The Last of the Mohicans

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THE

LAST OF THE MOHICANS

OB

A NAEEATIVE OF 175T

J. FENIMOEE COOPEE

WITH AN

INTBODUCTION BY SUSAN FENDiOBE COOFEB

** Mislike me not for 1117 complexion,
The shadowed liTeiy of ihe buxnished ran.'*

BOSTON AN1> KEW TORK
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

OQPTBIGHT, 187«, BY SUSAN imi-
MORE COOPER i 1896 AND UH^
B7 HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN ft 00^
ALL BIGHTS BESEBVAD

Qr.

JAMES PEKIMORE COOPER.

BIOOBAFHICAL SKETCH.

When a novelist deals persistently^ in his best work,
with certain large elements of life, it becomes of interest
to learn how these came to impress themselves upon his
mind; especially what early experience he had which
fumiBhed him with material afterward for his books.
Creation used to be defined as making something out of
nothing ; it is better explained as forming something out
of formless material It used to be held, thoughtlessly,
that writing fiction was spinning yarn out of airy nothings
of the brain; it is more rationally understood that the
novelist takes the scattered impressions which the expe-
rience and observation of life have made on his mind and
shapes them into intelligent and artistic wholes.

Perhaps there has been no novelist of whom it can
be said more confidently than of James Penimore Cooper
that his writings were connected directly with his early
life, and yet, as we shall see, he began his career without
the least regard to that experience. He was born at
Burlington, New Jersey, September 15, 1789, but in
Kovember. of the next year his father, who had come into
possession of a vast tract of land about the headwaters of
the Susquehanna, moved thither with his household and
set up his home on the edge of the wilderness. He built
a large mansion on the border of Otsego Lake, and the
village which grew up about this pioneer settlement took
the name of Cooperstown.

206536

iv JAMES FENIMORE COOPER.

Here the future novelist spent his early boyhood) and
to this spot he returned from time to time duri ig the
years of his scholastic training and his first ventures
into the world. The situation is one of great natural
beauty, and the gradual occupation of the country has not
destroyed the impression which the beautiful lake, the
rushing river, the deep valley, and the wooded hills make
upon the visitor. What then must have been the power
which the scene had on an imaginative boy, when the
lake was set in a forest which stretched unbroken him-
dreds of miles to the westward ! Within this mighty
wood ranged deer, bears, wolves, and wildcats. Great
flocks of birds swept overhead in their semi-annual mi-
grations, and the laugh of the loon could be heard in the
stillness. The hunter was a marked figure in the com-
munity, as was also the feller of trees, and though the
day of Indian attack was past for this immediate region^
the apprehension of the attack still remained, and the
Indian form was not unknown.

When he was about ten yoars old. Cooper was sent to
Albany to school, since the village academy at Coopers-
town scarcely met the demands which his father, Judge
Cooper, made upon it. He received tuition at the hands
of the rector of St. Peter's Church, an educated English-
man ; and on the death of this gentleman, in 1802, Cooper
was entered at Yale College in the class which graduated
in 1806. He did not graduate with his class, however.
IT oung as he was on entering, he had received a more
exact training than his fellows, and, careless of books, he
spent much of his time in solitary walks in the country
about New Haven, which, if not quite as lonely as
Cooperstown, still possessed the wild charm of a primi-
tive neighborhood. The salt water, too, which made so
effective a part of the landscape, appealed to an eye already

BIOGBAPHICAL SKETCH. T

wonted to long range. Cooper added to his neglect of
study^ carelessness of discipline^ and in his third year
committed some offense which led to the hreaking off
of his college study altogether. His biographer, Mr.
Lounshury, justly remarks that it was a misfortune for
him ^'to lose the education, scanty and defective as it
then was, which was imparted by the college. • . . With
all its inefficiency and inadequacy, it would very certainly
have had the effect of teaching him to aim far more than
he did at perfection of form. He possibly gained more
than he lost by being transferred at so early an age to
other scenes. But the lack of certain qualities in his
writings, which educated men are perhaps the only ones
to notice, can be traced pretty directly to this lack of pre-
liminary intellectual drill."

The transfer to other scenes was an important one, for
after an interval of a year or so, Cooper was sent before
the mast in a merchant vessel sailing from New York to
Cowes. His initiation into sea service was a stormy one,
but he had a chance to see something of London at the
end of the voyage^ and afterward, in further cruises, when
he seems to have met with an unusual variety of bad
weather, he made the acquaintance of Spanish ports.
He was a year in this employ. It was intentionally an
apprenticeship to the navy, for there was at the time no
naval school, and on January 1, 1808, he received a com*
mission as midshipman.

For three years Cooper was in the United States ser-
vice, and the time was that period of agitation just pre->
ceding the outbreak of the second war with England.
He had one bit of experience that was of interest. During
the first year of his service he was a member of a party
detailed to build a brig of sixteen guns to cruise in Lake
Ontario in anticipation of the war. The port of Oswego

ri JAMES FENIMORS COOPEB.

was the place where the brig was built and launched,
and the months which Cooper spent by this inland sea
gave him not only a good practical knowledge of ship-
building, but a familiarity with a region which he used
to good advantage afterward when he came to write The
Pathfinder,

At the end of three years, on January 1, 1811, he
married Miss De Lancey, a lady of Huguenot descent,
and the daughter of John Peter De Lancey, who had
been a captain in the British army during the Eevolution ;
for the De Lanceys had sided with the crown. It was
scarcely thirty years since the close of the war, so that
memories of it were still rife, and Cooper, who was but
twenty-one, his wife being nineteen, found himself in a
society which retained keen recollections of what the To-
ries had endured. There can be little doubt that Cooper
thus drew at first hand impressions of the conflict which
enabled him to treat with more fairness than some a 6la8s
in the community which had suffered not only in their
persons during the war, but in reputation long after. The
marriage had also this immediate effect upon him, that it
led him to resign a position which was sure to separate
him frequently from his wife ; for in May, 1811, he threw
up his commission in the navy.

His father had died in 1809, and his mother lived on
at Cooperstown till her death in 1817. The natural
resource for a young man of some means at this time, who
had abandoned his profession early, as Cooper had, was
to carry on an estate, and until 1820 the ex-naval officer
lived for a while at Cooperstown, and then near his wife's
relations in Westchester, not far from New York. In this
time five daughters were born to him, one of whom, Susan
Fenimore Cooper, afterward his secretary and amanuensis,
became herself a writer, and in her later life furnished a

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. tQ

number of interesting introductions to her other's novels.
Two sons were uorn later^ one of whom died early, and
one, Paul, was until recently a lawyer in Albany.

It is a little singular, when one considers how pro-
lific Cooper afterward became, that it was not until 1820
that he seems to have occupied himself at all with writ-
ing, and then his venture was quite unlike the books
which made him famous. He was thirty years old when,
as the story runs, he was one day reading to his wife an
English society novel, and became impatient with its inef-
fectiveness, declaring he believed he could write a better
novel himself. He was challenged to do so, and shortly
after wrote a novel and had it published in New York.
It was entitled Frecautiouy and is perhaps the least read
of all his books. One would like % know what particu-
larly weak English novel it was which impelled Cooper
to write this artificial tale of English high life. The
book was distinctly an imitation of a prevalent fashion
in fiction. It was so completely an imitation that no one
would suspect it of American authorship. Nevertheless
it seems to have had the effect of turning Cooper's mind
in the direction of literature. His friends, and especially
his wife, encouraged him ; and once he had his hand in,
he must have oeen conscious of some power, for after
Precaution was out of the way, the native genius of the
man awoke, and partly in imitation of Scott, who was now
pushmg aside the fashionable novels on which Precaution
was modeled, partly in answer to the demand which his
own good sense made upon him, he wrote The Spy, using,
for his invention to work upon^ incidents which had come
^ his knowledge through familiarity with life in West-
chester, a region much contended over in the Revolution.
"^ this book Cooper not only found himself but he found
^ audience. As his father had been a pioneer in the

vm

JAMES FENIMOBE COOPEB.

wilderness, so he was a pioneer in the wilderness of Amer«
lean life, as yet scarcely touched by literature.

The Spj/y appearing in 1821, was shortly after reprinted
in England, and was followed in 1823 by The Pioneers, —
which was at once reprinted in England, — in 1824 by
The Pilotf in 1825 by Lionel Lincoln, and in 1826 by
The Last of the Mohicans, Thus in rapid succession were
published books which are characteristic of Cooper's gen-
ius, and which set the pattern which he continued to copy
through the rest of his literary career, although he pro-,
duced many works which attempted other results, and
more than once fell below the high standard here set, even
when he was occupied with similar scenes. The large
scale on which his pictures are drawn, the leisurely move-
ment at times, and tft^ the quick strokes which are drar
matic in force, were in part due to the influence of Scott,
but more the expression of his own nature, and the reflec-
tion of the scenes amongst which he had lived and the life
he had com6 in contact with. His narratives have to do
with large, elemental forces of nature, with the ocean, the
prairies, the expansive woods. He needed plenty of space
in which to turn round, and the short story, less culti-
vated in his time than now, did not come within the range
of his art. As to the human material which he used,
he was not only instinctively an artiit in drawing such
figures as Leather-Stocking and Harvey Birch, but he was
fortunate in the period in which he was writing ; for the
United States was entering upon a time when there was
an exultant spirit of Americanism which found indeed less
expression in literature than in popular action, and an
audience had been making ready which was eager to see
American life find an outlet in story.

The writing and publishing of these books led Cooper
to live in New York, and after The Last of the Mohicans

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. ix

was published^ when he had become the one American
novelist of distinction, he went to Europe with his young
family, and there remained for seven' years. He was busy
enough during this time, writing at least a book a year, and
in 1833, when he returned to his native country, he took
up his abode in Cooperstown, and continued to make that
bis home until his death, September 14, 1851. His for-
eign life had not weakened his patriotic feeling, but it
, had given him opportunities for comparison between Eu-
ropean and American modes of thought and manners of
life. He w as outspoken in his criticism, and succeeded
in offending both. bis own countiymen and fore^ers.
But though he excited much bitterness of speech, he held
every one captive by his large-featured stories of the sea,
the woods, and the prairie. He fell into controversies
with his townsmen, and he was engaged in many libel
suits, but he was personally a man who excited warm
affection. An amusing illustration of the manner in
which people separated Cooper the novelist from Cooper
the citizen is in the story told of Thurlow Weed, the
editor of the Albany Journal, which had been sued by
Cooper for libel. Weed fought Cooper bitterly in the suit
which followed, but in the very fury of the fight sat up
all night to read with admiration The Pathfinder, which
had just come out.

Cooper's early career and his strong interest in the
sea led him to write a History of the Navy of the United
States, and he wrote many articles of criticism and history
dealing with this subject, but his sea stories will live
when his £istory has been superseded by the work of
those having more documents at their disposal. It may
be doubted, however, if of all his groups of books any
holds its own so well as the group known as the Leather"
Stocking Tales. This series of five books is in point of

Z JAMES FENIMOBE COOPER.

time in the following order^ though it will be seen thai
they were not written in this order : —

The Deerslayer,

The Last of the Mohicans,

The Fathfinder.

The Pioneers.

The Prairie.

In these the life of Leather-Stocking is traced from his
first warpath to his death. The view of the Indian
which one obtains from these books does not accord in
all details with that which would follow upon a close
study of the aboriginal American in the pages of scientific
investigators, but it is the view taken by a man of large
imagination and of considerable opportunity for observa-
tion. Cooper has unquestionably colored the judgment
not of Americans only, but of Europeans. His books
have been very popular in Grermany as well as in Eng-
land, and it may be suspected that Longfellow, in his
Hiawatha^ was a more or less conscious disciple of Cooper.
There is apt to be somewhat of a quarrel between his-
toric fact as recorded and the same fact as transfused by
the historic imagination. The final truth does not lie
in either extreme, but as Shakespeare had a faculty by
which he penetrated the kings of England more completely
than the chroniclers, and helps us to adjust a true per-
spective, so Coo per by his laige imagination corrects a
too ignoble and paltry view of the Indian.^

1 The notes in this edition are by Cooper and his daughter, Miss
Cooper's being indicated hj her initials. The few editorial additions
are inclosed in brackets [ ].

INTRODUCTIOK
Bt SUSAN FENIMOEE COOPER.

t

Ik the summer of 1825, a travelling party of some half
dozen gentlemen left New York with the intention of
making a n ex cursion to Saratoga, and Lake Geojge. Of
this party the author of " The Spy " was one. Several
young Englishmen of note were among his companions,
all of whom, at a later day, hecame prominent in puhlic
life, important memhers of the British Government.
Among them was Mr. Stanley, hetter known forty years
later as Lord Derby, Prime Minister of England, and
the translator of Homer. The excursion proved a very
pleasant one. Parts of the ground were new to the
author, whose eye for natural beauty was sensitive as that
of a poet, while at the same time in everything practical,
in all true progress, his interest was quite as thorough and
comprehensive as that of the most plodding utilitarian.
The conversation of a party of highly educated young
men, with European views of things, naturally gave
much additional interest to the journey r'^ Mr. Cooper was
stmck with a remark on the s ize ,of the forest trees
of America, those on the Atlantic coast at least being
smaller than was anticipated, scarcely equal in size, it was
asserted, to those of the older parks, and church-yards,
and village greens of England. One is scarcely prepared,
indeed, for this result of civilization. We should natu-
rally have supposed that the pride of the forests would
reveal itself in grander forms in the wilderness, — that the

zii THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

fostering care of man could do little for the woods. Such
was then the usual American idea of this subject ; but we
are beginning, it is hoped, to learn another lesson ; to dis-
cover that the forests and groves are one of the higher
forms of husbandry, — that to foster the woods and pro-
tect every tree of peculiar grandeur and beauty is the act
of a manly civilization. As yet, in America, we have
done little indeed to improve, but much to waste, to mar,
this great gift of Providence.

A conversation occurring at the time, in connection with,
a very dififerent subject, may be alluded to ; it relates to a
point connected with that singular fragment of feudal ages,
the framework of English society, — to a point of legal
precedence in rank among the English peers — as to which
ot the House of Peers could claim to be premier Baron
of England. Mr. Wortley, at a later day Lord Wham-
cliffe, asserted that it was the Duke of Norfolk as Baron
Fitzalan. Mr. Cooper, who had been recently amusing
himself with reading English Biography and Heraldry,
declared that Lord de Bos was the oldest Baron of Eng-
land. A wager was made on the subject, which was won
by Mr. Cooper, his English friend giving him a seal with
a baron's coronet and the Scotch motto, ^' He that will to
Cupar, maun to Cupar."

The party moved slowly up the Hudson, halting in the
Highlands, at West Point. Thence to Catskill, which the
author of " The Pioneers " had already seen with delight,
as Natty could testify. Farther up the river, the poor
deluded Shakers were visited, and beheld with compassion
Ln their beautiful valley and neat village at Lebanon.
Good dinners were eaten at hospitable .tables in Albany.
The Cohoes, formerly a very favorite spot with the
author, one with which he had been familiar from boy-
hood, was visited, and still admired, in spite of the busy

INTRODUCTION. xiii

mills already at that day springing up on the banks. In
1825 the falls were much more striking than they are
to-day. Another English acquaintance, visiting them with
Mr. Cooper a year or two earlier, struck with amazement
at the beauty of the cascade, exclaimed: ''If you had
told' me this was Niagara, I should hate believed you ! "
The gentlemen mingled awhile with the gay throng at
Saratoga and Ballston. Thence they passed to Lake
Greorge. There the ground was quite new to the Amer-
ican as well as to the English members of the party.
With this lake, still so freshly wild, the author was
greatly charmed. After lingering awhile on its banks
with great delight, visiting also Ticonderoga and Lake
Champlain, the party retraced their steps, pausing for
half a day at Glenn's Falls. The hand of man had
already been busy here, turning the power of the stream
to account for industrial purposes, but there was far more
of natural beauty surrounding the spot than can be found
there to-day, and the singular chai*acter of the dark and
silent caverns in the heart of the troubled stream was
then very impressive. The travellers were struck with
those stem, sombre rocks, and the flood falling in fantastic
wreaths of white foam about them. While in the cav-
erns, one of the gentlemen of the party observed to Mr.
Cooper that here was the very scene for a romance.
Some pleasantry passed between them on the subject, and
the writer promised his companion that a book should
actually be written, in which these caves should have a
place ; the idea of a. romance essentially Indian in char-
acter then first suggesting itself to his mind. The gentle-
man to whom the promise was given was Mr. Stanley,
recently deceased as the Earl of Derby. Before leaving
the Falls, the ground was examined closely, with a view
to accurate description at a later hour. The existing

I

xiv THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

natural featiues of the spot were combined in imagination
with those which had been partially defaced by man ; the
ancient forests were restored, the first rude and unfinished
steps of early civilization disappeared, and the waters fell
once more, as they had fallen for thousands of forgotten
years, in full natitral torrents, unchecked by any barrier
raised by human hands.

The book was immediately commenced. It was very
rapidly written, and some three or four months from the
time its first pages were composed, the last chapter was
finished. Planned beneath the summer leaves, those
leaves had scarcely fallen when the story was told, and
Natty and Chingachgook were left in the wilderness,
beside the rude grave of Uncas. It was with some hesita-
tion that the writer attempted what has always been con-
sidered as a dangerous experiment, — the introduction for
a second time of a prominent and successful character,
already familiar to the reader in an earlier book. It was
very seldom, however, that he now consulted with any
friend but one regarding the work in hand; the affec-
tionate counselor at his side, well aware that the con-
sciousness of power might, in itself, render practicable a
task in which so much interest was shown, advised his
carrying out the plan. The step was taken. Natty and
Chingachgook were once more brought before the reader,
but at a period supposed to be earlier in their own career
than the date of " The Pioneers," and beneath the shadow
of the unbroken forest.

Mr. Cooper was then passing the summer with his family
in a little cottage belonging to his friend. Colonel Gibbs, of
Sunswick, immediately on the Long Island shore of the
Sound, opposite Blackwell's Island — not far from Hal-
lett's Cove. The flourishing village of Astoria now occu-
pies the same ground: In the summer of 1825 this was

INTRODUCTIOK. XY

a perfectly/ quiet, rural region, nothing but open farms for
miles arouidd, with the exception of the little hamlet at
Hallett's Cove, and the flourishing village of Flushing,
at a distance of three miles. Here the family attended
church. The cottage stood on the brow of a wooded
bank, perhaps thirty feet above the river. To live within
sight and sound of the water was always a delight to the
author of "The Pilot," and many were the hours he
passed sitting on the narrow belt of grass before the cot^
tage door, watching the varied fleet of sloop, schooner,
brig, ship, and steamer, passing to and fro. The perils of
Hell Gate lay just above, adding to the interest with
which the movements of the diflferent craft were watched.
He often amused himself, in the summer evenings, with
giving his children a lesson in the lore of a sailor, teach-
ing them the names of the different craft, as they passed
to and fro with the tide, according to their forms and rig-
ging; mainsail, jib, and skysail were names with which
the little ones soon became familiar, and, before the sum-
mer was over, they could even talk learnedly about peria- *
guas and chebacco boats. Within a short distance to the
southward, affording a pleasant drive, was a fine bay with
a beautiful, shelving beach, where he frequently drove his
family to bathe ; quiet and safe, and rich in beautiful
shells, this bay was bounded on the eastward by a high
point, covered with a breezy grove ; here the views were
charming, and the solitude perfect. The same spot is now
crowded with busy life, the well-known college of Dr.
Muhlenberg having been built on the point.

Not content with driving on the banks, and watching
the sails from the shores, the author launched a pleasure
boat of his own. It was a little sloop of some twenty
tons, to which he gave the name of Van Tromp, A
small wharf belonging to the farm lay within a stone's

xvi THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

throw from the cottage, and here the Van Tromp found a
convenient port when not on duty. She was anoat daily,
however. Scorning the steamboat, which stop|[)ed regu-
larly at Hallett's Cove, the author went to toyn almost
every afternoon, or whenever the tide served, iii his little
yacht the Van Tramps often both captain and drew him-
self. Very frequently some friend would retunj to spend
a day with him. Little pleasure trips through the Sound
were also frequent, and enjoyed with great zest. He
delighted in being afloat.

Meanwhile he was writing the /' Mohicans.'' Although
this book was very rapidly written, yet during its pro-
gress — soon after commencing it indeed — the writer was
seized with a serious illness. Naturally of a very sound
and vigorous constitution, he had scarcely known, until
lately, what a day's physical ailing was. But a year or
two earlier, while returning from a visit to the family of
Gk)vemor Jay, at Bedford, the carriage he was driving
broke down at one of the villages on the Sound, and,
always glad of an excuse for being afloat, he took passage
for New York, with his party, in a sloop. The wind
began to fail ; he was anxious to reach home, and, in order
to make the utmost of the tide, he took the helm, steer-
ing the little craft himself through Hell Gkite. The day'
was extremely sultry, and exposure to the intense heat
brought on a sudden and severe attack of fever, which in
its first stages partook of the character of a stroke of the
sun. And now, in the autumn of 1825, exposure again,
brought on the same disease. During the height of the
attack, his mind was filled with image.: connected with the
book recently begun. One afternoon, suddenly rousing
himself, he called for pen and paper; but too ill to use
them himself, he requested Mrs. Cooper, watching anx-
iously at his side, to write from his dictation. Most

INTKODTJCTION. xvii

reluctantly, and in fear of delirium, she complied with
the request, and solely with a view of relieving his mind
from temporary excitement. A page of notes was rapidly
dictated and written out ; to his alarmed nurse they ap-
peared the wild, incoherent fancies of fever, with which
the names of Katty, Chingachgook, and Cora, already
familiar to her, were blended. But in truth there was no
delirium ; a clear and vivid picture of the struggle between
Magua and Chingachgook filled his mind at the moment,
and only a few days later the chapter — the twelfth of the
book — was actually written from that rude sketch. And
this proved to* be one of the very few instances in which
preliminary notes, relating to a work in hand, were thrown
on paper. At the same period, while still confined to his
bed, he was visited by his old college tutor and friend.
Professor Silliman, who left the house with very serious
fears as to the result of the attack. By the mercy of
Providence, however, he soon recovered from all im-
mediate danger ; though for several years he suffered from
the consequences of the disease, by a form of nervous
dyspepsia previously unknown to him.

When Mr. Cooper determined to write an Indian ro-
mance, and to bring Katty again before the reader, it
became a natural consequence that he should choose the
Mohican Chingachgook, the comrade of Natty, as a prin-
cipal character. Very little was accurately known at that
day — nearly half a century since — with regard to the
Indians and their tribal distinctions. Vague notions pre-
vailed in connection with such subjects, even among edu-
cated people. Ethnology was a science still in its infancy
in America. The country was in its early youth. There
were too many practical questions of engrossing interest,
of vital importance, pressing constantly on the attention
of ihe people, for Americans to look backward at what

xviii THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

may be called the dark ages of their history. During the
colonial period, the Indians filled a very prominent posi-
tion in the foreground, whether as friends or foes ; they
were feared by the entire white population; they were
courted and flattered by governors, and generals, and
legislative assemblies — aye, even the Crowns of England

•

and France condescended to bow before them with a sort
of mock homage. High prices were paid for their services
— and for their scalps. During a century and a half they
always held a bold position, either as the bulwark or the
scourge of the diiferent colonies. After the Kevolution,
the change was signal They immediately dropped into
the background. They were forgotten. The majority of
the people scarcely remembered their existence. Even
the best educated men of the generation, bom immediately
after the Revolution, knew very little about them. Vague
notions prevailed regarding even such tribes as the Eive
Nations, and the Lenni Lenape. It was only here and
there that some student, like Mr. Gkillatin, or Mr. Dupon-
ceau, looked more closely into their languages and tra-
ditions. Very little was written about them. Still less
was printed and read on subjects connected with them.
Such was the general state of things when the author of
"The Pilot" determined to write a romance essentially
Indian in character and incidents. The volumes of Col-
den, Heckewelder, Penn, and Smith lay within reach.
He had also been very much interested in the narratives
of Long, Lewis and Clarke, and Mackenzie. Occasional
personal intercourse with parties of the tribes still roving
in diminished numbers over the western part of the State
of New York had given the reality of life to his views of
the race. Small bands of the Oneidas and other clans
of the Iroquois still visited the shores of Lake Otsego,
in his early youth, to fish, to sell the small wares made

INTRODUOnON. xix

by the women, or even occasionally to hunt the last deer
lingering in those forests. Mohicans and Delawares came
to the village from time to time, frequently lingering for
months in the adjoining woods. Certain individuals of
these different clans were regular in their visits, and their
faces familiar to his boyhood. At a later day, when serv'^
ing as a midshipman on Lake Ontario, he met the red
men in large numbers, and in a more wild condition. He
appears to have always beheld these rude people with a
peculiar interest, partially of curiosity, and also of com-
passion. The writer of these notes remembers more than
one old volume relating to the red man, lying on his ta-
ble for months, during her nursery years — volumes which
greatly excited her own childish curiosity, and in which she
was occasionally allowed to spell out a page or two. Dur-
ing those same years, — now looking so dim and far away,
— she also remembers the lively interest with which her
&ther would relate, to the gentlemen visiting at his house,
little incidents come to his own personal knowledge in
connection with the red men. There were always so much
spirit and animation in his countenance and manner, such
an appropriate and graceful gesture, and such an easy flow
of language when conversing on a subject in which he was
interested, that he never failed to command the attention
of his listeners. Even the little ones about him were
probably far more interested in his anecdotes than he was
himself aware of. And it was in this tone of interest
that at that period of his life he generally spoke of the
red man.

It was quite natural for a !New Yorker to choose a
Mohican for his Indian hero. When Hudson discovered
the river now bearing his name, the Mohicans were among
the first tribes he met. They are said to have held pos-
Beasion of both banks of that noble stream, at different

/

T^E LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

points, as far north as the mouth of the Mohawk. Their
greatest force lay on its eastern shore. So numerous in-
deed were the Mohicans on the hanks of the great stream,
in that century, that the river trihes generally received
from the Dutch and English the name of Mohicander, or
Mohikanneuw. These Mohicans of the Hudson, the Mo-
hicander or river trihes, the Mohegans of New England^
as well as the Pequots and Narragansets, were all kin-
dred clans with similar dialects, and all belonged to the
Algonquin race. They were a numerous and important
people, though broken up into many clans, more or less

( widely separated. In 1684 the French numbered their
warriors at twelve hundred, as allies or tributaries of the

\ Iroquois', to whom they gave the respectful title of *^ Un-
cles,'' while these looked upon their Algonquin tributaries
as " Nephews,'' a generation below them in wisdom and
influence.

Already, as early as 1617, the Mohicans were in a
measure subordinate to the Iroquois, or Five Nations.
At that date a solemn treaty is said to have been made
at Tawassentha, '^ the place of the many dead," now Nor-
man's Kill, near Albany, between the Hollanders and the
Five Nations, and several tributary tribes in partial sub-
jection to the last. These tributaries were treated as
'^ women," non-combatants, no longer warriors. The
wampum belt of alliance was upheld on one side by
the Iroquois, on the other by the Hollanders, while the
inferior tribes were placed between the principal nego-
tiating parties, and received the belt on their shoulders.
The Mohicans were one of these inferior tribes, so says
tradition, supported by old historical authorities of the
whites. Only a few years later, in 1628, the Mohicans
living near Fort Orange rose against the Mohawks ; they
were defeated and driven to the eastward^ where they built

INTBODUOTIQN.

themselves a village on the banks of the Connecticut.
Here, with the rest of their tribe, they were in time at-
tacked by the Pequots. Long and bitter was the strife ;
but the English Colonists took sides with the Mohicans
and their chief, Uncas, and as is well known the Pequots
were cruelly exterminated by the Kew Englanders. Then,
some ten years later, followed the bitter war between
Uncas, with his Mohicans, and the Narragansets. The
chief force of the Mohican race was at this period in New
England, although kindred clans bearing the same name
were still to be found on the banks of the Hudson, and
at a later day still farther west. These Mohicans were
during two centuries the friends and allies of the New
England colonies; ^id yet nothing in fiction could be
imagined more truly melancholy than the actual recorded
history of these Connecticut Mohicans in their struggles
against the fire-arms, the cunning, the grasping cupidity,
the cruelty, and the poison fire-water of their white neigh*
bors, crushing out their very life and spirit. One Uncas
after another succeeded to the title and empty dignity of
Sachem, or Sagamore — a title becoming more of a mock-
ery with every year.

The burial-place of the family of Uncas still exists
not far from Norwich in Connecticut. The tomb of the
Great Uncas is marked by a granite monument erected
by the whites. The epitaph, written by some English
admirer and poet, is certainly peculiar : — -

« UNCAS.

** For Beauty, witt, for sterling Sense
For temper mild, for Eliquence
For Couradg Bold, For things Waureg^on
He was the Glory of Mohedgon
Whose Death has Caused great lamentation
Both in ye English & ye Indian Nation."

acxii THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Another stone bears the following inscription, to a
young man, a contemporary of the Uncas of fiction : —

" Here lies Sam Uncas the second and beloved Son of his father John
Uncas, who was the grand-son of Uncas, Grand sachem of Mohegan.
The darling of his mother being danghter of said Uncas Grand sachem.
He died July 31st 1741 in the 28th of his age."

It was about the same period, or rather earlier, in 1743,
that a young Mohegan, for so was the name spelled in
Connecticut, appeared one winter's day at the door of the
Bey. Eleazar Wheelock, a prominent Congregational min-
ister at Lebanon, coming on an unusual errand. He had
been a pagan, bom at Mohegan, and was now about
twenty. During the previous year he had become a
Christian, and now came a suppliant for religious train-
ing, hoping in time to become a preacher to his own peo-
ple. His name was Occum. His request was granted,
and at the end of four years he had made very good pro-
gress, not only in English, but also in Greek and Latin,
and was learning Hebrew, when his health failed and his
sight became affected. During ten or eleven years he
wandered about, preaching to the red people, supporting
himself by fishing, hunting, making wooden spoons, pails,
etc., etc. His home was in a wigwam made of mats. A
jiumber of Lidians were converted by his preaching at
this time. His studies were kept up with much perse-
verance under the difficulty of weakened eyesight. In
August, 1759, he was regularly ordained by a Presbytery
on Long Island. The example of Occum led to the open-
ing of an Indian school by Mr. Wheelock. He began
with two Delaware boys in 1754. Ten years later he had
twenty students, among them an Uncas. The majority
of the pupils were Delawares. But there were Mohawks
also, including the .celebrated Brant, sent there by Sir
William Johnson. The war with Erance, still raging,

INTEODUOnON. xxiii

prevented this school from receiving the support it de-
served. In 1766 a fresh movement was made in its
behalf. Occum was sent to England, with a Presbyterian
clergyman for his companion, and for the express purpose
of obtaining funds for the " Moor Charity School," as the
foundation was then called. The Bev. Samson Occum,
the Mohegan preacher, was at that time forty-four years
old; he was thoroughly Indian in appearance, easy and
unassuming in his manners. His sermons are |aid to
have been forcible and solemn, and when delivered in
his native language they were much more eloquent, and
delivered with more grace of manner and gesture, than
when he spoke English. He preached with great ap-
plause to crowded congregations in England. In less than
eighteen months he is said to have preached between
three and four hundred sermons in English. In society
he was received with great attention. King George III.,
assuredly a good Christian prince, whatever may have
been his political errors, gave the school £200. Lord
Dartmouth, a very devout man, befriended Occum greatly.
Seven thousand pounds were raised in England, and two
or three thousand in Scotland. The plan for the school
was enlarged; it was removed to New Hampshire and
became Dartmouth College, where there have been many
American students, but only two or three Indians, it is
said. Occum, the Mohegan preacher, removed eventually
to the Oneida country in New York, with a mixed band
of his own and other trities, to whom he gave the name of
Brothertons. After a checkered career, he died, the min-
ister of these Brothertons, in 1792. He is said to have
occasionally fallen into intemperance, and this impaired
his influence and wounded his own conscience, but to have
always rallied after these falls^ in sincere penitence, and
to have died a humble, believing Christian.

XXIV THE LAST OF THE MOHICAKS.

The celebrated Hendrick, although a Mohawk sachem,

was, according to the rules of descent prevailing among

the Indians, actually a Mohican. Descent is always

counted through the mother among the red men ; and it

I was from a Mohawk mother that Hendrick inherited his

\ position among the Five Nations. His father was a Mo-

Ihican, and Hendrick himself declared that he was horn,

'and lived in his early childhood, among the Mohicans.

The, author of the Indian romances can scarcely be
accused of exaggeration with regard to the mental and
/ moral qualities of his heroes, Chingachgook and Uncas,
when we remember that such men as Occum and Hen-
drick came of the same tribe, and lived at the same period.
Whatever higher or more delicate coloring he may have
thrown into his ideal pictures must naturally be attrib-
uted to the fact that it was a poetical romance which he
wished to offer his readers, and not a series of mere dry
ethnological skeletons.

And when he gave to this narrative the title of " The
Last of the Mohicans," the same poetical latitude must
be allowed to the words. He knew perfectly well that
the entire tribe was not extinct. Wandering .Mohicans
had often crossed his own path in his boyhood. But it
was strictly true that towards the close of the last century
the higher type of warrior and sachem had died out among
the Mohicans. When Hendrick, or Soi-enga-rah-ta, fell
at the battle of Lake Greorge in 1755, the last warrior of
general renown, who came of a Mohican parentage, passed
away. No Mohican warrior of note has appeared since
that day. It is true that when Hendrick died, his son,
striking his own breast with energy, exclaimed, /^My
father is not dead, his soul lives here ! " But the sub-
sequent career of that young brave was not remarkable.

At the period of the "Old French War," different

INTKODUOTION. XXV

tribes had become very much mixed. Small bands of
the Delawares and Mohicans were frequently found to-
gether in close alliance, especially on the eastern borders
of New York. They called each other " cousin," a de-
gree of relationship considered as closely fraternal by the
red men. These facts led to the impression that they
were but different clans of the same tribe. So general
was this opinion, that several of the writers of the last
century confirmed it by their printed assertion. It was
declared that like the league of the Six Nations, so the
Delawares, the Mohicans, and the Munsees were but one
confederacy. But this was not strictly true. The Iro-
quois tribes were united by much closer bonds than their
neighbors and tributaries of the Algonquin race. Theirs
was a regularly constituted framework of government,
with certain laws unwritten but generally acknowledged,
and closely connected with it was an intricate network of
usage founded on the ties of blood, penetrating into every
lodge, and inclosing within its folds the most remote wan-
derer of their race. No other confederacy in Northern
America had anything approaching to the same strength.
In spirit it was like our own government, a close union
and not a mere alliance. The Lenni Lenape and the
Mohicans were often allies, were often much mixed up
together, they spoke kindred dialects, and both belonged
to the Algonquin family. But they were nevertheless
distinct tribes, often acting with entire independence of
each other. On this point Mr. Cooper has no doubt fol-
lowed too closely the impression prevailing in the begin-
ning of this century. He was probably misled by some
one of the writers who asserted that these tribes formed
but one integral people.

The siege of Fort William Henry is the central point
about which revolve all the incidents of ^^ The Last of th9

XXVi THE LAST OP THE MOHICANS.

Mohicans." And yet it was not the intention of the au-
thor to write a historical romance. He purposely avoided
taking that course, as he wished to throw the chief inter-
est of the narrative over the forest scenes, and some few
individuals among the pale-faces and the red men. The
gallant defense of the fort by Colonel Munro is well
known to he strictly historical. He was left at this
frontier outpost of the Colony, to receive alone the full
brunt of the invading army, and bravely did he meet the
shock. His resolute gallantry deserves the greater credit
from being in strong contrast with the conduct of other
English commanders in America at that particular period.
The defeat of Greneral Braddock was a fact so utterly
unforeseen, so entirely incomprehensible to the military
mind of England, that for some years it appears to have
had a paralyzing effect on their general officers. Lord
Loudon, Greneral Abercrombie, and Greneral Webb were
thrown into a state of salutary caution wherever combined
forces of French and Indians were opposed to them. The
American officers were not so much disturbed by the recol-
lection of the defeat at Fort Duquesne ; they knew better
how to account for it ; they understood Indian warfare
thoroughly from actual experience, and from the traditions
of several generations. Such men as Colonel Washington
and his American comrades were as ready to meet their
allied foes in 1757 as they had been two years earlier.
But General Webb, commanding in the Colony of New
f'ork at that moment, appears to have had his military
|)owers completely paralyzed by the approach of this com"
bined invasion of the French and the Canadian Indians.
He lay intrenched on the Hudson within twelve miles of
Fort William Henry with a force of four ;^ousand men
Tinder his command, and an additibnal force of militia
within call. But he left Colonel Munro to his fate,

INTRODUCTION. XXvU

under the excuse of requiring large reenforcements before
attempting a movement.

Colonel Munro's garrison, in the fort, consisted of less
than five hundred men, while seventeen hundred more
occupied an intrenched camp on an adjoining eminence.
The invading force under- M. de Montcalm amounted in
reality to 8,021 men; it was believed, however, to be
much larger. On the morning of the 2d of August, the
English in the fort, with faces turned anxiously to the
northward, suddenly beheld a fleet of Indian canoes dash
into sight, from behind the cover of a point, until they
formed a chain completely across the lake. Fearful yells
filled the morning air. In the course of a few hours M.
de Montcalm landed about a mile and a half above the
fort. The passes leading to the Hudson were seized. X
large encampment of the French and Indians lay to the
northward, while the main body took a position on the
wooded shore immediately to the west of the fort. The
siege lasted a week. It was not until the 9th of August,
after the bursting of half his guns, and when his ammu-
nition was all but exhausted, that Colonel Munro hung
out a flag of truce. Passages from the narrative of an
eye-witness of the siege, and of the massacre which fol-
lowed, may have interest for the reader. They are drawn
from a letter of Father Roubaud, one of the French mis-
sionaries to the Indians, who accompanied the expedition
of M. de Montcalm. We follow the translation of Bishop
Kip. Wherever the name of Fort Lydius occurs in these
passages, the reader must refer it to Fort Edward. And
in the same way by " Fort George " must be understood
Fort William Henry.

^' The bay in which we were moored resounded on all
sides with the noise of war. Everything there was in
motion and action* Our artillery, which consisted of

XXViii THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

thirty-two pieces of cannon and five mortars^ placed on
platforms which were secured to hoats fastened together,
led the way. In passing the point of land which had
concealed us from the view of the enemy, they took care
to salute the fort hy a general dischai^e. This at the
time was nothing hut mere ceremony, hut it announced
more serious matters. The rest of the little fleet followed
slowly. Already a hody of the Indians had formed their
camp in the rear of Fort George on the road to Fort
Lydius, to cut off the communication hetween the two
English forts. The corps of the Chevalier de Leri occu-
pied the defiles of the mountains. Our landing was made
without opposition, a good half league below the fort.
The enemy seemed not to have in the least expected a
siege. The environs of their forts were occupied by a
multitude of tents still standing at the time of our arri-
val, and we saw there a quantity of barracks which were
well adapted to aid the besiegers. It became necessary
for them to take down the tents, to bum the barracks.
These movements they carried on under constant dis-
charges from the Indians, whose fire would have been
much more fatal, had not another object drawn off their
attention. Horses and herds of cattle, which the besieged
had not had time to place under cover, were wandering
about on the low grounds surrounding the fort. For a
time the chase of these animals furnished the Indians
with occupation. A hundred and fifty of the cattle killed,
or taken, and fifty horses, were the first fruits of this
petty warfare.

" The fort was a square, flanked by four bastions ; the
curtains were strengthened with stakes ; the trenches were
sunk to the depth of from eighteen to twenty feet ; the
scarp and counterscarp were shelving and covered with
shifting fiand; the walls were built of large pine trees

INTRODUCTION.

which had been felled and sustained by stakes extremely
massive ; and from whence extended a platform of earth
from fifteen to eighteen feet wide, which they had taken
care to cover entirely with gravel. From four to five
hundred men defended it by the aid of nineteen cannon^
of which two were thirty-six pounders, the rest of less
calibre, and also four or five mortars. The place was not
protected by any other exterior work, except a fortified
intrenchment surrounded by palisades, strengthened by
heaps of stones. The garrison within consisted of seven-
teen hundred men and continually recruited that of the
fort.

'^ Such was the fort. Our force of six thousand French
and seventeen hundred Indians was by no means equal to
investing it entirely, owing to the great extent of ground
to be covered. The enemy had always the benefit of a
back-door to slip into the wood; but the Indians were
there before them. The regular troops from France, to
whom properly belonged the labors of the siege, occupied
the border of the wood, westward, adjoining the ground
where the trenches were to be opened. The camp of re-
serve followed, with sufficient forces to protect the work-
ing parties.

^' These arrangements being made, M. de Montcalm
caused propositions to be made to the enemy. But a
haughty answer was returned, followed by the roar of
a general discharge of the enemy's artillery. . . . The
first time our battery played, such were the cries of joy
from the Indians that all the mountains resounded with
the echoes. The second battery was established two days
afterwards. This was a new fete which the Indians cele-
brated in a warlike manner. They ^ere always about
our artillery-men, whose dexterity they greatly admired.
But their admiration was not idle ; they were willing to

XXX THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

do anything to make themselves useful, and determined
even to become gunners. One of them distinguished
himself particularly. After having himself pointed the
cannon, he hit the very angle of the fort which had been
assigned to him. Their chief cause of astonishment was
the covered ways, which, like subterranean roads, are so
useful a protection to the assailants. They examined
with the most eager curiosity this work of the French
grenadiers, and some began to exercise their own hands
in the practice — they were seen with pickaxes marking
out a trench towards that part of the embankment which
they were expected to attack. They pushed the works
so far forward, that they were soon within gunshot.

** Meanwhile our scouts encountered in the woods three
couriers sent from Fort Edward; they killed the first,
captured the second, and the third saved himself by flight.
On the body of the dead man, in his vest, they found a
letter so well concealed in a hollow musket-ball, that it
had escaped the researches of all but one soldier, who
happened to be familiar with these tricks of war. This
letter was from the commander of Fort Edward to Colonel
Munro. It coi;tained the deposition of a Canadian de-
serter who declared our army to amount to eleven thou-
sand men with two thousand Indians, and a formidable
artillery. General Webb informed his colleague that the
interests of the King his master did not permit him to
weaken his own post, and that he must therefore capitu-
late upon terms as favorable as possible. M. de Mont-
calm did not think he could make a better use of this
letter than to forward it to its address, by the same courier
who had fallen alive into our hands. We received in
return from Colonel Munro his thanks, with an expression
of the modest hope that the same acts of civility might
for a long time take place between them. This was on

INTRODUCTION.

the Tth. Our batteries opened again at nine o'clock, con-
tinuing to fire every tw6 minutes to the great delight of
the Indians, who uttered shouts of joy on seeing the shot
and shells fall into the fort.

"At length on the Vigil of St. Lawrence, August 9,
the seventh day of the siege, the trench having been
pushed as far as the gardens of the fort, we prepared to
establish our fourth and last battery. It was intended
to make a general assault in three or four days. But at
7 A. M. the enemy hung out a flag of truce, and demanded
capitulation."

The articles of capitulation were signed in the trenches,
and the French took possession of the fort at noon. The
English retired to the intrenched camp. The articles of
capitulation were as foUows : The garrison were to march
out with the honors of war, with one cannon only, and
with only the personal effects of the officers and soldiers.
All the stores and a.mmunition to be surrendered. The
garrison not to serve for eighteen months against France
or her allies. All the French prisoners taken by the
English since the beginning of the war to be exchanged
for an equal* number of English. The sick and wounded
to be cared for by M. de Montcalm. Eations to be issued
for two days only. M. de Montcalm would have pre-
ferred making the garrison prisoners of war. But Canada
was at that very moment in a state of famine. At Quebeo
each person was reduced to four ounces of bread a day.
The soldiers received a pound and a half, with a little
salt meat. The French found at William Henry provi-
sions sufficient to supply an army of six thousand men
for six weeks — an immense relief to them. We continue
•ur extracts from the narrative of Father Eoubaud, who was
an eye-witness of the events which followed the surrender.
" The Marquis de Montcalm, before he would listen to

zzxii THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

any terms, assembled all the Indian chiefs, and commu-
nicated to them the terms of capitulation. All these
articles were received with acclamation, and the treaty was
signed by the commanding officers. The French Army,
in battle array, advanced to take possession of the fort in
the name of His Most Christian Majesty, while the Eng-
lish troops drawn up in beautiful order marched out to go
and shut themselves up till the next day in their intrench-
ments. Their march was not marked by any contraven-
tion of the laws of nations."

M. de Montcalm had given positive orders that all the
wine, brandy, and other intoxicating liquors in the fort
should be spilt before the troops marched out — a step
to which the English consented. Some of the Indians,
however, penetrated into the intrenched camp, where the
English were now collected, preparing for their march,
and made themselves very troublesome. M. de Mont-
calm hastened to the camp ; ^' prayers, threats, entreaties,
consultations with the chiefs, interposition of the officers
and interpreters — he made use of every means to restrain
them. About nine o'clock he appeared to have accom-
plished that object.'' Colonel Munro had wi^ed to march
that evening, but the Erench officers, hearing that a party
of the Indians were lying in ambush on the road to Fort
Edward, advised the English to wait until morning.
Meanwhile some persons in the camp, to satisfy the In-
dians, granted their request for ardent spirits — the brandy
at this camp not having been apparently destroyed, as it
was at the fort. M. de Montcalm had carried on the
whole campaign without giving a drop of either wine or
brandy to the Indians, which was considered unprece-
dented. But he had great influence over them, and had
been very kind to their sick and wounded. Those In-
dians who received the ardent spiiits on that ill-fated

INTKODUCTION. Xxxiii

night of the 9th of August, immediately began to dance
their war dances, singing and whooping in frenzied ex-
citement. The Abenakis from the Eastward were espe-
cially infuriated, recalling what they considered the cruelty
and perfidy of the English in Acadie. They laid great
stress on these past events, and thirsted for retaliation.
An Indian never forgets an injury. It had been agreed
that the English should march at break of day with an
escort of four hundred French troops, with all the officers
and interpreters attached to the Indian forces, and two
chiefs of each tribe. But the English began to hasten
their preparations before the escort arrived. The Abena-
kis ran to insult them. Scarcely had they uttered their
whoop than the English fell into confusion, throwing
down arms, baggage, and flying helter-skelter. The great
number of women in the garrison added greatly to the
confusion. The Indians, emboldened by the panic they
had produced, began to plimder. We return to the narra-
tive of Father Boubaud.

" A corps of French troops, consisting of four hundred
men, appointed to protect the retreat, arrived and arranged
themselves in haste. The English began to file out.
Woe to those who closed the march, or to the stragglers
separated from the main body ! They were as good as
dead, and their lifeless bodies soon strewed the ground
about the intrenchments. This butchery, at first the
work of some few savages, became the signal which trans-
formed them into so many ferocious beasts. They dis*
charged right and left heavy blows with their hatchets on
those within their reach. The massacre was not, however^
of long duration, nor was it by any means as considerable
as so much fury would have seemed to give reason to fear.
It did not* exceed forty or fifty men. With fearful cries
the Indiana now busied themselves in making prisoners.

rxxiv THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" I arrived while these things were going on, and I do
not think it possible for any one to remain insensible in
such sad circumstances. The son snatched from a father's
arms, the daughter torn from the bosom of he^ mother,
the husband separated from his wife, the officers stripped
to the shirts, a crowd of wretched beings running about at
random, some towards the woods, other to the tents of the
Etench, these towards the fort, others towards any spot
which seemed to promise safety — such were the pitiable
objects which presented themselves to my eyes. The
French were not indolent spectators, or insensible to this
catastrophe. The Chevalier de Leri ran in all directions
where the tumult seemed most violent. A thousand
times he faced death. The French and Canadian officers
followed his example. But the great body of our troops
was by their distance prevented from rendering him any
assistance. And of what avail were four hundred men
against fifteen hundred infuriated savages, who could
scarcely distinguish us from the enemy ? One of our
sergeants who opposed their violence was struck down by
a blow from a spear. One of our French officers, as the
reward of the same zeal, received a severe wound which
brought him to the verge of the grave. M. de Montcalm,
on account of the distance of his tent, did not learn until
a late hour what was going on ; at the first news he has-
tened to the spot. He multiplied himself; he seemed
endowed with ubiquity; he was everywhere; prayers,
menaces, promises were used; he tried everything, and
tt last resorted to force. The tumult was nevertheless
•oonstantly on the increase, when some one cried out to
the English, who formed a considerable body, to increase
their speed. The Indians, in a measure satisfied with
their prizes, began to retire, and the few who remained
were easily dispersed. Three or four hundred English

INTRODUCTION. XXX7

arrived at Fort Edwaid. Many others were scattered
in the woods. Many found safety in the tents of the
French, or in the fort.

^ I went to the fort after the disorders were in some
degree over. A crowd of weeping females came to sur-
round me. They threw themselves at my knees, they
kissed the hem of my rohe, uttering lamentahle cries
which pierced my heart. They asked for their sons, their
daughters, their hushands. Gould I restore these to
them ? A French officer informed me that a Huron
had in his possession an infant of six months, whose
death was certain if I did not hasten to its rescue. I
ran in haste to the cahin of the savage, in whose arms
I saw the innocent victim ; the child was tenderly kissing
the hands of his enemy, and playing with some strings of
wampum which he wore. The Huron guessed my ohject
at once : ' Hold,' said he to me very civilly, ' do you see
this child ? I have not hy any means stolen it. I found
it left hehind in haste. You want it, hut you shall not
have it.' I urged the uselessness of this prisoner, its cer-
tain death for the want of nourishment. He produced
some fat with which he meant to feed it ; adding that in
case of its death, he should find some corner in which to
bury it, and that then I could give it my blessing. I of-
fered him a large sum in silver if he would surrender his.
little captive, but he persisted in his refusal. He finally
consented to give it up for another English captive. I
thought the sentence of death was pronounced when
I saw the Huron holding a consultation with his com-
panions. But the result was that the child should be
given to me in exchange for the scalp of an enemy. This
proposition did not at all embarrass me : ^ It shall be
forthcoming shortly,' I said, rising, ^ if you are a man of
honor*'

XXXVi THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

'^ I hastened to the camp of my Abenakis, and asked
the first one I met if he wished to do me a favor ; would
he give me a scalp ? He untied his pouch, and gave me
my choice. Provided with this barbarous trophy, I car-
ried it off in triumph, followed by a crowd of Canadians
and French, curious to know the end of the adventure.
Joy seemed to furnish me with wings, and in a moment
I had rejoined my Huron. ' See,' said I, ' see your pay-
ment ! ' ' You are right,' he replied ; ' it is indeed an
English scalp, for it is red.' This is in truth the color
that ordinarily distinguishes the English colonists in these
countries. ^ Well ! there is the child, carry it away, it
belongs to you.' I did not give him time to retract, but
immediately took the unfortunate little being in my
hands. As it was almost naked, I wrapped it in my robe,
but it was not accustomed to be carried by hands as little
used to this business as mine, and the poor infant uttered
cries which taught me my own awkwardness as well as its
sufferings. I consoled myself, however, with the hope of
presently calming it, by placing it in more tender hands.

^^ I arrived at the fort, and at the sound of its feeble
cries, all the women ran towards me. Each one flattered
herself with the hope of recovering the object of her ma-
ternal tenderness. They eagerly examined it, but neither
the eyes nor the heart of any one recognized it as her
child. They therefore retired again to one side to give
anew free course to their lamentations and complaints. I
found myself placed in no little embarrassment by this
retreat. Being four or five leagues distant from every
French habitation, how could I procure nourishment for
an infant of so tender an age ? I was absorbed in these
reflections, when I saw an English officer pass who hap-
pened to be well acquainted with the French language.
I addressed him, therefore, in a firm ton& ^ Sir^ I have

INTRODUCTION. XXXVii

just ransomed this young infant from slavery, but it "^vill
not escape death, unless you direct some one of these
women to take the place of its mother, and nurse it until
I shall be able to provide for it otherwise.' The French .
officers who were present supported my request. With
that he spoke to the English women. One of them of-
fered to render it this service, if I would be willing to
answer for her life and that of her husband, to charge my-
self with their support, and to see that they were conveyed
to Boston from Montreal. I immediately accepted the
proposition, and requested M. de Bourg la Marque to de-
tach three grenadiers to escort my English to the Canadian
camp, where I flattered myself that I should find means to
fulfill my new engagements. This worthy officer re-
sponded with kindness to my request.

" I was about quitting the fort, when the father of the
infant was found, wounded by the bursting of a shell, and
utterly unable to help himself. He could not, therefore,
but acquiesce with pleasure in the arrangements I had made
for the security of his child, and I departed, accompanied
by my English, under the safeguard of three grenadiers.
After a march of two hours, fatiguing though happy, we
arrived at the Canadian quarters. I cannot undertake to
portray to you faithfully the new occurrence which here
crowned my enterprises, for it is one of those events which
a person flatters himself in vain with the hope of present-
ing true to nature. We had scarcely reached the entrance
to the camp, when a shrill and animated cry suddenly
struck my ears. Was it a cry of grief ? Was it a cry of
joy ? It was all this, and much more, for it was that of
the mother, who, from the distance, had recognized her
child, so keen are the eyes of maternal love. She ran
with a precipitation which showed that this was indeed
her child. She snatched it from the arms of the English*

THE LASI? OF THE MOHICANS.

woman, with an eagerness which seemed as if she feared
that some one might a second time deprive her of it. It
is easy to imagine to what transports of joy she abandoned
herself, particularly when she was assured of the life and
freedom of her husband, to whom she thought she had bjd
a final adieu. Nothing was wanting to complete their
happiness but their reunion, and this I thought should be
the perfection of my work.

" I directed my steps back to the fort. My strength
was scarcely sufficient to carry me thither, for it was more
than an hour after noon, and I had as yet taken no nourish-
ment. I was near falling through faintness, when I
reached the fort, but the politeness and charity of some
French officers relieved me. I went in search of the
Englishman in question, but my inquiries were without
effect for some hours. The pain of his wounds had
obliged him to withdraw to the most solitary place in the
fort, and there at last I found him. I had made arrange-
ments to have him carried away, when his wife and child
made their appearance. Orders had been given to collect
all the English who were dispersed in the different quarters,
to the number of nearly five hundred, and to conduct
them to the fort, that we might provide more surely for
their support until it should be possible to send them to
Albany, as was happily done some days after. The de-
monstrations of joy were renewed at their meeting, with
much more earnestness than before. I should not here
pass over in silence the reward of her charity which the
other Englishwoman received, who had been obliged to act
as mother to the infant in the absence of the true
mother. Providence, through the intervention of Mr.
Piequet, brought about the recovery of her own child,
which had been unjustly taken from her."

The precise number killed by the Indians in this say-

INTKODXJCTION. XXXIX

age tumult will probably never be accurately known.
The French would very naturally diminish their reports of
the number of victims as far as practicable. The English
TV'ould of course exaggerate in their statements. Father
!E^ubaud declares that forty or fifty were killed. The
!E^«nch officers generally refrained from naming any par-
ticular number, which looks badly. Though M. de
Vaudreuil, in one of his reports " of this little incident,'^
to the government at Versailles, boldly asserts that only
six or seven English soldiers were killed. On the other
hand, the English, especially at first, when so much was
■written on the subject, appear to have considered all who
did not reach Fort Edward within a day or two as mur-
dered men. But the Indians carried two hundred
prisoners to Canada, where they were ransomed by the
French, and after a time sent home to the Colonies. The
writer of these lines has seen, quite recently, what pur-
ports to be an historical account of this painful event, in
which the number of victims is stated to have been five
hundred. Probably Father Roubaud's statement of forty
or fifty was not far from the truth.

The great error of M. de Montcalm evidently consisted
in not taking precautionary measures on a more important
scale. He was aware of the danger, but supposed that
he had averted it by his exertions on the previous evening,
when the savages had been partially pacified by them.
But, as he himself observes, ''two thousand Indians, of
thirty-three different nations," were not easy to control.
His clear perception of that truth should have led him to
remain near at hand, during the march of the English from
the camp, and to cover that march with a much larger
force than the four hundred men detailed for the purpose.

The whole army of the French on this expedition num-
beied 8^021 men, of whom 5,500 were effective. The

\

Xl THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Indians are reported at 1,806 warriors, of thirty-three
different trihes, a portion of them from the upper lakes.
The French lost only thirteen killed and forty wounded.

The entire English force is stated to have numbered
2,372, of whom there were killed during the siege forty-
one, and wounded seventy-one.

At the end of a week after the capitulation. Fort Wil-
liam Henry had been entirely destroyed, and the whole
army, French and Indians, had left the lake, and were mov-
ing northward, by Lake Champlain, to Canada. Happily
for the Colony of New York, scarcity of provisions pre-
vented M. de Montcalm from attacking Fort Edward, and
aiming a blow at Albany.

Ko little attention has been attracted to the name of Ho-
rican, given in " The Last of the Mohicans " to Lake Gleorge.
This beautiful sheet of water has borne different names in
the last three centuries. When Champlain first invaded the
Iroquois Territory, at the head of a band of Hurons, in
1609, he discovered the noble lake which now bears his
name, and, after defeating a party of Mohawks, he seems
to have visited the falls of Ticonderoga, falls to which
\ the French afterwards gave the name of Carillon, or the
Chiming Waters, from the musical, ringing sound of the
cascade. Long and fiercely was the same ground contested
in later years between the Crowns of France and England.
There is every reason to suppose Champlain was thus the
first European to hear from his Huron allies, or from his
Iroquois prisoners, the name given by tha Mohawks to the
smaller, but more beautiful lake beyond the portage at
Ticonderoga.

The Iroquois, with a fitness and accuracy of observation
eo often shown in Indian names, called the larger sheet of
water the Lake-Gate-of-the-country, or, in their own speech,
daniadeguarante. To the smaller lake beyond, they gave

INTRODUCTION. xli

the name of Andiatarocte, or Here^the-Lake- Valley-closes^ a
name descriptive and correct. Thus it continued to he
named hy the Mohawks so long as they inhabited the ad-
joining country.

In the year 1646, that saintly man, Father Jogues, proba-
bly the first Christian to preach the Gospel in the Iroquois
country, returning from Quebec in the double character of
envoy from the Canadian government, and missionary to
the Mohawks, passed through Lake Champlain, and reach-
ing the shores of the beautiful sheet of water called, by
the tribe to whom he was sent, Andiatarocte, he gave ii;
a French name, le Idc du St. Sacrement The day on
which he reached its shores was the eve of a great
festival of the Church of Itome, connected with her doc-
trine of transubstantiation, — Corpus Christi, the Fete Dieu
of the French, or the festival of the St. Sacrement, as it
was also called. For this reason the good Father gave
to those limpid waters the name of the Lake of the St.
Sacrement. It is an error to suppose that the Sacrament of
Baptism was alluded to. It was to the Festival of Corpus
Christi that this religious name was solely due. The
lake continued to bear this name in all French records, and
in most of those in the English language also, for more
than a century. It is indeed quite remarkable, that neither
the Dutch nor the English of early colonial times should
have given a name of their own to a lake holding so promi-
nent a position at that day in their political and military
system. They probably thought little of its natural beau-
ties, but its importance, as connected with the Lake- Gate-
of-the-^^ountry, was very thoroughly understood, both at
Montreal and at Manhattan.

More than a century after Father Jogues had passed
among its beautiful islands, in his bark canoe, an English
army lay encamped on the southern shore of the Lake of

Xlii THE LAST OP THE MOHICANS.

the St. Sacrement. It was a force under the flag of Eng-
land at least; but composed, in fact, entirely of colonial
militia and Iroquois allies, and numbered thirty-four huii-
dred men, under the command of Ma.jor-G«neral William
Johnson, the Indian superintendent. Their ultimate object
was the reduction of Crown Point, or Fort Frederick, on
Lake Ghamplain. Greneral Johnson, in a letter of Septem-
ber 3, 1755, writes as follows : —

" I am building a fort at this lake, which the French
call St. Sacrement, but I have given it the name of Lake
Greorge, not only in honor to his majesty, but to ascertain
[to assert ?] his undoubted dominion here. I found it a
mere wilderness ; not one foot cleared. I have made a
good wagon-road to it from Albany — distance about
seventy miles ; never was house or fort erected here be-
fore ; we have cleared land enough to encamp five thou-
sand men."

Thus it was that Andiatarocte, or the Lake of the Holy
Sacrament, received the thoroughly prosaic name of George
II. Only twenty years later, the sceptre of the house of
Hanover no longer ruled over its waters. The " undoubted
dominion," which General Johnson aimed at rendering
more certain by this royal name, had passed away forever.

So far we have undoubted history for our guide. But
half a century since, the same beautiful waters received, in
American literature, the name of Horican. This name
was by no means an imaginary one ; and there is much
more foundation for its use than is generally supposed.
Only four years after the discovery of the Hudson River —
in 1613, when the first rude huts were built by the Dutch
on the Island of Manhattan, the skipper Adrian Blok lost
his craft, the Tiger, by fire. The resolute man set to work
to build himself a yacht during the winter of 1613-14,
the Indians kindly supplying them '^ with food, and all

INTEODUOTION. xliii

sorts of necessaries.'' When his little vessel of sixteen
tons' burden was finished — the first act of ship-building
on ground whence so many fleets have since sailed — Blok
embarked on an exploring cruise among the bays and
rivers eastward. He entered the mouth of the Connecti-
cut River. In latitude 41° 48', above Hartford, he
found a fortified village of a tribe called Nawaas ; from
them he heard of '^another nation of savages who are
called Horikans," living farther northward, ^'within the
land." And again, De Laet, writing his ^' Description of
the New Netherlands," in 1633, speaking of the Connec-
ticut River, says the Nawaas live in latitude 41® 48';
" within the land dwells another nation, called the Hori-
kans ; they descend the river in canoes made of bark."

Some twenty years later, in 1656, Vanderdonck pub-
lished a map of the New Netherlands, in which the Hori-
kans are distinctly marked, as a tribe, placed between the
northern Connecticut and the Hudson.

In 1673, Hennepin, the companion of La Salle, tra-
veiled extensively in Canada and what are now the
western parts of New York. He wrote his travels, and
published a map in connection with them. On this map,
at a point very near the position of Lake George^ the
word Horican is clearly printed.

Here we have, then, from early authorities, both Dutch
and French, the name of Horikan, applied to a tribe occu-
pying ground very near the Lake Andiatarocte. It would
be only consistent, therefore, with a very common practice
in American geography, to name that lake from a tribe
whose bark canoes must often have floated upon its waters.
Many a lake and many a river in the country are now
bearing Indian names on much less authority. It was
from one of these old maps — which one we cannot say —
that the author of ^< The Last of the Mohicans," struck

xliy THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

with the name as more poetical and more appropriate than
that of King Greorge, placed it on the lips of Hawkeye.
It is very possible that these Horikans may have been
one of those tribes called by different names at different
periods of their career, which happened very frequently
among the Indians ; or they may have been only a sub-
division of a tribe ; but their existence at the discovery
of the country, on hunting grounds which must naturally
have brought them to chase the elk and the bear on the
mountains overlooking the Lake Andiatarocte of the Mo-
hawks, we have no more reason to doubt than we have to
doubt the assertion that Blok sailed up the Connecticut
to latitude 41°.

" The Last of the Mohicans " was published early in
January, 1826. It was brilliantly successful, both in
America and in Europe, where the entire novelty of a
romance of the wilderness, filled with striking characters
and stirring incidents, awakened an especial iaterest.

AUTHOE'S INTEODUCTION.

It is •believed that the scene of this tale and most of
the information necessary to understand its allusions are
rendered sufficiently obvious to the readers in the text it-
self , or in the accompanying notes. Still there is so much
obscurity in the Indian traditions, and so much confusion
in the Indian names, as to render some explanation useful.

Few men exhibit greater diversity, or, if we may so
express it, greater antithesis of character, than the native
warrior of North America. In war, he is daring, boastful,
cunning, ruthless, self-denying, and self-devoted ; in peace,
just, generous, hospitable, revengeful, superstitious, modest,
and commonly chaste. These are qualities, it is true,
which do not distinguish all alike ; but they are so far the
predominating traits of these remarkable people as to be
characteristic.

It is generally believed the Aborigines of the American
continent have an Asiatic origin. There are many physical
as well as moral facts which corroborate this opinion, and
some few would seem to weigh against it.

The color of the Indian, the writer believes, is pecu-
liar to himself ; and while his cheekbones have a very
striking indication of a Tartar origin, his eyes have not.
Climate may have had great influence on the former^ but it
is difficult to~«ee how it can have produced the substantial
difference which exists in the latter. The imagery of
the Indian, both in his poetry and his oratory, is Oriental,
— chastened, and perhaps improved, by the limited range

Xlvi THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

of his practical knowledge. He draws his metaphors
from the clouds, the seasons, the birds, the beasts, and the
vegetable world. In this, perhaps, he does no more than
any other energetic and imaginative race would do, being
compelled to set bounds to fancy by experience ; but the
North American Indian clothes his ideas in dress which is
different from that of the African, and is Oriental in itself.
His language has the richness and sententious fullness of
the Chinese. He will express a phrase in a word, and he
will qualify the meaning of an entire sentence by a
syllable ; he will even convey different significations by the
simplest inflections of the voice.

Philologists have said that there are but two or three
languages, properly speaking, among all the numerous
tribes which formerly occupied the country that now com-
poses the United States. They ascribe the known diffi-
culty one people have in understanding another to corrup-
tions and dialects. The writer remembers to have been
present at an interview between two chiefs of the great
prairies west of the Mississippi, and when an interpreter was
in attendance who spoke both their languages. The war-
riors appeared to be on friendly terms, and seemingly con-
versed much together ; yet, according to the account of the
interpreter, each was absolutely ignorant of what the
other said. They were of hostile tribes, brought together
by the influence of the American government ; and it is
worthy of remark that a common policy led them both to
adopt the same subject. They mutually exhorted each
other to be of use in the event of the chances of war throw-
ing either of the parties into the hands of his enemies.
Whatever may be the truth as respects the root and the
genius of the Indian tongues, it is quite certain they are
now so distinct in their words as to possess most of the
disadvantages of strange languages ; hence much of the

author's introduction. xlvii

embarrassment that has arisen in learning their histories, and
most of the uncertainty which exists in their traditions.

Like nations of higher pretensions, the American Indian
gives a very different account of his own tribe or race from
that which is given by other people. He is much addicted
to overestimating his own perfections, and to undervalu-
ing those of his rival or his enemy ; a trait which may pos-
sibly be thought corroborative of the Mosaic account of
the creation.

The Whites have assisted greatly in rendering the tradi-
tions of the Aborigines more obscure by their own man-
ner of corrupting names. Thus, the term used in the
title of this book has undergone the changes of Mahicanni,
Mohicans, and Mohegans ; the latter being the word com-
monly used by the Whites. When it is remembered that
the Dutch (who first settled New York), the English, and
the French, all gave appellations. to the tribes that dwelt
within the country which is the scene of this story, and
that the Indians not only gave different names to their
enemies, but freqifently to themselves, the cause of the
confusion will be understood.

In these pages, Lenni Lenape, Lenope, Delawares, Wa-
panachki, and Mohicans, all mean the same people, or
tribes of the same stock. The Mengwe, the Maquas, the
Mingoes, and the Iroquois, though not all strictly the same,
are identified frequently by the speakers, being politically
confederated and opposed to those just named. Mingo
was a term of peculiar reproach, as were Mengwe and
Maqua in a less degree.

The Mohicans were the possessors of the country first
occupied by the Europeans in this portion of the continent.
They, were, consequently, the first dispossessed : and the
seemingly inevitable fate of all these people, who dis-
appear before the advances, or it might be termed the in-

Zlviii THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Toads of civilization, as the verdure of their native forests
falls before the nipping frost, is represented as having
already befallen them. There is sufficient historical truth
in the picture to justify the use that has been made of it.

In point of fact, the country which is the scene of the
following tale has undergone as little change, since the
historical events alluded to had place, as almost any other
district of equal extent within the limits of the United
States. There are fashionable and well-attended watering-
places at and near the spring where Hawkeye halted
to drink, and roads traverse the forests where he and his
friends were compelled to journey without even a path.
Glenn's has a large village ; and while William Henry
and even a fortress of later date are only to be traced as
ruins, there is another village on the shores of the Horican.
But beyond this, the enterprise and energy of a people
who have done so much in other places have done little
here. The whole of that wilderness in which the latter
incidents of the legend occurred is nearly a wilderness
still, though the red man has entirely deserted this part of
the State. Of all the tribes named in these pages, there
exist only a few half civilized beings of the Oneidas, on
the reservations of their people in New York. The rest
have disappeared, either from the regions in which their
fathers dwelt, or altogether from the earth.

There is one point on which we wish to say a word
before closing this preface. Hawkeye calls the Ldc du
Saint Sacrementf the " Horican." As we believe this to
be an appropriation of the name that has its origin with
ourselves, the time has arrived, perhaps, when the fact
should be frankly admitted. While writing this book,
fully a quarter of a century since, it occurred to us that
the French name of this lake was too complicated, the
American too commonplace, and the Indian too unpro-

author's introduction. xlix

nounceable, for either to be used familiarly in a work of
fiction. Looking over an ancient map, it was ascertained
that a tribe of Indians, called " Les Horicans " by the
French, existed in the neighborhood of this beautiful sheet
of water. As every word uttered by Natty Bumppo was
not to be received as rigid truth, we took the liberty of
putting the " Horican " into his mouth, as the substitute
for "Lake George." The name has appeared to find
favor, and, all things considered, it may possibly be quite
as .well to let it stand, instead of going back to the house
of Hanover for the appellation of our finest sheet of water.
We relieve our conscience by the confession, at all
events, leaving it to exercise its authority as it may see fit.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

CHAPTER I.

Mine ear is open and my heart prepared :
The wont ia worldly loss thou canst unfold*
Bay, ia my kingdom lost ?

flHAKMPmAM, King Richard 11,^ m. ii. 93.

It was a feature peculiar to the colonial wars of North
America, that the toils and dangers of the wilderness were
to be encountered before the adverse hosts could meet. A
wide and apparently an impervious boundary of forests
severed the possessions of the hostile provinces of France
and England. The hardy colonist, and th^ trained Euro-
pean who fought at his side, frequently expended months
in struggling against the rapids of the streams, or in effect-
ing the rugged passes of the mountains, in quest of an
opportunity to exhibit their courage in a more martial con-
flict. But, emulating the patience and self-denial of the
practiced native warriors, they learned to overcome every
diflSculty ; and it would seem that, in time, there was no
recess of the woods so dark, nor any secret place so lonely,
that it might claim exemption from the inroads of those
who had pledged their blood to satiate their vengeance, or
to uphold the cold and selfish policy of the distant mon-
archs of Europe.

Perhaps no district throughout the wide extent of the
intermediate frontiers can furnish a livelier picture of the
cruelty and fierceness of the savage warfare of those periods
than the country which lies between the head waters of
the Hudson and the adjacent lakes.

The facilities which nature had there offered to the

2 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

march of the combatants were too obvious to be neglected.
The lengthened sheet of the Champlain stretched from
the frontiers of Canada, deep within the borders of the
neighboring province of New York, forming a natural pas-
sage across half the distance that the French were com-
pelled to master in order to strike their enemies. Near
its southern termination, it received the contributions of
another lake, whose waters were so limpid as to have been
exclusively selected by the Jesuit missionaries to perform
the typical purification of baptism, and to obtain for it
the title of lake "du Saint Sacrement." The less zealous
English thought they conferred a sufficient honor on its
unsullied fountains, when they bestowed the name of their
reigning prince, the second of the house of Hanover.
The two united to rob the untutored possessors of its
wooded scenery of their native right to perpetuate its
original appellation of "Horican.''^

^ Winding its way among countless islands, and imbedded
in mountains, the " holy lake " extended a dozen leagues
fitill further to the south. With the high plain that there
interposed itself to the further passage of the water, com-
menced a portage of as many miles, which conducted the
adventurer to the banks of the Hudson, at a point where,
with the usual obstructions of the rapids, or rifts, as they
were then termed in the language of the country, the river
became navigable to the tide.

While, in the pursuit of their daring plans of annoy-
ance, the restless enterprise of the French even attempted
the distant and difficult gorges of the Alleghany, it may
easily be imagined that their proverbial acuteness would
not overlook the natural advantages of the district we have
just described. It became, emphatically, the bloody arena,
in which most of the battles for the mastery of the colo-

1 As each nation of the Indians had either its language or its dialect,
they usually gave different names to the same places, though nearly all
of their appellations were descriptive of the object. Thus, a Uteral
translation of the name of this beautiful sheet of water, used by the
tribe that dwelt on its banks, would be "The Tail of the Lake." Lake
George, as it is vulgarly and now indeed legally called, forms a sort of
tail to Lake Champlain, when viewed on the map. Hence the name.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 8

nies were contested. Forts were erected at tlie different
points that commanded the facilities of the route, and were
taken and retaken, rased and rebuilt, as victory alighted
on the hostile banners. While the husbandman shrank
back from the dangerous passes, within the safer bounda-
ries of the more ancient settlements, armies larger than
those that had often disposed of the sceptres of the mother
countries were seen to bury themselves in these forests,
whence they rarely returned but in skeleton bands, that were
haggard with care, or dejected by defeat. Though the
arts of peace were unknown to this fatal region, its forests
were alive with men; its shades and glens rang with the
sounds of martial music, and the echoes of its mountains
threw back the laugh, or repeated the wanton cry, of many
a gallant and reckless youth, as he hurried by them, in
the noontide of his spirits, to slumber in a long night of
forgetfulness.

It was in this scene of strife and bloodshed that the in^
cidents we shall attempt to relate occurred, during the]
third year of the war which England and France lastj
waged for the possession of a country that neither was,
destined to retain.

The imbecility of her military leaders abroad, and the
fatal want of energy in her councils at home, had lowered
the character of Great Britain from the proud elevation on
which it had been placed by the talents and enterprise of
her f ormet warriors and statesmen. No longer dreaded by
her enemies, her servants were fast losing the confidence
of self-respect. In this mortifying abasement, the colo-
nists, though innocent of her imbecility, and too humble to
be the agents of her blunders, were but the natural par-
ticipators.

They had recently seen a chosen army from that coun^
try, which, reverencing as a mother, they had blindly be-
lieved invincible, — an army led by a chief who had been
selected from a crowd of trained warriors, for his rare mili-
tary endowments, — disgracefully routed by a handful oi
French and Indians, and only saved from annihilation by
the coolness and spirit of a Virginian boy, whose ripet

4 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

fame lias since diffused itself, witli the steady influence of
moral truth, to the uttermost confines of Christendom.^
A wide frontier had been laid naked by this unexpected
diisaster, and more substantial evils were preceded by a
tnousand fanciful and imaginary dangers. The alarmed
colonists believed that the yells of the savages mingled
with every fitful gust of wind that issued from the inter-
minable forests of the west. The terrific character of their
merciless enemies increased immeasurably the natural hor-
rors of warfare. Numberless recent massacres were still
vivid in their recollections; nor was there any ear in the
provinces so deaf as not to have drunk in with avidity the
narrative of some fearful tale of midnight murder, in
which the natives of the forests were the principal and
tjarbarous actors. As the credulous and excited traveller
related the hazardous chances of the wilderness, the blood
of the timid curdled with terror, and mothers cast anxious
"glances even at those children which slumbered within the
security of the largest towns. In short, the magnifying
influence of fear began to set at naught the calculations of
reason, and to render those who should have remembered
their manhood, the slaves of the basest of passions. Even
the most confident and the stoutest hearts began to think
the issue of the contest was becoming doubtful; and that
abject class was hourly increasing in numbers, who thought
they foresaw all the possessions of the English crown in
America subdued by their Christian foes, or laid waste by
the inroads of their relentless allies.

When, therefore, intelligence was received at the fort
which covered the southern termination of the portage be-
tween the Hudson and the lakes, that Montcalm had been

1 Washington : who, after uselessly admonishing the European gen-
eral [Braddock] of the danger into which he was heedlessly running,
saved the remnants of the British army, on this occasion, by his decision
and courage. The reputation earned by Washington in this battle was
the principal cause of his being selected to command the American
armies at a later day. It is a circumstance worthy of observation, that,
while all America rang with his well merited reputation, his name does
not occur in any European account of the battle ; at least, the author
has searched for it without success.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICAXS. 6

seen moving up the Champlain, with an army "numerous
as the leaves on the trees," its truth was admitted with
niore of the craven reluctance of fear than with the stem
^ft»y that a warrior should feel, in finding an enemy within
leach of his blow. The news had been brought, towards
the decline of a day in midsummer, by an Indian runner,
m^ho also bore an urgent request from Munro, the com-
mander of a work on the shore of the "holy lake," for i,
speedy and powerful reinforcement. It has already been
mentioned that the distance between these two posts was
less than five leagues. The rude path, which originally
formed their line of communication, had been widened for
the passage of wagons; so that the distance which had
been travelled by the son of the forest in two hours might
easily be effected by a detachment of troops, with their
necessary baggage, between the rising and setting of a
summer sun. The loyal servants of the British crown
had given to one of these forest fastnesses the name of
William Henry, and to the other that of Fort Edward ; ^
calling each after a favorite prince of the reigning family.
The veteran Scotchman just named held the first, with a
regiment of regulars and a few provincials ; a force really
by far too small to make head against the formidable
power that Montcalm was leading to the foot of his earthen
mounds. At the latter, however, lay General Webb, who

1 Fort William Henry and Fort Edward. These forts, built in the
reign of Greorge II., were named bj the commanders of the royal forces
after two of the younger sons of Frederick, Prince of Wales. These
Princes were brothers of George III. Prince Edward, Duke of York,
died young. Prince William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, married the
widowed Lady Waldegrave, the beautiful niece of Horace Walpole. In
allusion to these two Princes, Horace Walpole, in one of his witty let-
ters, says that society at that day was " like one of Shakespeare's plays:
Flourish, enter the Dukes of York and Gloucester, and attendants."

Fort William Henry was not built until November, 1757, after the
repulse of Dieskau. There has been some confusion in the historical
names given to this fort, the old French writers usually calling it Fort
George in connection with the name the English gave to the Lake. It
was not however until 1759 that General Amherst, after his successful
expedition against Ticonderoga, built another fort on the site of the
intrenched camp of Colonel Munro, and gave it the name of Fort
George.— S.F.C.

6 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

commanded the armies of the king in the northern pro-
vinces, with a body of more than five thousand men. By
uniting the several detachments of his command, this offi^.
cer might have arrayed nearly doAle that number of coi^j^
batants against the enterprising Frenchman, who had ven-
tured 80 far from his reinforcements, with an army but
little superior in numbers. ••

But under the influence of their degraded fortunes, both
officers and men appeared better disposed to wait the ap-
proach of their formidable antagonists, within their works,
than to resist the progress of their march, by emulating
the successful example of the French at Fort du Quesne,
and 'striking a blow on their advance.

After the first surprise of the intelligence had a little
abated, a rumor was spread through the entrenched camp,
which stretched along the margin of the Hudson, forming
a chain of outworks to the body of the fort itself, that a
chosen detachment of fifteeh hundred men was to depart,
with the dawn, for William Henry, the post at the north-
ern extremity of the portage. That which at first was
only rumor soon became certainty, as orders passed from
the quarters of the commander-in-chief to the several corps
he had selected for this service, to prepare for their speedy
departure. All doubt as to the intention of Webb now
vanished, and an hour or 'two of hurried footsteps and
anxious faces succeeded. The novice in the military art
flew from point to point, retarding his own preparations
by the excess of his violent and somewhat distempered
zeal; while the more practiced veteran made his arrange-
ments with a deliberation that scorned every appearance of
haste; though his sober lineaments and anxious eye sufii-'
ciently betrayed that he had no very strong professional
relish for the as yet untried and dreaded warfare of the
wilderness. At length the sun set in* a flood of glory,
behind the distant western hills, and as darkness drew
its veil around the secluded spot the sounds of preparation
diminished; the last light finally disappeared from the log
cabin of some officer; the trees cast their deeper shadows
0ver the mounds and the rippling stream, and a silence

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 7

Boon pervaded the camp, as deep as tliat whicH reigned in
the vast forest by which it was environed.

According to the orders of the preceding night, the
heavy sleep of the army was broken by the rolling of the
warning drums, whose rattling echoes were heard issuing,
on the damp morning air, out of every vista of the woods,
just as day began to draw the shaggy outlines of some tall
pines of the vicinity on the opening brightness of a soft
and cloudless eastern sky. In an instant the whole camp
^as in motion; the meanest soldier arousing from his lair
to witness the departure of his comrades, and to share in
the excitement and incidents of the hour. The simple
array of the chosen band was soon completed. While the
regular and trained hirelings of the king marched with
haughtiness to the right of the line, the less pretending
colonists took their humbler position on its left, with a
docility that long practice had rendered easy. The scouts
departed; strong guards preceded and followed the lum-
bering vehicles that bore the baggage ; and before the gray \
light of the morning was mellowed by the rays of the sun,
the main body of the combatants wheeled into column, and
left the encampment with a show of high military bearing,
that served to drown the slumbering apprehensions of
many a novice, who was now about to make his first essay
in arms. While in view of their admiring comrades, the
kiame proud front and ordered array was observed, until
the notes of their fifes growing fainter in distance, the
forest at length appeared to swallow up the Hving mass
f^hich had slowly entered its bosom.

