around　you　at　mankind；　and　tell　me　why　you　see　a　red
  warrior　here；　a　black　one　there；　and　white　armies　in　an…
  other　place？　　All　this；　and　a　great　deal　more　of　the　same
  kind　that　I　could　point　out；　has　been　ordered　for　some
  special　purpose；　and　it　is　not　for　us　to　fly　in　the　face　of
  facts　and　deny　their　truth。　　No；　no；　each　color　has　its
  gifts；　and　its　laws；　and　its　traditions；　and　one　is　not　to
  condemn　another　because　he　does　not　exactly　comprehend
  it。〃
  〃You　must　have　read　a　great　deal；　Pathfinder；　to　see
  things　so　clear　as　this；〃　returned　Cap；　not　a　little　mystified
  by　his　companion's　simple　creed。　　〃It's　all　as　plain　as　day
  to　me　now；　though　I　must　say　I　never　fell　in　with　these
  opinions　before。　　What　denomination　do　you　belong　to；
  my　friend？〃
  〃Anan？〃
  〃What　sect　do　you　hold　out　for？　　What　particular
  church　do　you　fetch　up　in？〃
  〃Look　about　you；　and　judge　for　yourself。　　I'm　in　church
  now；　I　eat　in　church；　drink　in　church；　sleep　in　church。
  The　'arth　is　the　temple　of　the　Lord；　and　I　wait　on　Him
  hourly；　daily；　without　ceasing；　I　humbly　hope。　　No；　no；
  I'll　not　deny　my　blood　and　color；　but　am　Christian　born；
  and　shall　die　in　the　same　faith。　　The　Moravians　tried　me
  hard；　and　one　of　the　King's　chaplains　has　had　his　say　too；
  though　that's　a　class　no　ways　strenuous　on　such　matters；
  and　a　missionary　sent　from　Rome　talked　much　with　me；
  as　I　guided　him　through　the　forest；　during　the　last　peace；
  but　I've　had　one　answer　for　them　all　　I'm　a　Christian　al…
  ready；　and　want　to　be　neither　Moravian；　nor　Churchman；
  nor　Papist。　　No；　no；　I'll　not　deny　my　birth　and　blood。〃
  〃I　think　a　word　from　you　might　lighten　the　Sergeant
  over　the　shoals　of　death；　Master　Pathfinder。　　He　has　no
  one　with　him　but　poor　Mabel；　and　she；　you　know；　besides
  being　his　daughter；　is　but　a　girl　and　a　child　after　all。〃
  〃Mabel　is　feeble　in　body；　friend　Cap；　but　in　matters　of
  this　natur'　I　dou　bt　if　she　may　not　be　stronger　than　most
  men。　　But　Sergeant　Dunham　is　my　friend；　and　he　is　your
  brother…in…law；　so；　now　the　press　of　fighting　and　main…
  taining　our　rights　is　over；　it　is　fitting　we　should　both　go
  and　witness　his　departure。　　I've　stood　by　many　a　dying
  man；　Master　Cap；〃　continued　Pathfinder；　who　had　a　be…
  setting　propensity　to　enlarge　on　his　experience；　stopping
  and　holding　his　companion　by　a　button；　　〃I've　stood　by
  many　a　dying　man's　side；　and　seen　his　last　gasp；　and　heard
  his　last　breath；　for；　when　the　hurry　and　tumult　of　the
  battle　is　over；　it　is　good　to　bethink　us　of　the　misfortunate；
  and　it　is　remarkable　to　witness　how　differently　human
  natur'　feels　at　such　solemn　moments。　　Some　go　their　way
  as　stupid　and　ignorant　as　if　God　had　never　given　them
  reason　and　an　accountable　state；　while　others　quit　us　re…
  joicing；　like　men　who　leave　heavy　burthens　behind　them。
  I　think　that　the　mind　sees　clearly　at　such　moments；　my
  friend；　and　that　past　deeds　stand　thick　before　the　recollec…
  tion。〃
  〃I'll　engage　they　do；　Pathfinder。　　I　have　witnessed
  something　of　this　myself；　and　hope　I'm　the　better　man
  for　it。　　I　remember　once　that　I　thought　my　own　time　had
