Having overcome a barely passable thicket of forest, two young men went ashore with a dazzlingly shining mountain lake. The first of the travelers, the tall strongman and bouncer Harry March, noting the admiration of his comrade, said that in comparison with the Great Lakes of Canada this is supposedly a small lake. But for Natti Bampo, who grew up in the forests, nicknamed St. John's Wort, a huge water mirror was an unprecedented sight. However, there was no time to admire. Especially Harry March (aptly nicknamed the colonists - Fidget), as the giant hoped, the beautiful Judith - the daughter of Thomas Hatter, who had long ago settled on the lake, could not wait.

Having found the hidden pie, the friends soon reached the "castle" - built on the stilts driven in shallow water of the home of Hermit Tom. The house was empty. According to Harry, the old man and his daughters went hunting. Young people are swimming in search of them. At first they notice the inspecting traps of Hatter and only then the beautifully disguised “ark” - a large flat-bottomed barge. Tom has already received news about the war that began between the British and French, but he still does not know that the soldiers of the French-friendly Indian tribe Mingi roam around the lake. With the help of the new arrivals, he is in a hurry to bring the "ark" to open water.

Immediate danger passed, but on the shore of the lake two pies were hidden - Hutter, Harry and St. John's wort suggest, not without reason, that the Indians will soon find them. Therefore - under the guise of night - it was decided to master the pies. Harry is courting Judith, but the girl doesn't like him.

In the dark, men go on a dangerous voyage. The enterprise succeeds - the pies are captured. Harry and Hutter decide to attack the abandoned Indian camp. Knowing that St. John's wort does not agree to such vileness, they send him away. The adventurers, however, miscalculated - the women raised a cry, and the nearby warriors managed to help. Unsuccessful scalp hunters themselves are captured. Waking up at dawn, St. John's wort sees that the cake he left is approaching the shore. The hunter chases. When there is very little left to the boat - and to the ground - a shot is heard from the bushes. Indian. St. John's wort jumps ashore and hides behind a tree. He offers the Indian peace - he agrees. But, having taken possession of the pie and about to sail, the young man notices that the warrior has aimed at him. St. John's wort instantly directs the gun at the enemy hiding behind the bushes - two shots merged into one. The young man was not injured - the Iroquois warrior was mortally wounded. When dying, the Indian calls the hunter Hawkeye.

St. John's wort returns to the "castle". He does not hide from Tom's daughters what serious remake their father got into. But it is also encouraging: tonight, at sunset, he has an appointment with the Delaware warrior Chingachgook - they’ll come up with something. Moreover, the Great Serpent - Chingachgook is translated from Delaware - came here for the bride stolen from him.

Everyone switches to the "ark", and maneuvering the whole day to make enemy warriors difficult, just like sunset St. John's wort brings the barge to the appointed place - an Indian jumps from a low cliff onto a ship. The pursuers appear on the shore, but late - the ark is already out of reach.

After conferring, St. John's wort with Chingachguk advised sisters to redeem prisoners. Girls without hesitation offer their best outfits - but is that enough? After a little thought, Judith decides to open her father's treasured chest. Among expensive dresses and various unseen, skillfully machined chess pieces are found. Neither Judith nor St. John's Wort knows what it is, but archers, saddled horses, and especially elephants amaze the imagination. The Indians who appeared for negotiations were simply bewitched. For decency, a little bargaining, they are happy to exchange prisoners for two outlandish animals - chess elephants.

And the liberated and the liberators decide: the “castle” is an unreliable place. The Ark is safer. All move to the barge and set sail. At night, Chingachguk and St. John's wort make their way to the enemy camp - behind Wa-ta-Wa, the bride of the Great Serpent. They guard the girl. Fortunately, one of the leaders of the Ming ordered the old guardian to bring water. That, capturing a young delaware, goes to the spring. St. John's wort attacks the old woman, pinches her mouth - Chingachguk and Wa-ta-Waa run to the pie. The Huron succeeds in issuing a piercing cry - St. John's wort throws the old woman away and sets off. Near the water, one of the Indians overtakes Hypericum. A struggle ensues. A few more warriors run up - Hawkeye in captivity.

