As the young man had no longer any motive to remain near the point,
he prepared to collect his canoes, in order to tow them off to the
castle. That nearest was soon in tow, when he proceeded in quest
of the other, which was all this time floating up the lake. The
eye of Deerslayer was no sooner fastened on this last boat, than it
struck him that it was nearer to the shore than it would have been
had it merely followed the course of the gentle current of air.
He began to suspect the influence of some unseen current in the
water, and he quickened his exertions, in order to regain possession
of it before it could drift into a dangerous proximity to the woods.
On getting nearer, he thought that the canoe had a perceptible motion
through the water, and, as it lay broadside to the air, that this
motion was taking it towards the land. A few vigorous strokes of
the paddle carried him still nearer, when the mystery was explained.
Something was evidently in motion on the off side of the canoe, or
that which was farthest from himself, and closer scrutiny showed
that it was a naked human arm. An Indian was lying in the bottom
of the canoe, and was propelling it slowly but certainly to the
shore, using his hand as a paddle.
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