be　disconcerted　at　a　moment　so　critical。
  It　was　truly　an　alarming　instant。　　Just　as　Mabel　touched
  the　shoulder　of　her　guide；　three　of　the　Iroquois　had　ap…
  eared　in　the　water；　at　the　bend　of　the　river；　within　a
  hundred　yards　of　the　cover；　and　halted　to　examine　the
  stream　below。　　They　were　all　naked　to　the　waist；　armed
  for　an　expedition　against　their　foes；　and　in　their　war…
  paint。　　It　was　apparent　that　they　were　undecided　as　to　the
  course　they　ought　to　pursue　in　order　to　find　the　fugitives。
  One　pointed　down　the　river；　a　second　up　the　stream；　and
  the　third　towards　the　opposite　bank。　　They　evidently
  doubted。
  CHAPTER　V
  Death　is　here　and　death　is　there；
  Death　is　busy　everywhere。
  SHELLEY
  It　was　a　breathless　moment。　　The　only　clue　the　fugitives
  possessed　to　the　intentions　of　their　pursuers　was　in　their
  gestures　and　the　indications　which　escaped　them　in　the
  fury　of　disappointment。　　That　a　party　had　returned
  already；　on　their　own　footsteps；　by　land；　was　pretty　certain；
  and　all　the　benefit　expected　from　the　artifice　of　the　fire
  was　necessarily　lost。　　But　that　consideration　became　of
  little　moment　just　then；　for　the　party　was　menaced　with
  an　immediate　discovery　by　those　who　had　kept　on　a　level
  with　the　river。　　All　the　facts　presented　themselves　clearly；
  and　as　it　might　be　by　intuition；　to　the　mind　of　Pathfinder；
  who　perceived　the　necessity　of　immediate　decision　and　of
  being　in　readiness　to　act　in　concert。　　Without　making　any
  noise；　therefore；　he　managed　to　get　the　two　Indians　and
  Jasper　near　him；　when　he　opened　his　communications　in
  a　whisper。
  〃We　must　be　ready；　we　must　be　ready；〃　he　said。　　〃There
  are　but　three　of　the　scalping　devils；　and　we　are　five；　four
  of　whom　may　be　set　down　as　manful　warriors　for　such　a
  skrimmage。　　Eau…douce；　do　you　take　the　fellow　that　is
  painted　like　death；　Chingachgook；　I　give　you　the　chief；
  and　Arrowhead　must　keep　his　eye　on　the　young　one。　　There
  must　be　no　mistake；　for　two　bullets　in　the　same　body　would
  be　sinful　waste；　with　one　like　the　Sergeant's　daughter　in
  danger。　　I　shall　hold　myself　in　resarve　against　accident；
  lest　a　fourth　reptile　appear；　for　one　of　your　hands　may
  prove　unsteady。　　By　no　means　fire　until　I　give　the　word；
  we　must　not　let　the　crack　of　the　rifle　be　heard　except　in
  the　last　resort；　since　all　the　rest　of　the　miscreants　are　still
  within　hearing。　　Jasper；　boy；　in　case　of　any　movement
  behind　us　on　the　bank；　I　trust　to　you　to　run　out　the　canoe
  with　the　Sergeant's　daughter；　and　to　pull　for　the　garrison；
  by　God's　leave。〃
  The　Pathfinder　had　no　sooner　given　these　directions
  than　the　near　approach　of　their　enemies　rendered　profound
  silence　necessary。　　The　Iroquois　in　the　river　were　slowly
  descending　the　stream；　keeping　of　necessity　near　the
  bushes　which　overhung　the　water；　while　the　rustling　of
  leaves　and　the　snapping　of　twigs　soon　gave　fearful　evidence
  that　another　party　was　moving　along　the　bank；　at　an
  equally　graduated　pace；　and　directly　abreast　of　them。　　In
  consequence　of　the　distance　between　the　bushes　planted
  by　the　fugitives　and　the　true　shore；　the　two　parties　became
