r smile lingered around a mouth that no derangement of the
muscles could render anything but handsome. Her companion observed the
change, and though little skilled in the workings of the female heart,
he had sufficient native delicacy to understand that it might be well to
drop the subject.

As the hour when Chingachgook was expected still remained distant,
Deerslayer had time enough to examine into the state of the defences,
and to make such additional arrangements as were in his power, and the
exigency of the moment seemed to require. The experience and foresight
of Hutter had left little to be done in these particulars; still,
several precautions suggested themselves to the young man, who may be
said to have studied the art of frontier warfare, through the traditions
and legends of the people among whom he had so long lived. The distance
between the castle and the nearest point on the shore, prevented any
apprehension on the subject of rifle-bullets thrown from the land. The
house was within musket-shot in one sense, it was true, but aim was
entirely out of the question, and even Judith professed a perfect
disregard of any danger from that source. So long, then, as the party
remained in possession of the fortress, they were safe, unless their
assailants could find the means to come off and carry it by fire or
storm, or by some of the devices of Indian cunning and Indian treachery.

Against the first source of danger Hutter had made ample provision, and
the building itself, the bark roof excepted, was not very combustible.
The floor was scuttled in several places, and buckets provided with
ropes were in daily use, in readiness for any such emergency. One of the
girls could easily extinguish any fire that might be lighted, provided
it had not time to make much headway. Judith, who appeared to understand
all her father's schemes of defence, and who had the spirit to take no
unimportant share in the execution of them, explained all these details
to the young man, who was thus saved much time and labor in making his
investigations.

Little was to be apprehended during the day. In possession of the
canoes and of the ark, no other vessel was to be found on the lake.
Nevertheless, Deerslayer well knew that a raft was soon made, and, as
dead trees were to be found in abundance near the water, did the savages
seriously contemplate the risks of an assault, it would not be a very
difficult matter to find the necessary means. T