Chapter 23 - Page 2

hands of the individual who was now making a
survey of its merits. The piece was a little longer than usual,
and had evidently been turned out from the work shops of some
manufacturer of a superior order. It had a few silver ornaments,
though, on the whole, it would have been deemed a plain piece
by most frontier men, its great merit consisting in the accuracy
of its bore, the perfection of the details, and the excellence of
the metal. Again and again did the hunter apply the breech to his
shoulder, and glance his eye along the sights, and as often did he
poise his body and raise the weapon slowly, as if about to catch
an aim at a deer, in order to try the weight, and to ascertain its
fitness for quick and accurate firing. All this was done, by the
aid of Hurry's torch, simply, but with an earnestness and abstraction
that would have been found touching by any spectator who happened
to know the real situation of the man.

"Tis a glorious we'pon, Hurry!" Deerslayer at length exclaimed,
"and it may be thought a pity that it has fallen into the hands
of women. The hunters have told me of its expl'ites, and by all
I have heard, I should set it down as sartain death in exper'enced
hands. Hearken to the tick of this lock-a wolf trap has'n't
a livelier spring; pan and cock speak together, like two singing
masters undertaking a psalm in meetin'. I never did see so true
a bore, Hurry, that's sartain!"

"Ay, Old Tom used to give the piece a character, though he wasn't
the man to particularize the ra'al natur' of any sort of fire
arms, in practise," returned March, passing the deer's thongs
through the moccasin with the coolness of a cobbler. "He was no
marksman, that we must all allow; but he had his good p'ints, as
well as his bad ones. I have had hopes that Judith might consait
the idee of giving Killdeer to me."

"There's no saying what young women may do, that's a truth, Hurry,
and I suppose you're as likely to own the rifle as another. Still,
when things are so very near perfection, it's a pity not to reach
it entirely."

"What do you mean by that? - Would not that piece look as well on
my shoulder, as on any man's?"

"As for looks, I say nothing. You are both good-looking, and might
make what is called a good-looking couple. But the true p'int is
as to conduct. More deer would fall in one day, by that piece,
in some man's hands, than would fall in a week in your'n, Hurry!
I've seen you try; yes, remember the buck t'other day."

"That buck was out of season, and who wishes to kill venison out
of season. I was merely trying to frighten the creatur', and I
think you will own that he was pretty well