posted had a dark
shadow cast upon it by the intervention of an enormous pine that grew
between it and the fire, a circumstance which alone would have rendered
objects within its cloud invisible at any distance. This Deerslayer well
knew, and it was one of the reasons why he had selected this particular
tree.

The moment was near when it became necessary for Hist to act. She was
to sleep in a small hut, or bower, that had been built near where she
stood, and her companion was the aged hag already mentioned. Once within
the hut, with this sleepless old woman stretched across the entrance, as
was her nightly practice, the hope of escape was nearly destroyed, and
she might at any moment be summoned to her bed. Luckily, at this instant
one of the warriors called to the old woman by name, and bade her bring
him water to drink. There was a delicious spring on the northern side of
the point, and the hag took a gourd from a branch and, summoning Hist
to her side, she moved towards the summit of the ridge, intending to
descend and cross the point to the natural fountain. All this was
seen and understood by the adventurers, and they fell back into the
obscurity, concealing their persons by trees, until the two females had
passed them. In walking, Hist was held tightly by the hand. As she moved
by the tree that hid Chingachgook and his friend the former felt for his
tomahawk, with the intention to bury it in the brain of the woman. But
the other saw the hazard of such a measure, since a single scream
might bring all the warriors upon them, and he was averse to the act
on considerations of humanity. His hand, therefore, prevented the blow.
Still as the two moved past, the chirrup was repeated, and the Huron
woman stopped and faced the tree whence the sounds seemed to proceed,
standing, at the moment, within six feet of her enemies. She expressed
her surprise that a squirrel should be in motion at so late an hour, and
said it boded evil. Hist answered that she had heard the same squirrel
three times within the last twenty minutes, and that she supposed it
was waiting to obtain some of the crumbs left from the late supper. This
explanation appeared satisfactory, and they moved towards the spring,
the men following stealthily and closely. The gourd was filled, and the
old woman was hurrying back, her hand still grasping the wrist of the
girl, when she was suddenly seized so violently by the throat as to
cause her to release her captiv