the recent struggle. It
required some little time to recover from the effects of this violent
scene, and this so much the more, because the principal man of the
party, in the way of personal prowess at least, had been so great a
sufferer. Still it was of the last importance that Judith and her sister
should seek immediate refuge in the Ark, where the defences offered a
temporary shelter at least, and the first step was to devise the means
of inducing them to do so. Hist showed herself in the stern of the scow,
and made many gestures and signs, in vain, in order to induce the girls
to make a circuit to avoid the Castle, and to approach the Ark from
the eastward. But these signs were distrusted or misunderstood. It is
probable Judith was not yet sufficiently aware of the real state of
things to put full confidence in either party. Instead of doing as
desired, she rather kept more aloof, paddling slowly back to the north,
or into the broadest part of the lake, where she could command the
widest view, and had the fairest field for flight before her. At
this instant the sun appeared above the pines of the eastern range of
mountains and a light southerly breeze arose, as was usual enough at
that season and hour. Chingachgook lost no time in hoisting the sail.
Whatever might be in reserve for him, there could be no question that
it was every way desirable to get the Ark at such a distance from the
castle as to reduce his enemies to the necessity of approaching the
former in the canoe, which the chances of war had so inopportunely, for
his wishes and security, thrown into their hands. The appearance of the
opening duck seemed first to arouse the Hurons from their apathy, and by
the time the head of the scow had fallen off before the wind, which it
did unfortunately in the wrong direction, bringing it within a few
yards of the platform, Hist found it necessary to warn her lover of the
importance of covering his person against the rifles of his foes. This
was a danger to be avoided under all circumstances, and so much the
more, because the Delaware found that Hist would not take to the cover
herself so long as he remained exposed. Accordingly, Chingachgook
abandoned the scow to its own movements, forced Hist into the cabin, the
doors of which he immediately secured, and then he looked about him for
the rifles. The situation of the parties was now so singular as to merit
a particular description. The Ark was within sixty yards of th