Deerslayer could not but observe this extraordinary
emotion; but with the tact of a courtier, he avoided not only any
allusion to the circumstance, but succeeded in concealing the effect
of his discovery on himself. Judith gradually grew calm again,
and as she was obviously anxious to appear to advantage in the eyes
of the young man, she was soon able to renew the conversation as
composedly as if nothing had occurred to disturb her.
"I have no right to look into your secrets, or the secrets of your
friend, Deerslayer," she continued, "and am ready to take all you
say on trust. If we can really get another male ally to join us
at this trying moment, it will aid us much; and I am not without
hope that when the savages find that we are able to keep the lake,
they will offer to give up their prisoners in exchange for skins,
or at least for the keg of powder that we have in the house."
The young man had the words "scalps" and "bounty" on his lips, but
a reluctance to alarm the feelings of the daughters prevented him
from making the allusion he had intended to the probable fate of
their father. Still, so little was he practised in the arts of
deception, that his expressive countenance was, of itself, understood
by the quick-witted Judith, whose intelligence had been sharpened
by the risks and habits of her life.
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