of　proceeding　at　least　a　dozen　times　in　a　single　hour。
  June　was　always　the　source　of　her　greatest　embarrassment；
  for　she　did　not　well　see；　first；　how　she　was　to　ascertain
  when　Chingachgook　was　at　the　door；　where　she　doubted
  not　he　would　soon　appear；　and；　secondly；　how　she　was　to
  admit　him；　without　giving　the　alarm　to　her　watchful　com…
  panion。　　Time　pressed；　however；　for　the　Mohican　might
  come　and　go　away　again；　unless　she　was　ready　to　receive
  him。　　It　would　be　too　hazardous　to　the　Delaware　to　re…
  main　long　on　the　island；　and　it　became　absolutely　neces…
  sary　to　determine　on　some　course；　even　at　the　risk　of
  choosing　one　that　was　indiscreet。　　After　running　over
  various　projects　in　her　mind；　therefore；　Mabel　came　to　her
  companion；　and　said；　with　as　much　calmness　as　she　could
  assume；
  〃Are　you　not　afraid；　June；　now　your　people　believe
  Pathfinder　is　in　the　blockhouse；　that　they　will　come　and
  try　to　set　it　on　fire？〃
  〃No　t'ink　such　t'ing。　　No　burn　blockhouse。　　Block…
  house　good；　got　no　scalp。〃
  〃June；　we　cannot　know。　　They　hid　because　they　be…
  lieved　what　I　told　them　of　Pathfinder's　being　with　us。〃
  〃Believe　fear。　　Fear　come　quick；　go　quick。　　Fear　make
  run　away；　wit　make　come　back。　　Fear　make　warrior　fool；
  as　well　as　young　girl。〃
  Here　June　laughed；　as　her　sex　is　apt　to　laugh　when　any…
  thing　particularly　ludicrous　crosses　their　youthful　fancies。
  〃I　feel　uneasy；　June；　and　wish　you　yourself　would　go
  up　again　to　the　roof　and　look　out　upon　the　island；　to
  make　certain　that　nothing　is　plotting　against　us；　you
  know　the　signs　of　what　your　people　intend　to　do　better
  than　I。〃
  〃June　go；　Lily　wish；　but　very　well　know　that　Indian
  sleep；　wait　for　'e　fader。　　Warrior　eat；　drink；　sleep；　all
  time；　when　don't　fight　and　go　on　war…trail。　　Den　never
  sleep；　eat；　drink　　never　feel。　　Warrior　sleep　now。〃
  〃God　send　it　may　be　so！　but　go　up；　dear　June；　and　look
  well　about　you。　　Danger　may　come　when　we　least　expect
  it。〃
  June　arose；　and　prepared　to　ascend　to　the　roof；　but　she
  paused；　with　her　foot　on　the　first　round　of　the　ladder。
  Mabel's　heart　beat　so　violently　that　she　was　fearful　its
  throbs　would　be　heard；　and　she　fancied　that　some　gleam…
  ings　of　her　real　intentions　had　crossed　the　mind　of　her
  friend。　　She　was　right　in　part；　the　Indian　woman　having
  actually　stopped　to　consider　whether　there　was　any　indis…
  cretion　in　what　she　was　about　to　do。　　At　first　the　suspic…
  ion　that　Mabel　intended　to　escape　flashed　across　her　mind；
  then　she　rejected　it；　on　the　ground　that　the　pale…face　had
  no　means　of　getting　off　the　island；　and　that　the　block…
  house　was　much　the　most　secure　place　she　could　find。
  The　next　thought　was；　that　Mabel　had　detected　some　sign
  of　the　near　approach　of　her　father。　　This　idea；　too；　lasted
  but　an　instant；　for　June　entertained　some　such　opinion　of
  her　companion's　ability　to　understand　symptoms　of　this
  sort　　symptoms　that　had　escaped　her　own　sagacity　　as　a
  woman　of　high　fashion　entertains　of　the　accomplishments
  of　her　maid。　　Nothing　else　in　the　same　way　offering；　she
  began　slowly　to　mount　the　ladder。
