distance of several yards from the canoe, and the
hasty glance he threw behind him denoted how much he feared the arrival
of a fatal messenger from the rifle of his foe. But the young man made
no indication of any hostile intention. Deliberately securing the canoe
to the others, he began to paddle from the shore; and by the time the
Indian reached the land, and had shaken himself, like a spaniel, on
quitting the water, his dreaded enemy was already beyond rifle-shot on
his way to the castle. As was so much his practice, Deerslayer did not
fail to soliloquize on what had just occurred, while steadily pursuing
his course towards the point of destination.

"Well, well,"--he commenced,--"'twould have been wrong to kill a human
mortal without an object. Scalps are of no account with me, and life
is sweet, and ought not to be taken marcilessly by them that have white
gifts. The savage was a Mingo, it's true; and I make no doubt he is, and
will be as long as he lives, a ra'al riptyle and vagabond; but that's no
reason I should forget my gifts and color. No, no,--let him go; if ever
we meet ag'in, rifle in hand, why then 'twill be seen which has the
stoutest heart and the quickest eye. Hawkeye! That's not a bad name
for a warrior, sounding much more manful and valiant than Deerslayer!
'Twouldn't be a bad title to begin with, and it has been fairly 'arned.
If 't was Chingachgook, now, he might go home and boast of his deeds,
and the chiefs would name him Hawkeye in a minute; but it don't become
white blood to brag, and 't isn't easy to see how the matter can
be known unless I do. Well, well,--everything is in the hands of
Providence; this affair as well as another; I'll trust to that for
getting my desarts in all things."

Having thus betrayed what might be termed his weak spot, the young man
continued to paddle in silence, making his way diligently, and as fast
as his tows would allow him, towards the castle. By this time the sun
had not only risen, but it had appeared over the eastern mountains, and
was shedding a flood of glorious light on this as yet unchristened
sheet of water. The whole scene was radiant with beauty; and no one
unaccustomed to the ordinary history of the woods would fancy it had so
lately witnessed incidents so ruthless and barbarous. As he approached
the building of old Hutter, Deerslayer thought, or rather felt that
its appearance was in singular harmony with all the rest of the scene.
Although nothing