ion that the boat must be that in which her sister had
fled.

"Keep the scow straight, Delaware; steer as straight as your bullet
flies when sent ag'in a buck; there--I have it."

The canoe was seized, and immediately secured again to the side of the
Ark. At the next moment the sail was lowered, and the motion of the Ark
arrested by means of the oars.

"Hetty!" called out Judith, concern, even affection betraying itself in
her tones. "Are you within hearing, sister--for God's sake answer, and
let me hear the sound of your voice, again! Hetty!--dear Hetty."

"I'm here, Judith--here on the shore, where it will be useless to follow
me, as I will hide in the woods."

"Oh! Hetty what is't you do! Remember 'tis drawing near midnight, and
that the woods are filled with savages and wild beasts!"

"Neither will harm a poor half-witted girl, Judith. God is as much with
me, here, as he would be in the Ark or in the hut. I am going to help my
father, and poor Hurry Harry, who will be tortured and slain unless some
one cares for them."

"We all care for them, and intend to-morrow to send them a flag of
truce, to buy their ransom. Come back then, sister; trust to us, who
have better heads than you, and who will do all we can for father."

"I know your head is better than mine, Judith, for mine is very weak, to
be sure; but I must go to father and poor Hurry. Do you and Deerslayer
keep the castle, sister; leave me in the hands of God."

"God is with us all, Hetty--in the castle, or on the shore--father as
well as ourselves, and it is sinful not to trust to his goodness. You
can do nothing in the dark; will lose your way in the forest, and perish
for want of food."

"God will not let that happen to a poor child that goes to serve her
father, sister. I must try and find the savages."

"Come back for this night only; in the morning, we will put you ashore,
and leave you to do as you may think right."

"You say so, Judith, and you think so; but you would not. Your heart
would soften, and you'd see tomahawks and scalping knives in the air.
Besides, I've got a thing to tell the Indian chief that will answer all
our wishes, and I'm afraid I may forget it, if I don't tell it to him at
once. You'll see that he will let father go, as soon as he hears it!"

"Poor Hetty! What can you say to a ferocious savage that will be likely
to change his bloody purpose!"

"That which will frighten him, and make him let father go--" returned