waggish officer, stood in the open lake, at a distance of fully a
quarter of a mile from the nearest shore. On every other side the
water extended much farther, the precise position being distant
about two miles from the northern end of the sheet, and near, if
not quite, a mile from its eastern shore. As there was not the
smallest appearance of any island, but the house stood on piles,
with the water flowing beneath it, and Deerslayer had already
discovered that the lake was of a great depth, he was fain to ask
an explanation of this singular circumstance. Hurry solved the
difficulty by telling him that on this spot alone, a long, narrow
shoal, which extended for a few hundred yards in a north and south
direction, rose within six or eight feet of the surface of the lake,
and that Hutter had driven piles into it, and placed his habitation
on them, for the purpose of security.

"The old fellow was burnt out three times, atween the Indians and
the hunters; and in one affray with the red-skins he lost his only
son, since which time he has taken to the water for safety. No
one can attack him here, without coming in a boat, and the plunder
and scalps would scarce be worth the trouble of digging out canoes.
Then it's by no means sartain which would whip in such a scrimmage,
for old Tom is well supplied with arms and ammunition, and the
castle, as you may see, is a tight breastwork ag'in light shot."

Deerslayer had some theoretical knowledge of frontier warfare,
though he had never yet been called on to raise his hand in anger
against a fellow-creature. He saw that Hurry did not overrate
the strength of this position in a military point of view, since
it would not be easy to attack it without exposing the assailants
to the fire of the besieged. A good deal of art had also been