this he accepted the offered hand, and the parties became friends.

"'T would have been foolish to quarrel about an idee," March cried,
as he resumed his meal, "and more like lawyers in the towns than
like sensible men in the woods. They tell me, Deerslayer, much
ill-blood grows out of idees among the people in the lower counties,
and that they sometimes get to extremities upon them."

"That do they,-that do they; and about other matters that might
better be left to take care of themselves. I have heard the Moravians
say that there are lands in which men quarrel even consarning their
religion; and if they can get their tempers up on such a subject,
Hurry, the Lord have Marcy on 'em. Howsoever, there is no occasion
for our following their example, and more especially about a husband
that this Judith Hutter may never see, or never wish to see. For
my part, I feel more cur'osity about the feeble-witted sister than
about your beauty. There's something that comes close to a man's
feelin's, when he meets with a fellow-creatur' that has all the
outward show of an accountable mortal, and who fails of being what
he seems, only through a lack of reason. This is bad enough in
a man, but when it comes to a woman, and she a young, and maybe
a winning creatur' it touches all the pitiful thoughts his natur'
has. God knows, Hurry, that such poor things be defenceless enough
with all their wits about 'em; but it's a cruel fortun' when that
great protector and guide fails 'em."

"Hark, Deerslayer,--you know what the hunters, and trappers, and
peltry-men in general be; and their best friends will not deny that
they are headstrong and given to having their own way, without much
bethinking 'em of other people's rights or feelin's,--and yet I