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           "TheregoesUncas!"saidthescout;"theboybearsasmartpiece!Iknowitscrack,aswellasafatherknowsthelanguageofhischild,forIcarriedthegunmyselfuntilabetteroffered."

           "Whatcanthismean?"demandedDuncan;"wearewatched,and,asitwouldseem,markedfordestruction."

           "Yonderscatteredbrandcanwitnessthatnogoodwasintended,andthisIndianwilltestifythatnoharmhasbeendone,"returnedthescout,droppinghisrifleacrosshisarmagain,andfollowingChingachgook,whojustthenreappearedwithinthecircleoflight,intothebosomoftheworks."Howisit,Sagamore?AretheMingosuponusinearnest,orisitonlyoneofthosereptyleswhohangupontheskirtsofawarparty,toscalpthedead,goin,andmaketheirboastamongthesquawsofthevaliantdeedsdoneonthepale-faces?"

           Chingachgookveryquietlyresumedhisseat;nordidhemakeanyreply,untilafterhehadexaminedthefirebrandwhichhadbeenstruckbythebulletthathadnearlyprovedfataltohimself.Afterwhich,hewascontenttoreply,holdingasinglefingeruptoview,withtheEnglishmonosyllable—

           "One."

           "Ithoughtasmuch,"returnedHawkeye,seatinghimself;"andashehadgotthecoverofthelakeaforeUncaspulleduponhim,itismorethanprobabletheknavewillsinghisliesaboutsomegreatambushment,inwhichhewasoutlyingonthetrailoftwoMohicansandawhitehunter—fortheofficerscanbeconsideredaslittlebetterthanidlersinsuchascrimmage.Well,lethim—lethim.