th of Israel, and repent."

The bear shook his shaggy sides, and then a well-known voice replied:

"Put up the tooting we'pon, and teach your throat modesty. Five words
of plain and comprehendible English are worth just now an hour of
squalling."

"What art thou?" demanded David, utterly disqualified to pursue his
original intention, and nearly gasping for breath.

"A man like yourself; and one whose blood is as little tainted by the
cross of a bear, or an Indian, as your own. Have you so soon forgotten
from whom you received the foolish instrument you hold in your hand?"

"Can these things be?" returned David, breathing more freely, as the
truth began to dawn upon him. "I have found many marvels during my
sojourn with the heathen, but surely nothing to excel this."

"Come, come," returned Hawkeye, uncasing his honest countenance, the
better to assure the wavering confidence of his companion; "you may see
a skin, which, if it be not as white as one of the gentle ones, has no
tinge of red to it that the winds of the heaven and the sun have not
bestowed. Now let us to business."

"First tell me of the maiden, and of the youth who so bravely sought
her," interrupted David.

"Ay, they are happily freed from the tomahawks of these varlets. But can
you put me on the scent of Uncas?"

"The young man is in bondage, and much I fear his death is decreed. I
greatly mourn that one so well disposed should die in his ignorance, and
I have sought a goodly hymn--"

"Can you lead me to him?"

"The task will not be difficult," returned David, hesitating; "though
I greatly fear your presence would rather increase than mitigate his
unhappy fortunes."

"No more words, but lead on," returned Hawkeye, concealing his face
again, and setting the example in his own person, by instantly quitting
the lodge.

As they proceeded, the scout ascertained that his companion found access
to Uncas, under privilege of his imaginary infirmity, aided by the favor
he had acquired with one of the guards, who, in consequence of speaking
a little English, had been selected by David as the subject of a
religious conversion. How far the Huron comprehended the intentions of
his new friend may well be doubted; but as exclusive attention is
as flattering to a savage as to a more civilized individual, it had
produced the effect we have mentioned. It is unnecessary to repeat the
shrewd manner with which the scout extracted these particulars from the
sim