in pining for a
condition he had so long abandoned, he added: "it is what I would wish
to practise myself, as one without a cross of blood, though it is not
always easy to deal with an Indian as you would with a fellow Christian.
God bless you, friend; I do believe your scent is not greatly wrong,
when the matter is duly considered, and keeping eternity before the
eyes, though much depends on the natural gifts, and the force of
temptation."

So saying, the scout returned and shook David cordially by the hand;
after which act of friendship he immediately left the lodge, attended by
the new representative of the beast.

The instant Hawkeye found himself under the observation of the Hurons,
he drew up his tall form in the rigid manner of David, threw out his
arm in the act of keeping time, and commenced what he intended for an
imitation of his psalmody. Happily for the success of this delicate
adventure, he had to deal with ears but little practised in the concord
of sweet sounds, or the miserable effort would infallibly have been
detected. It was necessary to pass within a dangerous proximity of the
dark group of the savages, and the voice of the scout grew louder as
they drew nigher. When at the nearest point the Huron who spoke the
English thrust out an arm, and stopped the supposed singing-master.

"The Delaware dog!" he said, leaning forward, and peering through
the dim light to catch the expression of the other's features; "is he
afraid? Will the Hurons hear his groans?"

A growl, so exceedingly fierce and natural, proceeded from the beast,
that the young Indian released his hold and started aside, as if to
assure himself that it was not a veritable bear, and no counterfeit,
that was rolling before him. Hawkeye, who feared his voice would betray
him to his subtle enemies, gladly profited by the interruption, to break
out anew in such a burst of musical expression as would, probably, in
a more refined state of society have been termed "a grand crash." Among
his actual auditors, however, it merely gave him an additional claim to
that respect which they never withhold from such as are believed to be
the subjects of mental alienation. The little knot of Indians drew back
in a body, and suffered, as they thought, the conjurer and his inspired
assistant to proceed.

It required no common exercise of fortitude in Uncas and the scout to
continue the dignified and deliberate pace they had assumed in passing
the lodge; e