The deepest sounds of the retiring and invisible column
had ceased to be borne on the breeze to the listeners, and
the latest straggler had already disappeared in pursuit;
but there still . remained the signs of another departure,
before a log cabin of unusual size and accommodations, in
front of which those sentinels paced their rounds, who
were known to guard the person of the English general.
At this spot were gathered some half dozen horses, capari-
joned in a manner whioh showed that two, at least, were
.^estined to bear the persons of females, of a rank that it

8 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

was not usual to meet so far in the wilds of the country.
A third wore the trappings and arms of an officer of the
staff; while the rest, from the plainness of the housings,
and the travelling mails with which they were encumbered,
were evidently fitted for the reception of as many menials,
who were, seemingly, already awaiting the pleasure of
those they served. At a respectful distance from this un-
usual show were gathered divers groups of curious idlers;
some admiring the blood and bone of the high-mettled
military charger, and others gazing at the preparations,
with the dull wonder of vulgar curiosity. There was one
man, however, who, by his countenance and actions,
formed a marked exception to those who composed the
latter class of spectators, being neither idle, nor seemingly
very ignorant.

The person of this individual was to the last degree un.
gainly, without being in any particular manner deformed.
He had all the bones and joints of other men, without
any of their proportions. Erect, his stature surpassed
that of his fellows; though, seated, he appeared reduced
within the ordinary limits of the race. The same contra-
riety in his members seemed to exist throughout the whole
man. His head was large; his shoulders narrow; his
arms long and dangling; while his hands were small, if
not delicate. His legs and thighs were thin, nearly to
emaciation, but of extraordinary length; and his knees
would have been considered tremendous, had they not
been outdone by the broader foundations on which this
false superstructure of blended human orders was so pro-
fanely reared. The ill-assorted and injudicious attire of
the individual only served to render his awkwardness
more conspicuous. A sky-blue coat, with short and broad
skirts and low cape, exposed a long thin neck, and longer
and thinner legs, to the worst animadversions of the evil
disposed. His nether garment was of yellow nankeen,
closely fitted to the shape, and tied at his bunches of
knees by large knots of white ribbon, a good deal sullied
by use. Clouded cotton stockings, and shoes, on one
of the latter of which was a plated spur, completed the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 9

costume of the lower extremity of tWs figure, no curve
or angle of which was concealed, but, on the other hand,
studiously exhibited, through the vanity or simplicity of
its owner. From beneath the flap of an enormous pocket
of a soiled vest of embossed silk, heavily ornamented
with tarnished silver lace, projected an instrument, which,
from being seen in such martial company, might have been
easily mistaken for some mischievous and unknown im-
plement of war. Small as it was, this uncommon engine
had excited the curiosity of most of the Europeans in the
camp, though several of the provincials were seen to han-
dle it, not only without fear, but with the utmost famil-
iarity. A large, civil cocked hat, like those worn by
clergymen within the last thirty years, surmounted the
whole, furnishing dignity to a good-natured and somewhat
vacant countenance, that apparently needed such artificial
aid, to support the gravity of some high and extraordinary
trust.

While the common herd stood aloof, in deference to
the quarters of Webb, the figure we have described stalked
into the centre of the domestics, freely expressing his cen-
sures or commendations on the merits of the horses, as by
chance they displeased or satisfied his judgment.

"This beast, I rather conclude, friend, is not of home
raising, but is from foreign lands, or perhaps from the
little island itself over the blue water 1 " he said, in a
voice as remarkable for the softness and sweetness of its
tones, as was his person for its rare proportions: "I may
speak of these things, and be no braggart ; for I have been
down at both havens; that which is situate at the mouth
of Thames, and is named after the capital of Old England,
and that which is called * Haven, ' with the addition of the
word *Kew;' and have seen the snows and brigantines
collecting their droves, like the gathering to the ark, be-
ing outward bound to the Island of Jamaica, for the pur-
pose of barter and traffic in four-footed animals; but never
before have I beheld a beast which verified the true Scrip-
ture war-horse like this : * He paweth in the valley, and
lejoiceth in his strength: he goeth on to meet the armed

10 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

men. He saith among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and he
•smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains,
and the shouting. ' It would seem that the stock of the
horse of Israel has descended to our own time; would it
not, friend?"

Receiving no reply to this extraordinary appeal, which
in truth, as it was delivered with the vigor of ^full and
sonorous tones, merited some sort of notice, he who had
thus sung forth the language of the holy book turned to
the silent figure to whom he had unwittingly addressed
himself, and found a new and more powerful subject of
admiration in the object that encountered his gaze. His
eyes fell on the still, upright, and rigid form of the "In-
dian runner," who had borne to the camp the unwelcome
tidings of the preceding evening. Although in a sta^e of
perfect repose, and apparently disregarding,' with charac-
teristic stoicism, the excitement and bustle around him^
there was a sullen fierceness mingled with the quiet of the
savage, that was likely to arrest the attention of much
more experienced eyes than those which now scanned him,
in unconcealed amazement. The native bore both the
tomahawk and knife of his tribe; and yet his appearance
was not altogether that of a warrior. On the contrary,
there was an air of neglect about his person, like that
which might have proceeded from great and recent exer-
tion, which he had not yet found leisure to repair. The
colors of the war-paint had blended in dark confusion
about his fierce countenance, and rendered his swarthy
lineaments still more savage and repulsive than if art
had attempted an efiect which had been thus produced by
chance. His eye, alone, which glistened like a fiery star
amid lowering clouds, was to be seen in its state of native
wildness. For a single instant, his searching and yet wary
glance met the wondering look of the other, and then
changing its direction, partly in cunning, and partly in dis-
dain, it remained fixed, as if penetrating the distant air.

It is impossible to say what unlooked-for remark this
**hort and silent communication, between two such singu-
lai men, might have elicited from the white man, had not

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 11

his active curiosity been again drawn to other objects. A
general movement amongst the domestics, and a low sound
of gentle voices, announced the approach of those whose
presence alone was wanted to enable the cavalcade to move.
The simple admirer of the war-horse instantly fell back to
a low, gaunt, switch-tailed mare, that was unconsciously
gleaning the faded herbage of the camp nigh by; where,
leaning with one elbow on the blanket that concealed an
apology for a saddle, he became a spectator of the depart-
ure, while a foal was quietly making its morning repast, ^
on the opposite side of the same animal.

A young man, in the dress of an officer, conducted to
their steeds two females, who, as it was apparent by their
dresses, were prepared to encounter the. fatigues of a jour-
ney in the woods. One, and she was the most juvenile
in her appearance, though both were young, permitted
glimpses of her dazzling complexion, fair golden hair, and
bright blue eyes, to be caught, as she artlessly suffered
the morning air to blow aside the green veil which de-
scended low from her beaver. The flush which still lin-
gered above the pines in the western sky was not more
bright nor delicate than the bloom on her cheek; nor was
the opening day more cheering than the animated smile
which she bestowed on the youth, as he assisted her into
the saddle. The other, who appeared to share equally in
the attentions of the young officer, concealed her charms
from the gaze of the soldiery with a care that seemed bet-
ter fitted to the experience of four or five additional years.
It could be seen, however, that her person, though moulded
with the same exquisite proportions, of which none of
the graces were lost by the travelling dress she wore,
was rather fuller and more mature than that of her com-
panion.

No sooner were these females seated, than their atten-
dant sprang lightly into the saddle of the war-horse, when
the whole three bowed to Webb, who, in courtesy, awaited
their parting on the threshold of his cabin, and turning
their horses' heads, they proceeded at a slow amble, fol-
lowed by their train, towards the northern entrance of the

[

12 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

encampment. As they traversed that short distance, not
a voice was heard amongst them ; but a slight exclamation
proceeded from the younger of the females, as the Indian
runner glided by her, imexpectedly, and led the way along
the military road in her front. Though this sudden and
startling movement of the Indian produced no sound from
the other, in the surprise her veil also was allowed to
open its folds, and betrayed an indescribable look of pity,
admiration, and horror, as her dark eye followed the easy
motions of the savage. The tresses of this lady were
shining and black, like the plumage of the raven. Her
complexion was not brown, but it rather appeared charged
with the color of the rich blood, that seemed ready to
burst its bounds. And yet there was neither coarseness
nor want of shadowing in a countenance that was exqui-
sitely regular and dignified, and surpassingly beautifuL
She smiled, as if in pity at her own momentary forgetful-
ness, discovering by the act a row of teeth that would
have shamed the purest ivory ; when, replacing the veil,
she bowed her face, and rode in silence, like one whose
thoughts were abstracted from the scene around her.

CHAPTER IL

Sola, sola ! wo ha, ho ! sola, sola f

Shakbsfba&b, MereharU of Veniee^ Y. L 39l

While one of the lovely beings we have so cursorily
presented to the reader was thus lost in thought, the other
quickly recovered from the alarm which induced the ex-
clamation, and, laughing at her own weakness, she in-
quired of the youth who rode by her side, —

"Are such spectres frequent in the woods, Hey ward;
or is this sight an especial entertainment ordered on our
behalf? If the latter, gratitude must close our mouths;
but if the former, both Cora and I shall have need ^ draw
largely on that stock of hereditary courage whwjh we
boast, even before we are made to encounter the redoubt-
able Montcalm." S,

^
s
\

[

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 13

"Yon Indian is a 'runner* of the army; and, after
the fashion of his people, he may be accounted a hero,"
returned the officer. " He has volunteered to guide us to
the lake, by a path but little known, sooner than if we
followed the tardy movements of the column: and, by
consequence, more agreeably."

"I like him not," said the lady, shuddering, partly in
assumed, yet more in real terror. "You know him, Dun-
can, or you would not trust yourself so freely to his keep-
ing?".

"Say, rather, Alice, that I would not trust you. I do
know him, or he would not have my confidence, and least
of all at this moment. He is said to be a Canadian
too; and yet he served with our friends the Mohawks,
who, as you know, are one of the six allied nations.^ He
was brought amongst us, as I have heard, by some strange
accident in which your father was interested, and in which
the savage was rigidly dealt by — but I forget the idle
tale; it is enough, that he is now our friend."

"If he has been my father's enemy, I like him still
less ! " exclaimed the now really anxious girl. " Will you
not speak to him. Major Hey ward, that I may hear his
tones ? Foolish though it may be, you have often heard
tie avow my faith in the tones of the human voice ! "

"It would be in vain; and answered, most probably,
by an ejaculation. Though he may understand it, he
2£fects, like most of his people, to be ignorant of the

1 There existed for a long time a confederation among the Indian
tribes which occupied the northwestern part of the colonj"- of New York,
which was at first known as the "Five Nations.'* At a later day it ad-
mitted another tribe, when the appellation was changed to that of the
** Six Nations.*' The original confederation consisted of the Mohawks,
the Oneidas, the Senecas, the Cayugas, and the Onondagoes. The sixth
tribe was the Tuscaroras. There are remnants of all these people still
living on lands secured to them by the State; but they are daily disap-
pearing, either by deaths or by removals to scenes more congenial to
their habits. In a short time there will be no remains of these extraor-
dinary people, in those regions in which they dwelt for centuries, but
their names. The State of New York has counties named after all of
Ihem but the Mohawks and the Tuscaroras. The second river of that
State is called the Mohawk.

14

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

!

English; and least of all will he condescend to speak it,
now that war demands the utmost exercise of his dignity.
But he stops; the private path by which we are to jour-
ney is doubtless at hand.''

The conjecture of Major Heyward was true. When
they reached the spot where the Indian stood, pointing
into the thicket that fringed the military road, a narrow
and blind path, which might with some little inconven-
ience receive one person at a time, became visible.

"Here, then, lies our way," said the young man, in a
low voice. " Manifest no distrust, or you may invite the
danger you appear to apprehend."

" Cora, what think you 1 " asked the reluctant fair one.
"If we journey with the troops, though we may find theii
presence irksome, shall we not feel better assurance of oui
safety 1 "

" Being little accustomed to the practices of the savages,
Alice, you mistake the place of real danger," said Hey-
ward. "If enemies have reached the portage at all, a
thing by no means probable, as our scouts are abroad, they
will surely be found skirting the column, where scalps
abound the most. The route of the detachment is known,
while ours, having been determined within the hour,
must still be secret."

" Should we distrust the man because his manners are
not our manners, and that his skin is dark ? " coldly asked
Cora.

Alice hesitated no longer; but giving her Karraganset^
a smart cut of the whip, she was the first to dash aside

1 In the State of Rhode Island there is a bay called Narraganset, so
named after a powerful tribe of Indians, which formerly dwelt on its
banks. Accident, or one of those unaccountable freaks which nature
sometimes plays in the animal world, gave rise to a breed of horses
which were once well known in America by the name of the Narragan-
sets. They were small, commonly of the color called sorrel in America,
and distinguished by their habit of pacing. Horses of this race were,
and are still, in much request as saddle horses, on account of their hardi-
ness and the ease of their movements. As they were also sure of foot,
the Narragansets were greatly sought for by females who were obliged
*- ♦ravel over the roots and holes in the " neir countries."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 15

the BligM branches of the bushes, and to follow the runner
along the dark and tangled pathway. The young man
regarded the last speaker m open admiration, and even
permitted her fairer though certainly not jnore beautiful
companion to proceed unattended, while he sedulously
opened the way himself for the passage of her who has
been called Cora. It would seem that the domestics had
been previously instructed; for, instead of penetrating the
thicket, they followed the route of the column ; a measure
which Heyward stated had been dictated by the sagacity
of their guide, in order to diminish the marks of their
trail, if, haply, the Canadian savages should be lurking so
far in advance of their army. For many minutes the in-
tricacy of the route admitted of no further dialogue; after
which they emerged from the broad border . of underbrush
which grew along the line of the highway, and entered
under the high but dark arches of the forest. Here their
progress was less interrupted ; and the instant the guide
perceived that the females could command their steeds,
he moved on, at a pace between a trot and a walk, and at
a rate which kept the sure-footed and peculiar animals
they rode, at a fast yet easy amble. The youth had
turned to speak to the dark-eyed Cora, when the distant
sound of horses* hoofs, clattering over the roots of the
broken way in his rear, caused him to check his charger;
and, as his companions drew their reins at the same in-
stant, the whole party came to a halt, in order to obtain
an explanation of the unlooked-for interruption.

In a few moments a colt was seen gliding, like a fallow
deer, amongst the straight trunks of the pines; and, in
another instant, the person of the ungainly man, described
in the preceding chapter, came into view, with as much
rapidity as he could excite his meagre beast to endure
without coming to an open rupture. Until now this per-
sonage had escaped the observation of the travellers. If
he possessed the power to arrest any wandering eye when
exhibiting the glories of his altitude on foot, his equestrian
graces were still more likely to attract attention. Not-
withstanding a constant application of his one armed heel

J6 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

to the flanks of the mare, the most confirmed gait that lie
could estahlish was a Canterhury gallop with the hind
legs, in which those more forward assisted for doubtful
moments, though generally content to maintain a loping
trot. Perhaps the rapidity of the changes from one of
these paces to the Other created an optical illusion, which
might thus magnify the powers of the beast; for it is cer-
tain that Heyward, who possessed a true eye for the
merits of a horse, was unable, with his utmost ingenuity,
to decide by what sort of movement his pursuer worked
his sinuous way on his footsteps with such persevering
hardihood.

The industry and movements of the rider were not less
remarkable than those of the ridden. At each change in
the evolutions of the latter, the former raised his tall per-
son in the stirrups; producing, in this manner, by the
undue elongation of his legs, such sudden growths and
diminishings of the stature, as baffled every conjecture
that might be made as to his dimensions. If to this be
added the fact that, in consequence of the ex parte appli-
cation of the spur, one side of the mare appeared to jour-
ney faster than the other; and that the aggrieved flank
was resolutely indicated by unremitted flourishes of a
bushy tail, wo finish the picture of both horse and man.

The frown which had gathered around the handsome,
open, and manly brow of Heyward, gradually relaxed, and
his lips curled into a slight smile, as he regarded the
stranger. Alice made no very powerful effort to control
her merriment; and even the dark, thoughtful eye of Cora
lighted with a humor that, it would seem, the habit,
rather than the nature of its mistress repressed.

" Seek you any here ? " demanded Heyward, when the
other had arrived sufficiently nigh to abate his speed; "I
trust you are no messenger of evil tidings ? "

"Even so," replied the stranger, making diligent use of
his triangular castor, to produce a circulation in the close
air of the woods, and leaving his hearers in doubt to which
of the young man's questions he responded; when, how-
ever, he had cooled his face, and recovered his breathy he

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 17

continued, " I hear you are riding to William Henry ; as
I am journeying thitherward myself, I concluded good
company would seem consistent to the wishes of both par-
ties. "

" You appear to possess the privilege of a casting vote,'*
retnmed Hey ward: "we are three, whilst you have con-
sulted no one but yourself."

"Even so. The first point to be obtained is to know
one's own mind. Once sure of that, and where women
are concerned it is not easy, the next is, to act up to the
decision. I have endeavored to do both, and here I am."
" If you journey to the lake, you have mistaken your
route," said Hey ward haughtily; "the highway thither
is at least haK a mile behind you."

"Even so," returned the stranger, nothing daunted by
this cold reception ; " I have tarried at * Edward ' a week,
and I should be dumb not to have inquired the road I was
to journey ; and if dumb there would be an end to my call-
ing." After simpering in a small way, like one whose
modesty prohibited a more open expression of his admira-
tion of a witticism that was perfectly unintelligible to his
hearers, he continued, "It is not prudent for any one of
my profession to be too familiar with those he has to in-
struct; for which reason I follow not the line of the army;
besides which, I conclude that a gentleman of your charac-
ter has the best judgment in matters of wayfaring; I have
♦therefore decided to join company, in order that the ride
may be made agreeable, and partake of social communion."
" A most arbitrary, if not a hasty decision ! " exclaimed
Heyward, \mdecided whether to give vent to his growing
anger, or to laugh in the other's face. "But you speak
of instruction, and of a profession; are you an adjunct to
the provincial corps, as a master of the noble science of
defense and offense; or, perhaps, you are one who draws
lines and angles, under the pretense of expounding the
mathematics ? "

The stranger regarded his interrogator a moment, in
wonder; and then, losing every mark of self-satisfaction
in an expression of solemn humility, he answered: —

18 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Of o£fense I hope tbere is none, to either party: of
defense, I make none — by God's good mercy, haviu'^j
committed no palpable sin since last entreating his pardon*
ing grace. I understand not your allusions about lines
and angles; and I leave expounding to those who have
been called and set apart for that holy oiTice. I lay claim
to no higher gift than a small insight into the glorious art
of petitioning and thanksgiving, as practiced in psalmody. "

"The man is, most manifestly, a disciple of Apollo,"
cried the amused Alice, "and I take him under my own
especial protection. Nay, throw aside that frown, Hey-
ward, and, in pity to my longing ears, suffer him to jour-
ney in our train. Besides, '' she added, in a low and hur-
ried voice, casting a glance at the distant Cora, who slowly
followed the footsteps of their silent but sullen guide, "it
may be a friend added to our strength, in time of need."

" Think you, Alice, that I would trust those I love by
this secret path, did I imagine such need could happen 1 "

"Nay, nay, I think not of it now; but this strange
man amuses me ; and if he ' hath music in his soul, ' let
us not churlishly reject his company." She pointed per-
suasively along the path with her riding- whip> while their
eyes met in a look which the young man lingered a mo-
ment to prolong; then yielding to her gentle influence, he
clapped nis spurs into his charger, and in a few bounds
was again at the side of Cora.

"I am glad to encounter thee, friend," continued the
maiden, waving her hand to the stranger to proceed, as
she urged her Narraganset to renew its amble. "Partial
relatives have almost persuaded me that I am not entirely
worthless in a duet myself; and we may enliven our way-
faring by indulging in our favorite pursuit. It might be
of signal advantage to one, ignorant as I, to hear the opin-
ions and experience of a master in the att."

" It is refreshing both to the spirits and to the body to
indulge in psalmody, in befitting seasons," returned the
master of song, unhesitatingly complying with her intima-
tion to follow; "and nothing would relieve the mind more
than such a consoling communion. But four parts are

THE LAST OP THE MOHICANS. 19

altogether necessary to the perfection of melody. You
have all the manifestations of a soft and rich trehle; I
can, by especial aid, carry a full tenor to the highest let-
ter; hut we lack counter and bass! Yon officer of the
king, who hesitated to admit me to his company, might
fill the latter, if one may. judge from the intonations of
his voice in common dialogue."

"Judge not too rashly from hasty and deceptive appear-
ances," said the lady smiling.; "though Major Hey ward
can assume such deep notes on occasion, believe me, his
natural tones are better fitted for a mellow tenor than the
bass you heard."

"Is he, then, much practiced in the art of psalmody?*'
demanded her simple companion.

Alice felt disposed to laugh, though she succeeded in
suppressing her merrunent, ere she answered, —

"I apprehend that he is rather addicted to profane song.
The chances of a soldier's life are but little fitted for the
encouragement of more sober inclinations."

" Man's voice is given to him, like his other talents, to
be used, and not to be abused. None can say they have
ever known me neglect my gifts! I am thankful that,
though my boyhood may be said to have been set apart,
like the youth of the royal David, for the purposes of
music, no syllable of rude verse has ever profaned my
Hps."

" You have, then, limited your efforts to sacred song ? "
"Even so. As the psalms of David exceed all other
language, so does the psalmody that has been fitted to
them by the divines and sages of the land surpass all vain
poetry. Happily, I may say that I utter nothing but the
thoughts and the wishes of the King of Israel himself; for
though the times may call for some slight changes, yet
does this version which we use in the colonies of New
England so much exceed all other versions, that, by its
richness, its exactness, and its spiritual simplicity, it ap-
proacheth, as near as may be, to the great work of the in-
spired writer. I never abide in any place, sleeping or
waking, without an example of this gifted work. 'Tis

20 THE LAST OF THE MOHIOANS.

the six-and-twentieth edition, promulgatecL at Boston,
Anno Domini 1744 ; and is entitled, * The Psalms, Hymns»
and Spiritual Songs of the Old and Kew Testaments;
faithfully translated into English Metre, for the Use, Edi-
fication, and Comfort of the Saints, in Public and Private,
especially in New England. ' "

During this eulogium on the rare production of his na-
tive poets, the stranger had drawn the book from his
pocket, and, fitting a pair of iron-rimmed spectacles to his
nose, opened the volume with a care and veneration suited
to its sacred purposes. Then, wittout circumlocution or
apology, first pronouncing the word "Standish," and pla-
cing the unknown engine, already described, to his mouth,
from which he drew a high, shrill sound, that was fol-
. lowed by an octave below, from his own voice, he com-
menced singing the following words, in full, sweet, and
melodious tones, that set the music, the poetry, and even
the \measy motion of his ill- trained beast at defiance : —

" How good it U, O see,

And how it pleaseth well,
Together, e'en in unity,

For brethren so to dwelL
It *8 like the choice ointment,

From the head to the beard did go :
Down Aaron's beard, that downwud went,

Hie garment's skirta unto."

The delivery of these skillful rhymes was accompa-
nied, on the part of the stranger, by a regular rise and
fall of his right hand, which terminated at the descent,
by suffering the fingers to dwell a moment on the leaves
of the little volume ; and on the ascent, by such a flourish
of the member as none but the initiated may ever hope to
imitate. It would seem that long practice had rendered
this manual accompaniment necessary ; for it did not cease
until the preposition which the poet had selected for the
close of his verse had been duly delivered like a word of
two syllables.

Such an innovation on the silence and retirement of the
forest could not fail to enlist the ears of those who jour-
neyed at so short a distance in advance. The Indian

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 21

muttered a few words in broken English to Heyward,
who, in his turn, spoke to the stranger; at once interrupt-
ing, and, for the time, closing his musical efforts.

" Though we are not in danger, common prudence would
teach us to journey through this wilderness in as quiet a
manner as possible. You will, then, pardon me, Alice,
should I diminish your enjoyments by requesting this
gentleman to postpone his chant until a safer opportu-
nity."

"You will diminish them, indeed," returned the arch
girl, "for never did I hear a more unworthy conjunction
of execution and language, than that to which I have been
hstening; and I was far gone in a learned inquiry into the
causes of such an unfitness between sound and sense, when
you broke the charm of my musings by that bass of yours,
Duncan!"

"I know not what you call my bass," said Heyward,
piqued at her remark, " but I know that your safety, and
that of Cora, is far dearer to me than could be any orches-
tra of Handel's music." He paused and turned his head
quickly towards a thicket, and then bent his eyes suspi-
ciously on their guide, who continued his steady pace, in
imdisturbed gravity. The young man smiled to himself,
for he believed he had mistaken some shining berry of the
Woods for the glistening eyeballs of a prowling savage,
and he rode forward, continuing the conversation which
had been interrupted by the passing thought.

Major Heyward was mistaken only in suflfering his
youthful and generous pride to suppress his active watch-
fulness. The cavalcade had not long passed, before the
branches of the bushes that formed the thicket were cau-
tiously moved asunder, and a human visage, as fiercely
wild as savage art and unbridled passions could make it,
peered out on the retiring footsteps of the travellers. A
gleam of exultation shot across the darkly painted linea-
ments of the inhabitant of the forest, as he traced the
route of his intended victims, who rode unconsciously on-
ward; the light and graceful forms of the females waving
among the trees, in the curvatures of their path, followed

22 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

at each bend by the manly figure of Heyward, until,
finally, the shapeless person of the singing-master was
concealed behind the numberless trunks of trees, that rose,
in dark lines, in the intermediate space.

CHAPTER ni.

Before these fields were shorn and tilled,

Full to the brim our rivers flowed ;
The melody of waters filled

The fresh and boundless wood ;
And torrents dashed, and rivulets played,
And fountains spouted in the shade.

Bbtamt, An Indian at the Burial-Place of his Father*,

Leaving the unsuspecting Heyward and his confiding
companions to penetrate still deeper into a forest that con-
tained such treacherous inmates, we must use an author's
privilege, and shift the scene a few miles to the westward
of the place where we have last seen them.

On that day, two men were lingering on the banks of
a small but rapid stream, within an hour's journey of the
encampment of Webb, like those who awaited the appear-
ance of an absent person, or the approach of some expected
event. The vast canopy of woods spread itself to the
margin of the river, overhanging the water, and shadow-
ing its dark current with a deeper hue. The rays of the
sun were beginning to grow less fierce, and the intense
heat of the day was lessened, as the cooler vapors of the
springs and fountains rose above their leafy beds, and
rested in the atmosphere. Still that breathing silence,
which marks the drowsy sultriness of an American land-
scape in July, pervaded the secluded spot, interrupted
only by the low voices of the men, the occasional and lazy
tap of a woodpecker, the discordant cry of some gaudy
jay, or a swelling on the ear, from the dull roar of a dis-
tant waterfall.

These feeble and broken sounds were, however, too
familiar to the foresters, to draw their attention from the
more interesting matter of their dialogue. While one ot

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 23

these loiterers showed the red skin and wild accontrementa
of a native of the woods, the other exhibited, through the
mask of his rude and nearly savage equipments, the
brighter, though sun-burnt and long-faded complexion of
one who might claim descent from a European parentage.
The former was seated on the end of a mossy log, in a
posture that permitted him to heighten this effect of his
earnest language, by the calm but expressive gestures of
an Indian engaged in debate. His body, which was nearly
naked, presented a terrific emblem of death, drawn in in-
termingled colors of white and black. ^ His closely shaved
head, on which no other hair than the well known and
chivalrous scalping tuft ^ was preserved, was without orna-
ment of any kind, with the exception of a solitary eagle's
plume, that crossed his crown, and depended over the left
shoulder. A tomahawk and scalping-knife, of English
manufacture, were in his girdle; while a short military
rifle, of that sort with which the policy of the whites
armed their savage allies, lay carelessly across his bare and
sinewy knee. This expanded chest, full formed limbs,
and grave countenance of this warrior, would denote that
he had reached the vigor of his days, though no symptoms
of decay appeared to have yet weakened his manhood.
The frame of the white man, judging by such parts as

1 Many of the red warriors were singularly skillful in this pictorial
coloring of their faces and figures. There appears to have been a
great variety in the designs, which in the most skillful hands assumed
something of the dignity of an art. An old writer gives the followibg
account of a painted warrior he had himself seen. ''A man whom I
saw, had known how to paint three faces for himself, — one in front,
while on one side he appeared like the beak of an eagle, a little open,
the eye and the head perfect, and on the opposite side the same nose
represented a hog*s snout, with a small eye, and showing the teeth very
skUlf ully done." — S. F. C.

2 The North American warrior caused the hair to be plucked from his
whole body; a small tuft, only, was left on the crown of his head, in
order that his enem^'' might avail himself of it, in wrenching off the
scalp in the event of his fall. The scalp was the only admissible trophy
of victory. Thus, it was deemed more important to obtain the scalp
than to kill the man. Some tribes lay great stress on the honor of
striking a dead body. These practices have nearly disappeared among
the Indians of the Atlantic l^tates.

•-»•

24 THE L4ST OF THE MOHICANS.

were not concealed by his clothes, was like that of one
who had known hardships and exertion from his earliest
youth. His person, though muscular, was rather attenu-
ated than full ; but every nerve and muscle appeared strung
and ihdurated by unremitted exposure and toil. He wore
a hunting-shirt of forest green, fringed with faded yellow,^
and a summer cap of skins which had been shorn of their
fur. He also bore a knife in a girdle of wampum, like
that which confined the scanty garments of the Indian, '
but no tomahawk. His moccasins were ornamented after
the gay fashion of the natives, while the only part of his
under dress which appeared below the hunting-frock, \vas
a pair of buckskin leggings, that laced at the sides, and
which were gartered above the knees, with the sinews of
a deer. A pouch and horn completed his personal accou<
trements, though a rifle of great length,^ which the theory
of the more ingenious whites had taught them was the
most dangerous of all fire-arms, leaned against a neighbor-
ing sapling. The eye of the hunter, or scout, whichever
ho might be, was small, quick, keen, and restless, roving
while he spoke, on every side of him, as if in quest of
game, or distrusting the sudden approach of some lurking
enemy. Notwithstanding the symptoms of habitual sus-
picion, his countenance was not only without guile, but
at the moment at which he is introduced, it was charged
with an expression of sturdy honesty.

"Even your traditions make the case in my favor,
Chingachgook," he said, speaking in the tongue which
was known to all the natives who formerly inhabited the
country between the Hudson and the Potomac, and of
which we shall give a free translation for the benefit of
the reader; endeavoring, at the same time, to preserve
some of the peculiarities, both of the individual and of

1 The hunting-shirt is a picturesque smock-frock, being shorter, and
ornamented with fringes and tassels. The colors are intended to imi-
tate the hues of the wood, with a view to concealment. Many corps of
American riflemen have been thus attired ; and the dress is one of the
most striking of modern times. The hunting-shirt is frequently white.

3 The rifle of the army is short ; that of the hunter is always long.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 25

the language. "Your fatheis came from the setting sun,
crossed the hig river, ^ fought the people of the country,
and took the land; and mine came from the red sky of
the morning, over the salt lake, and did their work much
after the fashion that had heen set them by yours; then
let God judge the matter between us, and friends spare
their words ! "

" My fathers fought with the naked red-man ! " returned
the Indian sternly, in the same language. "Is there no
difference, Hawkeye, between the stone-headed arrow of
the warrior, and the leaden bullet with which you kill ? "

"There is reason in an Indian, though nature has made
him with a red skin ! " said the white man, shaking his
head like one on whom such an appeal to his justice was
not thrown away. For a moment he appeared to be con-
scious of having the worst of the argument, then, rallying
again, he answered the objection of his antagonist in the
best manner his limited information would allow : " I axa
no scholar, and I care not who knows it; but judging
from what I have seen, at deer chases and squirrel hunts,
of the sparks below, I should think a rifle in the hands of
their grandfathers was not so dangerous as a hickory bow
and a good flint-head might be, if drawn with Indian judg-
ment, and sent by an Indian eye. " *

"You have the story told by your fathers," returned
the other, coldly waving his hand. "What say your old
men? do they tell the young warriors that the pale-faces
met the red-men, painted for war and armed with the
stone hatchet and wooden gun ? "

"I am not a prejudiced man, ner one who vaunts him-
self on his natural privileges, though the worst enemy I
have on earth, and he is an Iroquois, dare n't deny that

^ The Mississippi. The scout alludes to a tradition which is very
popular among the tribes of the Atlantic States. Evidence of their
Asiatic origin Is deduced from the circumstances, though great uncer-
tainty hangs over the whole history of the Indians.

* Smith in his History of New York says : " The Indian boys strike
a shilling " with their arrows, "five times in ten, at twelve or fourteen
Yards' distance. The men are superior marksmen.'' — S. F. G»

>■€

2G THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

I am genuine white," the scout replied, surveying, with
secret satisfaction, the faded color of his bony and sinewy
hand; "and I am willing to' own that my. people have
many ways of which, as an honest man, I can't approve.
It is one of their customs to write in books what they
have done and seen, instead of telling them in their vil-
lages, where the lie can be given to the face of a cowardly
boaster, and the brave soldier can call on his comrades to
witness for the truth of his words. In consequence of
this bad fashion, a man who is too conscientious to ' mis-
spend his days among the women, in learning the names
of black marks, may never hear of the deeds of his fathers,
nor feel a pride in striving to outdo them. For myself,
I conclude the Bumppos could shoot, for I have a natural
turn with a rifle, which must have been handed down
from generation to generation, as, our holy commandments
tell us, all good and evil gifts are bestowed; though 1
should be loth to answer for other people in such a matter.
But every story has its two sides ; so I ask you, Chingach.
gook, what passed, according to the traditions of the red- ^
men, when our fathers first met 1 "

A silence of a minute succeeded, during which the
Indian sat mute; then, full of the dignity of his office,
he commenced his brief tale, with a solemnity that served
to heighten its appearance of truth.
y/ "Listen, Hawkeye, and your ear shall drink no lie.
'T is what my fathers have said, and what the Mohicans
have done." He hesitated a single instant, and bending
a cautious glance towards his companion, he continued,
in a manner that was divided between interrogation and
assertion, "Does not this stream at our feet run towards
the summer, until its waters grow salt, and the current
flows upward ? "

"It can't be denied that your traditions tell you true
in both these matters," said the white man; "for I have
been there, and have seen them; though, why water,
which is so sweet in the shade, should become bitter in
the sun, is an alteration for which I have never been able
to account."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 27

"And the current!" demanded the Indian, who ex-
pected his reply with that sort of interest that a man feels
in the confirmation of testimony at which he marvels even
while he respects it; "the fathers of Chingachgook have
not lied ! "

" The holy Bible is not more true, and that is the truest
thing in nature. They call this up-stream current the
tide, which is a thing soon explained, and clear enough.
Six hours the waters run in, and six hours they run out,
and the reason is this: when there is higher water in the
sea than in the river, they run in, until the river gets to
be highest, and then it runs out again."

"The waters in the woods, and on the great lakes, run
downward until they lie like my hand," said the Indian,
stretching the limb horizontally before him, "and then
they run no more."

"No honest man will deny it," said the scout, a little
nettled at the implied distrust of his explanation of the
mystery of the tides; "and I grant that it is true on the
small scale, and where the land is level. But everything
depends on what scale you look at things. Now, on the
small scale, the 'arth is level; but on the large scale it is
round. In this manner, pools and ponds, and even the
great fresh-water lakes, may be stagnant, as you and I
both know they are, having seen them; but when you
come to spread water over a great tract, like the sea, where
the earth is round, how in reason can the water be quiet 1
You might as well expect the river to lie still on the
brink of those black rocks a mile above us, though your
own ears tell you that it is tumbling over them at this
very moment ! "

If unsatisfied by th^ philosophy of his companion, the
Indian was far too dignified to betray his unbelief. He
listened like one who was convinced, and resumed his nar-
rative in his former solemn manner.

" We came from the place where the sun is hid at night,
over great plains where the buffaloes live, until We reached
the big river. There we fought the Alligewi, till the
ground was red with their blood. From the banks of the

. tS THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

big riv^er to the shores of the salt lake, there was none to
meet us. The Maquas followed at a distance. We said
the country should be ours from the place where the water
runs up no longer on this stream, to a river twenty suns'
journey toward the summer. The land we had taken like
warriors, we kept like men. We drove the Maquas into
the woods with the bears. They only tasted salt at the
licks; they drew no fish from the great lake; we threw
them the bones."

"All this I have heard and believe," said the white
man, observing that the Indian paused ; " but it was long
before the English came into the country."

"A pine grew then where this chestnut now stands.
The first pale-faces who came among us spoke no English.
They came in a large canoe, when my fathers had buried
the tomahawk with the red-men around them. Then,
Hawkey e," he continued, betraying his deep emotion only
by permitting his voice to fall to those low, guttural tones,
which render his language, as spoken at times, so very
musical; "then, Hawkeye, we were one people, and we
were happy. The salt lake gave •us its fish, the wood
its deer, and the air its birds. We took wives who bore
us children ; we worshipped the Great Spirit ; and we kept
the Maquas beyond the sound of our songs of triumph ! "

" Know you anything of your own family at that time 1 "
demanded the white. "But you are a just man, for an
Indian! and, as I suppose you hold their gifts, your fa-
thers must have been brave warriors, and wise men at the
council fire."

"My tribe is the grandfather of nations,^ but I am an

1 The Lenni Lennape, or Delawares, were called "Grandfathers'* by
many other tribes, as the stock whence numerous branches had diverged.
Their traditions declared that they came from beyond the Mississippi.
Lenni Lennape means "Men of Men" — Men superior to all others.
Wahpanackiy another of their names, has the same signification. The
Mohicans were among their "grandchildren.*' They received the name
if Delawares from the English who found them on the river named by
the colonists after Lord Delaware, a river called by themselves Lennapi-
hittuck. But the tribe was pleased to receive the name of Delaware in
English, as they learned it was the title of a great chief, and names ol
adoption were considered honorable among their race. — S. F. C.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 29

anxnixed man. The blood of chiefs is in my v^ins, where
it must stay forever. The Dutch landed, and gave my
people the fire-water; they drank until the heavens and
the earth seemed to meet, and they foolishly thought they
had found the Great Spirit. Then they parted with their
land. Foot by foot, they were driven back from the
shores, until I, that am a chief and a Sagamore, have
never seen the sun shine but through the trees, and have
never visited the graves of my fathers ! "

"Graves bring solemn feelings over the mind," returned
the scout, a good deal touched at the calm suffering of his
companion; "and they often aid a man in his good inten-
tions; though, for myself, I expect to leave my own bones
unburied, to bleach in the woods, or to be torn asunder
by the wolves. ' But where are to be found those of youi
race who came to their kin in the Delaware coimtry, sa
many summers since 1 "

"Where are the blossoms of those summers! — fallen,
one by one: so all of my family departed, each in hid
turn, to the land of spirits. I am on the hill-top, and
must go down into the valley; and when Uncas follows
in my footsteps, there will no longer be any of the blood
of the Sagamores, for my boy is the last of the Mohicans."

" IJncas is here ! " said another voice, in the same soft,
guttural tones, near his elbow ; " who speaks to Uncas 1 "

The white man loosened his knife in his leathern sheath,
and made an involuntary movement of the hand towards
his rifle, at this sudden interruption; but the Indian sat
composed, and without turning his head at the unexpected
Bounds.

At the next instant, a youthful warrior passed between
them, with a noiseless step, and seated himself on the
bank of the. rapid stream. No exclamation of surprise es-
caped the father, nor was any question asked, or reply
given, for several minutes; each appearing to await the
moment when he might speak, without betraying woman-
ish curiosity or childish impatience. The white man
aeemed to take counsel from their customs, and, relin-
quishing his grasp of the rifle, he also remained silent and

to THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

reserved. |At length Ghingachgook turned his eyes slowly
towards his son, and demanded, —

" Do the Maquas dare to leave the print of their mocca-
sins in these woods ? "

"I have been on their trail," replied the young Indian,
"and know that they number as many as the fingers of
my two hands; but they lie hid like cowards."

"The thieves are outlying for scalps and plunder?"
said the white man, whom we shall call Hawkeye, after
the manner of his companions. "That busy Frenchman,
Montcalm, will send his spies into our very camp, but he
will know what road we travel ! "

" *T is enough ! " returned the father, glancing his eye
towards the setting sun; "they shall be driven like deer
from their bushes. Hawkeye, let us eat to-night^ and
show the Maquas that we are men to-morrow."

"I am as ready to do the one as the other: but to fight
the Iroquois 'tis necessary to find the skulkers; and to
eat, 't is necessary to get the game — talk of the devil and
he will come; there is a pair of the biggest antlers I have
seen this season, moving the bushes below the hill ! Now,
Uncas," he continued in a half whisper, and laughing with
a kind of inward sound, like one who had learnt to he
watchful, "I will bet my charger three times full of pow-
der, against a foot of wampum, that I take him atwix the
eyes, and nearer to the right than to the left."

"It cannot be!" said the young Indian, springing to
his feet with youthful eagerness; "all but the tips of his
horns are hid ! "

"He 's a boy!" said the white man, shaking his head
while he spoke, and addressing the father. "Does he
think when a hunter sees a part of the creatur', he can't
tell where the rest of him should be ! "

Adjusting his rifle, he was about to make an exhibition
of that skill on which he so much valued himself, when
the warrior struck up the piece with his hand, saying, —

" Hawkeye ! will you fight the Maquas ? "

"These Indians know the nature of the woods, as it
mtfrht be by instinct 1" returned the scout, dropping his

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 81

rifle, and turning away like a man who was convinced of
his error. "I must leave the buck to your arrow, Uncas,
or we may kill a deer for them thieves, the Iroquois, to
eat.''

The instant the father seconded this intimation by an
expressive gesture of the hand, Uncas threw himself on
the ground, and approached the* animal with wary move-
ments. When within a few yards of the cover, he fitted
an arrow to bis bow with the utmost care, while the ant-
lers moved, as if their owner snuffed an enemy in the
tainted air. In another moment the twang of the cord
was beard, a white streak was seen glancing into the
bushes, and the wounded buck plunged from the cover, to
the very feet of his hidden enemy. Avoiding the horns
of the infuriated animal, Uncas darted to his side, and
passed his knife across the throat, when bounding to the
edge of the river it fell, dyeing the waters with its blood.

"'Twas done with Indian skill," said the scout, laugh-
ing inwardly, but with vast satisfaction; "and 'twas a
pretty sight to behold! Though an arrow is a near shot,
and needs a knife to finish the work."

"Hugh!" ejaculated his companion, turning quickly,
like a hound who scented game.

" By the Lord, there is a drove of them ! " exclaimed
the scout, whose eyes began to glisten with the ardor of
his usual occupation; "if they come within range of a
bullet I will drop one, though the whole Six Nations
should be lurking within sound! What do you hear,
Chingachgook ? for to my ears the woods are dumb."

"There is but one deer, and he is dead," said the In«
dian, bending his body till his ear nearly touched the
earth. " I hear the sounds of feet ! "

"Perhaps the wolves have driven the buck to shelter,
and are following on his trail."

"No. The horses of white men are coming! " returned
the other, raising himself with dignity, and resuming his
seat on the log with his former composure. " Hawkeye,
they are your brothers; speak to them."

"That will I| and in English that the king needn't be;

02 ' THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

ashamed to answer," returned the hunter, speaking in the
language of which he boasted; "but I see nothing, nor do
I hear the sounds of man or beast; 't is strange that an
Indian should understand white sounds better than a man
who, his very enemies will own, has no cross in his blood,
although he may have lived with the red-skins long enough
to be suspected! Haf there goes something like the
cracking of a dry stick, too — now I hear the bushes
move — yes, yes, there is a trampling that I mistook for
the falls — ^^and — but here they come themselves; God
keep them from the Iroquois I '^

CHAPTER IV.

Well, go thy way : thou shalt not from this grove
Till I torment thee for this injury.

BaAKBsnASB, Midntmmer Night* t Dream, n. i. 147.

The words were still in the mouth of the scout^ when
^he leader of the party whose approaching footsteps had
caught the vigilant ear of the Indian came openly into
view. A beaten path, such as those made by the period-
ical passage of the deer, wound through a little glen at no
great distance, and struck the river at the point where the
white man and his red companions had posted themselves.
Along this track the travellers, who had produced a sur-
prise so unusual in the depths of the forest, advanced
slowly towards the hunter, who was in front of his asso-
ciates, in readiness to receive them.

" Who comes ? " demanded the scout, throwing his rifle
carelessly across his left arm, and keeping the fore-finger
of his right hand on the trigger, though he avoided all
appearance of menace in the act. ''Who comes hither^
among the beasts and dangers of the wilderness ? "

"Believers in religion, and friends to the law and to
the. king," returned he who rode foremost. "Men who
have journeyed since the rising sun, in the shades of this
forest, without nourishment^ and are sadly tired of their
wayfaring.''

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 33

"You are, then, lost," interrupted the hunter, "and
have found how helpless 't is not to know whether to take
the right hand or the left ? ''

"Even so; suckiag bahes are not more dependent on
those who guide them than we who are of larger growth,
and who may now be said to possess the stature without
the knowledge of men. Know you the distance to a pos^
of the crown called William Henry ? "

" Hoot ! " shouted the scout, who did not spare his open
laughter, though, instantly checking the dangerous sounds,
he indulged his merriment at less risk of being overheard
by any lurking enemies. " You are as much off the scent
as a hound would be, with Horican atwixt him and the
deer! William Henry, man! if you are friends to the
king, and have business with the army, your better way
would be to foUow the river down to Edward, and lay the
matter before Webb, who tarries there, instead of push-
ing into the defiles and driving this saucy Frenchman
back across Champlain, into his den again."

Before the stranger could make any reply to this un-
expected proposition, another horseman dashed the bushes
aside, and leaped his charger into the pathway, in front
of his companion.

" What, then, may be our distance from Fort Edward ? "
demanded a new speaker; "the place you advise us to
seek we left this morning, and our destiaation is the head
of the lake."

"Then you must have lost your eyesight afore losing
your way, for the road across the portage is cut to a good
two rods, and is as grand a path, I calculate, as any that
runs into London, or even before the jpalace of the king
himself."

"We will not dispute concerning the excellence of the
passage," returned Hey ward, smiling; for, as the reader
has anticipated, it was he. "It is enough, for the pres-
ent^ that we trusted to an Indian guide to take us by a
nearer, though blinder path, and that we are deceived in
his knowledge. In plain words, we know not where we
aie.''

84 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

^j " An Indian lost in the woods ! " said the scout, shak-
ing his head doubtingly; "when the sun is scorching the
tree tops, and the water-courses are full; when the moss
on every beech he sees will tell him in which quarter the
north star will shine at night! The woods are full of
deer paths which run to the streams and licks, places well
known to everybody ; nor have the geese done their flight
to the Canada waters altogether! 'Tis strange that an
Indian should be lost atwixt Horican and the bend in the
fiver. Is he a Mohawk ? "

"Not by birth, though adopted in that tribe; I think
nis birthplace was farther north, and he is one of those
you call a Huron."

" Hugh ! " exclaimed the two companions of the scout,
who had continued, until this part of the dialogue, seated
immovable, and apparently indiflPerent to what passed, but
who now sprang to their feet with an activity and interest
that had evidently got the better of their reserve, by
surprise.

"A Huron!" repeated the sturdy scout, once more
shaking his head in open distrust; "they are a thievish
race, nor do 1 care by whom they are adopted; you can
never make anything of them but skulks and vagabonds.
Since you trusted yourself to the care of one of that
nation, I only wonder that you have not fallen in with

more."

" Of that there is little danger, since William Henry is
60 many miles in our front. You forget that I have told
you our guide is now a Mohawk, and that he serves with
our forces as a friend."

"And I tell you that he who is bom a Mingo will die
a Mingo," returned the other, positively. "A Mohawk!
No, give me a Delaware or a Mohican for honesty ; and
when they will fight, which they won't all do, having
suffered their cunning enemies, the Maquas, to make them
women, — but when they will fight at all, look to a Dela-
ware, or a Mohican, for a warrior ! "

"Enough of this," said Hey ward, impatiently; "I wish
not to inquire into the character 'of a man that I knoWi

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 35

and to whom you must be a stranger. You have not y
answered my question ; what is our distance from the ma
army at Edward ? "

"It seems that may depend on who is your guide. One
would think such a horse as that might get over a good
deal of ground atwixt sun-up and sun-down."

"I wish no contention of idle words with you, friend,"
said Heyward, curbing his dissatisfied manner, and speak-
ing in a more gentle voice ; "if you will tell me the dis-
tance to Fort Edward, and conduct me thither, your labor
shall not go without its reward."

"And in so doing, how know I that I don't guide an
enemy, and a spy of Montcalm, to the works of the army ?
It is not every man who can speak the English tongue
that is an honest subject. "

"If you serve with the troops, of whom I judge you to
be a scout, you should know of such a regiment of the
king as the 60th."

"The 60th! you can tell me little of the Royal Ameri-
cans that I don't know, though I do wear a hunting-shirt
instead of a scarlet jacket."

"Well, then, among other things, you may know the
name of its major ? "

"Its major!" interrupted the hunter, elevating his
body like one who was proud of his trust. "If there is
a man in the country who knows Major Effingham, he
stands before you."

" It is a corps which has many majors ; the gentleman
you name is the senior, but I speak of the junior of them
all; he who commands the companies in garrison at Wil-
liam Henry."

"Yes, yes, I have heard that a young gentleman of vast
riches, from one of the provinces far south, has got the
place. He is over young, too, to hold such rank, and
to be put above men whose heads are beginning to bleach;
and yet they say he is a soldier in his knowledge, and a
gallant gentleman ! "

"Whatever he may be, or however he may be qualified
for his rank, he now speaks to you, and of course can b<»
no enemy to dread."

•6 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

The scout regarded Heyward in surprise, and then lift-
ing his cap, he answered, in a tone less confident than
before, though still expressing doubt, —

''I have heard a party was to leave the encampment
this morning, for the lake shore 1 "

" You have heard the truth ; but I preferred a nearer
route, trusting to the knowledge of the Indian I men-
tioned. "

"And he deceived you, and then deserted? "

"Neither, as I believe; certainly not the latter, for he
is to be found in the rear."

" I should like to look at the creatur' ; if it is a true
Iroquois I can tell him by his knavish look, and by his
paint," said the scout| stepping past the charger of Hey-
ward, and entering the path behind the mare of the sing-
ing-master, whose foal had taken advantage of the halt to
exact the maternal contribution. After shoving aside the
bushes, and proceeding a few paces, he encountered the
females, who awaited the result of the conference with
anxiety, and not entirely without apprehension. Behind
these, the runner leaned against a tree, where he stood
the dose examination of the scout with an air unmoved,
though with a look so dark and savage, that it might in
itself excite fear. Satisfied with his scrutiny, the hunter
soon left him. As he repassed the females, he paused a
moment to gaze upon their beauty, answering to the smile
and nod of Alice with a look of open pleasure. Thence
he went to the side of the motherly animal, and spending
a minute in a fruitless inquiry into the character of her
rider,, he shook his head and returned to Heyward.

" A Mingo is a Mingo, and God having made him so,
neither the Mohawks nor any other tribe can alter him,'^
he said, when he had regained his former position. "If
we were alone, and you would leave that noble horse at
the mercy of the wolves to-night, I could show you the
way to Edward, myself, within an hour, for it lies only
about an hour's journey hence; but with such ladies in
your company 't is impossible ! "

"And why ? they are fatigued, but they are quite equa]
to a ride of a few more miles."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 37

**'Tis a natural impossibility!" repeated the scout;
"I would n'4 walk a mile in these woods after night gets
into them, in company with that runner, for the best rifle
in the colonies. They are full of outlying Iroquois, and
your mongrel Mohawk knows where to find them too
well to be my companion."

"Think you so?" said Hey ward, leaning forward in
the saddle, and dropping his voice nearly to a whisper;
"I confess I have not been without my own suspicions,
though I have endeavored to conceal them, and affected
a confidence I have not always felt, on account of my com-
panions. It was because I suspected him that I would
follow no longer; making him, as you see, follow me."

" I knew he was one of the cheats as soon as I laid eyes
on him ! " returned the scout, placing a finger on his nose,
in sign of caution. " The thief is leaning against the foot
of the sugar sapling, that you can see over them bushes;
his right leg is in a line with the bark of the tree, and,"
tapping his rifle, "I can take him from where I stand,
between the ankle and the knee, with a single shot, put-
ting an end to his tramping through the woods, for at
least a month to come. If I should go back to him, the
canning varmint would suspect something, and be dodging
through the trees like a frightened deer."

"It will not do. He may be innocent, and I dislike
the act. Though, if I felt confident of his treachery " —

" 'T is a safe thing to calculate on the knavery of an
Iroquois," said the scout, throwing his rifle forward, by
a sort of instinctive movement.

" Hold ! " interrupted Hey ward, " it will not do — we
must think of some other scheme; and yet, I have much
teason to believe the rascal has deceived me."

The hunter, who had already abandoned his intention
of maiming the runner, mused a moment, and then made
% gesture, which instantly brought his two red companions
to his side. They spoke together earnestly in the Dela-
ware language, though in an undertone ; and by the ges-
tures of the white man, which were frequently directed
towards the top of the sapling, it was evident he pointed

88 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

out the situation of their hidden enemy. His companions
were not long in comprehending his wishes, and laying
aside their fire-arms, they parted, taking opposite sides of
the path, and burying themselves in the thicket, with such
cautious movements, that their steps were inaudible,

"Now, go you back," said the hunter, speaking again
to Hey ward, "and hold the imp in talk; these Mohicans
here will take him without breaking his paint."

"Nay," said Hey ward, proudly, "I will seize him my-
self."

" Hist ! what could you do, mounted, against an Indian
in the bushes ? "

"I will dismount."

"And, think you, when he saw one of your feet out of
the stirrup, he would wait for the other to be free 1 Who-
ever comes into the woods to deal with the natives must
use Indian fashions, if he would wish to prosper in his
undertakings. Go, then, talk openly to the miscreant,
and seem to believe him the truest friend you have on
'arth."

Heyward prepared to comply, though with strong dis-
gust at the nature of the office he was compelled to exe-
cute. Each moment, however, pressed upon him a con-
viction of the critical situation in which he had suffered
his invaluable trust to be involved through his own confi-
dence. The sun had already disappeared, and the woods,
suddenly deprived of his light, ^ were assuming a dusky
hue, which keenly reminded him that the hour the savage
usually chose for his most barbarous and remorseless acts
of vengeance or hostility was speedily drawing near.
Stimulated by apprehension, he left the scout, who im-
mediately entered into a loud conversation with the stranger
that had so unceremoniously enlisted himself in the party
of travellers that morning. In passing his gentler com-
panions Heyward uttered a few words of encouragement,
and was pleased to find that, though fatigued with the
exercise of the day, they appeared to entertain no suspi-

1 The scene of this tale was in the 42d degree of latitude, where the
Iwilight is never of long continuance.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 89

eion that t1;ieir present embarrassment was other than the
result of accident. Giving them reason to believe he was
merely employed in a consultation concerning the future
route, he spurred his charger, and drew the reins again,
when the animal had carried him within a few yards of
the place where the sullen runner still stood, leaning
against the tree.

" You may see, Magua^'' he said, endeavoring to assume
an air of freedom and confidence, "that the night is clos-
ing around us, and yet we are no nearer to 'V^liam. Henry
than when we left the encampment of Webb with the ris-
ing sun. You have missed the way, nor have I been more
fortunate. But happily we have fallen in with a hunter,
he whom you hear talking to the singer, that is acquainted
with the deer-paths and by-ways of the woods, and who
promises to lead us to a place where we may rest securely
till the morning."

The Indian riveted his glowing eyes on Heyward as he
asked, in his imperfect English, "Is he alone ? "

" Alone ! " hesitatingly answered Heyward, to whom
deception was too new to be assumed without embarrass-
ment. "Oh I not alone, surely, Magna, for you know that
we are with him."

"Then Le Renard Subtil will go," returned the runner,
coolly raising his little wallet from the place where it had
lain at his feet; "and the pale-faces will see none but
their own color."

" Go ! Whom call you Le Renard ? "

" 'T is the name his Canada fathers have given to
Magna," returned the runner, with an air that manifested
his pride at the distinction. "Night is the same as day
to Le Subtil, when Munro waits for him."

"And what account will Le Renard give the chief of
William Henry concerning his daughters? Will he dare
to tell the hot-blooded Scotsman that his children are left
without a guide, though Magna promised to be one ? "

"Though the gray head has a loud voice, and a long
arm, Le Renard will not hear him, or feel him, in the
Woods."

40 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" But what will the Mohawks say ? They will make
him petticoats, and hid him stay in the wigwam with the
won\en, for he is no longer to be trusted with the business
of a man.''

" Le Subtil knows the path to the great lakes, and he
can find the bones of his fathers," was the answer of the
unmoved runner.

"Enough, Magna," said Hey ward; "are we not friends?
Why should there be bitter words between us? Munro
has promised you a gift for your services when performed,
and I shall be your debtor for another. Rest your weary
limbs, then, and open your wallet to eat. We have a few
moments to spare; let us not waste them in talk like
wrangling women. When the ladies are refreshed we will
proceed."

"The pale-faces make themselves dogs to their women,"
muttered the Indian, in his native language, "and when
they want to eat, their warriors must lay aside the toma-
hawk to feed their laziness."

" What say you, Eenard ? "

"Le Subtil says it is good."

The Indian then fastened his eyes keenly on the open
countenance of Heyward, but meeting his glance, he turned
them quickly away, and seating himself deliberately on
the ground, he drew forth the remnant of some former re-
past, and* began to eat, though not without first bending
his looks slowly and cautiously around him.

"This is well," continued Heyward; "and Le Renard
will have strength and sight to find the path in the morn-
ing ; " he paused, for sounds like the snapping of a dried
stick, and the rustling of leaves, rose from the adjacent
bushes, but recollecting himself instantly, he continued,
— " we must be moving before the sun is seen, or Mont-
calm may lie in our path, and shut us out from the for-
tress."

The hand of Magna dropped from his mouth to his
side, and though his eyes were fastened on the ground,
his head was turned aside, his nostrils expanded, and his
ears seemed even to stand more erect than usual, giving

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 41

to him the appearance of a statue that was made to repre-
sent intense attention.

Heyward, who watched his movements with a vigilant
eye, carelessly extricated one of his feet from the stirrup,
while he passed a hand towards the bear-skin covering of
his holsters. Every effort to detect the point most re-
garded by the runner was completely frustrated by the
tremulous glances of his organs, which seemed not to rest
a single instant on any particular object, and which, at
the same time, could be hardly said to move. While he
hesitated how to proceed, Le Subtil cautiously raised him-
self to his feet, though with a motion so slow and guarded
that not the slightest noise was produced by the change.
Heyward felt it had now become incumbent on him to
act. Throwing his leg over the saddle, he dismounted,
with a determination to advance and seize his treacherous
companion, trusting the result to his own manhood. In
order, however, to prevent unnecessary alarm, he still pre-
served an air of calmness and friendship.

"Le Kenard Subtil does not eat," he said, using the
appellation he had found most flattering to the vanity of
the Indian. "His corn is not well parched, and it seems
dry. Let me examine; perhaps something may be found
among my own provisions that will help his appetite.'^

Magna held out the wallet to the proffer of the other.
He even suffered their hands to meet, without betraying
the least emotion, or varying his riveted attitude of atten-
tion. But when he felt the Angers of Heyward moving
gently along his own naked arm, he struck up the limb of
the young man, and, uttering a piercing cry as he darted
l)eneath it, plunged at a single bound into the opposite
thicket. At the next instant the form of Chingachgook
appeared from the bushes, looking like a spectre in its
paint, and glided across the path in swift pursuit. Next
followed the shout of Uncas, when the woods were lighted
^y a sudden flash, that was accompanied by the sharp
^port of the hunter's rifle.

42 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

CHAPTER V.

In rach ft night
Did Thlabe f Murfnlly o'ertrip the d«w,
And MW the lion's diadow ere himaelf .

Bkakmfbabi, Merchant of Vtniict^ Y, L 7.

The suddenness of the flight of his guide, and the wQ<3
cries of the puisuers, caused Hey ward to remain fixed, tot
a few moments, in inactive surprise. Then recollecting
the importance of securing the fugitive, he dashed aside
the surrounding hushes, and pressed eagerly forward to
lend his aid in the chase. Before he had, however, pro-
ceeded a hundred yards, he met the three foresters already
returning from their unsuccessf al pursuit.

"Why so soon disheartened!" he exclaimed; "tlio
scoundrel must he concealed behind some of these trees,
and may yet be secured. We are not safe while he goes
at large."

" Would you set a cloud to chase the wind ? " returned
the disappointed scout ; "I heard the imp, brushing over
the dry leaves, like a black snake, and blinking a glimpse
of him, just over ag'in yon big pine, I pulled as it might
be on the scent; but 'twould n't do! and yet for a reason^
ing aim, if anybody but myself had touched the trigger, I
should call it a quick sight; and I may be accounted to
have experience in these matters, and one who ought to
know. Look at this sumach; its leaves are red, though
everybody knows the fruit is in the yellow blossom, in
the month of July ! "

"'Tis the blood of Le Subtil! he is hurt, and may yet
fall!"

"No, no," returned the scout, in decided disapprobation
of this opinion, " I rubbed the bark oflF a limb, perhaps, ;
but the creature leaped the longer for it. A rifle bullet
acts on a running animal, when it barks him, much the
same as one of your spurs on a horse ; that is, it quickens
motion, and puts life into the flesh, instead of taking it
away. But when it cuts the ragged hole, after a bound oi

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 43

two, there is, commonly, a stagnation of further leaping^
be it Indian or he it deer ! "

" We are four ahle bodies, to one wounded man ! "
" Is life grievous to you ? " interrupted the scout.
** Yonder red devil would draw you within swing of the
tomahawks of his comrades, before you were heated in the
chase. It was an unthoughtful act in a man who has so
often slept with the war-whoop ringing in the air, to let
off his piece within sound of an ambushment! But then
it was a natural temptation I 'twas very natural! Come,
friends, let us move our station, and in such a fashion,
too, as will throw the cunning of a Mingo on a wrong
scent, or our scalps will be drying in the wind in front of
Montcalm's marquee, ag'in this hour to-morrow."

This appalling declaration, which the scout uttered with
the cool assurance of a man who fully comprehended,
while he did not fear to face the danger, served to remind
Heyward of the importance of the charge with which he
himself had been intrusted. Glancing his eyes around,
with a vain eflfort to pierce the gloom that was thickening
beneath the leafy arches of the forest, he felt as if, cut off
from human aid, his unresisting companions would soon
lie at the entire mercy of those barbarous enemies, who,
like beasts of prey, only waited till the gathering darkness
might render their blows more fatally certain. His awak-
ened imagination, deluded by the deceptive light, con-
verted each waving bush, or the fragment of some fallen
tree, into human forms, and twenty times he fancied he
could distinguish tile horrid visages of his lurking foes,
peering from their hiding-places, in never-ceasing watch-
fulness of the movements of his party. Looking upward,
he found that the thin fleecy clouds, which evening had
painted on the blue sky, were already losing their faintest
tints of rose-color, while the iilibedded stream, which
glided past the spot where he stood, was to be traced only
by the dark boundary of its wooded banks.

" What is to be done ? " he said, feeling the utter help-
lessness of doubt in such a pressing strait; '* desert me
not, for God's sake! remain to defend those I escort, and
freely name your own reward I "

44 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

His ccmpanions, who conversed apart in the language
of their tribe, heeded not this sudden and earnest appeal.
Though their dialogue was maintained in low and cautious
sounds, but little above a whisper, Heyward, who now
approached, could easily distinguish the earnest tones of
the younger warrior from the more deliberate speeches of
his seniors. It was evident that they debated on the
propriety of some measure that nearly concerned the wel
fare of the travellers. Yielding to his powerful interest
in the subject, and impatient of a delay that seemed
fraught with so much additional danger, Heyward drew
still nigher to the dusky group, with an intention of mak-
ing his offers of compensation more definite, when the
white man, motioning, with his hand, as if he conceded
the disputed point, turned away, saying in a sort of solilo-
quy, and in the English tongue, —

" Uncas is right ! it would not be the act of men to
leave such harmless things to their fate, even though it
breaks up the harboring place forever. If you would save
these tender blossoms from the fangs of the worst of sar-
pents, gentleman, you have neither time to lose nor resolu-
tion to throw away."

"How can such a wish be doubted! have I not already
offered " —

"Offer your prayers to Him who can give us wisdom
to circumvent the cunning of the devils who fill these
woods," calmly interrupted the scout, "but spare your
offers of money, which neither you may live to realize,
nor I to profit by. These Mohicans and I will do what
man's thoughts can invent, to keep such flowers, which,
though so sweet, were never made for the wilderness, from
harm, and that without hope of any other recompense but
such as God always gives to upright dealings. First, you
must promise two things, both in your own name and for
your friends, or without serving you, we shall only injure
ourselves! "

"Name them."

"The one is, to be still as these slewing woods, let
what will happen; and the other is, to keep the place

THE LAST OF THE MOHICAKS. 45

where we shall take you, forever a secret from all mortal
men.''

"I will do my utmost to see both these conditions ful-
fiUed."

" Then follow, for we are losing moments that are as
precious as the heart's blood to a stricken deer! "

Heyward could distinguish the impatient gesture of the
scout, through the increasing shadows of the evening, and
he moved in his footsteps, swiftly, towards the place
where he had left the remainder of his party. When they
rejoined the expecting and anxious females, he briefly ac<
quainted them with the conditions of their new guide, and
with the necessity that existed for their hushing everj
apprehension, in instant and serious exertions. Although
his alarming communication was not received without
much secret terror by the listeners, his earnest and impres-
sive manner, aided perhaps by the nature of the danger,
succeeded in bracing their nerves to undergo some un-
looked-for and unusual trial. Silently, and without a
moment's delay, they permitted him to assist them from
their saddles, when they descended quickly to the water's
edge, where the scout had collected the rest of the party,
more by the agency of expressive gestures than by any
use of words.

"What to do with these dumb creatures ! '' muttered the
white man, on whom the sole control of their future move-
ments appeared to devolve; "it would be time lost to cut
their throats, and cast them into the river; and to leave
them here, would be to tell the Mingoes that they have
not far to seek to find their owners ! ''

"Then give them their bridles, and let them range the
woods," Heyward ventured to suggest.

"No; it would be better to mislead the imps, and make
them believe they must equal a horse's speed to run down
their chase. Aye, aye, that will blind their fire-balls of
eyes! Chingach — Hist! what stirs the bush ? "

"The colt."

"That colt, at least, must die," muttered the scout,
grasping at the mane of the nimble beast, which easily
eluded his hand; "Uncas, your arrows! "

46 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" Hold ! " exclaimed the proprietor of the condemned
animal, aloud, without regard to the whispering tones
used by the others; "spare the foal of Miriam! it is the
comely offspring of a faithful dam, and would willingly
injure naught."

" When men struggle for the single life God has given
them," said the scout sternly, "even their own kind seem
no more than the beasts of the wood. If you speak again,
I shall leave you to the mercy of the Maquas! Draw to
your arrow's head, Uncas; we have no time for second
blows. "

The low, muttering sounds of his threatening voice were
still audible, when the wounded foal, first rearing on its
hinder legs, plunged forward to its knees. Jt was met by
Chingachgook, whose knife passed across its throat quicker
than thought, and then precipitating the motions of the
struggling victim, he dashed it into the river, down whose
stream it glided away, gasping audibly for breath with its
ebbing life. This deed of apparent cruelty, but of real
necessity, fell upon the spirits of the travellers like a ter-
rific warning of the peril in which they stood, heightened
as it was by the calm though steady resolution of the ac-
tors in the scene. The sisters shuddered and clung closer
to each other, while Heyward instinctively laid his hand
on one of the pistols he had just drawn from their hol-
sters, as he placed himself between his charge and those
dense shadows that seemed to draw an impenetrable veil
before the bosom of the forest.

The Indians, however, hesitated not a moment, but
taking the bridles, they led the frightened and reluctant
horses into the bed of the river.

At a short distance from the shore they turned, and
were soon concealed by the projection of the bank, under
the brow of which they moved, in a direction opposite to
the course of the waters. In the mean time, the scout
drew a canoe of bark from its place of concealment beneath
some low bushes, whose branches were waving with the
eddies of the current, into which he silently motioned foi
the females to enter. They complied without hesitation,

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 47

though many a fearful and anxious glance was thrown be-
hind them, towards the thickening gloom, which now lay
like a dark barrier along the margin of the stream.

So soon as Cora and Alice were seated, the scout, with-
out regarding the element, directed Heyward to support
one side of the frail vessel, and posting himself at the
other, they bore it up against the stream, followed by the
dejected owner of the dead foal. In this manner they
proceeded, for many rods, in a silence that was only in-
terrupted by the rippling of the water, as its eddies played
around them, or the low dash made by their own cau-
tious footsteps. Heyward yielded the guidance of the
canoe implicitly to the scoul^ who approached or receded
from the shore, to avoid the fragments of rocks, or deeper
parts of the river, with a readiness that showed his know-
ledge of the route they held. Occasionally he would
stop; and in the midst of a breathing stillness, that the
dull but increasing roar of the waterfall only served to
render more impressive, he would listen with painful in© ^
tenseness, to catch any sounds that might arise from the^
slumbering forest. When assured that all was still, arid
\mable to detect, even by the aid of his practiced senses,
any sign of his approaching foes, he would deliberately
resume his slow and guarded progress. At length they,
reached a point in the river where the roving eye of Hey^
ward became riveted on a cluster of black objects, coU
lected at a spot where the high bank threw a deeper shadow
than usual on the dark waters. Hesitating to advance,
he pointed out the place to the attention of his companion.

"Aye,'* returned the composed scout, "the Indians have
hid the beasts with the judgment of natives! Water
leaves no trail, and an owPs eyes would be blinded by the
darkness of such a hole."

The whole party was soon reunited, and another consul-
tation was held between the scout and his new comrades,
during which, they whose fates depended on the faith and
ingenuity of these unknown foresters had a little leisure
to observe their situation more minutely.

The river was confined between high and cragged rockai

48 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

one of which impended above the spot where the canoe
rested. As these, again, were surmounted by tall trees,
which appeared to totter on the brows of the precipice, it
gave the stream the appearance of running through a deep
and narrow deli. All beneath the fantastic limbs and
ragged tree tops, ^hich were, here and there, dimly painted
against the starry zenith, lay alike in shadowed obscurity.
Behind them, the curvature of the banks soon bounded
the view, by-th^ sameXdark and wooded outline ; but in
front^ and apparently a\ no great distance, the water
seemed piled against the heavens, whence it tumbled into
caverns, out of which issued those sullen sounds that had
loaded the evening atmosphere. It seemed, in truth, to
be a spot devoted to seclusion, and the sisters imbibed a
soothing impression of security, as they gazed upon its
romantic, though not unappalling beauties. A general
movement among their conductors, however, soon recalled
them from a contemplation of the wild charms that night
had assisted to lend the place, to a painful sense of their
real peril.

The horses had been secured to some scattering shrubs
that grew in the fissures of the rocks, where, standing in
the water, they were left to pass the night. The scout
directed Heyward and his disconsolate fellow-travellers to
seat themselves in the forward end of the canoe, and took
possession of the other himself, as erect and steady as if
he floated in a vessel of much firmer materials. The In-
dians warily retraced their steps towards the place they
had left, when the scout, placing his pole against a rock, by
a powerful shove, sent his frail bark directly into the cen-
tre of the turbulent stream. For many minutes the strug-
gle between the light bubble in which they floated, and
the swift current, was severe and doubtful. Forbidden to
stir even a hand, and almost afraid to breathe, lest they
should expose the frail fabric to the fury of the stream,
the passengers watched the glancing waters in feverish
suspense. Twenty times they thought the whirling eddies
were sweeping them to destruction, when the master-hand
of their pilot would bring the bows of the canoe to stem

irEariri^llj''ilito me ttutte Xtbe

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 49

the rapid. A long, a vigorous, and, as it appeared to the
females, a desperate effort, closed the struggle. Just as
Alice veiled her eyes in horror, under the impression that
they were about to be swept within the vortex at the foot
of the cataract, the canoe floated, stationary, at the side of
a flat rock, that lay on a level with the water.

" Where are we ? and what is next to be done ? " de-
manded Heyward, perceiving that the exertions of the
scout had ceased.

"You are at the foot of Glenn's^" returned the other,
speaking aloud, without fear of consequences, within the
roar of the cataract; **and the next thing is to make a
steady landing, lest the canoe upset, and you should go
down again the hard road we have traveled, faster than
you came up ; 't is a hard rift to stem, when the river is
a littte. swelled; and Ave is an unnatural number to keep
dry, in the hurry-skurry, with a little birchen bark and
gum. There, go you all on the rock, and I will bring up
the Mohicans with the venison. A man had better sleep
without his scalp, than famish in the midst of plenty."

His passengers gladly complied with these directions.
As the last foot touched the rock, the canoe whirled from
its station, when the tall form of the scout was seen, for
an instant, gliding above the waters, before it disappeared
in the impenetrable darkness that rested on the bed of the
river. Left by their guide, the travelers remained a few
minutes in helpless ignorance, afraid -even to move along
the broken rocks, lest a false step should precipitate them
down some one of the many deep and roaring caverns, into
which the water seemed to tumble on every side of them.
Their suspense, however, was soon relieved; for aided by
the skill of the natives, the canoe shot back into the eddy,
and floated again at the side of the low rock before they
thought the scout had even time to rejoin his companions.

"We are now fortified, garrisoned, and provisioned,'^
cried Heyward, cheerfully, "and may set Montcalm and
his allies at defiance. How now, my vigilant sentinel,
can you see anything of those you call the Iroquois, on
the main land ] "

5<^ THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"I call them Iroquois, because to me every native, who
speaks a foreign tongue, is accounted an enemy, though he
may pretend to serve the king ! If Webb wants faith and
honesty in an Indian, let him bring out the tribes of the
Delawares, and send these greedy and lying Mohawks and
Oneidas, with their six nations of varlets, where in nature
they belong, among the French ! "

"We should then exchange a warlike for a useless
friend! I have heard that the Delawares have laid aside
the hatchet, and are content to be called women ! "

"Aye, shame on the Hollanders^ and Iroquois, who
circumvented them by their deviltries into such a treaty!
But I have known them for twenty years, and I call him
liar, that says cowardly blood runs in the veins of a Dela-
ware. You have driven their tribes from the seashore,
and would now believe what their enemies say, that you
may sleep at night upon an easy pillow. No, no ; to me,
every Indian who speaks a foreign tongue is an Iroquois,
whether the castle ^ of his tribe be in Canada, or be in
York."

Heyward, perceiving that the stubborn adherence of
the scout to the cause of his friends the Delawares or
Mohicans, for they were branches of the same numerous
people, was likely to prolong a useless discussion, changed
the subject.

" Treaty or no treaty, I know full well that your two
companions are brave and cautious warriors! have they
iieard or seen anything of our enemies ? "

"An Indian is a mortal to be felt afore he is seen,"
xetumed the scout, ascending the rock, and throwing the
deer carelessly down. " I trust to other signs than such
as come in at the eye, when I am outlying on the trail of
the Mingoes."

" Do your ears tell you that they have traced our re-
treat 1 "

1 The reader will remember that New York was originally a colony
of the Dutch.

2 The principal yillages of the Indians are still called "castles'' bj
the whites of New York. " Oneida castle "is no more than a scattered
hamlet ; but the name is in general use.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. $t

"I should be sorry to think they had, though this is a
spot that stout courage might hold for a smart skrimmage:
I will not deny, however, but the horses cowered when I
passed them, as though they scented the wolves; and a
wolf is a beast that is apt to hover about an Indian am-
bushment, craving the offals of the deer the savages kill."

" You forget the buck at your feet ! or, may we not owe
their visit to the dead colt ? Ha ! what noise is that ? "

"Poor Miriam!" murmured the stranger; "thy foal
was foreordained to become a prey to ravenous beasts ! "
Then, suddenly lifting up his voice, amid the eternal din
of the waters, he sang aloud, —

"First born of Egypt smite did He,
Of mankind, and of beast also ;
O Egypt ! wonders sent 'midst thee,
On Pharaoh and his servants too ! "

"The death of the colt sits heavy on the heart of its
owner," said the scout; "but it's a good sign to see a
man account upon his dumb friends. He has the religion
of the matter, in believing what is to happen will hap-
pen; and with such a consolation, it won't be long afore
he submits to the rationality of killing a four-footed beast,
to save the lives of human men. It may be as you say,"
he continued, reverting to the purport of Heyward's last
remark; "and the greater the reason why we should cut
our steaks, and let the carcass drive down the stream, or
we shall have the pack howling along the cliffs, begrudg-
ing every mouthful we swallow. Besides, though the
Delaware tongue is the same as a book to the Iroquois,
the cunning varlets are quick enough at understanding the
reason of a wolf's howl."

The scout, whilst making his remarks, was busied in
collecting certain necessary implements; as he concluded,
he moved silently by the group of travellers, accompanied
by the Mohicans, who seemed to comprehend his inten-
tions with instinctive readiness, when the whole three
disappeared in succession, seeming to vanish against the
dark face of a perpendicular rock, that rose to the height
of a few yard? within as many feet of the water's edge.

52 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAN&

/

CHAPTEB^tl.

Hiom •tnim VbaX omoe did iweet in Zion glida,

Be wales a portion with judidoiu care ;

And **Let na worahip God," he aaya, with aolemn air.

BuBin, Tht Cotter** Saturday NighL

Hetwabd and his female companions witnessed this
mysterious movement with secret uneasiness; for, though
the conduct of the white man had hitherto heen above
reproach, his rude equipments, blunt address, and strong
antipathies, together with the character of his silent asso-
ciates, were all causes for exciting distrust in minds that
had been so recently alarmed by Indian treachery.

The stranger alone disregarded the passing incidents.
He seated himself on a projection of the rocks, whence he
gave no other signs of consciousness than by the struggles
of his spirit, as manifested in frequent and heavy sighs.
Smothered voices were next heard, as. though men called
to each other in the bowels of the earth, when a sudden
light flashed upon those without, and laid bare the much-
prized secret of the place.

At the further extremity of a narrow, deep cavern in
the rock, whose length appeared much extended by the
perspective and the nature of the light by which it was
seen, was seated the scout, holding a blazing knot of pine.
The strong glare of the fire fell full upon his sturdy, wea-
ther-beaten countenance and forest attire, lending an air
of romantic wildness to the aspect of an ii^dividual who,
seen by the sober light of day, would have exhibited the
peculiarities of a man remarkable for the strangeness of
his dress, the iron-like inflexibility of his frame, and the
singular compound of quick, vigilant sagacity, ind of ex-
quisite simplicity, that by turns usurped the \ 'jssession of
his muscular features. At a little distance in advance
stood Uncas, his whole person thrown powerfully into
view. The travellers anxiously regarded the upright^
flexible figure of the young Mohican, graceful and un-
restrained in the attitudes and movements of nature.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 58

Thougli his person was more than usually screened by a
green and fringed hunting-shirt, like that of the white
man, there was no concealment to his dark, glancing, fear-
less eye, alike terrible and calm; the bold outline of his
high, haughty features, pure in their native red; or to the
dignified elevation of his receding forehead, together with
all the finest proportions of a noble head, bared to the
generous scalping tuft. It was the first opportimity pos-
sessed by Duncan and his companions, to view the marked
lineaments of either of their Indian attendants, and each
individual of the party felt relieved from a burden of
doubt, as the proud and determined, though wild expres-
sion of the features of the young warrior forced itself on
their notice. They felt it might be a being partially be-
nighted in the vale of ignorance, but it could not be one
who would willingly devote his rich natural gifts to the
purposes of wanton treachery. The ingenuous Alice gazed
at his free air and proud carriage, as she would have
looked upon some precious relic of the Grecian chisel, to
which life had been imparted by the intervention of a
miracle; while Hey ward, though accustomed to see the
perfection of form which abounds among the uncorrupted
natives, openly expressed his admiration at such an un-
blemished specimen of the -noblest proportions qf man. \

"I could sleep in peace," whispered Alice, in reply,
**with such a fearless and generous looking youth for my
sentineL Surely, Duncan, those cruel murders, those
terrific scenes of torture, of which we read and hear so
much, are never acted in the presence of such as he ! "

" This, certainly, is a rare and brilliant instance of those
natural qualities in which these peculiar people are said
to excel," he answered. "I agree with you, Alice, in
thinking that such a front and eye were formed rather to
intimidate than to deceive; but let us not practice a de-
ception upon ourselves, by expecting any other exhibition
of what we esteem virtue than according to the fashion of
li savage. As bright examples of great qualities are but
too uncommon among Christains, so are they singular and
Bolitary with the Indians; though, for the honor of oui

54 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

common nature, neithet are incapable of producing them.
Let us then hope that this Mohican may not disappoint
our wishes, but prove, what his looks assert him to be, a
brave and constant friend. '^

"Now Major Hey ward speaks as Major Hey ward
should," said Cora; "who, that looks at this creature of
nature, remembers the shade of his skin ! "

A short, and apparently an embarrassed silence suc-
ceeded this remark/ which was interrupted by the scout
calling to them, aloud, to enter.

"This fire begins to show too bright a flame," he con-
tinued, as they complied, "and might light the Mingoes
to our undoing. Uncas, drop the blanket, and show the
knaves its dark side. This is not such a supper as a
major of the Boyal Americans has a right to expect, but
I've known stout detachments of the corps glad to eat
their venison raw, and without a relish too.^ Here, you
see, we have plenty of salt, and can make a quick broil.
There's fresh sassafras* boughs for the ladies to sit on,
which may not be as proud as their ^y-hog-guinea chairs,
but which sends up a sweeter flavor than the skin of any
hog can do, be it of Guinea, or be it of any other land.
Come, friend, don't be mournful for the colt; 'twas an
innocent thing, and had not seen much hardship. Its
death will save the creature many a sore back and weary
foot ! "

Uncas did as the other had directed, and when the
voice of Hawkey e ceased, the roar of the cataract sounded
like the rumbling of distant thunder.

" Are we quite safe in this cavern ? " demanded Hey-
•7ard. " Is there no danger of surprise ? A single armed
man, at its entrance, would hold us at his mercy."

