The Deerslayer

The Deerslayer, or The First War Path, is the final book in James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales series, published in 1841. In this book, Natty Bumppo is introduced as "Deerslayer," a juvenile outlaw in early 18th-century New York. Deerslayer opposes the practice of scalping, arguing that all living beings should adhere to "nature's gifts." Henry March and "Floating Tom" Hutter are two individuals that genuinely want to kill people. To slaughter and scalp as many Hurons as they can, Hutter and March sneak into their camp, but they are caught in the process. After Hutter passes away, Judith sets out to identify her biological father, but her investigation only reveals that her deceased mother was of noble lineage and had wed "Floating Tom" after an extramarital affair failed. Later, Judith tries to save Deerslayer but is unsuccessful. Finally, everyone is saved when March appears with English troops and massacres the Hurons while terminally wounding Hetty. When Bumppo and Chingachgook revisit the location fifteen years later, they discover Hutt's home in ruins.