"The Delawares themselves are no heroes," muttered Hurry through
his teeth, the mouth being too full to permit it to be fairly
opened, "or they would never have allowed them loping vagabonds,
the Mingos, to make them women."

"That matter is not rightly understood--has never been rightly
explained," said Deerslayer earnestly, for he was as zealous a
friend as his companion was dangerous as an enemy; "the Mengwe fill
the woods with their lies, and misconstruct words and treaties. I
have now lived ten years with the Delawares, and know them to be as
manful as any other nation, when the proper time to strike comes."

"Harkee, Master Deerslayer, since we are on the subject, we may as
well open our minds to each other in a man-to-man way; answer me
one question; you have had so much luck among the game as to have
gotten a title, it would seem, but did you ever hit anything human
or intelligible: did you ever pull trigger on an inimy that was
capable of pulling one upon you?"

This question produced a singular collision between mortification
and correct feeling, in the bosom of the youth, that was easily
to be traced in the workings of his ingenuous countenance. The
struggle was short, however; uprightness of heart soon getting the
better of false pride and frontier boastfulness.

"To own the truth, I never did," answered Deerslayer; "seeing that
a fitting occasion never offered. The Delawares have been peaceable
since my sojourn with 'em, and I hold it to be onlawful to take
the life of man, except in open and generous warfare."