1 In vulgar parlance the condiments of a repast are called by the
Americans "a relish," substituting the thing for its effect. These pro-
vincial terms are frequently put in the mouths of the speakers, accord-
ing to their several conditions in life. Most of them are of local use,
and others quite peculiar to the particular class of men to which the
character belongs. In the present instance, the scout uses the word
with immediate reference to the "salt,'* with which his own party was
10 fortanate as to be provided.

THE LA.ST OF THE MOHICANS. 55

A spectral-looking figure stalked from out the darkness
bshind the scout, and seizing a blazing brand, held it
towards the further extremity of their place of retreat.
Alice uttered a faint shriek, and even Cora rose to her
feet, as this appalling object moved into the light; but ^
single word from Heyward calmed them, with the assur-
ance it was only their attendant, Chingachgook, who, lift-
ing another blanket, discovered that the cavern had two
outlets. Then, holding the brand, he crossed a deep, nar-
row chasm in the rocks, which ran at right angles with
the passage they were in, but which, unlike that, was open
to the heavens, and entered another cave, answering to the
description of the first, in every essential particular.

"Such old foxes as Chingachgook and myself are not
often caught in a burrow with one hole," said Hawkey e,
laughing ; " you can easily see the cunning of the place —
the rock is black limestone, which everybody knows is
soft; it makes no uncomfortable pillow, where brush and
pine wood is scarce; well, the fall was once a few yards be-
low us, and I dare to say was, in its time, as regular and
as handsome a sheet of water as any along the Hudson.
But old age is a great injury to good looks, as these sweet
young ladies have yet to Tarn! The place is sadly
changed! These rocks are full of cracks, and in some
places they are softer than at othersome, and the water
has worked out deep hollows for itself, until it has fallen
back, aye, some hundred feet, breaking here and wearing
there, until the falls have neither shape nor consistency."

"In what part of them are we? " asked Heyward.

"Why, we are nigh the spot that Providence first
placed them at, but where, it seems, they were too rebel-
lious to stay. The rock proved softer on each side of us,
and so they left the centre of the river bare and dry, first
working out these two little holes for us to hide in."

" We are then on an island ? "

"Aye! there are the falls on two sides of us, and the
river above and below. If you had daylight, it would
be worth the trouble to step up on the height of this rock,
and look at the perversity of the water. It falls by no

X

56 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

rule at all; sometimes it leaps, sometimes it tumbles;
there, it skips; here, it shoots; in one place 'tis white as
snow,' and in another 'tis green as grass; hereabouts it
pitches into deep hollows, that rumble and quake the
'arth; and thereaway it ripples and sings like a brook,
fashioning whirlpools and gulleys in the old stone, as if
't was no harder than trodden clay. The whole design of
the river seems disconcerted. First it runs smoothly, as
if meaning to go down the descent as things^ were ordered;
then it angles about and faces the shores; nor are there
places wanting where it looks backward, as if unwilling
to leave the wilderness, to mingle with the salt! Aye,
lady, the fine cobweb-looking cloth you wear at your
throat is coarse, and like a fish net, to little spots I can
show you, where the river fabricates all sorts of images, as
if, having broke loose from order, it would try its hand at
everything. And yet what does it amount to ? After the
water has been suffered to have its will, for a time, like
a headstrong man, it is gathered together by the hand that
made it, and a few rods below you may see it all, flowing
on steadily towards the sea, as was foreordained from the
first foundation of the 'arth 1 "

While his auditors received a cheering assurance of the
security of their place of concealment, from this untutored
description of Glenn's,* they were much inclined to judge
differently from Hawkeye, of its wild beauties. But they
were not in a situation to sufier their thoughts to dwell
on the charms of natural objects; and, as the scout had
not found it necessary to cease his culinary labors while

1 Glenn's Falls are on the Hudson, some forty or fifty miles above the
head of tide, or the place where that river becomes navigable for sloops.
The description of this picturesque and remarkable little cataract, as
given by the scout, is sufficiently correct, though the application of the
water to the uses of civilized life has materially injured its beauties.
The rocky island and the two caverns are well known to every traveller,
since the former sustains a pier of a bridge, which is now thrown across
the river, immediately above the fall. In explanation of the taste of
Hawkeye, it should be remembered that men always prize that most
which Is least enjoyed. Thus, in a new country, the woods and other
objects, which in an old country would be maintained at great cost, are
got rid of, simply with a view of "improving/' as it is called.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 57

he spoke, unless to point out, with a broken fork, the
direction of some particularly obnoxious point in the re-
bellious stream, they now suffered their attention to be
drawn to the necessary, though mgre vulgar consideration
of their supper.

The repast, which was greatly aided by the addition of
a few delicacies that Heyward had the precaution to bring
with him when they left their horses, was exceedingly re-
freshing to the wearied party. Uncas acted as attendant
to the females, performing all the little offices within his
power, with a mixture of dignity and anxious grace, that
served to amuse Heyward, who well knew that it was an
utter innovation on the Indian customs, which forbid their
warriors to descend to any menial employment, especially
in favor of their women. As the rites of hospitality were,
however, considered sacred among them, this little depar-
ture from the dignity of manhood excited no audible com«
ment. Had there been one there sufficiently disengaged
to become a close observer, he might have fancied that the
services of the young chief were not entirely impartial;
that while he tendered to Alice the gourd of sweet water, ^
and the venison in a trencher, neatly carved from the knot
of the pepperidge, with sufficient courtesy, in performing
the same offices to her sister his dark eye lingered on her
rich, speaking countenance. Once or twice he was com-
pelled to speak, to command the attention of those he
served. In such cases, he made use of English, broken
and imperfect, but sufficiently intelligible, and which he
rendered so mild and musical, by his deep, ^ guttural voice,

1 The Indians were skillful in carving wooden trenchers and bowls,
even when the wiiites first appeared among them, and consequently
before they had anv iron tools. They made use of fire, hard shells,
bones, and flint gouges, or hatchets, to shape their wooden ware. Their
dishes were often colored red. Gourds were the water vessels con-
stantly in use, before the whites came, as they cultivated several va-
rieties of the squash. They had also earthen water vessels of a rude
description, generall}' round, with a rim or lip. And it is said that the
^omen could also make bark vessels sufficiently tight to carry water
t short distance. — S. F. C.

^ The meaning of Indian words is much governed by the emphasis
imd tones. ...,. «. .

58 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

that it never failed to cause both ladies to look up in ad-
miration and astonishment. In the course of these civili-
ties, a few sentences were exchanged, that served to estab-
lish the appearance of an amicable intercourse between the
parties.

In the mean while, the gravity of Chingachgook re-
mained immovable. He had seated himself more within
the circle of light, where the frequent uneasy glances of
his guests were better enabled to separate the natural ex-
pression of his face from the artificial terrors of the war-
paint. They found a strong resemblance between father
and son, with the difiference that might be expected from
age and hardships. Th^ fierceness of his countenance now
seemed to slumber, and in its place was to be seen the
quiet, vacant composure, which distinguishes an Indian
warrior, when his faculties are not required for any of the
greater purposes of his existence. It was, however, easy
to be seen, by the occasional gleams that shot across his
swarthy visage, that it was only necessary to arouse his
passions, in order to give full efi'ect to the terrific device
which he had adopted to intimidate his enemies. On the
other hand, the quick, roving eye of the scout seldom
rested. He ate and drank with an appetite that no sense
of danger could disturb, but his vigilance seemed never
to desert him. Twenty times the gourd or the venison
was suspended before his lips, while his head was turned
aside, as though he listened to some distant and distrusted
sounds — a movement that never failed to recall his guests
from regarding the novelties of their situation, to a recol-
lection of the alarming reasons that had driven them to
seek it. As these frequent pauses were* never followed
by any remark, the momentary uneasiness they created
quickly passed away, and for a time was forgotten.

"Come, friend," said Hawkeye, drawing out a keg
from beneath a cover of leaves, towards the close of the
repast, and addressing the stranger, who sat at his elbow
doing great justice to his culinary skill, "try a little
spruce; 'twill wash away all thoughts of the colt, and
quicken the life in your bosom. I drmk to our better

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 59

friendship, hoping that a little horseflesh may leave no
heart-burnings atween us. How do you name yourself] "

" Gamut —JQayid. Gamut, " returned the singing-master,
preparing to wash down his sorrows in a powerful draught
of the woodman's high-flavored and well-laced compound.

"A very good name, and, I dare say, handed down
from honest forefathers. I 'm an admirator of names,
though the Christian fashions fall far below savage cus-
toms in this particular. The biggest coward I ever knew
was called Lyon ; and his wife. Patience, would scold you
out of hearing in less time than a hunted deer would run
a rod. With an Indian 'tis a matter of conscience; what
he calls himself, he generally is — not that Chingachgook,
which signifies Big Sarpent, is really a snake, big or little ;
but that he understands the windings and turnings of hu-
man natur', and is silent, and strikes his enemies when
they least expect him. What may be your calling 1 ''

"I am an unworthy instructor in the art of psalmody.*'

"AnanP*

"I teach singing to the youths of the Connecticut levy."

"You might be better employed. The young hounds
go laughing and singing too much already through the
woods, when they ought not to breathe louder than a fox
in his cover. Can you use the smooth bore, or handle
the rifle ? ''

"Praised be God, I have never had occasion to meddle
with murderous implements ! "

"Perhaps you understand the compass, and lay down
the water-courses and mountains of the wilderness on
paper, in order that they who follow may find places by
their given names ? "

"I practice no such employment."

" You have a pair of legs that might make a long path
fleem short! you journey sometimes, I fancy, with tidings
for the general. "

"Never; I follow no other than my own high vocation,
which is instruction in sacred music ! "

" 'T is a strange calling ! " muttered Hawkey e, with an
inward laugh, " to go through life, like a cat-bird, mock-

60 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.'

ing all the ups and downs that may happen to come out
of other men's throats. Well, frien4, I suppose it is
your gift, and mustn't be denied any more than if 'twas
shooting, or some other better inclination. Let us hear
what you can do in that way; 'twill be a friendly man-
ner of saying good-night, for 'tis time that these ladies
should be getting strength for a hard and a long push, in
the pride of the morning, afore the Maquas are stirring !''

"With joyful pleasure do I consent," said David, ad-
justing his iron-rimmed spectacles, and producing his
beloved little volume, which he immediately tendered to
Alice. "What can be more fitting and consolatory, than
to oiFer up evening praise, after a day of such exceeding
jeopardy!"

Alice smiled; but regarding Hey ward, she blushed and
hesitated.

"Indulge yourself," he whispered: "ought not the sug-
gestion of the worthy namesake of the Psalmist to have
its weight at such a moment ? " .

Encouraged by his opinion, Alice did what her pious
inclinations and her keen relish for gentle sounds had be-
fore so strongly urged. The book was opened at a hymn
not ill adapted to their situation, and in which the poet,
no longer goaded by his desire to excel the inspired king
of Israel, had discovered some chastened and respectable
powers. Cora betrayed a disposition to support her sister,
and the sacred song proceeded, after the indispensable pre-
liminaries of the pitch-pipe and the tune had been duly
attended to by the methodical David. •

The air was solemn and slow. At times it rose to the
fullest compass of the rich voices of the females, who hung
over their little book in holy excitement, and again it
sank so low that the rushing of the waters ran through
their melody, like a hollow accompaniment. The natural
taste and true ear of David governed and modified the
sounds to suit the confined cavern, every crevice and cranny
of which was filled with the thrilling notes of their flexi-
ble voices. The Indians riveted their eyes on the rocks,
and listened with an attention that seemed to turn them

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. ' 61

into stone. But the scout, who had placed his chin in his
hand, with an expression of cold indifference, gradually
suffered his rigid features to relax, until, as verse suc-
ceeded verse, he felt his iron nature subdued, while his
recollection was carried back to boyhood, when his ears
had been accustomed to listen to similar sounds of praise,
in the settlements of the colony. His roving eyes began
to moisten, and before the hymn was ended, scalding tears
rolled out of fountains that had long seemed dry, and fol-
lowed each other down those cheeks, that had oftener felt
the storms of heaven than any testimonials of weakness.
The singers were dwelling on one of those low, dying
chords, which the ear devours with such greedy rapture,
as if conscious that it is about to lose them, when a cry,
that seemed neither human nor earthly, rose in the out-
ward air, penetrating not only the recesses of the cavern,
but to the inmost hearts of all who heard it. It was fol-
lowed by a stillness apparently as deep as if the waters
had been checked in their furious progress, at such a hor-
rid and unusual interruption.

" What is it 1 " murmured Alice, after a few moments
of terrible suspense.

"What is it? '' repeated Hey ward aloud.

Neither Hawkeye nor the Indians made any reply.
They listened, as if expecting the sound would be re-
peated, with a manner that expressed their own astonish-'
ment. At length they spoke together earnestly, in the
Delaware language, when Uncas, passing by the inner and
most concealed aperture, cautiously left the cavern. When
he had gone, the scout first spoke in English.

"What it is, or what it is not, none here can tell;
though two of us have ranged the woods for more than
thirty years! I did believe there was no cry that Indian
or beast could make, that my ears had not heard ; but this
has proved that I was only a vain and conceited mortal ! "

"Was it not, then, the shout the warriors make when
they wish to intimidate their enemies 1 '' asked Cora, who
stood drawing her veil about her person, with a calmness
1o which her agitated sister was a stranger.

t2 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

(('

No, no; this was bad, and shocking, and had a sort
of unhuman sound; but when you once hear the war-
whoop, you will never mistake it for anything else ! Well,
Uncas!" speaking in Delaware 'to the young chief as he
reentered, "what see you? do our lights shine through
the blankets 1 "

The answer was short, and apparently decided, being
given in the same tongue.

"There is nothing to be seen without," continued
Hawkeye, shaking his head in discontent; "and our hiding-
place is still in darkness! Pass into the other cave, you
that need it, and seek for sleep; we must be afoot long
before the sun, and make the most of our time to get to
Edward, while the Mingoes are taking their morning nap."

Cora set the example of compliance, with a steadiness
that taught the more timid Alice the necessity of obedi-
ence. Before leaving the place, however, she whispered
a request to Duncan that he would follow. Uncas raised
the blanket for their passage, and as the sisters turned to
thank him for this act of attention, they saw the scout
seated again before the dying embers, with his face resting
on his hands, in a manner which showed how deeply he
brooded on the unaccountable interruption which had
broken up their evening devotions.

Hey ward took with him a blazing knot, which threw a
dim light through the narrow vista of their new apart-
ment. Placing it in a favorable position, he joined the
females, who now found themselves alone with him for
the first time since they had left the friendly ramparts of
Fort Edward.

"Leave us not, Duncan,*' said Alice; "we cannot sleep
in such a place as this, with that horrid cry still ringing
in our ears ! ''

"Eirst let us examine into the security of your for-
tress," he answered, "and then we will speak of rest."

He approached the further end of the cavern, to an
outlet which, like the others, was concealed by blankets,
and removing i;he thick screen, breathed the fresh and
reviving air from the cataract. One arm of the river

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 63

flowed through a deep, narrow ravine, which its current
had worn in the soft rock, directly heneath his feet, form-
ing an effectual defense, as he helieved, against any danger
from that quarter; the water, a few rods ahove them,
plunging, glancing, and sweeping along, in its mott vio-
lent and broken manner.

"Nature has made an impenetrable barrier on this side,'^
he continued, pointing down the perpendicular declivity
into the dark current, before he dropped the blanket;
"and as you know that good men and true are on guard
in front, I see no reason why the advice of our honest host
should be disregarded. I am certain Cora will join me in
saying that sleep is necessary to you both."

"Cora may submit to the justice of your opinion,
though she cannot put it in practice,'^ returned the elder
sister, who had placed herself by the side of Alice, on a
couch of sassafras; "there would be other causes to chase
away sleep, though we had been spared the shock of this
mysterious noise. Ask yourself. Hey ward, can daughters
forget the anxiety a father must endure, whose children
lodge, he knows not where or how, in such a wilderness,
and in the midst of so many perils ? "

"He is a soldier, and knows how to estimate the
chances of the woods."

"He is a father, and cannot deny his nature."

"How kind has he ever been to all my follies! how
tender and indulgent to all my wishes ! " sobbed Alice.
"We have been selfish, sister, in urging our visit at such
hazard ! "

"I may have been rash in pressing his consent in a
moment of much embarrassment, but I would have proved
to him, that however others might neglect him in his
strait, his children at least were faithful ! "

"When he heard of your arrival at Edward," said Hey-
ward, kindly, "there was a powerful struggle in his bosom
between fear and love; though the latter, heightened, if
possible, by so long a separation, quickly prevailed. * It
is the spirit of my noble-minded Cora that leads them,
iXmcan,' he said, *and I will not balk it. Would to

64 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

God, that he who holds the honor of our royal master in
his guardianship would show but half her firmness! ' "

"And did he not speak of me, Heyward?" demanded
Alice, with jealous affection. " Surely, he forgot not al-
together his little Elsie ! "

"That were impossible," returned the young man; "he
called you by a thousand endearing epithets, that I may
not presume to use, but to the justice of which I can
warmly testify. Once, indeed, he said " —

Duncan ceased speaking; for while his eyes were riv-
eted on those of Alice, who had turned towards him with
the eagerness of filial affection, to catch his words, the
same ^rong, horrid cry, as before, filled the air, and ren-
dered him mute. A long, breathless silence succeeded,
during which each looked at the others in fearful expecta-
tion of hearing the sound repeated. At length the blan-
ket was slowly raised, and the scout stood in the aperture
with a countenance whose firmness evidently began to give
way, before a mystery that seemed to threaten some dan-
ger, against which all his cunning and experience might
prove of no avaiL

CHAPTEE Vn.

They do not sleep.
On yonder cliffsi a grisly band,
I see them sit.

OsAT, The Bard,

" 'T WOULD be neglecting a warning that is given for
our good, to lie hid any longer," said Hawkeye, "when
such sounds are raised in the forest!^ The gentle ones
may keep close, but the Mohicans and I will watch upon
the rock, where I suppose a major of the 60th would wish
to keep us company."

" Is then our danger so pressing 1 " asked Cora.

"He who makes strange sounds, and gives them not
for man's information, alone knows our danger. I should
think myself wicked, unto rebellion against his will, was
I to burrow with such warnings in the air! Even th«

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 65

weak soul who passes his days in singing is stirred by
the cry, and, as he says, is * ready to go forth to the bat-
tle. ' K 't were only a battle, it would be a thing under-
stood by us all, and easily managed; but I have heard that
when such shrieks are atween heaven and 'arth, it be-
tokens another sort of warfare ! "

"If all our reasons for fear, my friend, are confined
to such as proceed from supernatural causes, we have but
little occasion to be alarmed," continued the undisturbed
Cora; "are you certain that our enemies have not invented
some new and ingenious method to strike us with terror,
that their conquest may become more easy 1 "

" Lady, " returned the scout, solemnly, " I have listened
to all the sounds of the woods for thirty years, as a man
will listen whose life and death depend on the quickness
of his ears. There is no whine of the panther, no whistle
of the cat-bird, nor any invention of the devilish Mingoes,
that can cheat me ! I have heard the forest moan like
mortal men in their affliction; often and again have I
listened to the wind playing its music in the branches of
the girdled trees ; and I have heard the lightning crack-
ling in the air like the snapping of blazing brush, as it
spitted forth sparks and forked flames ; but never have I
thought that I heard more than the pleasure of Him who
sported with the things of his hand. But neither the
Mohicans, nor I, who am a white man without a cross,
can explain the cry just heard. We therefore believe
it a sign given for our good."

"It is extraordinary! " said Hey ward, taking his pistols
from the place where he had laid them on entering ; " be
it a sign of peace or a signal of war, it must be looked to.
Lead the way, my friend; I follow."

On issuing from their place of confinement, the whole
party instantly experienced a grateful renovation of spirits,
by exchanging the pent air of the hiding-place for the cool
and invigorating atmosphere which played around the
whirlpools and pitches of the cataract. A heavy evening
breeze swept along the surface of the river, and seemed
to drive the roar of the falls into the recesses of their own

66 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

^vems, whence it issued heavily and constant, like thun-
der rumbling beyond the distant hills. The moon had
risen, and its light was already glancing here and there on
the waters above them; but the extremity of the rock
where they stood still lay in shadow. With the exception
of the sounds produced by the rushing waters, and an oc-
casional breathing of the air, as it murmured past them in
fitful currents, the scene was as still as night and solitude
could make it. In vain were the eyes of each individual
bent along the opposite shores, in quest of some signs of
life that might explain the nature of the interruption they
had heard. Their anxious and eager looks were baffled
by the deceptive light, or rested only on naked rocks, and
straight and immovable trees.

" Here is nothing to be seen but the gloom and quiet
of a lovely evening," whispered Duncan; "how much
should we prize such a scene, and all this breathing soli-
tude, at any other moment, Cora! Fancy yourselves in
security, and what now, perhaps, increases your terror,
may be made conducive to enjoyment '' —

" Listen ! " interrupted Alice.

The caution was unnecessary. Once more the same
sound arose, as if from the bed of the river, and having
broken out of the narrow boimds of the cliffs, was heard
undulating through the forest, in distant and dying ca-
dences. "Can any here give a name to such a cryV^
demanded Hawkeye, when the last echo was lost in the
woods; "if so, let him speak; for myself, I judge it not
to belong to 'arthi"

"Here, then, is one who can undeceive you," said Dun-
can ; "I know the sound full well, for often have I heard
it on the field of battle, and in situations which are fre-
quent in a soldier's life. 'T is the horrid shriek that a
horse will give in his agony; oftener drawn from him in
pain, though sometimes in terror. My charger is either
a prey to the beasts of the forest, or he sees his danger,
without the power to avoid it. The sound might deceive
me in the cavern, but in the open air I know it too well
k) be wrong."

THE LAST OP THB MOHICANS. 67

The scout and his companions listened to this simple
explanation with the interest of men who imbibe new
ideas at the same time that they get rid of old ones,
which had proved disagreeable inmates. The two latter
uttered their usual and expressive exclamation, " Hugh ! '^
as the truth first glanced upon their minds, while the for-
mer, after a short musing pause, took upon himself to
reply.

"I cannot deny your words," he said; "for I am little
skilled in horses, though born where they abound. The
wolves must be hovering above their heads on the bank,
and the timorsome creatures are calling on man for help,
in the best manner they are able. Uncas " — he spoke in
Delaware — " Uncas, drop down in the canoe, and whirl a
brand among the pack; or fear may do what the wolves
can't get at to perform, and leave us without horses in.
the morning, when we shall have so much need to jour-
ney swiftly ! "

The young native had already descended to the water,
to comply, when a long howl was raised on the edge of
the river, and was borne swiftly off into the depths of the
forest, as though the beasts, of their own accord, were
abandoning their prey in sudden terror. Uncas, with in-
stinctive quickness, receded, and the three foresters held
another of their low, earnest conferences.

"We have been like hunters who have lost the points
of the heavens, and from whom the sun has been hid for
days," said Hawkey e, turning away from his companions;
"now we begin again to know the signs of our course, and
the paths are cleared from briers ! Seat yourselves in the
shade which the moon throws from yonder beech — 'tis
thicker than that of the pines — and let us wait for that
which the Lord may choose to- send next. Let all your
conversation be in whispers; though it would be better,
and perhaps, in the end, wiser, if each one held discourse
with his own thoughts, for a time."

The manner of the scout was seriously impressive,
though no longer distinguished by any signs of unmanly
apprehension. It was evident that his momentary weak-

€S THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

ness had vanished with the explanation of a mystery which
his own experience had not served to fathom; and, though
he now felt all the realities of their actual condition, that
he was prepared to meet them with the energy of his
hardy nature.

This feeling seemed also common to the natives^ who
placed themselves in positions which commanded a full
view of both shores, while their own persons were eflfect-
ually concealed from observation. In such circum ances,
common prudence dictated that Heyward and h cor\-
panions should imitate a caution that proceeded from so
intelligent a source. The young man drew a pile of the
sassafras from the cave, and placing it in the chasm wh?
separated the two caverns, it was occupied by the sister
who were thus protected by the rocks from any missih
while their anxiety was relieved by the assurance that no
danger could approach without a warning. Heyward him-
self was posted at hand, so near that he might commu-
nicate with his companions without raising his voice t
a dangerous elevation, while David, in imitation of the
woodsmen, bestowed his person in such a manner among
the fissures of the rocks, that his ungainly limbs wore no
longer offensive to the eye.

In this manner, hours passed by without further inter-
ruption. The moon reached the zenith, and shed its i-iild
light perpendicularly on the lovely sight of the sisters
slumbering peacefully in each other's arms. Duncan cast
the wide shawl of Cora before a spectacle he so much
loved to contemplate, and then suffered his own head to
seek a pillow on the rock. David began to utter sounds
that would have shocked his delicate organs in more wake-
ful moments ; in short, all but Hawkeye and the Mohicans
lost every idea of consciousness, in uncontrollable drowsi-
ness. But the watchfulness of these vigilant protectors
neither tired nor slumbered. Immovable as that rock of
which each appeared to form a part, they lay, with their
eyes roving, without intermission, along the dark margin
of trees that bounde4 the adjacent' shores of the nar-
fow stream. Not a sound escaped them; the most subtle

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 69

examination could not have told they hreathed. It was
evident that this excess of caution proceeded from an
experience that no subtlety on the part of their enemies
could deceive. It was, however, continued without any
apparent consequences, untH the moon had set, and a pale
streak above the tree-tops, at the bend of the river a little
below, announced the approach of day. Then, for the first
time, Hawkeye was seen to stir. He crawled along the
rock, Tijd shook Duncan from his heavy slumbers.

^ "]^^JW is the time to journey,'' he whispered; "awake
tne goiitle ones, and be ready to get into the canoe when
I bring it to the landing-place."

r^^" Have you had a quiet night 1 '' said Heyward ; " for
. ;,jself, I believe sleep has got the better of my vigilance.''

^o" All is yet still as midnight. Be silent, but be quick. "
, , By this time Duncan was thoroughly awake, and he
immediately lifted the shawl from the sleeping females.
The motion caused Cora to raise her hand as if to repulse
^im, while Alice murmured, in her soft, gentle voice,
**lNo, no, dear father, we were not deserted; Duncan was
with lis!"

"Y5S, sweet innocence," whispered the youth; "Dun-
can is here, and while life continues or danger remains,
he will never quit thee. Cora ! Alice ! awake ! The hour
has ^ome to move ! "

X loud shriek from the younger of the sisters, and the
form of the other standing upright before him, in bewil-
dered horror, was the unexpected answer he received.
While the words were still on the lips of Heyward, there
had arisen such a tumult of yells and cries as served to
drive the swift currents of his own blood back from its
bounding course into the fountains of his heart. It
seemed, for near a minute, as if the demons of hell had
possessed themselves of the air about them, and were
venting their savage humors in barbarous sounds. • The
cries came from no particular direction, though it was evi-
dent they filled the woods, and as the appalled listeners
easily imagined, the caverns of the falls, the rocks, the
bed of the river, and the upper air. David raised his tall

70 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

person in the midst of the infernal din, with a hand on
either ear, exclaiming, "Whence comes this discord? Has
hell hroke loose, that man should utter sounds like these ? "

The bright flashes and the quick reports of a dozen
rifles, from the opposite banks of the stream, followed this
incautious exposure of his person, and left the unfortu-
nate singing-master senseless on that rock where he had
been so long slumbering. The Mohicans boldly sent back
the intimidating yell of their enemies, who raised a shout
of savage triumph at the fall of Gamut. The flash of
rifles was then quick and close between them, but either
party was too well skilled to leave even a limb exposed to
the hostile aim. Duncan listened with intense anxiety for
the strokes of the paddle, believing that flight was now
their only refuge. The river glanced by with its ordinary
velocity, but the canoe was nowhere to be seen on its dark
waters. He had just fancied they were cruelly deserted
by the scout, as a .stream of flame issued from the rock
beneath him, and a fierce yell, blended with a shriek of
agony, announced that the messenger of death, sent from
the fatal weapon of Hawkeye, had found a victim. At
this slight repulse the assailants instantly withdrew, and
gradually the place became as still as before the pudden
tumult.

Duncan seized the favorable moment to spring to the
body of Gamut, which he bore within the shelter of the
narrow chasm that protected the sisters. In another
minute the whole party was collected in this spot of com-
parative safety.

"The poor fellow has saved his scalp," said Hawkeye,
coolly passing his hand over the head of David ; " but he
is a proof that a man may be born with too long a tongue!
'Twas downright madness to show six feet of flesh and
blood, on a naked rock, to the raging savages. I only
wonder he has escaped with life."

"Is he not dead 1 " demanded Cora, in a voice whose
husky tones showed how powerfully natural horror strug-
gled with her assumed firmness. * " Can we do aught to
assist the wretched man ? "

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 71

I

"Noy no ! the life is in his heart yet, and after he has
slept awhile he will come to himself, and be a wiser man
for it, till the hour of his real time shall come," returned
Hawkeye, casting another oblique glance at the insensible
body, while he filled his charger with admirable nicety.
" Carry him in, Uncas, and lay him on the sassafras. The *
longer his nap lasts the better it will be for him, as I
doubt whether he can find a proper cover for such a shape
on these rocks; and singing won't do any good with the
Iroquois."

"You believe, then, the attack will be ^renewed?"
asked Hey ward.

"Do I expect a hungry wolf will satisfy his craving
with a mouthful 1 They have lost a man, and 't is their
•fashion, when they meet a loss, and fail in the surprise,
to fall back; but we shall have them on again, with new
expedients to circumvent us, and master our scalps. Our
main hope, " he continued, raising his rugged countenance,
across which a shade of anxiety just then passed like a
darkening cloud, "will be to keep the rock until Munro
can send a party to our help ! God send it may be soon,
and under a leader that knows the Indian customs ! "

"You hear our probable fortunes, Cora," said Duncan,
"and you know we have everything to hope from the
anxiety and experience of your father. Come, then, with
Alice, into this cavern, where you, at least, will be safe
from the murderous rifles of our enemies, and where you
may bestow a care suited to your gentle natures on our
unfortunate comrade." The sisters followed him into the
outer cave, where David was beginning, by his sighs, to
give symptoms of returning consciousness ; and then com-
mending the wounded man to their attention, he immedi-
ately prepared to leave them.

" Duncan ! " said the tremulous voice of Cora, when he
had reached the mouth of the cavern. He turned, and
beheld the speaker, whose color had changed to a deadly
paleness, and whose lip quivered, gazing after him, with
an expression of interest which immediately recalled him
to her side. "Kemember, Duncan, how necessary your

72 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAN'S.

safety is to our own — -how you bear a father's sacred
trust — how much depends on your discretion and care —
in short,'' she added, while the tell-tale blood stole over
her features, crimsoning her very temples, "how very de-
4 servedly dear you are to all of the name of Munro."
* "If anything could add to my own base love of life,"
said Heyward, suffering his unconscious eyes to wander
to the youthful form of the silent. Alice, "it would be so
kind an assurance. As major of the 60th, our honest host
will tell you I must take my share of the fray; but our
task will be easy; it is merely to keep these bloodhounds
at bay for a few hours." Without waiting for reply, he
tore himself from the presence of the sisters, and joined
the scout and his companions, who still lay within the
protection of the little chasm between the two caves.

"I tell you, Uncas," said the former, as Heyward
joined them, "you are wasteful of your powder, and the
kick of the rifle disconcerts your aim! Little powder,
light lead, and a long arm, seldom fail of bringing the
death screech from a Mingo ! At least, such has been my
experience with the creatures. Come, friends; let us to
our covers, for no man can tell when or where a Maqua^
will strike his blow."

The Indians silently repaired to their appointed stations,
which were fissures in the rocks, whence they could com-
mand the approaches to the foot of the falls. In the cen-
tre of the little island, a few short and stunted pines had
found root, forming a thicket, into which Hawkeye darted
with the swiftness of a deer, followed by the active Dun-
can. Here they secured themselves, as well as circum-
stances would permit, among the shrubs and fragments of
stone that were scattered about the place. Above them
was a bare, rounded rock, on each side of which the water
played its gambols, and plunged into the abysses beneath,
in the manner already described. As the day had now
dawned, the opposite shores no longer presented a confused

^ Mingo was the Delaware term for the Five Nations. Maqnas was
the name given them by the Dutch. The French, from their first inter*
course with them, called them Iroquois.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 73

outline, but they were able to look into the woods, and
distinguish objects beneath the canopy of gloomy pines.

A long and anxious watch . succeeded, but without any
further evidences of a renewed attack; and Duncan began
to hope that their fire had proved more fatal than was
supposed, and that their enemies had been e£Fectually re-
pulsed. When he ventured to utter this impression to
his companion, it was met by Hawkey e with an incredu-
lous shake of the head.

"You know not the nature of a Maqua, if you think
he is so easily beaten back without a scalp ! " he an-
swered. "If there was one of the imps yelling this morn-
ing, there were forty! and they know our number and
quality too well to give up the chase so soon. Hist 1 look
into the water above, just where it breaks over the rocks.
I am no mortal, if the risky devils have n't swam down
apon the very pitch, and, as bad luck would have it, they
have hit the head of the island. Hist! man, keep close I
or the hair will be off your crown in the turning of a
knife ! "

Hey ward lifted his head from the cover, and beheld
what he justly considered a prodigy of rashness and skill.
The river had worn away the edge of the soft rock in such
a manner as to render its first pitch less abrupt and per-
pendicular than is usual at waterfalls. With no other
guide than the ripple of the stream where it met the head
of the island, a party of their insatiable foes had ventured
into the current, and swam down upon this point, know-
ing the ready access it would give, if successful, to their
intended victims. As Hawkeye ceased speaking, four
human heads could be seen peering above a few logs of
driftwood that had lodged on these naked rocks, and
which had probably suggested the idea of the practicability
of the hazardous undertaking. At the next moment, a
fifth form was seen floating over the green edge of the
fall, a little from the line of the island. The savage
struggled powerfully to gain the point of safety, and,
favored by the glancing water, he was already stretching
forth an arm to meet the grasp of his companions, when

74 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

he shot away again with the whirling current, appeared to
rise into the air, with uplifted arms and starting eyeballs,
and fell, with a sullen plunge, into that deep and yawn-
ing abyss over which he hovered. A single, wild, de-
spairing shriek rose from the cavern, and all was hushed
again, as the grave.

The first generous impulse of Ihincan was to rush to
the rescue of the hapless wretch ; but he felt himself bound
to the spot by the iron grasp of the immovable scout.

" Would ye bring certain death upon us, by telling the
Mingoes where we lie ? " demanded Hawkeye, sternly ;
"'tis a charge of powder saved, and ammunition is as
precious now as breath to a worried deer! Freshen the
priming of your pistols — the mist of the falls is apt to
dampen the brimstone — and stand firm for a close strug-
gle, while I fire on their rush."

He placed a finger in his mouth, and drew a long, shrill
whistle, which was answered from the rocks that were
guarded by the Mohicans. Duncan caUght glimpses of
heads above the scattered driftwood, as this signal rose
on the air, but they disappeared again as suddenly as
they had glanced upon his sight. A low, rustling sound
next drew his attention behind him, and turning his head,
he beheld Uncas within a few feet, creeping to his side.
Hawkeye spoke to him in Delaware, when the young chief
took his position with singular caution and undisturbed
coolness. To Heyward this was a moment of feverish
and impatient suspense; though the scout saw fit to select
it as a fit occasion to read a lecture to his more youtliful
associates on the art of using firearms with discretion.

"Of all weapons," he commenced, "the long-barreled,
true-grooved, soft-metaled rifle is the most dangerous in
skillful hands, though it wants a strong arm, a quick eye,
and great judgment in charging, to put forth all its beau-
ties. The gunsmiths can have but little insight into their
trade, when they make their fowling-pieces and short
horsemen's " —

He was interrupted by the low but expressive "Hugh!"
of Uncas.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 76

"I see them, boy, I see them!" continued Hawkeye;
" they are gathering for the rush, or they would keep their
dingy backs below the logs. Well, let them," he added,
examining his flint ; " the leading man certainly comes on
to his death, though it should be Montcalm himself ! "

At that moment the woods were filled with another
burst of cries, and at the signal four savages sprang from
the cover of the drift-wood. Heyward felt a burning de-
sire to rush forward to meet them, so intense was the deli-
rious anxiety of the moment; but he was restrained by
the deliberate examples of the scout and Uncas. When
their foes who leaped over the black rock that divided
them, with long bounds, uttering the wildest yells, were
within a few rods, the rifle of Hawkeye slowly rose among
the shrubs, and poured out its fatal contents. The fore-
most Indian bounded like a stricken deer, and fell head-
long among the clefts of the island.

"Now, Uncas! " cried the scout, drawing his long knife,
while his quick eyes began to flash with ardor, "take the
last of the screeching imps; of the other two we are sar-
tain ! " He was obeyed ; and but two enemies remained
to be overcome. Heyward had given one of his pistols to
Hawkeye, and together they rushed down a little declivity
towards their foes; they discharged their weapons at the
same in&tant, and equally without success.

"I know'd it! and I said it!" muttered the scout,
whirling the despised little implement over the falls with
bitter disdain. " Come on, ye bloody-minded hell-hounds I
ye meet a man without a cross ! "

The words were barely uttered, when he encountered a
savage of gigantic stature, and of the fiercest mien. At
the same moment, Duncan found himself engaged with
the other, in a similar contest of hand to hand. With
ready skill, Hawkeye and his antagonist each grasped that
uplifted arm of the other which held the dangerous knife.
For near a minute they stood looking one another in the
eye, and gradually exerting the power of their muscles for
the mastery. At length, t4ie toughened sinews of the
white man prevailed over the less practiced limbs of the

76 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

native. The arm of the latter slowly gave way before the
increasing force of the scout, who, suddenly wresting his
armed hand from the grasp of the foe, drove the sharp
weapon through his naked bosom to the heart. In the
mean time Heyward had been pressed in a more deadly
struggle. His slight sword was snapped in the first en-
counter. As he was destitute of any other means of de-
fense, his safety now depended entirely on bodily strength
and resolution. Though deficient in neither of these
qualities, he had met an enemy every way his equal
Happily, he soon succeeded in disarming his adversary,
whose knife fell on the rock at their feet; and from this
moment it became a fierce struggle, who should cast the
other over the dizzy height into a neighboring cavern of
the fails. Every successive struggle brought them nearer
to the verge, where Ihincan perceived the final and con- ,
quering effort must be made. Each of the combatants
Uirew all his energies into that effort, and the result was,
that both tottered on the brink of the precipice. Hey-
ward felt the grasp of the other at his throat, and saw the
grim smile the savage gave, under the revengeful hope
that he hurried his enemy to a fate similar to his own, as
he felt his body slowly yielding to a resistless power, and
the young man experienced the passing agony of such a
moment in all its horrors. At that instant of extreme
danger, a dark hand and glancing knife appeared before
him; the Indian released his hold, as the blood flowed
freely from around the severed tendons of the wrist ; and
while Ihincan was drawn backward by the saving arm of
XJncas, his charmed eyes were still riveted on the fierce
and disappointed countenance of his foe, who fell sullenly
and disappointed down the irrecoverable precipice.

" To cover ! to cover ! " cried Hawkeye, who just then
had dispatched the enemy ; "to cover, for your lives ! the
work is but half ended ! "

The young Mohican gave a shout of triumph, and, iol-
lowed by Duncan, he glided' up the acclivity they had
descended to the combat, and sought the friendly sheltei
of the rocks and shrubs.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. » 79

a

CHAPTEE VUL

They linger yet,

Avengers of their natire land.

Gbat, The Sard,

The warning call of the scout was not uttered without
occasion. During the occurrence of the deadly encounter
just related, the roar of the falls was unhroken hy any
human sound whatever. It would seem that interest in
the resiilt had kept the natives on the opposite shores in
hreathless suspense, while the quick evolutions and swift
changes in the positions of the cpmhatants effectually pre-
vented a fire that might prove dangerous alike to friend
and enemy. But the moment the struggle was decided, a
yell arose as fierce and savage as wild and revengeful pas-
sions could throw into the air. It was followed hy the
swift flashes of the rifles, which sent their leaden messen-
gers across the rock in volleys, as though the assailants
would pour out their impotent fury on the insensihle scene
of the fatal contest.

A steady, though deliherate return was made from
the rifle of Chingachgook, who had maintained his post
throughout the fray with unmoved resolution. When the
triumphant shout of Uncas was borne to his ears, the
gratified father raised his voice in a single responsive cry,
after which his busy piece alone proved that he still
guarded his pass with unwearied diligence. In this man-
ner many minutes flew by with the swiftness of thought':
the rifles of the assailants speaking, at times, in rattling
volleys, and at others, in occasional, scattering shots.
Though the rock, the trees, and the shrubs were cut and
torn in a hundred places around the besieged, their cover
was so close, and so rigidly maintained, that as yet
David had been the only sufl'erer in their little band.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

*Let them bum their powder," said the deliberate
out, while bullet after bullet whizzed by the place where
le securely lay; "there will be a fine gathering of lead
when it is over, and I fancy the imps will tire of the
sport, afore these old stones ciy out for mercy ! Uncas,
boy, you waste the kernels by overcharging: and a kick-
ing rifle never carries a true bullet. I told you to take
that loping miscreant under the line of white paint; now,
if your bullet went a hair's breadth, it went two inches
above it. The life lies low in a Mingo, and humanity
teaches us to make a quick end of the sarpents."

A quiet smile lighted the haughty features of the young
Mohican, betraying his knowledge of the English language,
as well as of the other's meaning; but he suffered it to
pass away without vindication or reply.

"I cannot permit you to accuse Uncas of want of judg-
ment or of skill," said Duncan: "he saved my life in the
coolest and readiest manner, and he has made a friend
who never will require to be reminded of the debt he
owes."

Uncas partly raised his body, and offered his hand to
the grasp of Heyward. During this act of friendship, the
two young men exchanged looks of intelligence which
caused Duncan to forget the character and condition of his
wild associate. In the mean while, Hawkeye, who looked
on this burst of youthful feeling with a cool but kind re-
gard, made the following reply : —

"Life is an obligation which friends often owe each
other in the wilderness. I dare say I may have served
Uncas some such turn myself before now ; and I very well
remember that he has stood between me and death five
different times: three times from the Mingoes, once in
crossing Horican, and " —

"That bullet was better aimed than common!" ex-
claimed Duncan, involuntarily shrinking from a shot which
struck the rock at his side with a smart rebound.

Hawkeye laid his hand on the shapeless metal, and
shook his head, as he examined it, saying, " Falling lead
is never flattened ! had it come from the clouds this might

ve happened 1 "

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 79

But the rifle of XJncas was deliberately raised towards
the heavens, directing the eyes of his companions to a
point where the mystery was immediately explained. A
ragged oak grew on the right bank of the river, nearly
opposite to their position-, which, seeking the freedom of
the open space, had inclined so far forward, that its upper
branches overhung that arm of the stream which flowed
nearest to its own shore. Among the topmost leaves,
which scantily concealed the gnarled and stunted limbs,
a savage was nestled, partly concealed by the trunk of the
tree, and partly exposed, as though looking down upon
them to ascertain the effect produced by his treacherous
aim.

"These devils will scale heaven to circumvent us to
our ruin," said Hawkey e; "keep him in play, boy, until
I can bring * Killdeer * to bear, when we will try his
metal on each side of the tree at once."

Uncas delayed his fire until the scout uttered the word.
The rifles flashed, the leaves and bark of the oak flew into
the air, and were scattered by the wind, but the Indian
answered their assault by a taunting laugh, sending down
upon them another bullet in return, that struck the cap
of Hawkeye from his head. Once more the savage yells
burst out of the woods, and the leaden hail whistled above
the heads of the besieged, as if to confine them to a place
where they might become easy victims to the enterprise of
the warrior who had mounted the tree.

"This must be looked to!" said the scout, glancing
about him with an anxious eye. "Uncas, call up your
father; we have need of all our weapons to bring the cun-
nmg varment from his roost."

The signal was instantly given; and, before Hawkeye
had reloaded his rifle, they were joined by Chingachgook.
When his son pointed out to the experienced warrior the
situation of their dangerous enemy, the usual exclamatory
•*Hugh!" burst from his lips; after which, no further
expression of surprise or alarm was suffered to escape him.
Hawkeye and the Mohicans conversed earnestly together
in Delaware for a few moments, when each quietly took

80 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS:

his post, in order to execute the plan they had speedily
devised.

The warrior in the oak had maintained a quick, though
ineffectual fire, from the moment of his discovery. But
his aim was interrupted hy the "vigilance of his enemies^
whose rifles instantaneously bore on any part of his person
that was left exposed. Still his bullets fell in the centre
of the crouching party. The clothes of Heyward, which
rendered him peculiarly conspicuous, were repeatedly cut,
and once blood was drawn from a slight wound in his
arm.

At length, emboldened by the long and patient watch-
fulness of his enemies, the Huron attempted a better and
more fatal aim. The quick eyes of the Mohicans caught
the dark line of. his lower limbs incautiously exposed
through the thin foliage, a few inches from the trunk of
the tree. Their rifles made a common report, when, sink-
ing on his wounded limb, part of the body of the savage
came into view. Swift as thought, Hawkeye seized the
advantage, and discharged his fatal weapon into the top
of the oak. The leaves were unusually agitated ; the dan-
gerous rifle fell from its commanding elevation, and after
a few moments of vain struggling, the form of the savage
was seen swinging in the wind, while he still grasped a
ragged and naked branch of the tree, with hands clenched
in desperation.

" Give him — in pity give him the contents of another
rifle!" cried Duncan, turning away his eyes in horror
from the spectacle of a fellow-creature in such awful jeop-
ardy.

"Not a kamel!" exclaimed the obdurate Hawkeye;
"his death is certain, and we have no powder to spare,
for Indian fights sometimes last for days; "'tis their
scalps or ours ! — and God, who made us, has put into our
natures the craving to keep the skin on the head ! "

Against this stem and unyielding morality, supported
as it was by such visible policy, there was no appeal.
From that moment the yells in the forest once more ceased,
the fire was suffered to declinci and all eyes, those of

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 81

friends as well as enemies, became fixed on the hopeless
condition of the wretch who was dangling between heaven
and earth. The body yielded to the currents of air, and
though no murmur or groan escaped the victim, there
were instants when he grimly faced his foes, and the an-
guish of cold despair might be traced, through the inter-
vening distance, in possession of his swarthy lineaments.
Three several .times the scout raised his piece in mercv,
and as often prudence getting the better of his intention,
it was again silently lowered. At length one hand of the
Huron lost its hold, and dropped exhausted to his side.
A desperate and fruitless struggle to recover the branch
succeeded, and then the savage was seen for a fleeting
instant, grasping wildly at the empty air. The lightning
is not quicker than was the flame from the rifle of Hawk-
eye; the limbs of the victim trembled and contracted, the
head fell to the bosom, and the body parted the foaming
water like lead, when the element closed above it, in its
ceaseless velocity, and every vestige of the unhappy Huton
was lost forever.

No shout of triumph succeeded this important advan-
tage, but even the Mohicans gazed at each other in silent
horror. A single yell burst from the woods, and all was
again still. Hawkeye, who alone appeared to reason on
the occasion, shook his head at his own momentary weak-
ness, even uttering his self-disapprobation aloud.

" 'T was the last charge in my horn, and the last bullet
in my pouch, and 't was the act of a boy ! " he said;
"what mattered it whether he struck the rock living or
dead! feeling would soon be over. Uncas, lad, go down
to the canoe, and bring up the big horn ; it is all the pow-
der we have left, and we shall need it to the last grain,
or I am ignorant of the Mingo nature."

The young Mohican complied, leaving the scout turn-
ing over the useless contents of his pouch, and shaking
the empty horn with renewed discontent. From this un-
satisfactory examination, however, he was soon called by
» loud and piercing exclamation from Uncas, that sounded,
sven to the unpracticed ears of Duncan, as the signal oi

82 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

some new and unexpected calamity. Every thought filled
with apprehension for the precious treasure he had con-
cealed in the cavern, the young man started to his feet,
totally regardless of the hazard he incurred hy such an ex-
posure. As if actuated by a common impulse, his move-
ment was imitated by his companions, and, together, they
rushed down the pass to the friendly chasm, with a rapidity
that rendered the scattering fire of their enemies perfectly
harmless. The unwonted cry had brought the sisters, to-
gether with the wounded David, from their place of re-
fuge; and the whole party, at a single glance, was made
acquainted with the nature of the disaster that had dis-
turbed even the practiced stoicism of their youthful Indiau
protector.

At a short distance from the rock, their little bark wa^
to be seen floating across the eddy, towards the swift cur-
rent of the river, in a manner which proved that its course
was directed by some hidden agent. The instant this un-
welcome sight caught the eye of the scout, his rifle was
leveled as by instinct, but the barrel gave no answer to
the bright sparks of the flint.

"'Tis too late, 'tis too late!" Hawkeye exclaimed,
dropping the useless piece in bitter disappointment; "the
miscreant has struck the rapid; and had we powder, it
could hardly send the lead swifter than he now goes ! "

The adventurous Huron raised his head above the shel-
ter of the canoe, and while it glided swiftly down the
stream, he waved his hand, and gave forth the shout,
which was the known signal of success. His cry was
answered by a yell and a laugh from the woods, as taunt-
ingly exulting as if fifty demons were uttering their blas-
phemies at the fall of some Christian soul.

" Well may you laugh, ye children of the devil ! " said
the scout, seating himself on a projection of the rock, and
sufl^ering his gun to fall neglected at his feet, "for the
three quickest and truest rifles in these woods are no bet-
ter than so many stalks of mullein, or the last year's horns
of a buck ! "

" What is to be done ^ " demanded Duncan, losing the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 83

first feeling of disappointment in a more manly desire foi
exertion ; " what will become of us ? "

Hawkeye made no other reply than by passing his fin-
ger around the crown of his head, in a manner so signifi-
cant, that none who witnessed the action could mistake
its meaning.

" Surely, surely, our case is not so desperate ! '' ex-
claimed the youth; "the Hurons are not here; we ipMf
make good the caverns; we may oppose their landing."

"With what?'' coolly demanded the scout. "The ar-
rows of Uncas, or such tears as women shed! No, no;
you are young, and rich, and have friends, and at such an
age I know it^is hard to die! But," glancing his eyes at
the Mohicans, "let us remember we are men without a
cross, and let us teach these natives of tlreriofest^that
IrKiteblood can run as freely as red, when the appointed
hour is come."

Duncan turned quickly in the direction indicated 1^*
the other's eyes, and read a confirmation of his worst ap-
prehensions in the conduct of the Indians. Chingachgook,
placing himself in ai dignified posture on another fragment
of the rock, had already laid aside his knife and toma-
hawk, and was in the act of taking the eagle's plume from
his head, and smoothing the solitary tuft of hair in readi-
ness to perform its last arid revolting office. His counte-
nance was composed, though thoughtful, while his dark
gleaming eyes were gradually losing the fierceness of the
combat in an expression better suited to the change he
expected momentarily to undergo.

" Our case is not, cannot be so hopeless ! " said Dun-
can ; " even at this very moment succor may be at hand.
I see no enemies! they have sickened of a struggle in
which they risk so much with so little prospect of gain ! "

"It may be a minute, or it may be an hour, afore the
wily sarpents steal upon us, and it is quite in natur' foi
them to be lying within hearing at this very moment, "
Baid Hawkeye; "but come they will, and in such a fash-
ion as will leave us nothing to hope ! Chingachgook " — .
tie spoke in Delaware — "my brother, we have fought oia

84 THE LAST OF THET MOHICAKS.

last battle together, and the Maquas will triumph in the
de^ith of the sage man of the Mohicans, and of the pale-
face whose eyes can make night as day, and level the
clouds to the mists of the springs^ "

"Let the Mingo women go weep over their slain!'' re-
turned the Indian, with characteristic pride and unmoved
firmness; "the Great Snake of the Mohicans has coiled
hin^elf in their wigwams, and has poisoned their triumph
with the wailings of children, whose fathers have not re-
turned! Eleven warriors lie hid from the graves of their
tribes since the snows have melted, and none will tdl
where to find them when the tongue of Chingachgook shall
be silent ! Let them draw the sharpest knife, and whirl
the swiftest tomahawk, for their bitterest enemy is in
their hands. Uncas, topmost branch of a noble trunk,
call on the cowards to hasten or their hearts will soften,
and they will change to women ! "

" They look among the fishes for their dead ! " returned
the low, soft voice of the youthful chieftain; "the Hurons
float with the slimy eels ! They drop from the oaks like
fruit that is ready to be eaten ! and the Delawares laugh ! "

"Aye, aye," muttered the scout, who had listened to
this peculiar burst of the natives with deep attention;
"they have warmed their Ladian feelings, and they'll
soon provoke the Maquas Uy give them a speedy end. As
for me, who am of the whole blood of the whites, it is
befitting that I should die as becomes my color, with no
words of scoffing in my mouth, and without bitterness at
the heart ! "

" Why die at all ! " said Cora, advancing from the place
where natural horror had, until this moment, held her
riveted to the rock; "the path is open on every side; fly,
then, to the woods, and call on Grod for succor. Go, brave
men, we owe you too much already; let us no longer in-
volve you in our hapless fortunes ! "

"You but little know the craft of the Iroquois, lady,
if you judge they have left the path open to the woods ! ''
returned Hawkeye, who, however, immediately added in
his simplicity, "the down stream current, it is certain»

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 85

might soon sweep us beyond the reach of their rifles or
the sounds of their voices."

"Then try the river. Why linger to add to the num-
ber of the victims of our merciless enemies 1 "

"Why," repeated the scout, looking about him proudly,
"because it is better for a man to .die at peace with him-
self than to live haunted by an evil conscience! What
answer could we give Munro, when he asked us where and
how we left his children ? "

"Gro to him, and say that you left them with a mes-
sage to hasten to their aid," returned Cora, advancing
nigher to the scout, in her generous ardor; "that the
Hurons tear them into the northern wilds, but that by
vigilance and speed they may yet be rescued; and if, after
all, it should please heaven that his assistance come too
late, bear to him," she continued, her voice gradually low-
ering, until it seemed nearly choked, " the love, the bless-
ings, the final prayers of his daughters, and bid him not
mourn their early fate, but to look forward with humble
confidence to the Christian's goal to meet his children."

The hard, weather-beaten features of the scout began
to work, and when she had ended, he dropped his chin
to his hand, like a man musing profoundly on the nature
of the proposal.

" There is reason in her words ! " at length broke from
his compressed and trembling lips; "aye, and they bear
the spirit of Christianity; what might be right and proper
in a red-skin, may be sinful in a man who has not even
a cross in blood to plead for his ignorance, Chingachgook !
Uncas I hear you the talk of the dark-eyed woman I "

He now spoke in Delaware to his companions, and his
address, though calm and deliberate, seemed very decided.
The elder Mohican heard him with deep gravity, and ap-
peared to ponder on his words, as though he felt the im-
portance of their import. After a moment of hesitation,
he waved his hand in assent, and uttered the English
word " Good ! " with the peculiar emphasis of his people.
Then, replacing his knife and tomahawk in his girdle, the
warrior moved' silently to the edge of the rock which was

86 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

most concealed from the banks of the river. Here he
paused a moment, pointed significantly to .the woods below,
and saying a few words in his own language, as if indicat-
ing his intended route, he dropped into the water, and
sank from before the eyes of the witnesses of his move-
ments.

The scout delayed his departure to speak to the gener-
ous girl, whose breathing became lighter as she saw the
success of her remonstrance.

"Wisdom is sometimes given to the young, as well as
to the old," he said; "and what you have spoken is wise,
not to call it by a better word. If you are led into the
woods, that is, such of you as may be spared for a while,
break the twigs on the bushes as you pass, and make the
marks of your trail as broad as you can, when, if mortal
eyes can see them, depend on having a friend who will
follow to the ends of 'arth afore he desarts you."

He gave Cora an affectionate shake of the hand, lifted
his rifie, and after regarding it a moment with melancholy
solicitude, laid it carefully aside, and descended to the place
where Chingachgook had just disappeared. For an instant
he hung suspended by the rock; and looking about him,
with a countenance of peculiar care, he added bitterly,
" Had the powder held out, this disgrace could never have
befallen ! " then, loosening his hold, the water closed
above his head, and he also became lost to view.

All eyes were now turned on Uncas, who stood leaning
against the ragged rock, in immovable composure. After
waiting a short time, Cora pointed down the river, and
said: —

"Your friends have not been seen, and are now, most
probably, in safety ; is it not time for you to follow ? "

"Uncas will stay," the young Mohican calmly answered
in English.

"To increase the horror of our capture, and to dimir.ish
the chances of our release! Go, generous young man,"
Cora continued, lowering her eyes under the gaze of the
Mohican, and, perhaps, with an intuitive consciousness of
her power; "go to my father, as I have said, and be the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 87

most confidential of my messengers. Tell him to trust
you with the means to buy the freedom of his daughters.
Go ! 't is my wish, 't is my prayer, that you will go ! "

The settled, calm look of the young chief changed to
an expression of gloom, but he no longer hesitated. With
a noiseless step he crossed the rock, and dropped into the
troubled stream. Hardly a breath was drawn by those he
left behind, until they caught a glimpse of his head emerg-
ing for air, far down the current, when he again sank,
and was seen no more.

These sudden and apparently successful experiments
had all taken place in a few minutes of that time which
had now become so precious. After the last look at Uu'
cas, Cora turned, and, with a quivering lip, addressed
herself to Hey ward : —

"I have heard of your boasted skill in the water, too,
Duncan,'' she said; "follow, then, the wise example set
you by these simple and faithful beings. "

"Is such the faith that Cora Munro would exact from
Ler protector?" said the young man, smiling mournfully,
but with bitterness.

"This is not a time for idle subtleties and false opin-
ions," she answered; "but a moment when every duty
should be equally considered. To us you can be of no
further service here, but your precious life may be saved
for other and nearer friends. "

He made no reply, though his eyes fell wistfully on the
Tieautiful form of Alice, who was clinging to his arm with
the dependency of an infant.

"Consider," continued Cora, after a pause, during which
she seemed to struggle with a pang even more acute than
any that her fears had excited, " that the worst to us can
bo but death ; a tribute that all must pay at the good time
oi' God's appointment."

"There are evils worse than death," said Duncan, speak-
ing hoarsely, and as if fretful at her importunity, "but
which the presence of one who would die in your behalf
may avert."

Cora ceased her entreaties; and, veiling her face in hex

88 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

shawl, drew the nearly insensihle Alice after her into the
deepest recess of the inner cavern.

CHAPTEE DL

Begayseooiely;
I>iapel, my fair, with smiles, the tim'roos clouds,
That hang on thy clear brow.

Death of Agrippina,

The sudden and almost magical change, from the stir-
ring incidents of the combat to the stillness that now reigned
around him, acted on the heated imagination of Heyward
like some exciting dream. While all the images and
events he had witnessed remained deeply impressed on his
memory, he felt a difficulty in persuading himself of their
truth. Still ignorant of the fate of those who had trusted
to the aid of the swift current, he at first listened intently
for any signal, or sounds of alarm, which might announce
the good or evil fortune of their hazardous undertaking.
His attention was, however, bestowed in vain; for, with
the disappearance of Uncas, every sign of the adventurers
had been lost, leaving him in total uncertainty of their
fate.

In a moment of such painful doubt, Duncan did not
hesitate to look about him, without consulting that protec-
tion from the rocks which just before had been so neces-
sary to his safety. Every effort, however, to detect the
least evidence of the approach of their hidden enemies,
was as fruitless as the inquiry after his late companions.
The wooded banks of the river seemed again deserted by
everything possessing animal life. The uproar which had
so lately echoed through the vaults of the forest was gone,
leaving the rush of the waters to swell and sink on the
currents of the air, in the unmingled sweetness of nature.
A fish-hawk, which, secure on the topmost branches of a
dead pine, had been a distant spectator of the fray, now
stooped from his high and ragged perch, and soared, in
wide sweeps^ above his prey; while a jay, whose noisy

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 89

Toice had been stilled by the hoarser cries of the savages,
ventured again to open his discordant throat, as though
once more in undisturbed possession of his wild domains.
Duncan -caught from these natural accompaniments of the
solitary scene a glimmering of hope; and he began to rally
his faculties to renewed exertions, with something like a
reviving confidence of success.

"The Hurons are not to be seen," he said, addressing
David, who had by no means recovered from the effects of
the stunning blow he had received; "let us conceal our-
selves in the cavern, and trust the rest to Providence.''

" I remember to have united with two comely maidens,
in lifting up our voices in praise and thanksgiving," re-
turned the bewildered singing-master; "since which time
I have been visited by a heavy judgment for my sins. I
have been mocked with the likeness of sleep, while sounds
of discord have rent my ears, such as, might manifest the
fullness of time, and that nature had forgotten her har-
mony. "

"Poor fellow! thine own period was, in truth, near its
accomplishment! But arouse, and come with me; I will
lead you where all other sounds but those of your own
psalmody shall be excluded."

"There is melody in the fall of the cataract, and the
rushing of many waters is sweet to the senses ! " said
David, pressing his hand confusedly on his brow. "Is
not the air yet filled with shrieks and cries, as though the
departed spirits of the damned " —

"Not now, not now," interrupted the impatient Hey-
ward, "they have ceased; and they who raised them, I
trust in God they are gone too I everything but the water
is still and at peace ; in, then, where you may create those
sounds you love so well to hear."

David smiled sadly, though not without a momentary
gleam of pleasure, at this allusion to his beloved vocation.
He no longer hesitated to be led to a spot which promised
such unalloyed gratification to his wearied senses; and,
leaning on the arm of his companion, he entered the nar-
TOW mouth of the cave. Duncan seized a pile of the sas-

90 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANa

Rafras, which he drew before the passage, studiously con-
cealing every appearance of an aperture. Within this
fragile barrier he arranged the blankets abandoned by the
foresters, darkening the inner extremity of the cavern,
while its outer received a chastened light from the narrow
ravine, through which one arm of the river rushed, to
form the junction with its sister branch, a few rods below.

'* I like not that principle of the natives,, which teaches
them to submit without a struggle, in emergencies that
appear desperate, '' he said, while busied in this employ-
ment; "our own maxim, which says, * While life remains
there is hope,' is more consoling, and better suited to
a soldier's temperament. To you, Cora, 1 will urge no
words of idle encouragement; your own fortitude and un-
disturbed reason will teach you all that may become your
sex ; but cannot we dry the tears of that trembling weeper
on your bosom 1 "

" I am calmer, Duncan, " said Alice, raising herself from
the arms of her sister, and forcing an appearance of com-
posure through her tears; "much calmer, now. Surely,
in this hidden spot we are safe, we are secret, free from
injury; we will hope everything from those generous men
who have risked so much already in our behalf."

"Now does our gentle Alice speak like a daughter of
Munro ! " said Hey ward, pausing to press her hand as he
passed towards the outer entrance of the cavern. "With
two such examples of courage before him, a man would be
ashamed to prove other than a hero." He then seated
himself in the centre of the cavern, grasping his remain-
ing pistol with a hand convulsively clenched, while his
contracted and frowning eye announced the sullen despera-
tion of his purpose. "The Hurons, if they come, may
not gain our position so easily as they think," he lowly
muttered; and dropping his head back against the rock,
he seemed to await the result in patience, though his gaze
was unceasingly bent on the open avenue to their place of
retreat.

With the last sound of his voice, a deep, a long, and
almost breathless silence succeeded. The fresh air of the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 91

morning had penetrated the recess, and its influence was
gradually felt on the spirits of its inmates. As minute
after minute passed by, leaving them in undisturbed secu-
rity, the insinuating feeling of hope was gradually gaining
possession* of every bosom, though each one felt reluctant
to give utterance to expectations that the next moment
might so fearfully destroy.

David alone formed an exception to these varying emo-
tions. A gleam of light from the opening crossed his wan
countenance, . and fell upon the pages of the little volume,
whose leaves he was again occupied in turning, as if search-
ing for some song more fitted to their condition than any
that had yet met his eye. He was, most probably, acting
all this time under a confused recollection of the promised
consolation of Duncan. At length, it would seem, his
patient industry found its reward; for, without explana-
tion or apology, he pronounced aloud the words "Isle of
Wight," drew a long, sweet sound from his pitch-pipe,
and then ran through the preliminary modulations of the
air, whose name he had just mentioned, with the sweeter
tones of his own musical voice.

*^ May not this prove dangerous ? " asked Cora, glancing
her dark eye at Major Hey ward.

" Poor fellow ! his voice is too feeble to be heard amid
the din of the falls," was the answer; "besides, the cav-
ern w^ill prove his friend. Let him indulge his passion,
since it may be done without hazard."

" Isle of Wight ! " repeated David, looking about him
with that dignity with which he had long been wont to
silence the whispering echoes of his school; "'tis a brave
tune, and set to solemn words; let it be sung with meet
respect ! "

After allowing a moment of stillness to enforce his dis-
cipline, the voice of the singer was heard, in low, mur-
muring syllables, gradually stealing on the ear, until it
filled the narrow vault with sounds rendered trebly thrill-
ing by the feeble and tremulous utterance produced by his
debility. The melody, which no weakness could destroy,
gradually wrought its sweet influence on the senses of

92 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

those who heard it. It even prevailed over the miserable
travesty of the song of David which "the singer had se-
lected from a volume of similar effusions, and caused the
sense to be forgotten in the insinuating harmony of the
sounds. Alice unconsciously dried her tears, and bent
her melting eyes on the pallid features of Gamut, with an
expression of chastened delight that she neither affected
nor wished to conceal. Cora bestowed an approving smile
on the pious efforts of the namesake of the Jewish prince,
and Hey ward soon turned his steady, stem look from the
outlet of the cavern, to fasten it, with a milder character,
on the face of David, or to meet the wandering beams
which at moments strayed from the humid eyes of Alice.
The open sympathy of the listeners stirred the spirit of
the votary of music, whose voice regained its richness and
volume, without losing that touching softness which proved
its secret charm. Exerting his renovated powers to their
utmost, he was yet filling the arches of the cave with long
anct full tones, when a yell burst into the air without, that
instantly stilled his pious strains, choking his voice sud-
denly, as though his heart had literally bounded into the
passage of his throat.

" We are lost ! '^ exclaimed Alice, throwing herself into
the arms of Cora.

"Not yet, not yet," returned the agitated but undaunted
Hey ward; "the sound came from the centre of the island,
and it has been produced by the sight of their dead com-
panions. "We are not yet discovered, and there is still
hope. "

Paint and almost despairing as was the prospect of es-
cape, the words of IXincan were not thrown away,' for it
awakened the powers of the sisters in such a manner thai
they awaited the result in silence. A second yell soor
followed the first, when a rush of voices was heard pou^
ing down the island, from its upper to its lower extremity,
until they reached the naked rock above the caverns,
where, after a shout of savage triumph, the air continued
full of horrible cries and screams, such as man alone can
utter, and he only when in a state of the fiercest barbarity.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 93

The sounds quickly spread around them in every direc-
tion. Some called to their fellows from the water's edge,
and were answered from the heights ahove. Cries were
heard in. the startling vicinity of the chasm between the
two caves, which mingled with hoarser yells that arose out
of the abyss of the deep ravine. In short, so rapidly had
the savage sounds diffused themselves over the barren
rock, that it was not dilSicult for the anxious listeners to
imagine they could be heard beneath, as in truth they
were above and on every side of them.

In the midst of this tumult, a triumphant yell was
raised within a few yards of the hidden entrance to the
cave. Heyward abandoned every hope, with the belief it
was the signal that they were discovered. Again the
impression passed away, as he heard the voices collect near
the spot where the white man had so reluctantly aban-
doned his rifle. Amid the jargon of the Indian dialects
that he now plainly heard, it was easy to distinguish not
only words, but sentences, in «the pa(.ois of the Canadas.
A burst of voices had shouted simultaneously, " La Longue
Carabine ! " causing the opposite woods to reecho with a
name which, Heyward well remembered, had been given
by his enemies to a celebrated hunter and scout of the
English camp, and who, he now learnt for the first time,
had been his late companion.

"La Longue Carabine! La Longue Carabine ! " passed
from mouth to mouth, until the whole band appeared to
be collected around a trophy which would seem to an-
nounce the death of its formidable owner. After a voci-
ferous consultation, which was, at times, deafened by
bursts of savage joy, they again separated, filling the air
with the name of a foe whose body, Heyward could col-
lect from their expressions, they hoped to find concealed
in some crevice of the island.

"Now," he whispered to the trembling sisters, "now is
the moment of uncertainty ! if our place of retreat escape
this scrutiny, we are still safe! In every event, we are
assured, by what has fajlen from our enemies, that our
friends have escaped, and in two short houra we may look
for succor from Webb."

94 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

•

There were now a few minutes of fearful stillness, dur-
ing which Heyward well knew that the savages conducted
their search with greater vigilance and method. More
than once he could distinguish their footsteps, as they
brushed the sassafras, causing the faded leaves to rustle,
and the branches to snap. At length, the pile yielded a
little, a comer of a blanket fell, and a faint ray of light
gleamed into the inner part of the cave. Cora folded
Alice to her bosom in agony, and Duncan sprang to his
feet. A shout was at that moment heard, as if issuing
from the centre of the rock, announcing that the neighbor-
ing cavern had at length been entered. In a minute, the
number and loudness of the voices indicated that the
whole party was collected in and around that secret place.

As the inner passages to the two caves were so close to
each other, Duncan, believing that escape was no longer
possible, passed David and the sisters, to place himself
between the latter and the first onset of the terrible meet-
ing. Grown desperate by'his situation, he drew nigh the
slight barrier which separated him only by a few feet from
his relentless pursuers, and placing his face to the casual
opening, he even looked out, with a sort of desperate in-
difference, on their movements.

"Within reach of his arm was the brawny shoulder of a
gigantic Indian, whose deep and authoritative voice ap-
peared to give directions to the proceedings of his fellows.
Beyond him again, Duncan could look into the vault op-
posite, which was filled with savages, upturning and rifling
the humble furniture of the scout. The wound of David
had dyed the leaves of sassafras with a color that the na-
tives well knew was anticipating the season. Over this
sign of their success, they set up a howl, like an opening
from so many hounds who had recovered a lost trail.
After this yell of victory, they tore up the fragrant bed
of the cavern, and bore the branches into the chasm, scat-
tering the boughs, as if they suspected them of concealing
•.the person of the man they had so long hated and feared.
One fierce and wild-looking warrior approached the chief,
b6aring a load of the brush, and pointing, exultingly, to

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 95

the deep red stains with which it was sprinkled, uttered
his joy in Indian yells, whose meaning Hey ward was only
enabled to comprehend by the frequent repetition of the
name of " La Longue Carabine ! " When his triumph had
ceased, he cast the brush on the slight heap that Duncan
had made before the entrance of the second cavern, and
closed the view. His example was followed by others,
who, as they drew the branches from the cave of the.
scout, threw them into one pile, adding, unconsciously, to
the security of those they sought. The very slightness of
the defense was its chief merit, for no one thought of dis-
turbing a mass of brush, which all of them believed, in
that moment of hurry and confusion, had been accidentally
raised by the hands of their own party.

As the blankets yielded before the outward pressure,
and the branches settled in the fissure of the rock by their
own weight, forming a compact body, Duncan once more
breathed freely. With a light step, and lighter heart, he
returned to the centre of the cave, and took the place he
had left, where he could command a view of the opening
next the river. While he was in the act of making this
movement, the Indians, as if changing their purpose by
a common impulse, broke away from the chasm in a body,
and were heard rushing up the island again, towards the
point whence they had originally descended. Here an-
other wailing cry betrayed that they were again collected
around the bodies of their dead comrades.

Duncan now ventured to look at his companions; for,
during the most critical moments of their danger, he had
been apprehensive that the anxiety of his countenance
might communicate some additional alarm to those who
were so little able to sustain it.

"They are gone. Coral" he whispered; "Alice, they
are returned whence they came, and we are saved ! To
Heaven, that has alone delivered us from the grasp of so
merciless an enemy, be all the praise ! "

"Then to Heaven will I return my thanks! " exclaimed
the younger sister, rising from the encircling arms of Cora,
and casting herself with enthusiastic gratitude on the

96 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

naked rock; "to that Heaven who has spared the tears of
a gray-headed father; has saved the lives of those I so
much love " —

Both Heyward and the more tempered Cora witnessed
the act of involuntary emotion with powerful sympathy,
the former secretly believing that piety had never worn a
form so lovely as it had now assumed in the youthful per-
son of Alice. Her eyes were radiant with the glow of
grateful feelings; the flush of her beauty was again seated
on her cheeks, and her whole soul seemed ready and anx-
ious to pour out its thanksgivings, through the medium
of her eloquent features. But when her lips moved, the
words they should have uttered appeared frozen by some
new and sudden chill. Her bloom gave place to the pale-
ness of' death; her soft and melting eyes grew hard, and
seemed contracting with horror; while those hands which
she had raised, clasped in each other, towards heaven,
dropped in horizontal lines before her, the fingers pointed
forward in convulsed motion. Heyward turned, the in-
stant she gave a direction to his suspicions, and, peiering
just above the ledge which formed the threshold of the
open outlet of the cavern, he beheld the malignant, fierce,
and savage features of Le Renard Subtil.

In that moment of surprise, the self-possession of Hey-
ward did not desert him. He observed by the vacant ex-
pression of the Indian's countenance, that his eye, accus-
tomed to the open air, had not yet been able to penetrate
the dusky light which pervaded the depth of the cavern.
He had even thought of retreating beyond a curvature in
the natural wall, which might still conceal him and his
companions, when, by the sudden gleam of intelligence
that shot across the features of the savage, he saw it was
too late, and that they were betrayed.

The look of exultation and brutal triumph which an-
nounced this terrible truth was irresistibly irritating.
Forgetful of everything but the impulses of his hot blood,
Duncan leveled his pistol and fired. The report of the
weapon made the cavern bellow like an eruption from a
volcano; and when the smoke it vomited had been driven

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 97

away before the current of air which issued from the
ravine, the place so lately occupied hy the features of his
treacherous guide was vacant. Kushing to the outlet,
Heyward caught a glimpse of his dark figure, stealing
around a low and narrow ledge, which soon hid him en-
tirely from sight.

Among the savages, a frightful stillness succeeded the
explosion,' which had just been heard bursting from the
bowels of the rock. But when Le Eenard raised his voice
in a long and intelligible whoop, it was answered by a
spontaneous yell from the mouth of every Indian within
hearing of the sound. The clamorous noises again rushed
down the island; and before Duncan had time to recover
from the shock, his feeble barrier of brush was scattered
to the winds, the cavern was entered at both its extremi-
ties, and he and his companions were dragged from their
shelter and borne into the day, where they stood sur-
rounded by the whole band of the triumphant Hurons.

CHAPTEE X.

I few w» ahall oatdeep the coming mom
At mnch as we this night haye overwatched.

Shakxsfbabb, Midsummer NighV* Dreamj Y. L 872.

The instant the shock of this sudden misfortune had
abated, Duncan began to make his observations on the
appearance and proceedings of their captors. Contrary
to the usages of the natives in the wantonness of their
success, they had respected not only the persons of the
trembling sisters, but his own. The rich ornaments of
his military attire had indeed been repeatedly handled by
different individuals of the tribe with eyes expressing a
savage longing to possess the baubles ; but before the cus-
tomary violence could be resorted to, a mandate in the
authoritative voice of the large warrior already mentioned
stayed the uplifted hand, and convinced Heyward that
they were to be reserved for some object of particular

98 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

While, however, these manifestations of weakness were
exhibited by the young and vain of the party, the more
experienced warriors continued their search throughout
both caverns, with an activity that denoted they were far
from being satisfied with those fruits of their conquest
which had already been brought to light. Unable to dis-
cover any new victim, these diligent workers of vengeance
soon approached their male prisoners, pronouncing the
name of "La Longue Carabine," with a fierceness that
could not easily be mistaken. Duncan affected not to
comprehend the meaning of their repeated and violent in-
terrogatories, while his companion was spared the effort of
a similar deception by his ignorance of French. Wearied,
at length, by their importunities, and apprehensive of
irritating his captors by too stubborn a silence, the former
looked about him in quest of Magna, who might interpret
his answers to questions which were at each moment he-
coming more earnest and threatening.

The conduct of this savage had formed a solitary excep-
tion to that of all his fellows. While the others were
busily occupied in seeking to gratify their childish passion
for finery, by plundering even the miserable effects of the
scout, or had been searching, with such bloodthirsty ven-
geance in their looks, for their absent owner, Le Renard
had stood at a little distance from the prisoners, with a
demeanor so quiet and satisfied as to betray that he had
already effected the grand purpose of his treachery. When
the eyes of Heyward first met those of his recent guide,
he turned them away in horror at the sinister though calm
look he encountered. Conquering his disgust, however,
he was able, with an averted face, to address his successful
enemy.

"Le Benard Subtil is too much of a warrior," said the
reluctant Heyward, "to refuse telling an unarmed man
what his conquerors say."

" They ask for the hunter who knows the paths through
the woods," returned Magna, in his broken English, lay-
ing his hand, at the same time, with a ferocious smile, on
the bundle of leaves with which a wound on his own

THE LAST OF THE MOHICAK& 99

shoulder was bandaged. "La Longue Carabine t his rifle
' is good, and his eye never shut; but, like the short gun
of the white chief, it is nothing against the life of Le
Subtil I "

''Le Kenard is too brave to remember the hurts re-
ceived in war, or the hands that gave them ! "

" Was it war, when the tired Indian rested at the sugar-
tree to taste his com ? who filled the bushes with creeping
enemies ? who drew the knife ? whose tongue was peace,
while his heart was colored with blood? Did Magna say
that the hatchet was out of the ground, and that his hand
had dug it up ? ''

As Duncan dared not retort upon his accuser by remind-
ing him of his own premeditated treachery, and disdained
to deprecate his resentment by any words of apology, he
remained silent. Magna seemed also content to rest the
controversy as well as all further communication there, for
he resumed the leaning attitude against the rock, from
which, in momentary energy, he had arisen. But the cry
of ''La Longue Carabine" was renewed the instant the
impatient savages perceived that the short dialogue was
ended.

"You hear," said Magna, with stubborn indifference;
" the red Hurons call for the life of ' The Long Rifle, ' or
they will have the blood of them that keep him hid I "

"He is gone — escaped; he is far beyond their reach."

Renard smiled witb cold contempt, as he answered, —

" When the white man dies, he thinks he is at peace ;
but the red-men know how to torture even the ghosts of
their enemies. Where is his body ? Let the Hurons see
his scalp ! "

"He is not dead, but escaped."

Magna shook his head incredulously.

"Is he a bird, to spread his wings ; or is he a fish, to
swim without air! The white chief reads in his books^
and he believes the Hurons are fools ! ''

" Though no fish, * The Long Eifle ' can swim. He
floated down the stream when the powder was all bumt^
md when the eyes of the Hurons were behind a cloud."

100 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

((

And why did the white chief stay?" demanded the
Btill incredulous Indian. "Is he a stone that goes to the
bottom, or does the scalp burn his head 1 "

" That I am not a stone, your dead comrade, who f eD
into the falls, might answer, were the life still in him,"
said the provoked young man, using, in his anger, that
boastful language which was most likely to excite the
admiration of an Indian. "The white man thinks none
but cowards desert their women."

Magna muttered a few words, inaudibly, between his
teeth, before he continued aloud, —

" Can the Delawares swim, too, as well as crawl in the
bushes ? Where is * Le Gros Serpent ' ? "

Duncan, who perceived by the use of these Canadian
appellations, that his late companions were much better
known to his enemies than to himself, answered reluc-
tantly, "He also is gone down with the water."

" * Le Cerf Agile ' is not here ? "

" I know not whom you call * The Nimble Deer, ' " said
Duncan, gladly profiting by any excuse to create delay.

"Uncas," returned Magna, pronouncing the Delaware
name with even greater difficulty than he spoke his English
words. " * Bounding Elk ' is what the white man says,
when he calls to the young Mohican."

"Here is some confusion in names between us, Le
Benard," said Duncan, hoping to provoke a discussion.
"Daim is the French for deer, and cerf foi;stag; ^an is
the true term, when one would speak of an elk."

"Yes," muttered the Indian, in his native tongue; "the
pale-faces are prattling women ! they have two words for
each thing, while a red-skin will make the sound of his
voice speak for him." Then changing his language, he
continued, adhering to the imperfect nomenclature of his
provincial instructors, "The deer is swift, but weak; the
elk is swift, but strong ; and the son of * Le Serpent ' is
*Le Cerf Agile.' Has he leaped the river to the woods T'

**If you mean the younger Delaware, he too is gone
down with the water."

As there was nothing improbable to an Indian in the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 101

znanner of the escape, Magua admitted the truth of what
he had heard, with a readiness that afforded additional
evidence how little he would prize such worthless cap-
tives. With his companions, however, the feeling was
manifestly different.

The Hurons had awaited the result of this short dia-
logue with characteristic patience, and with a silence that
increased until there was a general stillness in the band.
When Heyward ceased to speak, they turned their eyes,
as one man, on Magua, demanding, in this expressive
manner, an explanation of what had been said. Their
interpreter pointed to the river, and made them acquainted
with the result, as much by the action as by the few
words he uttered. When the fact was generally under-
stood, the savages raised a frightful yeil, which declared
the extent of their disappointment. Some ran furiously
to the water's edge, beating the air with frantic gestures,
while others spat upon the element, to resent the supposed
treason it had committed against their acknowledged rights
as conquerors. A few, and they not the least powerful
and terrific of the band, threw lowering looks, in which
the fiercest passion was only tempered by habitual self-
command, at those captives who still remained in their
power; while one or two even gave vent to their malig-
nant feelings by the most menacing gestures, against
which neither the sex nor the beauty of the sisters was
any protection. The young soldier made a desperate, but
fruitless effort, to spring to the side of Alice, when he
saw the dark hand of a savage twisted in the rich tresses
which were flowing in volumes over her shoulders, while
a knife was passed around the head from which they fell,
as if to denote the horrid manner in which it was about to
be robbed of its beautiful ornament. But his hands were
bound; and at the first movement he made, he felt the
grasp of the powerful Indian who directed the band, press-
ing his shoulder like a vise. Immediately conscious how
nnavailing any struggle against such an overwhelming
force must prove, he submitted to his fate, encouraging
bis gentle companions by a few low and tender assurances

102 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

that the natives seldom failed to threaten more than tliey
performed.

