life in the woods, and I only hope it may be a
peaceable one. All young men must go on the war-path, when there's
occasion, but war isn't needfully massacre. I've seen enough of the
last, this very night, to know that Providence frowns on it; and I now
invite you to go your own way, while I go mine; and hope that we may
part fri'nds."

"Good! My brother has two scalp--gray hair under 'other. Old
wisdom--young tongue."

Here the savage advanced with confidence, his hand extended, his face
smiling, and his whole bearing denoting amity and respect. Deerslayer
met his offered friendship in a proper spirit, and they shook hands
cordially, each endeavoring to assure the other of his sincerity and
desire to be at peace.

"All have his own," said the Indian; "my canoe, mine; your canoe,
your'n. Go look; if your'n, you keep; if mine, I keep."

"That's just, red-skin; thought you must be wrong in thinking the canoe
your property. Howsever, seein' is believin', and we'll go down to the
shore, where you may look with your own eyes; for it's likely you'll
object to trustin' altogether to mine."

The Indian uttered his favorite exclamation of "Good!" and then they
walked side by side, towards the shore. There was no apparent distrust
in the manner of either, the Indian moving in advance, as if he wished
to show his companion that he did not fear turning his back to him. As
they reached the open ground, the former pointed towards Deerslayer's
boat, and said emphatically--"No mine--pale-face canoe. This red man's.
No want other man's canoe--want his own."

"You're wrong, red-skin, you 're altogether wrong. This canoe was left
in old Hutter's keeping, and is his'n according to law, red or white,
till its owner comes to claim it. Here's the seats and the stitching of
the bark to speak for themselves. No man ever know'd an Injin to turn
off such work."

"Good! My brother little old--big wisdom. Injin no make him. White man's
work."

"I'm glad you think so, for holding out to the contrary might have made
ill blood atween us, every one having a right to take possession of his
own. I'll just shove the canoe out of reach of dispute at once, as the
quickest way of settling difficulties."

While Deerslayer was speaking, he put a foot against the end of the
light boat, and giving a vigorous shove, he sent it out into the lake
a hundred feet or more, where, taking the true current, it would
necessarily float past the point, and be in