ve the hurt?" demanded Warley,
turning his eyes towards the pallid Judith, on whose cheeks, however,
two large spots of red had settled as soon as he came into the cabin.

"No more than there is for Chairlie Stuart! Approach and judge for
yourselves, gentlemen; ye'll see faith exemplified in an exceeding and
wonderful manner. There is a sort of arbitrium between life and
death, in actual conflict in the poor girl's mind, that renders her an
interesting study to a philosopher. Mr. Thornton, I'm at your service,
now; we can just look at the arm in the next room, while we speculate as
much as we please on the operations and sinuosities of the human mind."

The surgeon and ensign retired, and Warley had an opportunity of looking
about him more at leisure, and with a better understanding of the nature
and feelings of the group collected in the cabin. Poor Hetty had
been placed on her own simple bed, and was reclining in a half seated
attitude, with the approaches of death on her countenance, though they
were singularly dimmed by the lustre of an expression in which all the
intelligence of her entire being appeared to be concentrated. Judith
and Hist were near her, the former seated in deep grief; the latter
standing, in readiness to offer any of the gentle attentions of feminine
care. Deerslayer stood at the end of the pallet, leaning on Killdeer,
unharmed in person, all the fine martial ardor that had so lately glowed
in his countenance having given place to the usual look of honesty and
benevolence, qualities of which the expression was now softened by
manly regret and pity. The Serpent was in the background of the picture,
erect, and motionless as a statue; but so observant that not a look of
the eye escaped his own keen glances. Hurry completed the group, being
seated on a stool near the door, like one who felt himself out of place
in such a scene, but who was ashamed to quit it, unbidden.

"Who is that in scarlet?" asked Hetty, as soon as the Captain's uniform
caught her eye. "Tell me, Judith, is it the friend of Hurry?"

"'Tis the officer who commands the troops that have rescued us all from
the hands of the Hurons," was the low answer of the sister.

"Am I rescued, too!--I thought they said I was shot, and about to die.
Mother is dead; and so is father; but you are living, Judith, and so
is Hurry. I was afraid Hurry would be killed, when I heard him shouting
among the soldiers."

"Never mind--never mind, dear Het