a good memory for good deeds, and a weak memory for bad.
He will forget."

"Yes, that's easy enough. Say no more about it chief, but if another
of them clouds blow near you, do your endivours to get out of its way.
Clouds are bad enough in the weather, but when they come to the reason,
it gets to be serious. Now, sit down by me here, and let us calculate
our movements a little, for we shall soon either have a truce and
a peace, or we shall come to an actyve and bloody war. You see the
vagabonds can make logs sarve their turn, as well as the best raftsmen
on the rivers, and it would be no great expl'ite for them to invade us
in a body. I've been thinking of the wisdom of putting all old Tom's
stores into the Ark, of barring and locking up the Castle, and of taking
to the Ark, altogether. That is moveable, and by keeping the sail up,
and shifting places, we might worry through a great many nights, without
them Canada wolves finding a way into our sheep fold!"

Chingachgook listened to this plan with approbation. Did the negotiation
fail, there was now little hope that the night would pass without
an assault, and the enemy had sagacity enough to understand that
in carrying the castle they would probably become masters of all it
contained, the offered ransom included, and still retain the advantages
they had hitherto gained. Some precaution of the sort appeared to be
absolutely necessary, for now the numbers of the Iroquois were known, a
night attack could scarcely be successfully met. It would be impossible
to prevent the enemy from getting possession of the canoes and the Ark,
and the latter itself would be a hold in which the assailants would be
as effectually protected against bullets as were those in the building.
For a few minutes, both the men thought of sinking the Ark in the
shallow water, of bringing the canoes into the house, and of depending
altogether on the castle for protection. But reflection satisfied them
that, in the end, this expedient would fail. It was so easy to collect
logs on the shore, and to construct a raft of almost any size, that it
was certain the Iroquois, now they had turned their attention to
such means, would resort to them seriously, so long as there was the
certainty of success by perseverance. After deliberating maturely,
and placing all the considerations fairly before them, the two young
beginners in the art of forest warfare settled down into the opinion
that the Ark offered the onl