But, while Duncan resorted to these words of consola-
tion to quiet the apprehensions of the sisters, he was not
so weak as to deceive himself. He well knew that the
authority of an Indian chief was so little conventional,
that it was oftener maintained by physical superiority tlian
by any moral supremacy he might possess. The danger
was, therefore, magnified exactly in proportion to tlie
number of the savage spirits by which they were sur-
rounded. The most positive mandate from him wlio
seemed the acknowledged leader was liable to be violated
at each moment, by any rash hand that might choose to
sacrifice a victim to the manes of some dead friend ox*
relative. While, therefore, he sustained an outward ap-
pearance of calmness and fortitude, his heart leaped into
his throat, whenever any of their fierce captors drew
nearer than common to the helpless sisters, or fastened
one of their sullen wandering looks on those fragile forms
which were so little able to resist the slightest assault.

His apprehensions were, however, greatly relieved,
when he saw that the leader had summoned bis warriors
to himself in council. Their deliberations were short,
and it would seem, by the silence of most of the party,
the decision unanimous. By the frequency with which
the few speakers pointed in the direction of the encamp-
ment of Webb, it was apparent they dreaded the approach
of danger from that quarter. This consideration probably
hastened their determination, and quickened the subse-
quent movements.

During this short conference, Heyward, finding a re-
spite from his greatest fears, had leisure to admire the
cautious manner in which the Hurons had made their
approaches, even after hostilities had ceased.

It has already been stated that the upper half of the
island was a naked rock, and destitute of any other de-
fense than a few scattered logs of driftwood. They had
selected this point to make their descent, having borne
the canoe through the wood around the cataract for that

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 108

prLTpose. Placing their arms in the little vessel, a dozen
men clinging to its sides had trusted themselves to the
direction of the canoe, which was controlled by two o|
tbe most skillful warriors, in attitudes that enabled them
tio command a view of the dangerous passage. Favored
"by this arrangement, they touched the head of the island
at that point which had proved so fatal to their first ad-
venturers, but with the advantages of superior numbers,
and the possession of fire-arms. That such had been the
manner of their descent was rendered quite apparent to
Duncan; for they now bore the light bark from the upper
end of the rock, and placed it in the water, near the mouth
of the outer cavern. As soon as this change was made, the
leader made signs to the prisoners to descend and enter.

As resistance was impossible, and remonstrance useless,
Heyward set the example of submission, by leading the
ivay into the canoe, where he was soon seated with the
sisters and the still wondering David. Notwithstanding
the Hurons were necessarily ignorant of the little chan-
nels among the eddies and rapids of the stream, they knew
the common signs of such a navigation too well to commit
any material blunder. When the pilot chosen for the task
of guiding the canoe had taken his station, the whole band
plunged again into the river, the vessel glided down the
current, and in a few moments the captives found them-
selves on the south bank of the stream, nearly opposite to
the point where they had struck it the preceding evening.
Here was held another short but earnest consultation,
during which the horses, to whose panic their owners as-
cribed their heaviest misfortune, were led from the cover
of the woods, and brought to the sheltered spot. The
band now divided. The great chief so often mentioned,
mounting the charger of Heyward, led the way directly
across the river, followed by most of his people, and dis-
appeared in the woods, leaving the prisoners in charge of
six savages, at whose head was Le Kenard Subtil. Dun-
can witnessed all their movements with renewed uneasi-
ness.

He had been fond of believing, from the uncommon f os*

104 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

bearance of the savages, that he was reserved as a prisoner
to be delivered to Montcalm. As the thoughts of those
who are in misery seldom slumber, and the invention is
never more lively than when it is stimulated by hope,
however feeble and remote, he had even imagined that
the parental feelings of Munro were to be made instru-
mental in seducing him from his duty to the king. !For
though the Frem^h commander bore a high character for
courage and enterprise, he was also thought to be expert
in those political practices which do not always respect
the nicer obligations of morality, and which so generally
disgraced the European diplomacy of that period.

All those busy and ingenious speculations were now
annihilated by the conduct of his captors. That portion
of the band who had followed the huge warrior took the
route towards the foot of the Horican, and no other ex-
pectation was left for himself and companions than that
they were to be retained as hopeless captives by their sav-
age conquerors. Anxious to know the worst, and willing,
in such an emergency, to try the potency of gold, he over-
came his reluctance to speak to Magna. Addressing him-
self to his former guide, who had now assumed the autho-
rity and manner of one who was to direct the future
movements of the party, he said, in tones as friendly and
confiding as he could assume, —

" I would speak to Magna what is fit only for so great
a chief to hear."

The Indian turned his eyes on the young soldier scorn-
fully, as he answered, —

" Speak ; trees have no ears ! "

" But the red Hurons are not deaf ; and counsel that is
fit for the great men of a nation would make the young
warriors drunk. If Magna will not listen, the officer of
the king knows how to be silent."

The savage spoke carelessly to his comrades, who were
busied, after their awkward manner, in preparing the
horses for the reception of the sisters, and moved a little
to one side, whither, by a cautious gesture, he induced
Hey ward to follow.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 105

"Now speak," he said; "if the words are such as
Magua should hear."

"Le Eenard Subtil has proved himself worthy of the
honorable name given to him by his Canada fathers," com-
menced Hey ward; "I see his wisdom, and all that he has
done for us, and shall remember it, when the hour to
reward him arrives. Yes ! Eenard has proved that he is
not only a great chief in council, but one who knows how
to deceive his enemies ! "

" What has Kenard done 1 " coldly demanded the Indian.

"What! has he not seen that the woods were filled
with outlying parties of the enemies, and that the Serpent
could not steal through them without being seen ? Then,
did he not lose his path to blind the eyes of the Hurons ?
iHd he not pretend to go back to his tribe, who had
treated him ill, and driven him from their wigwams like
a dog ? And, when we saw what he wished to do, did we
not aid him, by making a false face, that the Hurons
might think the white man believed that his friend was
his enemy ? Is not all this true ? And when Le Subtil
had shut the eyes and stopped the ears of his nation by
his wisdom, did they not forget that they had once done
him wrolig, and forced him to flee to the Mohawks?
And did they not leave him on the south side of the
river, with their prisoners, while they have gone foolishly
on the north ? Does not Eenard mean to turn like a fox
on his footsteps, and to carry to the rich and gray-headed
Scotchman his daughters? Yes, Magua, I see it all, and
I have already been thinking how so much wisdom and
honesty should be repaid. First, the chief of William
Henry will give as a great chief should for such a service.
The medal ^ of Magua will no longer be of tin, but of
beaten gold; his horn will run over with powder; dollars
win be* as plenty in his pouch as pebbles on the shore of

^ It has long been a practice w^ith the whites to conciliate the im-
portant men of the Indians by presenting medals, which are worn in
the place of their own rude ornaments. Those given by the English
generally bear the impression of the reigning king, and those given by
the Americans that of the President

^

106 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Horican; and the deer will lick his hand, for they will
know it to be vain to fly from the rifle he will carry ! As
for myself, I know not how to exceed the gratitude of the
Scotchman, but I — yes, I will " —

" What will the yonng chief who comes from towards
the enin give 1 " demanded the Huron, observing that
Heyward hesitated in his desire to end the enumeration
of benefits with that which might form the climax of an
ndian's wishes.

"He will make the fire-water from the Islands in the
salt lake flow before the wigwam of Magna, until the
heart of the Indian shall be lighter than the feathers of
the humming-bird, and his breath sweeter than the wild
honeysuckle."

Le Eenard had listened gravely as Heyward slowly
proceeded in this subtle speech. When the young man
mentioned the artifice he supposed the Indian to have
practiced on his own nation, the countenance of the lis-
tener was veiled in an expression of cautious gravity. At
the allusion to the injury which Duncan affected to be-
lieve had driven the Huron from his native tribe, a gleam
of such ungovernable ferocity flashed from the other's
eyes, as induced the adventurous speaker to believe he
had struck the proper chord. And by the time he reached
the part where he so artfully blended the thirst of ven-
geance with the desire of gain, he had, at least, obtained
a command of the deepest attention of the savage. The
question put by Le Kenard had been calm, and with all
the dignity of an Indian; but it was quite apparent, by
the thoughtful expression of the listener's countenance,
that the answer was most cunningly devised. The Huron
mused a few moments, and then laying his hand on the
rude bandages of his wounded shoulder, he said, with
some energy, —

" Do friends make such marks ? "

" Would * La Longue Carabine ' cut one so light on an
enemy ? "

"Do the Delawares crawl upon those they love like
snakes, twisting themselves to strike ? ''

THE LAST OP THE MOHICANS. . 107

"Would *Le Gros Serpent' have l}een heard by the
ears of one he wished to be deaf ? "

"Does the white chief burn his powder in the faces of
his brothers ? "

"Does he ever miss his aim, when seriously bent to
kill ? " returned Duncan, smiling with well acted sincerity.

Another long and deliberate pause succeeded these sen-
tentious questions and ready replies. Duncan saw that
the Indian hesitated. In order to complete his victory,
he was in the act of recommencing the enumeration of the
rewards, when Magna made an expressive gesture and
said, —

"Enough; Le Kenard is a wise chief, and what he does
will be seen. Go, and keep the mouth shut. When
Magna speaks, it will be the time to answer."

Heyward, perceiving that the eyes of his companion
were warily fastened on the rest of the band, fell back
immediately, in order to avoid the appearance of any sus-
picious confederacy with, their leader. Magna approached
the horses, and affected to be well pleased with the dili-
gence and ingenuity of his comrades. He then signed to
Heyward to assist the sisters into the saddles, for he sel-
dom deigned to use the English tongue, unless urged by
some motive of more than usual moment.

There was no longer any plausible pretext for delay;
and Duncan was obliged, however reluctantly, to comply.
As he performed this office, he whispered his reviving
hopes in the ears of the trembling females, who, through
dread of encountering the savage countenances of their
captors, seldom raised their eyes from the ground. The
mare of David had been taken with the followers of the
large chief; in consequence, its owner, as well as Duncan,
was compelled to journey on foot. The latter did not,
however, so much regret this circumstance, 'as it might
enable him to retard the speed of the party ; for he still
turned his longing looks in the direction of Fort Edward,
in the vain expectation of catching some sound from that
quarter of the forest, which might denote the approach of
Buccor.

108 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

When all were prepared, Magua made the signal to pro-
ceed, advancing in front to lead the party in person.
Next followed David, who was gradually coming to a true
sense of his condition, as the effects of the wound hecame
less and less apparent. The sisters rode in his rear, with
Heyward at their side, while the Indians flanked the
party, and brought up the close of the march, with a cau-
tion that seemed never to tire.

In this manner they proceeded in uninterrupted silence,
except when Heyward addressed some solitary word of
comfort to the females, or David gave vent to the mean-
ings of his spirit, in piteous exclamations, which he in-
tended should express the humility of resignation. Their
direction lay towards the south, and in a course nearly
opposite to the road to William Henry. Notwithstanding
this apparent adherence in Magua to the original determi-
nation of his conquerors, Heyward could not believe his
tempting bait was so soon forgotten; and he knew the
windings of an Indian path too well to suppose that its
apparent course led directly to its object, when artifice was
at all necessary. Mile after mile was, however, passed
through the boundless woods, in this painful manner,
without any prospect of a termination to their journey.
Heyward watched the sun, as he darted his meridian rays
through the branches of the trees, and pined for the mo-
ment when the policy of Magua should change their route
to one more favorable to his hopes. Sometimes he fan-
cied the wary savage, despairing of passing the army of
Montcalm in safety, was holding his way towards a well-
known border settlement, where a distinguished officer of
the crown, and a favored friend of the Six Nations, held
his large possessions, as well as his usual residence. To
be delivered into the hands of Sir William Johnson was
far preferable to being led into the wilds of Canada; but
in order to effect even the former, it would be necessary
to traverse the forest for many weary leagues, each step of
which was carrying him further from the scene of the war,
and, consequently, from the post, not only of honor, bat
of duty.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 109

Cora alone remembered the parting injunctions of the
Bcout, and whenever an opportunity offered, she stretched
forth her arm to bend aside the twigs that met her hands.
!But the vigilance of the Indians rendered this act of pre-
caution both difficult and dangerous. She was often de-
feated in her purpose, by encountering their watchful eyes,
when it became necessary to feign an alarm she did not
feel, and occupy the limb by some gesture of feminine ap-
prehension. Once, and once only, was she completely
successful^ when she broke down the bough of a large
sumach, and, by a sudden thought, let her glove fall at
the same instant. This sign, intended for those that
might follow, was observed by one of her conductors, who
restored the glove, broke the remaining branches of the
bush in such a manner that it appeared to proceed from
the struggling of some beast in its branches, and then laid
his hand on his tomahawk, with a look so significant that
it put an effectual end to these stolen memorials of their
passage.

As there were horses, to leave the prints of their foot-
steps, in both bands of the Indians, this interruption cut
off any probable hopes of assistance being conveyed
through the means of their trail.

Heyward would have ventured a remonstrance, had
there been anything encouraging in the gloomy reserve of
Magna. But the savage, during all this time, seldom
turned to look at his followers, and never spoke. With
the sun for his only guide, or aided by such blind marks
as are only known to the sagacity of a native, he held his
way along the barrens of pine, through occasional little
fertile vales, across brooks and rivulets, and over undu-
lating hills, with the accuracy of instinct, and nearly with
the directnelBS of a bird. He never seemed to hesitate.
Whether the path was hardly distinguishable, whether it
disappeared, or whether it lay beaten and plain before
him, made no sensible difference in his speed or certainty.
It seemed as if fatigue 6ould not affect him. Whenever
the eyes of the wearied travellers rose from the decayed
Leaves over which they trod, his dark form was to be seen

110 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

glancing among the stems of the trees in front, his head
immovably fastened in a forward position, with the light
plume on his crest fluttering in a current of air made
solely by the swiftness of his own motion.

But all this diligence and speed were not without an
object. After crossing a low vale, through which a gush-
ing brook meandered, he suddenly ascended a hill, so steep
and difficult of ascent that the sisters were compelled to
alight, in order to follow. When the summit was gained,
they found themselves on a level spot, but thinly covered
with trees, under one of which Magna had thrown his
dark form, as if willing and ready to seek that rest which
was so much needed by the whple party.

CHAPTER XI.

Cursed be my tribe
If I f orgire him.

BH4B»8raAR», TJie Merehani 0} Venieet L UL 68.

The Indian had selected, for this desirable purpose,
one of those steep, pyramidal hills which bear a strong
resemblance to artificial mounds, and which so frequently
occur in the valleys of America. The one in question
was high and precipitous ; its top flattened, as usual ; but
with one of its sides more than ordinarily irregular. It
possessed no other apparent advantage, for a resting-place,
than in its elevation and form, which might render defense
easy, and surprise nearly impossible. As Heyward, how-
ever, no longer expected that rescue which time and distance
now rendered so improbable, he regarded these little pecu-
liarities with an eye devoid of interest, devoting himself
entirely to the comfort and condolence of his feebler com-
panions. The Narragansets were suffered to browse on
the branches of the trees and shrubs that were thinly scat-
tered over the summit of the hill, while the remains ol
their provisions were spread under the shade of a beech,
that stretched its horizontal limbs like a canopy above
them.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICAKS. Ill

Notwithstanding the swiftness of their flight, one of the
Indians had found an opportunity to strike a straggling
fawn with an arrow, and had borne the more preferable
fragments of the victim, patiently on his shoulders, to
the stopping-place. Without any aid from the science of
cookery, he was immediately employed, in common with
his fellows, in gorging himself with this digestible suste-
nance. Magua alone sat apart, without participating in
the revolting meal, and apparently buried in the deepest
thought.

This abstinence, so remarkable in an Indian, when he
possessed the means of satisfying hunger, at length at-
tracted the notice of Hey ward. The young man willingly
believed that the Huron deliberated on the most eligible
manner of eluding the vigilance of his associates. With
a view to assist his plans, by any suggestion of his own,
and to strengthen the temptation, he left the beech, and
straggled, as if without an object, to the spot where Le
Eenard was seated.

" Has not Magua kept the sun in his face long enough
to escape all danger from the Canadians 1 " he asked, as
though no longer doubtful of the good intelligence estab-
lished between them ; " and will not the chief of William
Henry be better pleased to see his daughters before an-
other night may have hardened his heart to their loss, to
make him less liberal in his reward ? "

"Do the pale-faces love their children less in the morn-
ing than at night ? " asked the Indian coldly.

"By no means," returned Hey ward, anxious to recall
kis error, if he had made one ; " the white man may, and
does often, forget the burial-place of his fathers; he some-
times ceases to remember those he should love, and has
promised to cherish ; but the affection of a parent for his
child is never permitted to die."

"And is the heart of the white-headed chief soft, and
«'\11 he think of the babes that his squaws have given
him ? He is hard to his warriors, and his eyes are made
of stone ! "

''He is severe to the idle and wicked, but to the sobei

112 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

and deserving he is a leader both just and humane. I
have known many fond and tender parents, but never
have I seen a man whose heart was softer towards his
child. You have seen the gray-head in front of his war-
riors, Magna; but I have seen his eyes swimming in
water, when he spoke of those children who are now in
your power ! "

Heyward paused, for he knew not how to construe the
remarkable expression that gleamed across the swarthy
features of the attentive Indian. At first it seemed as if
the remembrance of the promised reward grew vivid in his
mind, while he listened to the sources of parental feeling
which were to assure its possession; but as Duncan pro-
ceeded, the expression of joy became so fiercely malignant,
that it was impossible not to apprehend it proceeded from
some passion more sinister than avarice.

" Go, " said the Huron, suppressing the alarming exhi-
bition in an instant, in a death-like calmness of counte-
nance; "go to the dark-haired daughter, and say, Magua
waits to speak. The father will remember what the child
promises."

Duncan, who interpreted this speech to express a wish
for some additional pledge that the promised gifts should
not be withheld, slowly and reluctantly repaired to the
place where the sisters were now resting from their fa-
tigue, to communicate its purport to Cora.

"You understand the nature of an Indian's wishes," he
concluded, as he led her towards the place where she was
expected, "and must be prodigal of your offers of powder
and blankets. Ardent spirits are, however, the most
prized by such as he; nor would it be amiss to add some
boon from your own hand, with that grace you so well
know how to practice. Remember, Cora, that on your
presence of mind and ingenuity even your life, as well as
that of Alice, may in some measure depend."

" Heyward, and yours ! "

"Mine is of little moment; it is already sold to my
king, and is a prize to be seized by any enemy who may
possess the power. I have no father to expect me, and

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 113

but few friends to lament a fate which I have courted
with the unsatiable longings of youth after distinction.
But hush! we approach the Indian. Magna, the lady
with whom you wish to speak is here."

The Indian rose slowly from his seat, and stood for near
a minute silent and motionless. He then signed with his
hand for Hey ward to retire, saying coldly, —

"When the Huron talks to the women, his tribe shut
their ears."

Duncan still lingering, as if ^ refusing to comply, Cora
said, with a calm smile, —

"You hear. Hey ward, and delicacy at least should urge
you to retire. Go to Alice, and comfort her with our
reviving prospects."

She waited until he had departed, and then turning to
the native, with the dignity of her sex in her voice and
manner, she added, "What would Le Eenard say to the
daughter of Munro 1 "

"Listen," said the Indian, laying his hand firmly upon
her arm, as if willing to draw her utmost attention to his
words; a movement that Cora as firmly but quietly re-
pulsed, by extricating the limb from his grasp; "Magna
was born a chief and a warrior among the red Hurons of
the lakes; he saw the suns of twenty summers make the
snows of twenty winters run off in the streams before he
saw a pale-face; and he was happy! Then his Canada
fathers came into the woods, and taught him to drink the
fire-water, and he became a rascal. The Hurons drove
him from the graves of his fathers, as they would chase
the hunted buffalo. He ran down the shores of the lakes,
and followed their outlet to the * city of cannon. ' There
he hunted and fished, till the people chased him again
through the woods into the arms of his enemies. The
chief, who was bom a Huron, was at last a warrior among
the Mohawks ! "

"Something like this I had heard before," said Cora,
observing that he paused to suppress those passions which
began to bum with too bright a flame, as he recalled the
recollection of his supposed injuries.

114 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Was it the fault of Le Kenard that his head was not
made of rock ? Who gave him the fire-water ? who made
him a villain f 'Twas the pale-faces, the people of your
own color."

" And am I answeiahle that thoughtless and unprinci-
pled men exist, whose shades of countenance may resem-
ble mine 1 " Cora calmly demanded of the excited savage.

"No; Magua is a man, and not a fool; such as you
never open their lips to the burning stream: the Great
Spirit has given you wisdom I "

" What then have I to do, or say, in the matter of your
misfortunes, not to say of your errors 1 "

"Listen," repeated the Indian, resuming his earnest
attitude ; " when his English and French fathers dug up
the hatchet, Le Kenard struck the war-post of the Mo-
hawks, and went out against his own nation. The pale-
faces have driven the red-skins from their hunting grounds,
and now when they fight, a white man leads the way.
The old chief at Horican, your father, was the great cap-
tain of our war-party. He said to the Mohawks do this,
and do that, and he was minded. He made a law, that
if an Lidian swallowed the fire-water, and came into the
cloth wigwams of his warriors, it should not be forgotten.
Magua foolishly opened his mouth, and the hot liquor led
him into the cabin of Munro. What did the gray-head)
let his daughter say."

" He forgot not his words, and did justice, by punish-
ing the offender," said the undaunted daughter.

"Justice!" repeated the Indian, casting an oblique
glance of the most ferocious expression at her unyielding
countenance; "is it justice to make evil, and then punish
for it ? Magua was not himself ; it was the fire-water that
spoke and acted for him ! but Munro did not believe it.
The Huron chief was tied up before all the pale-faced
warriors, and whipped like a dog."

Cora remained silent, for she knew not how to palliate
this imprudent severity on the part of her father, in a
manner to suit the comprehension of an Indian.

" See I " continued Magua, tearing aside the slight calico

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 115

that very imperfectly concealed his painted breast; "here
are scars given by knives and bullets — of these a warrior
may boast before his nation; but the gray-head has left
marks on the back of the Huron chief, that he must hide,
like a squaw, under this painted cloth of the whites."

"I had thought," resumed Cora, "that an Indian war-
rior was patient, and that his spirit felt not, and knew
not, the pain his body suffered."

''When the Ghippewas tied Magna to the stake, and
cut this gash," said the other, laying his finger on a deep
scar, "the Huron laughed in their faces, and told them.
Women struck so light! His spirit was then in the
clouds ! But when he felt the blows of Munro, his spirit
lay under the birch. The spirit of a Huron is never
drunk ; it remembers forever ! "

"But it may be appeased. If my father has done you
this injustice, show him how an Indian can forgive an
injury, and take back his daughters. You have heard
from Major Hey ward " —

Magna shook his head, forbidding the repetition of
offers he so much despised.

" What would you have 1 " continued Cora, after a most
painful pause, while the conviction forced itself on her
mind that the too sanguine and generous Dimcan had
been cruelly deceived by the cunning of the savage.

" What a Huron loves — good for good ; bad for bad ! "

" You would then revenge the injury inflicted by Munro
on his helpless daughters. Would it not be more like a
man to go before his face, and take the satisfaction of a
warrior 1 "

" The arms of the pale-faces are long, and their knives
sharp I " returned the savage, with a malignant laugh ;
"why should Le Benard go among the muskets of his
warriors, when he holds the spirit of the gray-head in his
hand 1 "

"!Name your intention. Magna," said Cora, struggling
with herself to speak with steady calmness. "Is it to
lead us prisoners to the woods, or do you contemplate even
some greater evil f Is there no reward, no means of pal«

116 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Hating the injury, and of softening your heart ? At leasts
release my gentle sister, and pour out all your malice on
ma Purchase wealth by her safety, and satisfy your re-
venge with a single victim. The loss of both his daugh-
ters might bring the aged man to his grave, and where
would then be the satisfaction of Le Renard 1 "

" Listen, '* said the Indian again. "The light eyes can
go back to the Horican, and tell the old chief what has
been done, if the dark-haired woman will swear by the
Great Spirit of her fathers to tell no lie.*'

" What must I promise 1 " demanded Cora, still main-
taining a secret ascendency over the fierce native, by the
collected and feminine dignity of her presence.

"When Magua left his people, his wife was given to
another chief; he has now made friends with the Hurons,
and will go back to the graves of his tribe, on the shores
of the great lake. Let the daughter of the English chief
follow, and live in his wigwam forever."

However revolting a proposal of such a character might
prove to Cora, she retained, notwithstanding her powerful
disgust, sufficient self-command to reply, without betray-
ing the weakness.

'** And what pleasure would Magua find in sharing his
cabin with a wife he did not love; one who would be of
a nation and color different from his own 1 It would be
better to take the gold of Munro, and buy the heart of
some Huron maid with his gifts."

The Indian made no reply for near a minute, but bent
his fierce looks on the countenance of Cora in such wav-
ering glances that her eyes sank with shame, under an
impression that, for the first time, they had encountered,
an expression that no chaste female might endure. While
she was shrinking within herself, in dread of having her
ears wounded by some proposal still more shocking than
the last, the voice of Magua answered, in its tones of
deepest malignancy, —

"When the blows scorched the back of the Huron, he
would know where to find a woman to feel the smart
'■^'^ daughter of Munro would draw his water, hoe his

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 117

com, and cook his venison. The body of the gray-head
T^ould sleep among his cannon, but his heart would lie
within reach of the knife of Le Subtil."

"Monster! well dost thou deserve thy treacherous
name ! " cried Cora, in an ungovernable burst of filial in-
dignation. " None but a fiend could meditate such a ven-
geance! But thou overratest thy power! You shall find
it is, in truth, the heart of Munro you hold, and that it
will defy your utmost malice ! "

The Indian • answered this bold defiance by a ghastly
smile, that showed an unaltered purpose, while he mo-
tioned her away, as if to close the conference forever.
Cora, already regretting her precipitation, was obliged to
comply ; for Magna instantly left the spot, and approached
his gluttonous comrades. Heyward flew to the side of
the agitated female, and demanded the result of a dialogue
that he had watched at a distance with so much interest.
But unwilling to alarm the fears of Alice, she evaded a
direct reply, betraying only by her countenance her utter
want of success, and keeping her anxious looks fastened
on the slightest movements of their captors. To the
reiterated and earnest questions of her sister, concerning
their probable destination, she made no other answer than
by pointing towards the dark group, with an agitation she
could not control, and murmuring, as she folded Alice to
her bosom, —

"There, there; read our fortunes in their faces: we
shall see ; we shall see ! "

The action, and the choked utterance of Cora, spoke
more impressively than any words, and quickly drew the
attention of her companions on that spot where her own
was riveted with an intenseness that nothing but the im-
portance of the stake could create.

When Magna reached the cluster of lolling savages,
who, gorged with their disgusting meal, lay stretched on
the earth in brutal indulgence, he commenced speaking
with the dignity of an Indian chief. The first syllables
he uttered had the eflect to cause his listeners to raise
themselves in attitudes of respectful attention. As the

118 . THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Huron used his native language, the prisoners, notwith-
standing the caution of the natives had kept them within
the swing of their tomahawks, could only conjecture the
suhetance of his harangue, from the nature of those signifi-
cant gestures with which an Indian always illustrates his
eloquence.

At first, the language, as well as the action of Magua,
appeared calm and deliberative. When he had succeeded
in sufficiently awakening the attention of his comrades,
Hey ward fancied, by his pointing so frequently toward
the direction of the great lakes, that he spoke of the land
of their fathers, and of their distant tribe. Frequent in-
dications of applause escaped the listeners, who, as they
uttered the expressive " Hugh ! " looked at each other in
commendation of the speaker. Le Kenard was too skillful
to neglect his advantage. He now spoke of the long and
painful route by which they had left those spacious grounds
and happy villages, to come and battle against the enemies
of their Canadian fathers. He enumerated the warriors
of the party ; their several merits ; their frequent services
to the nation ; their wounds, and the number of the scalps
they had taken. Whenever he alluded to any present
(and the subtle Indian neglected none), the dark counte-
nance of the flattered individual gleamed with exultation,
nor did he even hesitate to assert the truth of the words,
by gestures of applause and confirmation. Then the voice
of the speaker fell, and lost the loud, animated tones of
triumph w«ith which he had enumerated their deeds of
success and victory. He described the cataract of Glenn's;
the impregnable position of its rocky island, with its cav-
erns and its numerous rapids and whirlpools; he named
the name of ^'La Longue Carabine, '^ and paused until the
forest beneath them had sent up the last echo of a loud
and long yell, with which the hated appellation was re-
ceived. He pointed toward the youthful military captive,
and described the death of a favorite warrior, who had
been precipitated into the deep ravine by his hand. He
not only mentioned the fate of him who, hanging between
heaven and earth, had presented such a spectacle of horroi

f HE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 119

to the whole band, but he acted anew the terrors of his
situation, his resolution and his death, on the branches of
a sapling; and, finally, he rapidly recounted the manner
in which each of their friends had fallen, never failing
to touch upon their courage and their most acknowledged
virtues. When this recital of events was ended, his voice
once more changed, and became plaintive, and even musi-
cal, in its low guttural sounds. He now spoke of the
wives and children of the slain; their destitution; their
misery, both physical and moral; their distance; and,
at last, of their unavenged wrongs. Then suddenly lift-
ing his voice to a pitch of terrific energy, he concluded,
by demanding, —

"Are the Hurons dogs to bear this? Who shall say to
the wife of Menowgua that the fishes have his scalp, and
that his nation have not taken revenge ! Who will dare
meet the mother of Wassawattimie, that scornful woman,
with his hands clean I What shall be said to the old men
when they ask us for scalps, and we have not a hair from
a white head to give them I The women will point their
fingers at us. There is a dark spot on the names of the
Hurons, and it must be hid in blood ! '^

His voice was no longer audible in the burst of risige
which now broke into the air, as if the wood, instead of
containing so small a band, ' was fiUed with the nation.
During the foregoing address the progress of the speaker
was too plainly read by those most interested in his suc-
cess, through the medium of the countenances of the men
he addressed. They had answered his melancholy and
mourning by sympathy and sorrow; his assertions, by ges-
tures of confirmation; and his boastings, with the exulta-
tion of savages. Wlien he spoke of courage, their looks
were firm and responsive ; when he alluded to their inju-
ries, their eyes kindled with fury ; when he mentioned the
taunts of the women, they dropped their heads in shame ;
but when he pointed out their means of vengeance, he
struck a chord which never failed to thrill in the breast of
an Indian. With the first intimation that it was within
their reach, the whole band sprang upon their feet as one

120 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

man; giving utterance to their rage in the most frantic
cries, they rushed upon their prisoners in a body with
drawn knives and uplifted tomahawks. Hey ward threw
himself between the sisters and the foremost, whom he
grappled with a desperate strength that for a moment
checked his violence. This unexpected resistance gave
Magna time to interpose, and with rapid enunciation and
animated gesture, he drew the attention of the band again
to himself. In that language he knew so well how to
assume, he diverted his comrades from their instant pur-
pose, and invited them to prolong the misery of their vic-
tims. His proposal was received with acclamations, and
executed with the swiftness of thought.

Two powerful warriors cast themselves on Heyward,
while another was occupied in securing the less active
singing-master. Neither of the captives, however, sub-
mitted without a desperate though fruitless struggle.
Even David hurled his assailant to the earth; nor was
Heyward secured until the victory over his companion
enabled the Indians to direct their united force to that
object. He was then bound and fastened to the body of
the sapling on whose branches Magna had acted the pan-
toipime of the falling Huron. When the young soldier
regained his recollection, he had the painful certainty
before his eyes that a common fate was intended for the
whole party. On his right was Cora, in a durance similar
to his own, pale and agitated, but with an eye whose
steady look still read the proceedings of their enemies.
On his left, the withes which bound her to a pine per-
formed that office for Alice which her trembling limbs re-
fused, and alone kept her fragile form from sinking. Her
hands were clasped before her in prayer, but instead of
looking upwards towards that power which alone could
rescue them, her unconscious looks wandered to the coun-
tenance of Duncan with infantile dependency. David had
contended, and the novelty of the circumstance held him
silent, in deliberation on the propriety of the unusual
occurrence.

The vengeance of the Hurons had now taken a new

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANa 121

direction, and they prepared to execute it with that bar-
barous ingenuity with which they were familiarized by
the practice of centuries. Some sought knots, to raise the
blazing pile; one was driving the splinters of pine, in
order to pierce the flesh of their captives with the burning
fragments ; and others bent the tops of two saplings to the
earth, in order to suspend Heyward by the arms between
vhe recoiling branches. But the vengeance of Magna
sought a deeper and a more malignant enjoyment.

While the less refined monsters of the band prepared,
before the eyes of those who were to suffer, these well
known and vulgar means of torture, he approached Cora,
and pointed out, with the most malign expression of coun-
tenance, the speedy fate that awaited her : —

"Ha!'^ he added, "what says the daughter of Munro?
Her head is too good to find a pillow in the wigwam of
Le Kenard ; will she like it better when it rolls about this
hill, a plaything for the wolves ? Her bosom cannot nurse
the children of a Huron ; she will see it spit upon by In-
dians ! "

" What means the monster ! '' demanded the astonished
Heyward.

" Nothing ! '' was the firm reply. " He is a savage, a
barbarous and ignorant savage, and knows not what he
does. Let us find leisure, with our dying breath, to ask
for him penitence and pardon."

"Pardon!" echoed the fierce Huron, mistaking, in his
anger, the meaning of her words; "the memory of an In-
dian is longer than the arm of the pale-faces; his mercy
shorter than their justice ! Say ; shall I send the yellow
hair to her father, and will you follow Magna to the great
lakes, to carry his water, and feed him with corn ? "

Cora beckoned him away, with an emotion of disgust
she could not control.

" Leave me, " she said, with a solemnity that for a mo-
ment checked the barbarity of the Indian; "you mingle
bitterness in my prayers; you stand between me and my
Godt"

The slight impression produced on the savage was, how*

122 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

ever, soon forgotten, and he continued pointing, with
taunting irony, towards Alice.

" Look ! the child weeps ! She is young to die ! Send
het to Munro, to comb his gray hairs, and keep life in
the heart of the old man."

Cora could not resist the desire to look upon her youth-
ful sister, in whose eyes she met an imploring glance, that
betrayed the longings of nature.

"What says he, dearest Cora?" asked the trembling
voice of Alice. "Did he speak of sending me to our
father ? "

For many moments the elder sister looked upon the
younger, with a countenance that wavered with powerful
and contending emotions. At length she spoke, though
her tones had lost their rich and calm fullness, in an ex-
pression of tenderness that seemed maternal.

"Alice," she said, "the Huron oflFers us both life, nay,
more than both; he oflFers to restore Duncan, our invalu-
able Duncan, as well as you, to our friends — to our father
— to our heart-stricken, childless father, if I will bow
down this rebellious, stubborn pride of mine, and con-
sent" —

Her voice became choked, and clasping her hands, she
looked upward, as if seeking, in her agony, intelligence
from a wisdom that was infinite.

"Say on," cried Alice; "to what, dearest Cora? Oh,
that the proffer were made to me I to save you, to cheer
our aged father, to restore Duncan, how cheerfully could
Ldie!"
y " Die ! " repeated Cora, with a calmer and a firmer
voice, " that were easy ! Perhaps the alternative may not
be less so. He would have me," she continued, her
accents sinking under a deep consciousness of the degra-
dation of the proposal, "follow him to the wilderness;
go to the habitations of the Hurons; to remain there:
in short to become his wife ! Speak, then, Alice ; child of
my affections! sister of my love! And you, too, Major
Heyward, aid my weak reason with your counsel. Is life
to be purchased by such a sacrifice? Will you, Alice,

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 123

•
receive it at my hands at such a price 1 And you, Dun-
can, guide me; control me between you; for I am wholly
yours. '^

" Would I ! " echoed the indignant and astonished
youth. "Cora! Cora! you jest with our misery! Name
not the horrid alternative again; the thought itself is
worse than a thousand deaths. '' i

" That such would be your answer, I well knew ! " ex-
claimed Cora, her cheeks flushing, and her dark eyes once
more sparkling with the lingering emotions of a woman.
"What says my Alice? for her will I submit without an*
other murmur."

Although both Heyward and Cora listened with pain-
ful suspense and the deepest attention, no sounds were
heard in reply. It appeared as if the delicate and sensi-
tive form of Alice would shrink into itself, as she listened
to this proposal. Her arms had fallen lengthwise before
her, the fingers moving in slight convulsions; her head
dropped upon her bosom, and her whole person seemed
suspended against the tree, looking like some beautiful
emblem of the wounded delicacy of her sex, devoid of
animation, and yet keenly conscious. In a few moments,
however, her head began to move slowly, in a sign of
deep, unconquerable disapprobation.

" No, no, no ; better that we die as we have lived, to-
gether!"

" Then die ! " shouted Magna, hurling his tomahawk
with violence at the unresisting speaker, and gnashing his
teeth with a rage that could no longer be bridled, at this
sudden exhibition of firmness in the one he believed the
weakest of the party. The axe cleaved the air in front
of Heyward, and cutting some of the flowing ringlets of
Alice, quivered in the tree above her head. The sight
maddened Duncan to desperation. Collecting all his en-
ergies in one effort, he snapped the twigs which bound
him and rushed upon another savage, who was preparing
with loud yells, and a more deliberate aim, to repeat the
blow. They encountered, grappled, and fell to the earth
together. The naked body of his antagonist afforded

124 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Heyward no means of holding his adversary, who gUded
from his grasp, and rose again with one knee on his chest,
pressing him down with the weight of a giant. Duncan
already saw the knife gleaming in the air, when a whist-
ling sound swept past him, and was rather accompanied,
than followed, by the sharp crack of a rifle. He felt his
breast relieved from the load it had endured; he saw the
savage expression of his adversary's countenance change
to a look of vacant wildness when the Indian fell dead on
the faded leaves by his side.

CHAPTER XIL

Cio. — I am gone, sir,
ABd anon, air,
I ni be with you again.

Twe^h Night, TV. VL 131.

The Hurons stood aghast at this sudden visitation of
death on one of their band. But, as they regarded the
fatal accuracy of an aim which had dared to immolate an
enemy at so much hazard to a friend, the name of "La
Longue Carabine" burst simultaneously from every lip,
and was succeeded by a wild and a sort of plaintive howl.
The cry was answered by a loud shout from a little
thicket, where the incautious party had piled their arms;
and at the next moment, Hawkeye, too eager to load the
rifle he had regained, was seen advancing upon them,
brandishing the clubbed weapon, and cutting the air with
wide and powerful sweeps. Bold and rapid as was the
progress of the scout, it was exceeded by that of a light
and vigorous form which, bounding past him, leaped, with
incredible activity and daring, into the very centre of the
Hurons, where it stood, whirling a tomahawk, and flour-
ishing a glittering knife, with fearful menaces, in front
of Cora. Quicker than the thoughts could follow these
unexpected and audacious movements, an image, armed in
the emblematic panoply of death, glided before their eyea^
and assumed a threatening attitude at the other's sida

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 125

The savage tormentors recoiled before these warlike in-
truders, and uttered, as they appeared in such quick suc-
cession, the often repeated and peculiar exclamation of
surprise, followed by the well known and dreaded appel-
lations of —

" Le Cerf Agile ! Le Gros Serpent ! ''

But the wary and vigilant leader of the Hurons was
not so easily disconcerted. Casting his keen eyes around
the little plain, he comprehended the nature of the assault
at a glance, and encouraging his followers by his voice as
well as by his example, he unsheathed his long and dan-
gerous knife, and rushed with a loud whoop upon the ex-
pecting Chingachgook. It was the signal for a general
combat. Neither party had fire-arms, and the contest was
to be decided in the deadliest manner; hand to hand,
with weapons of offense, and none of defense.

TJncas answered the whoop, and leaping on an enemy,
with a single, well directed blow of his tomahawk, cleft
him to the brain. Heyward tore the weapon of Magna
from the sapling, and rushed eagerly towards the fray.
As the combat£Uits were now equal in number, each singled
an opponent from the adverse band. The rush and blows
passed with the fury of a whirlwind, and the swiftness
of lightning. Hawkeye soon got another enemy within
reach of his arm, and with one sweep of his formidable
weapon he beat down the slight and inartificial defenses
of his antagonist, crushing him to the earth with the
blow. Heyward ventured to hurl the tomahawk he had
seized, too ardent to await the moment of closing. It
struck the Indian he had selected on the forehead, and
checked for an instant his onward rush. Encouraged by
this slight advantage, the impetuous young man contin-
ued his onset, and sprang upon his enemy with naked
hands. A single instant was enough to assure him of
the rashness of the measure, for he immediately found
himself fully engaged, with all his activity and courage,
in endeavoring to ward the desperate thrusts made with
the knife of the Huron. Unable longer to foil an enemy
«o alert and vigilant, he threw his arms about him, and

126 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

succeeded in pinning the limbs of the other to his side,
with an iron grasp, but one that was far too exhausting
to himself to continue long. In this extremity he heard
a voice near him, shouting, —

"Extarminate the varlets! no quarter to an accursed
Mingo I "

At the next moment, the breech of Hawkeye's rifle fell
on the naked head of his adversary, whose muscles ap-
peared to wither under the shock, as he sank from the
arms of Duncan, flexible and motionless.

When Uncas had brained his first antagonist, he turned,
like a hungry lion, to seek another. The fifth and only
Huron disengaged at the first onset had paused a moment,
and then seeing that all around him were employed in the
deadly strife, he had sought, with hellish vengeance, to
complete the baffled work of revenge. Baising a shout
of triimiph, he sprang towards the defenseless Cora, send-
ing his keen axe, as the dreadful precursor of his approach.
The tomahawk grazed her shoulder, and cutting the withes
which bound her to the tree, left the maiden at liberty
to fly. She eluded the grasp of the savage, and reckless
of her own safety, threw herself on the bosom of Alice,
striving with convulsed and ill-directed fingers, to tear
asunder the twigs which confined the person of her sister.
Any other than a monster would have relented at such an
act of generous devotion to the best and purest affection;
but the breast of the Huron was a stranger to sympathy.
Seizing Cora by the rich tresses which fell in confusion
about her form, he tore her from her frantic hold, and
bowed her down with brutal violence to her knees. The
savage drew the flowing curls through his hand, and rais-
ing them on high with an outstretched arm, he passed the
knife around the exquisitely moulded head of his victim,
with a taunting and exulting laugh. But he purchased
this moment of fierce gratification with the loss of the
fatal opportunity. It was just then the sight caught the
eye of Uncas. Bounding from his footsteps he appeared
for an instant darting through the air, and descending in
a ball he fell on the chest of his enemiy, driving him many

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 127

yards from the spot, headlong and prostrate. The yio-
lence of the exertion cast the young Mohican at his side.
They arose together, fought, and bled, each in his turn.
But the conflict was soon decided; the tomahawk of Hey-
ward and the rifle of Hawkeye descended on the skull of
the Huron, at the same moment that the knife of Uncas
reached his heart.

The battle was now entirely terminated, with the ex-
ception of the protracted struggle between Le Kenard
Subtil and Le Gros Serpent. Well did these barbarous
warriors prove that they deserved those significant names
which had been bestowed for deeds in former wars.
When they engaged, some little time was lost in eluding
the quick and vigorous thrusts which had been aimed at
their lives. Suddenly darting on each other, they closed,
and came to the earth, twisted together like twining ser-
pents, in pliant and subtle folds. At the moment when
the victors found themselves unoccupied, the spot where
these experienced and desperate combatants lay, could only
be distinguished by a cloud of dust and leaves which
moved from the centre of the little plain towards its
boundary, as if raised by the passage of a whirlwind.
Urged by the different motives of filial affection, friend-
ship, and gratitude, Heyward and his companions rushed
with one accord to the place, encircling the little canopy
of dust which hung above the warriors. In vain did
Uncas dart around the cloud, with a wish to strike his
knife into the heart of his father's foe ; the- threatening
rifle of Hawkeye was raised and suspended in vain, while
Duncan endeavored to seize the limbs of the Huron with
hands that appeared to have lost their power. Covered,
as they were, with dust and blood, the swift evolutions
of the combatants seemed to incorporate their bodies into
one. The death-like looking figure of the Mohican, and
the dark form of the Huron, gleamed before their eyes in
such quick and confused succession, that the friends of
the former knew not where nor when to plant the succor-
ing blow. It is true there were short and fleeting mo-
ments when the fieiy eyes of Magua were seen glitteringi

128 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

like the fabled organs of the basilisk, through the dusty
wreath by which he was enveloped, £uid he read by those
short and deadly glances the fate of the combat in the
presence of his enemies; ere, however, any hostile hand
could descend on his devoted head, its place was filled
by the scowling visage of Chingachgook. In this manner
the scene of the combat was removed from the centre of
the little plain to its verge. The Mohican now found an
opportunity to make a powerful thrust with his knife;
Magna suddenly relinquished his grasp, and fell back-
ward without motion, and seemingly without life. His
adversary leaped on his feet, making the arches of the
forest ring with the sounds of triumph.

"Well done for the Delawares! victory to the Mohi-
can I " cried Hawkeye, once more elevating the butt of
the long and fatal rifle; "a finishing blow from a' man
without a cross will never tell against his honor, nor rob
him of his right to the scalp.''

But at the very moment when the dangerous weapon
was in the act of descending, the subtle Huron rolled
swiftly from beneath the danger, over the edge of the
precipice, and, falling on his feet, was seen leaping with
a single bound into the centre of a thicket of low bushes,
which clung along its sides. The Delawares, who had
believed their enemy dead, uttered their exclamation of
surprise, and were following with speed and clamor, like
hounds in open view of the deer, when a shrill and pecu-
liar cry from the scout instantly changed their purpose,
and recalled them to the summit of the hill.

"'Twas like himself," cried the inveterate forester,
whose prejudices contributed so largely to veil his natural
sense of justice in all matters which concerned the Min-
goes ; " a lying and deceitful varlet as he is. An honest
Delaware now, being fairly vanquished, would have lain
still, and been knocked on the head, but these knavish
Maquas cling to life like* so many cats- o'-the-mountain.
Let him go — let him go; 'tis but one man, and he with-
out rifle or bow, many a long mile from his French com-
merades; and, like a rattler that has lost his fangs, he can

THE LAST OF THE MOHICAlfS. 129

do no farther mischief, until such time as he, and we too,
may leave the prints of our moccasins over a long reach
of sandy plain. See, Uncas," he added, in Delaware,
**your father is flaying the scalps already. It may he
well to go round and feel the vagahonds that are left, or
we may have another of them loping through the woods,
and screeching like a jay that has heen winged."

So saying, the honest, hut implacahle scout made the
circuit of the dead, into whose senseless hosoms he thrust
his long knife, with as much coolness as though they had
been so many brute carcasses. He had, however, been
anticipated by the elder Mohican, who had already torn
the emblems of victory from the unresisting heads of the
slain.

But Uncas, denying his habits, we had almost said his
nature, flew with instinctive delicacy, accompanied by
Heyward, to the assistance of the females, and quickly
releasing Alice, placed her in the arms of Cora. We
shall not attempt to describe the gratitude to the Almighty
Disposer of events which glowed in the bosoms of the
sisters, who were thus unexpectedly restored to life smd
to each other. Their thanksgivings were deep and silent ;
the offerings of their gentle spirits, burning brightest and
purest on the secret altars of their hearts ; and their reno-
vated and more earthly feelings exhibiting themselves in
long and fervent, though speechless caresses. As Alice
rose from her knees, where she had sunk by the side of
Conii she threw herself on the bosom of the latter, and
sobbed aloud the name of their aged father, while her soft,
dove-like eyes sparkled with the rays of hope.

"We are saved! we are saved!" she murmured; "to
return to the arms of our dear, dear father, and his heart
will not be broken with grief. And you too, Cora, my
sister; my more than sister, my mother; you too ate
spared. And Duncan,'' she added, looking round upon
the youth with a smile of ineffable innocence, " even our
own brave and noble Duncan has escaped without a hurt."

To these ardent and nearly incoherent words Cora made
no other answer than by straining the youthful speaker to

130 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

her heart, as she hent over her, in melting tenderness.
The manhood of Heyward felt no shame in dropping tears
over this spectacle of affectionate rapture; and Uncas
stood, fresh and blood-stained from the combat, a calm,
and, apparently, an unmoved looker-on, it is true, but
with eyes that had already lost their fierceness, and were
beaming with a sympathy that elevated him far above the
intelligence, and advanced him probably centuries before
the practices of his nation.

During this display of emotions so natural in their situ-
ation, Hawkeye, whose vigilant distrust had satisfied itself
that the Hurons, who disfigured the heavenly scene, no
longer possessed the power to interrupt its harmony, ap-
proached David, and liberated him from the bonds he
had, until that moment, endured with the most exemplary
patience.

"There," exclaimed the scout, casting the last withe
behind him, "you are once more master of your own
limbs, though you seem not to use them with much greater
judgment than that in which they were first fashioned.
If advice from one who is not older than yourself, but
who, having lived most of his time in the wilderness, may
be said to have experienced beyond his years, will give no
offense, you are welcome to my thoughts; and these are,
to part with the little tooting instrument in your jacket to
the first fool you meet with, and buy some useful we'pon
with the money, if it be only the barrel of a horseman's
pistol. By industry and care, you might thus come to
some prefarment; for by this time, I should think, your
eyes would plainly tell you that a carrion crow is a better
bird than a mocking thresher. The one will, iat least,
remove foul sights from before the face of man, while the
other is only good to brew disturbances in the woods, by
cheating the ears of all that hear them."

" Arms and the clarion for the battle, but the song of
thanksgiving to the victory ! " answered the liberated
David. "Friend," he added, thrusting forth his lean,
delicate hand towards Hawkeye, in kindness, while his
eyes twinkled and grew moist, "I thank thee that the

THS LAST OF THX MOHICANS. 181

hairs of my head still grow where they were first rooted
by Providence; for, though those of other men may be
more glossy and curling, I have ever founcj mine own well
suited to the brain they shelter. That I did not join
myself to the battle was less owing to disinclination, than
to the bonds of the heathen. Valiant and skillful hast
thou proved thyself in the conflict, and I hereby thank
thee, before proceeding to discharge other and more im-
portant duties, because thou hast proved thyself well wor-
thy of a Christian's praise."

"The thing is but a trifle, and what you may often see,
if you tarry long among us," returned the scout, a good
deal softened towards the man of song, by this unequivo-
cal expression of gratitude. "I have got back my old
companion, Killdeer," he added, striking his hand on the
breech of his rifle ; " and that in itself is a victory. These
Iroquois are cunning, but they outwitted themselves when
they placed their fire-arms out of reach ; and had Uncas .
or his father been gifted with only their common Indian
patience, we should have come in upon the knaves with
three bullets instead of one, and that would have made
a finish of the whole pack; yon loping varlet, as well as
his commerades. But 't was all fore-ordered, and for the
best."

"Thou sayest well," returned David, "and hast caught
the true spirit of Christianity. He that is to be saved
will be saved, and he that is predestined to be damned
will be damned. This is the doctrine of truth, and most
consoling and refreshing it is to the true believer."

The scout, who by this time was seated, examining into
the state of his rifle with a species of parental assiduity,
now looked up at the other in a displeasure that he did
not afl'ect to conceal, roughly interrupting further speech.

"Doctrine or no doctrine," said the sturdy woodsman,

tis the belief of knaves, and the curse of an honest
man. I can credit that yonder Huron was to fall by my
hand, for with my own eyes I have seen it; but nothing
short of being a witness will cause me to think he has
met with any reward, or that Chingachgook, there, will
be condemned at the final day."

CD

182 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" You have no warranty for such an audacious doctrine,
nor any covenant to support it," cried David, who was
deeply tinctured with the suhtle distinctions which, in his
time; and more especially in his province, had been drawn
around the beautiful simplicity of revelation, by endeavor
ing to penetrate the awful mystery of the divine nature,
supplying faith by self-sufficiency, and, by consequence,
involving those who reasoned from such human dogmas in
absurdities and doubt; "your temple is reared on the
sands, and the first tempest will wash away its foundation.
I demand your authorities for such an uncharitable asser-
tion [like other advocates of a system, David was not al-
ways accurate in his use of terms]. Name chapter and
verse ; in which of the holy books do you find language to
support you ? "
^ / " Book ! " repeated Hawkeye, with singular and ill-con-

cealed disdain ; "do you take me for a whimpering boy at
the apron-string of one of your old gals ; and this good
rifle on my knee ior the feather of a goose's wing, my
ox's horn for a bottle of ink, and my leathern pouch for
a cross-barred handkercher to carry my dinner? Book!
what have such as I, who am a warrior of the wilderness,
though a man without a cross, to do with books ? I never
read but in one, and the words that are written there are
too simple and too plain to need much schooling; though
I may boast that of forty long and hard-working years."

" What call you the volume ? " said David, misconceiv-
ing the other's meaning.

" 'T is open before your eyes," returned the scout; "and
he who owns it is not a niggard of its use. I have heard
it said that there are men who read in books to convince
themselves there is a God. I know not but man may so
deform his works in the settlement, as to leave that which
is so clear in the wilderness a matter of doubt among
traders and priests. If any such there be, and he will
follow me from sun to sun, through the windings of the
forest, he shall see enough to teach him that he is a fool,
and that the greatest of his folly lies in striving to ' rise
to the level of One he can never equal, be it in goodnesSi
r be it in power."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 133

The instant David discovered that he battled with a
disputant who imbibed his faith from the lights of nature,
eschewing all subtleties of doctrine, he willingly aban-
doned a controversy from which he believed neither profit
nor credit was to be derived. While the scout was speak-
ing, he had also seated himself, and producing the ready
little volume and the iron-rimmed spectacles, he prepared
to discharge a duty which nothing but the unexpected
assault he had received in his orthodoxy could have so
long suspended. He was, in truth, a minstrel of the
western continent — of a much later day, certainly, than
those gifted bards who formerly sang the profane renown
of baron and prince, but after the spirit of his own age
and country; and he was now prepared to exercise the
cunning of his craft in celebration of, or rather in thanks-
giving for, the recent victory. He waited patiently for
Hawkeye to cease, then lifting his eyes, together with his
voice, he said aloud, —

"I invite you, friends, to join in praise for this signal
deliverance from the hands of barbarians and infidels, to
the comfortable and solemn tones of the tune called
* Northampton. ' '?

He next named the page and verse where the rhymes
selected were to be found, and applied the pitch-pipe to
his lips, with the decent gravity that he had been wont to
use in the temple. This time he was, however, without
any accompaniment, for the sisters were just then pouring
out those tender effusions of affection which have been
already alluded to. Nothing deterred by the smallness of
his audience, which, in truth, consisted only of the dis-
contented scout, he raised his voice, commencing and end-
ing the sacred song without accident or interruption of
any kind.

Hawkeye listened, while he coolly adjusted his flint
and reloaded his rifle ; but the sounds, wanting the extra-
neous assistance of scene and sympathy, failed to awaken
his slumbering emotions. Never minstrel, or by whatever
more suitable name David should be known, drew upon
his talents in the presence of more insensible auditors;

134 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

though considering the singleness and sincerity of his
motive, it is prohable that no hard of profane song ever
uttered notes that ascended so near to that throne where
all homage and praise is due. The scout shook his head,
and . muttering some unintelligible words, among which
"throaf and "Iroquois," were alone audible, he walked
away, to collect, and to examine into, the state of the
captured arsenal of the Hurons. In this office he was now
joined by Chingachgook, who found his own, as well as
the rifle of his son, among the arms. Even Heyward
and David were furnished with weapons; nor was ammu-
nilion wanting to render them all effectual.

When the foresters had made their selection, and dis-
tributed their prizes, the scout announced that the hour
had arrived when it was necessary to move. By this time
the song of Gamut had ceased, and the sisters had learned
to still the exhibition of their emotions. Aided by Dun-
can and the younger Mohican, the two latter descended
the precipitous sides of that hill which they had so lately
ascended under so very different auspices, and whose sum-
mit had so nearly proved the scene of their massacre. At
the foot, they found the Narrangansets browsing the herb-
age of the bushes ; and having mounted, they followed the
movements of a guide who, in the most deadly straits,
had so often proved himself their friend. The journey
was, however, short. Hawkeye, leaving the blind path
that the Hurons had followed, turned short to his right,
and entering the thicket, he crossed a babbling brook, and
halted in a narrow dell, under the shade of a few water
elms. Their distance from the base of the fatal hill was
but a few rods, and the steeds had been serviceable only
in crossing the shallow stream.

The scout and the Indians appeared to be familiar with
the sequestered place where they now were; for, leaning
their rifles against the trees, they commenced throwing
aside the dried leaves, and opening the blue clay, out of
which a clear and sparkling spring of bright, glancing
water quickly bubbled.^ The white man then looked
1 This description was intended for the principal spring at Ballston, la

THE LAST OF THE MOHICAN& 135

about him, as though seeking for some object which was
not to be found as readily as he expected : —

"Them careless imps, the Mohawks, with their Tusca-
rora and Onondaga brethren, have been here slaking their
thirst," he muttered, "and the vagabonds have thrown
away the gourd! This is the way with benefits, when
they are bestowed on such disremembering hounds I Here
has the Lord laid his hand, in the midst of the howling
wilderness, for their good, and raised a fountain of water
from the bowels of the. 'arth, that might laugh at the
richest shop of apothecary's ware in all the colonies ; and ^
see! the knaves have trodden in the clay, and deformed
the cleanliness of the place, as though they were brute
beasts, instead of human men.''

Uncas silently extended towards him the desired gourd,
which the spleen of Hawkeye had hitherto prevented him
from observing, on a branch of an elm. Filling it with
water, he retired a short distance, to a place where the
ground was more firm and dry ; here he coolly seated him-
self, and after taking a long, and, apparently, a grateful
draught, he commenced a very strict examination of the
fragments of food left by the Hurons, which had hung in
a wallet on his arm.

" Thank you, lad ! " he" continued, returning the empty
gourd to Uncas; "now we will see how these rampaging
Hurons lived, when outlying in ambushments. Look at
this! The varlets know the better pieces of the deer;
and one would think they might carve and roast a saddle,
equal to the best cook in the land! But everything is
raw, for the Iroquois are thorough savages. Uncas, take
my steel, and kindle a fire ; a mouthful of a tender broil
will give natur' a helping hand, after so long a trail."

Heyward, perceiving that their guides now set about
their repast in sober earnest, assisted the ladies to alight,

Hb wild condition. The Indians were well aware of the medicinal qual-
ities of the waters at Saratoga and Ballston, and frequently visited that
ground. The battle described in this chapter is supposed to have taken
place on a hill just above the springs at Ballston. Mr. Cooper had
recently visited the ground when he wrote this chapter. — S. F. C.

136 THU LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

and placed himself at their side, not unwilling to enjoy
a few moments of grateful rest, after the bloody scene he
had just gone through. While the culinary process was
in hand, curiosity induced him to inquire into the circum-
stances which had led to their timely and unexpected
rescue.

"How is it that we see you so soon, my generous
friend,'' he asked, "and without aid from the garrison of
Edward ? "

" Had we gone to the bend in the river, we might have
been in time to rake the leaves over your bodies, but too
late to have saved your scalps, " coolly answered the scout.
"No, no; instead of throwing away strength and oppor-
tunity by crossing to the fort, we lay by, under the bank
of the Hudson, waiting to watch the movements of the
Hurons. "

" You were, then, witnesses of all that passed ? "

"Not of all; for Indian sight is too keen to be easily
cheated, and we kept close. A difficult matter it was, too,
to keep this Mohican boy snug in the ambushment. Ah!
Uncas, Uncas, your behavior was more like that of a curi-
ous woman than of a warrior on his scent.''

Uncas permitted his eyes to turn for an instant on the
sturdy countenance of the speaker, but he neither spoke
nor gave any indication of repentance. On the contrary,
Heyward thought the manner of the young Mohican was
disdainful, if not a little fierce, and that he suppressed
passions that were ready to explode, as much in compH-
ment to the listeners, as from the deference he usually
paid to his white associate.

" You saw our capture ? " Heyward next demanded.

" We heard it, " was the significant answer. " An In-
dian yell is plain language to men who have passed their
days in the woods. But when you landed, we were driven
to crawl, like sarpents, beneath the leaves; and then we
lost sight of you entirely, until we placed eyes on you
again, trussed to the trees, and ready bound for an Indian

massacre."

"Our rescue was the deed of Providence. It waa

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 137

nearly a miracle tliat you did not mistake the path, for
the Hurons divided, and each hand had its horses.''

" Aye ! there we were thrown off the scent, and might,
indeed, have lost the trail, had it not been for Uncas;
we took the path, however, that led into the wilderness ;
for we judged, and judged rightly, that the savages would
hold that course with their prisoners. But when we had
followed it for many miles, without finding a single twig
broken, as I had advised, my mind misgave me ; especially
as all the footsteps had the prints of moccasins."

• " Our captors had the precaution to see us shod like
themselves," said Duncan, raising a foot, and exhibiting
the buckskin he wore.

"Aye! 'twas judgmatical, and like themselves: though
we were too expart to be thrown from a trail by so com-
mon an invention."

" To what, then, are we indebted for our safety ? "

" To what, as a white man who has no taint of Indian
blood, I should be ashamed to own ; to the judgment of
the young Mohican, in matters which I should know bet-
ter than he, but which I can now hardly believe to be
true, though my own eyes tell me it is so."

" 'T is extraordinary ! will you not name the reason 1 "

"Uncas was bold enough to say that the beasts ridden
by the gentle ones," continued Hawkey e, glancing his
eyes, not without curious interest, on the fillies of the
ladies, "planted the legs of one side on the ground at the
same time, which is contrary to the movements of all
trotting four-footed animals of my knowledge, except the
bear. And yet here are horses that always journey in
this manner, as my own eyes have seen, and as their trail
has shown for twenty long miles."

" 'T is the merit of the animal I They come from the
shores of Narraganset Bay, in the small province of Provi-
dence Plantations, and are celebrated for their hardihood,
and the ease of this peculiar movement; though other
horses are not unfrequently trained to the same."

" It may be — it may be, " said Hawkeye, who had lis-
tened with singular attention to this explanation; "though

188 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

I am a man who has the full blood of the whites, my
judgment in deer and beaver is greater than in beasts oi
burden. Major Effingham has many noble chargers, but
I have never seen one travel after such a sideling gait."

" True ; for he would value the animals for very differ-
ent properties. Still is this a breed highly esteemed, and,
as you witness, much honored with the burdens it is often
destined to bear."

The Mohicans had suspended their operations about the
glimmering fire, to listen; and when Duncan had done,
they looked at each other significantly, the father uttering
the never-failing exclamation of surprise. The scout
ruminated, like a man digesting his newly acquired know-
ledge, and once more stole a curious glance at the horses.

" I dare to say there are even stranger sights to be seen
in the settlements!'' he said, at length; "natur' is sadly
abused by man, when he once gets the mastery. But, go
sideling or go straight, Uncas had seen the movement, and
•their trail led us on to the broken bush. The outer
branch, near the prints of one of the horses, was bent up-
ward, as a lady breaks a flower from its stem, but all the
rest were ragged and broken down, as if the strong hand
of a man had been tearing them! So I concluded that
the cunning varments had seen the twig bent, and had
torn the rest, to make us believe a buck had been feeling
the boughs with his antlers."

"I do believe your sagacity did not deceive you; for
some such thing occurred ! "

"That was easy to see," added the scout, in no degree
conscious of having exhibited any extraordinary sagacity;
"and a very different matter it was from a waddling
horse! It then struck me the Mingoes would push for
this spring, for the knaves well know the vartue of its
waters ! "

"Is it, then, so famous?" demanded Hey ward, exam-
ining, with a more curious eye, the secluded dell, with its
bubbling fountain, surrounded, as it was, by earth of a
deep dingy brown.

" Few red-skinS| who travel south and east of the great

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 139

iakeSf but have heard of its qualities. Will you taste for
yourself?"

Heyward took the gourd, and, after swallowing a little
of the water, threw it aside with grimaces of discontent.
The scout laughed in his silent but heartfelt manner, and
shook his head with vast satisfaction.

"Ah! you want the flavor that one gets by habit; the
time was when I liked it as little as yourself; but I have
come to my taste, and I now crave it, as a deer does the
licks. ^ Your high spiced wines are not better liked than
a red-skin • relishes this water ; especially when his natur'
is ailing. But Uncas has made his fire, and it is time
we think of eating, for our journey is long, and all before
us."

Interrupting the dialogue by this abrupt transition, the
scout had instant recourse to the fragments of food which
had escaped the voracity of the Hurons. A very sum-
mary process completed the simple cookery, when he and
the Mohicans commenced their humble meal, with the
silence and characteristic diligence of men who ate in order
to enable themselves to endure great and unremitting toil.

When this necessary, and, happily, grateful duty had
been performed, each of the foresters stooped and took a
long and parting draught at that solitary and silent spring,*
around which and its sister fountains, within fifty years,
the wealth, beauty, and talents of a hemisphere were to
assemble in throngs, in pursuit of health and pleasure.
Then Hawkeye announced his determination to proceed.
The sisters resumed their saddles; Duncan and David
grasped their rifles, and followed on their footsteps; the
scout leading the advance, and the Mohicans bringing up
the rear. The whole party moved swiftly through the

^ Many of the ajiimals of the American forests resort to those spots
where salt springs are found. These are called "licks " or "salt licks,"
in the language of the country, from the circumstance that the quad-
ruped is often obliged to lick the earth, in order to obtain the saline
particles. These licks are great places of resort with the hunters, who
Waylay their game near the paths that lead to them.

2 The scene of the foregoing incidents is on the spot where the village
oi Ballston now stands.

140 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

narrow path, towards the north, leaving the healing Traters
to mingle unheeded with the adjacent hrook, and the bod%
ies of the dead to fester on the neighhoring mount, with-
out the rites of sepulture; a fate but too common to the
warriors of the woods to excite either commiseration or
comment.

CHAPTER Xni.

I *I1 aeek a readier path.

Pabhkx, a NiffhUPieee on Death.

The route taken by Hawkeye lay across those sandy
plains, relieved by occasional valleys and swells of land,
which had been traversed by their party on the morning
of the same day, with the baffled Magna for their guide.
The sun had now fallen low towards the distant mountains;
and as their journey lay through the interminable forest,
the heat was no longer oppressive. Their progress, in
consequence, was proportionate; and long before the twi-
light gathered about them, they had made good many toil-
some miles on their return.

The hunter, like the savage whose place he filled, seemed
to select among the blind signs of their wild route with
a species of instinct, seldom abating his speed, and never
pausing to deliberate. A rapid and oblique glance at the
moss on the trees, with an occasional upward gaze towards
the setting sun, or a steady but passing look at the direction
of the numerous watercourses, through which he waded,
were sufficient to determine his path and remove his great-
est difficulj^ies. In the mean time, the forest began to
change itt hues, losing that lively green which Jiad embel-
lishea its arches, in the graver light which is the usual

Cursor of the close of day.

While the eyes of the sisters were endeavoring to catch
glimpses, through the trees, of the flood of golden glory
which formed a glittering halo around the sun, tingeing
here and there with ruby streaks, or bordering with nar-
row edgings of shining yellow, a mass of clouds that lay

/ -

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANa 141

piled at no great distance abeve the western hills, Hawk-
eye turned suddenly, and, pointina^ upwards towards the
gorgeous heavens, he spoke. /

'* Yonder is the signal given fto man to seek his food
and natural rest,'' he said; "better and wiser would it be,
if he could understand the signs of nature, and take a
lesson from the fowls of the air and the beasts of thb
fields! Our night, however, will soon be over; for, with
the moon, we must be up and moving again. I remember
to have fou't the Maquas, here-aways, in the first war in
which I ever drew blood from man; and we threw up a
work of blocks, to keep the ravenous varments from hand-
ling our scalps. If my marks do not fail me, '^e shall
find the place a few rods further to our left.'*

Without waiting for an assent, or, indeed, for any
reply, the sturdy hunter moved boldly into a dense thicket
of young chestnuts, shoving aside the branches of the ex-
uberant shoots which nearly covered the ground, like a
man who expecte'd, at each step, to discover some object
he had formerly known. The recollection of the scout
did not deceive him. After penetrating through the
brush, matted as it was with briers, for a few hundred
feet, he entered an open space, that surrounded a low,
green hillock, which was crowned by the decayed block-
house in question. This rude and neglected building was
one of those deserted works, which, having been thrown
up on an emergency, had been abandoned with the disap-
pearance of danger, and was now quietly crumbling in the
solitude of the forest,^ neglected, and nearly forgotten,

1 Many small forts and block-houses were built during the first half
of the last century throughout the extent of the northern frontiers of
the colony of New York, as defenses against the French and Indians.
These works were especially numerous in the valley of the Mohawk,
on the Wood Creek, and in the Oswego country to the westward — and
also on the upper Hudson, and the head-waters of Lake Champlain to
the eastward. It was by these two routes that the enemy of that period,
the French in Canada, and their Indian allies, made their dreaded in-
roads upon the colonists. Scarce a year passed without the building of
several of these block-houses, or petty forts, to meet some emergency of
the hour, and as the threatened danger passed away they were neglected
and forgotten. — S. F. C.

142 THE LAST OF THS MOHICANS.

like the circumstances which had caused it to be reared.
Such memorials of the passage and struggles of man are
yet frequent throughout the broad barrier of wilderness
which once separated the hostile provinces, and form a
species of ruins that are intimately associated with the
recollections of colonial history, and which are in appro-
priate keeping with the gloomy character of the surround-
ing scenery.^ The roof of bark had long since fallen and
mingled with the soil, but the huge logs of pine, which
had been hastily thrown together, still preserved their
relative positions, though one angle of the work had given
way under the pressure, and threatened a speedy downfall
to the remainder of the rustic edifice. While Heyward
and his companions hesitated to approach a building so
decayed, Hawkeye and the Indians entered within the low
walls, not only without fear, but with obvious interest.
While the former surveyed the ruins, both internally and
externally, with the curiosity of one whose recollections
were reviving at each moment, Chingachgobk related to
his son, in the language of the Delawares, and with the
pride of a conqueror, the brief history of the skirmish
which had been fought, in his youth, in that secluded
spot. A strain of melancholy, however, blended with his
triumph, rendering his voice, as usual, soft and musical.
In the mean time, the sisters gladly dismounted, and

1 Some years since, the writer was shooting in the vicinity of the
ruins of Fort Oswego, which stands on the shores of Lake Ontario. His
game was deer, and his chase a forest that stretched with little inter-
ruption, fifty miles inland. Unexpectedly he came upon six or eight
ladders lying in the woods within a short distance of each other. They
were rudely made, and much decayed. Wondering what could have
assembled so many of these instruments in such a place, he sought an
old man who resided near for the explanation.

During the war of 1776, Fort Oswego was held by the British. An
expedition had been sent two hundred miles through the wilderness to
surprise the fort. It appears that the Americans, on reaching the »pot
named, which was within a mile or two of the fort, first learned that
they were expected, and in great danger of being cut off. They threw
away their scaling-ladders, and made a rapid retreat. These ladders
Clad Iain unmolested thirty years, in the spot where they had thus been
caat.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 143

prepared to enjoy their halt in the coohiess of the evening,
and in a security which they helieved nothing hut the
heasts of the forest could invade.

"Would not our resting-place have heen more retired,
my worthy friend," demanded the more vigilant Duncan,
perceiving that the scout had already finished his short
survey, " had we chosen a spot less known, and one more
rarely visited than this ? ''

"Few live who know the block-house was ever raised, '*
was the slow and musing answer; "'tis not often that
hooka are made, and narratives written, of such a skrim-
mage as was here fou't at ween the Mohicans and the Mo-
hawks, in a war of their own waging. I was then a
}ounker, and went out with the Dela wares, because I
know'd they were a scandalized and wronged race. Forty
days and forty nights did the imps crave our blood around
this pile of logs, which I designed and partly reared, being,
as you '11 remember, no Indian myself, but a man without
a cross. The Delawares lent themselves to the work, and
we made it good, ten to twenty, until our numbers were
nearly equal, and then we sallied out upon the hounds,
and not a man of them ever got back to tell the fate of his
party. Yes, yes; I was then young, and new to the sight
of blood ; and not relishing the thought that creatures who
had spirits like myself should lay on the naked ground, to
be torn asunder by beasts, or to bleach in the rains, I
buried the dead with my own hands, under that very little
hillock where you have placed yourselves; and no bad
^t does it make neither, though it be raised by the bones
of mortal men."

Hey ward and the sisters arose, on the instant, from the
grassy sepulchre; nor could the two latter, notwithstand-
ing the terrific scenes they had so recently passed through,
«ntirely suppress an emotion of natural horror, when they
found themselves in such familiar contact with the grave
of the dead Mohawks. The gray light, the gloomy little
area of dark grass, surrounded by its border of brush, be-
yond which the pines rose, in breathing silence, appar-
ently, into the very clouds, and the deathlike stillness of

144 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

the vast forest, were all in unison to deepen such a sen-
sation.

"They are gone, and they are harmless," continued
Hawkeye, waving his hand, with a melancholy smile, at
their manifest alarm: "they '11 never shout the war-whoop
nor strike a blow with the tomahawk again ! And of all
those who aided in placing them where they lie, Chingach-
gook and I only are living ! The brothers and family of
the Mohican formed our war party; and you see before
you all that are now left of his race. "

The eyes of the listeners involuntarily sought the forms
of the Indians, with a compassionate interest in their deso-
late fortune. Their dark persons were still to be seen
within the shadows of the block-house, the son listening
to the relation of his father with that sort of intenseness
which would be created by a narrative that redounded so
much to the honor of those whose names he had long re-
vered for their courage and savage virtues.

"I had thought the Delawares a pacific people," said
Duncan, "and that they never waged war in person; trust-
ing the defense of their lands to those very Mohawks that
you slew ! "

"'Tis true in part," returned the scout, "and yet, at
the bottom, 't is a wicked lie. Such a treaty was made
in ages gone by, through the deviltries of the Dutchers,
who wished to disarm the natives that had the best right
to the country where they had settled themselves. The
Mohicans, though a part of the same nation, having to
deal with the English, never entered into the silly bargain,
but kept to their manhood ; as in truth did the Delawares,
when their eyes were opened to their folly. You see be-
fore you a chief of the great Mohican Sagamores! Once
his family could chase their deer over tracts of country
wider than that which belongs to the Albany Patteroon,
without crossing brook or hill that was 'not their own ; but
what is left to their descendant! He may find his six
feet of earth when God chooses, and keep it in peace, per-
haps, if he has a friend who will take the pains to sink
^is head so low that the ploughshares cannot reach it! "

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 145

"Enough!" said Hey ward, apprehensive that the sub-
ject might lead to a discussion that would interrupt the
harmony so necessary to the preservation of his fair com-
panions: "we have journeyed far, and few among us are
blessed with forms like that of yours, which seems to
know neither fatigue nor weakness. "

" The sinews and bones of a man carry me through it
all," said' the hunter, surveying his muscular limbs with
a simplicity that betrayed the honest pleasure the compli-
ment afforded him : " there are larger and heavier men to
be found in the settlements, but you might travel many
days in a city before you could meet one able to walk fifty
miles without stopping to take breath, or who has kept
the hoimds within hearing during a chase of hours! How-
ever, as flesh and blood are not always the same, it is
quite reasonable to suppose that the gentle ones are willing
to rest, after all they have seen and done this day. Tin-
eas, clear out the spring, while your father and I make a
cover for their tender heads of these chestnut shoots, and
a bed of grass and leaves."

The dialogue ceased, while the hunter and his compan-
ions busied themselves in preparations for the comfort and
protection of those they guided. A spring, which many
long years before had induced the natives to select the
place for their temporary fortification, was soon cleared of
leaves, and a fountain of crystal gushed from the bed,
diflfusing its waters over the verdant hillock. A corner
of the building was then roofed in such a manner as to
exclude the heavy dew of the climate, and piles of sweet
shrubs and dried leaves were laid beneath it for the sisters
to repose on.

While the diligent woodsmen were employed in this
manner, Cora and Alice partook of that refreshment which
duty required much more than inclination prompted them
to accept. They then retired within the walls, and first
offering up their thanskgivings for past mercies, and peti-
tioning for a continuance of the Divine favor through-
out the coming night, they laid their tender forms on
the fragrant couch, and in spite of recollections and fore-

146 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

bodings, soon sank into those slumbers whicli nature so
imperiously demanded, and which were sweetened by hopes
for the morrow. Duncan had prepared himself to pass
the night in watchfulness near them, just without the
ruin, but the scout, perceiving his intention, pointed to-
wards Chingachgook, as he coolly disposed his own person
on the grass, and said, —

"The eyes of a white man are too heavy and too blind
for such a watch as this ! The Mohican will be. our sen-
tinel, therefore let us sleep."

"I proved myself a sluggard on my post during the
past night,'' said Hey ward, "and have less need of repose
than you, who did more credit to the character of a sol-
dier. Let all the party seek their rest, then, while I
hold the guard.''

"If we lay among the white tents of the 60th, and in
front of an enemy like the French, I could not ask for a
better watchman," returned the scout; "but in the dark-
ness and among the signs of the wUdemess your judgment
would be like the folly of a child, and your vigilance
thrown away. Do then, like Uncas and myself, sleep,
and sleep in safety."

Heyward perceived, in truth, that the younger Indian
had thrown his form on the side of the hillock while they
were talking, like one who sought to make the most of the
time allotted to rest, and that his example had been fol-
lowed by David, whose voice literally "clove to his jaws,"
with the fever of his wound, heightened, as it was, by
their toilsome march. Unwilling to prolong a useless dis-
cussion, the young man affected to comply, by posting his
back against the logs of the block-house, in a half-recum-
bent posture, though resolutely determined, in his own
mind, not to close an eye until he had delivered his pre-
cious charge into the arms of Munro himself. Hawkeye,
believing he had prevailed, soon fell asleep, and a silence
as deep as the solitude in which they had found it, per-
vaded the retired spot.

For many minutes Duncan succeeded in keeping his
censes on the alert, and alive to every moaning sound thai

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 147

arose from the forest. /tUs vision became more acute as
the shades of evening settled on the place ; and even after
the stars were glimmering above his head, he was able to
distinguish the recumbent forms of his companions, as
they lay stretched on the grass, and to note the person of
Ghingachgook, who sat upright and motionless as one of
the trees which formed the dark barrier on every side.
He still heard the gentle breathings of the sisters, who
laywxtixin a few feet of him, and not a leaf was ruffled by
the pasMUg air, of which his ear did not detect the whis-
pering soimd. At length, however, the mournful notes
of a whippoorwill became blended with the mpanings of
an owl; his heavy eyes occasionally sought the bright
rays of the stars, and then he fancied he saw them through
the fallen lids. At instants of momentary wakefulness
he mistook a bush for his associate sentinel; .his head
next sank upon his shoulder, which, in its turn, sought
the support of the ground; and finally his whole person
became relaxed and pliant, and the young man sank into
a deep sleep, dreaming that he was a knight of ancient
chivalry, holding his midnight vigils before the tent of a
recaptured princess, whose favor he did not despair of
gaining, by such a proof of devotion and watchfulness.

How long the tired Duncan lay in this insensible state
he never knew himself, but his slumbering visions had
been long lost in total f orgetfulness, when he was. awak-
ened by a light tap on the shoulder. Aroused by this
signal, slight as it was, he sprang upon his feet with a
confused recollection of the self-imposed duty he had
assumed with the commencement of the night.

" Who comes ? " he demanded, feeling for his sword,
at the place where it was usually suspended. "Speak!
friend or enemy ? "

"Friend," replied the low voice of Ghingachgook; who,
pointing upwards at the luminary which was shedding its
mild light through the opening in the trees, directly in
their bivouac, immediately added, in his rude English,
"moon comes, and white man's fort far — far off; time
V> move, when sleep shuts both eyes of the Frenchman I "

148 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

«

You say true ! call up your friends, and bridle the horses,
while I prepare my own companions for the march ! "

"We are awake, Duncan," said the soft, silvery tones
of Alice within the building, "and ready to travel very
fast after so refreshing a sleep; but you have watched
through the tedious night in our behalf, after having en-
dured so much fatigue the livelong day ! "

" Say, rather, I would have watched, but my treacher-
ous eyes betrayed me; twice have I proved myself unfit
for the trust I bear." ,

"Nay, Duncan, deny it not," interrupted the smiling
Alice, issuing from the shadows of the building into the
light of the moon, in all the loveliness of her freshened
beauty; "I know you to be a heedless one, when self is
the object of your care, and but too vigilant in favor of
others. Can we not tarry here a little longer, while you
find the rest you need 1 Cheerfully, most cheerfully, will
Cora and I keep the vigils, while you, and all these brave
men, endeavor to snatch a little sleep ! "

"If shame could cure me of my drowsiness, I should
never close an eye again," said the uneasy youth, gazing
at the ingenuous countenance of Alice, where, however,
in its sweet solicitude, he read nothing to confirm his half
awakened suspicion. "It is but too true, that after lead-
ing you into danger by my heedlessness, I have not even
the merit of guarding your pillows as should become a
soldier. "

"No one but Duncan himself should accuse Duncan of
duch a weakness. Go, then, and sleep ; believe me, neither
of us, weak girls as we are, will betray our watch."

The young man was relieved from the awkwardness of
making any further protestations of his own demerits, by
an exclamation from Chingachgook, and the attitude of
riveted attention assumed by his son.

