The old hunter gathered his tall person up into an air of pride, during this dialogue, and now muttered in an under tone—
"There's them living who say, that Nathaniel Bumppo's right to shoot in these hills, is of older date than Marmaduke Temple's right to forbid him. But if there's a law about it at all, though who ever heard tell of a law, that a man should'nt kill deer where he pleased!—but if there is a law at all, it should be to keep people from the use of smooth-bores. A body never knows where his lead will fly, when he pulls the trigger of one of them fancified fire-arms."
Without attending to the soliloquy of Natty, the youth bowed his head silently to the offer of the bank note, and replied—
"Excuse me, sir, I have need of the venison."
"But this will buy you many deer," said the judge; "take it, I entreat you," and lowering his voice to a whisper, he added—"it is for a hundred dollars."
For an instant only, the youth seemed to hesitate, and then, blushing even through the high colour that the cold had given to his cheeks, as if with inward shame at his own weakness, he again proudly declined the offer.
During this scene the female arose, and, regardless of the cold air, she threw back the hood which concealed her features, and now spoke, with great earnestness—
"Surely, surely—young man—sir—you would not pain my father so much as to have him think that he leaves a fellow-creature in this wilderness, whom his own hand has injured. I entreat you will go with us, and receive medical aid for your hurts."
Whether his wound became more painful, or there was something irresistible in the voice and
