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Chapter 13
Thesechildrenofthewoodsstoodtogetherforseveralmomentspointingatthecrumblingedifice,andconversingintheunintelligiblelanguageoftheirtribe.Theythenapproached,thoughwithslowandcautioussteps,pausingeveryinstanttolookatthebuilding,likestartleddeer,whosecuriositystruggledpowerfullywiththeirawakenedapprehensionsforthemastery.Thefootofoneofthemsuddenlyrestedonthemound,andhestoopedtoexamineitsnature.Atthismoment,Heywardobservedthatthescoutloosenedhisknifeinhissheath,andloweredthemuzzleofhisrifle.Imitatingthesemovements,theyoungmanpreparedhimselfforthestruggle,whichnowseemedinevitable.
Thesavagesweresonear,thattheleastmotioninoneofthehorses,orevenabreathlouderthancommon,wouldhavebetrayedthefugitives.But,indiscoveringthecharacterofthemound,theattentionoftheHuronsappeareddirectedtoadifferentobject.Theyspoketogether,andthesoundsoftheirvoiceswerelowandsolemn,asifinfluencedbyareverencethatwasdeeplyblendedwithawe.Thentheydrewwarilyback,keepingtheireyesrivetedontheruin,asiftheyexpectedtoseetheapparitionsofthedeadissuefromitssilentwalls,untilhavingreachedtheboundaryofthearea,theymovedslowlyintothethicket,anddisappeared.
Hawkeyedroppedthebreechofhisrifletotheearth,anddrawingalong,freebreath,exclaimed,inanaudiblewhisper—
"Ay!theyrespectthedead,andithasthistimesavedtheirownlives,and,itmaybe,thelivesofbettermentoo"