" The Mohicans hear an enemy ! " whispered Hawkeye,
who, by this time, in common with the whole party, was
awake and stirring. " They scent danger in the wind ! "

" God forbid ! " exclaimed Heyward. " Surely we have
had enough of bloodshed ! "

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 149

%smi\

lile lie spoke, however, the young soldier seized his
rifle, and, advancing towards the front, prepared to atone
for his venial remissness, by freely exposing his life in
defense of those he attended.

" 'T is some creature of the forest prowling around us
in quest of food," he said, in a whisper, as soon as the
low, and apparently distant sounds, which had startled
the Mohicans, reached his own ears.

"Hist!" returned the attentive scout; "'tis man;
even I can now tell his tread, poor as my senses are when
compared to an Indian's ! That scampering Huron has
fallen in with one of Montcalm's outlying parties, and
they have struck upon our trail. I should n't like, my-
self, to spill more human blood in this spot," he added,
looking around with anxiety in his features, at the dim
objects by which he was surrounded; "but what must be,
must! Lead the horses into the block-house, Uncas;
and, friends, do you follow to the same shelter. Poor and
old as it is, it offers a cover, and has rung with the crack
of a rifle afore to-night ! "

He was instantly obeyed, the Mohicans leading the Nar-
ragansets within the ruin, whither the whole party repaired
with the most guarded silence.

The sounds of approaching footsteps were now too dis-
tinctly audible to leave any doubts as to the nature of the
interruption. They were soon mingled with voices calling
to each other in an Indian dialect, which the hunter, in
a whisper, affirmed to Heyward was the language of the
Hurons. When the party reached the point where the
horses had entered the thicket which surrounded the block-
house, they were evidently at fault, having lost those
marks which, until that moment, had directed their pur-
suit.

It would seem by the voices that twenty men were soon
collected at that one spot, mingling their different opinions
and advice in noisy clamor.

"The knave's know our weakness," whispered Hawk-
eye, who stood by the side of Heyward, in deep shade,
looking through an opening in the logs, " or they would n't

150 THE ULST OF THE MOHICANS.

indulge their idleness in such a squaw's march. Listen
to the reptiles! each man among them seems to have two
tongues, and but a single leg."

Duncan, brave as he was in the combat, could not, in
such a moment of painful suspense, make any reply to the
cool and characteristic remark of the scout. He only
grasped his rifle more firmly, and fastened his eyes upon
the narrow opening, through which he gazed upon the
moonlight view with increasing anxiety. The deeper
tones of one who spoke as having authority were next
heard, amid a silence that denoted the respect with which
his orders, or rather advice, was received. After which,
by the rustling of leaves, and cracking of dried twigs, it
was apparent the savages were separating in pursuit of the
lost trail. Fortunately for the pursued, the light of the
moon, while it shed a flood of mild lustre upon the little
area around the ruin, was not suificiently strong to pene-
trate the deep arches of the forest^ where the objects still
lay in deceptive shadow. The search proved fruitless;
for so short and sudden had been the passage from the
faint path the travellers had journeyed into the thicket,
that every trace of their footsteps was lost in the obscurity
of the woods.

It was not long, however, before the restless savages
were heard beating the brush, and gradually approaching
the inner edge of that dense border of young chestnuts
which encircled the little area.

"They are coming," muttered Heyward, endeavoring
to thrust his rifle through the chink in the logs; "let us
fire on their approach."

"Keep everything in the shade," returned the scout;
"the snapping of a flint, or even the smell of a single
karnel of the brimstone, would bring the hungry varlets
upon us in a body. Should it please God that we*must
give battle for the scalps, trust to the experience of men
who know the ways of the savages, and who are not often
backward when the war-whoop is howled."

Duncan cast his eyes behind him, and saw that the
trembling sisters were cowering in the far comer of the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 151

building, while the Mohicans stood in the shadow, like
two upright posts, ready, and apparently willing, to strike
when the blow should be needed. Curbing his impatience,
he again looked out upon the area, and awaited the result
in silence. At that instant the thicket opened, and a tall
and armed Huron advanced a few paces into the open
space. As he gazed upon the silent block-house, the moon
fell upon his swarthy countenance, and betrayed its sur-
prise and curiosity. He made the exclamation which
usually accompanies the former emotion in an Indian, and,
calling in a low voice, soon drew a companion to his side.

These children of the woods stood together for several
moments pointing at the crumbling edifice, and conversing
in the unintelligible language of their tribe. They then
approached, though with slow and cautious steps, pausing
every instant to look at the building, like startled deer,
whose curiosity struggled powerfully with their awakened
apprehensions for the mastery. The foot of one of them
suddenly rested on the mound, and he stooped to examine
its nature. At this moment, Heyward observed that the
scout loosened his knife in its sheath, and lowered the
muzzle of his rifle. Imitating these movements, the
young man prepared himself for the struggle, which now
seemed inevitable.

The savages were so near that the least motion in one
of the horses, or even a breath louder than common, would
have betrayed the fugitives. But, in discovering the
character of the mound, the attention of the Hurons ap-
peared directed to a difl'erent object. They spoke to-
gether, and the sounds of their voices were low and solemn,
as if influenced by a reverence that was deeply blended
with awe. Then they drew warily back, keeping their
eyes riveted on the ruin, as if they expected to see the
apparitions of the dead issue from its silent walls, until
having reached the boundary of the area, they moved
slowly into the thicket, and disappeared.

Hawkeye dropped the breech of his rifle to the earth,
and drawing a long» free breath, exclaimed, in an audible
whisper, —

152 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Aye! they respect the dead, and it has this time saved
their own lives, and, it may be, the lives of better men
too."

Heyward lent his attention for a single moment to
his companion, but without replying he again turned to-
wards those who just then interested him more. He
heard the two Hurons leave the bushes, and it was soon
plain that all the pursuers were gathered about them, in
deep attention to their report. After a few minutes of
earnest and solemn dialogue, altogether different from the
noisy clamor with which they had first collected about the
spot, the sounds grew fainter and more distant, and finally
were lost in the depths of the forest.

Hawkeye waited until a signal from the listening Chin-
gachgook assured him that every sound from the retiring
party was completely swallowed by the distance, when he
motioned to Heyward to lead forth the horses, and to
assist the sisters into their saddles. The instant this
was done, they issued through the broken gateway, and
stealing out by a direction opposite to the one by which
they had entered, they quitted the spot, the sisters casting
furtive glances at the silent grave and crumbling ruin, as
they left the soft light of the moon, to bury themselves
in the gloom of the woods.

CHAPTER XIV.

TFolcA. — Qoiestli?

Pue. — Paisans, pauvreB gens de France.

Shakssfbabh, King Henry T/., First Part, HI. iL 14.

During the rapid movement from the block-house, and
until the party was deeply buried in the foresf, each indi-
vidual was too much interested in the escape to hazard a
word even in whispers. The scout resumed his post in
the advance, though his steps, after he had thrown a safe
distance between himself and his enemies, were more de-
liberate than in their previous march, in consequence of
his utter ignorance of the localities of the surrounding

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 153

woods. More than once he halted to consult with his
confederates, the Mohicans, pointing upwards at the moon,
and examining the harks of the trees with care. In these
hrief pauses Heyward and the sisters listened, with senses
rendered douhly acute by the danger, to detect any symp-
toms which might announce the proximity of their foes.
At such moments it seemed as if a vast range of country
lay buried in eternal sleep; not the least sound arising
from the forest, unless it was the distant and scarcely
audible rippling of a water-course. Birds, beasts, and
man appeared to slumber alike, if, indeed, any of the
latter were to be found in that wide tract of wilderness.
But the sounds of the rivulet, feeble and murmuring as
they were, relieved the guides at once from no trifling
embarrassment, and towards it they immediately held their
way.

When the banks of the little stream were gained, Hawk-
eye made another halt; and, taking the moccasins from
his feet, he invited Heyward and Gamut \to follow his
example. He then entered the water, and for near an
hour they travelled in the bed of the brook, leaving no
trail. The moon had already sunk into an immense pile
of black clouds, which lay impending above the western
horizon, when they issued from the low and devious water-
course to rise again to the light and level of the sandy
but wooded plain. Here the scout seemed to be once
more at home, for he held on his way with the certainty
and diligence of a man who moved in the security of his
own knowledge. The path soon became more uneven,
and the travellers could plainly perceive that the moun-
tains drew nigher to them on each hand, and that they
were, in truth, about entering one of thtir gorges. Sud-
denly Hawkeye made a pause, and waiting until he was
joined by the whole party, he spoke, though in tones so
low and cautious that they added to the solemnity of his
words, in the quiet and darkness of the place.

"It is easy to know the pathways and to find the licks
and water-courses of the wildo.rness, " he saiu "but who
that saw this spot could ventiire to say that a mighty

154 THE LAST OF THE MOHIGAKS.

army was at rest among yonder silent trees and barren
mountains ? "

"We are then at no great distance from "William
Henry ? " said Hey ward, advancing nigher to the scout.

"It is yet a long and weary path, and when and where
to strike it, is now our greatest dilficulty. See," he said,
pointing through the trees towards a spot where a littl«
basin of water reflected the stars from its placid bosom,
" here is the * bloody pond ; * and I am on ground that 1
have not only often travelled, but over which I have fou't
the enemy from the rising to the setting sun."

" Ha ! that sheet of dull and dreary water, then, is the
sepulchre of the brave men who fell in the contest. I
have heard it named, but never have I stood on its banks
before."

"Three battles did we make with the Dutch-French-
man^ in a day," continued Hawkeye, pursuing the train
of his own thoughts rather than replying to the remark
of Duncan. " He met us hard by, in our outward march
to ambush his advance, and scattered us, like driven deer,
through the defile, to the shores of Horican. Then we
rallied behind our fallen trees, and made head against
him, under Sir William — who was made Sir William for
that very deed; and well did we pay him for the disgrace
of the morning! Hundreds of Frenchmen saw the sun
that day for the last time; and even their leader, Dieskau
himself, fell into our hands, so cut and torn with the lead
that he has gone back to his own country, unfit for furthei
acts in war."

, "'Twas a noble repulse!" exclaimed Hey ward, in the
heat of his youthful ardor; "the fame of it reached us
early, in our southern army."

"' Aye ! but it did not end there. I was sent by Major

1 Baron Dieskau, a German, in the service of France. A few yean
previously to the period of the tale, this officer was defeated by Sir
William Johnson of Johnstown, New York, on the shores of Lake
George.

[For a detailed description of the battle, see Parkman, MotUcalm aad
Woffe.]

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 155

Effingham, at Sir William's own bidding, to outflank the
French, and carry the tidings of their disaster across the
portage to the fort on the Hudson. Just here-away,
where you see the trees rise into a mountain swell, I met
a party coming down to our aid, and I led them where the
enemy were taking their meal, little dreaming that they
had not finished the bloody work of the day.^^

" And you surprised them ? ''

"If death can be a surprise to men who are thinking
only of the cravings of their appetites. We gave them
but little breathing time, for they had borne hard upon
us in the fight of the morning, and there were few in our
party who had not lost friend or relative by their hands.
When all was over, the dead, and some say the dying,
were cast into that little pond. These eyes have seen its
waters colored with blood, as natural water never yet
flowed from the bowels of the 'arth."

" It^was a convenient, and, I trust, will prove a peace-
ful grave for a soldier. You have, then, seen much ser-
vice on this frontier ? ''

"I!" said the scout, erecting his tall person with an
air of military pride ; " there are not many echoes among
these hills that have n't rung with the crack of my rifle,
nor is there the space of a square mile atwixt Horican and
the river that Killdeier hasn't dropped a living body
on, be it an enemy or be it a brute beast. As for the
grave there being as quiet as you mention, it is another
matter. There are them in the camp who say and think
man, to lie still, should not be buried while the breath is
in the body; and certain it is that in the hurry of that
evening the doctors had but little time to say who was
living and who was dead. Hist ! see you nothing walking
on the shore of the pond ? '^

" 'T is not probable that any are as houseless as our-
selves in this dreary forest."

" Such as he may care but little for house or shelter,
and night dew can never wet a body that passes its days
in the water," returned the scout, grasping the shoulder
of Heyward with such convulsive strength as to make the

156 THE LAST OF THE MqHICAN&

young soldier painfully sensible hcfw much superstitious
terror had got the mastery of a mai> usually so dauntless.

" By heaven ! there is a human form, and it approaches !
Stand to your arms, my friends; for we know not whom
we encounter."

"Qui vive?" demanded a stem, quick voice, which
sounded like a challenge from another world, issuing out
of that solitary and solemn place.

"What says it?" whispered the scout; "it speaks nei*
ther Indian nor English ! "

"Qui vive?" repeated the same voice, which was
quickly followed by the rattling of arms and a menacing
attitude.

" France ! " cried Hey ward, advancing from the shadow
of the trees to the shore of the pond, within a few yards
of the sentinel.

" D'oU venez - vous — oil allez - vous, d'aussi bonne
heure V^ demanded the grenadier, in the language and
with the accent of a man from old France.

"Je viens de la decouverte, et je vais me coucher."*

"Etes-vous officier du roi ? " *

"Sans doute, mon camarade; me prends-tu pour un
provincial ? Je suis capitaine de chasseurs (Hey ward well
knew that the other was of a regiment in the line); j*ai
ici, avec moi, iiBs fiUes du commandant de la fortification.
Aha! tu en as entendu parlerl je les ai fait prisonni^res
prfes de r autre fort, et je les conduis au general." *

"Ma foi! mesdames; j'en suis fach^ pour vous," ex-
claimed the young soldier, touching his cap with grace;
" mais — fortune de guerre ! vous trouverez notre general
un brave homme, et bien poli avec les dames. " •

•1 [Where do you come from ? where are you going, at this early
hour?]

3 [I have been scouting, and I am going to rest.]
« [Are you an officer of the king ?]

4 [Certainly, comrade ; do you take me for a provincial ? I am ft
cavalry captain ; I have here with me the daughters of the commander
of the fort. Aha ! you have heard of them ! I made prisoners of them
near the other fort, and I am taking them to the general*]

* [Upon my word, ladies, I *m sorry for you; but — it 's the fortune of

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 157

**C'est le caract^re des gens de guerre," said Cora, with
admirable self-possession. "Adieu, mon ami; je vous
Bouhaiterais un devoir plus agr^able k remplir. " ^

The soldier made a low and humble acknowledgment
for her civility; and Hey ward adding a "Bonne nuit,"
mon camarade," they moved deliberately forward, leaving
the sentinel pacing the banks of the silent pond, little sus-
pecting an enemy of so much effrontery, and humming to
himself those words, which were recalled to his mind by
the sight of women, and perhaps by recollections of his
own distant and beautiful France : —

"Vive le vin, vive Pamoor,** etc., etc.

" 'T is well you understood the knave ! " whispered the
scout, when they had gained a little distance from the
place, and letting his rifle fall into the hollow of his arm
w again; "I soon saw that he was one of them uneasy
Frenchers; and well for him it was that his speech was
friendly and his wishes kind, or a place might have been
found for his bones amongst those of his countrymen,"

He was interrupted by a long and heavy groan which
arose from the little basin, as though, in truth, the spirits
of the departed lingered about their watery sepulchre.

"Surely it was of flesh!" continued the scout; "no
spirit could handle its arms so steadily ! "

" It was of flesh ; but whether the poor fellow still be-
longs to this world may well be doubted," said Hey ward,
glancing his eyes around him, and missing Chingachgook
from their little band. Another groan, more faint than
the former, was succeeded by a heavy and sullen plunge
into the water, and all was as still again as if the borders
of the dreary pool had never been awakened from the
silence of creation. While they yet hesitated in uncer-
tainty, the form of the Indian was seen gliding out of the

war I Ton will find our general an excellent man, and very courteous
to ladies.]

1 [That is characteristic of a soldier. Good-bj, my friend ; I could
wish jott a more agreeable duty to perform.]

2 LGood-night.]

158 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

thicket. As the chief rejoined them, with one hand he
attached the reeking scalp of the unfortunate young
Frenchman to his girdle, and with the other he replaced
the knife and tomahawk that had drunk his hlood. He
then took his wonted station, with the air of a man who
believed he had done a deed of merit.

The scout dropped one end of his rifle to the earth, and
leaning his hands on the other, he stood musing in pro-
found silence. Then shaking his head in a mournful
manner, he muttered, —

" 'T would have been a cruel and an unhuman act for
a white-skin; but 'tis the gift and natur' of an Indian,
and I suppose it should not be denied. I could wish,
though, it had befallen an accursed Mingo, rather than
that gay young boy from the old countries."

" Enough ! " said Hey ward, apprehensive the uncon-
scious sisters might comprehend the nature of the deten-
tion, and conquering his disgust by a train of reflections
very much like that of the hunter; "'tis done; and
though better it were left undone, cannot be amended.
You see we are, too obviously, within the sentinels of the
enemy ; what course do you propose to follow ? "

"Yes," said Hawkey e, rousing himself again, "'tis as
you say, too late to harbor further thoughts about it.
Aye, the French have gathered around the fort in good
earnest, and we have a delicate needle to thread in passing
them. "

"And but little time to do it in," added Heyward,
glancing his eyes upwards, towards the bank of vapor that
concealed the setting moon.

" And little time to do it in ! " repeated the scout.
" The thing may be done in two fashions, by the help of
Providence, without which it may not be done at all."

"Name them quickly, for time presses."

"One would be to dismoimt the gentle ones, and let
their beasts range the plain; by sending the Mohicans in
front, we might then cut a lane through their sentries,
and enter the fort over the dead bodies."

"It will not do — it will not do! " interrupted the gen-

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 159

erous Heyward; "a soldier might force his way in this
manner, but never with such a convoy."

"'T would be, indeed, a bloody path for such tender
feet to wade in," returned the equally reluctant scout;
" but I thought it befitting my manhood to name it. We
must then turn on our trail and get without the line of
their lookouts, when we will bend short to the west, and
enter the mountains, where I can hide you so that all
the devil's hounds in Montcalm's pay would be thrown off
the scent, for months to come."

"Let it be done, and that instantly."

Further words were unnecessary ; for Hawkeye, merely
uttering the mandate to "follow," moved along the route
by which they had just entered their present critical and
even dangerous situation. Their progress, like their late
dialogue, was guarded, and without noise; for none knew
at what moment a passing patrol, or a crouching picket of
the enemy, might rise upon their path. As they held
their silent way along the margin of the pond, again Hey-
ward and the scout stole furtive glances at its appalling
dreariness. They looked in vain for the form they had
so recently seen stalking along its silent shores, while a
low and regular wash of the little waves, by announcing
that the waters were not yet subsided, furnished a fright-
ful memorial of the deed of blood they had just witnessed.
Like all that passing and gloomy scene, the low bai^in,
however, quickly melted in the darkness, and became
blended with the mass of black objects in the rear of the
travellers.

Hawkeye soon deviated from the line of their retreat,
and striking off towards the mountains which form the
western boundary of the narrow plain, he led his follow-
ers, with swift steps, deep within the shadows that were
cast from their high and broken summits. The route was
now painful, lying over ground ragged with rocks, and
intersected with ravines, and their progress proportionately
slow. Bleak and black hills lay on every side of them,
compensating in some degree for the additional toil of the
march, by the sense of security they imparted. At length

160 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

the party began slowly to rise a steep and rugged ascent^
by a path that curiously wound among rocks and trees,
avoiding the one, and supported by the other, in a manner
that showed it had been devised by men long practiced in
the arts of the wilderness. As they gradually rose from
the level of the valleys, the thick darkness which usually
precedes the approach of day began to disperse, and objects
were seen in the plain and palpable colors with which they
had been gifted by nature. When they issued from the
stunted woods which clung to the barren sides of the
mountain, upon a flat and mossy rock that formed its
summit, they, met the morning, as it came blushing above
the green pines of a hill that lay on the opposite side of
the valley of the Horican.

The scout now told the sisters to dismount; and taking
the bridles from the mouths, and the saddles off the backs
of the jaded beasts, he turned them loose, to glean a
scanty subsistence among the shrubs and meagre herbage
of that elevated region.

"Go,'* he said, "and seek your food where natur' gives
it you ; and beware that you become not food to ravenous
wolves yourselves among these hills."

" Have we no further need of them ? " demanded Hey-
ward.

" See, and judge with your own eyes, " said the scout,
advancing towards the eastern brow of the mountain,
whither he beckoned for the whole party to follow ; " if it
was as easy to look into the heart of man as it is to spy
out the nakedness of Montcalm's camp from this spot,
hypocrites would grow scarce, and the cunning of a Mingo
might prove a losing game, compared to the honesty of a
Delaware. *'

When the travellers reached the verge of the precipice,
they saw at a glance the truth of the scout's declaration,
and the admirable foresight with which he had led them
to their commanding station.

The mountain on which they stood, elevated, perhaps,
a thousand feet in the air, was a high cone that rose a
little in advance of that range which stretches for milea

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 161

along the western shores of the lake, until meeting its
sister piles, beyond the water, it ran off towards the Can-
adas in confused and broken masses of rock, thinly sprin-
kled with evergreens. Immediately at the feet of the
party, the southern shore of the Horican swept in a broad
semicircle, from mountain to mountain, marking a wide
strand, that soon rose into an uneven and somewhat ele-
vated plain. To the north, stretched the limpid and, as
it appeared from that dizzy height, the narrow sheet of
the "holy lake," indented with numberless bays, embel-
lished by fantastic headlands, and dotted with countless
islands. At the distance of a few leagues, the bed of the
waters became lost among mountains, or was wrapped in
the masses of vapor that came slowly rolling along their
bosom, before a light morning air. But a narrow opening
between the crests of the hills pointed out the passage by
which they found their way still further north, tot spread
their pure and ample sheets again, before pouring out
their tribute into the distant Champlain. To the south
stretched the defile, or rather broken plain, so often men-
tioned. For several miles in this direction, the mountains
appeared reluctant to yield their dominion, but within
reach of the eye they diverged, and finally melted into
the level and sandy lands, across which we have accom-
panied our adventiirers in their double journey. Along
both ranges of hills, which bounded the opposite sides of
the lake and valley, clouds of light vapor were rising in
spiral wreaths from the uninhabited woods, looking like
the smokes of hidden cottages; or rolled lazily down the
declivities, to mingle with the fogs of the lower land. A
single, solitary, snow-white cloud floated above the valley,
and marked the spot beneath which lay the silent pool of
the "bloody pond."

Directly on the shore of the lake, and nearer to its
western than to its eastern margin, lay the extensive
earthen ramparts and low buildings of William Henry.
Two of the sweeping bastions appeared to rest on the
water which washed their bases, while a deep ditch and
extensive morasses guarded its other sides and anglesr

162 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

The land bad been cleared of wood for a reasonable dis--
tance around the work, but every other part of the scene
lay in the green livery of nature, except where the limpid
water mellowed the view, or the bold rocks thrust their
black and naked heads above the undulating outline of
the mountain ranges. In its front might be seen the scat-
tered sentinels, who held a weary watch against their
numerous foes; and within the walls themselves, the trav-
ellers looked down upon men still drowsy with a night of
vigilance. Towards the southeast, but in immediate con-
tact with the fort, was an entrenched camp, posted on a
rocky eminence, that would have been far more eligible
for the work itself, in which Hawkeye pointed out the
presence of those auxiliary regiments that had so recently
left the Hudson in their company. From the woods, a
little further to the south, rose numerous dark and lurid
smokes, that were easily to be distinguished from the
purer exhalations of the springs, and which the scout also
showed to Heyward, as evidences that the enemy lay in
force in that direction.

But the spectacle which most concerned the young sol-
dier was on the western bank of the lake, though quite
near to its southern termination. On a strip of land,
which appeared, from his stand, top narrow to contain
such an army, but which, in truth, extended many hun-
dreds of yards from the shores of the Horican to the base
of the mountain, were to be seen the white tents and mili-
tary engines qf an encampment of ten thousand men.
Batteries were already thrown up in their front, and even
while the spectators above them were looking down, with
such different emotions, on a scene which lay like a map
beneath their feet, the roar of artillery rose from the val-
ley, and passed off in thundering echoes along the eastern
hills.

"Morning is just touching them below," said the delib-
erate and musing scout, "and the watchers have a mind
to wake up the sleepers by the sound of cannon. We are
a few hours too late! Montcalm has already filled the
woods with his accursed Iroquois."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 163

''The place is, indeed, invested," returned Duncan,
"but is there no expedient by which we may enter? cap-
ture in the works would be far preferable to falling again
into the hands of roving Indians."

" See ! " exclaimed the scout, unconsciously directing
the attention of Cora to the quarters of her own father,
"how that shot has made the stones fly from the side of
the commandant's house! Aye! these Frenchers will pull
it to pieces faster than it was put together, solid and thick
though it be."

" Hey ward, I sicken at the sight of danger that I can-
not share," said the undaunted but anxious daughter.
"Let us go to Montcalm and demand admission; he dare
not deny a child the boon."

" You would scarce find the tent of the Frenchman with
the hair on your head, " said the blunt scout. " If I had
but one of the thousand boats which lie empty along that
shore, it might be done. Ha! here will soon be an end
of the firing, for yonder comes a fog that will turn day to
night, and make an Indian arrow more dangerous than a
moulded cannon. Now, if you are equal to the work,
and will follow, I will make a push; for I long to get
down into that camp, if it be only to scatter some Mingo
dogs that I see lurking in the skirts of yonder thicket of
birch."

"We are §qual," said Cora, firmly: "on such an errand
we will follow to any danger."

The scout turned to her with a smile of honest and cor-
dial approbation, as he answered, —

"I would I had a thousand men, of brawny limbs and
quick eyes, that feared death as little as you ! I'd send
them jabbering Frenchers back into their den again afore
the week was ended, howling like so many fettered hounds
or hungry wolves. But stir," he added, turning from
her to the rest of the party, " the fog comes rolling down
80 fast, we shall have but just the time to meet it on the
plain, and use it as a cover. Remember, if any accident
should befall me, to keep the air blowing on your left
cheeks — or rather, follow the Mohicans; they'd scent
their way, be it in day or be it at night."

164 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

He then waved his hand for them to follow, and threw
himself down the steep declivity, with free but careful
footsteps. Heyward assisted the sisters to descend, and
in a few minutes they were all far down a mountain whose
sides they had climbed with so much toil and pain.

The direction taken by Hawkeye soon brought the trav-
ellers to the level of the plain, nearly opposite to a sally-
port in the western curtain of the fort, which lay, itself,
at the distance of about half a mile from the point where
he halted to allow Duncan to come up with his charge.
In their eagerness, and favored by the nature of the
ground, they had anticipated the fog, which was rolling
heavily down the lake, and it became necessary to pause,
until the mists had wrapped the camp of the enemy in
their fleecy mantle. The Mohicans profited by the delay,
to steal out of the woods, and to make a survey of sur-
rounding objects. They were followed at a little distance
by the scout, with a view to profit early by their report,
and to obtain some faint knowledge for himself of the
more immediate localities..

In a very few moments he returned, his face reddened
with vexation, while he muttered his disappointment in
words of no very gentle import.

"Here has the cunning Frenchman been posting a
picket directly in our path," he said; "red-skins and
whites; and we shall be as likely to fall into their midst
as to pass them in the fog ! "

"Cannot we make a circuit to avoid the danger," asked
Heyward, "and come into our pdth again when it is
passed 1 "

" Who that once bends from the line of his march in a
fog can tell when or how to turn to find it again ! The
mists of Horican are not like the curls from a peace-pipe,
or the smoke which settles above a mosquito fire."

He was yet speaking, when a crashing sound was heard,
and a cannon-ball entered the thicket, striking the body
of a sapling and rebounding to the earth, its force being
much expended by previous resistance. The Indians fol-
lowed instantly like busy attendants on the terrible mes*

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 165

Benger, and Uncas commenced speaking earnestly and with
much action in the Delaware tongue.

"It may be so, lad," muttered the scout, when he had
ended; "for desperate fevers are not to be treated like a
toothache. Come, then, the fog is shutting in.'*

"Stop!" cried Hey ward; "first explain your expecta-
tions."

"'Tis soon done, and a small hope it is; but it is bet-
ter than nothing. This shot that you see," added the
scout, kicking the harmless iron with his foot, "has
ploughed the 'arth in its road from the fort, and we shall
hunt for the furrow it has made when all other signs may
faiL No more words, but follow, or the fog may leave
us in the middle of our path, a mark for both armies to
shoot at."

Heyward perceiving that, in fact, a crisis had arrived,
when acts were more required than words, placed himself
between the sisters, and drew them swiftly forward, keep-
ing the dim figure of their leader in his eye. It was soon
apparent that Hawkeye had not magnified the power of
the fog, for before they had proceeded twenty yards it
was difficult for the different individuals of the party to
distinguish each other in the vapor.

They had made their little circuit to the left, and were
already inclining again towards the right, having, as Hey-
ward thought, got over nearly half the distance to the
friendly works, when his ears were saluted with the fierce
summons, apparently within twenty feet of them, of —

"Quivalk?"* »

^'Push on!" whispered the scout, once more bending
to the left.

"Push on!" repeated Heyward; when the summons
was renewed by a dozen voices, each of which seemed
charged with menace.

"C'est moi,"* cried Duncan, dragging, rather than
leading those he supported, swiftly onward.

"BStel — qui? — moi!"»

1 [Who goes there ?] a [It 'b I.]

« [Bmte ! Who 's I ?]

166 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Ami de la France." ^

"Tu m'as plus Tair d'un ennemi de la France; arr§te,
ou pardieu je te ferai ami du diable. !Non! feu, cama-
rades, feu!"'

The order was instantly obeyed, and the fog was stirred
by the explosion of fifty muskets. Happily, the aim i¥as
bad, and the bullets cut the air in a direction a little dif-
ferent from that taken by the fugitives ; though still so nigh
them, that to the unpracticed ears of David and the two
females, it appeared as if they whistled within a few
inches of the organs. The outcry was renewed, and the
order, not only to fire again, but to pursue, was too plainly
audible. When Heyward briefly explained the meaning
of the words they heard, Hawkeye halted, and spoke with
quick decision and great firmness.

"Let us deliver our fire," he said; "they will believe
it a sortie, and give way, or they will wait for reenf orce-
ments. "

The scheme was well conceived, but failed in its effect.
The instant the French heard the pieces, it seemed as if
the plain was alive with men, muskets rattling along its
whole extent, from the shores of the lake to the furthest
boundary of the woods.

"We shall draw their entire army upon us, and bring
on a general assault," said Duncan: "lead on, my friend,
for your own life, and ours."

The scout seemed willing to comply ; but, in the hurry
of the moment, and in the change of position, he had lost
the direction. In vain he turned either cheek towards
the light air; they felt equally cool. In this dilemma,
Uncas lighted on the furrow of the cannon-ball, where it
had cut the ground in three adjacent ant-hills.

"Give me the range! " said Hawkeye, bending to catch
a glimpse of the direction, and then instantly moving
onward.

1 [A friend of France.]

' [You look much more like an enemy of France. Halt I or damme
I '11 make you the friend of the devil. You won't 1 Fire, fellows^
lire I]

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 167

Cries, oaths, voices calling to each other, and the re-
ports of muskets, were now quick and incessant, and,
apparently, on every side of them. Suddenly, a strong
glare of light flashed across the scene, the fog rolled up-
wards in thick wreaths, and several cannon helched across
the plain, and the roar was thrown heavily hack from the
bellowing echoes of the mountain.

"'Tis from the fort!" exclaimed Hawkey e, turning
short on his tracks; *'and we, like stricken fools, were
rushing to the woods, under the very knives of the
Maquas."

The instant their mistake was rectified, the whole party
retraced the error with the utmost diligence. Dimcan
willingly relinquished the support of Cora to the arm of
XJncaSy and Cora as readily accepted the welcome assist-
ance. Men, hot and angry in pursuit, were evidently on
their footsteps, and each instant threatened their capture,
if not their destruction.

" Point de quartier aux coquins ! " ^ cried an eager
pursuer, who seemed to direct the operations of the
enemy.

" Stand firm, and be ready, my gallant 60ths ! " suddenly
exclaimed a voice above them ; " wait to see the enemy ;
fire low, and sweep the glacis."

"Father! father!" exclaimed a piercing cry from out
the mist; "it is II Alice! thy own Elsie! spare, oh!
save your daughters ! "

"Hold!" shouted the former speaker, in the awful
tones of parental agony, the sound reaching even to the
woods, and rolling back in solemn echo. " 'T is she I
God has restored me my children ! Throw open the sally-
port ; to the field, 60ths, to the field ; pull not a trigger,
lest ye kill my lambs! Drive off these dogs of France
with your steel."

Duncan heard the grating of the rusty hinges, and dart-
ing to the spot, directed by the sound, he met a long line
of dark-red warriors, passing swiftly towards the glacis.
He knew them for his own battalion of the royal Ameri-

1 [No quarter for the rascals I]

/

168 TBE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

cans, and flying to their head, soon swept every trace of
his pursuers from before the works.

For an instant, Cora and Alice had stood trembling and
bewildered by this unexpected desertion; but, before
either had leisure for speech or even thought, an officer
of gigantic frame, whose locks were bleached with years
and service, but whose air of military grandeur had been
rather softened than destroyed by time, rushed out of the
body of the mist, and folded them to his bosom, while
large scalding tears rolled down his pale and wrinkled
cheeks, and he exclaimed, in the peculiar accent of Scot-
land, —

'* For this I thank thee, Lord ! Let danger come as it
will, thy servant is now prepared I "

CHAPTER XV.

Then go we in, to know his emheaqr ;
Which I oould with a reedy gneae declare,
Before the Frenohman spcMk a word of it.

flHAKMi»MA»», King ffenfy F., L L 96.

A FEW succeeding days were passed amid the priva-
tions, the uproar, and the dangers of the siege, which was
vigorously pressed by a power against whose approaches
Munro possessed no competent means of resistance. It
appeared as if Webb, with his army, which lay slumbering
on the banks of the Hudson, had utterly forgotten the
strait to which his countrymen were reduced. Montcalm
had filled the woods of the portage with his savages,
every yell and whoop from whom rang through the British
encampment, chilling the hearts of men who were already
but too much disposed to magnify the danger.

Not so, however, with the besieged. Animated by the
words, and stimulated by the examples, of their leaders,
they had found their courage, and maintained their an-
cient reputation, with a zeal that did justice to the stem
character of their commander. As if satisfied with the
fcoil of marching through the wilderness to encounter Ins

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 169

enemy, the French general, though of approved skill, had
neglected to seize the adjacent mountains; whence the
besieged might have heen exterminated with impunity,
and which, in the more modern warfare of the country,
would not have heen neglected for a single hour. This
sort of contempt for eminences, or rather dread of the
labor of ascending them, might have been termed the he-
setting weakness of the warfare of the period. It origi-
nated in the simplicity of the Indian contests, in which,
from the nature of the combats, and the density of the
forests, fortresses were rare, and artillery next to useless.
The carelessness engendered hy these usages descended
even to the war of the devolution, and lost the States the
important fortress of Ticonderoga, opening a way for the
army of Bargoyne into what was then the bosom of the
country. We look back at this ignorance, or infatuation,
whichever it may be called, with wonder, knowing that
the neglect of an eminence, whose difficulties, like those
of Mount Defiance, have been so greatly exaggerated,
would at the present time prove fatal to the reputation
of the engineer who had planned the works at their
hase, or to that of the general whose lot it was to defend
them.

The tourist, the valetudinarian, or the amateur of the
beauties of nature, who, in the train of his four-in-hand,
now rolls through the scenes we have attempted to de-
scribe, in quest of information, health, or pleasure, or
floats steadily towards his ohject on those artificial waters
which have sprung up under the administration of a
statesman ^ who has dared to stake his political character
on the hazardous issue, is not to suppose that his ancestors
traversed those hills, or struggled with the same currents,
with equal facility. The transportation of a single heavy
gun was often considered equal to a victory gained; if,
happily, the difficulties of the passage had not so far sepa-
rated it from its necessary concomitant, the ammunition,
as to render it no more than a useless tube of unwieldy
iron.

1 The late De Witt Clinton, who died governor of New York in 1828.

170 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

The evils of this state of things pressed heavily on the
fortunes of the resolute Scotsman who now defended Wil-
liam Henry. Though his adversary neglected the hills,
he had planted his batteries with judgment on the plain,
and caused them to be served with vigor and skill.
Against this assault, the besieged could only oppose the
imperfect and hasty preparations of a fortress in the wil-
derness.

It was in the afternoon of the fifth day of the siege,
and the fourth of his own service in it, that Major Hey-
ward profited by a parley that had just been beaten, by
repairing to the ramparts of one of the water bastions, to
breathe the cool air from the lake, and to take a survey of
the progress of the siege. He was alone, if the solitary
sentinel who paced the mound be excepted; for the
artillerists had hastened also to profit by the temporary
suspension of their arduous duties. The evening was
delightfully calm, and the light air from the limpid water
fresh and soothing. It seemed as if, with the termination
to the roar of artillery and the plunging of shot, nature
had also seized the moment to assume her mildest and
most captivating form. The sun poured down his parting
glory on the scene, without the oppression of those fierce
rays that belong to the climate and the season. The
mountains looked green, and fresh, and lovely; tempered
with the milder light, or softened in shadow, as thin
vapors floated between them and the sun. The numerous
islands rested on the bosom of the Horican, some low
and sunken, as if imbedded in the waters, and others ap-
pearing to ^ hover above the element, in little hillocks of
green velvet, among which the fishermen of the belea-
guering army peacefully rowed their skiflfs, or floated at
rest on the glassy mirror, in quiet pursuit of their employ-
ment.

The scene was at once animated and still. All that
pertained to nature was sweet, or simply grand; while
those parts which depended on the temper and movements
of man were lively and playful.

Two little spotless flags were abroad, the one on a

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 171

salient angle of the fort, and the other on the advanced
battery of the besiegers; emblems of the truce which
existed, not only to the acts, but it would seem, also, to
the enmity of the combatants.

Behind these, again, swung, heavily opening and clos-
ing in silken folds, the rival standards of England and
France.

A hundred gay and thoughtless young Frenchmen were
drawing a net to the pebbly beach, within dangerous prox-
imity to the sullen but silent cannon of the fort, while the
eastern mountain was sending back the loud shouts and
gay merriment that attended their sport. Some were
rushing eagerly to enjoy the aquatic games of the lake,
and others were already toiling their way up the neigh-
boring hills, with the restless curiosity of their nation.
To all these sports and pursuits, those of the enemy who
watched the besieged, and the besieged themselves, were,
however, merely the idle, though sympathizing spectators.
Here and there a picket had indeed raised a song, or
mingled in a dance, which had drawn the dusky savages
around them, from their lairs in the forest. In short,
everything wore rather the appearance of .a day of plea-
sure, than of an hour stolen from the dangers and toil of
a bloody and vindictive warfare.

Duncan had stood in a musing attitude, contemplating
this scene a few minutes, when his eyes were directed to
the glacis in front of the sally-port already mentioned, by
the sounds of approaching footsteps. He walked to an
angle of the bastion, and beheld the scout advancing^ un-
der the custody of a French officer, to the body of the
fort. The countenance of Hawkeye was haggard and care-
worn, and his air dejected, as though he felt the deepest
degradation at having fallen into the power of his enemies.
He was without his favorite weapon, and his arms were
even bound behind him with thongs, made of the skin of
a deer. The arrival of flags, to cover the messengers of
summons, had occurred so pften of late, that when Hey-
ward first threw his careless glance on this group, he ex-
pected to see another of the officers of the enemy, charged

•»

172 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

with a similar office; but the instant he recognized the
tall person, and still sturdy, though downcast features of
his friend, the woodsman, he started with surprise, and
turned to descend from the bastion into the bosom of the
work.

The sounds of other voices, however, caught his atten-
tion, and for a moment caused him to forget his purpose.
At the inner angle of the mound he met the sisters, walk-
ing along the parapet, in search, like himself, of air and
relief from confinement. They had not met from that
painful moment when he deserted them on the plain, only
to assure their safety. He had parted from them worn
with care, and jaded with fatigue; he now saw them re-
freshed and blooming, though timid and anxious. Under
such an inducement, it will cause no surprise that the
young man lost sight, for a time, of other objects in order
to address them. He was, however, anticipated by the
voice of the ingenuous and youthful Alice.

" Ah ! thou truant ! thou recreant knight ! he who aban-
dons his 'damsels in the very lists!" she cried; "here
have we been days, nay, ages, expecting you at our feet,
imploring mercy and f orgetfulness of your craven backshd-
ing, or, I should rather say, back-running — for verily
you fled in a manner that no stricken deer, as our worthy
friend the scout would say, could equal I "

"You know that Alice means our thanks and our
blessings," added the graver and more thoughtful Cora.
"In truth, we have a little wondered why you should so
rigidly absent yourself from a place where the gratitude
of the daughters might receive the support of a parent's
thanks."

• " Your father himself could tell you, that though absent
from your presence, I have not been altogether forgetful
of your safety," returned the young man; "the mastery
of yonder village of huts," pointing to the neighboring
entrenched camp, "has been keenly disputed; and he who
holds it is sure to be possessed of this fort, and that which
it contains. My days and my nights have all been passed
there since we separated, because I thought that duty

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANa 179

called me thither. But,'' he added with an air of chagrin,
which he endeavored, though unsuccessfully, to conceal,
"had I heen aware that what I then believed a soldier's
conduct could so he. construed, shame would have been
added to the list of reasons."

" Hey ward ! — Duncan I " exclaimed Alice, bending for-
ward to read his half-averted countenance, until a lock of
her golden hair rested on her flushed cheek, and nearly
concealed the tear that had started to her eye; "did I
think this idle tongue of mine had pained you, I would
silence it forever. Cora can say, if Cora would, how
justly we have prized your services, and how deep — I
had almost said, how fervent — is our gratitude.''

"And will Cora attest the truth of this?" cried Dun-
can, suffering the cloud to be chased from his countenance
by a smile of open pleasure. "What says our graver
sister? Will she find an excuse for the neglect of the
knight in the duty of a soldier ? "

CoTh made no immediate answer, but turned her face
towards the water, as if looking on the sheet of the Hori-
can. When she did bend her dark eyes on the young
man, they were yet filled with an expression of anguish
that at once drove every thought but that of kind solici-
tude from his mind.

"You are not well, dearest Miss Munrol" he ex-
claimed; "we have trifled while you are in suffering."

"'Tis nothing," she answered, refusing his offered sup-
port with feminine reserve. "That I cannot see the
sunny side of the picture of life, like this artless but ar-
dent enthusiast," she added, laying her hand lightly, but
affectionately, on the arm of her sister, "is the penalty of
experience, and, perhaps, the misfortune of my nature.
See," she continued, as if determined to shake off infirm-
ity, in a sense of duty; "look around you. Major Hey-
ward, and tell me what a prospect is this for the daughter
of a soldier whose greatest happiness 'is his honor and his
military renown."

"Neither ought nor shall be tarnished by circumstances
over which he has had no control," Duncan warmly.

174 THB LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

replied. " But your words recall me to my own duty. I
go now to your gallant father, to hear his determination
in matters of the last moment to the defense. Grod bless
you in every fortune, noble — Cora — I may and must
call you." She frankly gave him her hand, though her
lip quivered, and her cheeks gradually became of an ashy
paleness. "In every fortune, I know you will be an or-
nament and honor to your sex, Alice, adieu " — his tone
changed from admiration to tenderness — "adieu, Alice;
we shall soon meet again ; as conquerors, I trust, and amid
rejoicings ! "

Without waiting for an answer from either, the young
man threw himself down the grassy steps of the bastion,
and moving rapidly across the parade, he was quickly in
the presence of their father. Munro was pacing his nar-
row apartment with a disturb^ air and gigantic strides as
Duncan entered.

"You have anticipated my wishes. Major Hey ward,*'
he said ; "I was about to request this favor. "

"I am sorry to see, sir, that the messenger I so warmly
recommended has returned in custody of the French! I
hope there is no reason to distrust his fidelity ? "

"The fidelity of 'The Long Eifle ' is well known to
me," returned Munro, "and is above suspicion; though
his usual good fortune seems, at last, to have failed.
Montcalm has got him, and with the accursed politeness
of his nation, he has sent him in with a doleful tale, of
* knowing how I valued the fellow, he could not think of
retaining him.' A Jesuitical way, that, Major Duncan
Hey ward, of telling a man of his misfortunes ! "

" But the general and his succor 1 "

"Did ye look to the south as ye entered, and could ye
not see them ? " said the old soldier, laughing bitterly.
" Hoot ! hoot ! you 're an impatient boy, sir, and cannot
give the gentlemen leisure for their march ! "

"They are coming, then) The scout has said as
much ? "

"When? and by what path? for the dunce has omitted
to tell me this. There is a letter, it would seem, tooj

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 175

and that is the only agreeable part of the matter. For
the customary attentions of your Marquis of Montcalm —
I w^arrant me, Duncan, that he of Lothian would buy a
dozen such marquisates — but, if the news of the letter
were bad, the gentility of this French monsieur would
certainly compel him to let us know it.'*

''He keeps the letter, then, while he releases the mes-
senger 1 "

*^ Aye, that does he, and all for the sake of what you
call your * bonhommie. ' I would venture, if the truth
was known, the fellow's grandfather taught the noble
science of dancing."

" But what says the scout ? he has eyes and ears, and
a tongue : what verbal report does he make ? "

''Oh, sir, he is not wanting in natural organs, and he
is free to tell all that he has seen and heard. The whole
amount is this: there is a fort of his majesty's on the
banks of the Hudson, called Edward, in honor of his gra-
cious highness of York, you '11 know ; and it is well filled
with armed men, as such a work should be."

" But was there no movement, no signs of any intention
to advance to our relief ? "

"There were the morning and evening parades; and
when one of the provincial loons — you '11 know, Duncan,
you 're half a Scotsman yourself — when one of them
dropped his powder over his porretch, if it touched the
coals, it just burnt ! " Then suddenly changing his bitter,
ironical manner, to one more grave and thoughtful, he
continued; "and yet there might, and must be, something
in that letter which it would be well to know ! "

"Our decision should be speedy," said Duncan, gladly
availing himself of this change of humor, to press the
more important objects of their interview ; " I cannot con-
ceal from you, sir, that the camp will not be much longer
tenable; and I am sorry to add, that things appear no
better in the fort; more than half the guns are bursted."

" And how should it be otherwise ? Some were fished
from the bottom of the lake; some have been rusting in
the woods since the discovery of the country; and some

176 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

were never gons at all — mere priyateersmen's playthings!
Do you think, sir, you can have Woolwich Warren in the
midst of a wilderness, three thousand miles from Great
Britain ? "

"The walls are crumbling about our ears, and pro-
visions begin to fail us," continued Hey ward, without
regarding this new burst of indignation; "even the men
show signs of discontent and alarm."

"Major Hey ward," said Munro, turning to his youth-
ful associate with the dignity of his years and superior
rank; "I should have served his majesty for half a cen-
tury, and earned these gray hairs, in vain, were I ignorant
of all you say, and of the pressing nature of our circum-
stances; still, there is everything due to the honor of the
king's arms and something to ourselves. While there is
hope of succor, this fortress will I defend, though it be to
be done with pebbles gathered on the lake shore. It is
a sight of the letter, therefore, that we want, that we may
know the intentions of the man the Earl of Loudon has
left among us as his substitute."

" And can I be of service in the matter ? "

" Sir, you can ; the Marquis of Montcalm has, in addi-
tion to his other civilities, invited me to a personal inter-
view between the works and his own camp; in order, as
he says, to impart some additional information. Now, I
think it would not be wise to show any undue solicitude
to meet him, and I would employ you, an officer of rank,
as my substitute ; for it would but ill comport with the
honor of Scotland to let it be said one of her gentlemen
was outdone in civility by a native of any other country
on earth."

Without assuming the supererogatory task of entering
into a discussion of the comparative merits of national
courtesy, Duncan cheerfully assented to supply the place
of the veteran in the approaching interview. A long and
confidential communication now succeeded, during which
the young man received some additional insight into his
duty, from the experience and native acuteness of his
commander, and then the former took his leave.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 177

As Duncan could only act as the representative of the
cominandant of the fort, the ceremonies which should have
accompanied a meeting between the heads of the adverse
forces were of course dispensed with. The truce still ex-
istedy and with a roll and beat of the drum, and covered
by a little white flag, Duncan left the sally-port, within
ten minutes after his instructions were ended. He was
received by the French officer in advance with the usual
formalities, and immediately accompanied to a distant
marquee of the renowned soldier who led the forces of
France.

The geheral of the enemy received the youthful mes-
senger, surrounded by his principal officers, and by a
swarthy band of the native chiefs, who had followed him
to the field, with the warriors of their several tribes.
Heyward paused short, when, in glancing his eyes rapidly
over the dark group of the latter, he beheld the malignant
countenance of Magna, regarding him with the calm but
sullen attention which marked the expression of that sub-
tle savage. A slight exclamation of surprise even burst
from the lips of the young man; but instantly recollect-
ing his errand, and the presence in which he stood, he
suppressed every appearance of emotion, and turned to the
hostile leader, who had already advanced a step to receive
him.

The Marquis of Montcalm was, at the period of which
we write, in the flower of his age, and, it may be added,
in the zenith of his fortunes. But, even in that enviable
situation, he was affable, and distinguished as much for
his attention to the forms of courtesy, as for that chiv-
alrous courage which, only two short years afterwards,
induced him to throw away his life on the plains of
Abraham. Duncan, in turning his eyes from the malign
expression of Magna, suffered them to rest with pleasure
on the smiling and polished features, and the noble mili-
tary air, of the French general.

"Monsieur,'' said the latter, "j*ai beaucoup de plaisii
tk — bah I — oil est cet interprets ? " ^

^ [I have great pleasnre to — bah ! where 's that interpreter 7]

\

178 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" Je crois, monsieur, qu'il ne sera pas necessaire," Hey-
Ward modestly replied; " je parle un peu Fran9ais." ^

" Ah ! j'en suis bien aise," said Montcalm, taking Dun-
can familiarly by the arm, and leading him deep into the
marquee, a little out of ear-shot; "je d^teste ces fripons-
Ik; on ne sait jamais sur quel pie on est avec eux. £h
bien I ^ monsieur," he continued, still speaking in French ;
"though I should have been proud of receiving your com-
mandant, I am very happy that he has seen proper to
employ an officer so distinguished, and who, I am sure, is
so amiable, as yourself."

Duncan bowed low, pleased with the compliment, in
spite of a most heroic determination to suffer no artifice
to allure him into forgetfulness of the interest of his
prince ; and Montcalm, after a pause of a moment, as if
to collect his thoughts, proceeded, —

" Your commandant is a brave man, and well qualified
to repel my assault. Mais, monsieur, is it not time to
begin to take more counsel of humanity, and less of your
courage ? The one as strongly characterizes the hero as
the other."

"We consider the qualities as inseparable," returned
Duncan, smiling; "but while we find in the vigor of
your excellency every motive to stimulate the one, we
can, as yet, see no particular call for the exercise of the
other."

Montcalm, in his turn, slightly bowed, but it was with
the air of a man too practiced to remember the language
of flattery. After musing a moment, he added, —

" It is possible my glasses have deceived me, and that
your works resist our cannon better than I had supposed.
You know our force ? "

"Our accounts vary," said Duncan, carelessly; "the
highest, however, has not exceeded twenty thousand men."

The Frenchman bit his lip, and fastened his eyes
keenly on the other as if to read his thoughts ; then, with

1 [I think it will not be necessary. I speak French a little.]
s [Ah ! I am much relieved. I hate those rascals. One never knows
What terms one is on with them.]

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 179

a readiness peculiar to himself, he continued, as if , assent-
ing to the truth of an enumeration which quite douhled
his army, —

" It is a poor compliment to the vigilance of us soldiers,
monsieur, that, do what we will, we never can conceal our
numhers. If it were to be done at all, one would be-
lieve it might succeed in these woods. Though you think
it too soon to listen to the calls of humanity,'^ he added,
smiling archly, "I may be permitted to believe that gal-
lantry is not forgotten by one so young as yourself. The
daughters of the commandant, I learn, have passed into
the fort since it was invested ? "

" It is true, monsieur ; but, so far from weakening our
efforts, they set us an example of courage in their own
fortitude. Were nothing but resolution necessary to repel
80 accomplished a soldier as M. de Montcalm, I would
gladly trust the defense of William Henry to the elder of
those ladies.''

" We have a wise ordinance in our Salique la\f s, which
says, * The crown of France shall never degrade the lance
to the distaff,'" said Montcalm dryly, and with a little
hauteur ; but instantly adding, with his former frank and
easy air, " as all the nobler qualities are hereditary, I can
easily credit you ; though, as I said before, courage has
its limits, and humanity must not be forgotten. I trust,
monsieur, you come authorized to treat for the surrender
of the place ? "

" Has your excellency found our defense so feeble as to
believe the measure necessary ? "

"I should be sorry to have the defense protracted in
such a manner as to irritate my red friends there," contin-
ued Montcalm, glancing his eyes at the group of grave
and attentive Indians, without attending to the other's
question ; " I find it diflScult, even now, to limit them to
the usages of war."

Hey ward was silent ; for a painful recollection of the
dangers he had so recently escaped came over his mind,
and recalled the images of those defenseless beings who
had shared in all his sufferings.

180 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Ces messieurs-Ik," said Montcalm, following up the
advantage which he conceived he had gained, *^are most
formidable when baffled: and it is unnecessary to tell you
with what difficulty they are restrained in their anger.
Eh bien, monsieur ! shall we speak of the terms ? "

"I fear your excellency has been deceived as to the
strength of William Henry, and the resources of its garri-
son ! ''

"I have not sat down before Quebec, but an earthen
work, that is defended by twenty-three hundred gallant
men," was the laconic reply.

"Our mounds are earthen,' certainly — nor are they
seated on the rocks of Cape Diamond; but they stand
on that shore which proved so destructive to Dieskau and
his army. There is also a powerful force within a few
hours' march of us, which we account upon as part of our
means. "

"Some six or eight thousand men," returned Mont-
calm, with much apparent indifference, "whom their
leader wisely judges to be safer in their works than in the
field."

It was now Heyward's turn to bite his lip with vexa-
tion, as the other so coolly alluded to a force which the
young man knew to be overrated. Both mused a little
while in silence, when Montcalm renewed the conversa-
tion, in a way that showed he believed the visit of his
guest was solely to propose terms of capitulation. On the
other hand. Hey ward began to throw sundry inducements
in the way of the French general, to betray the discover-
ies he had made through the intercepted letter. The arti-
fice of neither, however, succeeded; and after a protracted
and fruitless interview, Duncan took his leave, favorably
impressed with an opinion of the courtesy and talents of
the enemy's captain, but as ignorant of what he came
to learn as when he arrived. Montcalm followed him as
far as the entrance of the marquee, renewing his invi-
tations to the commandant of the fort to give him an im-
mediate meeting in the open ground, between the two
armies.

I

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 181

There they separated, and Duncan returned to the ad-
vanced post of the French, accompanied as before ; whence
he instantly proceeded to the fort, and to the quarters of
his own commander.

CHAPTER XVL

Edgar. —Before yon fight the hettlei ope this letter.

Shaxxspiarb, King L§ar, Y. 1. 401

Major Heyward found Munro attended only by his
daughters. Alice sat upon his knee, parting the gray
hairs on the forehead of the old man with her delicate
fingers ; and, whenever he affected to frown on her trifling,
appeasing his assumed anger by pressing her ruby lips
fondly on his wrinkled brow. Cora was seated nigh them,
a calm and amused looker-on; regarding the wayward
movements of her more youthful sister with that species
of maternal fondness which characterized her love for
Alice. Kot only the dangers through which they had
passed, but those which still impended above them, ap-
peared to be momentarily forgotten, in the soothing indul-
gence of such a family meeting. It seemed as if they had
profited by the short truce, to devote an instant to the
purest and best affections : the daughters forgetting their
fears, and the veteran his cares, in the security of the
moment. Of this scene, Duncan, who in his eagerness to
report his arrival had entered unannounced, stood many
moments an unobserved and a delighted spectator. But
the quick and dancing eyes of Alice soon caught a glimpse
of his figure reflected from a glass, and she sprang blush-
ing from her father's knee, exclaiming aloud, —

"Major Heyward! "

"What of the lad?" demanded her father; "I have
sent him to crack a little with the Frenchman. Ha! sir,
you are young, and you 're nimble ! Away with you, ye
baggage; as if there were not troubles enough for a sol-
dier, without having his camp filled with such prattling
hussies as yourself I ''

182 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Alice laughingly followed her sister, who instantly led
the way from an apartment where she perceived their
presence was no longer desirable.

Munro, instead of demanding the result of the young
man's mission, paced the room for a few moments, with
his hands behind his back, and his head inclined towards
the floor, like a man lost in thought. At length he
raised his eyes, glistening with a father's fondness, and
exclaimed, —

"They are a pair of excellent girls. Hey ward, and such
as any one may boast of."

" You are not now to learn my opinion of your daugh-
ters, Colonel Munro."

"True, lad, true," interrupted the impatient old man;
"you were about opening your mind more fully on that
matter the day you got in ; but I did not think it becom-
ing in an old soldier to be talking of nuptial blessings and
wedding jokes when the enemies of his king were likely
to be unbidden guests at the feast! But I was wrong,
Duncan, boy, I was wrong there ; and I am now ready to
hear what you have to say."

"Notwithstanding the pleasure your assurance gives
me, dear sir, I have, just now, a message from Mont-
calm" —

" Let the Frenchman and all his host go to the devil,
sir ! " exclaimed the hasty veteran. " He is not yet mas-
ter of William Henry, nor shall he ever be, provided
Webb proves himself the man he should. No, sir! thank
Heaven, we are not yet in such a strait that it can be said
Munro is too much pressed to discharge the little domes*
tic duties of his own family. ^Your mother was the only
child of my bosom friend, Duncan; and I '11 just give you
a hearing, though all the knights of St. Louis were in a
body at the sally-port, with the French saint at their
head, craving to speak a word under favor. A pretty de-
gree of knighthood, sir, is that which can be bought with
fiugar-hogsheads ! and then your two-permy marquisates I
The thistle is the order for dignity and antiquity; the
veritable * nemo me impune lacessit ' of chivalry I Ye had

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 183

ancestors in that degree, Duncan, and they were an orna-
ment to the nobles of Scotland."

Hey ward, who perceived that his superior took a ma-
licious pleasure in exhibiting his contempt for the mes-
sage of the French general, was fain to humor a spleen
that he knew would be short-lived ; he therefore replied
Tirith as much indifference as he could assume on such a
subject, —

" My request, as you know, sir, went so far as to pre-
sume to the honor of being your son."

"Aye, boy, you found words to make yourself very
plainly comprehended. But, let me ask ye, sir, have you
been* as intelligible to the girl ? "

On my honor, no," exclaimed Duncan, warmly;
there would have been an abuse of a confided trust,
had I taken advantage of my situation for such a pur-
pose."

"Your notions are those of a gentleman. Major Hey-
ward, and well enough in their place. But Cora Munro
is a maiden too discreet, and of a mind too elevated and
improved, to need the guardianship even of a father."

"Cora!"

"Aye — Cora! we are talking of your pretensions to
Miss Munro, are we not, sir ? "

"I — I — I was not conscious of having mentioned her
name," said Duncan, stammering.

"And to marry whom, then, did you wish my consent,
Major Hey ward ? " demanded the old soldier, erecting
himself in the dignity of offended feeling.

"You have another, and not less lovely child."

"Alice!" exclaimed the father, in an astonishment
equal to that with which Duncan had just repeated the
name of her sister.

"Such was the direction of my wishes, sir."

The young man awaited in silence the result of the ex-
traordinary effect produced by a communication which, as
it now appeared, was so unexpected. For several minutes
Munro paced the chamber with long and rapid strides, his
rigid features working convulsively, and every faculty

184 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

seemingly absorbed in tbe musings of his owix mind. At
length, he paused directly in front of Heyward, and rivet-
ing his eyes upon those of the other, he said, 'with a lip
that quivered violently, —

" Duncan Heyward, I have loved you for the sake of
him whose blood is in your veins; I have loved you for
your own good qualities ; and I have loved you, because
I thought you would contribute to the happiness of my
child. ^ But all this love would turn to hatred, were I
assured that what I so much apprehend is true.^'

"God forbid that any act or thought of mine should
lead to such a change ! " exclaimed the young man, whose
eye never quailed under the penetrating look it encoun-
tered. Without adverting to the impossibility of the
other's comprehending those feelings which were hid in
his own bosom, Munro suffered himself to be appeased
by the unaltered countenance he met, and with a voice
sensibly softened, he continued, —

" You would be my son, Duncan, and you 're ignorant
of the history of the man you wish to call your father.
Sit ye down, young man, and I will open to you the
wounds of a seared heart, in as few words as may be suit-
able."

By this time, the message of Montcalm was as much
forgotten by him who bore it as by the man for whose
ears it was intended. Each drew a chair, and while the
veteran communed a few moments with his own thoughts,
apparently in sadness, the youth suppressed his impatience
In a look and attitude of respectful attention. At length
the former spoke.

" You '11 know, already. Major Heyward, that my fam-
ily was both ancient and, honorable,'' commenced the
Scotsman; "though it might not altogether be endowed
with that amount of wealth that should correspond with
its degree. I was, may be, such an one as yourself when
I plighted my faith to Alice Graham, the only child of a
neighboring laird of some estate. But the connection was
disagreeable to her father, on more accounts than my pov-
erty. I did therefore what an honest man should-—'

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 185

restored the maiden her troth, and departed the country
in the service of my king. I had seen many regions, and
bad shed much hlood in differjent lands, before duty called
me to the islands of the West Indies. There it was my
lot to form a connection with one who in time became my
wife, and the mother of Cora. She was the daughter of
a gentleman of those isles, by a lady whose misfortune it
was, if you will," said the old man, proudly, "to be de-
scended, remotely, from that unfortunate class who are so
basely enslaved to administer to the wants of a luxurious
people. Aye, sir, that is a curse entailed on Scotland by
her unnatural union with a foreign and trading people.
But could I find a man among them who would dare to
reflect on my child, he should feel the weight of a father's
anger! Ha! Mi^or Hey ward, you are yourself bom at
the south, where these unfortunate beings are^considered
of a race inferior to your own."

"'Tis most unfortunately true, sir," said Duncan, un-
able any longer to prevent his eyes from sinking to the
floor in embarrassment.

"And you cast it on my child as a reproach! You
scorn to mingle the blood of the Heywards with one so
degraded — lovely and virtuous though she bel" fiercely
demanded the jealous parent.

"Heaven protect me from a prejudice so unworthy of
my reason ! " returned Duncan, at the same time conscious
of such a feeling, and that as deeply rooted as if it had
been ingrafted in his nature. " The sweetness, the beauty,
the witchery of your younger daughter. Colonel Munro,
might explain my motives, without imputing to me this
injustice."

"Ye are right, sir," returned the old man, again chang-
ing his tones to those of gentleness, or rather softness;
"the girl is the image of what her mother was at her
years, and before she had become acquainted with grief.
When death deprived me of my wife I returned to Scot-
land, enriched by the marriage; and would you think it,
Duncan ! the suffering angel had remained in the heartless
state of celibacy twenty long years, and that for the sake

186 THE LAST 01 « THE MOHICANS.

of a man who could forget her! She did more, sir; she
overlooked my want of faith, and all difficulties being now
removed, she took me for hrtr husband."

" And became the mother of Alice ? " exclaimed Dun-
can, with an eagerness that might have proved dangerous
at a moment when the thoughts of Munro were less occu-
pied than at present.

"She did, indeed," said the old man, "and dearly did
she pay for the blessing she bestowed. But she is a saint
in heaven, sir; and it ill becomes one whose foot rests on
the grave to mourn a lot so blessed. I had her but a sin-
gle year, though ; a short term of happiness for one who
had seen her youth fade in hopeless pining."

There was something so commanding in the distress of
the old man, that Heyward did not dare to venture a
syllable of consolation. Munro sat utterly unconscious of
the other's presence, his features exposed and working
with the anguish of his regrets, while heavy tears fell
from his eyes, and rolled unheeded from his cheeks to the
floor.

At length he moved, as if suddenly recovering his recol-
lection ; when he arose, and taking a single turn across the
room, he approached his companion with an air of military
grandeur, and demanded, —

"Have you not, Major Heyward, some communication
that I should hear from the Marquis de Montcalm ? "

Duncan started, in his turn, and immediately com-
menced, in an embarrassed voice, the half-forgotten mes-
sage. It is unnecessary to dwell upon the evasive, though
polite manner with which the French general had eluded
every attempt of Heyward to worm from him the purport
of the communication he had proposed making, or on the
decided, though still polished message by which he now
gave his enemy to understand that unless he chose to
receive it in person, he should not receive it at all. As
Munro listened to the detail of Duncan, the excited feel-
ings of the father gradually gave way before the obliga-
tions of his station, and when the other was done, he saw
before him nothing but the veteran, swelling with the
wounded feelings of a soldier.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 187

t*

You have said enough, Major Hey ward ! " exclaimed
the angry old man ; " enough to make a volume of com-
mentary on French civility. Here has this gentleman
invited me to a conference, and when I send him a capahle
substitute, for ye 're all that, Duncan, though your years
are but few, he answers me with a riddle.''

" He may have thought less favorably of the substitute,
my dear sir; and you will remember that the invitation,
which he now repeats, was to the commandant of the
works, and not to his second."

"Well, sir, is not a substitute clothed with all the
power and dignity of him who grants the commission?
He wishes to confer with Munro! Faith, sir, I have
much inclination to indulge the man, if it should only be
to let him behold the firm countenance we maintain in
spite of his numbers and his summons. There might be
no bad policy in such a stroke, young man."

Duncan, who believed it of the last importance that
they should speedily come at the contents of the letter
borne by the scout, gladly encouraged this idea.

"Without doubt, he could gather no confidence by wit-
nessing our indifference," he said.

" You never said truer word. I could wish, sir, that
he would visit the works in open day, and in the form of
a storming party : that is the least failing method of prov-
ing the countenance of an enemy, and would be far pref-
erable to the battering system he has chosen. The beauty
and manliness of warfare has been much deformed, Major
Heyward, by the arts of your Monsieur Vauban. Our
ancestors were far above such scientific cowardice ! "

"It may be very true, sir; but we are now obliged to
repel art by art. What is your pleasure in the matter of
the interview ? "

" I will meet the Frenchman, and that without fear or
delay; promptly, sir, as becomes a servant of my royal
master. Gro, Major Heyward, and give them a flourish
of the music; and send out a messenger to let them know
who is coming. We will follow with a small guard, for
such respect is due to one who holds the honor of his king

188 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

in keeping; and harkee, Duncan," he added, in a half
whisper, though they were alone, " it may be prudent to
have some aid at hand, in case there should he treachery
at the bottom of it all.''

The young man availed himself of this order to quit
the apartment; and, as the day was fast coming to a close,
he hastened, without delay, to make the necessary arrange-
ments. A very few minutes only were necessary to parade
•a few files, and to dispatch an orderly with a flag to an-
nounce the approach of the commandant of the fort.
When Duncan had done both these, he led the guard to
the sally-port, near which he found his superior ready,
waiting his appearance. As soon as the usual ceremonials
of a military departure were observed, the veteran and his
more youthful companion left the fortress, attended by
the escort.

They had proceeded only a hundred yards from the
works, when the little array which attended the French
general to the conference was seen issuing from the hol-
low way which formed the bed of a brook that ran be-
tween the batteries of the besiegers and the fort. From
the moment that Munro left his own works to appear in
front of his enemies, his air had been grand, and his step
and countenance highly military. The instant he caught
a glimpse of the white plume that waved in the hat of
Montcalm, his eye lighted, and age no longer appeared to
possess any influence over his vast and still muscular per-
son.

"Speak to the boys to be watchful, sir," he said, in an
undertone, to Duncan ; " and to look well to their flints
and steel, for one is never safe with a servant of these
Louis's; at the same time, we will show them the front
of men in deep security. Ye '11 understand me, Major
Heyward! "

He was interrupted by the clamor of a drum from the
approaching Frenchmen, which was immediately answered,
when each party pushed an orderly in advance, bearing a
white flag, and the wary Scotsman halted, with his guard
dose at his back. As soon as this slight salutation had

. THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 189

passed, Montcalm moved towards them with a quick but
graceful step, baring his head to the veteran, and dropping
his spotless plume nearly to the earth in courtesy. If the
air of Munro was more commanding and manly, it wanted
both the ease and insinuating polish of that of the French-
man. Neither spoke for a few moments, each regarding
the other with curious and interested eyes. Then, as be-
came his superior rank and the nature of the interview,
Montcalm broke the silence. After uttering the usual
words of greeting, he turned to Duncan, and continued,
with a smile of recognition, speaking always in French, —

" I am rejoiced, monsieur, that you have given us the
pleasure of your company on this occasion. There will
be no necessity to employ an ordinary interpreter; for, in
your hands, I feel the same security as if I spoke your
language myself."

Duncan acknowledged the compliment, when Montcalm,
turning to his guard, which, in imitation of that of their
enemies, pressed close upon him, continued, —

" En arrifere, mes enf ans — il fait chaud — retirez-vous
un peu.''^

Before Major Hey ward would imitate this proof of con-
fidence, he glanced his eyes around the plain, and beheld
with uneasiness the numerous dusky groups of savages,
who looked out from the margin of the surrounding woods,
curious spectators of the interview.

"Monsieur de Montcalm will readily acknowledge the
difference in our situation," he said, with some embar-
rassment, pointing at the same time towards those dan-
gerous foes, who were to be seen in almost every direc-
tion.

"Were we to dismiss our guard, we should stand here
at the mercy of our enemies."

" Monsieur, you have the plighted faith of * un gentil-
homme Fran9ais,' for your safety," returned Montcalm,
laying his hand impressively on his heart; "it should suf-
fice."

"It shall. Fall back," Duncan added to the ofiicer

^ [Fall back, my boys, — it is warm — go back a little.]

190 THE LAST Ot THE MOHICANS.

who led the escort; "fall back, sir, beyond hearing, and
wait for orders.'^

Munro witnessed this movement with manifest uneasi-
ness; nor did he fail to demand an instant explanation.

" Is it not our interest, sir, to betray no distrust ? " re-
torted Duncan. "Monsieur de Montcalm pledges his
word for our safety, and I have ordered the men to with-
draw a little, in order to prove how much we depend on
his assurance."

"It may be all right, sir, but I have no overweening
reliance on the faith of these marquesses, or marquis, as
they call themselves. Their patents of nobility are too
common to be certain that they bear the seid of true
honor."

" You forget, dear sir, that we confer with an officer,
distinguished alike in Europe and America, for his deeds.
I^m a soldier of his reputation we can have nothing to
apprehend."

The old man made a gesture of resignation, though his
rigid features still betrayed his obstinate adherence to a
distrust which he derived from a sort of hereditary con-
tempt of his enemy, rather than from any present signs
which might warrant so uncharitable a feeling. Montcalm
waited patiently until this little dialogue in demi> voice
was ended, when he drew nigher, and opened the subject
of their conference.

^*I have solicited this interview from your superior,
monsieur," he said, "because I believe he will allow him-
self to be persuaded that he has already done everything
which is necessary for the honor of his prince, and will
now listen to the admonitions of humanity. I will for-
ever bear testimony that his resistance has been gallant,
and was continued as long as there was hope."

When this opening was translated to Munro^ he an-
swered with dignity, but with sufficient courtesy, —

"However I may prize such testimony from Monsieur
Montcalm, it will be more valuable when it shall be better
merited."

The French general smiled, as Duncan gave bim the
purport of this reply, and obewved, —

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 191

c<

What is now so freely accorded to approved oonragey
may be refused to useless obstinacy. Monsieur would
wish to see my camp, and witness, for himself, our num-
beis^ and the impossibility of his resisting them with
success 1 "

"I know that the King of France is well served,'^ re-
turned the unmoved Scotsman, as soon as Duncan ended
his translation ; '' but my own royal master has as many
and as faithful troops."

*' Though not at hand, fortunately for us," said Mont-
cahn, without waiting, in his ardor, for the interpreter.
" There is a destiny in war to which a brave man knows
how to submit with the same courage that he faces his
foes."

"Had I been conscious that Monsieur Montcalm was
master of the English, I should have spared myself the
trouble of so awkward a translation," said the vexed Dun-
can, dryly; remembering instantly his recent by-play with
Munro.

"Your pardon, monsieur," rejoined the Frenchman,
suffering a slight color to appear on his dark cheek.
"There is a vast difference between understanding and
speaking a foreign tongue; you will, therefore, please to
assist me still." Then, after a short pause, he added,
"These hills afford us every opportunity of reconnoitring
your works, messieurs, and I am possibly as well ac-
quainted with their weak condition as you can be your-
selves. "

" Ask the French general if his glasses can reach to the
Hudson," said Munro, proudly; "and if he knows when
and where to expect the army of Webb."

"Let Greneral Webb be his own interpreter," returned
the politic Montcalm, suddenly extending an open letter
towards Munro, as he spoke; "you will there learn,
monsieur, that his movements are not likely to prove
embarrassing to my army."

The veteran seized the offered paper, without waiting
for Duncan to translate the speech, and with an eagerness
that betxayed how important he deemed its contents. Aa

192 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

his eye passed hastily over the words, his countenance
changed from its look of military pride to one of deep
chagrin: his lip began to quiver; and, suffering the paper
to fall from his hand, his head dropped upon his chest,
like that of a man whose hopes were withered at a sin-
gle blow. Ihincan caught the letter from the ground,
and, without apology for the liberty he took, he read at
a glance its cruel purport. Their common superior, so
far from encouraging them to resist, advised a speedy sur-
render, urging in the plainest language, as a reason, the
utter impossibility of his sending a single man to their
rescue.

" Here is no deception ! " exclaimed Ihincan, examining
the billet both inside and out; "this is the signature of
Webb, and must be the captured letter."

" The man has betrayed me ! " Munro at length bitterly
exclaimed: "he has brought dishonor to the door of one
where disgrace was never before known to dwell, and
shame has he heaped heavily on my gray hairs."

"Say not so," cried Duncan; "we are yet masters of
the fort, and of our honor. Let us then sell our lives at
such a rate as shall make our enemies believe the purchase
too dear."

"Boy, I thank thee," exclaimed the old man, rousing
himself from his stupor; "you have, for once, reminded
Munro of his duty. We will go back, and dig our graves
behind those ramparts."

"Messieurs," said Montcalm, advancing towards them
a step, in generous interest, "you little know Louis de
Saint V^ran, if you believe him capable of profiting by
this letter to humble brave men, or to build up a dis-
honest reputation for himself. Listen to my terms before
you leave me."

" What says the Frenchman ? " demanded the veteran,
sternly; "does he make a merit of having captured a
scout, with a note from headquarters? Sir, he had better
raise this siege, to go and sit down before Edward if ho
wishes to frighten his enemy with words. "

Duncan explained the other's meaning.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 193

** IVIonsieur de Montcalm, we will hear you," the veteran
added., more calmly, as Duncan ended.

** Xo retain the fort is now impossible," said his liberal
enemy; *4t is necessary to the interests of my master that
it should be destroyed; but, as for yourselves, and your
brave comrades, there is no privilege dear to a soldier that
shall 'be denied."

** Our colors? " demanded Hey ward.
** Carry them to England, and show them to your king.^'
" Our arms ? "

**Keep them; none can use them better."
** Odr march; the surrender of the place? "
** Shall all be done ip a way most honorable to your-
selves. "

Duncan now turned to explain "these proposals to his
coniinander, who heard him with amazement, €Uid a sen-
sibility that was deeply touched by so unusual and unex-
pected generosity.

"Go you, Duncan," he said; "go with this marquess,
as indeed marquess he should be; go to his marquee and
arrange it all. I have lived to see two things in my old
age, that never did I expect to behold. An Englishman
afraid to support a friend, and a Frenchman too honest to
profit by his advantage."

So saying, the veteran again dropped his head to his
chest, and returned slowly towards the fort, exhibiting,
by the dejection of his air, to the anxious garrison, a
harbinger of evil tidings.

From the shock of this unexpected hlow the haughty
I feelings of Munro never recovered;^ but from that mo-
I ment there commenced a change in his determined charac-
ter, which accompanied him to a speedy grave. Duncan
remained to settle the terms of the capitulation. He was
Been to reenter the works during the first watches of the
night, and, immediately after a private conference with

1 Lieutenant^olonel George Munro withdrew to Albany after the
capitulation of Fort William Henry. In January 1^56, he was pro.
moted to a colonelcy, as a reward of his brave defense, but he died m
February of the sanie year of a broken heart, it was said. - &. JJ . I..

194 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

the commandant, to leave them again. It was then
openly announced that hostilities must cease — Munro
haying signed a treaty by which the place was to be
yielded to the enemy, with the morning; the garrison to
retain their arms, their colors, and their baggage, and
consequently, according to mlHtary opinion, their honor.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. I9S

CHAPTER XVn.

Wmt« we fhe woof. The fhrwid it ^on.
Tbo web is wore. The work ie done.

The hostile armies which lay in the wilds of the Hoii«
can passed the night of the ninth of August, 1757, much
in the manner they would had they encoimtered on the
fairest field of Europe. While the conquered were still,
sullen, and dejected, the victors triumphed. But there
are limits alike to grief and joy; and long hefore the
watches of the morning came, the stillness of those bound*
less woods was only broken by a gay call from some exult-
ing young Frenchman of the advanced pickets, or a men-
acing challenge from the fort, which sternly forbade the
approach of any hostile footsteps before the stipulated
moment. Even these occasional threatening sounds ceased
to be heard in that dull hour which precedes the day, at
which period a listener might have sought in vain any
evidence of the presence of those armed powers that then
slumbered on the shores of the ''holy lake.''

It was during these moments of deep silence that the
canvas which concealed the entrance to a spacious marquee
in the French encampment was shoved aside, and a man
issued from beneath the drapery* into the open air. He
was enveloped in a cloak that might have been intended
as a protection from the chilling damps of the woods, but
which served equally well as a mantle, to conceal his per-
son. He was permitted to pass the grenadier, who
watched over the slumbers of the French commander,
without interruption, the man making the usual salute
which betokens military deference, as the other passed
swiftly through the little city of tents, in the direction
of William Henry. Whenever this unknown individual

196 tHE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

encountered one of the numberless sentinels who crossed
his path, his answer was prompt, and as it appeared satis.
factory ; for he was uniformly allowed to proceed, without
further interrogation.

With the exception of such repeated, but brief inter-
ruptions, he had moved silently from the centre of the
camp to its most advanced outposts, when he drew nigh
the soldier who held his watch nearest to the works of
the enemy. As he approached he was received with the
usual challenge, —

"Qui Vive r'

"France," was the reply.

"Lemot d'ordre?''^

"La victoire," said the other, drawing so nigh as to be
heard in a loud whisper.

" C*est bien,'' returned the sentinel, throwing his musket
from the charge to his shoulder; "vous vous promenez
bien matin, monsieur ! " ^

"II est n^cessaire d'etre vigilant, mon enfant,"' the
other observed, dropping a fold of his cloak, and looking
the soldier close in the face, as he passed him, still con-
tinuing his way towards the British fortification. The
man started; his arms rattled heavily, as he threw them
forward, in the lowest and most respectful salute; and
when he had again recovered his piece, lie turned to walk
his post, muttering between his teeth, —

" II f aut §tre vigilant, en vdritd ! Je crois que nous avons
Ik un caporal qui ne dort jamais ! " *

The officer proceeded, without affecting to hear the
words which escaped the sentinel in his surprise; nor did
he again pause until he had reached the low strand, and
in a somewhat dangerous vicinity to the western water
bastion of the fort. The light of an obscure moon was
just sufficient to render objects, though dim, perceptible

1 [The pass-word ?]

3 [All right. You are taking an early walk, sir.]
8 [It 's necessary to be on the lookout.]

^ [He has to be on the lookout, in good sooth 1 Faith, we 've a co^
poral who never goes to sleep.]

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 197

in their outlines. He therefore took the precaution . to
place himself against the trunk of a tree, where he leaned
for many minutes, and seemed to contemplate the dark
and silent mounds of the English works in profound at-
tention. His gaze at the ramparts was not that of a curi-
ous or idle spectator; hut his looks wandered from point
to point, denoting his knowledge of military usages, and
betraying that his search was not unaccompanied by dis-
trust. At length he appeared satisfied ; and having cast
bis eyes impatiently upward towards the summit of the
eastern mountain, as if anticipating the approach of the
morning, he was in the act of turning on his footsteps,
when a light sound on the nearest angle of the bastion
caught his ear, and induced him to remain.

Just then a figure was seen to approach the edge of the
rampart, where it stood, apparently contemplating in its
turn the distant tents of the French encampment. Its
head was then turned towards the east, as though equally
anxious for the appearance of light, when the form leaned
against the mound, and seemed to gaze upon the glassy
expanse of the waters, which, like a submarine firmament,
glittered with its thousand mimic stars. The melancholy
air, the hour, together with the vast frame of the man
who thus leaned, in musing, against the English ramparts,
left no doubt as to his person, in the mind of the ob-
servant spectator. Delicacy, no less than prudence, now
urged him to retire; and he had moved cautiously round
the body of the tree for that purpose, when another sound
drew his attention, and once more arrested his footsteps.
It was a low, and almost inaudible movement of the
water, and was succeeded by a grating of pebbles one
against the other. In a moment he saw a dark form rise,
as it were out of the lake, and steal without further noise
to the land, within a few feet of the place where he him-
self stood. A rifle next slowly rose between his eyes and
the watery mirror; but before it could be discharged hia
own hand was on the lock.

" Hugh ! " exclaimed the savage, whose treacherous aim
Waa so singularly and so unexpectedly interrupted.

198 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

.Without making any reply, the French officer laid his
hand on the shoulder of the Indian, and led him in pro-
found silence to a distance from the spot where their sub-
sequent dialogue might have proved dangerous, and where
it seemed that one of them, at least, sought a victim.
Then, throwing open his cloak, so as to expose his uni-
form and the cross of St. Louis which was suspended at
his hreast, Montcalm sternly demanded, —

"What means thisi Does not my son know that the
hatchet is huried between the English and his Canadian
Father?"

