he family of Uncas. The young pine will rise to be as high as
any of its fathers. Wah-ta-Wah has but one heart, and it can love but
one husband."

Deerslayer listened to this characteristic message, which was given
with an earnestness suited to the feelings from which it sprung, with
undisguised delight, meeting the ardent eloquence of the girl, as she
concluded, with one of his own heartfelt, silent, and peculiar fits of
laughter.

"That's worth all the wampum in the woods!" he exclaimed. "You don't
understand it, I suppose, Judith, but if you'll look into your feelin's,
and fancy that an inimy had sent to tell you to give up the man of your
ch'ice, and to take up with another that wasn't the man of your ch'ice,
you'll get the substance of it, I'll warrant! Give me a woman for ra'al
eloquence, if they'll only make up their minds to speak what they feel.
By speakin', I don't mean chatterin', howsever; for most of them will do
that by the hour; but comm' out with their honest, deepest feelin's in
proper words. And now, Judith, having got the answer of a red-skin girl,
it is fit I should get that of a pale-face, if, indeed, a countenance
that is as blooming as your'n can in any wise so be tarmed. You are well
named the Wild Rose, and so far as colour goes, Hetty ought to be called
the Honeysuckle."

"Did this language come from one of the garrison gallants, I should
deride it, Deerslayer, but coming from you, I know it can be depended
on," returned Judith, deeply gratified by his unmeditated and
characteristic compliments. "It is too soon, however, to ask my answer;
the Great Serpent has not yet spoken."

"The Sarpent! Lord; I could carry back his speech without hearing a
word of it! I didn't think of putting the question to him at all, I
will allow; though 'twould be hardly right either, seeing that truth is
truth, and I'm bound to tell these Mingos the fact and nothing else. So,
Chingachgook, let us hear your mind on this matter-are you inclined
to strike across the hills towards your village, to give up Hist to
a Huron, and to tell the chiefs at home that, if they're actyve and
successful, they may possibly get on the end of the Iroquois trail some
two or three days a'ter the inimy has got off of it?"

Like his betrothed, the young chief arose, that his answer might be
given with due distinctness and dignity. Hist had spoken with her hands
crossed upon her bosom, as if to suppress the emotions within, but the
war