"What can this mean, Judith?" demanded Deerslayer - "Why has your
sister taken the canoe, and left us?"
"You know she is feeble-minded, poor girl! - and she has her own
ideas of what ought to be done. She loves her father more than
most children love their parents - and - then -"
"Then, what, gal? This is a trying moment; one in which truth must
be spoken!"
Judith felt a generous and womanly regret at betraying her sister,
and she hesitated ere she spoke again. But once more urged by
Deerslayer, and conscious herself of all the risks the whole party
was running by the indiscretion of Hetty, she could refrain no
longer.
"Then, I fear, poor, weak-minded Hetty has not been altogether able
to see all the vanity, and rudeness and folly, that lie hid behind
the handsome face and fine form of Hurry Harry. She talks of him
in her sleep, and sometimes betrays the inclination in her waking
moments."
"You think, Judith, that your sister is now bent on some mad scheme
to serve her father and Hurry, which will, in all likelihood, give
them riptyles the Mingos, the mastership of a canoe?"
"Such, I fear, will turn out to be the fact, Deerslayer. Poor
Hetty has hardly sufficient cunning to outwit a savage.
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