life, being abundant, every other care appeared to
have subsided in the sense of enjoyment dependent on this all-important
fact.

Deerslayer saw at a glance that many of the warriors were absent.
His acquaintance Rivenoak, however, was present, being seated in the
foreground of a picture that Salvator Rosa would have delighted to draw,
his swarthy features illuminated as much by pleasure as by the torchlike
flame, while he showed another of the tribe one of the elephants that
had caused so much sensation among his people. A boy was looking over
his shoulder, in dull curiosity, completing the group. More in the
background eight or ten warriors lay half recumbent on the ground, or
sat with their backs reclining against trees, so many types of indolent
repose. Their arms were near them all, sometimes leaning against the
same trees as themselves, or were lying across their bodies in careless
preparation. But the group that most attracted the attention of
Deerslayer was that composed of the women and children. All the females
appeared to be collected together, and, almost as a matter of course,
their young were near them. The former laughed and chatted in their
rebuked and quiet manner, though one who knew the habits of the people
might have detected that everything was not going on in its usual train.
Most of the young women seemed to be light-hearted enough; but one old
hag was seated apart with a watchful soured aspect, which the hunter at
once knew betokened that some duty of an unpleasant character had been
assigned her by the chiefs. What that duty was, he had no means of
knowing; but he felt satisfied it must be in some measure connected with
her own sex, the aged among the women generally being chosen for such
offices and no other.

As a matter of course, Deerslayer looked eagerly and anxiously for the
form of Hist. She was nowhere visible though the light penetrated to
considerable distances in all directions around the fire. Once or twice
he started, as he thought he recognized her laugh; but his ears were
deceived by the soft melody that is so common to the Indian female
voice. At length the old woman spoke loud and angrily, and then he
caught a glimpse of one or two dark figures in the background of trees,
which turned as if obedient to the rebuke, and walked more within the
circle of the light. A young warrior's form first came fairly into
view; then followed two youthful females, one of whom proved to be the