The DeerSlayer: Chapter 16

Summary – Chapter Sixteen
Hutter and Hurry are asleep and Deerslayer tells Judith the time has come for him and Chingachgook to get in the canoe (to get Wah-ta! –Wah). They land at the designated point, but she is not there. While Chingachgook waits, Deerslayer gets back in the canoe and looks around, and finds the fire of the camp is nearby. He gets out again and observes the actions and sees that Wah-ta! –Wah is being watched. He returns to Chingachgook and they discuss what to do. They cautiously head towards the camp.
 
They are close enough now to hear the women talking and Chingachgook makes the sound of a squirrel which he has used as a signal for Wah-ta! –Wah many times before. She recognizes it, but does not turn her head.
 
They follow stealthily as Wah-ta! –Wah is made to go and fetch water with the old woman who is watching her. When the opportunity comes, Deerslayer grabs the old woman around the throat and Chingachgook takes Wah-ta! –Wah to the canoe. As Deerslayer lets the woman breathe, she screams and alerts the camp.
 
Analysis – Chapter Sixteen
This chapter focuses on the action of finding and bringing back Wah-ta! –Wah and avoids the static quality of some other sections of the novel that focus, for example, on Deerslayer’s point of view. The danger is heightened by the closeness to the enemy and the daring quality of the men’s exploits. This also adds to the concept that Deerslayer is the hero of the piece.