s were again bent on the
Indian near him. Instead of taking the alarm, the unconscious savage
stretched forward his neck, as if he also watched the movements about
the gloomy lake, with a sort of silly curiosity. In the meantime, the
uplifted hand of Hawkeye was above him. But, without any apparent
reason, it was withdrawn, and its owner indulged in another long, though
still silent, fit of merriment. When the peculiar and hearty laughter of
Hawkeye was ended, instead of grasping his victim by the throat, he
tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and exclaimed aloud,--

"How now, friend! have you a mind to teach the beavers to sing?"

"Even so," was the ready answer. "It would seem that the Being that gave
them power to improve his gifts so well, would not deny them voices to
proclaim his praise."

CHAPTER XXII

_"Bot._--Are we all met?"

_"Qui._--Pat--pat; and here's a marvellous
Convenient place for our rehearsal."

_Midsummer Night's Dream._

The reader may better imagine, than we describe, the surprise of
Heyward. His lurking Indians were suddenly converted into four-footed
beasts; his lake into a beaver pond; his cataract into a dam,
constructed by those industrious and ingenious quadrupeds; and a
suspected enemy into his tried friend, David Gamut, the master of
psalmody. The presence of the latter created so many unexpected hopes
relative to the sisters that, without a moment's hesitation, the young
man broke out of his ambush, and sprang forward to join the two
principal actors in the scene.

The merriment of Hawkeye was not easily appeased. Without ceremony, and
with a rough hand, he twirled the supple Gamut around on his heel, and
more than once affirmed that the Hurons had done themselves great credit
in the fashion of his costume. Then seizing the hand of the other, he
squeezed it with a gripe that brought the tears into the eyes of the
placid David, and wished him joy of his new condition.

"You were about opening your throat-practysings among the beavers, were
ye?" he said. "The cunning devils know half the trade already, for they
beat the time with their tails, as you heard just now; and in good time
it was too, or 'Killdeer' might have sounded the first note among them.
I have known greater fools, who could read and write, than an
experienced old beaver; but as for squalling, the animals are born dumb!
What think you of such a song as this?"

David shut his sensitive ears, and ev