 required conditions of his parole, and it would have been considered a
commendable and honorable exploit to escape from his foes. So nice, indeed, were
the distinctions drawn by the savages, in cases of this nature, that they often
gave their victims a chance to evade the torture, deeming it as creditable to
the captors to overtake, or to out wit a fugitive, when his exertions were
supposed to be quickened by the extreme jeopardy of his situation, as it was for
him to get clear from so much extraordinary vigilance.
    Nor was Deerslayer unconscious of, or forgetful, of his rights, and of his
opportunities. Could he now have seen any probable opening for an escape, the
attempt would not have been delayed a minute. But the case seem'd desperate. He
was aware of the line of sentinels, and felt the difficulty of breaking through
it, unharmed. The lake offered no advantages, as the canoe would have given his
foes the greatest facilities for overtaking him; else would he have found it no
difficult task to swim as far as the castle. As he walked about the point, he
even examined the spot to ascertain if it offered no place of concealment, but
its openness, its size, and the hundred watchful glances that were turned
towards him, even while those who made them affected not to see him, prevented
any such expedient from succeeding. The dread and disgrace of failure had no
influence on Deerslayer, who deemed it even a point of honor to reason and feel
like a white man, rather than as an Indian, and who felt it a sort of duty, to
do all he could, that did not involve a dereliction from principle, in order to
save his life. Still he hesitated about making the effort, for he also felt that
he ought to see the chance of success before he committed himself.
    In the mean time the business of the camp appeared to proceed in its regular
train. The chiefs consulted apart, admitting no one but the Sumach to their
councils, for she, the widow of the fallen warrior, had an exclusive right to be
heard on such an occasion. The young men strolled about in indolent
listlessness, awaiting the result with Indian patience, while the females
prepared the feast that was to celebrate the termination of the affair, whether
it proved fortunate, or otherwise, for our hero. No one betrayed feeling, and an
indifferent observer, beyond the extreme watchfulness of the sentinels, would
have detected no extraordinary movement or sensation to denote the real state of
things. Two or three old women put their heads together
