s moment, too, the wind inopportunely
freshened, rendering the drift of the light craft much more rapid than
certain. Feeling the impossibility of preventing a contact with
the land, the young man wisely determined not to heat himself with
unnecessary exertions; but first looking to the priming of his piece,
he proceeded slowly and warily towards the point, taking care to make
a little circuit, that he might be exposed on only one side, as he
approached.

The canoe adrift being directed by no such intelligence, pursued its
proper way, and grounded on a small sunken rock, at the distance of
three or four yards from the shore. Just at that moment, Deerslayer had
got abreast of the point, and turned the bows of his own boat to
the land; first casting loose his tow, that his movements might be
unencumbered. The canoe hung an instant to the rock; then it rose a
hair's breadth on an almost imperceptible swell of the water, swung
round, floated clear, and reached the strand. All this the young man
noted, but it neither quickened his pulses, nor hastened his hand. If
any one had been lying in wait for the arrival of the waif, he must
be seen, and the utmost caution in approaching the shore became
indispensable; if no one was in ambush, hurry was unnecessary. The point
being nearly diagonally opposite to the Indian encampment, he hoped the
last, though the former was not only possible, but probable; for the
savages were prompt in adopting all the expedients of their particular
modes of warfare, and quite likely had many scouts searching the shores
for craft to carry them off to the castle. As a glance at the lake
from any height or projection would expose the smallest object on its
surface, there was little hope that either of the canoes would pass
unseen; and Indian sagacity needed no instruction to tell which way a
boat or a log would drift, when the direction of the wind was known. As
Deerslayer drew nearer and nearer to the land, the stroke of his paddle
grew slower, his eye became more watchful, and his ears and nostrils
almost dilated with the effort to detect any lurking danger. 'T was a
trying moment for a novice, nor was there the encouragement which
even the timid sometimes feel, when conscious of being observed and
commended. He was entirely alone, thrown on his own resources, and
was cheered by no friendly eye, emboldened by no encouraging voice.
Notwithstanding all these circumstances, the most experienced veteran