craft, a large, round, smooth stone was in each end of the canoe,
for the double purpose of seats and ballast; one of these was within
reach of his feet. This stone he contrived to get so far between his
legs as to reach it with his hands, and then he managed to roll it to
the side of its fellow in the bows, where the two served to keep the
trim of the light boat, while he worked his own body as far aft as
possible. Before quitting the shore, and as soon as he perceived that
the paddles were gone, Deerslayer had thrown a bit of dead branch into
the canoe, and this was within reach of his arm. Removing the cap he
wore, he put it on the end of this stick, and just let it appear over
the edge of the canoe, as far as possible from his own person. This ruse
was scarcely adopted before the young man had a proof how much he had
underrated the intelligence of his enemies. In contempt of an artifice
so shallow and common place, a bullet was fired directly through another
part of the canoe, which actually raised his skin. He dropped the cap,
and instantly raised it immediately over his head, as a safeguard.
It would seem that this second artifice was unseen, or what was more
probable, the Hurons feeling certain of recovering their captive, wished
to take him alive.

Deerslayer lay passive a few minutes longer, his eye at the bullet
hole, however, and much did he rejoice at seeing that he was drifting,
gradually, farther and farther from the shore. When he looked upward,
the treetops had disappeared, but he soon found that the canoe was
slowly turning, so as to prevent his getting a view of anything at his
peephole, but of the two extremities of the lake. He now bethought him
of the stick, which was crooked and offered some facilities for rowing
without the necessity of rising. The experiment succeeded on trial,
better even than he had hoped, though his great embarrassment was to
keep the canoe straight. That his present manoeuvre was seen soon became
apparent by the clamor on the shore, and a bullet entering the stern of
the canoe traversed its length, whistling between the arms of our hero,
and passed out at the head. This satisfied the fugitive that he was
getting away with tolerable speed, and induced him to increase his
efforts. He was making a stronger push than common, when another
messenger from the point broke the stick out-board, and at once deprived
him of his oar. As the sound of voices seemed to grow more and more
dis