"What can the Hurons do?" returned the savage,
speaking also, though imperfectly, in the French language.
"Not a warrior has a scalp, and the palefaces make
friends ! "

" Ha ! Le Eenard Subtil ! Methinks this is an excess
of zeal *for a friend who was so late an enemy ! How
many suns have set since Le Henard struck the war-post
of the English ? "

"Where is that sun!" demanded the sullen savage.
"Behind the hill; and it is dark and cold. But when he
comes again, it will be bright and warm. Le Subtil is
the sun of his tribe. There have been clouds, and many
mountains between him and his nation; but now he
shines, and it is a clear sky ! "

"That Le Ercnard has power with his people, I well
know," said Montcalm; "for yesterday he hunted for
their scalps, and to-day they hear him at the council
fire."

"Magna is a great chief."

"Let him prove it, by teaching his nation how to con-
duct towards our new friends."

"Why did the chief of the Canadas bring his young
men into the woods, and fire his cannon at the earthen
house ? " demanded the subtle Lidian.

"To subdue it. My master owns the land, and youi
father was ordered to drive off these English squatters.
They have consented to go, and now he calls them ene-
mies no longer."

THE LAST OF THE MOHIGANa 199

** 'T is welL Magua took the hatchet to color it with
blood. It is now bright; when it is red, it shall be
buried;*'

''But Magua is pledged not to sully the lilies of France.
The enemies of the great king across the salt lake are his
enemies; his friends, the friends of the Hurons.'*

"IFriends!*' repeated the Indian, in scorn. "Let his
father give Magua a hand.'*

Montcalm, who felt that his influence over the warlike
tribes he had gathered was to be maintained by concession
rather than by power, complied reluctantly with the other's
request. The savage placed the finger of the French com-
mander on a deep scar in his bosom, and then exultingly
demanded, —

" Does my father know that ? "

"What warrior does noti 'tis where a leaden buUet
has cuf

"And this? " continued the Indian, who had turned
his naked back to the other, his body being without its
usual calico mantle.

"This! — my son has been sadly injured, here; who
has done this ? "

"Magua slept hard in the English wigwams, and the
sticks have left their mark," returned the savage, with a
hollow laugh, which did not conceal the fierce temper that
nearly choked him. Then recollecting himself, with sud-
den and native dignity, he added, "(jo; teach your young
men, it is peace. Le Brcnard Subtil knows how to speak
to a Huron warrior."

Without deigning to bestow further words, or to wait
for any answer, the savage cast his rifle into the hollow
of his arm, and moved silently through the encampment
towards the woods where his own tribe was known to lie.
Every few yards as he proceeded he was challenged by
the sentinels ; but he stalked sullenly onward, utterly dis-
regarding the summons of the soldiers, who only spared
his life because they knew the air and tread no less than
the obstinate daring of an Indian.

Montcalm lingered long and melancholy on the strandi

200 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

where he had been left by his companion, brooding deeply
on the temper which his ungovernable ally had just dis-
covered. Already had his fair fame been tarnished by
one horrid scene, and in circumstances fearfully resembling
those under which he now found himself. As he mused
he became keenly sensible of the deep responsibility they
assume who disregard the means to attain their end, and
of all the danger of setting in motion an engine which it
exceeds human power to control. Then shaking oflF a
train of reflections that he accounted a weakness in such
a moment of triumph, he retraced his steps towards his
tent, giving the order, as he passed, to make the signal
that should arolise the army from its slumbers.

The first tap of the French drums was echoed from the
bosom of the fort, and presently the valley was filled with
the strains of martial music, rising long, thrilling, and
lively above the rattling accompaniment. The horns of
the victors sounded merry and cheerful flourishes, until
the last laggard of the camp was at his post; but the
instant the British fifes had blown their shrill signal, they
became mute. In the mean time the day had dawned, and
when the line of the French army was ready to receive
its general, the rays of a brilliant sun were glancing along
the glittering array. Then that success, which was al-
ready so well known, was ofl&cially announced ; the favored
band who were selected to guard the gates of the fort were
detailed, and defiled before their chief; the signal of their
approach was given, and all the usual preparations for a
change of masters were ordered and executed directly un-
der the guns of the contested Works.

A very difi'erent scene presented itself within the lines
of the Anglo-American army. As soon as the warning
signal was given, it exhibited all the signs of a hurried
and forced departure. The sullen soldiers shouldered
their empty tubes and fell into their places, like men
whose blood had been heated by the past contest, and who
only desired the opportunity to revenge an indignity which
was still wounding to their pride, concealed as it vas
under all the observances of military etiquette. Women

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 201

*»"

and children ran from place to place, some bearing the
scanty remnants of their baggage, and others searching in
the ranks for those countenances they looked up to for
protection.

Munro appeared among his silent troops firm but de-
jected. It was evident that the unexpected blow had
struck deep into his heart, though he struggled to sustain
his misfortune with the port of a man.

Duncan was touched at the quiet and impressive exhi-
bition of his grief. He had discharged his own duty,
and he now pressed to the side of the old man, to know
in what particular he might serve him.

My daughters," was the brief but expressive reply.
Good heavens! are not arrangements already made for
their convenience 1 "

"To-day I am only a soldier. Major Hey ward," said
the veteran. "All that you see here, claim alike to be
my children.'*

Duncan had heard enough. Without losing one of
those moments which had now become so precious, he flew
towards the quarters of Munro, in quest of the sisters.
He found them on the threshold of the low edifice, already
prepared to depart, and surrounded by a clamorous and
weeping assemblage of their own sex, that had gathered
about the place, with a sort of instinctive consciousness
that it was the point most likely to be protected. Though
the cheeks of Cora were pale, and her countenance anxious,
she had lost none of her firmness; but the eyes of Alice
were inflamed, and betrayed how long and bitterly she
had wept. They both, however, received the young man
with undisguised pleasure; the former, for a novelty, be-
ing the first to speak.

" The fort is lost, " she said, with a melancholy smile ;
" though our good name, I trust, remains. '^

" 'T is brighter than ever. But, dearest Miss Munro,
it is time to think less of others, and to make some pro-
vision for yourself. Military usage, — pride, — that pride
on "which you so much value yourself, demands that your
father and I should for a little while continue with the

202 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

troops. Then where to seek a proper protector for yoa
against the confusion and chances of such a scene 1 "

"None is necessary," returned Cora; "who will dare
to injure or insult the daughter of such a father, at a time
Hke this 1 "

"I would not leave you alone," continued the youth,
looking ahout him in a hurried manner, "for the command
of the best regiment in the pay of the king. Bemember,
our Alice is not gifted with all your firmness, and God
only knows the terror she might endure."

"You may be right," Cora replied, smiling again, but
far more sadly than before. " Listen I chance has already
sent us a friend when he is most needed."

Duncan did listen, and on the instant comprehended
her meaning. The low and serious sounds of the sacred
music so well known to the eastern provinces caught his
ear, and instantly drew him to an apartment in an adja-
cent building, which had already been deserted by its cus-
tomary tenants. There he found David, pouring out his
pious feelings through the only medium in which he ever
indulged. Duncan waited until, by the cessation of the
movement of the hand, he believed the strain was ended,
when, by touching his shoulder, he drew the attention of
the other to himself, and in a few words explained his
wishes.

"Even so," replied the single-minded disciple of the
King of Israfil»^when*the ^Oung man li4id tnd u il, "I havo
found much that is comely and melodious in the maidens,
and it is fitting that we who have consorted in so much
peril should abide together in peace. I will attend them,
when I have completed my morning praise, to which no-
thing is now wanting but the doxology. Wilt thou hear
a part, friend? The metre is common, and the tune
' Southwell. ' "

Then, extending the little volume, and giving the pitch
of the air anew with considerate attention, David recom-
menced and finished his strains, with a fixedness of man-
ner that it was not easy to interrupt. Hey ward was fain
to wait until the verse was ended; when, seeing David

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 203

relieving himself from the spectacles, and replacing the
book, he continued, —

" It will he your duty to see that none dare to approach
the ladies with any rude intention, or to offer insult
or taunt at the misfortune of their hrave father. In this
task you will he seconded hy the domestics of their house-
hold."

"Even so."

"It is possihle that the Indians and stragglers of the
enemy may intrude, in which case you will remind them
of the terms of the capitulation, and threaten to report
their conduct to Montcalm. A word will suffice."

"If not, I have that here which shall," returned David,
exhihiting his hook, with an air in which meekness und
confidence were singularly hlended. "Here are words
which, uttered, or rather thundered, with proper empha-
sis, and in measured time, shall quiet the most unruly
temper: —

*< ' Why rage the heathen foriousljl * " —

"Enough," said Hey ward, interrupting the hurst of his
muBical invocation: "we understand each other; it is time
that we should now assume our respective duties."

Gamut cheerfully assented, and together they sought
the females. Cora received her new and somewhat ex-
traordinary protector courteously at least; and even the
pallid features of Alice lighted again with some of their
native archness as she thanked Heyward for his care.
Duncan took occasion to assure them he had done the hest
that circumstances permitted, and, as he helieved, quite
enough for the security of their feelings; of danger there
was none. He then spoke gladly of his intention to
rejoin them the moment he had led the advance a few
miles towards the Hudson, and immediately took his
leave.

By this time the signal of departure had heen given,
and the head of the English column was in motion. The
sisters started at the sound, and glancing their eyes
around, they saw the white uniforms of the French grena*

204 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

diers, who had already taken possession of the gates of
the fort.

At that moment, an enormous cloud seemed to pass
suddenly above their heads, and looking upward, they
discovered that they stood beneath the wide folds of the
standard of France.

" Let us go, " said Cora ; " this is no longer a fit place
for the children of an English officer."

Alice clung to the arm of her sister, and together they
left the parade, accompanied by the moving throng that
surrounded them.

As they passed the gates, the French officers, who had
learned their rank, bowed often and low, forbearing, how-
eve^, to intrude those attentions which they saw, with
peculiar tact, might not be agreeable. As every vehicle
and each beast of burden was occupied by the sick and
wounded, Cora had ' decided to endure the fatigues of a
foot march, rather than interfere with their comforts.
Indeed, many a maimed and feeble soldier was compelled
to drag his exhausted limbs in the rear of the columns,
for the want of the necessary means of conveyance in
that wilderness. The whole, however, was in motion;
the weak and wounded, groaning and in suffering; their
comrades, silent and 'sullen ; and the women and children
in^ terror, they knew not of what.

As the confused and timid throng left the protecting
mounds of the fort, and issued on the open plain, the
whole scene was at once presented to their eyes. A\
little distance on the right, and somewhat in the rear,
French army stood to their arms, Montcalm having col-
lected his parties, so soon as his guards had possession of
the works. They were attentive but silent observers of
the proceedings of the vanquished, failing in none of the
stipulated military honors, and offering no taunt or insult,
in their success, to their less fortunate foes. Living
masses of the English, to the amount in the whole of
near three thousand, were moving slowly across the plain,
towards the common centre, and gradually approached each
other, as they converged to the point of their march, a

At ».

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 205

vista cut through the lofty trees, where the road to the
Hudson entered the forest. Along the sweeping borders
of the woods hung a dark cloud of savages, eyeing the
passage of their enemies, and hovering, at a distance, like
vultures, who were only kept from stooping on their prey,
by the presence and restraint of a superior army. A few
had straggled among the conquered columns, where they
stalked in sullen discontent; attentive, though, as yet,
passive observers of the moving multitude.

The advance, with Heyward at its head, had already
reached the defile, and was slowly disappearing, when the
attention of Cora was drawn to a collection of stragglers,
by the sounds of contention. A truant provincial was
paying the forfeit of his disobedience, by being plundered
of those very effects which had caused him to desert his
place in the ranks. The man was of powerful frame, and
too avaricious to part with his " goods without a struggle.
Individuals from either party interfered; the one side to
prevent, and the other to aid in the robbery. Voices
grew loud and angry, and a hundred savages appeared, as
it were by magic, where a dozen only had been seen a
minute before. It was then that Cora saw the form of
Magna gliding among his countrymen, and speaking with
his fatal aii(l artful eloquence. The mass of women and
children stopped, and hovered together like alarmed and
fluttering birds. But the cupidity of the Indian was soon
gratified, and the different bodies again moved slowly on-
ward.

The savages now fell back, and seemed content to let
their enemies advance without further molestation. But
as the female crowd approached them, the gaudy colors of
a sha^l attracted the eyes of a wild and untutored Huron.
He advanced to seize it, without the least hesitation.
The woman, more in terror than through love of the orna-
ment, wrapped her child in the coveted article, and folded
both more closely to her bosom. Cora was in the act of
speaking, with an intent to advise the woman to abandon
the trifle, when the savage relinquished his hold of the
fshawl, and tore the screaming infant from her arms.

206 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Abandoning everything to the greedy grasp of those
around her, the mother darted, with distraction in her
mien, to reclaim her child. The Indian smiled grimly,
and extended one hand, in sign of a willingness to ex-
change, while, with the other, he flourished the babe over
his head, holding it by the feet as if to enhance the value
of the ransom.

" Here — here — there — all — any — everything ! " ex-
claimed the breathless woman ; tearing the lighter articles
of dress from her person, with ill-directed and trembling
fingers ; " take all, but give me my babe ! ''

The savage spumed the worthless rags, and perceiving
that the shawl had already become a prize to another, his
bantering but sullen smile changing to a gleam of fero-
city, he dashed the head of the infant against a rock, and
cast its quivering remains to her very feet. For an in-
stant, the mother stood, like a statue of despair, looking
wildly down at the unseemly object, which had so lately
nestled in her bosom and smiled in her face; and then
she raised her eyes and countenance towards heaven, as
if calling on God to curse the perpetrator of the foul
deed. She was spared the sin of such a prayer; for, mad-
dened at his disappointment, and excited at the sight of
blood, the Huron mercifully drove his tomahawk into
her own brain. The mother sank under the blow, and
fell, grasping at her child, in death, with the same en-
grossing love that had caused her to cherish it when
living.

At that dangerous moment Magna placed his hands to
his mouth, and raised the fatal and appalling whoop.
The scattered Indians started at the well-known cry, as
coursers bound at the signal to quit the goal; and, directly,
there arose such a yell along the plain,' and through the
arches of the wood, as seldom burst from human lips be-
fore. They who heard it listened with a curdling horror
at the heart, little inferior to that dread which may be
expected to attend the blasts of the final summons.

More than two thousand raving savages broke from the
forest at the signal, and threw themselves across the fatal

THE LAST OF THB MOHICANS. 207

plain with instinctive alacrity. We shall not dwell on
'tlie revolting horrors that succeeded. Death was every-
"^rhere, and in his most terrific and disgusting aspects.
[Resistance only served' to inflame the murderers, who
inflicted their furious blows long after their victims were
"beyond the power of their resentment. The flow of blood
might be likened to^the outbreaking of a torrent ; and as
the natives became heated and maddened by the sight,
many among them even kneeled to the earth, and drank
freely, exultingly, hellishly, of the crimson tide.

The trained bodies of the troops threw themselves
quickly into solid masses, endeavoring to awe their assail-
ants by the imposing appearance of a military front. The
experiment in some measure succeeded, though far too
many suffered their unloaded muskets to be torn from
their hands, in the vain hope of appeasing the savages.

In such a scene none had leisure to note the fleeting
moments. It might have been ten minutes (it seemed an
age), that the sisters had stood riveted to one spot, horror-
stricken, and nearly helpless. When the first blow waa
struck, their screaming companions had pressed upon
them in a body, rendering flight impossible; and now that
fear or death had scattered most, if not all, from around
them, they saw no avenue open, but such as conducted to
the tomahawks of their foes. On every side arose shrieks^
groans, exhortations, and curses. At this moment, Alica
caught a glimpse of the vast form of her father, moving
rapidly across the plain, in the direction of the French,
army. He was, in truth, proceeding to Montcalm, fear^
less of every danger, to claim the tardy escort for which
he had before conditioned. Fifty glittering axes and
barbed spears were ofl'ered unheeded at his life, but the
savages respected his rank and calmness, even in theii
fury. The dangerous weapons were brushed aside by the
still nervous arm of the veteran, or fell of themselves,
after menacing an act that it would seem no one had cour-
age to perform. Fortunately, the vindictive Magna waa
searching for his victim in the very band the veteran had
just quitted.

\

208 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" Father — father — we are here ! " shrieked Alice, as
he passed, at no great distance, without appearing to heed
them. " Come to us, father, or we die ! "

The cry was repeated, and in terms and tones that
might have melted a heart of stone, hut it was unan-
swered. Once, indeed, the old man appeared to catch the
sounds, for he paused and listened; hut Alice had dropped
senseless on the earth, and Cora had sunk at her side,
hovering in untiring tenderness over her lifeless form.
Munro shook his head in disappointment, and proceeded,
hent on the high duty of his station.

''Lady," said Gamut, who, helpless and useless as he
was, had not yet dreamed of deserting his trust, "it is
the juhilee of the devils, and this is not a meet place foi
Christians to tarry in. Let us up and fly."

"Go," s'i^id Cora, still gazing at her unconscious sister;
"save thyself. To me thou canst not he of furthei
use."

David comprehended the unyielding character of her
resolution, hy the simple hut expressive gesture that ac-
companied her words. He gazed, for a moment, at the
dusky forms that were acting their hellish rites on every
side of him, and his tall person grew more erect, while
his chest heaved, and every feature swelled, and seemed
to speak with the power of the feelings hy which he was
governed.

" If the Jewish hoy might tame the evil spirit of Saul
by the sound of his harp, and the words of sacred song,
'it may not be amiss," he said, "to try the potency of
^iirasic here."

r Then raising his voice to its highest tones, he poured
out a strain so powerful as to be heard even amid the din
of that blogdy field. More than one savage rushed towards
them, thinking to rifle the unprotected sisters of their at-
tire, and bear away their scalps ; but when they found this
J strange and unmoved figure riveted to his post, they
\ paused to listen. Astonishment soon changed to admira-
' tion, and they passed on to other and less courageous vic-
tims, openly expressing their^satisfaction at the firmness

i* ■*'

i

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 209

■with which the white warrior sang his death song. En-
couraged and deluded by his success, David exerted all
his powers to extend what he believed so holy an influ-
ence. The unwonted sounds caught the ears of a distant
savage, who flew raging from group to group like one
who, scorning to touch the vulgar herd, hunted for some
victim more worthy of his renown. It was Magua, who
uttered a yell of pleasure when he beheld his ancienf
prisoners again at his mercy.

"Come," he said, laying his soiled hands on the dress*
of Cora, "the wigwam of the Huron is still open. Is it
not better than this place ? ''

" Away ! '' cried Cora, veiling her eyes from his revolt-
ing aspect.

The Indian laughed tauntingly, as he held up his reek-
ing hand, and answered, "It is red, but it comes from
white veins ! "

"Monster! there is blood, oceans of blood, upon thy
soul : thy spirit has moved this scene. "

" Magua is a great chief ! '^ returned the exulting sav-
age ; " will the dark hair go to his tribe ? "

"Never! strike, if thou wilt, and complete thy revenge."

He hesitated a moment; and then catching the light
and senseless form of Alice in his arms, the subtle Indian
moved swiftly across the plain towards the woods.

" Hold ! " shrieked Cora, following wildly on his foot-
steps: "release the child! wretch! what is 't you do?"

But Magua was deaf to her voice ; or rather he knew
his po'^er, and was •determined to maintain it.

"Stay — lady — stay," called Gamut, after the uncon-
scious Cora. "The holy charm is beginning to be felt,
and soon shalt thou see this horrid tumult stilled."

Perceiving that, in his turn, he was unheeded, the
faithful David followed the distracted sister, raising his
voice again in sacred song, and sweeping the air to the
measure, with his long arm, in diligent accompaniment.
In this manner they traversed the plain, through the fly-
ing, the woimded, and the dead. The fierce Huron was
%t any time suflicient for hynself and the victim that he

210 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

bore; though Cora would have fallen, more than once,
under the blows of her savage enemies, but for the
extraordinary being who stalked in her rear, and who
now appeared to the astonished natives gifted with the
protecting spirit of madness.

Magna, who knew how to avoid the more pressing dan^
gers, and also to elude pursuit, entered the woods through
a low ravine, where he quickly found the Narragansets,
which the travelers had abandoned so shortly before,
* awaiting his appearance, in custody of a savage as fierce
and as malign in his expression as himself. Laying Alice
on one of the horses, he made a sign to Cora to mount the
other.

Notwithstanding the horror excited by the presence of
her captor, there was a present relief in escaping from the
bloody scene enacting on the plain, to which Cora could
not be altogether insensible. She took her seat, and held
forth her arms for her sister, with an air of entreaty and
love that even the Huron could not deny. Placing Alice,
then, on the same animal with Cora, he seized the bridle,
and commenced his route by plunging deeper into the
forest. David, perceiv^ig that he was left alone, utterly
disregarded as a subject too worthless even to destroy,
threw his long limb across the saddle of the beast they
had deserted, and made such progress in the pursuit as
the difficulties of the path permitted.

They soon began to ascend ; but as the motion had a
tendency to revive the dormant faculties of her sister, the
attention of Cora was too much divided between the ten-
derest solicitude in her behalf, and in listening to the cries
which were still too audible on the plain, to note the direc-
tion in which they joiarneyed. When, however, they
gained the flattened surface of the mountain-top, and ap-
proached the eastern precipice, she recognized the spot to
which she had once before been led under the more
friendly auspices of the scout. Here Magna suffered them
to dismount; and, notwithstanding their own captivity,
the curiosity which seems inseparable from horror induced
them to gaze at the sickening sight below.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 211

The cruel work was still unchecked. On every side
the captured were flying before their relentless persecu-
tors, while the armed colunlns of the Christian king stood
fast in an apathy which has never been explained, and
which has left an immovable blot on the otherwise fair
escutcheon of their leader. Nor was the sword of death
stayed until cupidity got the mastery of revenge. Then,
indeed, the shrieks of the wounded and the yells of their
murderers grew less frequent, until finally the cries of
horror were lost to their ear, or were drowned in the loud,*
long, and piercing whoops of the triumphant savages.

CHAPTEE XVni.

Why, anything :
An honorable murderer, if you win ;
For nought I did in hate, but all in honor.

SHAnsPBABB, OiMlOi V. iL 7SS,

The bloody and inhuman scene rather incidentally
mentioned than described in the preceding chapter, is con-
spicuous in the pages of colonial history, by the merited
title of "The Massacre of William Henry." It so far
deepened the stain which a previous and very similar
event had left upon the reputation of the French com-
mander, that it was not entirely erased by his early and
glorious death. It is now becoming obscured by time;
and thousands, who know that Montcalm died like a hero
on the plains of Abraham, have yet to learn how much
he was deficient in that moral courage without which no
man can be truly great. Pages might be written to prove,
from this illustrious example, the defects of human excel-
lence; to show how easy it is for generous sentiments,
high courtesy, and chivalrous courage, to lose their influ-
ence beneath the chilling blight o^^lfishness, and to ex-
hibit to the world a man who was great in all the minor
attributes of character, but who was found wanting when
it became necessary to prove how much principle is supe-
rior to policy. But the task would exceed our preroga-

212 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

tives ; and, as history, like love, is so apt to surround her
heroes with an atmosphere of imaginary brightness, it is
probable that Louis de Saint V4ran will be viewed by
posterity only as the gallant defender of his country,
while his cruel apathy on the shores of the Oswego and
of the Horican will be forgotten. Deeply regretting this
weakness on the part of a sister muse, we shall at once
retire from her sacred precincts, within the proper limits
of our own humble vocation.

• The third day from the capture of the fort was drawing
to a close, but the business of the narrative must still de-
tain the reader on the shores of the " holy lake. " When
last seen, the environs of the works were filled with vio-
lence and uproar. They were now possessed by stillness
and death. The blood-stained conquerors had departed;
and their camp, which had so lately rung with the merry
rejoicings of a victorious army, lay a silent and deserted
city of huts. The fortress was a smouldering ruin;
charred rafters, fragments of exploded artillery, and rent
mason-work, covering its earthen mounds in confused
disorder.

A frightful change had also occurred in the season.
The sun had hid its warmth behind an impenetrable mass
of vapor, and hundreds of human forms, which had black-
ened beneath the fierce heats of August, were stiff'ening in
their deformity, before the blasts of a premature Novem-
ber. The curling and spotless mists, which had been seen
sailing above the hills towards the north, were now re-
turning in an interminable dusky sheet, that was urged
along by the fury of a tempest. The crowded mirror of
the Horican was gone; and in its place the green and
angry waters lashed the shores, as if indignantly casting
back its impurities to the polluted strand. Still the clear
fountain retained a portion of its charmed influence, but
it reflected only the sombre gloom that fell from the im-
pending heavens. That humid and congenial atmosphere
which commonly adorned the view, veiling its harshness
and softening its asperities, had disappeared, and the
northern air poured across the waste of water so harsh and

THE LAST OP THE MOHICANS. 213

unmingled that nothing was left to be conjectured by the
eye, or fashioned by the fancy.

The fiercer element had cropped the verdure of the
plain, which looked as though it were scathed by the con-
suming lightning. But here and there a dark green tuft
rose in the midst of the desolation; the earliest fruits of
a soil that had been fattened with human blood. The
whole landscape, which, seen by a favoring light and in
a genial temperature, had been found so lovely, appeared
now like some pictured allegory of life, in which objects
were arrayed in their harshest but truest colors, and with-
out the relief of any shadowing.

The solitary and arid blades of grass arose from the
passing gusts fearfully perceptible; the bold and rocky
mountains were too distinct in their barrenness, and the
eye even sought relief, in vain, by attempting to pierce
the illimitable void of heaven, which was shut to its gaze
by the dusky sheet of ragged and driving vapor.

The wind blew unequally ; sometimes sweeping heavily
along the ground, seeming to whisper its moanings in the
cold ears of the dead, then rising in a shrill and mourn-
ful whistling, it entered the forest with a rush that filled
the air with the leaves and branches it scattered in its
path. Amid the unnatural shower, a few hungry ravens
Sniggled with the gale; but no sooner was the green
ocean of woods, which stretched beneath them, passed,
than they gladly stooped, at random, to their hideous ban-
quet.

In short, it was a scene of wildness and desolation ; and
it appeared as if all who had profanely entered it had
been stricken, at a blow, by the relentless arm of death.
But the prohibition had ceased ; and for the first time since
the perpetrators of those foul deeds which had assisted to
disfigure the scene were gone, living human beings had
now presumed to approach the place.

About an hour before the setting of the sun, on the
day already mentioned, the forms of five men might have
l)een seen issuing from the narrow vista of trees, where
the path to the Hudson entered the forest, and advancing

214 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

in the direction of the ruined works. At first their pro-
gress was slow and guarded, as though they entered with
reluctance amid the horrors of the spot, or dreaded the
renewal of its frightful incidents. A light figure preceded
the rest of the party, with the caution and activity of
a native; ascending every hillock to reconnoitre, and in-
dicating, hy gestures, to his companions, the route he
deemed it most prudent to pursue. Nor were those in
the rear wanting in every caution and foresight known to
forest warfare. One among them, he also was an Indian,
moved a little on one flank, and watched the margin of the
woods, with eyes long accustomed to read the smallest
sign of danger. The remaining three were white, though
clad in vestments adapted, hoth in quality and color, to
their present hazardous pursuit, — that of hanging on the
skirts of a retiring army in the wilderness.

The effects produced hy the appalling sights that con-
stantly arose in their path to the lake shore were as dif-
ferent as the characters of the respective individuals who
composed the party. The youth in front threw serious
hut furtive glances at the mangled victims, as he stepped
lightly across the plain, afraid to exhibit his feelings, and
yet too inexperienced to quell entirely their sudden and
powerful influence. His red associate, however, was su-
perior to such a weakness. He passed the groups of dead
with a steadiness of purpose, and an eye so calm, that no-
thing but long and inveterate practice could enable him to
maintain. The sensations produced in the minds of even
the white men were different, though uniformly sorrow-
ful. One, whose gray locks and furrowed lineaments,
blending with a martial air and tread, betrayed, in spite
of the disguise of a woodsman's dress, a man long expe-
rienced in scenes of war, was not ashamed to groan aloud,
whenever a spectacle of more than usual horror came un-
der his view. The young man at his elbow shuddered,
but seemed to suppress his feelings in tenderness to his
companion. Of them all, the straggler who brought up
the rear appeared alone to betray his real thoughts, with-
out fear of observation or dread of consequences. H*

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 216

gazed at the most appalling sight with eyes and muscles
that knew not how to waver, but with execrations so bit-
ter and deep as to denote how much he denounced the
crime of his enemies.

The reader will perceive at once, in these respective
characters, the Mohicans, and their white friend, the
scout; together with Munro and Hey ward. It was, in
truth, the father in quest of his children, attended by
the youth who felt so deep a stake in their happiness,
and those brave and trusty foresters, who had already
proved their skill and fidelity through the trying scenes
related.

When XJncas, who moved in front, had reached the
centre of the plain, he raised a cry that drew his compan-
ions in a body to the spot. The young warrior had halted
over a group of females who lay in a cluster, a confused
mass of dead. Notwithstanding the revolting horror of
the exhibition, Munro and Heyward flew towards the fes-
tering heap, endeavoring^ with a love that no unseemliness
could extinguish, to discover whether any vestiges of those
they sought were to be seen among the tattered and many-
colored garments. The father and the lover found instant
relief in the search ; though each was condemned again to
experience the misery of an uncertainty that was hardly
less insupportable than the most revolting truth. They
were standing silent and thoughtful, around the melan-
choly pile, when the scout approached. Eyeing the sad
spectacle with an angry countenance, the sturdy woods-
man, for the first time since his entering the plain, spoke
intelligibly and aloud : —

"I have been on many a shocking field, and have fol-
lowed a trail of blood for weary miles," he said, "but
never have I found the hand of the devil so plain as it is
here to be seen I Kevenge is an Indian feeling, and all
who know me know that there is no cross in my veins ; but
this much will I say — here, in the face of heaven, and
with the power of the Lord so manifest in this howling
vildemess, — that should these Frenchers ever trust
themselves again within the range of a ragged bullet, there

216 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

is one rifle shall play its part, so long as flint will fire
or powder bum! I leave the tomahawk and knife to
such as have a natural gift to use them. What say you,
Chingachgook, " he added in Delaware; "shall the Hu-
rons boast of this to their women when the deep snows
come ? "

A gleam of resentment flashed across the dark linea-
ments of the Mohican chief; he loosened his knife in his
sheath, and then turning calmly from the sight, his coun-
tenance settled into a repose as deep as if he never knew
the instigation of passion.

" Montcalm ! Montcalm ! " continued the deeply resent-
ful and less self -restrained scout; "they say a time must
come, when all the deeds done in the flesh will be seen
at a single look; and that by eyes cleared from mortal
infirmities. Woe betide the wretch who is born to behold
this plain, with the judgment hanging about his soul!
Ha — as I am a man of white, blood, yonder lies a red-
skin, without the hair of his head where nature rooted it!
Look to him, Delaware; it may be one of your miss-
ing people ; and he should have burial like a stout war-
rior. I see it in your eye. Sagamore: a Huron pays for
this, afore the fall winds have blown away the scent of
the blood ! "

Chingachgook approached the mutilated fotm, and turn-
ing it over, he found the distinguishing marks of one of
those six allied tribes, or nations, as they were called,
who, while they fought in the English ranks, were so
deadly hostile to his own people. Spuming the loath-
some object with his foot, he turned from it with the same
indifference he would have quitted a brute carcass. The
scout comprehended the action, and very deliberately
pursued his own way, continuing, however, his denuncia-
tions against the French commander in the same resentful
strain.

" Nothing but vast wisdom and onlimited power should
dare to sweep off men in multitudes," he added; "for it is
only the one that can know the necessity of the judgment;
and what is there, short of the other^ that can replace the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 217

creatures of the Lord ? I hold it a sin to kill the second
buck afore the first is eaten, unless a march in the front,
or an ambushment, be contemplated. It is a different
matter with a few warriors in open and rugged fight, for
'tis their gift to die with the rifle or the tomahawk in
hand ; according as their natures may happen to be, white
or red. Uncas, come this way, lad, and let the ravens
settle upon the Mingo. I know, from often seeing it,
that they have a craving for the flesh of an Oneida; and
it is as well to let the bird follow the gift of its natural
appetite. '^

" Hugh ! " exclaimed the young Mohican, rising on the
extremities of his feet, and gazing intently in his front,
frightening the raven to some other prey, by the sound
and the action.

"What is it, boy?" whispered the scout, lowering his
tall form into a crouching attitude, like a panther about to
take his leap ; " God send it be a tardy Trencher, skulk-
ing for plunder. I do believe Killdeer would take an
oncommon range to-day ! "

Uncas, without making any reply, bounded away from
the spot, and in the next instant he was seen tearing from
a bush, and waving in triumph, a fragment of the green
riding- veil of Cora. The movement, the exhibition, and
the cry, which again burst from the lips of the young
Mohican, instantly drew the whole party about him.

** My child ! " said Munro, speaking quick and wildly ;
" give me my child ! "

"Uncas will try," was the short and touching answer.
The simple but meaning assurance was lost on the father,
who seized the piece of gauze, and crushed it in his hand,
while his eyes roamed fearfully among the bushes, as if
he equally dreaded and hoped for the secrets they might
reveal.

" Here are no dead, " said Hey ward ; " the storm seems
not to have passed this way."

"That's manifest; and clearer than the heavens above
our heads," returned the undisturbed scout; "but either
she, or they that have robbed her, have passed the bush;

218 THE LAST OF THE MOHIOANS.

for I remember the rag she wore to hide a face that all
did love to look upon. Uncas, you are right; the dark-
hair has been here, and she has fled like a frightened
fawn, to the wood; none who could fly would remain to
be murdered. Let us search for the marks she left; for
to Indian eyes, I sometimes think even a humming-bird
leaves his trail in the air.''

The young Mohican darted away at the suggestion, and
the scout had hardly done speaking, before the former
raised a cry of success from the margin of the forest. On
reaching the spot, the anxious party perceived another
portion of the veil fluttering on the lower branch of a
beech.

''Softly, softly," said the scout, extending his long rifle
in front of the eager Hey ward; "we now know our work,
but the beauty of the trail must not be deformed. A step
too soon may give us hours of trouble. We have them
though; that much is beyond denial."

" Bless ye, bless ye, worthy man I " exclaimed Munro,
"whither, then, have they fled, and where are my babes?"

"The path they have taken depends on many chances.
If they have gone alone, they are quite as likely to move
in a circle as straiglit, and they may be within a dozen
miles of us; but if tlie Hurons, or any of the French
Indians, have laid hands on them, 't is probable they are
now near the borders of the Canadas. But what matters
that ? " continued the deliberate scout, observing the ])ow-
erful anxiety and disappointment the listeners exhibited ;
"here are the Mohicans and I on one end of the trail,
and, rely on it, we And the other, though they should Ix)
a hundred leagues asunder! Gently, gently, Uncas, you
are as impatient as a man in the settlements; you forget
that light feet leave but faint marks I ''

"Ilughl " exclaimed Chingachgook, who had been occu-
pied in examining an opening that had been evidently
made through the low underbush, which skirted the for*
^t; and who now stood erect, as he pointed downwanis,
in the attitude and with the air of a man who beheld a
disgusting serpent.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 219

"Here is the palpable impression of the footstep of a
man," cried Hey ward, bending over the indicated spot;
''he has trod in the margin of this pool, and the mark
cannot be mistaken. They are captives."

"Better so than left to starve in the wilderness," re-
turned the scout ; " and they will leave a wider trail. I
would wager fifty beaver skins against as many flints, that
the Mohicans and I enter their wigwams within the
month I Stoop to it, Uncas, and try what you can make
of the moccasin; for moccasin it plainly is, and no shoe."

The young Mohican bent over the track, and removing
the scattered leaves from around the place, he examined
it with much of that sort of scrutiny that a money-dealer,
in these days of pecuniary doubts, would bestow on a
suspected due-bill. At length he arose from his knees,
satisfied with the result of the examination.

"Well, boy," demanded the attentive scout, "what
does it say ? can you make anything of the tell-tale ? "

"LeEenard Subtil!"

"Ha! that rampaging devil again! there never will be
an end of his loping till Killdeer has said a friendly
word to him."

Heyward reluctantly admitted the truth of this intelli-
gence, and now expressed rather his hopes than his doubts
by saying, —

"One moccasin is so much like another, it is probable
there is some mistake."

" One moccasin like another ! you may as well say that
one foot is like another; though we all know that some
are long, and others short; some broad, and others nar-
row; some with high, and some with low insteps; some
in-toed, and some out. One moccasin is no more like an-
other than one book is like another; though they who can
read in one are seldom able to tell the marks of the other.
Which is all ordered for the best, giving to every man his
natural advantages. Let me get down to it, Uncas; nei-
ther book nor moccasin is the worse for having two opin-
ions, instead of one." The scout stooped to the task, and
instantly added, " You are right, boy ; here is the patch

220 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

we saw so often in the other chase. And the fellow wiD
drink when he can get an opportunity; your drinking
Indian always learns to walk with a wider toe than the
natural savage, it heing the gift of a drunkard to straddle,
whether of white or red skin. 'T is just the length and
hreadth too! look at it, Sagamore*, you measured the
prints more than once, when we hunted the varments
from Glenn's to the health-springs."

Chingachgook complied; and after finishing his short
examination, *he arose, and with a quiet demeanor, he
merely pronounced the word —

" Magua ! "

"Aye, 'tis a settled thing; here then have passed the
dark-hair and Magua."

" And not Alice ? " demanded Hey ward.

" Of her we have not yet seen the signs, " returned th^
scout, looking closely around at the trees, the hushes, and
the ground. " What have we there ? Uncas, bring hither
the thing you see dangling from yonder thorn-hush."

"When the Indian had complied, the scout received the
prize, and holding it on high, he laughed in his silent but
heartfelt manner.

" 'T is the tooting we'pon of the singer ! now we shall
have a trail a priest might travel," he said. "Uncas, look
for the marks of a shoe that is long enough to uphold six
feet two of tottering human flesh. I begin to have some
hopes of the fellow, since he has given up squalling* to
follow some better trade."

"At least, he has been faithful to his trust," said Hey-
ward; "and Cora and Alice are not without a friend'."

"Yes," said Hawkey e, dropping his rifle, and leaning
on it with an air of visible contempt, "he will do their
singing. Can he slay a buck for their dinner, journey
by the moss on the beeches, or cut the throat of a Huron \
If ifot, the first cat- bird .^ he meets is the cleverest of the
two. Well, boy, any signs of such a foundation ? "

1 The powers of the American mocking-bird are generally known.
8ut the true mocking-bird is not found so far north as the State of New
Tork, where it has, however, two substitutes of inferior excellence : the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 221

**Here is something like the footstep of one who has
worn a shoe ; can it be that of our friend ? "

"Touch the leaves lightly, or you '11 disconsart the for-
mation. That! that is the print of a foot, but 'tis the
dark-hair's; and small it is, too, for one of such a noble
height and grand appearance. The singer would cover it
with his heel."

"Where! let me look on the footsteps of my child,''
said Munro, shoving the bushes aside, and bending fondly
over the nearly obliterated impression. Though the
tread which had left the mark had been light and ra*pid,
it was still plainly visible. The aged soldier examined
it with eyes that grew dim as he gazed; nor did he rise
from his stooping posture until Heyward saw that he had
watered the trace of his daughter's passage with a scalding
tear. Willing to divert a distress which threatened each
moment to break through the restraint of appearances, by
giving the veteran something to do, the young man said
to the scout, —

"As we now possess these infallible signs, let us com-
mence our march. A moment, at such a time, will ap-
pear an age to the captives."

"It is not the swiftest leaping deer that gives the long-
est chase," returned Hawkeye, without moving his eyes
from the different marks that had come under his view;
" we know that the rampaging Huron has passed, — and
the dark hair, — and the singer, — but where is she of
the yellow locks and blue eyes? Though little, and far
from being as bold as her sister, she is fair to the view,
and pleasant in discourse. Has she no friend, that none
care for her ? "

" God forbid she should ever want hundreds ! Are we
not now in her pursuit ? for one, I will never cease the
search till she be found."

"In that case we may have to journey by different

cat-bird, so often named by the scout, and the bird vulgarlj called
ground-thresher. Either of these two last birds is superior to the night-
ingale, or the lark, though, in general, the American birds are less
mosical than those of Europe.

222 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

paths; for here she has not passed, light and little as her
footstep would be."

Heyward drew back, all his ardor to proceed seeming to
vanish on the instant. Without attending to this sudden
change in the other's humor, the scout, after musing a
moment, continued, —

" There is no woman in this wilderness could leave such
a print as that, but the dark-hair or her sister. We know
that the first has been here, but where are the signs of the
other? Let us push deeper on the trail, and if nothing
offers, we must go back to the plain and strike another
scent. Move on, Uncas, and keep your eyes on the dried
leaves. I will watch the bushes, while your father shall
run with a low nose to the ground. Move on, friends;
the Sim is getting behind the hills."

"Is there nothing that I can do?" demanded the
anxious Heyward.

" You ! " repeated the scout, who, with his red friends,
was already advancing in the order he had prescribed:
"yes, you can keep in our rear, and be careful not to cross
the trail."

Before they had proceeded many rods, the Indians
stopped, and appeared to gaze at some signs on the earth,
with more than their usual keenness. Both father and
son spoke quick and loud, now looking at the object of
their mutual admiration, and now regarding each other
with the most unequivocal pleasure.

" They have f o\md the little foot ! " exclaimed the
scout, moving forward, without attending further to his
own portion of the duty. "What have we here? An
ambushment has been planted in the spot I No, by the
truest rifle on the frontiers, here have been them one-
sided horses again ! Now the whole secret is out, and all
is plain as the north star at midnight. Yes, ^ here they
have mounted. There the beasts have been bound to a
sapling, in waiting; and yonder runs the broad path away
to the north, in full sweep for the Canadas."

" But still there are no signs of Alice, — of the youngei
Miss Munro," said Duncan.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 223

*' Unless the shining bauble Uncas has just lifted from
the ground should prove one. Pass it this way, lad, that
we may look at it.'^

Hey ward instantly knew it for a trinket that Alice was
fond of wearing, and which he recollected, with the tena-
cious memory of a lover, to have seen, on the fatal morn-
ing of the massacre, dangling from the fair neck of his
mistress. He seized the highly prized jewel; and as he
proclaimed the fact, it vanished from the eyes of the won-
dering scout, who in vain looked for it on the ground, long
after it was warmly pressed against the beating heart of
Duncan.

"Pshaw I" said the disappointed Hawkeye, ceasing" to
rake the leaves with the breech of his rifle; "'tis a cer-
tain sign of age, when the sight begins to weaken. Such
a glittering gewgaw, and not to be seen I Well, well, I
can squint along a clouded barrel yet, and that is enough
to settle all disputes between me and the Mingoes. I
should like to find the thing too, if it were only to carry
it to the right owner, and that would be bringing the two
ends of what I call a long trail together, — for by this
time the broad St. Lawrence, or, perhaps, the Great Lakes
themselves, are atwixt us.''

" So much the more reason why we should not delay
our march," returned Hey ward; "let us proceed."

"Young blood and hot blood, they say, are much the
same thing. We are not about to start on a squirrel hunt,
or to drive a deer into the Horican, but to outlie for days
and nights, and to stretch across a wilderness where the
feet of men seldom go, and wherfi..no Jbookish knowle dge
would carry you through^ harmlgss. An Indian never
starts on such an expedition without smoking over his
council fire; and though a man of white blood, I honor
their customs in this particular, seeing that they are delib-
erate and wise. We will therefore go back, and light
our fire to-night in the ruins of the old fort, and in the
morning we shall be fresh, and ready to undertake our
work like men, and not like babbling women or eager
boys.''

224 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Heyward saw, by the manner of the scout, that alterca-
tion would be useless. Munro had again sunk into that
sort of apathy which had beset him since his late over-
whelming misfortunes, and from which he was apparently
to be roused only by some new and powerful excitement.
Making a merit of necessity, the young man took the
veteran by the arm, and followed in the footsteps of the
Indians and the scout, who had already begun to retrace
the path which conducted them to the plain.

CHAPTER XIX.

A^oIoHlao.-- Why, I am tare, if he forfeit, thoa wilt not take hie fleoh; what**
that good for?

Shylo^,— To bait flah withal: if it will feed nothing elae, it wiU feed my re-
range. Bhawbfbark, Merchant of Venieet UL L 63.

The shades of evening had come to increase the dreari-
ness of the place, * when the party entered the ruins of
♦ "William Henry. The scout and his companions immedi-
ately made their preparations to pass the night there, but
with an earnestness and sobriety of demeanor that be-
trayed how much the unusual horrors they had just wit-
nessed worked on even their practiced feelings. A few
fragments of rafters were reared against a blackened wall;
and when Uncas had covered them slightly with brush,
the temporary accommodations were deemed sufficient.
The young Indian pointed towards his rude hut, when
his labor was ended; and Heyward, who understood the
meaning of the silent gesture, gently urged Munro to enter.
Leaving the bereaved old man alone with his sorrows,
Duncan immediately returned into the open air, too much
excited himself to seek the repose he had recommended to
his veteran friend.

While Hawkeye and the Indians lighted their fire,
and took their evening's repast, a frugal meal of dried
bear's meat, the young man paid a visit to that curtain
of the dilapidated fort which looked out on the sheet
of the Horican. The wind had fallen, and the waves were

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 225

already rolling on the sandy beach beneath him in a more
regular and tempered succession. The clouds, as if tired
of their furious chase, were breaking asunder, the heavier
volumes gathering in black masses about the horizon,
while the lighter scud still hurried above the water, or
eddied among the tops of the mountains, like broken,
flights of birds hovering around their roosts. Here and
there a red and fiery star struggled through the drifting
vapor, furnishing a lurid gleam of brightness to the dull
aspect of the heavens. Within the bosom of the encir-
cling hills, an impenetrable darkness had already settled;
and the plain lay like a vast and deserted charnel-house,
without omen or whisper to disturb the slumbers of its
numerous and hapless tenants.

Of this scene, so chillingly in accordance with the past, /
Duncan stood for many minutes a rapt observer. His \
eyes wandered from the bosom of the mound,, where the
foresters were seated around their glimmering fire, to the
fainter light which still lingered in the skies, and then
rested long and anxiously on the embodied gloom which
lay like a dreary void on that side of him where the dead
reposed. He soon fancied that inexplicable sounds arose
from the place, though so indistinct and stolen as to
render not only their nature but even their existence
uncertain. Ashamed of his apprehensions, the young man
turned towards the water, and strove to divert his atten-
tion to the mimic stars that dimly glimmered on its mov-
ing surface. Still, his too conscious ears performed their
ungrateful duty, as if to warn him of some lurking dan-
ger. At length a swift trampling seemed, quite audibly, to
rush athwart the darkness. Unable any longer to quiet
his uneasiness, Duncan spoke in a low voice to the scout,
reque&ting him to ascend the mound to the place where
he stood. Hawkeye threw his rifle across an arm, and
complied, but with an air so unmoved and calm as to
prove how much he counted on the security of their posi-
tion.

"Listen! " said Duncan, when the other placed himself
deliberately at his elbow j " there are suppressed noises on

226 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

the plain, which may show that Montcabn has not yet en-
tirely deserted his conquest."

" Then ears are better than eyes, " said the undisturbed
scout, who, having just deposited a portion of a bear be-
tween his grinders, spoke thick and slow, like one whose
mouth was doubly occupied. "I myself saw him caged
in Ty, with all his host; for your Trenchers, when they
have done a clever thing, like to get back, and have a
dance or a merry-making with the women over their suc-
cess."

** I know not. An Indian seldom sleeps in war^ and
plunder may keep a Huron here after his tribe has de-
parted. It would be well to extinguish the fire, and have
a watch — listen ! you hear the noise I mean ! "

"An Indian more rarely lurks about the graves.
Though ready to slay, and not over - regardful of the
means, he is commonly content with the ecalp, unless
when blood is hot, and temper up; but after the spirit
is once fairly gone, he forgets his enmity, and is -willing
to let the dead find their natural rest. Speaking of
spirits. Major, are you of opinion that the heaven of a
red-skin and of us whites will be one and the same ? "

" No doubt — no doubt. I thought I heard it againl
or was it the rustling of the leaves in the top of the
beech 1 "

"For my own part," continued Haw key e, turning
his face, for a moment, in the direction indicated by Hey-
ward, but with a vacant and careless manner, "I believe
that paradise is ordained for happiness; and that men
will be indulged in it according to their dispositions and
gifts. ' I therefore judge that a red-skin is not far from ♦
the truth when he believes he is to find them glorious
hunting-grounds of which his traditions tell; nor, for that
matter, do I think it would be any disparagement to a
man without a cross to pass his time " —

" You hear it again 1 " interrupted Duncan.

"Aye, aye; when food is scarce, and when food is
plenty, a wolf grows bold," said the unmoved scout.
"There would be picking, too, among the skins of th«

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 227

devilsy if there was light and time for the sport. But,
Gonceming the life that is to come, Major: I have heard
preachers say, in the settlements, that heaven was a place
of rest. Now men's minds differ as to their ideas of en-
joyment. For myself, and I say it with reverence to the
ordering of Providence, it would be no great indulgence to
t>e kept shut up in those mansions of which they preach,
having a natural longing for motion and the chase."

£>iincan, who was now made to understand the nature
of the noises he had heard, answered, with more Attention
to the subject which the humor of the scout had chosen
fox discussion, by saying, —

''It is difficult to account for the feelings that may
attend the last great change. '^

" It would be a change, indeed, for a man who has
passed his days in the open air," returned the single-
minded scout; ''and who has so often broken his fast on
the head waters of the Hudson, to sleep within sound of
the roaring Mohawk. But it is a comfort to know we
serve a merciful Master, though we do it each after his
fashion, and with great tracts of wilderness atween us-«-
what goes there 1 "

''is it not the rushing of the wolves you have men-
tioned ? "

Hawkeye slowly shook his head, and beckoned for Ihui-
can to follow him to a spot to which the glare from the
fire did not extend. When he had taken this precaution,
the scout placed himself in an attitude of intense atten-
tion, and listened long and keenly for a repetition of the
low sound that had so unexpectedly startled him. His
vigilance, however, seemed exercised in vain; for after
a fruitless pause he whispered to Duncan, —

"We must give a call to Uncas. The boy has Indian
senses, and may hear what is hid from us; for being a
white-skin, I will not deny my nature."

The young Mohican, who was conversing in a low
voice with his father, started as he heard the moaning of
an owl, and springing on his feet he looked towards the
black mounds, as if seeking the place whence the sounds

228 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

proceeded. The scout repeated the call, and in a few
moments Duncan saw the figure of Uncas stealing cau-
tiously along the rampart, to the spot where they stood^

Hawkeye explained his wishes in a very few words,
which were spoken in the Delaware tongue. So soon as
Uncas was in possession of the reason why he was sum-
xaoned, he threw himself flat on the turf, where, to the
eyes of Duncan, he appeared to lie quiet and motionless.
Siirprised at the immovable attitude of the young warrior,
and curfous to observe the manner in which he employed
hiu faculties to obtain the desired information, Heywaid
advanced a few steps, and bent over the dark object on
which he had kept his eyes riveted. Then it was he dis-
covered that the form of Uncas had vanished, and that he
beheld only the dark outline of an inequality in the em-
bankment.

" What has become of the Mohican 1 " he demanded of
the scout, stepping back in amazement; "it was here that
I saw him fall, and I could have sworn that here he yet
remained.**

"Hist! speak lower; for we know not what ears are
open, and the Mingoes are a quick-witted breed. As for
Uncas, he is out on the plain, and the Maquas, if any
such are about us, will find their equal. ^*

"You think that Montcalm has not called off all his
Indians 1 Let us give the alarm to our companions, that
we may stand to our arms. Here are five of us, who are
not unused to meet an enemy."

"Not a word to either, as you value life. Look at the
Sagamore, how like a grand Indian chief he sits by the
fire. If there are any skulkers out in the darkness, they
will never discover, by his coiintenance, that we suspect
danger at hand."

"But they may discover him, and it will prove his
death. His person can be too plainly seen by the hght
of that fire, and he will become the first and most certain
victim."

"It is undeniable that now you speak the truth," re-
turned the scout, betraying more anxiety than was usual;

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 229

"yet what can be done? A single suspicious look might
bring on an attack before we are ready to receive it. He
knows, by the call I gave to Uncas, that we have struck
a scent : I will tell him that we are on the trail of the
Mingoes ; his Indian nature will teach him how to act.''

The scout applied his fingers to his mouth, and raised
a slow hissing sound, that caused Duncan, at first, to start
aside, believing that he heard a serpent. The head of
Chingachgook was resting on a hand, as he sat musing
by himself ; but the moment he heard the warning of the
animal whose name he bore, it arose to an upright posi-
tion, and his dark eyes glanced swiftly and keenly on
every side of him. With this sudden and perhaps invol-
untary movement, every appearance of surprise or alarm
ended. His rifle lay untouched, and apparently unnoticed,
within reach of his hand. The tomahawk that he had
loosened in his belt for the sake of ease, was even suf-
fered to fall from its usual situation to the ground, and
his form seemed to sink, like that of a man whose nerves
and sinews were suifered to relax for the purpose of rest.
Cunningly resuming his former position, though with a
change of hands, 'as if the movement had been made
merely to relieve the limb, the native awaited the result
with a calmness and fortitude that none but an Indian
warrior would have known how to exercise.

But Heyward saw that while to a less instructed eye
the Mohican chief appeared to slumber, his nostrils were
expanded, his head was turned a little to one side, as if
to assist the organs of hearing, and that his quick and
rapid glances ran incessantly over every object within the
power of his virion.

" See the noble fellow ! " whispered Hawkey e, pressing
the arm of Heyward; **he knows that a look or a motion
might disconsart our schemes, and put us at the mercy of
them imps " —

He was interrupted by the •flash and report of a rifle.
The air was filled with cparks of fire, around that spot
where the eyes of Heyward were still fastened with
admiration and wonder. A second look told him that

230 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAJNS.

Chingachgook had disappeared in the confusion. In the
meantime, the scout had thrown forward his rifle, like one
prepared for service, and awaited impatiently the moment
when an enemy might rise to view. But with the soli-
tary and fruitless attempt made on the life of Chingach-
gook, the attack appeared to have terminated. Once or
twice the listeners thought they could distinguish the
distant rustling of hushes, as hodies of some unknown de-
scription rushed through them; nor was it long hefore
Hawkeye pointed out the "scampering of the wolves," as
they fled precipitately before the passage of some intruder
on their proper domains. After an impatient and breath-
less pause, a plunge was heard in the water, and it wa9
immediately followed by the report of another rifle.

" There goes Uncas ! " said the scout : " the boy hears
a smart piece! I know its crack, as well as a father
knows the language of his child, for I carried the gun
myself until a better offered."

" What can this mean ? " demanded Duncan : " we are
watched, and, as it would seem, marked for destruction."

" Yonder scattered brand can witness that no good was
intended, and this Indian will testify. that no harm has
been done," returned the scout, dropping his rifle across
his arm again, and following Chingachgook, who just then
reappeared within the circle of light, into the bosom of
the works. "How is it, Sagamore? Are the Mingoes
upon us in earnest, or is it only one of those reptiles who
hang upon the skirts of a war party, to scalp the dead,
go in, and make their boast among the squaws bf the val-
iant deeds done on the pale-faces 1 "

Chingachgook very quietly resumed his seat; nor did
he make any reply, until after he had examined the fire-
brand which had been struck by the bullet, that had nearly
proved fatal to himself. After which, he was content to
reply, holding a single finger up ta view, with the EngUsh
monosyllable, —

"One."

"I thought as much," returned Hawkeye, seating him-
self; "and as he had got the cover of the lake afore Uncaa

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 231

pulled upon him, it is more than probahle the knave will
sing his lies ahout some great amhushment, in which he
was outlying on the trail of two Mohicans and a white
hunter — for the officers can be considered as little better
than idlers in such a skrimmage. Well, let him — let
him. There are always some honest men in every nation,
though heaven knows, too, that they are scarce among the
Maquas, to look down an upstart when he brags ag4n the
face of reason. The varlet sent his lead within whistle
of your ears. Sagamore.'^

Chingachgook turned a calm and incurious eye towards
the place where the ball had struck, and then resumed
his former attitude, with a composure that could not be
disturbed by so trifling an incident. Just then Uuicas
glided into the circle, and seated himself at the fire, with
the same appearance of indiiference as was maintained by
his father.

Of these several movements Heyward was a deeply in-
terested and wondering observer. It appeared to him as
though the foresters had some secret means of intelligence,
which had escaped the vigilance of his own faculties. In
place of that eager and garrulous narration with which a
white youth would have endeavored to communicate, and
perhaps exaggerate, that which had passed out in the
darkness of the plain, the young warrior was seemingly
content to let his deeds speak for themselves. It was, in
fact, neither the moment nor the occasion for an Indian
to boast of his exploits ; and it is probable that had Hey-
ward neglected to inquire, not another syllable would, just
then, have been uttered on the subject.

" What has become of our enemy, Uncas ? " demanded
Duncan: "we heard your rifle, and hoped you had not
fired in vain."

The young chief removed a fold of his hunting shirt,
and quietly exposed the fatal tuft of hair, which he bore
as the symbol of victory. Chingachgook laid his hand on
the scalp, and considered it for a moment with deep atten-
tion. Then dropping it, with disgust depicted in his
strong features, he ejaculated, —

232 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

•* Oneida ! "

" Oneida ! " repeated the scout, who was fast losing his
interest in the scene, in an apathy nearly assimilated to
that of his red associates, but who now advanced with
uncommon earnestness to regard the bloody badge. "By
the Lord, if the Oneidas are outlying upon the trail, we
siiall be flanked by devils on every side of us ! Now, to
white eyes there is no difference between this bit of skin
and that of any other Indian, and yet the Sagamore de-
clares it came from the poll of a Mingo; nay, he even
names the tribe of the poor devil with as much ease as if
the scalp was the leaf of a book, and each hair a letter.
What right have Christian whites to boast of their learn-
ing, when a savage can read a language that would prove
too much for the wisest of them all I What say you^ lad;
of what people was the knave ? "

Uncas raised his eyes to the face of the scout, and an-
swered, in his soft voice, —

"Oneida.''

" Oneida, again ! when one Indian makes a declaration
it is commonly true; but when he is supported by his
people, set it down as gospel ! "

"The poor fellow has mistaken ns for French,'' said
Hey ward; "or he would not have attempted the life of
a friend."

" He mistake a Mohican in his paint for a Huron! You
would be as likely to mistake the white- coated grenadiers
of Montcalm for the scarlet jackets of the * Eoyal Ameri-
cans, ' " returned the scout. " No, no, the sarpent knew
his errand ; nor was there any great mistake in the matter,
for there is but little love atween a Delaware and a Mingo,
let their tribfes go out to fight for whom they may, in a
white quarrel. For that matter, though the Oneidas do
serve his sacred Majesty, who is my own sovereign lord
and master, I should not have deliberated long about let-
ting off Killdeer at the imp myself had luck thrown him
in my way."

" That would have been an abuse of our treaties, and
unworthy of your character."

^.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 238

r When a man consorts much with a people,'^ continued
Hawkey e, " if they are honest and he no knave, love will
grow up atwixt them. It is true that white cunning has
managed to throw the tribes into great confusion, as re-
spects friends and enemies; so that the Hurons and the
Oneidas, who speak the same tongue, or what may be
called the same, take each other's scalps, and the Dela-
wares are divided among themselves; a few hanging about
their great council fire on their own river, and fighting on
the same side with the Mingoes, while the greater part are
in the Canadas, out of natural enmity to the Maquas —
thus throwing everything into disorder, and destroying all
the harmony of warfare. Yet a red natur' is not likely
to alter with every shift of policy ; so that the love atwixt
a Mohican and a Mingo is much like the regard between
a white man and a sarpent. "

"I regret to hear it; for I had belie Ved those natives
who dwelt within our boundaries had found us too just
and liberal, not to identify themselves fully with our
quarrels."

"Why, I believe it is natur' to give a preferenc'e to
one's own quarrels before those of strangers. Now, for
myself, I do love justice; and therefore I will not say I
hate a Mingo, for that may be unsuitable to my color and
my religion, though I will just repeat, it may have been
owing to the night that Killdeer had no hand in the death
of this skulking Oneida."

Then, as if satisfied with the force of his own reasons,
whatever might be their effect on the opinions of the
other disputant, the honest but implacable woodsman
turned from the fire, content to let the controversy slum-
ber. Heyward withdrew to the rampart, too uneasy and
too little accustomed to the warfare of the woods to remain
, at ease under the possibility of such insidious attacks.
Kot so, however, with the scout and the Mohicans.
Those acute and long practiced senses, whose powers so
often exceed the limits of all ordinary credulity, after
having detected the danger, had enabled them to ascer-
tain its magnitude and duration. Not one of the three

234 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

appeared in the least to doubt their perfect security, as was
indicated by the preparations that were soon made to sit
m council over their future proceedings.

The confusion of nations, and even of tribes, to which
Hawkeye alluded, existed at that period in the fullest
force. The great tie of language,^ and, of course, of a
common origin, was severed in many places; and it was
one of its consequences, that the Delaware and the Mingo
(as the people of the Six Nations were called) were found
lighting in the same ranks, while the latter sought the
scalp of the Huron, though believed to be the root of
his own stock. The Delawares were even divided among
themselves. Though love for the soil which had belonged
to his ancestors kept the Sagamore of the Mohicans with
a small band of followers who, were serving at Edward,
under the banners of the English king, by far the largest
portion of his nation were known to be in the field as
allies of Montcalm. The reader probably knows, if enough
has not already been gleaned from this narrative, that the
Delaware, or Lenape, claimed to be the progenitors of
that numerous people who once were masters of most of
the Eastern and Northern States of America, of whom
the community of the Mohicans was an ancient and highly
honored member.

It was, of course, with a perfect understanding of the
minute and intricate interests which had armed friend

1 As a specimen of the Delaware language — of which the Mohican
was a dialect — we give a few words: Ahoalau, to love. Paauj to
come. Povnissirij to go. Pilape is a youth, from pikitf innocent, and
lenapCf a man. When a Delaware woman is playing with a little dog
or kitten, she will often exclaim ** KuUgatckis ! ** This means "What
a pretty little paw you have I " This word is compounded in the fol-
lowing manner : Ku is the pronoun for thou or thy. Uli is from irufif,
pretty. Gat is from wichgat, which signifies leg, or paw. Schis is a di-
minutive, conveying the idea of littleness. Thus one word implies thi
whole sentence. NamcBsisipu is the Mississippi or river of fish. Sus-
quehanna they call the great river of the Bay — meaning Chesapeake
Bay. These passages are taken from Duponceau.

At a public council held between the English and Delawares and
Mohicans, about the middle of the last century, the Delawares observed
** The Mohicans are our cousins. We understand their speech.* * — S. F« C

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 235

against friend, and brought natural enemies to combat by
each other's side, that the scout and his companions now
disposed themselves to deliberate on the measures that
were to govern their future movements, amid so many
jarring and savage races of men. Duncan knew enough of
Indian customs to understand the reason that the fire was
replenished, and why the warriors, not excepting Hawk-
eye, took their seats within the curl of its smoke with so
much gravity and decorum. Placing himself at an angle
of the works, where he might be a spectator of the scene
within, while he kept a watchful eye against any danger
from without, he awaited the result with as much patience
as he could summon.

After a short and impressive pause, Chingachgook
lighted a pipe whose bowl was curiously carved in one of
the soft stones of the country, and whose stem was a tube
of wood, and commenced smoking. When he had inhaled
enough of the fragrance of the soothing «Sft,^he passed
the instrument into the hands of the scout. In this
manner the pipe had made its rounds three several times,
amid the most profound silence, before either of the party
opened his lips. Then the Sagamore, as the oldest and
highest in rank, in a few calm and dignified words pro-
posed the subject for deliberation. He was answered
by the* scout, and Chingachgook rejoined when the other
objected to his opinions. But the youthful Uncas con-
tinued a silent and respectful listener, until Hawkeye, in
complaisance, demanded his opinion. Heyward gathered
from the manners of the different speakers that the father
and son espoused one side of a disputed question, while
the white man maintained the other. The contest grad-
ually grew warmer, until it was quite evident the feelings
of the speakers began to be somewhat enlisted in the
debate.

Notwithstanding the increasing warmth of the amicable
contest, the most decorous Christian assembly, not even
excepting those in which its reverend ministers are col-
lected, might have learned a wholesome lesson of modera-
tion from the forbearance and courtesy of the disputants.

236 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

The words of Uncas were received with the same deep
attention as those which fell from the matnrer wisdom of
his father; and so far from manifesting any impatience,
neither spoke in reply, until a few moments of silent
meditation were, seemingly, bestowed in deliberating on
what had already been said.

The language of the Mohicans was accompanied by ges-
tures so direct and natural, that Heyward had but little
difficulty in following the thread of their argument. On
the other hand, the scout was obscure; because, from the
lingering pride of color, he rather affected the cold and
artificial manner which characterizes all classes of Anglo-
Americans, when unexcited. By the frequency with
which the Indians described the marks of a forest trail,
it was evident they urged a pursuit by land, while the
repeated sweep of Hawkey e's arm towards the Horican
denoted that he was for a passage across its waters.

The latter was, to every appearance, fast losing ground,
and the point was about to be decided against him, when
he arose to his feet, and shaking off his apathy, he sud-
denly assumed the manner of an Indian, and adopted all
the arts of native eloquence. Elevating an arm, he pointed
out the track of the sun, repeating the gesture for every
day that was necessary to accomplish their object. Then
he delineated a long and painful path, amid roeks and
water-courses. The age and weakness of the slumbering
and unconscious Munro were indicated by signs too palpa-
ble to be mistaken. Duncan perceived that even his own
powers were spoken lightly of, as the scout extended his
palm, and mentioned him by the appellation of the "Open
Hand," — a name his liberality had purchased of all the
friendly tribes. Then came a representation of the light
and graceful movements of a canoe, set in forcible contrast
to the tottering steps of one enfeebled and tired. He con-
cluded by pointing to the scalp of the Oneida, and appar-
ently urging the necessity of their departing speedily, and
in a manner that should leave no traiL

The Mohicans listened gravely, and with countenances
that reflected the sentiments of the speaker. Conviction

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 237

gradually wrought its influence, and towards the close of
Hawkeye's speech, his sentences were accompanied by the
customary exclamation of commendation. In short, Un-
cas and his father became converts to his way of thinking,
abandoning their own previously expressed opinions with
a liberality and candor that, had they been the represen-
tatives of some great and civilized people, would have
infallibly worked their political ruin, by destroying for-
ever their reputation for consistency.

The instant the matter in discussion was decided, the
debate, and everything connected with it, except the
result, appeared to be forgotten. Haykeye, without look-
ing round to read his triumph in applauding eyes, very
composedly stretched his tall frame before the dying em-
bers, and closed his own organs in sleep.

Left now in a measure to themselves, the Mohicans,
"whose time had been so much devoted to the interests of
others, seized the moment to devote some attention to
themselves. Casting off, at once, the grave and austere
demeanor of an Indian chief, Chingachgook commenced
speaking to his son in the soft and playful tones of affec-
tion. Uncas gladly met the familiar air of his father ; and
before the hard breathing of the scout announced that he
slept, a complete change was effected in the manner of his
two associates.

It is impossible to describe the music of their language,
while thus engaged in laughter and endearments, in such
a way as to render it intelligible to those whose ears have
never listened to its melody. The compass of their voices,
particularly that of the youth, was wonderful,. — extending
from the deepest bass to tones that were even feminine in
softness. The eyes of the father followed the plastic and
ingenious movements of the son with open delight, and
he never failed to smile in reply to the other's conta-
gious, but low laughter. While under the influence of
these gentle and natural feelings, no trace of ferocity was
tvi be seen in the softened features of the Sagamore. His
figured panoply of death looked more like a disguise as-
hamed in mockery, than a fierce annunciation of a desire
to carry destruction in his footsteps.

238 THE LAFT OF THE MOHICANS.

After an hour passe 1 in the indulgence of their liettez
feelings, Ghingachgook ahniptly announced his desire to
sleep, by wrapping his head in his blanket, and stretching
his form on the naked earth. The merrimeQt of Uncas
instantly ceased; and carefully raking the coals in sucli
a manner that they should impart their warmth to liis
father's feet, the youth sought his own pillow among tbe
riins of the place.

Imbibing renewed confidence from the security of these
experienced foresters, Heyward soon imitated their exam-
ple ; and long before the night had turned, they who lay
in the bosom of th^ ruined work seemed to slumber as
heavily as the unconscious multitude whose bones were
already beginning to bleach on the surrounding plain.

CHAPTEE XX.

Land of Albania ! let me bend mine ejea
On thee, thou rugged nurse of savage men !

Btbov, ChUde Harold^ Canto H. zzzrliL

The heavens were still studded with stars when Hawk-
eye came to arouse the sleepers. Casting aside their
cloaks, Munro and Heyward were on their feet while the
woodsman was still mailing his low callsj at the entrance
of the rude shelter where they had passed the night.
When they issued from beneath its concealment, they
found the scout awaiting their appearance nigh by, and
the only salutation between them was the significant ges-
ture for silenpe, made by their sagacious leader.

"Think over your prayers," he whispered, as they ap-
proached him; "for He to whom you make them knows
all tongues; that of the heart, as well as those of the
mouth. But speak not a syllable ; it is rare for a white
voice to pitch itself properly in the woods, as we have
seen by the example of that miserable devil, the singer.
Come," he continued, turning towards a curtain of the
works; "let us get into the ditch on this side, and be
regardful to step on the stones and fragments of wood aa
you go."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 239

His companions complied, though to two of them the
reasons of this extraordinary precaution were yet a mys-
tery. When they were in the low cavity that surrounded
the earthen fort on three sides, they found the passage
nearly choked by the ruins. With care and patience,
however, they succeeded in clambering after the scout,
until they reached the sandy shore of the Horican.

"That's a traU that nothing but a nose can follow,"
said the satisfied scout, looking back along their difficult
^^Jy "grass is a treacherous carpet for a flying party to
tread on, but wood and stone take no print from a moc-
casin. Had you worn your armed boots, there might,
indeed, have been something to fear; but with the deer-
skin suitably prepared, a man may trust himself, generally,
on rocks with safety. Shov4 in the canoe nigher to the
land, Uncas; this sand will take a stamp as easily as the
butter of the Jarmans on the Mohawk. Softly, lad,
softly; it must not touch the beach, or the knaves will
know by what road we have left the place."

The young man observed the precaution ; and the scout,
laying a board from the ruins to the canoe, made a sign
for the two officers to enter. When this was done, every-
thing was studiously restored to its former disorder; and
then Hawkeye succeeded in reaching his little birchen
vessel without leaving behind him any of those marks
which he appeared so much to dreM. Heyward was
silent, until the Indians had cautiously paddled the canoe
some distance from the fort, and within the broad and
dark shadow that fell from the eastern mountain on the
glassy surface of the lake ; then he demanded, —

" What need have we for this stolen and hurried depar-
ture?"

"If the blood of an Oneida could stain such a sheet of
pure water as this we float on," returned the scout, "your
two eyes would answer your own question. Have you
forgotten the skulking reptyle that Uncas slew ? "

"By no means. But he was said to be alone, and dead
men give no cause for fear."

Aye, he was alone in his deviltry! but an Indian

tt

240 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

whose tribe counts so many warriors need seldom fear his
blood will run without the death-shriek coming speedily
from some of his enemies."

"But our presence — the authority of Colonel Munro
— would prove a sufficient protection against the danger
of our allies, especially in a case where the wretch so well
merited his fate. I trust in Heaven you have not devi-
ated a single foot from the direct line of our course, with
so slight a reason ! "

"Do you think the bullet of that varlet's rifle would
have turned aside, though his sacred Majesty the King
had stood in its path ? " returned the stubborn scout.
"Why did not the grand Erencher, he who is captain-
general of the Canadas, bury the tomahawks of the Hu-
rons, if a word from a white can work so strongly on the
natur' of an Indian 1 "

The reply of Hey ward was interrupted by a groan from
Munro ; but after he had paused a moment, in deference
to the sorrow of his aged friend, he resumed the subject.

"The Marquis of Montcalm can only settle that error
with his God," said the young man solemnly.

"Aye, aye; now there is reason in your words, for they
are bottomed on religion and honesty. There is a vast
difference between throwing a regiment of white coats .
atwixt the tribes and the prisoners, and coaxing an angry
savage to forget he carries a knife and a rifle, with words
that must begin with calling him your son. Ko, no,"
continued the scout, looking back at the dim shore of
William Henry, which was now fast receding, and laugh-
ing in his own silent but heartfelt manner; "I have put
a trail of water atween us; and unless the imps can make
friends with the fishes, and hear who has paddled across
their basin this fine morning, we shall throw the length
of the Horican behind us before they have made up their
minds which path to take."

" With foes in front, and foes in our rear, our journey
is like to be one of danger."

" Danger ! " repeated Hawkeye, calmly ; " no, not abso-
lutely of danger; for, with vigilant ears and quick eye^

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 241

we can manage to keep a few hours ahead of the knaves;
or, if we must try the rifle, there are three of us who
understand its gifts as well as any you can name on the
borders. No, not of danger; but that we shall have what
you may call a brisk push of it, is probable; and it may
happen, a brush, a skrimmage, or some such divarsion,
but always where covers are good, and ammunition abun«
dant."

It is possible that Heyward's estimate of danger differed
in some degree from that of the scout, for, instead of
replying, he now sat in silence, while the canoe glided
over several miles of water. Just as the day dawned,
they entered the narrows of the lake,* and stole swiftly
and cautiously among their numberless little islands. It
was by this road that Montcalm had retired with his
army, and the adventurers knew not but he had left some
of his Indians in ambush, to protect the rear of his forces,
and collect the stragglers. They therefore approached
the passage with the customary silence of their guarded
habits.

Chingachgook laid aside his paddle; while Uncas and
the scout urged the light vessel through crooked and intri-
cate channels, where every foot that they advanced ex-
posed them to the danger of some sudden rising on their
progress. The eyes of the Sagamore moved warily from
islet to islet and copse to copse as the canoe proceeded;

1 The beauties of Lake George are well known to every American
tourist. In the height of the mountains which surround it, and in
artificial accessories, it is inferior to the finest of the Swiss and Italian
lakes, while in outline and purity of water it is fully their equal, and
in the number and disposition of its isles and islets much ftuperior to
them all together. There are said to be some hundreds of islands in a
sheet of water less than thirty miles long. The narrows which connect
what may be called, in truth, two lakes, are crowded with islands to such
a degree as to leave passages between them frequently of only a few feet
in width. The lake itself varies in breadth from one to three miles.

The State of N^ew York is renaarkable for the number and beauty of its
lakes. One of its frontiers lies on the vast sheet of Ontario, while Cham-
plain stretches nearly a hundred miles along another. Oneida, Cayuga,
Canandaigua, Seneca, and George, are all lakes of thirty miles in length,
while those of a size smaller are without number.

242 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAi^S.

and when a clearer sheet of water permitted, his keen
vision was hent along the hald rocks and impending for-
ests that frowned upon the narrow strait.

Heyward, who was a douhly interested spectator, as
well from the beauties of the place as from the apprehen-
sions natural to his situation, was just believing that he
had permitted the latter to be excited without sufficient
reason, when the paddle ceased moving, in obedience to
a signal from Chingachgook.

" Hugh ! " exclaimed Uncas, nearly at the moment that
the light tap his father had made on the side of the canoe
notified them of the vicinity of danger.

"What now? " asked the scout; "the lake is as smooth
as if the winds had never blown, and I can see along its
sheet for miles; there is not so much as the black head of
a loon dotting the water."

The Indian gravely raised his paddle, and polluted in
the dirfection in which his own steady look was riveted.
Duncan's eyes followed the motion. A few rods in their
front lay another of the low wooded islets, but it appeared
as calm and peaceful as if its solitude had never been dis-
turbed by the foot of man.

"I see nothing," he said, "but land and water; and a
lovely scene it is."

" Hist ! " interrupted the scout. " Aye, Sagamore,
there is always a reason for what you do. *T is but a
shade and yet it is not natural. You see the mist, Major,
that is rising above the island; you can't call it a fog, for
it is more like a streak of thin cloud " —

"It is vapor from the water."

"That a child could tell. But what is the edging of
blacker smoke that hangs along its lower side, and which
you may trace down into the thicket of hazel ? 'T is from
a fire ; but one that, in my judgment, has been suffered to
bum low."

"Let us then push for the place, and relieve our
doubts, " said the impatient Duncan ; " the party mUit be
small that can lie on such a bit of land."

"If you judge of Indian cunning by the ruled you find

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 248

in books, or by white sagacity, they will lead you astray,
if not to your death," returned Hawkeye, examining the
signs of the place with that acuteness which distinguished
him. "If I may be permitted to speak in this matter, it
will be to say that we have but two things to choose
between : the one is to return, and give up all thoughts
of following the Hurons " —

" Never ! " exclaimed Heyward, in a voice far too loud
for their circumstances.

"Well, well," continued Hawkeye, making a hasty sign
to repress his impatience ; " I am much of your mind my-
self, though I thought it becoming. my experience to tell
the whole. We must then make a push, and, if the In-
dians or Frenchers are in the narrows, run the gauntlet
through these toppling mountains. Is there reason in my
words. Sagamore?"

The Indian made no other answer than by dropping
his paddle into the water, and urging forward the canoe.
As he held the office of directing its course, his resolu-
tion was sufficiently indicated by the movement. The
whole party now plied their paddles vigorously, and in a
very few moments they had reached a point whence they
might command an entire view of the northern shore of
the island, the side that had hitherto been concealed.

"There they are, by all the truth of signs," whispered
the scout; "two canoes and a smoke. The knaves have
n't yet got their eyes out of the mist, or we should hear
the accursed whoop. Together, friends! we are leaving
them, and are already nearly out of whistle of a bullet."

The well known crack of a rifle, whose ball came skip-
ping along the placid surface of the strait, and a shrill
yell from the island, interrupted his speech, and an-
nounced that their passage was discovered. In another
instant several savages were seen rushing into the canoes,
which were soon dancing over the water, in pursuit.
These fearful precursors of a coming struggle produced no
change in the countenances and movements of his three
guides, so far as Duncan could discover, except that the
strokes of their paddles were longer and more in unison.

244 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

and caused the little bark to spring forward like a creature
possessing life and volition.

"Hold them there, Sagamore," said Hawkeye, looking
coolly backward over his left shoulder, while he still plied
his paddle; "keep them just there. Them Hurons have
never a piece in their nation that will execute at this dis-
tance; but Killdeer has a barrel on which a man may
calculate."

The scout, having ascertained that the Mohicans were
sufficient of themselves to maintain the requisite distance,
deliberately laid aside his paddle, and raised the fatal rifle.
Three several times he brought the piece to his shoulder,
and when his companions were expecting its report, he as
often lowered it to request the Indians would permit their
enemies to approach a little nigher. At length his accu-
rate and fastidious eye seemed satisfied, and throwing out
his left arm on the barrel, he was slowly elevating the
muzzle, when an exclamation from Uncas, who sat in the
bow, once more caused him to suspend the shot.

"What now, lad?" demanded Hawkeye; "you saved
a Huron from the death-shriek by that word; have you
reason for what you do ? "

Uncas pointed towards the rocky shore a little in their
front, whence another war canoe was darting directly
across their course. It was too obvious now that their
situation was imminently perilous, to need the aid of lan-
guage to confirm it. The scout laid aside his rifle, and
resumed the paddle, while Chingachgook inclined the bows
of the canoe a little towards the western shore, in order
to increase the distance between them and this new enemy.
In the mean time they were reminded of the presence of
those who pressed upon their rear, by wild and exulting
shouts. The stirring scene awakened even Munro from
his apathy.

"Let us make for the rocks on the main," he said,
with the mien of a tired soldier, "and give battle to the
savages. God forbid that I, or those attached to me and
mine, should ever trust again to the faith of any servant
of the Louis's ! "

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 245

'*He who wishes to prosper in Indian warfare," re-
turned the scout, "must not be too proud to learn from
the wit of a native. Lay her more along the land, Saga-
more; we are doubling on the varlets, and perhaps they
may try to strike our trail on the long calculation."

Hawkeye was not mistaken; for when the Hurons
found their course was likely to throw them behind their
chase, they rendered it less direct, until, by gradually
bearing more and more obliquely, the two canoes were,
ere long, gliding on parallel lines, within two hundred
yards of each other. It now became entirely a trial of
speed. So rapid was tl^ progress of the light vessels,
that the lake curled in their front, in miniature waves,
and their motion became undulating by its own velocity.
It was, perhaps, owing to this circumstance, in addition
to the necessity of keeping every hand employed at the
paddles, that the Hurons had not immediate recourse to
their fire-arms. The exertions of the fugitives were too
severe to continue long, and the pursuers had the advan-
tage of numbers. Duncan observed, with imeasiness, that
the scout began to look anxiously about him, as if search-
ing for some further means of assisting their flight.

" Edge her a little more from the sun. Sagamore, " said
the stubborn woodsman; "I see the knaves are sparing a
man to the rifle. A single broken bone might lose us
our scalps. Edge more from the sun and we will put the
island between us."

The expedient was not without its use. A long, low
island lay at a little distance before them, and as they
closed with it, the chasing canoe was compelled to take
a side opposite to that on which the pursued passed. The
scout and his companions did not neglect this advantage,
but the instant they were hid from observation by the
bushes, they redoubled efforts that before had seemed
prodigious. The two canoes came round the last low
point like two coursers at the top of their speed, the fugi-
tives taking the lead. This change had brought them
nigher to each other, however, while it altered their rela-
tive positions.

