o eat with the wolves and dogs. Then, ag'in, some fancy
heaven to be only the carryin' out of their own 'arthly longin's, while
others fancy it all gold and shinin' lights! Well, I've an idee of my
own, in that matter, which is just this, Sarpent. Whenever I've done
wrong, I've ginirally found 'twas owin' to some blindness of the mind,
which hid the right from view, and when sight has returned, then has
come sorrow and repentance. Now, I consait that, after death, when
the body is laid aside or, if used at all, is purified and without its
longin's, the spirit sees all things in their ra'al lights and never
becomes blind to truth and justice. Such bein' the case, all that has
been done in life, is beheld as plainly as the sun is seen at noon;
the good brings joy, while the evil brings sorrow. There's nothin'
onreasonable in that, but it's agreeable to every man's exper'ence."

"I thought the pale-faces believed all men were wicked; who then could
ever find the white man's heaven?"

"That's ingen'ous, but it falls short of the missionary teachin's.
You'll be Christianized one day, I make no doubt, and then 'twill all
come plain enough. You must know, Sarpent, that there's been a great
deed of salvation done, that, by God's help, enables all men to find
a pardon for their wickednesses, and that is the essence of the white
man's religion. I can't stop to talk this matter over with you any
longer, for Hetty's in the canoe, and the furlough takes me away, but
the time will come I hope when you'll feel these things; for, after all,
they must be felt rather than reasoned about. Ah's! me; well, Delaware,
there's my hand; you know it's that of a fri'nd, and will shake it as
such, though it never has done you one half the good its owner wishes it
had."

The Indian took the offered hand, and returned its pressure warmly. Then
falling back on his acquired stoicism of manner, which so many mistake
for constitutional indifference, he drew up in reserve, and prepared
to part from his friend with dignity. Deerslayer, however, was more
natural, nor would he have at all cared about giving way to his
feelings, had not the recent conduct and language of Judith given him
some secret, though ill defined apprehensions of a scene. He was too
humble to imagine the truth concerning the actual feelings of that
beautiful girl, while he was too observant not to have noted the
struggle she had maintained with herself, and which had so often led
he