she walked innocently and openly to the embers of the fire, stirring the
latter, as the coolness of the night and the woods, in connection with
an exceedingly unsophisticated bed, had a little chilled her. As the
flame shot up, it lighted the swarthy countenance of the Huron on watch,
whose dark eyes glistened under its light like the balls of the panther
that is pursued to his den with burning brands. But Hetty felt no fear,
and she approached the spot where the Indian stood. Her movements
were so natural, and so perfectly devoid of any of the stealthiness of
cunning or deception, that he imagined she had merely arisen on account
of the coolness of the night, a common occurrence in a bivouac, and the
one of all others, perhaps, the least likely to excite suspicion. Hetty
spoke to him, but he understood no English. She then gazed near a minute
at the sleeping captive, and moved slowly away in a sad and melancholy
manner. The girl took no pains to conceal her movements. Any ingenious
expedient of this nature quite likely exceeded her powers; still
her step was habitually light, and scarcely audible. As she took the
direction of the extremity of the point, or the place where she had
landed in the first adventure, and where Hist had embarked, the sentinel
saw her light form gradually disappear in the gloom without uneasiness
or changing his own position. He knew that others were on the look-out,
and he did not believe that one who had twice come into the camp
voluntarily, and had already left it openly, would take refuge in
flight. In short, the conduct of the girl excited no more attention
that that of any person of feeble intellect would excite in civilized
society, while her person met with more consideration and respect.

Hetty certainly had no very distinct notions of the localities, but she
found her way to the beach, which she reached on the same side of the
point as that on which the camp had been made. By following the margin
of the water, taking a northern direction, she soon encountered the
Indian who paced the strand as sentinel. This was a young warrior, and
when he heard her light tread coming along the gravel he approached
swiftly, though with anything but menace in his manner. The darkness was
so intense that it was not easy to discover forms within the shadows
of the woods at the distance of twenty feet, and quite impossible to
distinguish persons until near enough to touch them. The young Huron
manifested