t easy sweeps of the paddles. When about
half way across, a slight noise drew the eyes of the men towards the
nearest land, and they saw that the buck was just emerging from the lake
and wading towards the beach. In a minute, the noble animal shook the
water from his flanks, gazed up ward at the covering of trees, and,
bounding against the bank, plunged into the forest.

"That creatur' goes off with gratitude in his heart," said Deerslayer,
"for natur' tells him he has escaped a great danger. You ought to have
some of the same feelin's, Hurry, to think your eye wasn't true, or
that your hand was onsteady, when no good could come of a shot that was
intended onmeaningly rather than in reason."

"I deny the eye and the hand," cried March with some heat. "You've got
a little character, down among the Delawares, there, for quickness and
sartainty, at a deer, but I should like to see you behind one of them
pines, and a full painted Mingo behind another, each with a cock'd rifle
and a striving for the chance! Them's the situations, Nathaniel, to try
the sight and the hand, for they begin with trying the narves. I never
look upon killing a creatur' as an explite; but killing a savage is. The
time will come to try your hand, now we've got to blows ag'in, and we
shall soon know what a ven'son reputation can do in the field. I deny
that either hand or eye was onsteady; it was all a miscalculation of the
buck, which stood still when he ought to have kept in motion, and so I
shot ahead of him."

"Have it your own way, Hurry; all I contend for is, that it's lucky.
I dare say I shall not pull upon a human mortal as steadily or with as
light a heart, as I pull upon a deer."

"Who's talking of mortals, or of human beings at all, Deerslayer? I put
the matter to you on the supposition of an Injin. I dare say any man
would have his feelin's when it got to be life or death, ag'in another
human mortal; but there would be no such scruples in regard to an Injin;
nothing but the chance of his hitting you, or the chance of your hitting
him."

"I look upon the redmen to be quite as human as we are ourselves, Hurry.
They have their gifts, and their religion, it's true; but that makes no
difference in the end, when each will be judged according to his deeds,
and not according to his skin."

"That's downright missionary, and will find little favor up in this part
of the country, where the Moravians don't congregate. Now, skin makes
the man. T