Judith had inclined towards the eastern shore at the commencement
of the chase, with a vague determination of landing and flying
to the woods as a last resort, but as she approached the land,
the certainty that scouts must be watching her movements made her
reluctance to adopt such an expedient unconquerable. Then she was
still fresh, and had sanguine hopes of being able to tire out her
pursuers. With such feelings she gave a sweep with her paddle,
and sheered off from the fringe of dark hemlocks beneath the shades
of which she was so near entering, and held her way again, more
towards the centre of the lake. This seemed the instant favorable
for the Hurons to make their push, as it gave them the entire
breadth of the sheet to do it in; and this too in the widest part,
as soon as they had got between the fugitives and the land. The
canoes now flew, Judith making up for what she wanted in strength
by her great dexterity and self command. For half a mile the
Indians gained no material advantage, but the continuance of so
great exertions for so many minutes sensibly affected all concerned.
Here the Indians resorted to an expedient that enabled them to give
one of their party time to breathe, by shifting their paddles from
hand to hand, and this too without sensibly relaxing their efforts.
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