246 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"You showed knowledge in the shaping of birchen
bark, Uncas, when you chose this from among the Huron
canoes," said the scout, smiling, apparently more in sat-
isfaction at their superiority in the race, than from that
prospect of final escape which now began to open a little
upon them. " The imps have put all their strength again
at the paddles, and we are to struggle for our scalps with
bits of flattened wood, instead of clouded barrels and true
eyes. A long stroke, and together, friends."

"They are preparing for a shot," said Hey ward; "and
as we are in a line with them, it can scarcely fail."

"Get you then into the bottom of the canoe," returned
the scout; "you and the colonel; it will be so much taken
from the size of the mark. "

Heyward smiled, as he answered, —

" It would be but an ill example for the highest in rank
to dodge, while the warriors were under fire ! "

"Ijord ! Lord ! That is now a white man's courage ! "
exclaimed the scout; "and like too many of his notions,
not to be maintained by reason. Do you think the Saga-
more, or Uncas, or even I, who am a man without a crossi
would deliberate about finding a cover in the skrimmage,
when an open body would do no good ? For what have
the Frenchers reared up their Quebec, if fighting is always
to be done in the clearings 1 "

"All that you say is very true, my friend," replied
Heyward ; " still, our customs must prevent us from doing
as you wish."

A volley from the Hurons interrupted the discourse,
and as the bullets whistled about them, Duncan saw the
head of Uncas turned, looking back at himself and Munro.
Notwithstanding the nearness of the enemy, and his own
great personal danger, the countenance of the young war
rior expressed no other emotion, as the former was com-
pelled to think, than amazement at finding men willing to
encounter so useless an exposure. Chingachgook was
probably better acquainted with the notions of white men,
for he did not even cast a glance aside from the riveted
look his eye maintained on the object by which he gov-

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 247

emed their course. A ball soon struck the light and
polished paddle from the hands of the chief, and drove
it through the air, far in the advance. A shout arose
from the Hurons, who seized the opportunity to fire an-
other volley. Uncas described an arc in the water with
bis owji blade, and as the canoe passed swiftly on, Chin-
gachgook recovered his paddle, and flourishing it on high,
he gave the war-whoop of the Mohicans, and then lent
his strength and skill again to the important task.

The clamorous sounds of "Le Gros Serpent!" "La
liongue Carabine ! " " Le Cerf Agile ! " -burst at once from
the canoes behind, and seemed to give new zeal to the
pursuers. The scout seized Killdeer in his left hand,
and elevating it above his head, he shook it in triumph at
his enemies. The savages answered the insult with a
yell, and immediately another volley succeeded. The
bullets pattered along the lake, and one even pierced the
hark of their little vessel. No perceptible emotion could
he discovered in the Mohicans during this critical mo-
ment, their rigid features expressing neither hope nor
alarm ; but the scout again turned his head, and laughing
in his own silent manner, he said to Hey ward, —

"The knaves love to hear the sounds of their pieces;
hut the eye is not to be found among the Mingoes that
can calculate a true range in a dancing canoe ! You see
the dumb devils have taken off a man to charge, and by
the smallest measurement that can be allowed, we move
three feet to their two ! "

Duncan, who was not altogether as easy under this nice
estimate of distances as his companions, was glad to find,
however, that owing to their superior dexterity, and the
diversion among their enemies, they were very sensibly
obtaining the advantage. The Hurons soon fired again,
and a bullet struck the blade of Hawkeye's paddle with-
out injury.

"That will do," said the scout, examining the slight
indentation with a curious eye; "it would not have cut
the skin of an infant, much less of men who, like us,
have been blown upon by the heavens in their anges.

248 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Now, Major, if you will try to use this piece of flat-
tened wood, I 'U let Killdeer take a part in the conver-
sation."

Heyward seized the paddle, and applied himself to the
work with an eagerness that supplied the place of skill,
while Hawkeye was engaged in inspecting the priming of
his rifle. The latter then took a swift aim, and fired.
The Huron in the hows of the leading canoe had risen
with a similar ohject, and he now fell hackward, suffering
his gun to escape from his hands into the water. In an
instant, however, -he recovered his feet, though his ges-
tures were wild and hewildered. At the same moment
his companions suspended their efforts, and the chasing
canoes clustered together, and became stationary. Chin-
gachgook and Uncas profited by the interval to regain
their wind, though Duncan continued to work with the
most persevering industry. The father and son now cast
calm hut inquiring glances at each other, to learn if either
had sustained any injury by the fire; for both well knew
. that no cry or exclamation would, in such a moment of
necessity, have been permitted to betray the accident. A
few large drops of blood were trickling down the shoulder
of the Sagamore, who, when he perceived that the eyes
of Uhcas dwelt too long on the sight, raised some water
in the hollow of his hand, and, washing off the stain, was
content to manifest in this simple manner the slightness
of the injury.

"Softly, softly. Major," said the scout, who by this
time had reloaded his rifle; "we are a little too far dready
for a rifle to put forth its beauties, and you see yonder
imps are holding a x;o\mcil. Let them come up within
striking distance — my eye may well be trusted in such a
matter — and I will trail the varlets the length of the
Horican, guaranteeing that not a shot of theirs shall, at
the worst, more than break the skin, while Killdeer shaH
touch the life twice in three times."

"We forget our errand," returned the diligent Duncan.
''For God's sake let us profit by this advantage, and in<
crease our distance from the enemy."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 249

*' Give me my children, " said Munro hoarsely ; " trifle
no longer with a father's agony, but restore me my babes."
Liong and habitual deference to the mandates of his
superiors had taught the scout the virtue of obedience.
Throwing a last and lingering glance at the distant canoes,
he laid aside his rifle, and, relieving the wearied Duncan,
resumed the paddle, which he wielded with sinews that
never tir«d. His efforts were seconded by those of the
Moliicans, and a very few minutes served to place such
a sheet of water between them and their enemies that
Hey w<ard once more breathed freely.

The lake now began to expand, and their route lay along
a wide reach, that was lined, as before, by high and rag-
ged mountains. But the islands were few, and easily
avoided. The strokes of the paddles grew more measured
and regular, while they who plied them continued their
lahor, after the close and deadly chase from which they
had just relieved themselves, with as much coolness as
though their speed had been tried in sport| rather than
under such pressing, nay, almost desperate circumstances.
Instead of following the western shore, whither their
errand led them, the wary Mohican inclined his course
more towards those hills behind which Montcalm was
known to have led his army into the formidable fortress
of Ticonderoga. As the Hurons, to every appearance,
bad abandoned the pursuit, there was no apparent reason
for this excess of caution. It was, however, maintained
for hours, until they had reached a bay, nigh the northern
termination of the lake. Here the canoe was driven upon
^he beach, and the whole party landed. Hawkey e and
Hey ward ascended an adjacent bluffy where the former,
after considering the expanse of water beneath him,
pointed out to the latter a small black object, hovering
under a headland, at the distance of several miles.

"Do you see it?" demanded the scout. "Now, what
would you account that spot, were you left alone to white
experience to find your way through this wilderness 1 "

" But for its distance and its magnitude, I should sup-
pose it a bird. Can it be a living object? "

250 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" 'T is a canoe of good birchen bark, and paddled by
fierce and crafty Mingoes. Though Providence has lent
to those who inhabit the woods eyes that would be need-
less to men in the settlements, where there are inventions
to assist the sight, yet no human organs can see all the
dangers which at this moment circumvent us. These
varlets pretend to be bent chiefly on their sun- down meal,
but the moment it is dark they will be on otir trail, as
true as hounds on the scent. We must throw them off,
or our pursuit of Le Renard Subtil may be given up.
These lakes are useful at times, especially when the game
takes the water," continued the scout, gazing about him
with a countenance of concern ; " but they give no cover,
except it be to the fishes. God knows what the country
would be, if the settlements should ever spread far from
the two rivers. Both hunting and M^ar would lose their
beauty. "

" Let us not delay a moment, without some good and
obvious cause."

"I little like that smoke, which you may see worming
up along the rock above the canoe," interrupted the ab-
stracted scout. " My life on it, other eyes than ours see
it, and know its meaning. Well, words will not mend
the matter, and it is time that we were doing."

Hawkeye moved away from the lookout, and descended,
musing profoundly, to the shore. He communicated the
result of his observations to his companions, in Delaware,
and a short and earnest consultation succeeded. When
it terminated, the three instantly set about executing their
new resolutions.

The canoe was lifted from the water, and borne on the
shoulders of the party. They proceeded into the wood,
making as broad and obvious a trail as possible. They
soon reached a water- course, which they crossed, and con-
tinued onward, until they came to an extensive and naked
rock. At this point, where their footsteps might be
expected to be no longer visible, they retraced their route
to the brook, walking backwards, with the utmost care.
They now followed the bed of the little stream to thfi

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 251

lake, into which they immediately launched their canoe
again. A low point concealed them from the headland,
and the margin of the lake was fringed for some distance
with dense and overhanging bushes. Under the cover
of these natural advantages, they toiled their way, with
patient industry, until the scout pronounced that he
believed it would be safe once more to land.

The halt continued until evening rendered objects in-
distinct and uncertain to the eye. Then they resumed
their route, and, favored by the darkness, pushed silently
and vigorously towards the western shore. Although the
rugged outline of mountain, to which they were steering,
presented no distinctive marks to the eyes of Duncan, the
Mohican entered the little haven he had selected with the
confidence and accuracy of an experienced pilot.

The boat was again lifted and borne into the woods,
where it was carefully concealed under a pile of brush.
The adventurers assumed their arms and packs, and the
scout announced to Munro and Heyward that he and the
Indians were at last in readiness to proceed.

CHAPTER XXI.

U you find a man there, he shall die a flea*8 death.

Bhakxspxaiub, Merry Wives of Windsor ^ IV. ii. 158.

The party had landed on the border of a region that
is, even to this day, less known to the inhabitants of
the States, than the deserts of Arabia or the steppes of
Tartary. It was the sterile and rugged district which
separates the tributaries of Champlain from those of the
Hudson, the Mohawk, and the St. Lawrence. Since the
period of our tale, the active spirit of the country has
surrounded it with a belt of rich and thriving settlements,
though none but the hunter or the savage is ever known,
eyen now, to penetrate its wild recesses.

As Hawkeye and the Mohicans had, however, often
traversed the mountains and valleys of this vast wilder-
ness, they did not hesitate to plunge into its depths, with

252 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

the freedom of men accustomed to its privations and diffi-
culties. For many hours the travellers toiled on their
laborious way, guided by a star, or following the direction
of some water-course, until the scout called a halt, and
holding a short consultation with the Indians, they lighted
their fire, and made the usual preparations to pass the
remainder of the night where they then were.

Imitating the example, and emulating the confidence,
of their more experienced associates, Munro and Duncau
slept without fear, if not without uneasiness. The dews
were suffered to exhale, and the sun had dispersed the
mists, and was shedding a strong and clear light in the
forest, when the travellers resumed their journey.

After proceeding a few miles, the progress of Hawkeye,
who led the advance, became more deliberate and watch-
ful. He often stopped to examine the trees; nor did he
cross a rivulet, without attentively considering the quan-
tity, the velocity, and the color of its waters. Distrust-
ing his own judgment, his appeals to the opinion of Chin-
gachgook were frequent and earnest. During one of these
conferences, Heyward observed that Uncas stood a patient
and silent, though, as he imagined, an interested listener.
He was strongly tempted to address the young chief, and
demand his opinion of their progress; but the calm and
dignified demeanor of the native induced him to believe
that, like himself, the other was wholly dependent on the
sagacity and intelligence of the seniors of the party. At
last, the scout spoke in English, and at once explained
the embarrassment of their situation.

"When I found that the home path of the Hurons run
north," he said, "it did not need the judgment of many
long years to tell that they would follow the valleys, and
keep atween the waters of the Hudson and the Horican,
until they might strike the springs of the Canada streams,
which would lead them into the heart of the country of
the Trenchers. Yet here are we, within a short range of
the Scaroon,^ and not a sign of a trail have we crossed!

1 Hawkeye and his companions are supposed to have followed the
trail of the retreating Magua and his prisoners into the forests between

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANa 253

Human natur' is weak, and it is possible we may not have
taken the proper scent."

"Heaven protect us from such an error!" exclaimed
Duncan. • "Let us retrace our steps, and examine as we
go, with keener eyes. Has Uncas no counsel to offer in
such a strait 1 "

The young Mohican cast a glance at his father, but
maintaining his quiet and reserved mien, he continued
silent. Chingachgook had caught the look, and motioning
with his hand, he bade him speak. The moment this
permission was accorded, the countenance of Uncas changed
from its grave composure to a gleam of intelligence and
joy^. Bounding forward like a deer, he sprang up the
side of a little acclivity, a few rods in advance,' and stood,
exultingly, over a spot of fresh earth, that looked as
though it had been recently upturned by the passage of
some heavy animal. The eyes of the whole party fol-
lowed the unexpected movement, and read their success
in the air of triumph that the youth assumed.

"'Tis the trail!" exclaimed the scout, advancing to
the spot; "the lad is quick of sight and keen of wit for
his years."

" 'T is extraordinary that he should have withheld his
knowledge so long," muttered Duncan, at his elbow.

"It would have been more wonderful had he spoken
without a bidding.* No, no; your young white, who

the upper Hndson and the Horican, among the sources of the Schroon
or Scaroon, as the author writes it. This river is a principal branch, or
tributary of the Hudson, flowing through a valley dotted with small
lakes and highland meres, with mountains overlooking its course, both
eastward and westward. The principal sheet of water, Scaroon Lake, is
some ten miles long, and a mile or two in width. The author of the
** Mohicans *' had not marked out any particular ground for the closing
scenes of this romance, which may be supposed to have occurred in some
one of the secluded valleys of the Adirondack country, at no great dis-
tance from the Scaroon, to the westward of that river. — S. F. C.

1 Zeisberger, the Moravian, relates a striking incident showing the
respectful silence of the young braves, in presence of the older men.
He was passing through the wilderness in Pennsylvania, on an errand
of importance, accompanied by several old men considered skillful
fuides. There was a youth with the party. They came to a very

254 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

gathers his learning from books and can measure what he
knows by the page, may conceit that his knowledge, like
his legs, outruns that of his father; but where experience
is the master, the scholar is made to know the value of
years, and respects them accordingly."

" See ! " said Uncas, pointing north and south, at the
evident marks of the broad trail on either side of him:
" the dark-hair has gone towards the frost. "

"Hound never ran on a more beautiful scent," re-
sponded the scout, dashing forward, at once, on the
indicated route; "we are favored, greatly favored, and
can follow with high noses. Aye, here are both your
waddling beasts: this Huron travels like a white general.
The fellow is stricken with a judgment, and is mad ! Look
sharp for wheels. Sagamore, " he continued, looking back,
and laughing in his newly awakened satisfaction; "we
shall soon have the fool journeying in a coach, and that
with three of the best pair of eyes on the borders in his
rear. "

The spirits of the scout, and the astonishing success of
the chase, in which a circuitous distance of more than
forty miles had been passed, did not fail to impart a por-
tion of hope to the whole party. Their advance was
rapid, and made with as much confidence as a traveller
would proceed along a wide highway. If a rock, or a
rivulet, or a bit of earth harder than common, severed the
links of the clue they followed, the true eye of the scout
recovered them at a distance, and seldom rendered the* delay
of a single moment necessary. Their progress was much
facilitated by the certainty that Magna had found it neces-
sary to journey through the valleys; a circumstance which

difficult pass — they found it impracticable, and prepared to choose
another track which would lengthen their journey a hundred miles.
Their young companion remained silent, but watchful. At length he
was asked for his opinion ; instantly he struck off in a new direction,
through a pass previously known to»him, leading directly to the point
where they wished to go. When asked why he had not spoken earlier,
he modestly observed it did not become him to speak in the presence of
the old men, unless invited to do so. It is said that the public highway
now passes over the track chosen by the young Delaware. — ^, F. C*

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 255

rendered the general direction of the route sure. ISTor
had the Huron entirely neglected the arts uniformly prac-
ticed by the natives when retiring in front of- an enemy.
False trails and sudden turnings were frequent, wherever
a brook, or the formation of the ground, rendered them
feasible ; but his pursuers were rarely deceived, and never
failed to detect their error before they had lost either
time or distance on the deceptive track.

By the middle of tte afternoon they had passed the
Scaroon, and were following the route of the declining
sun. After descending an eminence to a low bottom,
through which a swift stream glided, they suddenly came
to a place where the party of Le Renard had made a halt.
Extinguished brands were lying around a spring, the ofifals
of a deer were scattered about the place, and the trees
bore evident marks of having been browsed by the horses.
At a little distance, Heyward discovered, and contemplated
with tender emotion, the small bower under which he was
fain to believe that Cora and Alice had reposed. But
while the earth was trodden, and the footsteps of both
men and beasts were so plainly visible around the place,
the trail appeared to have suddenly ended.

It was easy to follow the tracks of the Narragansets,
but they seemed only to have wandered without guides,
or any other object than the pursuit of food. At length
Uncas, who, with his father, had endeavored to trace the
route of the horses, came upon a sign of their presence
that was quite recent. Before following the clue, he com-
municated his success to his companions; and while the
latter were consulting on the circumstance, the youth reap-
peared, leading the two fillies, with their saddles broken,
and the housings soiled, as though they had been permit-
ted to run at will for several days.

" What should this prove 1 " said Duncan, turning pale,
and glancing his eyes around him, as if he feared the
brush and leaves were about to give up some horrid secret.

"That our march is come to a quick end, and that we
are in an enemy's country," returned the scout. "Had
the knave been pressed, and the gentle ones wanted horses

256 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

to keep up "with the party, he migljit have taken their
scalps ; but without an enemy at his heels, and witii such
rugged beasts as these, he would not hurt a hair of
their heads. I know your thoughts, and shame be it to
our color that you have reason for tliem; but he who
thinks that even a Mingo would ill-treat', a woman, unless
it be to tomahawk her, knows nothing of Indian natur',
or the laws of the woods. No, no; I have heard that the
Trench Indians had come into these hills, to hunt the
moose, and we are getting within scent of their camp.
Why should they noti the morning and evening guns of
Ty may be heard any day among these mountains ; for the
Frenchers are running a new line atween the provinces of
the King and the Canadas. It is true that the horses are
here, but the Hurons are gone; let us then hunt for the
path by which they departed."

Hawkey e and the Mohicans now applied themselves to
their task in good earnest. A circle of a few hundred
feet in circumference was drawn, and each of the party
took a segment for his portion. The examination, how-
ever, resulted in no discovery. The impressions of foot-
steps were numerous, but they all appeared like those of
men who had wandered about the spot, without any design
to quit it. Again the scout and his companions made the
circuit of the halting-place, each slowly following the
other, until they assembled in the centre once more, no
wiser than when they started.

"Such cunning is not without its deviltry," exclaimed
Hawkeye, when he met the disappointed looks of his
assistants.

" We must get down to it, Sagamore, beginning at the
spring, and going over the ground by inches. The Huron
shall never brag in his tribe that he has a foot which
leaves no print."

Setting the example himself, the scout engaged in the
scrutiny with renewed zeal. Not a leaf was left unturned.
The sticks were removed, and the stones lifted ; for Indian
cunning was known frequently to adopt these objects as
covers, laboring with the utmost patience and industiy,

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 257

to conceal each footstep as they proceeded. Still no dis-
covery was made. At length Uncas, whose activity had
enahled him to achieve his portion of the task the soonest,
raked the earth across the turbid little rill which ran from
the spring, and diverted its course into another channel.
So soon as its narrow bed below the dam was dry, he
stooped over it with keen and curious eyes. A cry of
exultation immediately announced the success of the young
warrior. The whole party crowded to the spot where
Uncas pointed out the impression of a moccasin in the
moist alluvion.

"The lad will be an honor to his people,'' said Hawk-
eye, regarding the trail with as much admiration as a
naturalist would expend on the tusk of a mammoth or the
rib of a mastodon; "aye, and a thorn in the sides of the
Hurons. Yet that is not the footstep of an Indian ! the
weight is too much on the heel, and the toes are squared,
as though one of the French dancers had been in, pigeon-
winging his tribe ! Run back, Uncas, and bring me the
size of the singer's foot. You will find a beautiful print
of it just opposite yon rock, agin the hillside. "

While the youth was engaged in this commission, the
scout and Chingachgook were attentively considering the
impressions. The measurements agreed,- and the former
unhesitatingly pronounced that the footstep was that of
David, who had once more been made to exchange his
shoes for moccasits.

"I can now read the whole of it, as plainly as if I had
seen the arts of Le Subtil, " he added ; " the singer being
a man whose gifts lay chiefly in his throat and feet, was
made to go first, and the others have trod in his steps,
imitating their formation."

"But," cried Duncan, "I see no signs of" —

"The gentle ones," interrupted the scout; "the varlet
has found a*way to carry them, until he supposed he had
thrown any followers off the scent. My life on it, we see
their pretty little feet again, before many rods go by."

The whole party now proceeded, following the course
of the rill, keeping anxious eyes on the regular impres*

258 THE LAST OF THE -MOHICANa

sions. The water soon flowed into its bed again, but
watching the ground on either side, the foresters pursued
theii way, content with knowing that the trail lay be-
neath. More than half a mile was passed, before the rill
rippled close around the base of an extensive and dry
rock. Here they paused to make sure that the Hurons
had not quitted the water.

It was fortunate they did so. For the quick and active
Uncas soon found the impression of a foot on a buncb of
moss, where it would seem an Indian had inadvertently
trodden. Pursuing the direction given by this discovery,
he entered the neighboring thicket, and struck the trail,
as fresh and obvious as it had been before they reached
the spring. Another shout announced the good fortune
of the youth to his companions, and at once terminated
the search.

"Aye, it has been planned with Indian judgment," said
the scout, when the party was assembled around the place,
"and would have blinded white eyes."

" Shall we proceed 1 " demanded Hey ward.

" Softly, softly ; we know .our path ; but it is good to
examine the formation of things. This is my schooling,
Major ; and if one neglects the book, there is little chance
of learning from the open hand of Providence. All is
plain but * one thing, which is the>i^nner that the knave
contrived to get the gentle ones aloiV the blind trail.
Even a Huron would be too proud to let^^jeir tender feet
touch the water."

"Will this assist in explaining the difSlttltyr' said
Heyward, pointing towards the fragments oW' ^^ ^^
handbarrow, that had been rudely constructed oW^^S^^
and bound together with withes, and which now^^^^^
carelessly cast aside as useless.

"'Tis explained!" cried the delighted Ha wkeyel "^^
them varlets have passed a minute, they have spent v"
in striving to fabricate a lying end to their trail ! "r '
I 've known them waste a day in the same manner r^
little purpose. Here we have three pair of moccas^
and two of little feet. It is amazing that any mortal \

/--.:^

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 259

ings can journey on limbs so small! Pass me the thong
of buckskin, Uncas, and let me take the length of this
foot. By the Lord, it is no longer than a child's, and
yet the maidens are tall and comely. That Providence is
partial in its gifts, for its own wise reasons, the best and
most contented of us must allow."

" The tender limbs of my daughters are unequal to these
hardships, " said Munro, looking dt the light footsteps of
his children, with a parent's love: "we shall find their
fainting forms in this desert."

"Of that there is little cause of fear," returned the
scout, slowly shaking his head: "this is a firm and
straight, though a light step, and not over long. See, the
heel has hardly touched the ground; and there the dark-
hair has made a little jump, from root to root. No, no;
my knowledge for it, neither of them was nigh fainting,
here-away. Now, the singer was beginning to be foot-
sore and leg- weary, as is plain by his trail. There, you
see, he slipped; here he has traveled wide, and tottered;
and there, again, it looks as though he journeyed on snow-
shoes. Aye, aye, a man who uses his throat altogether,
can hardly give his legs a proper training."

From such undeniable testimony did the practiced
woodsman arrive at the truth, with nearly as much cer-
tainty and precision as if he had been a witness of all
those events which his ingenuity so easily elucidated.
Cheered by these assurances, and satisfied by a reasoning
that was so obvious, while it was so simple, the party
resumed its course, after making a short halt to take a
hurried repast.

When the meal was ended, the scout cast a glance

upwards at the setting sun, and pushed forward with a

^^ rapidity which compelled Heyward and the still vigorous

Munro to exert all their muscles to equaL Their route

'y®">^now lay along the bottom which has already been men-

^^^ Jioned. As the Hurons had made no further efforts to

1|onceal their footsteps, the progress of the pursuers was

ler, t^ longer delayed by uncertainty. Before an hour had

loccask^pg^^^ however, the speed of Hawkeye sensibly abated,

[ortal [

260 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

and his head, instead of maintaining its former direct and
forward look, began to turn suspiciously from side to side,
as if he were conscious of approaching danger. He soon
stopped again, and waited for the whole party to come up.

"I scent the Hurons," he said, speaking to the Mohi-
cans; "yonder is open sky, through the tree-tops, and we
are getting too nigh their encampment. Sagamore, you
will take the hill-sid^, to the right; Uncas will bend
along the brook to the left, while I will try the trail. If
anything should happen, the ciall will be three croaks of
a crow. I saw one of the birds fanning himself in the
air, just beyond the dead oak — another sign that we are
touching an encampment."

The Indians departed their several ways without reply,
while Hawkeye cautiously proceeded with the two gentle-
men. Heyward soon pressed to the side of their guide,
eager to catch an early glimpse of those enemies he had
pursued with so much toil and anxiety. His companion
told him to steal to the edge of the wood, which, as usual,
was fringed with a thicket, and wait his coming, for he
wished to examine certain suspicious signs a little on one
8ide. Duncan obeyed, and soon found himself in a situa-
tion to command a view which he found as extraordinary
as it was novel.

The trees of many acres had been felled, and the glow
of a mild summer's evening had fallen on the clearing, in
beautiful contrast to the gray light of the forest. A short
distance from the place where Duncan stood, the stream
had seemingly expanded into a little lake, covering most
of the low land, from mountain to mountain. The water
fell out of this wide basin in a cataract so regular and
gentle that it appeared rather to be the work of human
hands, than fashioned by nature. A hundred earthen
dwellings stood on the margin of the lake, and even in its
water, as though the latter had overflowed its usual banks.
Their rounded roofs, admirably moulded for defense against
the weather, denoted more of industry and foresight than
the natives were wont to bestow on their regular habita-
tions, much less on those they occupied for the temporary

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 261

purposes of hunting and war. In short, the whole village
or town, whichever it might be termed, possessed more of
method and neatness of execution than the white men
had been accustomed to believe belonged, ordinarily, to
the Indian habits. It appeared, however, to be deserted.
At least, so thought Duncan for many minutes; but at
<ength, he fancied he discovered several human forms ad^
Vancing towards him on all fours, ana apparently dragging
in their train some heavy, and as he was quick to appre-
hend, some formidable engine. Just then a few dark
looking heads gleamed out of the dwellings, and the place
seemed suddenly alive with beings, which, however, glided
from cover to cover so swiftly as to allow no opportunity
of examining their humors or pursuits. Alarmed at these
suspicious and inexplicable movements, he was about to
attempt the signal of the crows, when the rustling of
leaves at hand drew his eyes in another direction.

The young man started, and recoiled a few paces in-
stinctively, when he found himself within a hundred yards
of a stranger Indian. Recovering his recollection on the
instant, instead of sounding an alarm, which might prove
fatal to himself, he remained stationary, an attentive
observer of the other's motions.

An instant of calm observation served to assure Duncan
that he was undiscovered. The native, like himself,
seemed occupied in considering the low dwellings of the
village, and the stolen movements of its inhabitants. It
was impossible to discover the expression of his features,
through the grotesque mask of paint under which they
were concealed; though Duncan fancied it was rather
melancholy than savage. His head was shaved, as usual,
with the exception of the crown, from whose tuft three
or four faded feathers from a hawk's wing were loosely
dangling. A ragged calico mantle half encircled his body,
while his nether garment was composed of an ordinary
shirt, the sleeves of which were made to perform the office
that is usually executed by a much more commodious
arrangement. His legs were bare, and sadly cut and torn
by briers. The feet were, however, covered with a pair

262 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

of good deer-skin moccasins. Altogether, the appearance
of the individual was forlorn and miserable.

Duncan was still curiously observing the person of his
neighbor, when the scout stole silently and cautiously to
his side.

" You flce we have reached their settlement or encamp-
ment," whispered the young man; "and here is one of
the savages himself, in a very embarrassing position for
our further movements.''

Hawkeye started, and dropped his rifle, when, directed
by the finger of his companion, the stranger came under
his view. Then lowering the dangerous muzzle, he
stretched forward his long neck, as if to assist a scrutiny
that was already intensely keen.

"The imp is not a Huron," he said, "nor of any of the
Canada tribes; and yet you see, by his clothes, the knave
has been plundering a white. Aye, Montcalm has raked
the woods for his inroad, and a whooping, murdering set
of varlets has he gathered together. Can you see where
he has put his rifle or his bow ? "

"He appears to have no arms; nor does he seem to he
viciously inclined. Unless he communicate the alarm to
his fellows, who, as you see, are dodging about the water,
we have but little to fear from him."

The scout turned to Heyward, and regarded him a
moment with unconcealed amazement. Then opening
wide his mouth, he indulged in unrestrained and heartfelt
laughter, though in that silent and peculiar manner which
danger had so long taught him to practice.

Bepeating the words, " Fellows who are dodging about
the water I " he added, " so much for schooling and pass-
ing a bq^hood in the settlements ! The knave has long
legs, though, and shall not be trusted. Do you keep him
under your rifle while I creep in behind, through the
bush, and take him alive. Fire on no account."

Heyward had already permitted his companion to buiy
part of his person in the thicket, when, stretching forth
in arm, he arrested him, in order to ask, —

"If I see you in danger, may I not risk a shot J "

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 263

Hawkeye regarded him a moment, like one who knew
not how to take the question; then nodding his head, he
answered, still laughing, though inaudibly, —

"Fire a whole platoon. Major."

In the next moment he was concealed by the leaves,
Duncan waited several minutes in feverish impatience,
before he caught another glimpse of the scout. Then he
reappeared, creeping along the earth, from which his dress
was hardly distinguishable, directly in the rear of his
intended captive. Having reached within a few yards of
the latter, he arose to his feet, silently and slowly. At
that instant, seveyal loud blows were struck on the water,
and Duncan turned his eyes just in time to perceive that
a hundred dark forms were plunging, in a body, into the
troubled little sheet. Grasping his rifle, his looks were
again bent on the Indian near him. Instead of taking the
alarm, the unconscious savage stretched forward his neck,
as if he also watched the movements about the gloomy
lake, with a sort of silly curiosity. In the mean time,
the uplifted hand of Hawkeye was above him. But, with-
out any apparent reason, it was withdrawn, and its owner
indulged in another long, though still silent, fit of merri-
ment. When the ' peculiar and hearty laughter of Hawk-
eye was ended, instead of grasping his victim by the
throat, he tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and ex-
claimed aloud, —

"How now, friend! have you a mind to teach the
beavers to sing ] "

"Even so," was the ready answer. "It would seem
that the Being that gave them power to improve his gifts
80 well, would not deny them voices to proclaim his
praise."

* -

264 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

CHAPTER XXn.

Bottom. — Are we all met ?

Quince. — Pat — pat ; and heze 'a a marrelooa conTenient pLaoe for our i»>
hearaaL *

SHAKSSvaABS, Midiummer NigM^t Dream, HL L 6.

The reader may better imagine, than we describe, the
surprise of Hey ward. His lurking Indians were suddenly
converted into four-footed beasts; his lake into a beaver
pond; his cataract into a dam, constructed by those indus-
trious and ingenious quadrupeds; and a suspected enemy
into his tried friend, David Gamut, the master of psalm-
ody. The presence of the latter created so many un-
expected hopes relative to the sisters that, without a mo-
ment's hesitation, the young man broke out of his ambush,
and sprang forward to join the two principal actors in the
scene.

The merriment of Hawkeye was not easily appeased.
"Without ceremony, and with a rough hand, he twirled
the supple Gamut around on his heel, and more than once
affirmed that the Hurons had done themselves great credit
in the fashion of his costume. Then seizing the hand of
the other, he squeezed it with a gripe that brought the
tears into the eyes of the placid David, and wished him
joy of his new condition.

" You were about opening your throat-practy sings among
the beavers, were ye?" he said. "The cunning devils
know half the trade already, for they beat the time with
their tails, as you heard just now ; and in good time it
was too, or Killdeer might have sounded the first note
among them. I have known greater fools, who could
read and write, than an experienced old beaver: but as
for squalling, the animals are bom dumb! What think
you of such a song as this 1 "

David shut his sensitive ears, and even Heyward,
apprised as he was of the nature of the cry, looked up-
wards in quest of the bird, as the cawing of a crow rang
in the air about them.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 265

"See!" continued the laughing scout, as he pointed
towards the remainder of the party, who, in obedience to
the signal, were already approaching; "this is music
which has its natural virtues; it brings two good rifles to
my elbow, to say nothing of the knives and tomahawks.
But we see that you are safe; now tell us what has
become of the maidens."

"They are captives to the heathen," said David; "and
though greatly troubled in spirit, enjoying comfort and
safety in the body."

" Both ? " demanded the breathless Hey ward.

"Even so. Though our wayfaring has been sore and
our sustenance scanty, we have had little other cause for
complaint, except the violence done our feelings by being
thus led in captivity into a far land."

" Bless ye for these very words ! " exclaimed the trem-
bling Munro ; " I shall then receive my babes, spotless and
angel-like, as I lost them ! "

"I know not that their delivery is at hand," returned
the doubting David ; " the leader of these savages is pos-
sessed of an evil spirit that no power short of Omnipotence
can tame. I have tried him sleeping and waking, but
neither sounds nor language seem to touch his soul."

" Where is the knave ? " bluntly intemipted the scout.

"He hunts the moose to-day, with his young men;
and to-morrow, as I hear, they pass further into these
forests, and nigher to the borders of Canada. The elder
maiden is conveyed to a neighboring people, whose lodges
are situate beyond yonder black pinnacle of rock; while
the younger is detained among the women of the Hurons,
whose dwellings are but two short miles hence, on a table
land, where the fire has done the office of the axe, and
prepared the place for their reception."

" Alice, my gentle Alice ! " murmured Heyward ; " she
has lost the consolation of her sister's presence! "

"Even so. But so far as praise and thanksgiving in
psalmody can temper the spirit in affliction, shie has not
Buffered,"

** Has she then a heart for music ? "

266 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Of the graver and more solemn character; though it
must be acknowledged that, in spite of all my endeavors,
the maiden weeps oftener than she smiles. At such
moments I forbear to press the holy songs; but there are
many sweet and comfortable periods of satisfactory com-
munication, when the ears of the savages are astounded
with the uplif tings of our voices."

"And why are you permitted to go at large, un-
watched ? "

David composed his features into what he intended
should express an air of modest humility, before he meekly
replied, —

"Little be the praise to. such a worm as I. But,
though the power of psalmody was suspended in the ter-
rible business of that field of blood through which we
passed, it has recovered its influence even over the souls
of the heathen, and I am suffered to go and come at will."

The scout laughed, and tapping his own forehead sig-
nificantly, he perhaps explained the singular indulgence
more satisfactorily when he said, —

" The Indians never harm a non-composser. But why,
when the path lay open before your eyes, did you not
strike back on your own trail (it is not so blind as that
which a squirrel would make), and bring in the tidings
to Edward ? "

The scout, remembering only his own sturdy and iron
nature, had probably exacted a task that David, under
no circumstances, could have performed. But, without
entirely losing the meekness of his air, ^the latter was con-
tent to answer, —

"Though my soul would rejoice to visit the habitations
of Christendom once more, my feet would rather follow
the tender spirits intrusted to my keeping, even into the
idolatrous province of the Jesuits, than take one step
backward while they pined in captivity and sorrow."

Though the figurative language of David was not very
mtelligible, the sincere and steady expression of his eye,
and the glow on his honest countenance, were not easily
mistaken. Uncas pressed closer to his side, and regarded

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 267

tlie speaker with a look of commendation, while his father
expressed his satisfaction by the ordinary pithy excla-
mation of approbation. The scout shook his head as he
rejoined, —

" The Lord never intended that the man should place
fill his endeavors in his throat, to the neglect of other and
better gifts ! But he has fallen into the hands of some
siUy woman, when he should have been gathering his edu-
cation under a blue sky, among the beauties of the forest.
Here, friend; I did intend to kindle a fire with this toot-
ing whistle of thine ; but as you value the thing, take it,
and blow your best on it I "

Gamut received his pitch-pipe with as strong an expres-
sion of pleasure as he believed compatible with the grave
functions he exercised. After essaying its virtues repeat-
edly, in contrast with his own voice, and satisfying him-
self that none of its melody was lost, he made a very seri-
ous demonstration towards achieving a few stanzas of one
of the longest effusions in the little volume so often men-
tioned.

Heyward, however, hastily interrupted his pious pur-
pose, by continuing questions concerning the past and
present condition of his fellow-captives, and in a manner
more methodical than had been permitted by his feelings
in the opening of their interview. David, though he
regarded his treasure with longing eyes, was constrained
to answer: especially as the venerable father took a part
in the interrogatories, with an interest too imposing to
be denied. Nor did the scout fail to throw in a pertinent
inquiry, whenever a fitting occasion presented. In this
manner, though with frequent interruptions, which were
filled with certain threatening sounds from the recovered
instrument, the pursuers were put in possession of such
leading, circumstances as were likely to prove useful in
accomplishing their great and engrossing object — the
recovery of the sisters. The narrative of David was sim-
ple, and the facts but few.

Magua had waited on the mountain until a safe moment
to retire presented itself, when he had descended, and

268 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

taken the route along the western side of the Horican,
in the direction of the Ganadas. As the subtle Huron
was familiar with the paths, and well knew there was no
immediate danger of pursuit, their progress had been mod-
erate, and far from fatiguing. It appeared from the un-
embellished statement of David, that his own presence had
been rather endured than desired; though even Magna
had not been entirely exempt from that veneration with
which the Indians regard those whom the Great Spirit
has visited in their intellects. At night, the utmost care
had been taken of the captives, both to prevent injaiy
from the damps of the woods, and to guard against an
escape. At the spring, the horses were turned loose, as
has been seen; and notwithstanding the remoteness and
length of their trail, the artifices already named were re-
sorted to, in order to cut off every clue to their place of
retreat. On their arrival at the encampment of his peo-
ple, Magna, in obedience to a policy seldom departed from,
separated his prisoners. Cora had been sent to a tribe
that temporarily occupied an adjacent valley, though David
was far too ignorant of the customs and history of the
natives, to be able to declare anything satisfactory con-
cerning their name or character. He only knew that they
had not engaged in the late expedition against William
Henry ; that, like the Hurons themselves, they were allies
of Montcalm; and that they maintained an amicable,
though a watchful intercourse with the warlike and sav-
age people whom chance had, for a time, brought in such
close and disagreeable contact with themselves.

The Mohicans and the scout listened to his interrupted
and imperfect narrative, with an interest that obviously
increased as he proceeded; and it was while attempting to
explain the pursuits of the community in which Cora was
detained, that the latter abruptly demanded, —

" Did you see the fashion of their knives ? were they
of English or French formation ? "

" My thoughts were bent on no such vanities, but rathei
mingled in consolation with those of the maidens.''

"The time may come when you will not consider the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 269

knife of a savage such a despisable vanity," returned the
scout, with a strong expression of contempt for the other's
dulLiess. " Had they held their corn-feast — or can you
say anything of the totems of the tribe ? "

"Of corn, we had many and plentiful feasts; for the
grain, being in the milk, is both sweet to the mouth and
comfortable to the stomach. Of totem, I know not the
meaning; but if it appertaineth in any wise to the art of
Indian music, it need not be inquired after at their hands.
They never join their voices in praise, and it would seem
that they are among the profanest of the idolatrous."

" Therein you belie the nature of an Indian. Even the
Mingo adores but the true and living God. 'T is a wicked
fabrication of the whites, and I say it to the shame of my
color, that would make the warrior bow down before
images of his own creation. It is true, they endeavor to
make truces with the wicked one, — as who would not with
an enemy he cannot conquer! — but they look up for
favor and assistance to the Great and Good Spirit only."

"It may be so," said David; "but I have seen strange
and fantastic images drawn in their paint, of which their
admiration and care savored of spiritual pride; especially
one, and that, too, a foul and loathsome object."

" Was it a sarpent ? " quickly demanded the scout.

"Much the same. It was in the likeness of an abject
and creeping tortoise."

" Hugh ! " exclaimed both the attentive Mohicans in a
breath ; while the scout shook his head with the air of one
who had made an important, but by no means a pleasing
discovery. Then the father spoke, in the language of the
Delawares, and with a calmness and dignity that instantly
arrested the attention even of those to whom his words
were unintelligible. His gestures were impressive, and
at times energetic. Once he lifted his arm on high; and
as it descended, the action threw aside the folds of his
light mantle, a finger resting on his breast, as if he wou]^
enforce his meaning by the attitude. Duncan's eyes fol-
lowed the movement, and he perceived that the animal
just mentioned was beautifully, though faintly, worked in

270 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

a blue tint, on the swarthy breast of the chief. All that
he had ever heard of the violent separation of the vast
tribes of the Delawares rushed across his mind, and he
awaited the proper moment to speak, with a suspense that
was rendered nearly intolerable, by his interest in the
stake. His wish, however, was anticipated by the scoutj
who turned from his red friend, saying, —

" We have found that which may be good or evil to us,
as Heaven disposes. The Sagamore is of the high blood
of the Delawares, and is the great chief of their Tor-
toises ! ^ That some of this stock are among the people
of whom the singer tells us, is plain, by his words; and
had he but spent half the breath in prudent questions,
that he has blown away in making a trumpet of his throat,
we might have known how many warriors they numbered.
It is, altogether, a dangerous path we move in; for a
friend whose face is turned from you often bears a bloodier
mind than the enemy who seeks your scalp."

"Explain," said Duncan.

" 'T is a long and melancholy tradition, and one I little
like to think of; for it is not to be denied that the evil
has been mainly done by men with white skins. But it
has ended in turning the tomahawk of brother against
brother, and brought the Mingo and the Delaware to
travel in the same path."

" You then suspect it is a portion of that people among
whom Cora resides ? "

The scout nodded his head in assent, though he seemed
anxious to waive the further discussion of a subject that

1 The importance attached to the tortoise by many tribes of the red
men is very marked. It was a part of the rude mythology of the Lenni
Lennape, or Delawares, that the earth rested on the back of a tortoise.
Their most important family clan was that of the Unamis or Tortoise.
And it would seem that among all those tribes subdivided into district
clans — an4 there were many such — the totem or emblem of the Tortoise
always held a high position. Such was the fact among the Karons far
toi the northward, and also among the Iroquois, as well as among the
antagonist tribes of the Algonquin race. The tortoise, being an amphi-
bious animal, became in their eyes a mystery — something supematnraL
8. F. G.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 271

appeared painful. The impatient Duncan now made sev-
eral hasty and desperate propositions to attempt the release
of the sisters. Munro seemed to shake off his apathy,
and listened to the wild schemes of the young man with
a deference that his gray hairs and reverend years should
have denied. But the scout, after suffering the ardor of
the lover to expend itself a little, found means to con-
vince him of the folly of precipitation, in a matter that
would require their coolest judgment and utmost forti-
tude.

"It would be well," he added, "to let this man go in
again, as usual, and for him to tarry in the lodges, giving
notice to the gentle ones of our approach, until we call
him out, by signal, to consult. You know the cry of a
crow, friend, from the whistle of the whip-poor-will 1 "

" 'T is a pleasing bird," returned David, "and has a soft
and melancholy note ! though the time is rather quick and
ill-measured."

"He speaks of the wish-ton- wish," said the scout:
"well, since you like his whistle, it shall be your signaL
Remember, then, when you hear the whip-poor-will's call
three times repeated, you are to come into the bushel
where the bird might be supposed " —

"Stop," interrupted Hey ward; "I will accompany
him."

"You!" exclaimed the astonished Hawkeye; "are you
tired of seeing the sun rise and set ? "

" David is a living proof that the Hurons can be merci-
ful."

"Aye, but David can use his throat as no man in his
senses would pervart the gift."

"I too can play the madman, the fool, the hero; in
short, any or everything to rescue her I love. Kame your
objections no longer: I am resolved." .

Hawkeye regarded the young man a moment in speech-
less amazement. But Duncan, who, in deference to the
other's skill and services, had hitherto submitted some-
what implicitly to his dictation, now assumed the superior,
with a manner that was not easily resisted. He wavf* ^

272 THE LAST OF THE HQHICANS.

his hand, in sign of his dislike to all remonstrance, and
then, in more tempered language, he continued, —

"You have the means of disguise; change me; paint
me too, if you will; in short, alter me to anything — a
fool."

" It is not for one like me to say that he who is already
formed by so powerful a hand as Providence, stands in
need of a change," muttered the discontented scout.
" When you send your parties abroad in war, you find it
prudent at least to arrange the marks and places of en-
campment^ in order that they who fight on your side may
know when and where to expect a friend."

"Listen," interrupted Duncan; "you have heard from
this faithful follower of the captives, that the Indians are
of two tribes, if not of different nations. With one,
whom you think to be a branch of the Delawares, is
she you call the ^ dark hair; ' the other and younger of
the ladies is imdeniably with our declared enemies, the
Hurons. It becomes my youth and rank to attempt the
latter adventure. While you, therefore, are negotiating
with your friends for the release of one of the sisters, I
will effect that of the other, or die."

The awakened spirit of the young soldier gleamed in
his eyes, and his form became imposing under its influ-
ence. Hawkeye, though too much accustomed to Indian
artifices not to foresee the danger of the experiment, knew
not well how to combat this sudden resolution.

Perhaps there was something in the proposal that suited
his own hardy nature, and that secret love of desperate
adventure which had increased with his experience, until
hazard and danger had become, in some measure, necessary
to the enjoyment of his existence. Instead of continuing
to oppose the scheme of Duncan, his humor suddenly
altered, and he lent himself to its execution.

"Come," he said, with a good-humored smile; "the
buck that will take to the water must be headed, and not
followed. Chingachgook has as many different paints as
the engineer officer's wife, who takes down natur' on
Bcraps of paper, making the mountain look like cocks of

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 278

rusty hay, and placing the hlue sky in reach of your hand.
The Sagamore can use them too. Seat yourself on the
log ; and my life on it, he can soon make a natuxal fool
of you, and that well to your liking."

Duncan complied, and the Mohican, who had been &xx
attentive listener to the discourse, readily undertook the
office. Long practiced in all the subtle arts of his race,
he drew with great dexterity and quickness the fantastic
shadow that the natives were accustomed to consider as
the evidence of a friendly and jocular disposition. Every
line that could possibly be interpreted into a secret incli-
nation for war was carefully avoided; while, on the oth^r
hand, he studied those conceits that might be construed
into amity.

In short, he entirely sacrificed every appearance^of tbe
warrior to the masquerade of a buffoon. Such exhibi-
tions were not uncommon among the Indians; and as
Duncan was already sufficiently disguised in his dress,
there certainly did exist some reason for believing that,
with his knowledge of French, he might pass for a juggler
from Ticonderoga, straggling among the allied and friendly
tribes.

When he was thought to be sufficiently painted, the
scout gave him much friendly advice; concerted signals,
and appointed the place where they should meet, in the
event of mutual success. The parting between Munro
and his young friend was more melancholy ; still, the for-
mer submitted to the separation with an indifference that
his warm and honest nature would never have permitted
in a more healthful state of mind. The scout led Hey-
ward aside, and acquainted him with his intention to leave
the veteran in some safe encampment, in charge of Chin-
gachgook, while he and Uncas pursued their inquiries
among the people they had reason to believe were Dela-
wares. Then renewing his cautions and advice, he con-
cluded by saying, with a solemnity and warmth of feel-
ing with which Duncan was deeply touched, —

" And now Grod bless you ! You have shown a spirit
that I like; for it is the gift of youth, more especidllj one

274 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

of warm blood and a stout heart. But believe the warn-
ing of a man who has reason to know all he says to be
true. You will have occasion for your best manhood, and
for a sharper wit than what is to be gathered in 'books,
afore you outdo the cunning or get the better of the cour-
age of a Mingo. God bless you! if the Hurons master
your scalp, rely on the promise of one who has two stout
warriors to back him. They shall pay for their victory,
with a life for every hair it holds. I say, young gentle-
man, may Providence bless your undertaking, which is
altogether for good; and remember, that to outwit the
knaves it is lawful to practice things that may not be
naturally the gift of a white skin.^'

Duncan shook his worthy and reluctant associate warmly
by the hand, once more recommended his aged friend to
his care, and returning his good wishes, he motioned to
David to proceed. Hawkeye gazed after the high-spirited
and adventurous young man for several moments, in open
admiration ; then shaking his head doubtingly, he turned,
and led his own division of the party into the conceal-
ment of the forest.

The route taken by Duncan and David lay directly
across the clearing of the beavers, and along the margin of
their pond.

When the former found himself alone with one so sim-
ple, and so little qualified to render any assistance in des-
perate emergencies, he first began to be sensible of the
difficulties of the task he had undertaken. The fading
light increased the gloominess of the bleak and savage
wilderness that stretched so far on every side of him ; and
there was even a fearful character in the stillness of those
little huts, that he knew were so abundantly peopled. It
struck him, as he gazed at the admirable structures and the
wonderful precautions of their sagacious inmates, that even
the brutes of these vast wilds were possessed of an instinct
nearly commensurate with his own reason; and he could
not reflect, without anxiety, on the unequal contest that
he had so rashly courted. Then came the glowing image
of Alice; her distress; her actual danger; and all

THE LA«T OF THE MOHICANS. 275

peril of his situation was forgotten. Cheering David, he
moved on with the light and vigorous step of youth and
enterprise.

After making nearly a semicircle around the pond, they
diverged from the water-course, and hegan to ascend to
the level of a slight elevation in that bottom land over
which they journeyed. Within half an hour they gained
the margin of another opening that bore all the signs of
having been also made by the beavers, and which those
sagacious animals had probably been induced by some
accident to abandon, for the more eligible position they
now occupied. A very natural sensation caused Duncan
to hesitate a moment, unwilling to leave the cover of
their bushy path, as a man pauses to collect his energies
before he assays any hazardous experiment, in which he is
secretly conscious they will all be needed. He profited
by the halt, to gather such information as might be ob-
tained from his short and hasty glances.

On the opposite side of the clearing, and near the point
where the brook tumbled over some rocks, from a still
higher level, some fifty or sixty lodges, rudely fabricated
of logs, brush, and earth intermingled, were to be discov-
ered. They were arranged without any order, and seemed
to be constructed with very little attention to neatness or
beauty. Indeed, so very inferior were they in the two
latter particulars to the village Duncan had just seen, that
he began to expect a second surprise, no less astonishing
than the former. This expectation was in no degree
diminished when, by the doubtful twilight, he beheld
twenty or thirty forms rising alternately from the cover of
the tall, coarse grass, in front of the lodges, and then
sinking again from the sight, as it were to burrow in the
earth. . By the sudden and hasty glimpses that he caught
of these figures, they seemed more like dark glancing speO"
tres, or some other unearthly beings, than creatures fash-
ioned with the ordinary and vulgar materials of flesh and
blood. A gaunt, naked form was* seen, for a single in-
stant, tossing its arms wildly in the air, and then the spot
it had filled was vacant; the figure appearing suddenly in

276 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

some other and distant place, or being succeeded by an-
other, possessing the same mysterious character. David,
observing that his companion lingered, pursued the direc-
tion of his gaze, and in some measure recalled the recollec-
tion of Hey ward, by speaking.

"There is much fruitful soil uncultivated here,*' he
said; "and I may add, without the sinful leaven of self-
commendation, that since my short sojourn in these
heathenish abodes, much good seed has been scattered
by the wayside.''

" The tribes are fonder of the chase than of the arts of
men of labor," returned the imconscious Duncan, still
gazing at the objects of his wonder.

"It is rather joy than labor to the spirit, to lift up the
voice in praise; but sadly do these boys abuse their gifts.
Rarely have I found any of their age, on whom nature
has so freely bestowed the elements of psalmody; and
surely, surely, there are none who neglect them more.
Three nights have I now tarried here, and three several
times have I assembled the urchins to join in sacred song;
and as often have they responded to my eflforts with
whoopings and bowlings that have chilled my soul ! "

" Of whom speak you ? "

"Of those children of the devil, who waste the precious
moments in yonder idle antics. Ah! the wholesome
restraint of discipline is but little known among this self-
abandoned people. In a country of birches, a rod is never
seen ; and it ought not to appear a marvel in my eyes,
that the choicest blessings of Providence are wasted in
such cries as these."

David closed his ears against the juvenile pack, whose
yell just then rang shrilly through the forest; and Dun-
can, suffering his lip to curl, as in mockery of his own
superstition, said firmly, —

"We will proceed."

Without removing the safeguards from his ears, the
master of song complied, and together they pursued theii
way towards what David was sometimes wont to call "the
tents of the Philistines."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 277

CHAPTER XXIIL

But though the beast of game
The privilege of ohaae may claim ;
Though apace and law the stag we lend
Bre hound we slip, or bow we bend ;
Who ever recked, where, how, or when
The prowling fox was trapped or slain ?

SooTT, Lady of the Lake^ Gasto IY.

It is unusual to find an encampment of the natives,
like those of the more instructed whites, guarded by the
presence of armed men. Well informed of the approach
of every danger while it is yet at a distance, the Indian
generally rests secure under his knowledge of the signs of
the forest, and the long and difficult paths that separate
him from those he has most reason to dread. But the
enemy who, by any lucky concurrence of accidents, has
found means to elude the vigilance of the scouts, will sel-
dom meet with sentinels nearer home to sound the alarm.
In addition to this general usage, the tribes friendly to
the French knew too well the weight of the blow that had
just been struck, to apprehend any immediate danger from
the hostile nations that were tributary to the crown of
Britain.

When Duncan and David, therefore, found themselves
in the centre of the children, who played the antics already
mentioned, it was without the least previous intimation of
their approach. But so soon as they were observed, the
whole of the juvenile pack raised, by common consent, a
shrill and warning whoop ; and then sank, as it were, by
magic, from before the sight of their visitors. The naked,
tawny bodies of the crouching urchins blended so nicely,
at that hour, with the withered herbage, that at first it
seemed as if the earth had in truth swallowed up their
forms; though when surprise permitted Duncan to bend
his look more curiously about the spot, he found it every-
where met by dark, quick, and rolling eye-balls.

Gathering no encouragement from this startling presage
of the nature of the scrutiny he was likely to undergo

278 THE LAST OP THE MOHICANS.

from the more mature judgments of the men, there was
an instant when the young soldier would have retreated.
It was, however, too late to appear to hesitate. The cry
of the children had drawn a dozen warriors to the door of
the nearest lodge, where they stood clustered in a dark
and savage group, gravely awaiting the nearer approach of
those who had unexpectedly come among them.

David, in some measure familiarized to the scene, led
the way with a steadiness that no slight obstacle was likely
to disconcert, into this very building. It was the prin-
cipal edifice of the village, though roughly constructed of
the bark and branches of trees; being the lodge in which
the tribe held its councils and public meetings during their
temporary residence on the borders of the English pro-
vince. Duncan found it difficult to assume the necessary
appearance of unconcern, as he brushed the dark and pow-
erful frames of the savages who thronged its threshold;
but, conscious that his existence depended on his presence
of mind, he trusted to the discretion of his companion,
whose footsteps he closely followed, endeavoring, as he
proceeded, to rally his thoughts for the occasion. His
blood curdled when he found himself in absolute contact
with such fierce and implacable enemies; but he so far
mastered his feelings as to pursue his way into the centre
of the lodge, with an exterior that did not betray the
weakness. Imitating the example of the deliberate Gamut,
he drew a bundle of fragrant brush from beneath a pile
that filled a corner of the hut, and seated himself in
silence.

So soon as their visitor had passed, the observant war-
riors fell back from the entrance, and arranging themselves
about him, they seemed patiently to await the moment
when it might comport with the dignity of the stranger to
speak. By far the greater number stood leaning, in lazy,
lounging attitudes, against the upright posts that supported
the crazy building, while three or four of the oldest and
most distinguished of the chiefs placed themselves on the
earth a little more in advance.

A flaring torch was burning in the place, and sent its

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 279

Ted glare from face to face and figure to figure, as it waved
in the currents of air. Duncan profited by its light to
read the probable character of his reception, in the coun-
tenances of his hosts. But his ingenuity availed him
little, against the cold artifices of the people he had en-
countered. The chiefs in front scarce cast a glance at his
person, keeping their eyes on the ground, with an air that
might have been intended for respect, but which it was
quite easy to construe into distrust. The men in shadow
were less reserved. Duncan soon detected their searching,
but stolen looks, which, in truth, scanned his person and
attire inch by inch; leaving no emotion of the counte-
nance, no gesture, no line of the paint, nor even the fash-
ion of a garment, unheeded, and without comment.

At length one whose hair was beginning to be sprinkled
with gray, but whose sinewy limbs and firm tread an-
nounced that he was still equal to the duties of manhood,
advanced out of the gloom of a comer, where he had
probably posted himself to make his observations unseen,
and spoke. He used the language of the Wyandots, oi
Hurons;^ his words were consequently unintelligible to
Heyward, though they seemed, by the gestures that accom-
panied them, to be uttered more in courtesy than anger.
The latter shook his head, and made a gesture indicative
of his inability to reply.

" Do none of my brothers speak the French or the Eng-
lish ? " he said, in the former language, looking about him
from countenance to countenance, in hopes of finding a
nod of assent.

1 The Huron tribes, formerly very nnmerons in Canada, called them-
selves Ahondate, whence our English term of Wyandot. The French
gave them the name of Hurons from the word la hurtf the upright crest
of hair, or mane rather, of certain wild beasts, especially the wild boar.
These Wyandots wore their hair erect, and stiff, on the crown of the
head, giving them an especially fierce aspect, whence the name of
Hurons.

The Hurons had been all but exterminated in the previous century
by the victorious Iroquois. Certain clans of them still existed, how-
ever, in close alliance with the French; and among the many tribes
which accompanied M. de Montcalm in this expedition there were two
bands of Hurons, one from the vicinity of Montreal, the other from
Petroit. — S. F. C.

280 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Though more than one had turned, as if to catch the
meaning of his words, they remained unanswered.

"I should he grieved to think," continued Duncan,
speaking slowly and using the simplest Prench of which
he was the master, "to believe that none of this wise and
brave nation understand the language that the ' Grand
Monarque ' uses when he talks to his children. His heart
would be heavy did he believe his red warriors paid him
so little respect I "

A long and grave pause succeeded, during which no
movement of a limb, nor any expression of an eye betrayed
the impression produced by his remark. Duncan, who
knew that silence was a virtue amongst his hosts, gladly
had recourse to the custom, in order to arrange his ideas.
At length the same warrior who had before addressed him
replied, by dryly demanding, in the language of the Cana-
das, —

"When our Great Father speaks to his people, is it
with the tongue of a Huron ? "

" He knows no difference in his children, whether the
color of the skin be red, or black, or white,'' returned
Duncan, evasively; "though chiefly is he satisfied with
the brave Hurons.''

"In what manner will he speak," demanded the wary
chief, " when the runners count to him the scalps which
five nights ago grew on the heads of the Yengeese 1 "

"They were his enemies," said Duncan, shuddering
involuntarily; "and doubtless he will say, It is good;
my Hurons are very gallant."

" Our Canada father does not think it. Instead of look-
ing forward to reward his Indians, his eyes are turned
backward. He sees the dead Yengeese, but no Huron.
What can this mean ? "

"A great chief, like him, has more thoughts than
tongues. He looks to see that no enemies are on his
trail."

"The canoe of a dead warrior will not float on the
Horican," returned the savage, gloomily. "His ears are
open to the Delawares, who are not our friends, and they
fill them with lies,"

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 28.1

cc

It cannot be. See; he has bid me, who am a man
Ihat knows the art of healing, to go to his children, the
red Hurons of the great lakes, and ask if any are sick ! "

Another silence succeeded this annunciation of the
character Duncan had assumed. Every eye was simulta-
neously bent on his person, as if to inquire into the truth
or falsehood of the declaration, with an intelligence and
keenness that caused the subject of their scrutiny to trem-
ble for the result. He was, however, relieved again by
the former speaker.

"Do the cunning men of the Ganadas paint their
skins?" the Huron coldly continued; "we have heard
them boast that their faces were pale."

" When an Indian chief comes among his white fathers, "
returned Duncan, with great steadiness, "he lays aside his
buffalo robe, to carry the shirt that is offered him. My
brothers have given me paint, and I wear it."

A low murmur of applause announced that the compli-
ment to the tribe was favorably received. The elderly
chief made a gesture of commendation, which was answered
by most of his companions, who each threw forth a hand,
and uttered a brief exclamation of pleasure. Duncan
began to breathe more freely, believing that the weight of
his examination was past ; and as he had already prepared
a simple and probable tale to support his pretended occu-
pation, his hopes of ultimate success grew brighter.

After a silence of a few moments, as if adjusting his
thoughts, in order to make a suitable answer to the decla-
ration their guest had just given, another warrior arose,
and placed himself in an attitude to speak. While his
lips were yet in the act of parting, a low but fearful sound
arose from the forest, and was immediately succeeded by
a high, shrill yell, that was drawn out, until it equaled
the longest and most plaintive howl of the wolf. The
sudden and terrible interruption caused Duncan to start
from his seat, unconscious of everything but the effect
produced by so frightful a cry. At the same moment,
the warriors glided in a body from the lodge, and the
outer air was filled with loud shouts, that nearly drowned

282 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

those awful sounds, which were still ringing beneath the
arches of the woods. Unable to command himself any
longer, the youth broke from the place, and presently
stood in the centre of a disorderly throng, that included
nearly everything having life, within the limits of the
encampment. Men, women, and children; the aged, the
infirm, the active, and the strong, were alike abroad;
some exclaiming aloud, others clapping their hands with
a joy that seemed frantic, and all expressing their savage
pleasure in some unexpected event. Though astounded,
at first, by the uproar. Hey ward was soon enabled to find
its solution by the scene that followed.

There yet lingered suflScient light in the heavens to
exhibit those bright openings among the tree-tops, where
different paths left the clearing to enter the depths of the
wilderness. Beneath one of them, a line of warriors
issued from the woods, and advanced slowly towards the
dwellings. One in front bore a short pole, on which, as
it afterwards appeared, were suspended several human
scalps. The startling sounds that Duncan had heard
were what the whites have not inappropriately called the
" death-halloo ; " and each repetition of the cry was in-
tended to announce to the tribe the fate of an enemy.
Thus far the knowledge of Hey ward assisted him in the
explanation; and as he now knew that the interruption
was caused by the unlooked-for return of a successful war-
party, every disagreeable sensation was quieted in inward
congratulation, for the opportune relief and insignificance
it conferred on himself.

When at the distance of a few hundred feet from the
lodges, the newly arrived warriors halted. Their plain-
tive and terrific cry, which was intended to represent
equally the wailings of the dead and the triumph of the
victors, had entirely ceased. One of their number noir
called aloud, in words that were far from appalling,
though not more intelligible to those for whose ears the]
were intended, than their expressive yells. It would he
difficult to convey a suitable idea of the sa^fige ecstasy
with which the news thus imparted was recoaved. Th«

\

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 28S

"whole encampment, in a moment, became a scene of the
most violent bustle and commotion. The warriors drew
fcheir knives, and flourishing them, they arranged them-
selves in two lines, forming a lane that extended from the
war-party to the lodges. The squaws seized clubs, axes,
or whatever weapon of offense first offered itself to their
hands, and rushed eagerly to act their part in the cruel
game that was at hand. Even the children would not be
excluded; but boys, little able to wield the instruments,
tore the tomahawks from the belts of their fathers, and
stole into the ranks, apt imitators of the savage traits ex-
hibited by their parents.

Large piles of brush lay scattered about the clearing,
and a wary and aged squaw was occupied in firing as
many as might serve to light the coming exhibition. As
the flame arose, its power exceeded that of the parting
day, and assisted to render objects at the same time more
distinct and more hideous. The whole scene formed a
striking picture, whose frame was composed of the dark
and tall border of pines. The warriors just arrived were
the most distant figures. A little in advance stood two
men, who were apparently selected from the rest, as the
principal actors in what was to follow. The light was not
strong enough to render their features distinct, though it
was quite evident that they were governed by very differ-
ent emotions. While one stood erect and firm, prepared
to meet his fate like a hero, the other bowed his head, as
if palsied by terror or stricken with shame. The high-
spirited Duncan felt a powerful impulse of admiration and
pity towards the former, though no opportunity could
offer to exhibit his generous emotions. He watched his
slightest movement, however, with eager eyes; and as he
traced the fine outline of his admirably proportioned and
active frame, he endeavored to persuade himself that if
the powers of man, seconded by such noble resolution, could
bear one harmless through so severe a trial, the youthful
captive before him might hope for success in the hazard-
ous race he was about to run. Insensibly the young man
drew nigher to the swarthy lines of the Hurons. and

284 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

scarcely breathed, so intense became his interest in the
spectacle. Just then the signal yell was given, and the
momentary quiet which had preceded it was broken by
a burst of cries that far exceeded any before heard. The
most abject of the two victims continued motionless; but
the other bounded from the place at the cry, with the
activity and swiftness of a deer. Instead of rushing
through the hostile lines, as had been expected, he just
entered the dangerous defile, and before time was given
for a single blow, turned short, and leaping the heads of
a row of children, he gained at once the exterior and safer
side of the formidable array. The artifice was answered
by a hundred voices raised in imprecations ; and the whole
of the excited multitude broke from their order, and
spread themselves about the place in wild confusion.

A dozen blazing piles now shed their lurid brightness
on the place, which resembled some unhallowed and super-
natural arena, in which malicious demons had assembled
to act their bloody and lawless rites. The forms in the
backgroimd looked like unearthly beings, gliding before
the eye, and cleaving the air with frantic and unmeaning
gestures ; while the savage passions of such as passed the
flames were rendered fearfully distinct by the gleams that
shot athwart their inflamed visages.

It will easily be understood, that amid such a concourse
of vindictive enemies, no breathing time was allowed the
fugitive. There was a single moment when it seemed as
if he would have reached the forest, but the whole body
of his captors threw themselves before him, and drove him
back into the centre of his relentless persecutors. Turn-
ing like a headed deer, he shot, with the swiftness of an
arrow, through a pillar of forked flame, and passing the
whole multitude harmless, he appeared on the opposite
side of the clearing. Here too he was met and turned
by a few of the older and more subtle of the Hurons.
Once more he tried the throng, as if seeking safety in its
blindness, and then several moments succeeded, during
which Duncan believed the active and couiai^ous young
stranger was lost

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. ' 2fe5

Nothing could be distinguished but a dark mass \)i
human forms tossed and involved in inextricable confu-
sion. Arms, gleaming knives, and formidable clubs ap-
peared above them, but the blows, were evidently given
at random. The awful effect was heightened by the
piercing shrieks of the women and the fierce yells of the
warriors. Now and then Duncan caught a glimpse of a
light form cleaving the air in some desperate bound, and
he rather hoped than believed that the captive yet retained
the command of his astonishing powers of activity. Sud-
denly the multitude rolled backward, and approached the
spot where he himself stood. The heavy body in the rear
pressed upon the women and children in front, and bore
them to the earth. • The stranger reappeared in the con-
fusion. Human power could not, however, much longer
endure so severe a trial. Of this the captive seemed con-
scious. Profiting by the momentary opening, he darted
from among the warriors, and made a desperate, and
what seemed to Duncan a final effort to gain the wood.
As if aware that no danger was to be apprehended from
the young soldier, the fugitive nearly brushed his person
in his flight. A tall and powerful Huron, who had hus-
banded his forces, pressed close upon his heels, and with
an uplifted arm menaced a fatal blow. Duncan thrust
forth a foot, and the shock precipitated the eager savage
headlong, many feet in advance of his intended victim.
Thought itself is not quicker than was the motion with
which the latter profited by the advantage; he turned,
gleamed like a meteor again before the eyes of Duncan,
and at the next moment, when the latter recovered his
recollection, and gazed around in quest of the captive, he
saw him quietly leaning against a small painted post,
which stood before the door of the principal lodge.

Apprehensive that the part he had taken in the escape
might prove fatal to himself, Duncan left the place with-
out delay. He followed the crowd, which drew nigh the
lodges, *gloomy and sullen, like any other multitude that
had been disappointed in an execution. Curiosity, or
perhaps a better feeling, induced him to approach the

#■«•-

286 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

j

staranger. He found him standing with one arm cast
about the protecting post, and breathing thick and hard,
after his exertions, but disdaining to permit a single sign
of suffering to escape. His person was now protected by
immemorial and sacred usage, imtil the tribe in council
had deliberated and determined on his fate. It was not
difficult, however, to foretell the result, if any presage
could be drawn from the feelings of those who crowded
the place.

There was no term of abuse known to the Huron vo-
0(ibulary that the disappointed women did not lavishly
expend on the successful stranger. They flouted at his
efforts, and told him, with bitter scoffs, that his feet were
better than his hands; and that he merited wings, while
he knew not the use of an arrow or a knife. To all this
the captive made no reply, but was content to preserve
an attitude in which dignity was singularly blended with
disdain. Exasperated as much by his composure as by
his good-fortune, their words became unintelligible, and
were succeeded by shrill, piercing yells. Just then the
crafty squaw, who had taken the necessary precaution to
fire the piles, made her way through the throng, and
cleared a place for herself in front of the captive. The
squalid and withered person of this hag might well have
obtained for her the character of possessing more than
human cunning. Throwing back her light vestment, she
stretched forth her long skinny arm, in derision, and
using the language of the Lenape, as more intelligible to
the subject of her gibes, she commenced aloud, —

" Look you, Delaware ! " she said, snapping her fingers
in his face ; " your nation is a race of women, and the hoe
is better fitted to your hands than the gun. Your squaws
are the mothers of deer; but if a bear, or a wild cat, or
a serpent were born among you, ye would flee. The
Huron girls shall make you petticoats, and we will find
you a husband."

A burst of savage laughter succeeded this attack, during
which the soft and musical^ merriment of the younger
females strangely chimed with the cracked voice of their

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 287

older and more malignant companion. But the stranger
was superior to all their efforts. His head was immov-
able; nor did he betray the slightest consciousness that
any were present, except when his haughty eye rolled
towards the dusky forms of the warriors, who stalked in
the background, silent and sullen observers of the scene.

Infuriated at the self-command of the captive, the
woman placed her arms akimbo, and throwing herself into
a posture of defiance, she broke out anew, in a torrent
of words that no art of ours could commit successfully to
paper. Her breath was, however, expended in vain ; for,
although distinguished in her nation as a proficient in the
art of abuse, she was permitted to work herself into such
a fury as actually to foam at the mouth, without causing
a muscle to vibrate in the motionless figure of the stranger.
The effect of his indifference began to extend itself to the
other spectators; and a youngster, who was just quitting
the condition of a boy, to enter the state of manhood,
attempted to assist the termagant, by flourishing his toma-
hawk before their victim, and adding his empty boasts to
the taunts of the woman. Then, indeed, the captive
turned his face towards the light, and looked down on
the stripling with an expression that was superior to con-
tempt. At the next moment he resumed his quiet and
reclining attitude against the post. But the change of
posture had permitted Duncan to exchange glances with
the firm and piercing eyes of Uncas.

Breathless with amazement, and heavily oppressed with
the critical situation of his friend. Hey ward recoiled be-
fore the look, trembling lest its meaning might, in some
unknown manner, hasten the prisoner's fate. There was
not, however, any instant cause for such an apprehension.
Just then a warrior forced his way into the exasperated
crowd. Motioning the women and children aside with
a stem gesture, he took Uncas by the arm, and led him
towards the door of the council lodge. Thither all the
chiefs, and most of the distinguished warriors, followed;
among whom the anxious Hey ward found means to enter
without attracting any dangerous attention to himself.

288 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

A few minutes weie consumed in disposing of those
present in a manner suitable to their rank and influence
in the tribe. An order very similar to that adopted in
the preceding interview was observed ; the aged and supe-
rior chiefs occupying the area of the spacious apartment,
within the powerful light of a glaring torch, while their
juniors and inferiors were arranged in the background,
presenting a dark outline of swarthy and marked visages.
In the very centre of the lodge, immediately under an
opening that admitted the twinkling light of one or two
stars, stood Uncas, calm, elevated, and collected. His
high and haughty carriage was not lost on his captors,
who often bent their looks on his person, with eyes which,
while they lost none of their inflexibility of purpose,
plainly betrayed their admiration of the stranger's daring.

The case was different with the individual whom Dun-
can had observed to stand forth with his friend, pre-
viously to the desperate trial of speed; and who, instead
of joining in the chase, had remained, throughout its tur-
bulent uproar, like a cringing statue, expressive of shame
and disgrace. Though not a hand had been extended to
greet him, nor yet an eye had condescended to watch his
movements, he had also entered the lodge, as though
impelled by a fate to whose decrees he submitted, seem-
ingly, without a struggle. Hey ward profited b} the first
opportunity to gaze in his face, secretly apprehensive he
might find the features of another acquaintance; but they
proved to be those of a stranger, and, what was still more
inexplicable, of one who bore all the distinctive marks of
a Huron warrior. Instead of mingling with his tribe,
however, he sat apart, a solitary being in a multitude, his
form shrinking into a crouching and abject attitude, as if
anxious to fill as little space as possible. When each
individual had taken his proper station, and silence reigned
in the place, the gray-haired chief already introduced to
the reader, spoke aloud, in the language of the Lenni
Lenape.

"3)elaware,'' he said, "though one of a nation of
Wcymen, you have proved yourself a man. I would give

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 289

you food; but he who eats with a Huron should become
his friend. Rest in peace till the morning sun, when our
last words shall be spoken."

" Seven nights, and as many summer days, have I fasted
on the trail of the Hurons," Uncas coldly replied; "the
children of the Lenape know how to travel the path of
the just without lingering to eat. "

" Two of my young men are in pursuit of your compan-
ion," resumed the other, without appearing to regard the
boast of his captive ; " when they get back, then will our
wise men say to you * live ' or * die. ' "

"Has a Huron no ears ? " scornfully exclaimed Uncas;
"twice, since he has been your prisoner, has the Delaware
heard a gun that he knows. Your young men will never
come back ! "

A short and sullen pause succeeded this bold assertion.
Duncan, who understood the Mohican to allude to the
fatal rifle of the scout, bent forward in earnest observation
of the effect it might produce on the conquerors; but the
chief was content with simply retorting, —

"If the Lenape are so skillful, why is one of their
bravest warriors here ? "

" He followed in the steps of a flying coward, and fell
into a sna^ The cunning beaver may be caught. "

As Uncas thus replied, he pointed with his finger
towards the solitary Huron, but without deigning to be-
stow any other notice on so unworthy an object. The
words of the answer and the air of the speaker produced
a strong sensation among his auditors. Every eye rolled
sullenly towards the individual indicated by the simple
gesture, and a low, threatening murmur passed through
the crowd. The ominous sounds reached the outer door,
and the women and children pressing into the throng, no
gap had been left, between shoulder and shoulder, that
was not now filled with the dark lineaments of some eager
and curious buman countenance.

In the mean time, the more aged chiefs, in the centre,
communed with each other in short and broken sentences.
Not a word was uttered that did not convey the meaning

290 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

of the speaker, in the simplest and most energetic form.
Again, a long and deeply solemn pause took place. It
was known, by all present, to be the grave precursor of
a weighty and important judgment. They who composed
the outer circle of faces were on tiptoe to gaze; and even
the culprit for an instant forgot his shame in a deeper
emotion, and exposed his abject features, in order to cast
vtn anxious and troubled glance at the dark assemblage of
chiefs. The silence was finally broken by the aged war-
rior so often named. He arose from the earth, and mov-
ing past the immovable form of Uncas, placed himself in
a dignified attitude before the offender. At that moment,
the withered squaw already mentioned moved into the
circle, in a slow, sideling sort of a dance, holding the
torch, and muttering the indistinct words of what might
have been a species of incantation. Though her presence
was altogether an intrusion, it was unheeded.

Approaching Uncas, she held the blazing brand in such
a manner as to cast its red glare on his person, and to
expose the slightest emotion of his countenance. The
Mohican maintained his firm and haughty attitude; and
his eye, so far from deigning to meet her inquisitive look,
dwelt steadily on the distance, as though it penetrated the
obstacles which impeded the view, and looked into futu-
rity. Satisfied with her examination, she left him, with
a slight expression of pleasure, and proceeded to practice
the same trying experiment on her delinquent country-
man.

The young Huron was in his war paint, and very little
of a finely moulded form was concealed by his attire. The
light rendered every limb and joint discernible, and Dun-
can turned away in horror when he saw they were writh-
ing in irrepressible agony. The woman was commencing
a low and plaintive howl at the sad and shameful specta-
cle, when the chief put forth his hand and gently pushed
her aside.

"Reed-that-bends,'' he said, addressing the young cul-
prit by name, and in his proper language, ^Hhough the
(xreat Spirit has made you pleasant to the eyes, it would

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 291

have been "better that you had not been bom. Tour
tongue is loud in the village, but in battle it is still.
None of my young men strike the tomahawk deeper into
tlae war- post — none of them so lightly on the Yengeese.
The enemy know the shape of your back, but they have
never seen the color of your eyes. Three times have they
called on you to come, and as often did you forget to
answer. Your name will never be mentioned again in your
tribe — it is already forgotten."

As the chief slowly uttered these words, pausing im-
pressively after each sentence, the culprit raised his face,
in deference to the other's rank and years. Shame, horror,
and pride struggled in its lineaments. His eye, which
was contracted with inward anguish, gleamed on the per-
sons of those whose breath was his fame; and the latter
emotion for an instant predominated. He arose to his feet,
and baring his bosom, looked steadily on the keen, glit-
tering knife, that was already upheld by his inexorable
judge. As the weapon passed slowly into his heart he
even smiled, as if in joy at having found death less dread-
ful than he had anticipated, and fell heavily on his face^
at the feet of the rigid and unyielding form of Uncas.

The squaw gave a loud and plaintive yell, dashed the
torch to the earth, and buried everything in darkness.
The whole shuddering group of spectators glided from the
lodge, like troubled sprites; and Duncan thought that he
and the yet throbbing body of the victim of an Indiax)
judgment had now become its only tenants.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Thus spoke the sage : the kings without deUj
Dissolve the council, luad their chief obey.

Fon's Iliad.

«

A SINGLE moment served to convince the youth that
he was mistaken. A hand was laid with a powerful
pressure on his arm, and the low voice of Uncas muttered
in his ears, —

S^ THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"The Hurons are dogs. The sight of a coward's blood
can never make a warrior. tremble. The * Gray Head'
and the Sagamore are safe, and the rifle of Hawkeye is
not asleep. Go, — Uncas and the * Open Hand ' are now
strangers. It is enough. '^

Heyward would gladly have heard more, but a gentle
push from his friend urged him towards the door, and
admonished him of the danger that might attend the dis-
covery of their intercourse. Slowly and reluctantly yield-
ing to the necessity, he quitted the place, and mingled
with the throng that hovered nigh. The dying fires in
the clearing cast a dim and uncertain light on the dusky
figures that were silently stalking to and fro; and occa-
sionally a brighter gleam than common glanced into the
lodge, and exhibited the figure of Uncas still maintaining
its upright attitude near the dead body of the Huron.

A knot of warriors soon entered the place again, and
reissuing, they bore the senseless remains into the adja-
cent woods. After this termination of the scene, Duncan
wandered among the lodges, unquestioned and unnoticed,
endeavoring to find some trace of her in whose behalf he
incurred the risk he ran. In the present temper of the
tribe, it would have been easy to have fled and. rejoined
his companions, had such a wish crossed his mind. But,
in addition to the never ceasing anxiety on account of
Alice, a fresher, though feebler interest in the fate of
Uncas assisted to chain him to the spot. He continued,
therefore, to stray from hut to hut, looking into each only
to encounter additional disappointment, until he had made
the entire circuit of the village. Abandoning a species
of inquiry that proved so fruitless, he retraced his steps
to the council lodge, resolved to seek and question David,
in order to put an end to his doubts.

On reaching the building which had proved alike the
seat of judgment and the place of execution, the young
man found that the excitement had already subsided.
The warriors had reassembled, and were now calmly smok-
ing, while they conversed gravely on the chief incidents
of their recent expedition to the head of the Horican.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 298

Though the return of Duncan was likely to remind them
of his character, and the suspicious circumstances of his
visit, it produced no visible sensation. So far, the terri-
ble scene that had just occurred proved favorable to his
views, and he required no other prompter than his own
feelings to convince him of the expediency of profiting by
so unexpected an advantage.

Without seeming to hesitate, he walked into the lodge,
and took his seat with a gravity that accorded admirably
with the deportment of his hosts. A hasty but searching
glance sufficed to tell him that, though Uncas still re-
mained where he had left him, David had not reappeared.
No other restraint was imposed on the former than the
watchful looks of a young Huron, who had placed himself
at hand ; though an armed warrior leaned against the post
that formed one side of the narrow door- way. In every
other respect, the captive seemed at liberty; still he was
excluded from all participation in the discourse, and pos-
sessed much more of the air of some finely moulded statue
than a man having life and volition.