  visible　to　each　other　when　opposite　that　precise　point。
  Both　stopped；　and　a　conversation　ensued；　that　may　be　said
  to　have　passed　directly　over　the　heads　of　those　who　were
  concealed。　　Indeed；　nothing　sheltered　the　travellers　but
  the　branches　and　leaves　of　plants；　so　pliant　that　they
  yielded　to　every　current　of　air；　and　which　a　puff　of　wind　a
  little　stronger　than　common　would　have　blown　away。
  Fortunately　the　line　of　sight　carried　the　eyes　of　the　two
  parties　of　savages；　whether　they　stood　in　the　water　or　on
  the　land；　above　the　bushes；　and　the　leaves　appeared　blended
  in　a　way　to　excite　no　suspicion。　　Perhaps　the　very　bold…
  ness　of　the　expedient　alone　prevented　an　immediate　ex…
  posure。　　The　conversation　which　took　place　was　conducted
  earnestly；　but　in　guarded　tones；　as　if　those　who　spoke
  wished　to　defeat　the　intentions　of　any　listeners。　　It　was　in
  a　dialect　that　both　the　Indian　warriors　beneath；　as　well　as
  the　Pathfinder；　understood。　　Even　Jasper　comprehended
  a　portion　of　what　was　said。
  〃The　trail　is　washed　away　by　the　water！〃　said　one　from
  below；　who　stood　so　near　the　artificial　cover　of　the　fugi…
  tives；　that　he　might　have　been　struck　by　the　salmon…spear
  that　lay　in　the　bottom　of　Jasper's　canoe。　　〃Water　has
  washed　it　so　clear　that　a　Yengeese　hound　could　not　follow。〃
  〃The　pale…faces　have　left　the　shore　in　their　canoes；〃
  answered　the　speaker　on　the　bank。
  〃It　cannot　be。　　The　rifles　of　our　warriors　below　are
  certain。〃
  The　Pathfinder　gave　a　significant　glance　at　Jasper；　and
  he　clinched　his　teeth　in　order　to　suppress　the　sound　of　his
  own　breathing。
  〃Let　my　young　men　look　as　if　their　eyes　were　eagles'；〃
  said　the　eldest　warrior　among　those　who　were　wading　in
  the　river。　　〃We　have　been　a　whole　moon　on　the　war…path；
  and　have　found　but　one　scalp。　　There　is　a　maiden　among
  them；　and　some　of　our　braves　want　wives。〃
  Happily　these　words　were　lost　on　Mabel；　but　Jasper's
  frown　became　deeper；　and　his　face　fiercely　flushed。
  The　savages　now　ceased　speaking；　and　the　party　which
  was　concealed　heard　the　slow　and　guarded　movements　of
  those　who　were　on　the　bank；　as　they　pushed　the　bushes
  aside　in　their　wary　progress。　　It　was　soon　evident　that
  the　latter　had　passed　the　cover；　but　the　group　in　the　water
  still　remained；　scanning　the　shore　with　eyes　that　glared
  through　their　war…paint　like　coals　of　living　fire。　　After　a
  pause　of　two　or　three　minutes；　these　three　began　also　to
  descend　the　stream；　though　it　was　step　by　step；　as　men
  move　who　look　for　an　object　that　has　been　lost。　　In　this
  manner　they　passed　the　artificial　screen；　and　Pathfinder
  opened　his　mouth　in　that　hearty　but　noiseless　laugh　that
  nature　and　habit　had　contributed　to　render　a　peculiarity
  of　the　man。　　His　triumph；　however；　was　premature；　for
  the　last　of　the　retiring　party；　just　at　this　moment　casting
  a　look　behind　him；　suddenly　stopped；　and　his　fixed　atti…
  tude　and　steady　gaze　at　once　betrayed　the　appalling　fact
  that　some　neglected　bush　had　awakened　his　suspicions。
  It　was　perhaps　fortunate　for　the　concealed　that　the
