• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

“Keep the scow straight, Delaware; steer as straight as your bullet flies when sent ag’in a buck; there—I have it.”

The canoe was seized, and immediately secured again to the side of the ark. At the next moment the sail was lowered, and the motion of the ark arrested, by means of the oars.

“Hetty! called out Judith, concern, even affection, betraying itself in her tones; ”are you within hearing, sister—for God’s sake answer, and let me hear the sound of your voice again! Hetty!—dear Hetty!”

“I’m here, Judith—here on the shore, where it will be useless to follow me; as I will hide in the woods.”

“Oh! Hetty, what is’t you do! Remember ’tis drawing near midnight, and that the woods are filled with savages and wild beasts!”

“Neither will harm a poor half-witted girl, Judith. God is as much with me here as he would be in the ark, or in the hut. I am going to help my father and poor Hurry Harry; who will be tortured and slain, unless someone cares for them.”

“We all care for them, and intend tomorrow to send them a flag of truce to buy their ransom. Come back then, sister; trust to us, who have better heads than you, and who will do all we can for father.”

“I know your head is better than mine, Judith, for mine is very weak, to be sure; but I must go to father and poor Hurry. Do you and Deerslayer keep the castle, sister; leave me in the hands of God.”

“God is with us all, Hetty—in the castle, or on the shore—father as well as ourselves; and it is sinful not to trust to his goodness. You can do nothing in the dark; will lose your way in the forest, and perish for want of food.”

“God will not let that happen to a poor child that goes to serve her father, sister. I must try and find the savages.”

“Come back, for this night only; in the morning we will put you ashore, and leave you to do as you may think right.”

“You say so, Judith, and you think so; but you would not. Your heart would soften, and you’d see tomahawks and scalping knives in the air. Besides, I’ve got a thing to tell the Indian chief that will answer all our wishes; and I’m afraid I may forget it if I don’t tell it to him at once. You’ll see that he will let father go as soon as he hears it!”

“Poor Hetty! What can you say to a ferocious savage, that will be likely to change his bloody purpose!”

“That which will frighten him, and make him let father go,” returned the simpleminded girl, positively. “You’ll see, sister; you’ll see how soon it will bring him to, like a gentle child!”

“Will you tell me, Hetty, what you intend to say?” asked Deerslayer ; “I know the savages well, and can form some idee how far fair words will be likely, or not, to work on their bloody natur’s. If it’s not suited to the gifts of a redskin, ’twill be of no use; for reason goes by gifts, as well as conduct.”

“Well, then,” answered Hetty, dropping her voice to a low, confidential tone; for the stillness of the night and the nearness of the ark permitted her to do this, and still to be heard—“Well, then, Deerslayer, as you seem a good and honest young man, I will tell you. I mean not to say a word to any of the savages until I get face to face with their head chief, let them plague me with as many questions as they please; no—I’ll answer none of them, unless it be to tell them to lead me to their wisest man. Then, Deerslayer, I’ll tell him that God will not forgive murder and thefts; and that if father and Hurry did go after the scalps of the Iroquois, he must return good for evil, for so the Bible commands, else he will go into everlasting punishment. When he hears this, and feels it to be true, as feel it he must, how long will it be before he sends father, and Hurry, and me, to the shore, opposite the castle; telling us all three to go our way in peace?”

The last question was put in a triumphant manner; and then the simpleminded girl laughed at the impression she never doubted that her project had made on her auditors. Deerslayer was dumbfounded at this proof of guileless feebleness of mind; but Judith had