  come；　and　the　log　was　overhauled　with　a　diligence　I　did
  not　think　myself　capable　of　until　that　moment。　　I've　not
  been　a　very　great　sinner；　friend　Pathfinder；　that　is　to　say；
  never　on　a　large　scale；　though　I　daresay；　if　the　truth　were
  spoken；　a　considerable　amount　of　small　matters　might　be
  raked　up　against　me；　as　well　as　against　another　man；　but
  then；　I've　never　committed　piracy；　nor　high　treason；　nor
  arson；　nor　any　of　them　sort　of　things。　　As　to　smuggling；
  and　the　like　of　that；　why；　I'm　a　seafaring　man；　and　I　sup…
  pose　all　callings　have　their　weak　spots。　　I　daresay　your
  trade　is　not　altogether　without　blemish；　honorable　and　use…
  ful　as　it　seems　to　be？〃
  〃Many　of　the　scouts　and　guides　are　desperate　knaves；
  and；　like　the　Quartermaster　here；　some　of　them　take　pay
  of　both　sides。　　I　hope　I'm　not　one　of　them；　though　all　oc…
  cupations　lead　to　temptations。　　Thrice　have　I　been　sorely
  tried　in　my　life；　and　once　I　yielded　a　little；　though　I　hope
  it　was　not　in　a　matter　to　disturb　a　man's　conscience　in　his
  last　moments。　　The　first　time　was　when　I　found　in　the
  woods　a　pack　of　skins　that　I　knowed　belonged　to　a　Frencher
  who　was　hunting　on　our　side　of　the　lines；　where　he　had
  no　business　to　be；　twenty…six　as　handsome　beavers　as　ever
  gladdened　human　eyes。　　Well；　that　was　a　sore　tempta…
  tion；　for　I　thought　the　law　would　have　been　almost　with
  me；　although　it　was　in　peace　times。　　But　then；　I　remem…
  bered　that　such　laws　wasn't　made　for　us　hunters；　and　be…
  thought　me　that　the　poor　man　might　have　built　great
  expectations　for　the　next　winter　on　the　sale　of　his　skins；
  and　I　left　them　where　they　lay。　　Most　of　our　people　said
  I　did　wrong；　but　the　manner　in　which　I　slept　that　night
  convinced　me　that　I　had　done　right。　　The　next　trial　was
  when　I　found　the　rifle　that　is　sartainly　the　only　one　in　this
  part　of　the　world　that　can　be　calculated　on　as　surely　as
  Killdeer；　and　knowed　that　by　taking　it；　or　even　hiding　it；
  I　might　at　once　rise　to　be　the　first　shot　in　all　these　parts。
  I　was　then　young；　and　by　no　means　so　expart　as　I　have
  since　got　to　be；　and　youth　is　ambitious　and　striving；　but；
  God　be　praised！　　I　mastered　that　feeling；　and；　friend　Cap；
  what　is　almost　as　good；　I　mastered　my　rival　in　as　fair　a
  shooting…match　as　was　ever　witnessed　in　a　garrison；　he
  with　his　piece；　and　I　with　Killdeer；　and　before　the　Gene…
  ral　in　person　too！〃　　Here　Pathfinder　stopped　to　laugh；　his
  triumph　still　glittering　in　his　eyes　and　glowing　on　his　sun…
  burnt　and　browned　cheek。　　〃Well；　the　next　conflict　with
  the　devil　was　the　hardest　of　them　all；　and　that　was　when
  I　came　suddenly　upon　a　camp　of　six　Mingos　asleep　in　the
  woods；　with　their　guns　and　horns　piled　in　away　that　en…
  abled　me　to　get　possession　of　them　without　waking　a　mis…
  creant　of　them　all。　　What　an　opportunity　that　would　have
  been　for　the　Sarpent；　who　would　have　despatched　them；
  one　after　another；　with　his　knife；　and　had　their　six　scalps
  at　his　girdle；　in　about　the　time　it　takes　me　to　tell　you　the
  story。　　Oh；　he's　a　valiant　warrior；　that　Chingachgook；　and
