raising his eyes with a species of half-awakened curiosity, "the
Delawares spoke to me only of one."

That's nat'ral enough, when Judith Hutter and Hetty Hutter are in
question. Hetty is only comely, while her sister, I tell thee,
boy, is such another as is not to be found atween this and the sea:
Judith is as full of wit, and talk, and cunning, as an old Indian
orator, while poor Hetty is at the best but 'compass meant us.'"

"Anan?" inquired, again, the Deerslayer.

"Why, what the officers call 'compass meant us,' which I understand
to signify that she means always to go in the right direction, but
sometimes does not know how. 'Compass'for the p'int, and 'meant
us' for the intention. No, poor Hetty is what I call on the verge
of ignorance, and sometimes she stumbles on one side of the line,
and sometimes on t'other."

"Them are beings that the Lord has in his special care," said
Deerslayer, solemnly; "for he looks carefully to all who fall short
of their proper share of reason. The red-skins honor and respect
them who are so gifted, knowing that the Evil Spirit delights more
to dwell in an artful body, than in one that has no cunning to work
upon."

"I'll answer for it, then, that he will not remain long with poor
Hetty; for the child is just 'compass meant us,' as I have told you.
Old Tom has a feeling for the gal, and so has Judith, quick-witted
and glorious as she is herself; else would I not answer for her
being altogether safe among the sort of men that sometimes meet on