As they begin their travels, Alice, the younger and more frightened of the two sisters, questions Major Heyward about Magua. The major assures Alice that Magua is considered a hero among his own people and, therefore, should be looked upon as trustworthy. The major adds that they should be grateful Magua is taking them to her father’s post by a route that should prove more agreeable. Despite his assurances, Alice tells Heyward that she does not like Magua. Her feelings become even more agitated when Heyward tells her that Magua’s past is shrouded in some mystery about which he has little detail. All Heyward knows is that Alice’s father, Colonel Munro, had an encounter with Magua that resulted in Magua’s being “rigidly dealt” with. Alice responds that if Magua is her father’s enemy, she should like him even less. She then asks Heyward to have Magua speak so she can hear his voice. Alice claims she can tell a lot about a person’s character by the tone of his voice. Heyward is reluctant to do this; he knows Magua would only pretend he does not speak English and does not understand what the major has asked of him.

Cora is Alice’s half-sister. She is stronger and less easily frightened than Alice is. When Alice asks Cora if they should trust Magua, Cora subtly accuses her sister of being racist. She wants to know if they should mistrust Magua because his skin is darker and his customs are different than theirs are.

As they debate their safety, comparing their options of traveling with the troops on the main road versus traveling with Magua, tucked away in the forest, they hear horse hooves galloping toward them from behind. The rider is an awkwardly built, tall, and lanky young man. He is riding a mare whose young colt is rambling through the woods alongside them. The man introduces himself as David Gamut. From his appearance and dress, he looks completely out of place in the forest.

David has asked to join them because he prefers their company to that of the soldiers on the main trail. After the major consents, Alice quickly turns to David as a source of conversation, which she hopes will pass the time as they continue their journey. When Alice discovers that David likes to sing, she suggests that they sing some songs they both know, songs that would normally be sung in church. David is a religious man; the songs he prefers are taken from the psalms in the Bible.

When Alice and David begin to sing, Magua pulls up to the major and says something to him. The major then turns to Alice and David and tells them the wisest way to travel through the woods is in silence. Many Native Americans travel this route, and not all of them are friendly. Then the major notices something moving in the bushes. He double checks the area but concludes that it must have been the wind blowing against a cluster of berries. The narrator, though, informs the readers that the major should have retained his initial conclusion: there are, indeed, Natives hiding behind the bushes.