  as　honest　as　he's　brave；　and　as　good　as　he's　honest！〃
  〃And　what　may　_you_　have　done　in　this　matter；　Master
  Pathfinder？〃　demanded　Cap；　who　began　to　be　interested
  in　the　result；　〃it　seems　to　me　you　had　made　either　a　very
  lucky；　or　a　very　unlucky　landfall。〃
  〃'Twas　lucky；　and　'twas　unlucky；　if　you　can　understand
  that。　　'Twas　unlucky；　for　it　proved　a　desperate　trial；　and
  yet　'twas　lucky；　all　things　considered；　in　the　ind。　　I　did
  not　touch　a　hair　of　their　heads；　for　a　white　man　has　no
  nat'ral　gifts　to　take　scalps；　nor　did　I　even　make　sure　of
  one　of　their　rifles。　　I　distrusted　myself；　knowing　that　a
  Mingo　is　no　favorite　in　my　own　eyes。〃
  〃As　for　the　scalps；　I　think　you　were　right　enough；　my
  worthy　friend；　but　as　for　the　armament　and　the　stores；
  they　would　have　been　condemned　by　any　prize…court　in
  Christendom。〃
  〃That　they　would；　that　they　would；　but　then　the　Mingos
  would　have　gone　clear；　seeing　that　a　white　man　can　no
  more　attack　an　unarmed　than　a　sleeping　inimy。　　No；　no；
  I　did　myself；　and　my　color；　and　my　religion　too；　greater
  justice。　　I　waited　till　their　nap　was　over；　and　they　well　on
  their　war…path　again；　and；　by　ambushing　them　here　and
  flanking　them　there；　I　peppered　the　blackguards　intrinsi…
  cally　like〃　（Pathfinder　occasionally　caught　a　fine　word
  from　his　associates；　and　used　it　a　little　vaguely）；　〃that　only
  one　ever　got　back　to　his　village；　and　he　came　into　his　wig…
  wam　limping。　　Luckily；　as　it　turned　out；　the　great　Dela…
  ware　had　only　halted　to　jerk　some　venison；　and　was　follow…
  ing　on　my　trail；　and　when　he　got　up　he　had　five　of　the
  scoundrels'　scalps　hanging　where　they　ought　to　be；　so；　you
  see；　nothing　was　lost　by　doing　right；　either　in　the　way　of
  honor　or　in　that　of　profit。〃
  Cap　grunted　an　assent；　though　the　distinctions　in　his
  companion's　morality；　it　must　be　owned；　were　not　exactly
  clear　to　his　understanding。　　The　two　had　occasionally
  moved　towards　the　block　as　they　conversed；　and　then
  stopped　again　as　some　matter　of　more　interest　than　com…
  mon　brought　them　to　a　halt。　　They　were　now　so　near　the
  building；　however；　that　neither　thought　of　pursuing　the
  subject　any　further；　but　each　prepared　himself　for　the　final
  scene　with　Sergeant　Dunham。
  CHAPTER　XXVIII。
  Thou　barraine　ground；　whom　winter's　wrath　hath　wasted；
  Art　made　a　mirror　to　behold　my　plight：
  Whilome　thy　fresh　spring　flower'd：　and　after　hasted
  Thy　summer　proude；　with　daffodillies　dight；
  And　now　is　come　thy　winter's　stormy　state；
  Thy　mantle　mar'd　wherein　thou　maskedst　late。
  SPENSER。
  Although　the　soldier　may　regard　danger　and　even
  death　with　indifference　in　the　tumult　of　battle；　when　the
  passage　of　the　soul　is　delayed　to　moments　of　tranquillity
  and　reflection　the　change　commonly　brings　with　it　the
  usual　train　of　solemn　reflections；　of　regrets　for　the　past；
  and　of　doubts　and　anticipations　for　the　future。　　Many　a
  man　has　died　with　a　heroic　expression　on　his　lips；　but　with
  heaviness　and　distrust　at　his　heart；　for；　whatever　may　be
  the　varieties　of　our　religious　creeds；　let　us　depend　on　the
  mediation　of　Christ；　the　dogmas　of　Mahomet；　or　the　elab…