cruisers could never cross the
mountains, and that he might enjoy the plunder peaceably in the woods."

"Then he was wrong, Hurry; very wrong. A man can enjoy plunder peaceably
nowhere."

"That's much as his turn of mind may happen to be. I've known them
that never could enjoy it at all, unless it was in the midst of a
jollification, and them again that enjoyed it best in a corner. Some
men have no peace if they don't find plunder, and some if they do. Human
nature' is crooked in these matters. Old Tom seems to belong to neither
set, as he enjoys his, if plunder he has really got, with his darters,
in a very quiet and comfortable way, and wishes for no more."

"Ay, he has darters, too; I've heard the Delawares, who've hunted this
a way, tell their histories of these young women. Is there no mother,
Hurry?"

"There was once, as in reason; but she has now been dead and sunk these
two good years."

"Anan?" said Deerslayer, looking up at his companion in a little
surprise.

"Dead and sunk, I say, and I hope that's good English. The old fellow
lowered his wife into the lake, by way of seeing the last of her, as I
can testify, being an eye-witness of the ceremony; but whether Tom
did it to save digging, which is no easy job among roots, or out of a
consait that water washes away sin sooner than 'arth, is more than I can
say."

"Was the poor woman oncommon wicked, that her husband should take so
much pains with her body?"

"Not onreasonable; though she had her faults. I consider Judith Hutter
to have been as graceful, and about as likely to make a good ind as
any woman who had lived so long beyond the sound of church bells; and I
conclude old Tom sunk her as much by way of saving pains, as by way of
taking it. There was a little steel in her temper, it's true, and,
as old Hutter is pretty much flint, they struck out sparks
once-and-a-while; but, on the whole, they might be said to live amicable
like. When they did kindle, the listeners got some such insights into
their past lives, as one gets into the darker parts of the woods, when
a stray gleam of sunshine finds its way down to the roots of the trees.
But Judith I shall always esteem, as it's recommend enough to one woman
to be the mother of such a creatur' as her darter, Judith Hutter!"

"Ay, Judith was the name the Delawares mentioned, though it was
pronounced after a fashion of their own. From their discourse, I do not
think the girl would much please my fancy