficult to overcome. Favored by this foresight, and stimulated by the apprehension of discovery, Floating Tom and his two athletic companions hauled the ark ahead with quite as much rapidity as comported with the strength of the line. At every turn in the stream, a stone was raised from the bottom, when the direction of the scow changed to one that pointed towards the stone that lay above. In this manner, with the channel buoyed out for him, as

ylight, and we shall soon have a chance of

l, do you and Hetty leave the oar to take care of itself; and go within the cabin; and be mindful not to show your faces at a window; for they who will look at them won't stop to praise their beauty. And now, Hurry, we 'll step into this outer room ourselves, and haul through the door, where we shall all be

d that, too, under all the thrilling circumstances of Indian surprises and Indian artifices. As he took his stand at the window, the ark was just passing through the narrowest part of the stream, a point where the water first entered what was properly termed

f a circle, having first grown towards the light, and then been pressed down into this form by the weight of the snows; a circumstance of common occurrence in the American woods. On this no less than six Indians had already appeared, others standing ready to follow them, as they left room; each evidently bent on running out on the trunk, and dropping on the roof of the ark as it passed beneath. This would have been an exploit of no great difficulty, the incl

for your life, and as you love

r less distant from the ark, as they came, sooner or later, to the leaping place. The chief, who had taken the dangerous post in advance, having an earlier opportunity than the others, struck the scow just within the stern. The fall proving so much greater than he had anticipated, he was slightly stunned, and for a moment he remained half bent and unconscious of his situation. At this instant Judith rushed from the cabin, her beauty heightened by the excitement that produced the bold act, which flushed her cheek to crimson, and, throwing all her strength into the effort, she pushed the intruder over the edge of the scow, headlong into the ri

heir ammunition in vain. When the scow came up over her grapnel, Hutter tripped the latter in a way not to impede the motion; and being now beyond the influence of the current, the vessel continued to drift ahead, until fairly in the open lake, though still near en