Hutter and Fidget do not care about the fate of St. John's Wort. Judith is another matter. She spent the whole anxious night, along with her younger sister Hetty, in the boat, hoping to find out what awaited her hunter.

Hutter and Fidget steer the "ark" toward the "castle"; they think he’s not captured. Chingachguk warns, recalling the insidious Ming - they do not listen to him. A nonchalant couple, having seen pristine constipation, safely enter the house. Crackling, crashing, curses - the struggle is not for life, but for death. Out of the door, surrounded by furious warriors, Harry March falls out. Thanks to his enormous physical strength, he was swept away by numerous opponents, but deftly thrown ropes entangle the giant and lay him on the platform. March does not give up, slides into the water and, with the help of Wa-ta-Wa, climbs onto a barge operated by Chingachguk. Huron warriors do not dare to pursue in unfavorable conditions for themselves and leave the "castle".

The sisters are the first to be at the site of a recent battle. Judith and Hetty hear a painful moan, they open the shutters and discover the scalped father. In addition, received a mortal stab with a knife. Touching farewell - Thomas Hutter manages to reveal to the girls that he is not their father and dies.

The next evening - to the surprise of those fleeing on the "ark" - they see St. John's Wort approaching them. The young man as a parliamentarian was released on parole with obviously unacceptable conditions. But no matter what the negotiations ended, tomorrow he should return to his enemies. And no matter how the mission undertaken by him ends, the brave man, in all probability, does not expect anything good. Judith tries to dissuade the hunter from reckless return - St. John's wort convinces the girl of the impossibility for him to break his promise.

Upon returning, the Hurons, appreciating the courage and honesty of Hawkeye, offer him to marry the widow of the Indian killed by him. The prospect of being a husband burdened with numerous offspring and an extremely grumpy "matron" scares St. John's Wort more than death and the most sophisticated torture, - he refuses. The furious brother of the rejected woman launches the tomahawk into the hunter, who evades, intercepts the weapon and kills the attacker with a return throw.

St. John's wort is tied to a tree and, trying to intimidate, toss knives, tomahawks, shoot rifles - so as not to inflict serious wounds. The hunter not only does not turn his head, but also does not close his eyes. This infuriates the Hurons - they lay a fire. Hetty appears - she is considered demented and allowed to go everywhere. She scatters burning brush with a stick. The Indians take the girl aside, intending to continue the torture, but Chingachguk intervenes. He jumps out of the thicket, crosses the clearing with lightning speed, cuts the ropes and passes the rifle to St. John's wort. Confusion. However, abundant enemies. Friends must inevitably die, but ... The heavy, rhythmic tread of soldiers' feet, drum roll, cut-off Hurons in a panic rushing about on a sand spit, bayonet attack - almost all men and women find death.

Among the wounded - Hetty: a stray bullet hit a girl. The wound is severe, and although Hetty courageously suffers suffering, surprising the military doctor, her life is fading away. Judith cries beside her sister - Friends say goodbye to the dying. Hetty is buried at the bottom of the lake.

After the sister's funeral, an orphaned Judith retires with St. John's Wort. She really likes a straightforward hunter, but he still ignored all her fairly honest hints. Now, realizing - now or never - Judith, having overcome her shame, offers St. John's Wort to marry her. The hunter is silent and, trying not to offend the girl, answers her that marriage without mutual love is unlikely to be successful. His feelings, however, are more controversial and more complicated than those expressed aloud. Judith attracts the hunter, but also repels him: something deep. And is there a clue in the incomprehensible words of the dying Hetty: “I feel, St. John’s Wort, although I can’t say why, that you and I are not parting forever. This is a strange feeling. I have never experienced it before ... "