  warrior　who　manifested　these　fearful　signs　of　distrust　was
  young；　and　had　still　a　reputation　to　acquire。　　He　knew
  the　importance　of　discretion　and　modesty　in　one　of　his
  years；　and　most　of　all　did　he　dread　the　ridicule　and　con…
  tempt　that　would　certainly　follow　a　false　alarm。　　Without
  recalling　any　of　his　companions；　therefore；　he　turned　on
  his　own　footsteps；　and；　while　the　others　continued　to　de…
  scend　the　river；　he　cautiously　approached　the　bushes；　on
  which　his　looks　were　still　fastened；　as　by　a　charm。　　Some
  of　the　leaves　which　were　exposed　to　the　sun　had　drooped
  a　little；　and　this　slight　departure　from　the　usual　natural
  laws　had　caught　the　quick　eyes　of　the　Indian；　for　so　prac…
  tised　and　acute　do　the　senses　of　the　savage　become；　more
  especially　when　he　is　on　the　war…path；　that　trifles　appar…
  ently　of　the　most　insignificant　sort　often　prove　to　be　clues
  to　lead　him　to　his　object。
  The　trifling　nature　of　the　change　which　had　aroused　the
  suspicion　of　this　youth　was　an　additional　motive　for　not
  acquainting　his　companions　with　his　discovery。　　Should
  he　really　detect　anything；　his　glory　would　be　the　greater
  for　being　unshared；　and　should　he　not；　he　might　hope　to
  escape　that　derision　which　the　young　Indian　so　much
  dreads。　　Then　there　were　the　dangers　of　an　ambush　and
  a　surprise；　to　which　every　warrior　of　the　woods　is　keenly
  alive；　to　render　his　approach　slow　and　cautious。　　In　con…
  sequence　of　the　delay　that　proceeded　from　these　combined
  causes；　the　two　parties　had　descended　some　fifty　or　sixty
  yards　before　the　young　savage　was　again　near　enough　to
  the　bushes　of　the　Pathfinder　to　touch　them　with　his　hand。
  Notwithstanding　their　critical　situation；　the　whole　party
  behind　the　cover　had　their　eyes　fastened　on　the　working
  countenance　of　the　young　Iroquois；　who　was　agitated　by
  conflicting　feelings。　　First　came　the　eager　hope　of　obtain…
  ing　success　where　some　of　the　most　experienced　of　his　tribe
  had　failed；　and　with　it　a　degree　of　glory　that　had　seldom
  fallen　to　the　share　of　one　of　his　years　or　a　brave　on　his
  first　war…path；　then　followed　doubts；　as　the　drooping
  leaves　seemed　to　rise　again　and　to　revive　in　the　currents
  of　air；　and　distrust　of　hidden　danger　lent　its　exciting
  feeling　to　keep　the　eloquent　features　in　play。　　So　very
  slight；　however；　had　been　the　alteration　produced　by　the
  heat　on　the　bushes　of　which　the　stems　were　in　the　water；
  that　when　the　Iroquois　actually　laid　his　hand　on　the
  leaves；　he　fancied　that　he　had　been　deceived。　　As　no　man
  ever　distrusts　strongly　without　using　all　convenient　means
  of　satisfying　his　doubts；　however；　the　young　warrior　cau…
  tiously　pushed　aside　the　branches　and　advanced　a　step
  within　the　hiding…place；　when　the　forms　of　the　concealed
  party　met　his　gaze；　resembling　so　many　breathless　statues。
  The　low　exclamation；　the　slight　start；　and　the　glaring　eye；
  were　hardly　seen　and　heard；　before　the　arm　of　Chingach…
  gook　was　raised；　and　the　tomahawk　of　the　Delaware　de…
  scended　on　the　shaven　head　of　his　foe。　　The　Iroquois
  raised　his　hands　frantically；　bounded　backward；　and　fell
  into　the