ied the Bible under her arm, and her face, over
which a shadow of gentle melancholy was usually thrown, now seemed sad
and downcast. Moving nearer, Deerslayer spoke.

"Poor Hetty," he said, "times have been so troublesome, of late, that
I'd altogether forgotten you; we meet, as it might be to mourn over what
is to happen. I wonder what has become of Chingachgook and Wah!"

"Why did you kill the Huron, Deerslayer?--" returned the girl
reproachfully. "Don't you know your commandments, which say 'Thou shalt
not kill!' They tell me you have now slain the woman's husband and
brother!"

"It's true, my good Hetty--'tis gospel truth, and I'll not deny what has
come to pass. But, you must remember, gal, that many things are lawful
in war, which would be onlawful in peace. The husband was shot in open
fight--or, open so far as I was consarned, while he had a better cover
than common--and the brother brought his end on himself, by casting his
tomahawk at an unarmed prisoner. Did you witness that deed, gal?"

"I saw it, and was sorry it happened, Deerslayer, for I hoped you
wouldn't have returned blow for blow, but good for evil."

"Ah, Hetty, that may do among the Missionaries, but 'twould make an
onsartain life in the woods! The Panther craved my blood, and he was
foolish enough to throw arms into my hands, at the very moment he was
striving a'ter it. 'Twould have been ag'in natur' not to raise a hand in
such a trial, and 'twould have done discredit to my training and gifts.
No--no--I'm as willing to give every man his own as another, and so I
hope you'll testify to them that will be likely to question you as to
what you've seen this day."

"Deerslayer, do you mean to marry Sumach, now she has neither husband
nor brother to feed her?"

"Are such your idees of matrimony, Hetty! Ought the young to wive
with the old--the pale-face with the red-skin--the Christian with the
heathen? It's ag'in reason and natur', and so you'll see, if you think
of it a moment."

"I've always heard mother say," returned Hetty, averting her face more
from a feminine instinct than from any consciousness of wrong, "that
people should never marry until they loved each other better than
brothers and sisters, and I suppose that is what you mean. Sumach is
old, and you are young!"

"Ay and she's red, and I'm white. Beside, Hetty, suppose you was a wife,
now, having married some young man of your own years, and state, and
colour--Hurry Harry, for ins