y with young women, fri'ndship counts for something,
too, with other some. I dares to say, the Delaware can paddle a canoe
by himself, and can bring off Hist by himself, and perhaps he would like
that quite as well, as to have me with him; but he couldn't sarcumvent
sarcumventions, or stir up an ambushment, or fight with the savages, and
get his sweetheart at the same time, as well by himself as if he had
a fri'nd with him to depend on, even if that fri'nd is no better than
myself. No--no--Judith, you wouldn't desert one that counted on you, at
such a moment, and you can't, in reason, expect me to do it."

"I fear--I believe you are right, Deerslayer, and yet I wish you were
not to go! Promise me one thing, at least, and that is, not to trust
yourself among the savages, or to do anything more than to save the
girl. That will be enough for once, and with that you ought to be
satisfied."

"Lord bless you! gal; one would think it was Hetty that's talking, and
not the quick-witted and wonderful Judith Hutter! But fright makes the
wise silly, and the strong weak. Yes, I've seen proofs of that, time
and ag'in! Well, it's kind and softhearted in you, Judith, to feel this
consarn for a fellow creatur', and I shall always say that you are kind
and of true feelings, let them that envy your good looks tell as many
idle stories of you as they may."

"Deerslayer!" hastily said the girl, interrupting him, though nearly
choked by her own emotions; "do you believe all you hear about a poor,
motherless girl? Is the foul tongue of Hurry Harry to blast my life?"

"Not it, Judith--not it. I've told Hurry it wasn't manful to backbite
them he couldn't win by fair means; and that even an Indian is always
tender, touching a young woman's good name."

"If I had a brother, he wouldn't dare to do it!" exclaimed Judith, with
eyes flashing fire. "But, finding me without any protector but an old
man, whose ears are getting to be as dull as his feelings, he has his
way as he pleases!"

"Not exactly that, Judith; no, not exactly that, neither! No man,
brother or stranger, would stand by and see as fair a gal as yourself
hunted down, without saying a word in her behalf. Hurry's in 'arnest in
wanting to make you his wife, and the little he does let out ag'in you,
comes more from jealousy, like, than from any thing else. Smile on him
when he awakes, and squeeze his hand only half as hard as you squeezed
mine a bit ago, and my life on it, the poor f