 had luck thrown him in my way.«
    »That would have been an abuse of our treaties, and unworthy of your
character.«
    »When a man consorts much with a people,« continued Hawk-eye, »if they are
honest, and he no knave, love will grow up atwixt them. It is true, that white
cunning has managed to throw the tribes into great confusion, as respects
friends and enemies; so that the Hurons and the Oneidas, who speak the same
tongue, or what may be called the same, take each other's scalps, and the
Delawares are divided among themselves; a few hanging about their great council
fire, on their own river, and fighting on the same side with the Mingoes, while
the greater part are in the Canadas, out of natural enmity to the Maquas - thus
throwing every thing into disorder, and destroying all the harmony of warfare.
Yet a red natur is not likely to alter with every shift of policy! so that the
love atwixt a Mohican and a Mingo is much like the regard between a white man
and a sarpent.«
    »I regret to hear it; for I had believed, those natives who dwelt within our
boundaries had found us too just and liberal, not to identify themselves, fully,
with our quarrels.«
    »Why, I believe it is natur to give a preference to one's own quarrels
before those of strangers. Now, for myself, I do love justice; and therefore - I
will not say I hate a Mingo, for that may be unsuitable to my colour and my
religion - though I will just repeat, it may have been owing to the night that
kill-deer had no hand in the death of this skulking Oneida.«
    Then, as if satisfied with the force of his own reasons, whatever might be
their effect on the opinions of the other disputant, the honest but implacable
woodsman turned from the fire, content to let the controversy slumber. Heyward
withdrew to the rampart, too uneasy and too little accustomed to the warfare of
the woods, to remain at ease under the possibility of such insidious attacks.
Not so, however, with the scout and the Mohicans. Those acute and long practised
senses, whose powers so often exceed the limits of all ordinary credulity, after
having detected the danger, had enabled them to ascertain its magnitude and
duration. Not one of the three appeared in the least to doubt their perfect
security, as was indicated by the preparations that were soon made, to sit in
council over their future proceedings.
    The confusion
