His rifle was no sooner loaded, than the savage glanced around him,
and advanced incautiously as regarded the real, but stealthily as
respected the fancied position of his enemy, until he was fairly
exposed. Then Deerslayer stepped from behind its own cover, and
hailed him.
"This a way, red-skin; this a way, if you're looking for me," he
called out. "I'm young in war, but not so young as to stand on
an open beach to be shot down like an owl, by daylight. It rests
on yourself whether it's peace or war atween us; for my gifts are
white gifts, and I'm not one of them that thinks it valiant to slay
human mortals, singly, in the woods."
The savage was a good deal startled by this sudden discovery of
the danger he ran. He had a little knowledge of English, however,
and caught the drift of the other's meaning. He was also too well
schooled to betray alarm, but, dropping the butt of his rifle to
the earth, with an air of confidence, he made a gesture of lofty
courtesy. All this was done with the ease and self-possession
of one accustomed to consider no man his superior. In the midst
of this consummate acting, however, the volcano that raged within
caused his eyes to glare, and his nostrils to dilate, like those
of some wild beast that is suddenly prevented from taking the fatal
leap.
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