James Fenimore Cooper

“ At first the Indians paid little or no attention to the other canoe, for, fully apprised of its contents, they deemed its capture of comparatively little moment, while the Ark, with its imaginary treasures, the persons of the Delaware and of Hurry, and its means of movement on a large scale, was before them. But this Ark had its dangers as well as its temptations, and after wasting near an hour, in vacillating evolutions, always at a safe distance from the rifle, the Hurons seemed suddenly to take their resolution, and began to display it by giving eager chase to the girls. ”

“ No canoe was nigh, and this emboldened them, to draw nearer and nearer, until they had gone round the piles, and reached the platform.
"Do you go into the house, Hetty," said Judith, "and see that the savages are gone. They will not harm you, and if any of them are still here, you can give me the alarm. I do not think they will fire on a poor defenceless girl, and I at least may escape, until I shall be ready to go among them of my own accord."
Hetty did as desired, Judith retiring a few yards from the platform, the instant her sister landed, in readiness for flight. ”

“ It has been said that the Hurons did not observe the sudden disappearance of Hurry. In his present situation, he was not only hid from view, by the platform, but, as the Ark drew slowly ahead, impelled by a sail that was now filled, he received the same friendly service from the piles. The Hurons, indeed, were too intent on endeavoring to slay their Delaware foe, by sending a bullet through some one of the loops or crevices of the cabin, to bethink them at all, of one whom they fancied so thoroughly tied. ”

“ Judith did not commence her exertions, until the near approach of the other canoe, rendered object of the movement certain, and then she exhorted Hetty to aid her with her utmost skill and strength.
"Why should we run, Judith?" asked the simple minded L. "The Hurons have never harmed me, nor do I think they ever will." ”

“ Accustomed to the rude sports of wrestling, and jumping, then so common in America, more especially on the frontiers, Hurry possessed an advantage, in addition to his prodigious strength, that had rendered the struggle less unequal than it might otherwise appear to be. ”

“ Chingachgook now first learned from Hist, the critical condition of Hurry. To have exposed either of their persons in the stern of the scow, would have been certain death, but, fortunately, the sheet to which the man clung, led forward to the foot of the sail. The Delaware found means to unloosen it from the cleet aft, and Hist, who was already forward for that purpose, immediately began to pull upon the line. At this moment Hurry was towing fifty or sixty feet astern, with nothing but his face above water. ”

“ The parties in the Ark, and in the canoe, were indebted to the ferocity of Hurry's attack for their momentary security In any ordinary case, the girls would have been immediately captured, a measure easy of execution now the savages had a canoe, were it not for the rude check the audacity of the Hurons had received, in the recent struggle. ”

“ The canoes now flew, Judith making up for what she wanted in strength, by her great dexterity and self command. For half a mile the Indians gained no material advantage, but the continuance of so great exertions for so many minutes sensibly affected all concerned. Here the Indians resorted to an expedient that enabled them to give one of their party time to breathe, by shifting their paddles from hand to hand, and this too without sensibly relaxing their efforts. ”

“ Sweeps, or large oars, however, are sooner rendered of use by the raw hand, than lighter implements, and this was the reason that the Delaware had succeeded in moving the Ark as well as he did, in a first trial. That trial, notwithstanding, sufficed to produce distrust, and he was fully aware of the critical situation in which Hist and himself were now placed, should the Hurons take to the canoe that was still lying beneath the trap, and come against them. ”

“ Perhaps there is no manual labor, at which men are so bungling and awkward, as in their first attempts to pull oar, even the experienced mariner, or boat man, breaking down in his efforts to figure with the celebrated rullock of the gondollier In short it is, temporarily, an impracticable thing for a new beginner to succeed with a single oar, but, in this case it was necessary to handle two, at the same time, and those of great size. ”

“ This was done; the enemy giving up the pursuit, as suddenly as a ship that has lost an important spar, the instant the accident occurred. Instead of following Judith's canoe, which was now lightly skimming over the water towards the south, the Hurons turned their bows towards the castle, where they soon arrived and landed. The girls, fearful that some spare paddles might be found in, or about the buildings, continued on, nor did they stop, until so distant from their enemies as to give them every chance of escape, should the chase be renewed. ”

“ Their great concern was the manner in which the Ark rubbed past the piles, although its motion was lessened at least one half by the friction, and they passed into the northern end of the castle, in order to catch opportunities of firing through the loops of that part of the building. Chingachgook was similarly occupied, and remained as ignorant as his enemies, of the situation of Hurry. As the Ark grated along, the rifles sent their little clouds of smoke from one cover to the other, but the eyes and movements of the opposing parties were too quick to permit any injury to be done. ”

“ The appearance of the opening duck seemed first to arouse the Hurons from their apathy, and by the time the head of the scow had fallen off before the wind, which it did unfortunately in the wrong direction, bringing it within a few yards of the platform, Hist found it necessary to warn &r lover of the importance of covering his person against the rifles of his foes. ”

“ In a bark canoe, they were totally without cover, and Indian discretion was entirely opposed to such a sacrifice of life as would most probably follow any attempt to assault an enemy, entrenched as effectually as the Delaware. Instead of following the Ark therefore, these three warriors inclined towards the eastern shore, keeping at a safe distance from the rifles of Chingachgook. ”

“ A glance at Hist, and the recollection of what might follow, checked any transient wish or revenge. The reader has been told that Chingachgook could scarcely be said to know how to manage the oars of the Ark at all, however expert he might be in the use the paddle. ”

“ A groan from the inner room, however, changed this resolution, and the girls ventured near a parent, whom it was no unusual thing for them to find in a condition that lowers a man to the level of brutes. ”