to the savages. God forbid that I, or
those attached to me and mine, should ever trust again to the faith of
any servant of the Louis's!"

"He who wishes to prosper in Indian warfare," returned the scout, "must
not be too proud to learn from the wit of a native. Lay her more along
the land, Sagamore; we are doubling on the varlets, and perhaps they may
try to strike our trail on the long calculation."

Hawkeye was not mistaken; for when the Hurons found their course was
likely to throw them behind their chase, they rendered it less direct,
until, by gradually bearing more and more obliquely, the two canoes were
ere long, gliding on parallel lines, within two hundred yards of each
other. It now became entirely a trial of speed. So rapid was the
progress of the light vessels, that the lake curled in their front, in
miniature waves, and their motion became undulating by its own velocity.
It was, perhaps, owing to this circumstance, in addition to the
necessity of keeping every hand employed at the paddles, that the
Hurons had not immediate recourse to their fire-arms. The exertions of
the fugitives were too severe to continue long, and the pursuers had the
advantage of numbers. Duncan observed, with uneasiness, that the scout
began to look anxiously about him, as if searching for some further
means of assisting their flight.

"Edge her a little more from the sun, Sagamore," said the stubborn
woodsman; "I see the knaves are sparing a man to the rifle. A single
broken bone might lose us our scalps. Edge more from the sun and we will
put the island between us."

The expedient was not without its use. A long, low island lay at a
little distance before them, and as they closed with it, the chasing
canoe was compelled to take a side opposite to that on which the pursued
passed. The scout and his companions did not neglect this advantage, but
the instant they were hid from observation by the bushes, they redoubled
efforts that before had seemed prodigious. The two canoes came round the
last low point, like two coursers at the top of their speed, the
fugitives taking the lead. This change had brought them nigher to each
other, however, while it altered their relative positions.

"You showed knowledge in the shaping of birchen bark, Uncas, when you
chose this from among the Huron canoes," said the scout, smiling,
apparently more in satisfaction at their superiority in the race, than
from that prospect of final escape which no