Even the furniture, clothes, arms, and other property of the
camp had entirely disappeared, and the place bore no other proofs
of the crowd that had so lately occupied it, than the traces of
their fires and resting places, and the trodden earth that still
showed the marks of their feet. So sudden and unexpected a change
caused Deerslayer a good deal of surprise and some uneasiness,
for he had never known it to occur, in the course of his experience
among the Delawares. He suspected, however, and rightly, that
a change of encampment was intended, and that the mystery of the
movement was resorted to in order to work on his apprehensions.
Rivenoak walked up the vista of trees as soon as he ceased speaking,
leaving Deerslayer by himself. The chief disappeared behind the
covers of the forest, and one unpractised in such scenes might have
believed the prisoner left to the dictates of his own judgment.
But the young man, while he felt a little amazement at the dramatic
aspect of things, knew his enemies too well to fancy himself
at liberty, or a free agent. Still, he was ignorant how far the
Hurons meant to carry their artifices, and he determined to bring
the question, as soon as practicable, to the proof.
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