irst signs of the dawn the
former arose, however, and made his personal arrangements for the day;
though his companion, whose nights had not been tranquil or without
disturbances of late, continued on his blanket until the sun had fairly
risen; Judith, too, was later than common that morning, for the earlier
hours of the night had brought her little of either refreshment or
sleep. But ere the sun had shown himself over the eastern hills these
too were up and afoot, even the tardy in that region seldom remaining on
their pallets after the appearance of the great luminary. Chingachgook
was in the act of arranging his forest toilet, when Deerslayer entered
the cabin of the Ark and threw him a few coarse but light summer
vestments that belonged to Hutter.

"Judith hath given me them for your use, chief," said the latter, as he
cast the jacket and trousers at the feet of the Indian, "for it's ag'in
all prudence and caution to be seen in your war dress and paint. Wash
off all them fiery streaks from your cheeks, put on these garments, and
here is a hat, such as it is, that will give you an awful oncivilized
sort of civilization, as the missionaries call it. Remember that Hist is
at hand, and what we do for the maiden must be done while we are
doing for others. I know it's ag'in your gifts and your natur' to wear
clothes, unless they are cut and carried in a red man's fashion, but
make a vartue of necessity and put these on at once, even if they do
rise a little in your throat."

Chingachgook, or the Serpent, eyed the vestments with strong disgust;
but he saw the usefulness of the disguise, if not its absolute
necessity. Should the Iroquois discover a red man, in or about the
Castle, it might, indeed, place them more on their guard, and give
their suspicions a direction towards their female captive. Any thing was
better than a failure, as it regarded his betrothed, and, after turning
the different garments round and round, examining them with a species
of grave irony, affecting to draw them on in a way that defeated itself,
and otherwise manifesting the reluctance of a young savage to confine
his limbs in the usual appliances of civilized life, the chief submitted
to the directions of his companion, and finally stood forth, so far
as the eye could detect, a red man in colour alone. Little was to be
apprehended from this last peculiarity, however, the distance from the
shore, and the want of glasses preventing any very close s