s had suddenly removed their camp to the very place,
or at least the very projection of land where Hist had given them the
rendezvous!

Chapter XVI

"I hear thee babbling to the vale
Of sunshine and of flowers,
But unto me thou bring'st a tale
Of visionary hours."

Wordsworth.

One discovery mentioned at the close of the preceding chapter was of
great moment in the eyes of Deerslayer and his friend. In the first
place, there was the danger, almost the certainty, that Hutter and Hurry
would make a fresh attempt on this camp, should they awake and ascertain
its position. Then there was the increased risk of landing to bring off
Hist; and there were the general uncertainty and additional hazards that
must follow from the circumstance that their enemies had begun to change
their positions. As the Delaware was aware that the hour was near when
he ought to repair to the rendezvous, he no longer thought of trophies
torn from his foes, and one of the first things arranged between him and
his associate was to permit the two others to sleep on, lest they should
disturb the execution of their plans by substituting some of their own.
The ark moved slowly, and it would have taken fully a quarter of an hour
to reach the point, at the rate at which they were going, thus affording
time for a little forethought. The Indians, in the wish to conceal their
fire from those who were thought to be still in the castle, had placed
it so near the southern side of the point as to render it extremely
difficult to shut it in by the bushes, though Deerslayer varied the
direction of the scow both to the right and to the left, in the hope of
being able to effect that object.

"There's one advantage, Judith, in finding that fire so near the water,"
he said, while executing these little manoeuvres, "since it shows
the Mingos believe we are in the hut, and our coming on 'em from this
quarter will be an unlooked for event. But it's lucky Harry March and
your father are asleep, else we should have 'em prowling after scalps
ag'in. Ha! there--the bushes are beginning to shut in the fire--and now
it can't be seen at all!"

Deerslayer waited a little to make certain that he had at last
gained the desired position, when he gave the signal agreed on, and
Chingachgook let go the grapnel and lowered the sail.

The situation in which the ark now lay had its advantages and its
disadvantages. The fire had been hid by sheering towar