  Just　as　she　reached　the　upper　floor；　a　lucky　thought
  suggested　itself　to　our　heroine；　and；　by　expressing　it　in　a
  hurried　but　natural　manner；　she　gained　a　great　advantage
  in　executing　her　projected　scheme。
  〃I　will　go　down；〃　she　said；　〃and　listen　by　the　door；
  June；　while　you　are　on　the　roof；　and　we　will　thus　be　on
  our　guard；　at　the　same　time；　above　and　below。〃
  Though　June　thought　this　savored　of　unnecessary　cau…
  tion；　well　knowing　that　no　one　could　enter　the　building
  unless　aided　from　within；　nor　any　serious　danger　menace
  them　from　the　exterior　without　giving　sufficient　warning；
  she　attributed　the　proposition　to　Mabel's　ignorance　and
  alarm；　and；　as　it　was　made　apparently　with　frankness；　it
  was　received　without　distrust。　　By　these　means　our　hero…
  ine　was　enabled　to　descend　to　the　door；　as　her　friend　as…
  cended　to　the　roof。　　The　distance　between　the　two　was
  now　too　great　to　admit　of　conversation；　and　for　three　or
  four　minutes　one　was　occupied　in　looking　about　her　as
  well　as　the　darkness　would　allow；　and　the　other　in　listen…
  ing　at　the　door　with　as　much　intentness　as　if　all　her　senses
  were　absorbed　in　the　single　faculty　of　hearing。
  June　discovered　nothing　from　her　elevated　stand；　the
  obscurity　indeed　almost　forbade　the　hope　of　such　a　result；
  but　it　would　not　be　easy　to　describe　the　sensation　with
  which　Mabel　thought　she　perceived　a　slight　and　guarded
  push　against　the　door。　　Fearful　that　all　might　not　be　as
  she　wished；　and　anxious　to　let　Chingachgook　know　that
  she　was　near；　she　began；　though　in　tremulous　and　low
  notes；　to　sing。　　So　profound　was　the　stillness　of　the
  moment　that　the　sound　of　the　unsteady　warbling　ascended
  to　the　roof　and　in　a　minute　June　began　to　descend。　　A
  slight　tap　at　the　door　was　heard　immediately　after。　　Mabel
  was　bewildered；　for　there　was　no　time　to　lose。　　Hope
  proved　stronger　than　fear；　and　with　unsteady　hands　she
  commenced　unbarring　the　door。　　The　moccassin　of　June
  was　heard　on　the　floor　above　her　when　only　a　single　bar
  was　turned。　　The　second　was　released　as　her　form　reached
  half…way　down　the　lower　ladder。
  〃What　you　do？〃　exclaimed　June　angrily。　　〃Run　away
  …　mad　　leave　blockhouse；　blockhouse　good。〃　　The　hands
  of　both　were　on　the　last　bar；　and　it　would　have　been
  cleared　from　the　fastenings　but　for　a　vigorous　shove　from
  without；　which　jammed　the　wood。　　A　short　struggle
  ensued；　though　both　were　disinclined　to　violence。　　June
  would　probably　have　prevailed；　had　not　another　and　a
  more　vigorous　push　from　without　forced　the　bar　past　the
  trifling　impediment　that　held　it；　when　the　door　opened。
  The　form　of　a　man　was　seen　to　enter；　and　both　the
  females　rushed　up　the　ladder；　as　if　equally　afraid　of　the
  consequences。　　The　stranger　secured　the　door；　and；　first
  examining　the　lower　room　with　great　care；　he　cautiously
  ascended　the　ladder。　　June；　as　soon　as　it　became　dark；
  had　closed　the　loops　of　the　principal　floor；　and　lighted　a
  candle。　　By　means　of　this　dim　taper；　then；　the　two
  females　stood　in　expectation；　waiting　to　ascertain　the　per…
  son　of　their　visitor；　whose　wary　ascent　of　the　ladder　was
