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           "Ay!"saidHawkeye,consideringthedeer-skinthongandapron,withacoldanddiscouragingeye;"thethingmightdoitsworkamongarrows,orevenknives;buttheseMengwehavebeenfurnishedbytheFrencherswithagoodgroovedbarrelaman.However,itseemstobeyourgifttogounharmedamidfire;andasyouhavehithertobeenfavored—major,youhaveleftyourrifleatacock;asingleshotbeforethetimewouldbejusttwentyscalpslosttonopurpose—singer,youcanfollow;wemayfinduseforyouintheshoutings."

           "Ithankyou,friend,"returnedDavid,supplyinghimself,likehisroyalnamesake,fromamongthepebblesofthebrook;"thoughnotgiventothedesiretokill,hadyousentmeawaymyspiritwouldhavebeentroubled."

           "Remember,"addedthescout,tappinghisownheadsignificantlyonthatspotwhereGamutwasyetsore,"wecometofight,andnottomusickate.Untilthegeneralwhoopisgiven,nothingspeaksbuttherifle."

           Davidnodded,asmuchastosignifyhisacquiescencewiththeterms;andthenHawkeye,castinganotherobservantglanceoverhisfollowers,madethesignaltoproceed.

           Theirroutelay,forthedistanceofamile,alongthebedofthewater-course.Thoughprotectedfromanygreatdangerofobservationbytheprecipitousbanks,andthethickshrubberywhichskirtedthestream,noprecautionknowntoanIndianattackwasneglected.