you're no monument in the way of beauty, yourself,
Deerslayer, and yet you wouldn't be so onreasonable as to become my
inimy for just saying so."

"I'm as the Lord made me; and I wish to be accounted no better, nor any
worse. Good looks I may not have; that is to say, to a degree that the
light-minded and vain crave; but I hope I'm not altogether without some
ricommend in the way of good conduct. There's few nobler looking men to
be seen than yourself, Hurry; and I know that I am not to expect any to
turn their eyes on me, when such a one as you can be gazed on; but I
do not know that a hunter is less expart with the rifle, or less to be
relied on for food, because he doesn't wish to stop at every shining
spring he may meet, to study his own countenance in the water."

Here Hurry burst into a fit of loud laughter; for while he was too
reckless to care much about his own manifest physical superiority, he
was well aware of it, and, like most men who derive an advantage from
the accidents of birth or nature, he was apt to think complacently on
the subject, whenever it happened to cross his mind.

"No, no, Deerslayer, you're no beauty, as you will own yourself, if
you'll look over the side of the canoe," he cried; "Jude will say that
to your face, if you start her, for a parter tongue isn't to be found in
any gal's head, in or out of the settlements, if you provoke her to use
it. My advice to you is, never to aggravate Judith; though you may tell
anything to Hetty, and she'll take it as meek as a lamb. No, Jude will
be just as like as not to tell you her opinion consarning your looks."

"And if she does, Hurry, she will tell me no more than you have said
already."

"You're not thick'ning up about a small remark, I hope, Deerslayer,
when no harm is meant. You are not a beauty, as you must know, and
why shouldn't fri'nds tell each other these little trifles? If you was
handsome, or ever like to be, I'd be one of the first to tell you of it;
and that ought to content you. Now, if Jude was to tell me that I'm as
ugly as a sinner, I'd take it as a sort of obligation, and try not to
believe her."

"It's easy for them that natur' has favored, to jest about such matters,
Hurry, though it is sometimes hard for others. I'll not deny but I've
had my cravings towards good looks; yes, I have; but then I've always
been able to get them down by considering how many I've known with fair
outsides, who have had nothing to boast of inw