The Deerslayer

in this

ive to eithe

recipice or

used sound of r

ghs, and cries o

g seemin

Rayner: A Traged

to avoid her pursuers, however, who, she rightly suspected, would soon be rowing along that shore themselves, the head of the canoe was pointed so far north as to bring her to land on a point that thrust itself into the lake, at the distance of near a league from the outlet. Nor was this altogether the result of a desire to escape, for, feeble minded as she was, Hetty Hutte

gravelly point, beneath an overhanging oak, with the express intention of shoving the canoe off from the shore, in order that it might drift up towards her father’s insulated abode. She knew, too, from the logs that occasionally floated about the lake, that did it miss the castle and its appendages the wind would be likely to change before the canoe could reach the northern extremity of the lake, and

ees behind her. Startled at this unexpected danger Hetty was on the point of springing into the canoe in order to seek safety in flight, when she thought she recognized the tones of Judith’s melodious voice. Bending forward so as to catch the sounds more directly, they evidently came from the water, and then she und

s twenty steps would effectually bury her in the forest. She remained, therefore, watching with intense anxiety the result of her expedient, intending to call the attention of the others to the canoe with her voice, should they appear to pass without observing it. The Ark approached under its sail, again, Deerslayer standing

English that his fair companion might understand his words —“Lay her head well off shore. W

they were fairly out of his mouth. But the truth flashed on the mind of the quick-witted girl

r as straight as your bullet flies when

e side of the Ark. At the next moment the sail was lowere

in her tones. “Are you within hearing, sister — for God’s sake answer

re, where it will be useless to fol

drawing near midnight, and that the woods

e, as he would be in the Ark or in the hut. I am going to help my father, and p

truce, to buy their ransom. Come back then, sister; trust to us, wh

ak, to be sure; but I must go to father and poor Hurry. Do you and

as ourselves, and it is sinful not to trust to his goodness. You can do nothi

child that goes to serve her father, s

morning, we will put you ashore, and

ng knives in the air. Besides, I’ve got a thing to tell the Indian chief that will answer all our wishes, and I’m afr

ferocious savage that will be lik

turned the simple-minded girl, positively. “You’ll see, sister;

form some idee how far fair words will be likely, or not, to work on their bloody natur’s. If it’s no

l I get face to face with their head chief, let them plague me with as many questions as they please I’ll answer none of them, unless it be to tell them to lead me to their wisest man — Then, Deerslayer, I’ll tell him that God will not forgive murder, and thefts; and that if father and Hurry did go after the scalps of t

his proof of guileless feebleness of mind, but Judith had suddenly bethought her of a means of counteracting this wild project, by acting on the very feelings that had given it birth. Without adverting

ursued its course towards its habitual moorings, Deerslayer silently felicitating himself on the recovery of the canoe, and brooding over his plans for the morrow. The wind rose as the party quitted the point, and in less than an hour they reached the castle. Here all was found as it had been left, and the reverse of the ceremonies had to be taken in entering the building, that had been used on quitting it. Judith occupied a solitary bed that night bedewing the pillow with her tears,

of the period mentioned, she had become so weary as to want strength to go any farther. Rest was indispensable, and she set about preparing a bed, with the readiness and coolness of one to whom the wilderness presented no unnecessary terrors. She knew that wild beasts roamed through all the adjacent forest, but animals that preyed on the human species were rare, and of dangerous serpents there were literally none. These facts had been taught her by her father, and whatever her feeble mind received at all, it received so confidingly as to leave her no uneasiness from any doubts, or scepticism. To her the sublimity of the solitude in which she was placed, was soothing, rather than appalling, and she gathered a bed of leaves, with as much indifference to the circumstances that would have driven the thoughts of sleep entirely from the minds of most of her sex, as if she had been preparing her place of nightly rest beneath the paternal roof. As soon as Hetty had collected a sufficient number of the dried leaves to protect her person from the damps of the ground, she kneeled beside the humble pile, clasped her raised han

d. In making this unconscious gesture, her hand fell on some object that was warm, and in the half unconscious state in which she lay, she connected the circumstance with her habits. At the next moment, a rude attack was made on her side, as if a rooting animal were thrusting its snout beneath, with a desire to force her position, and then, uttering the name of “Judith” she awoke. As the startled girl arose to a sitting attitude she perceived that some dark object sprang from her, scattering the leaves and snapping the fallen twigs in its haste. Opening her eyes, and recovering from the first confusion and astonishment of her situation, Hetty perceived a cub, of the common American brown bear, balancing itself on i

ands and uplifted eyes, repeated the prayer of the previous night. This act of devotion was not the result of alarm, but it was a duty she never neglected to perform ere she slept, and when the return of consciousness awoke her to the business of the day. As the girl arose from her knees, the bear dropped on its feet again, and collecting its cubs around her, permitted them to draw their natural sustenance. Hetty was delighted with this proof of tenderness in an animal that has but a very indifferent reputation for the gentler feelings, and as a cub would quit its mother to frisk and leap about in w

singular companions. Her course now lay along a broad and nearly level terrace, which stretched from the top of the bank that bounded the water, to a low acclivity that rose to a second and irregular platform above. This was at a part of the valley where the mountains ran obliquely, forming the commencement of a plain that spread between the hills, southward of the sheet of water. Hetty knew, by this circumstance, that she was getting near to the encampment, and had she not, the be

