brought us off has an oncommon scalp, and
I'd give as much for it myself as the Colony. Yes, I feel as rich as the
governor in these matters now, and will lay down with them doubloon for
doubloon. Judith, darling, did you mourn for me much, when I was in the
hands of the Philipsteins?"

The last were a family of German descent on the Mohawk, to whom Hurry
had a great antipathy, and whom he had confounded with the enemies of
Judea.

"Our tears have raised the lake, Hurry March, as you might have seen by
the shore!" returned Judith, with a feigned levity that she was far
from feeling. "That Hetty and I should have grieved for father was to be
expected; but we fairly rained tears for you."

"We were sorry for poor Hurry, as well as for father, Judith!" put in
her innocent and unconscious sister.

"True, girl, true; but we feel sorrow for everybody that's in trouble,
you know," returned the other in a quick, admonitory manner and a low
tone. "Nevertheless, we are glad to see you, Master March, and out of
the hands of the Philipsteins, too."

"Yes, they're a bad set, and so is the other brood of 'em, down on the
river. It's a wonderment to me how you got us off, Deerslayer; and I
forgive you the interference that prevented my doin' justice on that
vagabond, for this small service. Let us into the secret, that we may do
you the same good turn, at need. Was it by lying, or by coaxing?"

"By neither, Hurry, but by buying. We paid a ransom for you both,
and that, too, at a price so high you had well be on your guard ag'in
another captyvement, lest our stock of goods shouldn't hold out."

"A ransom! Old Tom has paid the fiddler, then, for nothing of mine would
have bought off the hair, much less the skin. I didn't think men as keen
set as them vagabonds would let a fellow up so easy, when they had him
fairly at a close hug, and floored. But money is money, and somehow it's
unnat'ral hard to withstand. Indian or white man, 'tis pretty much the
same. It must be owned, Judith, there's a considerable of human natur'
in mankind ginirally, arter all!"

Hutter now rose, and signing to Deerslayer, he led him to an inner room,
where, in answer to his questions, he first learned the price that had
been paid for his release. The old man expressed neither resentment nor
surprise at the inroad that had been made on his chest, though he
did manifest some curiosity to know how far the investigation of its
contents had been carried. He