t spotless. That the men forward
were not indifferent to this touching interruption, was proved by their
inaction; nor did their oars again dip until the last of the sweet
sounds had actually died among the remarkable shores, which, at that
witching hour, would waft even the lowest modulations of the human voice
more than a mile. Hutter was much affected; for rude as he was by early
habits, and even ruthless as he had got to be by long exposure to the
practices of the wilderness, his nature was of that fearful mixture of
good and evil that so generally enters into the moral composition of
man.

"You are sad tonight, child," said the father, whose manner and language
usually assumed some of the gentleness and elevation of the civilized
life he had led in youth, when he thus communed with this particular
child; "we have just escaped from enemies, and ought rather to rejoice."

"You can never do it, father!" said Hetty, in a low, remonstrating
manner, taking his hard, knotty hand into both her own; "you have talked
long with Harry March; but neither of you have the heart to do it!"

"This is going beyond your means, foolish child; you must have been
naughty enough to have listened, or you could know nothing of our talk."

"Why should you and Hurry kill people--especially women and children?"

"Peace, girl, peace; we are at war, and must do to our enemies as our
enemies would do to us."

"That's not it, father! I heard Deerslayer say how it was. You must do
to your enemies as you wish your enemies would do to you. No man wishes
his enemies to kill him."

"We kill our enemies in war, girl, lest they should kill us. One side or
the other must begin; and them that begin first, are most apt to get the
victory. You know nothing about these things, poor Hetty, and had best
say nothing."

"Judith says it is wrong, father; and Judith has sense though I have
none."

"Jude understands better than to talk to me of these matters; for she
has sense, as you say, and knows I'll not bear it. Which would you
prefer, Hetty; to have your own scalp taken, and sold to the French, or
that we should kill our enemies, and keep them from harming us?"

"That's not it, father! Don't kill them, nor let them kill us. Sell your
skins, and get more, if you can; but don't sell human blood."

"Come, come, child; let us talk of matters you understand. Are you glad
to see our old friend, March, back again? You like Hurry, and must know
that one