  distinctly　audible；　though　sufficiently　deliberate。　　It　would
  not　be　easy　to　say　which　was　the　more　astonished　on　find…
  ing；　when　the　stranger　had　got　through　the　trap；　that
  Pathfinder　stood　before　them。
  〃God　be　praised！〃　Mabel　exclaimed；　for　the　idea　that
  the　blockhouse　would　be　impregnable　with　such　a　garrison
  at　once　crossed　her　mind。　　〃O　Pathfinder！　what　has　be…
  come　of　my　father？〃
  〃The　Sergeant　is　safe　as　yet；　and　victorious；　though　it
  is　not　in　the　gift　of　man　to　say　what　will　be　the　ind　of　it。
  Is　not　that　the　wife　of　Arrowhead　skulking　in　the　corner
  there？〃
  〃Speak　not　of　her　reproachfully；　Pathfinder；　I　owe　her
  my　life；　my　present　security。　　Tell　me　what　has　happened
  to　my　father's　party　　why　you　are　here；　and　I　will　relate
  all　the　horrible　events　that　have　passed　upon　this　island。〃
  〃Few　words　will　do　the　last；　Mabel；　for　one　used　to
  Indian　devilries　needs　but　little　explanations　on　such　a
  subject。　　Everything　turned　out　as　we　had　hoped　with
  the　expedition；　for　the　Sarpent　was　on　the　look…out；　and
  he　met　us　with　all　the　information　heart　could　desire。
  We　ambushed　three　boats；　druv'　the　Frenchers　out　of
  them；　got　possession　and　sunk　them；　according　to　orders；
  in　the　deepest　part　of　the　channel；　and　the　savages　of
  Upper　Canada　will　fare　badly　for　Indian　goods　this　win…
  ter。　　Both　powder　and　ball；　too；　will　be　scarcer　among
  them　than　keen　hunters　and　active　warriors　may　relish。
  We　did　not　lose　a　man　or　have　even　a　skin　barked；　nor　do
  I　think　the　inimy　suffered　to　speak　of。　　In　short；　Mabel；
  it　has　been　just　such　an　expedition　as　Lundie　likes；　much
  harm　to　the　foe；　and　little　harm　to　ourselves。〃
  〃Ah；　Pathfinder；　I　fear；　when　Major　Duncan　comes　to
  hear　the　whole　of　the　sad　tale；　he　will　find　reason　to　regret
  he　ever　undertook　the　affair。〃
  〃I　know　what　you　mean；　I　know　what　you　mean；　but
  by　telling　my　story　straight　you　will　understand　it　better。
  As　soon　as　the　Sergeant　found　himself　successful；　he　sent
  me　and　the　Sarpent　off　in　canoes　to　tell　you　how　matters
  had　turned　out；　and　he　is　following　with　the　two　boats；
  which；　being　so　much　heavier；　cannot　arrive　before　morn…
  ing。　　I　parted　from　Chingachgook　this　forenoon；　it　being
  agreed　that　he　should　come　up　one　set　of　channels；　and　I
  another；　to　see　that　the　path　was　clear。　　I've　not　seen　the
  chief　since。〃
  Mabel　now　explained　the　manner　in　which　she　had　dis…
  covered　the　Mohican；　and　her　expectation　that　he　would
  yet　come　to　the　blockhouse。
  〃Not　he；　not　he！　　A　regular　scout　will　never　get　behind
  walls　or　logs　so　long　as　he　can　keep　the　open　air　and　find
  useful　employment。　　I　should　not　have　come　myself；
  Mabel；　but　I　promised　the　Sergeant　to　comfort　you　and　to
  look　after　your　safety。　　Ah's　me！　　I　reconnoitred　the
  island　with　a　heavy　heart　this　forenoon；　and　there　was　a
  bitter　hour　when　I　fancied　you　might　be　among　the　slain。〃
  〃By　what　lucky　accident　were　you　prevented　from　pad…
  dling　up　boldly　to　the　island　and　from　falling　into　the
  hands　of　the　enemy？〃
  〃By　such　an　accident；　Mabel；　as　Providence　employs　to
  tell　the　ho