e grooves, giving
them secure fastening below. Plates had been laid on the upper ends
of the upright logs, and were kept in their places by a similar
contrivance; the several corners of the structure being well fastened
by scarfing and pinning the sills and plates. The doors were made of
smaller logs, similarly squared, and the roof was composed of light
poles, firmly united, and well covered with bark.

The effect of this ingenious arrangement was to give its owner a house
that could be approached only by water, the sides of which were composed
of logs closely wedged together, which were two feet thick in their
thinnest parts, and which could be separated only by a deliberate and
laborious use of human hands, or by the slow operation of time. The
outer surface of the building was rude and uneven, the logs being of
unequal sizes; but the squared surfaces within gave both the sides and
door as uniform an appearance as was desired, either for use or show.
The chimney was not the least singular portion of the castle, as Hurry
made his companion observe, while he explained the process by which it
had been made. The material was a stiff clay, properly worked, which had
been put together in a mould of sticks, and suffered to harden, a foot
or two at a time, commencing at the bottom. When the entire chimney had
thus been raised, and had been properly bound in with outward props, a
brisk fire was kindled, and kept going until it was burned to something
like a brick-red. This had not been an easy operation, nor had it
succeeded entirely; but by dint of filling the cracks with fresh clay,
a safe fireplace and chimney had been obtained in the end. This part of
the work stood on the log-door, secured beneath by an extra pile. There
were a few other peculiarities about this dwelling, which will better
appear in the course of the narrative.

"Old Tom is full of contrivances," added Hurry, "and he set his heart on
the success of his chimney, which threatened more than once to give out
altogether; but perseverance will even overcome smoke; and now he has
a comfortable cabin of it, though it did promise, at one time, to be a
chinky sort of a flue to carry flames and fire."

"You seem to know the whole history of the castle, Hurry, chimney and
sides," said Deerslayer, smiling; "is love so overcoming that it causes
a man to study the story of his sweetheart's habitation?"

"Partly that, lad, and partly eyesight," returned the good-natu