apparently lost the consciousness of their situation, in the
intense scrutiny they bestowed on a material so fine, work so highly
wrought, and an animal so extraordinary. The lip of the moose is,
perhaps, the nearest approach to the trunk of the elephant that is to
be found in the American forest, but this resemblance was far from being
sufficiently striking to bring the new creature within the range of
their habits and ideas, and the more they studied the image, the greater
was their astonishment. Nor did these children of the forest mistake
the structure on the back of the elephant for a part of the animal. They
were familiar with horses and oxen, and had seen towers in the Canadas,
and found nothing surprising in creatures of burthen. Still, by a very
natural association, they supposed the carving meant to represent that
the animal they saw was of a strength sufficient to carry a fort on its
back; a circumstance that in no degree lessened their wonder.

"Has my pale-face brother any more such beasts?" at last the senior of
the Iroquois asked, in a sort of petitioning manner.

"There's more where them came from, Mingo," was the answer; "one is
enough, howsever, to buy off fifty scalps."

"One of my prisoners is a great warrior--tall as a pine--strong as the
moose--active as a deer--fierce as the panther! Some day he'll be a
great chief, and lead the army of King George!"

"Tut-tut Mingo; Hurry Harry is Hurry Harry, and you'll never make
more than a corporal of him, if you do that. He's tall enough, of a
sartainty; but that's of no use, as he only hits his head ag'in the
branches as he goes through the forest. He's strong too, but a strong
body isn't a strong head, and the king's generals are not chosen for
their sinews; he's swift, if you will, but a rifle bullet is swifter;
and as for f'erceness, it's no great ricommend to a soldier; they that
think they feel the stoutest often givin' out at the pinch. No, no,
you'll niver make Hurry's scalp pass for more than a good head of curly
hair, and a rattle pate beneath it!"

"My old prisoner very wise--king of the lake--great warrior, wise
counsellor!"

"Well, there's them that might gainsay all this, too, Mingo. A very wise
man wouldn't be apt to be taken in so foolish a manner as befell Master
Hutter, and if he gives good counsel, he must have listened to very bad
in that affair. There's only one king of this lake, and he's a long way
off, and isn't likely ever to s