dark night by the edges of the sand."

"It's no great secret," returned Pathfinder, laughing with great inward
glee, though habitual caution prevented the emission of any noise.
"Nothing is easier to us who pass our time in the great school of
Providence than to larn its lessons. We should be as useless on a trail,
or in carrying tidings through the wilderness, as so many woodchucks,
did we not soon come to a knowledge of these niceties. Eau-douce, as we
call him, is so fond of the water, that he gathered a damp stick or
two for our fire; and wet will bring dark smoke, as I suppose even you
followers of the sea must know. It's no great secret, though all is
mystery to such as doesn't study the Lord and His mighty ways with
humility and thankfulness."

"That must be a keen eye of Arrowhead's to see so slight a difference."

"He would be but a poor Indian if he didn't. No, no; it is war-time, and
no red-skin is outlying without using his senses. Every skin has its own
natur', and every natur' has its own laws, as well as its own skin.
It was many years before I could master all these higher branches of
a forest education; for red-skin knowledge doesn't come as easy to
white-skin natur', as what I suppose is intended to be white-skin
knowledge; though I have but little of the latter, having passed most of
my time in the wilderness."

"You have been a ready scholar, Master Pathfinder, as is seen by your
understanding these things so well. I suppose it would be no great
matter for a man regularly brought up to the sea to catch these trifles,
if he could only bring his mind fairly to bear upon them."

"I don't know that. The white man has his difficulties in getting
red-skin habits, quite as much as the Indian in getting white-skin ways.
As for the real natur', it is my opinion that neither can actually get
that of the other."

"And yet we sailors, who run about the world so much, say there is but
one nature, whether it be in the Chinaman or a Dutchman. For my own
part, I am much of that way of thinking too; for I have generally found
that all nations like gold and silver, and most men relish tobacco."

"Then you seafaring men know little of the red-skins. Have you ever
known any of your Chinamen who could sing their death-songs, with their
flesh torn with splinters and cut with knives, the fire raging around
their naked bodies, and death staring them in the face? Until you can
find me a Chinaman, or a Christian man,