"Is any thing to be seen of the
Delaware chief?"
"Nothing, Deerslayer. Neither rock, shore, trees, nor lake seems
to have ever held a human form."
'Keep close, Judith - keep close, Hetty - a rifle has a prying eye,
a nimble foot, and a desperate fatal tongue. Keep close then, but
keep up actyve looks, and be on the alart. 'Twould grieve me to
the heart, did any harm befall either of you.'
"And you Deerslayer-" exclaimed Judith, turning her handsome face
from the loop, to bestow a gracious and grateful look on the young
man - "do you 'keep close', and have a proper care that the savages
do not catch a glimpse of you! A bullet might be as fatal to you
as to one of us; and the blow that you felt, would be felt by us
all."
"No fear of me, Judith - no fear of me, my good gal. Do not look
this-a-way, although you look so pleasant and comely, but keep your
eyes on the rock, and the shore, and the-"
Deerslayer was interrupted by a slight exclamation from the girl,
who, in obedience to his hurried gestures, as much as in obedience
to his words, had immediately bent her looks again, in the opposite
direction.
"What is't? - What is't, Judith?" he hastily demanded - "Is any
thing to be seen?"
"There is a man on the rock! - An Indian warrior, in his paint
-and armed!"
"Where does he wear his hawk's feather?" eagerly added Deerslayer,
relaxing his hold of the line, in readiness to drift nearer to
the place of rendezvous.
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