king hurriedly, and in concern.—“Indian — r

ose smile was sunny as Judith’s in her brightest moments, whose voice was melody itself, and whose accents and manner had all the rebuked gentleness that characterizes the sex among a people who habitually treat their women as the attendants and servitors of the warriors. Beauty among the women of the aboriginal Americans, before they have become exposed to the hardships of wives

houlders and back, and was parted above a low smooth forehead, in a way to soften the expression of eyes that were full of archness and natural feeling. Her face was oval, with delicate features, the teeth were even and white, while the mouth expressed a melancholy tenderness, as if it wore this peculiar meaning in intuitive perception of the fate of a being

ence was in accordance with the general policy of the red man, who well knew, moreover, that her trail could have been easily followed in the event of flight. It will also be r

e readier in foreseeing consequences, as well as in devising means to avert them. Her father, during her childhood, had been much employed as a warrior by the authorities of the Colony, and dwelling for sever

ile of Hetty, in her own gentle, winning, manner —

sked Hetty, with the

riend. Mingo cruel, and love scalp, for blood — Dela

anging trees and bushes between them and any probable observers. Nor did she stop until they we

d her tale in her own simple and truth-loving manner. She explained the situation of h

other, partook largely of its sincerity. “He know it war-time, and he no boy — he no want beard — no want to be told I

ning with horror —“Did he seize

ernor no tell difference. Wicked t’ing for pale-face to s

ts, at the moment, in the influence of this new feeling. “I know him, too. He is now in the Ark, with

heeks, until the blush gave new animation and intelligence to her jet-black eyes. Raising a finger in an attitude

as to cause it to reach the ear in melody —“His father, Uncas — great chief of the Mahicanni — next

not pronounce the Indian name of her new friend, but having heard Deerslayer give her this familiar appellation, she used it with

k red warrior — very red — scalp ma

wicked as any other. God will not pardon in a

and pleased when he see young warrior come back from the war path, with two, ten, hundred scalp on a pole! Chingachgook fathe

t be terrible to think of. No one ca

g her head in a way to show how completely feminine feeling, in one of its aspects, had gotten the better of

s distance, across mountain, and valley, rivers and lakes,

ds. Dread of discovery, however, soon put a stop to this naive exhibition of feeling, and removing her hands, this creature of impulses gazed again wistfully into the face of her companion, as if inquiring how far she might trust a stranger with her secret. Although Hetty had no claims to her sister’s extraordinary beauty, many thought her countenance the most winning of the two. It expressed all the undisguised sincerity of her character, and it was totally free from any of the unpleasant physical accompaniments that so frequently attend mental imbec

t so long since Wah-ta-Wah have a friend — a sister — any bod

loves me, and I love Judith; but that’s natural, and as we are taught in the Bible — but I should like to have a friend! I’ll be you

pale-face, I red-skin; we bring up different fashion. Deerslayer and Chingachgook

they spell the name in the bib

, but no won’t let him. No good for Delaware girl to know too much — know more than warrior some time; t

own feelings and expectations in connection with the young warrior of her own tribe. Enough was revealed on both sides, however, to let each party get a tolerable insight into the views of the other, though enough still remained in mental reservation, to give rise to the following questions and answers, with wh

fader?—” she said —“Why no tal

y say, but he is dead many a year, and lies b

ost as much as fader, eh? Very handsome, and brave-l

ion, by an approach to an untruth as venial as an evasion, though powerfully tempted by female shame to err, “though I sometimes think wickedness will get the bette

d speaking? Young warrior ought to ask young girl, no mak

most valued privilege. It had little influence on the simple-minded, but also just-minded Hetty, who, though inherently feminine in all her impulse

fears had been aroused. ‘Ask me, if I like him as well as I do my own father! Oh! I hope h

blush come — make shame come too; but he no stay great while; then feel happier than ever.

ry me — nobody will ever

o marry you, and by-and-bye, tongue say wha

es, when she is vexed; but I shouldn’t so much mind them, as I did mother. She said so o

t Hist had previously manifested a desire to use, in order to prevent being seen, to an open exposure of the person of her friend, arose from the perfect conviction that no Indian would harm a being whom the Great Spirit had disarmed, by depriving it of its strongest defence, reason. In this respect, nearly all unsophisticated nations resemble each other, appearing to offer spontaneously, by a feeling creditable to human natur

herself, now the latter was apprised of the character of the protection that the pale-face maiden carried with her. Still, as they proceeded slowly along a shore that was tangled with overhanging bushes

d Hetty, “and there’s no reason wh

r. No speak of Chingachgook when the

her see she understood the necessity of caution. “I know — Deerslayer and the Serpe

minded than was actually the case. “How you know? Better not talk of any but fader and Hurry — M

d as told father all about it, in my presence, and as nobody told me not to lis

d for young woman to hear! Now you love Hist, I know, Hett

ey love best. I suppose it’s because I’m only half-witted that I do

tongue. Hold tongue your gift, among Mingos. If Sarpent want to see Hi

ware girl not to make any allusion to the presence of C

ring way, just as they got near enough to the encampment to hear the voices of several of their own sex, who were apparently occupied in t

g frontier man was the great object of her adventure, she felt the connection between it and the services of the Delaware, and with an innocent laugh, she nodded her head, and in the sam