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           Theirroundedroofs,admirablymouldedfordefenceagainsttheweather,denotedmoreofindustryandforesightthanthenativeswerewonttobestowontheirregularhabitations,muchlessonthosetheyoccupiedforthetemporarypurposesofhuntingandwar.Inshort,thewholevillageortown,whicheveritmightbetermed,possessedmoreofmethodandneatnessofexecution,thanthewhitemenhadbeenaccustomedtobelievebelonged,ordinarily,totheIndianhabits.Itappeared,however,tobedeserted.Atleast,sothoughtDuncanformanyminutes;but,atlength,hefanciedhediscoveredseveralhumanformsadvancingtowardshimonallfours,andapparentlydraggingintheirtrainsomeheavy,andashewasquicktoapprehend,someformidableengine.Justthenafewdarklookingheadsgleamedoutofthedwellings,andtheplaceseemedsuddenlyalivewithbeings,which,however,glidedfromcovertocoversoswiftly,astoallownoopportunityofexaminingtheirhumorsorpursuits.Alarmedatthesesuspiciousandinexplicablemovements,hewasabouttoattemptthesignalofthecrows,whentherustlingofleavesathanddrewhiseyesinanotherdirection.

           Theyoungmanstarted,andrecoiledafewpacesinstinctively,whenhefoundhimselfwithinahundredyardsofastrangerIndian.Recoveringhisrecollectionontheinstant,insteadofsoundinganalarm,whichmightprovefataltohimself,heremainedstationary,anattentiveobserveroftheother’smotions.

           AninstantofcalmobservationservedtoassureDuncanthathewasundiscovered.