"There the old fellow is!" whispered Hurry, pointing with a finger,
and laughing heartily, though he carefully avoided making a noise,
"ratting it away, just as I supposed; up to his knees in the mud
and water, looking to the traps and the bait. But for the life
of me I can see nothing of the ark; though I'll bet every skin
I take this season, Jude isn't trusting her pretty little feet in
the neighborhood of that black mud. The gal's more likely to be
braiding her hair by the side of some spring, where she can see
her own good looks, and collect scornful feelings ag'in us men."

"You over-judge young women- yes, you do, Hurry- who as often
bethink them of their failings as they do of their perfections. I
dare to say this Judith, now, is no such admirer of herself, and
no such scorner of our sex as you seem to think; and that she
is quite as likely to be sarving her father in the house, wherever
that may be, as he is to be sarving her among the traps."

"It's a pleasure to hear truth from a man's tongue, if it be only
once in a girl's life," cried a pleasant, rich, and yet soft female
voice, so near the canoe as to make both the listeners start. "As
for you, Master Hurry, fair words are so apt to choke you, that I
no longer expect to hear them from your mouth; the last you uttered
sticking in your throat, and coming near to death. But I'm glad
to see you keep better society than formerly, and that they who
know how to esteem and treat women are not ashamed to journey in
your company."

As this was said, a singularly handsome and youthful female
face was thrust through an opening in the leaves, within reach of
Deerslayer's paddle. Its owner smiled graciously on the young man;