Heyward had too recently witnessed a frightful instance
of the prompt punishments of the people into whose hands
he had fallen, to hazard an exposure by any officious bold-
ness. He would greatly have preferred silence and medi-
tation to speech, when a discovery of his real condition
might prove so instantly fatal. Unfortunately for this
prudent resolution, his entertainers appeared otherwise
disposed. He had not long occupied the seat wisely taken
a little in the shade, when another of the elder warriors,
who spoke the French language, addressed him : —

"My Canada father does not forget his children, '^ isaid
the chief; "I thank him. An evil spirit lives in the
wife of one of my young men. Can the cunning stranger
frighten him away ? "

Heyward possessed some knowledge of the mummery
practiced among the Indians, in the cases of such supposed
visitations. He saw, at a glance, that the circumstance
might posbibly be improved to further his own ends. It
would therefore have been difficult, just then, to have

294 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAKS.

uttered a proposal that would have given him more satis-
faction. Aware of the necessity of preserving the dignity
of his imaginary character, however, he repressed his feel-
ings, and answered with suitahle mystery, —

"Spirits differ; some yield to the power of wisdom,
while others are too strong. '*

''My brother is a great medicine," said the cunning
savage ; " he will try 1 "

A gesture of assent was the answer. The Huron was
content with the assurance, and resuming his pipe, he
awaited the proper moment to move. The impatient Hey-
ward, inwardly execrating the cold customs of the savages,
which required such sacrifices to appearance, was fain to
assume an air of indifference, equal to that maintained by
the chief, who was, in truth, a near relative of the afflicted
woman. The minutes lingered, and the delay had seemed
an hour to the adventurer in empiricism, when the Huron
laid aside his pipe, and drew his robe across his breast,
as if about to lead the way to the lodge of the invalid.
Just then a warrior of powerful frame darkened the door,
and stalking silently among the attentive group, he seated
himself on one end of the low pile of brush which sus-
tained Duncan. The latter cast an impatient look at his
neighbor, and felt his flesh creep with uncontrollable hor-
ror when he found himself in actual contact with Magna.

The sudden return of this artful and dreaded chief
caused a delay in the departure of the Huron. Several
pipes, that had been extinguished, were lighted again;
while the new-comer, without speaking a word, drew his
tomahawk from his girdle, and filling the bowl on its
head, began to inhale the vapors of the weed through the
hollow handle, with as much indifference as if he had not
been absetit two weary days on a long and toilsome hunt.
Ten minutes, which appeared so many ages to DuncaD,
might have passed in this manner; and the warriors were
fairly enveloped in a cloud of white smoke before any of
them spoke.

"Welcome!" one at length uttered; "has Ay friend
found the moose ? "

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 295

''The young men stagger under their burdens," returned
Magua. "Let * Eeed-that-bends ' go on the hunting path;
he will meet them/'

A deep and awful silence succeeded the utterance of
the forbidden name. Each pipe dropped from the lips of
its owner as though all had inhaled an impurity at the
same instant. The smoke wreathed above their heads in
little eddies, and curling in a spiral form, it ascended
swiftly through the opening in the roof of the lodge, leav-
ing the place beneath clear of its fumes, and each dark
visage distinctly visible. The looks of most of the war"
riors were riveted on the earth; though a few of the
younger and less gifted of the party suffered their wild
and glaring eye-balls to roll in the direction of a white-
headed savage, who sat between two of the most venerated
chiefs of the tribe. There was nothing in the air or attire
of this Indian that would seem to entitle him to such a
distinction. The former was rather depressed, than re-
markable for the bearing of the natives; and the latter
was such as was commonly worn by the ordinary men of
the nation. Like most around him, for more than a
minute his look too was on the ground; but, trusting his
eyes at length to steal a glance aside, he perceived that he
was becoming an object of general attention. Then he
arose and lifted his voice in the general silence.

"It was a lie," he said; "I had no son. He who was
called by that name is forgotten; his blood was pale, and
it came not from the veins of a Huron ; the wicked Chip-
pewas cheated my squaw. The Great Spirit has said, that
the family of Wiss-entush should end; he is happy who
knows that the evil of his race dies with himself. I have
done."

The speaker, who was the father of the recreant young
Indian, looked round and about him, as if seeking com-
mendation of his stoicism in the eyes of his auditors. But
the stern customs of his people had made too severe an
exaction of the feeble old man. The expression of his
eye contradicted his figurative and boastful language, while
every muscle in his wrinkled visage was working with

296 : THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

anguish. Standing a single minute to enjoy liis bitter
triumph, he turned away, as if sickening at the gaze of
men, and veiling his face in his blanket, he walked from,
the lodge with the noiseless step of an Indian, seeking, in
the privacy of his own abode, the sympathy of one like
himself, aged, forlorn, and childless.

The Indians, who believe in the hereditary transmission
of virtues and defects in character, suffered him to depart
in silence. Then, with an elevation of breeding that
many in a more cultivated state of society might profitably
emulate, one of the chiefs drew the attention of the young
men from the weakness they had just witnessed, by say-
ing, in a cheerful voice, addressing himself in courtesy to
Magna, as the newest comer, —

'* The Delawares have been like bears after the honey-
pots, prowling around my village. But who has ever
found a Huron asleep 1 '^

The darkness of the impending cloud which precedes a
burst of thunder was not blacker than the brow of Magua
as he exclaimed, —

** The Delawares of the Lakes I '*

" Kot so. They who wear the petticoats of squaws, on
their own river. One of them has been passing the tribe.''

"Did my young men take his scalp? "

" His legs were good, though his arm is better for the
hoe than the tomahawk,'' returned the other, pointing to
the immovable form of Uncas.

Instead of manifesting any womanish curiosity to feast
his eyes with the sight of a captive from a people he was
known to have so much reason to hate, Magua continued
to smoke, with the meditative air that he usually main-
tained, when there was no immediate call on his cun-
ning or his eloquence. Although secretly amazed at the
facts communicated by the speech of the aged father, he
permitted himself to ask no questions, reserving his in-
quiries for a more suitable moment. It was only after a
sufficient interval that he shook the ashes from his pipe,
replaced the tomahawk, tightened his girdle, and arose,
casting lor the first time a glance in the direction of

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 297

the prisoner, who stood a little behind him. The wary,
though seemingly abstracted Uncas caught a glimpse ot
the movement, and turning suddenly to the light, their
looks met. Near a minute these two bold and untamed
spirits stood regarding one another steadily in the eye,
neither quailing in the least before the fierce gaza he en-
countered. The form of Uncas dilated, and his nostrils
opened like those of a tiger at bay; but so rigid and
unyielding was his posture, that he might easily have
"been converted by the imagination into an exquisite and
faultless representation of the warlike deity of his tribe.
The lineaments of the quivering features of Magna proved
more ductile; his countenance gradually lost its character
of defiance in an expression of ferocious joy, and heaving
a breath from the very bottom of his chest, he pronounced
aloud the formidable name of —

"LeCerf Agile!"

Each warrior sprang upon his feet at the utterance of
the well known appellation, and there was a short period
during which the stoical constancy of the natives was
completely conquered by surprise. The hated and yet
respected name was repeated as by one voice, carrying the
sound even beyond the limits of the lodge. The women
and children, who lingered around the entrance, took up
the words in an echo, which was succeeded by another
shrill and plaintive howl. The latter was not yet ended,
when the sensation among the men had entirely abated.
Each one in presence seated himself, as though ashamed
of his precipitation; but it was many minutes before their
meaning eyes ceased to roll towards their captive, in curi-
ous examination of a warrior who had so often proved his
prowess on the best and proudest of their nation. Uncas
enjoyed his victory, but was content with merely exhibit-
ing his triumph by a quiet smile — an emblem of scorn
which belongs to all time and every nation.

Magua caught the expression, and raising his arm, he
shook it at the captive, the light silver ornaments attached
to his bracelet rattling with the trembling agitation of the
limb, as, in a tone of vengeance, he exclaimed, in Eng-

298 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAN&

" Mohican, you die ! "

" The healing waters will never hring the dead Hurons
to life," returned Uncas, in the music of the Dela wares;
'Hhe tumbling river washes their bones; their men are
squaws ; their women owls. Go ! call together the Huron
dogs, that they may look upon a warrior. My nostrils
are offended; they scent the blood of a coward."

The latter allusion struck deep, and the injury rankled.
Many of the Hurons understood the strange tongue in
which the captive spoke, among which number was Magna.
This cunning savage beheld, and instantly profited by his
advantage. Dropping the light robe of skin from his
shoulder, he stretched forth his arm, and commenced a
burst of his dangerous and artful eloquence. However
much his influence among his people had been impaired
by his occasional and besetting weakness, as well as by his
desertion of the tribe, his courage and his fame as an
orator were undeniable. He never spoke without audi-
tors, and rarely without making converts to his opinions.
On the present occasion, his native powers were stimulated
by the thirst of revenge.

He again recounted the events of the attack on the
island at Glenn's, the death of his associates, and the
escape of their most formidable enemies. Then he de-
scribed the nature and position of the mount whither he
had led such captives as had fallen into their hands. Of
his own bloody intentions towards the maidens, and of
his baffled malice he made no mention, but passed rapidly
on to the surprise of the party by "La Longue Carabine, '^
and its fatal termination. Here he paused, and looked
about him, in affected veneration for the departed, but,
in truth, to note the effect of his opening narrative. As
usual, every eye was riveted on his face. Each dusky
figure seemed a breathing statue, so motionless was the
posture, so intense the attention of the individuaL

Then Magna dropped his voice, which had hitherto been
clear, strong, and elevated, and touched upon the merits
of the dead. No quality that was likely to command the
sympathy of an Indian escaped his notice. One had neyei

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 299

been known to follow the chase in vain; another had been
indefatigable on the trail of their enemies. This was
brave, that generous. In short, he so managed his allu-
sions, that in a nation which was composed of so few
families, he contrived to strike every chord that might
£nd, in its turn, some breast in which to vibrate.

"Are the bones of my young men," he concluded, "in
the burial-place of the Hurons ? You know they are not.
Their spirits are gone towards the setting sun, and are
already crossing the great waters, to the happy hunting-
grounds. But they departed without food, without guns
or knives, without moccasins, naked and poor as they
were bom. Shall this be ? Are their souls to enter the
land of the just like hungry Iroquois or unmanly Dela-
wares; or shall they meet their friends with arms in their
hands and robes on their backs ? "What will our fathers
think the tribes of the Wyandots have become? They
will look on their children with a dark eye, and say, Go I
a Chippewa has come hither with the name of a Huron.
Brothers, we must not forget the dead ; a red-skin nevei
ceases to remember. "We will load the back of this Mohi-
can until he staggers under our bounty, and dispatch him
after my young men. They call to us for aid, though
our ears are not open; they say. Forget us not. When
they see the spirit of this Mohican toiling after them with
his burden, they will know we are of that mind. Then
will they go on happy ; and our children will say, * So did
our fathers to their friends, so must we do to them.'
What is a Yengee ? we have slain many, but the earth is
still pale. A stain on the name of a Huron can only be
hid by blood that comes from the veins of an Indian.
Let this Delaware die. "

The effect of such an harangue, delivered in the nervous
language and with the emphatic manner of a Huron ora-
tor, could scarcely be mistaken. Magna had so artfully
blended the natural sympathies with the religious super-
stition of his auditors, that their minds, already prepared
by custom to sacrifice a victim to the manes of their coun-
tiymen, lost every vestige of humanity in a wish for

300 T&E LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

levenge. One warrior in particular, a man of wild and
ferocious mien, had been conspicuous for the attention he
had given to the words of the speaker. His countenance
had changed with each passing emotion, until it settled
into a look of deadly malice. As Magna ended he arose,
and uttering the yell of a demon, his polished little axe
was seen glancing in the torch-light as he whirled it above
his head. The motion and the cry were too sudden for
words to interrupt his bloody intention. It appeared as
if a bright gleam shot from his hand, which was crossed
at the same moment by a dark and powerful line. The
former was the tomahawk in its passage; the latter the
arm that Magna darted forward to divert its aim. The
quick and ready motion of the chief was not entirely too
late. The keen weapon cut the war-plume from the scalp-
ing tuft of Uncas, and passed through the frail wall of
the lodge as though it were hurled from some formidable
engine.

Duncan had seen the threatening action, and sprang
upon his feet, with a heart which, while it leaped into
his throat, swelled with the most generous resolution in
behalf of his friend. A glance told him that the blow
had failed, and terror changed to admiration. Uncas
stood still, looking his enemy in the eye with features
that seemed superior to emotion. Marble could not be
colder, calmer, or steadier than the countenance he put
upon this sudden and vindictive attack. Then, as if pity-
ing a want of skill which had proved so fortunate to him-
self, he smiled, and muttered a few words of contempt in
his own tongue.

"No!'' said Magua, after satisfying himself of the
safety of the captive; "the sun must shine on his shame;
the squaws must see his flesh tremble, or our revenge will
be like the play of boys. Go ! take him where there is
silence ; let us see if a Delaware can sleep at night, and in
the morning die."

The yoimg men whose duty it was to guard the prisoner
instantly passed their ligaments of bark across his arms,
'^nd led him from the lodge, amid a profound and ominous

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 801

Bilence. It was only as the figure of Uncas stood in the
opening of the door that his firm step hesitated. There
he turned, and, in the sweeping and haughty glance that
lie threw around the circle of his enemies, Duncan caught
a look which he was glad to construe into an expression
that he was not entirely deserted by hope.

Magna was content with his success, or too much occu-
pied with his secret purposes to push his inquiries any
further. Shaking his mantle, and folding it on his bosom,
he also quitted the place, without pursuing a subject
which might have proved so fatal to the individual at his
elhow. Notwithstanding his rising resentment, his natu-
ral firmness, and his anxiety in behalf of Uncas, Hey ward
felt sensibly relieved by the absence of so dangerous and
so subtle a foe. The excitement produced by the speech
gradually subsided. The warriors resumed their seats,
and clouds of smoke once more filled the lodge. For near
half an hour, not a syllable was uttered, or scarcely a look
cast aside ; a grave and meditative silence being the ordi-
nary succession to every scene of violence and commotion
amongst those beings, who were alike so impetuous and
yet so self -restrained.

When the chief who had solicited the aid of Duncan
finished his pipe, he made a final and successful movement
towards departing. A motion of a finger was the intima-
tion he gave the supposed physician to follow; and pass-
ing through the clouds of smoke, Duncan was glad, on
more accounts than one, to be able at last to breathe the
pure air of a cool and refreshing summer evening.

Instead of pursuing his way among those lodges where
Heyward had already made his Unsuccessful search, his
companion turned aside, and proceeded directly towards
the base of an adjacent mountain, which overhung the
temporary village. A thicket of brush skirted its foot,
and it became necessary to proceed through a crooked and
narrow path. The boys had resumed their sports in the
clearing, and were enacting a mimic chase to the post
among themselves. In order to render their games as like
the reality as possible, one of the boldest of their number

802 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

had conveyed a few brands into some piles of tree-tope
that had hitherto escaped the burning. The blaze of one
of these fires lighted the way of the chief and Duncan,
and gave a character of additional wildness to the rude
scenery. At a little distance from a bald rock, and di-
rectly in its front, they entered a grassy opening, which
they prepared to cross. Just then fresh fuel 'was added
to the fire, and a powerful light penetrated even to that
distant spot. It fell upon the white surface of the moun-
tain, and was reflected downwards upon a dark and myste-
rious-looking being that arose, unexpectedly, in their path.

The Indian paused, as if doubtful whether to proceed,
and permitted his companion to approach his side. A
large black ball, which at first seemed stationary, now
began to move in a manner that to the latter was inexpli-
cable. Again the fire brightened, and its glare fell more
distinctly on the object. Then even Duncan knew it, by
its restless and sideling attitudes, which kept the upper
part of its form in constant motion, while the animal itself
appeared seated, to be a bear. Though it growled loudly
and fiercely, and there were instants when its glistening
eye-balls might be seen, it gave no other indications of
hostility. The Huron, at least, seemed assured that the
intentions of this singular intruder were peaceable, for
after giving it an attentive examination, he quietly pur-
sued his course.

Duncan, who knew that the animal was often domes-
ticated among the Indians, followed the example of his
companion, believing that some favorite of the tribe had
found its way into the thicket, in search of food. They
passed it unmolested. Though obliged to come nearly in
contact with the monster, the Huron, who had at first so
warily determined the character of his strange visitor, was
now content with proceeding without wasting a momeat
in further examination ; but Heyward was imable to pre-
vent his eyes from looking backward, in salutary watchful-
ness against attacks in the rear. His uneasiness was in
no degree diminished when he perceived the beast rolling
along their path, and following their footsteps. He would

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 303

lave spoken, but the Indian at that moment shoved aside
a door of bark, and entered a cavern in the bosom of the
mountain.

Profiting by so easy a method of retreat, Duncan stepped
after him, and was gladly closing the slight cover to the
opening, when he felt it drawn from his hand by the
beast, whose shaggy form immediately darkened the pas-
sage. They were now in a straight and long gallery, -in
a chasm of the rocks, where retreat without encountering
the animal was impossible. Making the best of the cir-
cumstances, the young man pressed forward, keeping as
close as possible to his conductor. The bear growled fre-
quently at his heels, and once or twice its enormous paws
were laid on his person, as if disposed to prevent his fur-
ther passage into the den.

How long the nerves of Heyward would have sustained
him in this extraordinary situation, it might be difficult
to decide; for, happily, he soon found relief. A glim-
mer of light had constantly been in their front, and they
now arrived at the place whence it proceeded.

A large cavity in the rock had been rudely fitted to
answer the purposes of many apartments. The subdivi-
sions were simple but ingenious, being composed of stone,
sticks, and bark, intermingled. Openings above admitted
the light by day, and at night fires and torches supplied
the place of the sun. Hither the Hurons had brought
most of their valuables, especially those which more par-
ticularly pertained to the nation; and hither, as it now
appeared, the sick woman, who was believed to be the
victim of supernatural power, had been transported also,
imder an impression that her tormentor would find more
difficulty in making his assaults through walls of stone
than through the leafy coverings of the lodges. The
apartment into which Duncan and his guide first entered,
had been exclusively devoted to her accommodation.
The latter approached her bedside, which was surrounded
by females, in the centre of whom Heyward was surprised
to find his missing friend Davida

A single look was suffic\ent to apprise the pretended

804 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

leech that the invalid was far beyond his powers of heal-
ing. She lay in a sort of paralysis, indifferent to the
objects which crowded before her sight, and happily un-
conscious of suffering. Heyward was far from regretting
that his mummeries were to be performed on one who "was
much too ill to take an interest in their failure or success.
The slight qualm of conscience which had been excited
by .the intended deception was instantly appeased, and he
began to collect his thoughts, in order to enact his part
with suitable spirit, when he found he was about to be
anticipated in his skill by an attempt to prove the power
of music.

Gamut, who had stood prepared to pour forth his spirit
in song when the visitors entered, after delaying a mo-
ment, drew a strain from his pipe, and commenced a hymn
that might have worked a miracle, had faith in its efficacy
been of much avail. He was allowed to proceed to the
close, the Indians respecting his imaginary infirmity, and
Duncan too glad of the delay to hazard the slightest inter-
ruption. As the dying cadence of his strains was falling
on the ears of the latter, he started aside at hearing them
repeated behind him, in a voice half human and half sepul-
chral. Looking around, he beheld the shaggy monster
seated on end in a shadow of the cavern, where, while
his restless body swung in the uneasy manner of the ani-
mal, it repeated, in a sort of low growl, sounds, if not
words, which bore some slight resemblance to the melody
of the singer.

The effect of so strange an echo on David may better
be imagined than described. His eyes opened as if he
doubted their truth; and his voice became instantly mute
in excess of wonder. A deep-laid scheme, of communicat-
ing some important intelligence to Heyward, was driven
from his recollection by an emotion which very nearly
resembled fear, but which he was fain to believe was
admiration. Under its influence, he exclaimed aloud,
"She expects you, she is at hand;'' and precipitately left
(he cavern.

THE LAST OF THE MOmCAKS. 305

CHAPTER XXV.

Snug, — Ba,re you the lion's part written ? Pray you, if it be, gire it me, tot
1 am alow of rtndy.
Quinee, — Yoa may do it extempore, for it is nothing bat roaring.

flHAmaraABB, Midsummer NigM'9 Dreamy L iL 6&

There was a strange blending of the ridiculous with
that which was solemn in this scene. The beast still
continued its rolling, and apparently untiring movements,
though its ludicrous attempt to imitate the melody of
David ceased the instant the latter abandoned the field.
The words of Gamut were, as has been seen, in his native
tongue; and to Duncan they seemed pregnant with some
hidden meaning, though nothing present assisted him in
discovering the object of their allusion. A speedy end
was, however, put to every conjecture on the subject, by
the manner of the chief, who advanced to the bedside of
the invalid, and beckoned away the whole group of female
attendants that had clustered there to witness the skill
of the stranger. He was implicitly, though reluctantly,
obeyed; and when the low echo which rang along the
hollow natural gallery, from the distant closing door, had
ceased, pointing towards his insensible daughter, he
said, —

"Now let my brother show his power."

Thus unequivocally called on to exercise the functions
of his assumed character, Heyward was apprehensive that
the smallest delay might prove dangerous. Endeavoring
then to collect his ideas, he prepared to perform that spe-
cies of incantation, and those uncouth rites, under which
the Indian conjurers are accustomed to conceal their igno-
rance and impotency. It is more than probable that, in
the disordered state of his thoughts, he would soon have
fallen into some suspicious, if not fatal error, had not his

806 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

incipient attempts been interrupted by a fierce growl from
the quadruped. Three several times did he renew his
efforts to proceed, and as often was he met by the same
unaccountable opposition, each interruption seeming more
savage and threatening than the preceding.

"The cunning ones are jealous," said the Huron; "I
go. Brother the woman is the wife of one of my bravest
young men; deal justly by her. Peace!" he added,
beckoning to the discontented beast to be quiet; "I go."

The chief was as good as his word, and Duncan now
found himself alone in that wild and desolate abode, with
the helpless invalid and the fierce and dangerous brute.
The latter listened to the movements of the Indian with
that air of sagacity that a bear is known to possess, until
another echo announced that he had also left the cavern,
when it turned and came waddling up to Duncan, before
whom it seated itself, in its natural attitude, erect like a
man. The youth looked anxiously about him for some
weapon, with which he might make a resistance against
the attack he now seriously expected.

It seemed, however, as if the humor of the animal had
suddenly changed. Instead of continuing its discontented
growls, or manifesting any further signs of anger, the
whole of its shaggy body shook violently, as if agitated
by some strange internal convulsion. The huge and un-
wieldy talons pawed stupidly about the grinning muzzle,
and while Heyward kept his eyes riveted on its move-
nients with jealous watchfulness, the grim head fell on
one side, and in its place appeared the honest, sturdy
countenance of the scout, who was indulging, from the
bottom of his soul, in his own peculiar expression of mer-
riment.

"Hist!" said the wary woodsman, interrupting Hey-
ward's exclamation of surprise; "the varlets are about
the place, and any sounds that are not natural to witch-
craft would bring them back upon us in a body."

"Tell me the meaning of this masquerade; and why
you have attempted so desperate an adventure ? "

"Ah! reason and calculation are often outdone by acci*

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 807

dent," relumed the scout. "But as a story should always
commence at the heginning, I will tell you the whole in
order. After we parted I placed the commandant and the
Sagamore in an old beaver lodge, where they are safer
from the Hurons than they would be in the garrison of
Edward; for your high northwest Indians, not having as
yet got the traders among them, continue to venerate the
beaver. After which Uncas and I pushed for the othei
encampment, as was agreed ; have you seen the lad ? ''

" To my great grief ! he is captive, and condemned to
die at the rising of the sun.'^

/^*I had misgivings that such would be his fate," re-
sumed the scout, in a less confident and joyous tone. But
soon regaining his naturally firm voice, he continued:
" His bad fortune is the true reason of my being here, for
it would never do to abandon such a boy to the Hurons.
A rare time the knaves would have of it, could they tie
* The Bounding Elk ' and * The Long Carabine, ' as they
call me, to the same stake ! Though why they have given
me such a name I never knew, there being as little like-
ness between the gifts of Killdeer and the performance of
one of your real Canada carabynes, as there is between the
natur' of a pipe-stone and a flint ! "

"Keep to your tale," said the impatient Hey ward;
"we know not at what moment the Hurons may return."

"Ko fear of them. A conjurer must have his time,
like a straggling priest in the settlements. We are as
safe from interruption as a missionary would be at the
beginning of a two hours' discourse. Well, Uncas and I
fell in with a return party of the varlets; the lad was
much too forward for a scout; nay, for that matter, being
of hot blood, he was not so much to blame; and, after
all, one of the Hurons proved a coward, and in fleeing
led him into an ambushment."

"And dearly has he paid for the weakness! "

The scout significantly passed his hand across his own
throat, and nodded, as if he said, "I comprehend your
meaning." After which he continued, in a more audible
though scarcely more intelligible language, —

808 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" After the loss of the boy I turned upon the Hurons,
as you may judge. There have been skrimmages atween
one or two of their outlyers and myself; but that is neither
here nor there. So, after I had shot the imps, I got in
pretty nigh to the lodges without further commotion.
Then what should luck do in my favor, but lead me to
the very spot where one of the most famous conjurers of
the tribe was dressing himself, as I well knew, for some
great battle with Satan — though why should I call tliat
luck, which it now seems was an especial ordering of
Providence ! ' So a judgmatical rap over the head stiffened
the lying impostor for a time, and leaving him a bit of
walnut for his supper, to prevent an uproar, and string-
ing him up atween two saplings, I made free with his
finery, and took the part of the bear on myself, in order
that the operations might proceed."

"And admirably did you enact the character; the ani-
mal itself might have been shamed by the representation."

"Lord, Major," returned the flattered woodsman, "I
should be but a poor scholar for one who has studied so
long in the wilderness, did I not know how to set forth
the movements and natur' of such a beast. Had it been
now a catamount, or even a full-sized panther, I would
have embellished a performance for you worth regarding.
But it is no such marvelous feat to exhibit the feats of so
dull a beast; though, for that matter too, a bear may be
over-acted. Yes, yes ; it is not every imitator that knows
natur' may be outdone easier than she is equaled. But
all our work is yet before us : where is the gentle one ? "

"Heaven knows; I have examined every lodge in the
village, without discovering the slightest trace of her pres-
ence in the tribe."

" You heard what the singer said, as he left us, ' She
is at hand, and expects you ' ? "

" I have been compelled to believe he alluded to thii
tmhappy woman."-

" The simpleton was frightened, and blundered through
his message; but he had a deeper meaning. Here are
walls enough to separate the whole settlement. A bear

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. S09

ought to climb; therefore will I take a look above them.
There may be honey-pots hid in these rocks, and I am a
beast, you know, that has a hankering for the sweets."

The scout looked behind him, laughing at his own con-
ceit, while he clambered up the partition, imitating, as he
went, the clumsy motions of the beast he represented;
but the instant the summit was gained he made a gesture
for silence, and slid down with the utmost precipitation.

"She is here," he whispered, "and by that door you
will find her. I would have spoken a word of comfort to
the afflicted soul; but the sight of such a monster might
upset her reason. Though for that matter. Major, you
are none of the most inviting yourself in your paint."

Duncan, who had already sprung eagerly forward, drew
instantly back on hearing these discouraging words.

" Am I, then, so very revolting ? " he demanded, with
an air of chagrin.

"You might not startle a wolf, or turn the Royal
Americans from a charge ; but I have seen the time when
you had a better-favored look ; your streaked countenances
are not ill-judged of by the squaws, but young women of
white blood give the preference to their own color. See,"
he added, pointing to a place where the water trickled
from a rock, forming a little crystal spring before it found
an issue through the adjacent crevices; "you may easily
get rid of the Sagamore's daub, and when you come back
I will try my hand at a new jsmbellishment. It 's as com-
mon for a conjurer to alter his paint as for a buck in the
settlements to change his finery."

The deliberate woodsman had little occasion to hunt for
arguments to enforce his advice. He was yet speaking
when Duncan availed himself of the water. In a moment
every frightful or offensive mark was obliterated, and the
youth appeared again in the lineaments with which he had
been gifted by nature. Thus prepared for an* interview
with his mistress, he took a hasty leave of his companion,
and disappeared through the indicated passage. The scout
witnessed his departure with complacency, nodding his
head after him, and muttering his good wishes; aftei

SIO THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

which he very coolly set about an examination of the state
of the larder, among the Hurons — the cavern, among
other purposes, being used as a receptacle for the fruits of
their hunts.

Duncan had no other guide than a distant glimmering
light, which served, however, the office of a polar star to
the lover. By its aid he was enabled to enter the haven
of his hopes, which was merely another apartment of the
cavern, that had been solely appropriated to the safe-keep-
^ ing of so important a prisoner as a daughter of the com-
mandant of William Henry. It was profusely strewed
with the plunder of that unlucky fortress. In the midst
of this confusion he found her he sought, pale, anxious,
and terrified, but lovely. David had prepared her for
such a visit.

" Duncan ! " she exclaimed, in a voice that seemed to
tremble at the sounds created by itself.

"Alice I " he answered, leaping carelessly among trunks,
boxes, arms, and furniture, until he stood at her side.

"I knew that you would never desert me," she said,
looking up with a momentary glow on her otherwise de-
jected countenance. "But you are alone! grateful as it
is to be thus remembered, I could wish to think you are
not entirely alone.''

Duncan, observing that she trembled in a manner which
betrayed her inability to stand, gently induced her to he
seated, while he recounted those leading incidents which
it has been our task to record. Alice listened with breath-
less interest; and though the young man touched lightly
on the sorrows of the stricken father, taking care, how-
ever, not to wound the self-love of his auditor, the tears
ran as freely down the cheeks of the daughter as though
she had never wept before. The soothing tenderness of
Duncan, however, soon quieted the first burst of her emo-
tions, and she then heard him to the close with undivided
attention, if not with composure.

"And now, Alice," he added, "you will see how much
is still expected of you. By the assistance of our expe-
rienced and invaluable friend, the scout, we may find our

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 311

way from this savage people, but you will have to exert
your utmost fortitude. Remember that you fly to the
arms of your venerable parent, and how much his happi-
ness, as well as your own, depends on those exertions."

^' Can I do otherwise for a father who has done so much
for me ? "

** And for me too," continued the youth, gently pressing
the hand he held in both his own.

The look of innocence and surprise which he received
in return convinced Duncan of the necessity of being more
explicit.

**This is neither the place nor the occasion to detain
you with selfish wishes," he added; "but what heart
loaded like mine would not wish to cast its burden?
They say misery is the closest of all ties; our common
suffering in your behalf left but little to be explained
hetween your father and myself."

"And dearest Cora, Duncan; surely Cora was not for-
gotten ? "

"Not forgotten! no; regretted, as woman was seldom
mourned before. Your venerable father knew no differ-
ence between his children; but I — Alice, you will not
he offended when I say, that to me her worth was in a
degree obscured " —

"Then you knew not the merit of my sister," said
Alice, withdrawing her hand; "of you she ever speaks as
of one who is her dearest friend."

"I would gladly believe her such," returned Duncan,
hastily; "I could wish her to be even more; but with
you, Alice, I have the permission of your father to aspiro
to a still nearer and dearer tie."

Alice trembled violently, and there was an instant dur-
ing which she bent her face aside, yielding to the emotions
common to her sex; but they quickly passed away, leaving
her mistress of her deportment, if not of her affections.

"Hey ward," she said, looking him full in the face with
a touching expression of innocence and dependency, "give
me the sacred presence and the holy sanction of that par-
ent before you urge me further. "

812 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Though more I should not, less I could not say," the
youth was about to answer, when he was interrupted by
a light tap on his shoulder. Starting to his feet, he
turned, and, confronting the intruder, his looks fell on
the dark form and malignant visage of Magna. The deep
guttural laugh of the savage sounded, at such a moment,
to Duncan like the hellish taunt of a demon. Had he
pursued the sudden and fierce impulse of the instant, he
would have cast himself on the Huron, and committed
their fortunes to the issue of a deadly struggle. But,
without arms of any description, ignorant* of what succor
his subtle enemy could command, and charged with the
safety of one who was just then dearer than ever to his
heart, he no sooner entertained than he abandoned the
desperate intention.

"What is your purpose?" said Alice, meekly folding
her arms on her bosom, and struggling to conceal an agony
of apprehension in behalf of Hey ward, in the usual cold
and distant manner with which she received the visits of
her captor.

The exulting Indian had resumed his austere counte-
nance, though he drew warily back before the menacing
glance of the young man's fiery eye. He regarded both
his captives for a moment with a steady look, and then
stepping aside, he dropped a log of wood across a door
different from that by which Duncan had entered. The
latter now comprehended the manner of his surprise, and
believing himself irretrievably lost, he drew Alice to his
bosom, and stood prepared to meet a fate which he hardly
regretted, since it was to be suffered in such company.
But Magna meditated no immediate violence. His first
measures were very evidently taken to secure his new
captive; nor did he even bestow a second glance at the
motionless forms in the centre of the cavern, until he had
completely cut off every hope of retreat through the pri-
vate outlet he had himself used. He was watched in all
his movements by Heyward, who, however, remained
firm, still folding the fragile form of Alice to his heart, at
once too proud and too hopeless to ask favor of an .enemy

THE LAST OF THE MOHICAl^S. BlS^

BO often foiled. When Magna had effected his ohject he
approached his prisoners, and said in English, —

"The palefaces trap the cunning beavers; but the red-
skins know how to take the Yengeese.''

" Huron, do your worst ! " exclaimed the excited Hey-
ward, forgetful that a double stake was involved in his
life; "you and your vengeance are alike despised."

" Will the white man speak these words at the stake? "
asked Magna; manifesting, at the same time, how little
faith he had in the other's resolution by the sneer that
accompanied his words.

" Here ; singly to your face, or in the presence of your
nation."

"Le Renard Subtil is a great chief! " returned the In-
dian; "he will go and bring his young men, to see how
bravely a paleface can laugh at the tortures."

He turned away while speaking, and was about to leave
the place through the avenue by which Duncan had ap-
proached, when a growl caught his ear, and caused him to
hesitate. The figure of the bear appeared in the door,
where it sat, rolling from side to side in its customary
restlessness. Magna, like the father of the sick woman,
eyed it keenly for a moment, as if to ascertain its charac-
ter. He was far above the more vulgar superstitions of
his tribe, and so soon as he recognized the well-known at-
tire of the conjurer, he prepared to pass it in cool contempt.
But a louder and more threatening growl caused him again
to pause. Then he seemed as if suddenly resolved to
trifle no longer, and moved resolutely forward. The
mimic animal, which had advanced a little, retired slowly
in his front, until it arrived again at the pass, when
rearing on its hinder legs it beat the air with its paws, in
the manner practiced by its brutal prototype.

" Fool ! " exclaimed the chief, in Huron, " go play with
the children and squaws ; leave men to their wisdom. "

He once more endeavored to pass the supposed empiric,
scorning even the parade of threatening to use the knife,
or tomahawk, that was pendent from his belt. Suddenly
the beast extended its arms, or rather legs, and inclosed

814 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

him in a grasp that might have vied with the far-famed
power of the "bear's hug" itself. Hey ward had watcb.ed
the whole procedure, on the part of Hawkeye, with breatli-
less interest. At first he relinquished his hold of Alice ;
then he caught up a thong of buckskin, which had been
used around some bundle, and when he beheld his enemy
with his two arms pinned to his side by the iron muscles
of the scout, he rushed upon him, and effectually secured
them there. Arms, legs, and feet were encircled in twenty
folds of the thong, in less time than we have taken to re-
cord the circumstance. When the formidable Huron was
completely pinioned, the scout released his hold, and Dun-
can laid his enemy on his back, utterly helpless.

Throughout the whole of this sudden and extraordinary
operation, Magna, though he had struggled violently, until
assured he was in the hands of one whose nerves were far
better strung than his own, had not uttered the slightest
exclamation. But when Hawkeye, by way of making a
summary explanation of his conduct, removed the shaggy
jaws of the beast, and exposed his own rugged and earnest
countenance to the gaze of the Huron, the philosophy of
the latter was so far mastered as to permit him to utter the
never-failing, —

"Hugh!"

" Aye ! you ' ve found your tongue, said his undisturbed
conqueror ; " now, in order that you shall not use it to our
ruin, I must make free to stop your mouth."

As there was no time to be lost, the scout immediately
set about effecting so necessary a precaution; and when he
had ga^ed the Indian, his enemy might safely have been
considered as "hors de combat."

" By what place did the imp enter 1 " asked the indus-
trious scout, when his work was ended. " Not a soul has
passed my way since you left me."

Duncan pointed out the door by which Magna had come,
and which now presented too many obstacles to a quick
retreat.

"Bring on the gentle one then," continued his friend;
"we must make a push for the woods by the other outlet^

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 815

" 'T is impossible ! " said Duncan ; " fear has overcome
her, and she is helpless. Alice ! my sweet, my own Alice,
ftTOUse yourself; now is the moment to fly. 'T is in vain!
she hears, but is unable to follow. Go, noble and worthy
friend; save yourself, and leave me to my fate!"

''Every trail has its end, and every calamity brings its
lesson!'^ returned the scout. "There, wrap her in them
Indian cloths. Conceal all of her little form. Nay, that
foot has no fellow in the wilderness; it will betray her.
All, every part. Now take her in your arms, and follow.
Leave the rest to me."

Duncan, as may be gathered from the words of his com-
panion, was eagerly obeying; and as the other finished
speaking, he took the light person of Alice in his arms,
and followed on the footsteps of the scout. They found
the sick woman as they had left her, still alone, and passed
swiftly on, by the natural gallery, to the place of entrance.

As they approached the little door of bark, a murmur of
voices without announced that the friends and relatives
of the invalid were gathered about the place, patiently
awaiting a summons to reenter.

"If I open my lips to speak," Hawkeye whispered,
"my English, which is the genuine tongue of a white-skin,
will tell the varlets that an enemy is among them. You
must give 'em your jargon, Major; and say that we have
shut the evil spirit in the cave, and are taking the woman
to the woods in order to find strengthening roots. Prac-
tyse all your cunning, for it is a lawful undertaking."

The door opened a little, as if one without was listening
. to the proceedings within, and compelled the scout to cease
his directions. A fierce growl repelled the eavesdropper,
and then the scout boldly threw open the covering of bark,
and left the place, enacting the character of the bear as he
proceeded. Dimcan kept close at his heels, and soon found
himself in the centre of a cluster of twenty anxious rela-
tives and friends.

The crowd fell back a little, and permitted the father,
and one who appeared to be the husband of the woman, to
approach.

816 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Has my brother driven away the evil spirit?" de-
manded the former. " What has he in his arms ? "

"Thy child," returned Duncan, gravely; "the disease
has gone out of her; it is shut up in the rocks. I take
the woman to a distance, where I will strengthen her
against any further attacks. She shall be in the wigwam
of the young man when the sun comes again."

When the father had translated the meaning of the
stranger's words into the Huron language, a suppressed
murmur announced the satisfaction with which this intel-
ligence was received. The chief himself waved his hand
for Duncan to proceed, saying aloud, in a firm voice, and
with a lofty manner, —

"Go; I am a man, and I will enter the rock and fight
the wicked one."

• Hey ward had gladly obeyed, and was * already past the
little group, when these startling words arrested him.

"Is my brother mad?" he exclaimed; "is he cruel!
He will meet the disease, and it will enter him ; or he will
drive out the disease, and it will chase his daughter into
thei woods. No ; let my children wait without, and if the
spirit appears beat him down with clubs. He is cunning,
and will bury himself in the mountain, when he sees how
many are ready to fight him."

This singular warning had the desired effect. Instead
of entering the cavern, the father and husband drew their
tomahawks, and posted themselves in readiness to deal
their vengeance on the imaginary tormentor of their sick
relative, while the women and children broke branches
from the bushes, or seized fragments of the rock, with a
similar intention. At this favorable moment the counter-
feit conjurers disappeared.

Hawkeye, at the same time that he had presumed so far
on the nature of the Indian superstitions, was not ignorant
that they were rather tolerated than relied on by the wis-
est of the chiefs. He well knew the value of time in the
present emergency. Whatever might be the extent of the
self-delusion of his enemies, and however it had tended to
assist his schemes, the slightest cause of suspicion, acting

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 817

on the subtle nature of an Indian, would be likely to prove
fatal. Taking the path, therefore, that was most likely
to avoid observation, he rather skirted than entered the
village. The warriors were still to be seen in the dis-
tance, by the fading light of the fires, stalking from lodge
to lodge. But the children had abandoned their sports
for their beds of skins, and the quiet of night was already
beginning to prevail over the turbulence and excitement
of so busy and important an evening.

Alice revived under the renovating influence of the
open air, and as her physical rather than her mental pow<
ers had been the subject of weakness, she stood in no need
of any explanation of that which had occurred.

**Now let me make an effort to walk," she said, when
they had entered the forest, blushing, though unseen, that
she had not been sooner able to quit the arms of Duncan;
"I am indeed restored."

"Nay, Alice, you are yet too weak."
The maiden struggled gently to release herself, and
Hey ward was compelled to part with his precious burden.
The representative of the bear had certainly been an entire
stranger to the delicious emotions of the lover while his
arms encircled his mistress ; and he was, perhaps, a stran*
ger also to the nature of that feeling of ingenuous shame
that oppressed the trembling Alice. But when he found
himself at a suitable distance from the lodges he made a
halt, and spoke on a subject of which he was thoroughly
the master.

"This path will lead you to the brook," he said;
" follow its northern bank until you come to a fall ; mount
the hill on your right, and you will see the fires of the
other people. There you must go and demand protection ;
if they are true Delawares, you will be safe. A distant
flight with that gentle one, just now, is impossible. The
Hurons would follow up our trail, and master our scalps,
before we had got a dozen miles. Go, and Providence
be with you."

"And you! "■ demanded Hey ward, in surprise; "surely
we part not here ? "

818 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANs!

" The Hurons hold the pride of the Delawares ; the last
of the high blood of the Mohicans is in their power, '^ re-
turned the scout; "I go to see what can be done in his
favor. Had they mastered your scalp, Major, a knave
should have fallen for every hair it held, as I promised;
but if the young Sagamore is to be led to the stake, the
Indians shall see also how a man without a cross can die."

Not in the least offended with the decided preference
that the sturdy woodsman gave to one who might, in some
degree, be called the child of his adoption, Duncan still
continued to urge such reasons against so desperate an
effort as presented themselves. He was aided by Alice,
who mingled her entreaties with those of Heyward that
he would abandon a resolution that promised so much
danger, with so little hope of success. Their eloquence
and ingenuity were expended in- vain. The scout heard
them attentively, but impatiently, and finally closed the
discussion, by answering, in a tone that instantly silenced
Alice, while it told Heyward how fruitless any further
remonstrances would be, —

"I have heard, '^ he said, "that there is a feeling in
youth which binds man to woman closer than the father
is tied to the son. It may be so. I have seldom been
where women of my color dwell; but such may be the
gifts of nature in the settlements. You have risked life,
and all that is dear to you, to bring off this gentle one,
and I suppose that some such disposition is at the bottom
of it all. As for me, I taught the lad the real character
of a rifle; and well has he paid me for it. I have fou't
at his side in many a bloody skrimmage ; and so long as
I could hear the crack of his piece in one ear, and that of
the Sagamore in the other, I knew no enemy was on my
back. Winters and summers, nights and days, have we
roved the wilderness in company, eating of the same dish,
one sleeping while the other watched; and afore it shall
be said that Uncas was taken to the torment, and I at
hand — There is but a single ruler of us all, whatever
may be the color of the skin; and Him I call to witness,
that before the Mohican boy shall perish for the want d

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 319

a friend, good faith shall depart the 'arth, and Killdeer
"become as harmless as the looting we'pon of the singer! ''

Duncan released his hold on the arm of the scout, who
turned, and steadily retraced his steps towards the lodges.

After pausing a moment to gaze at his retiring form, the
successful and yet sorrowful Heyward, and Alice, took
their way together towards the distant village of the Dela-
"wares.

CHAPTER XXVL

Bottom, — Let me play the lion too.

Shakmfmabb, Midiummor NigkPa Dttan^ L U. 72.

Notwithstanding the high resolution of Hawkeye,
lie fully comprehended all the difficulties and dangers he
was about to incur. In his return to the camp, his acute
vind practiced intellects were intently engaged in devising
tfieans to counteract a watchfulness and suspicion on the
part of his enemies, that he knew were in no degree in-
ferior to his own. Nothing but the color of his skin had
saved the lives of Magna and the conjurer, who would
have been the first victims sacrificed to his own security,
had not the scout believed such an act, however congenial
it might be to the nature of an Indian, utterly unworthy
of one who boasted a descent from men that knew no cross
of blood. Accordingly, he trusted to the withes and liga-
ments with which he had bound his captives, and pursued
his way directly towards the centre of the lodges.

As he approached the buildings, his steps became more
deliberate, and his vigilant eye suffered no sign, whether
friendly or hostile, to escape him. A neglected hut was
a little in advance of the others, and appeared as if it had
been deserted when half completed — most probably on ac-
count of failing in some of the more important requisites,
such as wood or water. A faint light glimmered through
its cracks, however, and announced that, notwithstanding
its imperfect structure, it was not without a tenant.
Thither, then, the scout proceeded, like a prudent generalf

820 THE LAST OF THB MOHICANS,

who was about to feel the adyanced positions of his enemy,
before he hazarded the main attack.

Throwing himself into a suitable posture for the beast
he represented, Hawkeye crawled to a little opening,
where he might command a view of the interior. It
proved to be the abiding-place of David Gamut. Hither
the faithful singing-master had now brought himself, to-
gether with all his sorrows, his apprehensions, and his
meek dependence on the protection of Providence. At
the precise moment when his ungainly person came under
the observation of the scout, in the manner just mentioned,
the woodsman himself, though in his assumed character,
was the subject of the solitary being's profoundest reflec-
tions.

However implicit the faith of David was in the per-
formance of ancient miracles, he eschewed the belief of
any direct supernatural agency in the management of mod-
ern morality. In other words, while he had implicit faith
in the ability of Balaam's ass to speak, he was somew^hat
skeptical on the subject of a bear's singing; and yet he
had been assured of the latter, on the testimony of his own
exquisite organs. There was something in his air and
manner that betrayed to the scout the utter confusion of
the state of his mind. He was seated on a pile of brush,
a few twigs from which occasionally fed his low fire, with
his head leaning on his arm, in a posture of melancholy
musing. The costume of the votary of music had under-
gone no other alteration from that so lately described, ex-
cept that he had covered his bald head with the triangular
beaver, which had not proved sufficiently alluring to excite
the cupidity of any of his captors.

The ingenious Hawkeye, who recalled the hasty man-
ner in which the other had abandoned his post at the bed-
side of the sick woman, was not without his suspicions
concerning the subject of so much solemn deliberation.
First making the circuit of the hut, and ascertaining that
it stood quite alone, and that the character of its inmate
was likely to protect it from visitors, he ventured through
its low door, into the very presence of Gamut. The posi-

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 321

1;ion of the latter brought the fire between them ; and when
Hawkeye had seated himself on end, near a minute
elapsed, during which the two remained regarding each
other without speaking. The suddenness and the nature
of the surprise had nearly proved too much for — we will
not say the philosophy — but for the faith and resolution
of David. He fumbled for his pitch-pipe, and arose with
a confused intention of attempting a musical exorcism.

"Dark and mysterious monster ! " he exclaimed, while
with trembling hands he disposed of his auxiliary eyes,
and sought his never-failing resource in trouble, the gifted
version of the Psalms; "I know not your nature nor in-
tents ; but if aught you meditate against the person and
rights of one of the humblest servants of the temple, listen
to the inspired language of the youth of Israel, and re-
pent.''

The bear shook his shaggy sides, and then a well-known
voice replied, "Put up the tooting weapon, and teach your
throat modesty. Five words of plain and comprehendible
English are worth, just now, an hour of squalling."

" What art thou ! " demanded David, utterly disqualified
to pursue his original intention, and nearly gasping for
breath.

"A man like yourself; and one whose blood is as little
tainted by the cross of a bear, or an Indian, as your own.
Have you so soon forgotten from whom you received the
foolish instrument you hold in your hand ? "

"Can these things be? " returned David, breathing more
freely, as the truth began to dawn upon him. " I have
found many marvels during my sojourn with the heathen,
but surely nothing to excel this ! "

"Come, come," returned Hawkeye, uncasing his honest
countenance, the better to assure the wavering confidence
of his companion; "you may see a skin which, if it be
not as white as one of the gentle ones, has no tinge of red
to it that the winds of the heaven and the sun have not
bestowed. Now let us to business."

"First tell me of the maiden, and of the youth who so
bravely sought her," interrupted David.

822 THB LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"Aye, they are happily freed from the tomahawks of
these varlets. But can you put me on the scent of
Uncas ? "

"The young man is in hondage, and much I fear his
death is decreed. I greatly mourn that one so well dis-
posed should die in his ignorance, and I 'have sought a
goodly hymn" —

" Can you lead me to him ? ''

"The task will not he difl&cult," returned David, hesi-
tating; "though I greatly fear your presence would rather
increase than mitigate his unhappy fortunes."

"No more words, hut lead on," returned Hawkey e,
concealing his face again, and setting the example in his
own person, hy instantly quitting the lodge.

As they proceeded, the scout ascertained that his com-
panion found access to Uncas under privilege of his imagi-
nary infirmity, aided by the favor he had acquired with
one of the guards, who, in consequence of speaking a
little English, had been selected by David as the subject
of a religious conversion. How far the Huron compre-
hended the intentions of his new friend may well be
doubted; but as exclusive attention is as flattering to a
savage as to a more civilized individual, it had produced
the effect we have mentioned. It is unnecessary to re-
peat the shrewd manner with which the scout extracted
these particulars from the simple David ; neither shall we
dwell in this place on the nature of the instructions he
delivered, when completely master of all the necessary
facts, as the whole will be sufficiently explained to the
reader in the course of the narrative.

The lodge in which Uncas was confined was in the very
centre of the village, and in a situation, perhaps, more
difficult than any other to approach, or leave, without
observation. But it was not the policy of Hawkeye to
affect the least concealment. Presuming on his disguise,
and his ability to sustain the character he had assumed,
he took the most plain and direct route to the place. The
hour, however, afforded him some little of that protection
^hich he appeared so much to despise. The boys were

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 328

already buried in sleep, and all the women, and most of
the warriors, had retired to their lodges for the night.
Four or five of the latter only lingered about the door of
the prison of Uncas, wary but close observers of the man-
ner of their captive.

At the sight of Gamut, accompanied by one in the well-
known masquerade of their most distinguished conjurer,
they readily made way for them both. Still they betrayed
no intention to depart. On the other hand, they were
evidently disposed to remain bound to the place by an ad-
ditional interest in the mysterious mummeries that they of
course expected from such a visit.

From the total inability of the scout to address the
Hurons in their own language, he was compelled to trust
the conversation entirely to David. Notwithstanding the
simplicity of the latter, he did ample justice to the in-
structions he had received, more than fulfilling the strong-
est hopes of his teacher.

" The Delawares are women ! " he exclaimed, address-
ing himself to the savage who had a slight understanding
of the language in which he spoke; "the Yengeese, my
foolish countrymen, have told them to take up the toma-
hawk, and strike their fathers in the Canadas, and they
have forgotten their sex. Does my brother wish to hear
Le Cerf Agile ask for his petticoats, and see him weep
before the Hurons, at the stake ? '^

The exclamation " Hugh ! " delivered in a strong tone
of assent announced the gratification the savage would
receive in witnessing such an exhibition of weakness in
an enemy so long hated and so much feared.

"Then let him step aside, and the cunning man will
blow upon the dog! Tell it to my brothers."

The Huron explained the meaning of David to his fel-
lows, who, in their turn, listened to the project with that
sort of satisfaction that their untamed spirits might be
expected to find in such a refinement in cruelty. They
drew back a little from the entrance, and motioned to the
supposed conjurer to enter. But the bear, instead of
obeying, maintained the seat it had taken, and growled.

824 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" The cunning man is afraid that his breath will blow
upon his brothers, and take away their courage too," con-
tinued David, improving the hint he received; "they
must stand further off."

The Hurons, who would have deemed such a njisfor-
tune the heaviest calamity that could befall them, fell
back in a body, taking a position where they were out of
earshot, though at the same time they could command a
view of the entrance to the lodge. Then, as if satisfied
of their safety, the scout left his position, and slowly en-
tered the place. It was silent and gloomy, being tenanted
solely by the captive, and lighted by the dying embers of
a fire, which had been used for the purposes of cookery.

Uncas occupied a distant comer, in a reclining attitude,
being rigidly bound, both hands and feet, by strong and
painful withes. When the frightful object first presented
itself to the young Mohican, he did not deign to bestow a
single glance on the animal. The scout, who had left
David at the door, to ascertain they were not observed,
thought it prudent to preserve his disguise until assured of
their privacy. Instead of speaking, therefore, he exerted
himself to enact one of the antics of the animal he repre-
sented. The young Mohican, who at first believed his
enemies had sent in a real beast to torment him, and try
his nerves, detected, in those performances that to Hey-
ward had appeared so accurate, certain blemishes that at
once betrayed the counterfeit. Had Hawkeye been aware
of the low estimation in which the more skillful Uncas
held his representations, he would probably have prolonged
the entertainment a little in pique. But the scornful ex-
pression of the young man's eye admitted of so many con-
«tructions, that the worthy scout was spared the mortifica-
cion of such a discovery. As soon, therefore, as David
^ave the preconcerted signal, a low hissing sound was
heard in the lodge in place of the fierce growlings of the
bear.

Uncas had cast his body back against the wall of the
hut, and closed his eyes, as if willing to exclude so con-
temptible and disagreeable an object from his sight But

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 825

tlie moment the noise of the serpent was heard, he arose,
and cast his looks on each side of him, bending his head
iosv, and turning it inquiringly in every direction, until
Ids keen eye rested on the shaggy monster, where it re-
mained riveted, as though fixed by the power of a charm.
Again the same sounds were repeated, evidently proceed-
ing from the mouth of the beast. Once more the eyes of
the youth roamed over the interior of the lodge, and
returning to their former resting-place, he uttered, in a
deep, suppressed voice, —
"Hawkeye!"

"Cut his bands," said Hawkeye to David, who just
then approached them.

The singer did as he was ordered, and Uncas found his
limbs released. At the same moment the dried skin of
the animal rattled, and presently the scout arose to his
feet, in proper person. The Mohican appeared to com-
prehend the nature of the attempt his friend had made,
intuitively; neither tongue nor feature betraying another
symptom of surprise. When Hawkeye had cast his
shaggy vestment, which was done by simply loosing cer-
tain thongs of skin, he drew a long glittering knife, and
put it in the hands of Uncas.

"The red Hurons are without,'' he said; "let us be
ready."

At the same time he laid his finger significantly on an-
other similar weapon, both being the fruits of his prowess
among their enemies during the evening.
"We will go," said Uncas.
"Whither?"

" To the Tortoises ; they are the children of my grand*
fathers. "

"Aye, lad," said the scout in English — a language he
was apt to use when a little abstracted in mind; "the
same blood runs in your veins, I believe ; but time and
distance has a little changed its color. What shall we do
with the Mingoes at the door? They count six, and this
singer is as good as nothing."

"The Hurons are boasters," said Uncas scornfully;

826 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"their totem is a moose, and they run like snails. The
Delawares are children of the tortoise, and they outstrip
the deer."

" Aye, lad, there is truth in what you say ; and I doubt
not, on a rush, you would pass the whole nation; and, in
a straight race of two miles, would be in, and get your
breath again, afore a knave of them all was within hearing
of the other village. But the gift of a white man lies
more in his arms than in his legs. As for myself, 1 can
brain a Huron as well as a better man ; but when it comes
to a race, the knaves would prove too much for me."

Uncas, who bad already approached the door, in readi-
ness to lead the way, now recoiled, and placed himself
once more in the bottom of the lodge. But Hawkeye,
who was too much occupied with his own thoughts to note
the movement, continued speaking more to himself than
to his companion.

"After all,'^ he said, "it is unreasonable to keep one
man in bondage to the gifts of another. So, Uncas, you
had better take the leap, while I will put on the skin
again, and trust to cunning for want of speed.''

The young Mohican made no reply, but quietly, folded
his arms, and leaned his body against one of the upright
posts that supported the wall of the hut.

"Well," said the scout, looking up at him, "why do
you tarry? There will be time enough for me, as the
knaves will give chase to you at first."

"Uncas willstay," was the calm reply.

"For what?"

" To fight with his father's brother, and die with the
friend of the Delawares. "

"Aye, lad," returned Hawkeye, squeezing the hand of
Uncas between his own iron fingers; " 't would have been
more like a Mingo than a Mohican had you left me. But
I thought I would make the offer, seeing that youth com-
monly loves life. Well, what can't be done by main
courage, in war, must be done by circumvention. Put on
the skin; I doubt not you can play the bear nearly as
well as myself."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 627

Whatever might have heen the private opinion of Uncas
of their respective abilities in this particular, his grave
countenance manifested no opinion of his own superiority.
!He silently and expeditiously encased himself in the cov-
ering of the beast, and then awaited such other movements
as bis more aged companion saw fit to dictate.

"Now, friend,'' said Hawkey e, addressing David, "an
exchange of garments will be a great convenience to you,
inasmuch as you are but little accustomed to the make-
shifts of the wHdemess. Here, take my hunting shirt and
cap, and give me your blanket and hat. You must trust
me with the book and spectacles, as well as the tooter,
too; if we ever meet again, in better times, you shall
have all back again, with many thanks into the bargain."

David parted with the several articles named with a
readiness that would have done great credit to his liberal-
ity, had he not certainly profited, in many particulars, by
the excbange. Hawkeye was not long in assuming his
borrowed garments; and when his restless eyes were hid
behind the glasses, and his head was surmounted by the
triangular beaver, as their statures were not dissimilar, he
might readily have passed for the singer by star-light. .
As soon as these dispositions were made, the scout turned
to David, and gave hun his parting instructions.

" Are you much given to cowardice 1 " he bluntly asked,
by way of obtaining a suitable understanding of the whole
case before he ventured a prescription.

"My pursuits are peaceful, and my temper, I humbly
trust, is greatly given to mercy and love, " returned David,
a little nettled at so direct an attack on his manhood;
" but there are none who can say that I have ever forgot-
ten my faith in the Lord, even in the greatest straits."

"Your chief est danger will be at the moment when the
savages find out that they have been deceived. If you
are not then knocked in the head, your being a non-com-
posser will protect you ; and you '11 then have good reason
to expect to die in your bed. If you stay, it must be to
sit down here in the shadow, and take the part of Uncas,
until such times as the cunning of the Indians discover

S28 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

the cheat, when, as I have already said, your time of
trial will come. So choose for yourself, — to make a
rush or tarry here."

"Even so," said David, firmly; "I will abide in the
place of the Delaware. Bravely and generously has he
battled on in my behalf; and this, and more, will I dare
in his service."

"You have spoken as a man, and like one who, under
wiser schooling, would have been brought to better things.
Hold your head down, and draw in your legs; their for-
mation might tell the truth too early. Keep sUent as
long as may be; and it would be wise, when you do
speak, to break out suddenly in one of your shoutings,
which will serve to remind the Indians that you are not
altogether as responsible as men should be. If, however,
they take your scalp, as I trust and believe they will not,
depend on it, Uncas and I will not forget the deed, but
revenge it as becomes true warriors and trusty friends."

" Hold ! " said David, perceiving that with this assur-
ance they were about to leave him; "I am an unworthy
and humble follower of One who taught not the damnable
principle of revenge. Should I fall, therefore, seek no
victims to my manes, but rather forgive my destroyers;
and if you remember them at all, let it be in prayers for
the enlightening of their minds, and for their eternal wel-
fare. "

The scout hesitated, and appeared to muse.

"There is a principle in that," he said, "different from
the law of the woods ; and yet it is fair and noble to re-
flect upon." Then, heaving a heavy sigh, probably among
the last he ever drew in pining for a condition he had so
long abandoned, he added, "It is what I would wish to
practice myself, as one without a cross of blood, though
it is not always easy to deal with an Indian as you would
with a fellow-Christian. God bless you, friend; I do
believe your scent i& not greatly wrong, when the matter
is duly considered, and keeping eternity before the eyes,
though much depends on the natural gifts and the foica
of temptation."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 329

So saying, the scout returned and shook David cordially
"by the hand; after which act of friendship he immedi-
&t>ely left the lodge, attended hy the new representative
of the beast.

The instant Hawkeye found himself under the observa-
tion of the Hurons, he drew up his tall form in the rigid
xa aimer of David, threw out his arm in the act of keeping
time, and commenced what he intended for an imitation
of his psalmody. Happily for the success of this delicate
adventure, he had to deal with ears but little practiced in
tlie concord of sweet sounds, or the miserable effort would
infallibly have been detected. It was necessary to pass
^within a dangerous proximity of the dark group of the
savages, and the voice of the scout grew louder as they
d.rew nigher. When at the nearest point, the Huron who
8poke the English thrust out an arm, and stopped the
supposed Singing-master.

" The Delaware dog ! " he said, leaning forward, and
peering through the dim light to catch the expression of
the other's features; "is he afraid? will the Hurons hear
his groans 1 "

A growl so exceedingly fierce and natural proceeded
from the beast, that the young Indian released his hold
and started aside, as if to assure himself that it was not
a veritable bear, and ho counterfeit, that was rolling be-
fore him. Hawkeye, who feared his voice would betray
him to his subtle enemies, gladly profited by the interrup-
tion, to break out anew in such a burst of musical expres-
sion as would probably, in a more refined state of society,
have been termed "a grand crash." Among his actual
auditors, however, it merely gave him an additional claim
to that respect which they never withhold from such as
are believed to be the subjects of mental alienation. The
little knot of Indians drew back in a body, and suffered,
as they thought, the conjurer and his inspired assistant to
proceed.

It required no common exercise of fortitude in Uncas
and the scout, to continue the dignified and deliberate
pace they had assumed in passing the lodges; especially

S3G THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

as they immediately perceived that curiosity had so far
mastered fear as to induce the watchers to approach the
hut, in order to witness the effect of the incantations.
The least injudicious or impatient movement on the part
of David might he tray them, and time was absolutely
necessary to insure the safety of the scout. The loud
noise the latter conceived it politic to continue drew
many curious gazers to the doors of the different huts as
they passed; and once or twice a dark-looking warrior
stepped across their path, led to the act by superstition
or watchfulness. They were not, however, interrupted;
the darkness of the hour, and the boldness of the attempt,
proving their principal friends.

The adventurers had got clear of the village, and were
now swiftly approaching the shelter of the woods, when
a loud and long cry arose from the lodge where Uncas had
been confined. The Mohican started on his feet, and
shook his shaggy covering, as though the animal he coun-
terfeited was about to make some desperate effort.

" Hold ! " said the scout, grasping his friend by the
shoulder, "let them yell again! 'T was nothing but won-
derment."

He had no occasion to delay, for at the next instant a
burst of cries filled the outer air, and ran along the whole
extent of the village. Uncas cast his skin, and stepped
forth in his own beautiful proportions. Hawkeye tapped
him lightly on the shoulder, and glided ahead.

"Now let the devils strike our scent!" said the scout,
tearing two rifles, with all their attendant accoutrements,
from beneath a bush, and flourishing Killdeer as he handed
Uncas his weapon; "two, at least, will find it to their
deaths."

Then throwing their pieces to a low trail, like sports-
men in readiness for their game, they dashed forward, and
were soon buried in the sombre darkness of the forest

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 331

CHAPTER XXVn.

I shall remember :
When CsBBar saySi Do thU^ it is performed.

ShIxssfkabi, JtUius CaBsoTt L IL 9.

The impatience of the savages who lingered ahout the
prison of Uncas, as has been seen, had overcome their
dread of the conjurer's breath. They stole cautiously,
and with beating hearts, to a crevice, through which the
faint light of the fire was glimmering. For several min-
utes they mistook the form of David for that of their
prisoner; but the very accident which Hawkeye had fore-
seen occurred. Tired of keeping the extremities of his
long person so near together, the singer gradually suffered
the lower limbs to extend themselves, until one of his
misshapen feet actually came in contact with and shoved
aside the embers of the fire. At first the Hurons believed
the Delaware had been thus deformed by witchcraft. But
ivhen David, unconscious of being observed, turned his
head, and exposed his simple, mild countenance, in place
of the haughty lineaments of their prisoner, it would have
exceeded the credulity of even a native to have doubted
any longer. They rushed together into the lodge, and
laying their hands, with but little ceremony, on their cap-
tive, immediately detected the imposition. Then arose
the cry first heard by the fugitives. It was succeeded by
the most frantic and angry demonstrations of vengeance.
David, however firm in his determination to cover the
retreat of his friends, was compelled to believe that his
own final hour had come. Deprived of his book and his
pipe, he was fain to trust to a memory that rarely failed
him on such subjects; and breaking forth in a loud and
impassioned strain, he endeavored to soothe his passage
into the other world, by singing the opening verse of a
funeral anthem. The Indians were seasonably reminded
of his infirmity, and rushing into the open air, they
aroused the village in the manner described.

A native warrior fights as he sleeps, without the pro*

882 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAKS.

tection of anything defensive. The sounds of the alarm
were, therefore, hardly uttered, hefore two hundred men
were afoot, and ready for the hattle or the chase, as either
might he required. The escape was soon known; and
the whole trihe crowded, in a hody, around the council
lodge, impatiently awaiting the instruction of their chiefs.
In such a sudden demand on their wisdom, the presence
of the cunning Magna could scarcely fail of heing needed.
His name was mentioned, and all looked round in wonder
that he did not appear. Messengers were then dispatched
to his lodge, requiring his presence.

In the mean time, some of the swiftest and most dis-
creet of the young men were ordered to make the circuit
of the clearing, under cover of the woods, in order to as-
certain that their suspected neighhors, the Delawares,
designed no mischief. Women and children ran to and
fro; and, in short, the whole encampment exhibited
another scene of wild and savage confusion. Gradually,
however, these symptoms of disorder diminished; and in
a few minutes the oldest and most distinguished chiefs
were assembled in the lodge, in grave consultation.

The clamor of many voices soon annoimced that a party
approached, who might be expected to communicate some
intelligence that would explain the mystery of the novel
surprise. The crowd without gave way, and several war-
riors entered the place, bringing with them the hapless
conjurer, who had been left so long by the scout in
duresse.

Notwithstanding this man was held in very unequal
estimation among the Hurons, some believing implicitly
in his power, and others deeming him an impostor, he
was now listened to by all with the deepest attention.
When his hrief story was ended, the father of the sick
woman stepped forth, and, in a few pithy expressions,
related, in his turn, what he knew. These two narratives
gave a proper direction to the subsequent inquiries, which
were now made with the characteristic cunning of savages.

Instead of rushing in a confused and disorderly throng
to the cavern, ten of the wisest and firmest among the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 388

chiefs were selected to prosecute the investigation. As
no time was to he lost, the instant the choice was made
the individuals appointed rose in a body, and left the
place without speaking. On reaching the entrance, the
younger men in advance made way for their seniors; and
the whole proceeded along the low, dark gallery, with
the firmness of warriors ready to devote themselves to the
public good, though, at the same time, secretly doubting
the nature of the power with which they were about to
contend.

The outer apartment of the cavern was silent and
gloomy. The woman lay in her usual place and posture,
though there were those present who affirmed they had
seen her borne to the woods, by the supposed "medicine
of the white men.'' Such a direct and palpable contradic-
tion of the tale related by the father caused all eyes to be
turned on him. Chafed by the silent imputation, and
inwardly troubled by so unaccountable a circumstance, the
chief advanced to the side of the bed, and stooping, cast
an incredulous liok at the features, as if distrusting their
reality. His daughter was dead.

The unerring feeling of nature for a moment prevailed,
and the old warrior hid his eyes in sorrow. Then recov-
ering his self-possession, he faced his companions, and
pointing towards* the corpse, he said, in the language of
his people, —

"The wife of my young man has left us! the Great
Spirit is angry with his children."

The mournful intelligence was received in solemn si-
lence. After a short pause, one of the elder Indians was
about to speak, when a dark-looking object was seen roll-
ing out of an adjoining apartment, into the very centre of
the room where they stood. Ignorant of the nature of
the beings they had to deal with, the whole party drew
back a little, and gazed in admiration, until the object
fronted the light, and rising on end, exhibited the dis-
torted, but still fierce and sullen features of Magna. The
discovery was succeeded by a general exclamation of amaze*
ment.

884 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

As soon, however, as the true situation of the chief
was understood, several ready knives appeared, and bis
limbs and tongue were quickly released. The Huron
arose, and shook himself like a lion quitting his lair.
Not a word escaped him, though his hand played convul-
sively with the handle of his knife, while his lowering
eyes scanned the whole party, as if they sought an object
suited to the first burst of his vengeance.

It was happy for Uncas and the scout, and even David,
that they were all beyond the reach of his arm at such
a moment; for assuredly no refinement in cruelty would
then have deferred their deaths, in opposition to the
promptings of the fierce temper that nearly choked him.
Meeting everywhere faces that he knew as friends, the
savage grated his teeth together like rasps of iron, and
swallowed his passion for want of a victim on whom to
vent it. This exhibition of anger was noted by all pres-
ent; and, from an apprehension of exasperating a temper
that was already chafed nearly to madness, several minutes
were suffered to pass before another word was uttered.
When, however, suitable time had elapsed, the oldest of
the party spoke.

"My friend has found an enemy," he said. "Is he
nigh, that the Hurons may take revenge ? "

" Let the Delaware die ! " exclaimed Magua, in a voice
of thunder.

Another long and expressive silence was observed, and
was broken, as before, with due precaution, by the same
individuaL

"The Mohican is swift of foot, and leaps far," he said;
" but my young men are on his trail. "

"Is he gone? " demanded Magua, in tones so deep and
guttural that they seemed to proceed from his inmost
chest.

" An evil spirit has been among us, and the Delaware
has blinded our eyes."

" An evil spirit ! " repeated the other, mockingly ; " H ie
the spirit that has taken the lives of so many Hurons:
the spirit that slew my young men at 'the tumbling

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 3B^

river; ' that took their scalps at the ' healing spring; ' and
^who has now bound the arms of Le Kenard Subtil ! '*

" Of whom does my friend speak 1 "

"Of the dog who carries the heart and cunning of a
Huron under a pale skin — La Longue Carabine."

The pronunciation of so terrible a name produced the
-usual eifect among his auditors. But when time was
given for reflection, and the warriors remembered that
their formidable and daring enemy had even been in the
lx>som of their encampment, working injury, fearful rage
took the place of wonder, and all those fierce passions with
-which the bosom of Magna had just been struggling were
suddenly transferred to his companions. Some among
them gnashed their teeth in anger, others vented their
feelings in yells, and some, again, beat the air as franti-
cally as if the object of their resentment were suffering
under their blows. But this sudden outbreaking of tem-
per as quickly subsided in the still and sullen restraint
they most affected, in their moments of inaction.

Magna, who had in his turn found leisure for reflection,
now changed his manner, and assumed the air of one who
knew how to think and act with a dignity worthy of so
grave a subject.

"Let us go to my people," he said; "they wait for us."

His companions consented in silence, and the whole of
the savage party left the cavern and returned to *the coun-
cil lodge. When they were seated, all eyes turned on
Magna, who understood, from such an indication, that, by
common consent, they had devolved the duty of relating
what had passed on him. He arose, and told his tale
without duplicity or reservation. The whole deception
practiced by both Duncan and Hawkeye was, of course,
laid naked; and no room was found even for the most
superstitious of the tribe any longer to affix a doubt on
the character of the occurrences. It was but too apparent
thafi they had been insultingly, shamefully, disgracefully
deceived. When he had ended, and resumed his seat,
the collected tribe — for his auditors, in substance, in-
eluded all the fighting men of the party — sat regarding

336 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

each other like men astonished equally at the audacitj
and the success of their enemies. The ;^ext consideration,
however, was the means and opportunities for revenge.

Additional pursuers were sent on the trail of the fugi-
tives; and then the chiefs applied themselves, in earnest,
to the business of consultation. Many different expedi-
ents were proposed by the elder warriors, in succession, to
all of which Magna was a silent and respectful listener.
That subtle savage had recovered his artifice and self-com-
mand, and now proceeded towards his object with his
customary caution and skill. It was only when each one
disposed to speak had uttered his sentiments, that he pre-
pared to advance his own opinions. They were given
with aditional weight from the circumstance that some of
the runners had already returned, and reported that their
enemies had been traced so far as to leave no doubt of
their having sought safety in the neighboring camp of
their suspected allies, the Delawares. With the advan-
tage of possessing this important intelligence, the chief
warily laid his plans before his fellows, and, as might
have been anticipated from his eloquence and cunning,
they were adopted without a dissenting voice. They
were, briefly, as follows, both in opinions and in motives.

It has been already stated that, in obedience to a policy
rarely departed from, the sisters were separated so soon as
they reacfied the Huron village. Magna had early discov-
ered that in retaining the person of Alice, he possessed
the most effectual check on Cora. When they parted,
therefore, he kept the former within reach of his hand,
consigning the one he most valued to the keeping of their
allies. The arrangement was understood to be merely
temporary, and was made as much with a view to flatter
his neighbors as in obedience to the invariable rule of
Indian policy.

While goaded incessantly by those revengeful impulses
that in a savage seldom slumber, the chief was still atten-
tive to his more permanent personal interests. The fol-
lies and disloyalty committed in his youth were to be
expiated by a long and painful penance, ere he could be

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 387

restored to the full enjoyment of the confidence of hia
ancient people; and without confidence there could he no
authority in an Indian trihe. In this delicate and arduous
situation, the crafty native had neglected no means of
increasing his influence; and one of the happiest of his
expedients had heen the success with which he had culti-
vated the favor of their powerful and dangerous neighbors.
The result of his experiment had answered all the expec-
tations of his policy; for the Hurons were in no degree
exempt from that governing principle of nature, which
induces man to value his gifts precisely in the degree that
tliey are appreciated by others.

But, while he was making this ostensible sacrifice to
general considerations, Magna never lost sight of his indi-
vidual motives. The lattel* had been frustrated by the
unlooked-for events which had placed all his prisoners
beyond his control; and he now found himself reduced
to the necessity of suing for favors to those whom it had
so lately been his policy to oblige.

Several of the chiefs had proposed deep and treacherous
schemes to surprise the Delawares, and, by gaining posses-
sion of their camp, to recover their prisoners by the same
blow ; for all agreed that their honor, their interests, and
the peace and happiness of their dead countrymen, impe-
riously required them speedily to immolate some victims
to their revenge. But plans so dangerous to attempt, and
of such doubtful issue. Magna found little difficulty in
defeating. He exposed their risk and fallacy with his
usual skill; and it was only after he had removed every
impediment, in the shape of opposing advice, that he
ventured to propose his own projects.

He commenced by flattering the self-love of his audi-
tors; a never-failing method of commanding attention.
When he had enumerated the many different occasions on
which the Hurons had exhibited their courage and prow-
ess, in the punishment of insults, he digressed in a high
encomium on the virtue of wisdom. He painted the
quality as forming the great point of difference between
the beaver and other brutes; between brutes and men;

888 THB LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

and finally between the Hurons, in particular, and the
rest of the human race. After he had sufficiently extolled
the property of discretion, he undertook to exhibit in what
manner its use was applicable to the present situation of
their tribe. On the one hand, he said, was their great
pale father, the governor of the Canadas, who had looked
upon his children with a hard eye since their tomahawks
had been so red; on the other, a people as numerous as
themselves, who spoke a different language, possessed dif-
ferent interests, and loved them not, and who would be
glad of any pretense to bring them in disgrace with the
great white chief. Then he spoke of their necessities; of
the gifts they had a right to expect for their past services;
of their distance from their proper hunting-grounds and
native villages; and of the necessity of consulting pru-
dence more, and inclination less, in so critical circum-
stances. When he perceived that, while the old men
applauded his moderation, many of the fiercest and most
distinguished of the warriors listened to these politic plans
with lowering looks, he cunningly led them back to the
subject which they most loved. He spoke openly of the
fruits of their wisdom, which he boldly pronounced would
be a coonplete and final triumph over their enemies. He
even darkly hinted that their success might be extended,
with proper caution, in such a manner as to include the
destruction of all whom they had reason to hate. In
short, he so blended the warlike with the artful, the
obvious with the obscure, as to flatter the propensities of
both parties, and to leave to each subject of hope, while
neither could say it clearly comprehended his intentions.

The orator, or the politician, who can produce such a
state of things, is commonly popular with his contempo-
raries, however he may be treated by posterity. All per-
ceived that more was meant than was uttered, and each
one believed that the hidden meaning was precisely such
as his own faculties enabled him to understand, or his own
wishes led him to anticipate.

In this happy state of things, it is not surprising that
the management of Magna prevailed. The tribe consented

THE LAST OF THD MOHICANS. 839

to act with delil^eration, and with one voice they commit-
ted the direction of the whole affair to the government of
tlie chief who had suggested such wise and intelligihle
expedients.

Magna had now attained one great object of all his cun-
ning and enterprise. The ground he had lost in the favor
of his people was completely regained, and he found him-
self even placed at the head of affairs. He was, in truth,
their ruler; and so long as he could maintain his popu-
larity, no monarch could be more despotic, especially while
the tribe continued in a hostile country. Throwing off,
therefore, the appearance of consultation, he assumed the
grave air of authority necessary to support the dignity of
his office.

Kunners. were dispatched for intelligence in different
directions; spies were ordered to approach and feel the
encampment of the Delawares ; the warriors were dismissed
to their lodges, with an intimation that their services would
soon be needed ; and the women and children were ordered
to retire, with a warning that it was their province to be
silent. When these several arrangements were made,
Magna passed through the village, stopping here and there
to pay a visit where he thought his presence might be
flattering to the individual. He confirmed his friends in
their confidence, fixed the wavering, and gratified all.
Then he sought his own lodge. The wife the Huron
chief had abandoned, when he was chased from among his
people, was dead. Children he had none; and he now
occupied a hut without companion of any sort. It was,
in fact, the dilapidated and solitary structure in which
David had been discovered, and whom he had tolerated in
his presence, on those few occasions when they met, with
the contemptuous indifference of a haughty superiority.

Hither, then, Magna retired, when his labors of policy
were ended. WhUe others slept, however, he neither
knew nor sought repose. Had there been one sufficiently
curious to have watched the movements of the newly
elected chief, he would have seen him seated in a corner
of his lodge, musing on the subject of his future plan^

340 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

from the hour of his retirement to the time he had ap-
pointed for the warriors to assemble again. Occasionally
the air breathed through the crevices of the hut, and the
low flames that fluttered about the embers of the fire threw
their wavering light on the person of the sullen recluse.
At such moments it would not have been difficult to have
fancied the dusky savage the Prince of Darkness, brooding
on his own fancied wrongs and plotting evil.

Long before the day dawned, however, warrior after
warrior entered the solitary hut of Magna, until they had
collected to the number of twenty. Each bore his rifle,
and all the other accoutrements of war, though the paint
was uniformly peaceful. The entrance of these fierce-
looking beings was unnoticed ; some seating themselves in
the shadows of the place, and others standing like motion-
less statues, until the whole of the designated band was
collected.

Then Magna arose and gave the signal to proceed,
marching himself in advance. They followed their leader
singly, and in that well-known order which has obtained
the distinguishing appellation of "Indian file.'^ Unlike
other men engaged in the spirit-stirring business of war,
they stole from their camp unostentatiously and unob-
served, resembling a band of gliding spectres more than
warriors seeking the bubble reputation by deeds of des-
perate daring.

Instead of taking the path which led directly towards
the camp of the Delawares, Magna led his party for some
distance down the windings of the stream, and along the
little artificial lake of the beavers. The day began to
dawn as they entered the clearing which had been formed
by those sagacious and industrious animals. Though
Magna, who had resumed his ancient garb, bore the out-
line of a fox on the dressed skin which formed his robe,
there was one chief of his party who carried the beaver as
his peculiar symbol, or totem. There would have been a
species of profanity in the omission, had this man passed
BO powerful a community of his fancied kindred, without
bestowing some evidence of his regard. Accordingly, ha

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANa 341

paused, and spoke in words as kind and friendly as if he
w^ere addressing more intelligent beings. He called the
animals his cousins, and reminded them that his protecting
influence was the reason they remained unharmed, while
so many avaricious traders were prompting the Indians to
take their lives. He promised a continuance of his favors,
and admonished them to be grateful. After which, he
spoke of the expedition in which he was himself engaged,
and intimated, though with sufficient delicacy and circum-
locution, the expediency of bestowing on their relative a
portion of that wisdom for which they were so renowned.^
During the utterance of this extraordinary address, the
companions of the speaker were as grave and as attentive
to his language as though they were all equally impressed
with its propriety. Once or twice black objects were
seen rising to the surface of the water, and the Huron
expressed pleasure, conceiving that his words were not
bestowed in vain. Just as he had ended his address, the
head of a large beaver was thrust from the door of a lodge
whose earthen walls had been much injured, and which
the party had believed, from its situation, to be uninhab-
ited. Such an extraordinary sign of confidence was re-
ceived by. the orator as a highly favorable omen; and
though the animal retreated a little precipitately, he was
lavish of his thanks and commendations.

When Magna thought sufficient time had been lost in
gratifying the family affection of the warrior, he again
made the signal to proceed. As the Indians moved away
in a body, and with a step that would have been inaudible
to the ears of any common man, the same venerable-look-
ing beaver once more ventured his head from its cover.
Had any of the Hurons turned to look behind them, they
would have seen the animal watching their movements
with an interest and sagacity that might easily have been
mistaken for reason. Indeed, so very distinct and intel-

1 These harangues of the beasts are frequent among the Indians.
They often address their victims in this way, reproaching them for
cowardice, or commending their resolution, as they may happon to
exhibit fortitude or the reverse in suffering.

842 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

ligible were the devices of the quadruped, that even the
most experienced observer would have been at a loss to
account for its actions, until the moment when the, party
entered the forest, when the whole would have been ex-
plained by seeing the entire animal issue from the lodge,
imcasing, by the act, the grave features of Chingachgook
from his mask of fur.

CHAPTER XXVni.

Briaf, I praijr you ; for yon see, 't is a buay time with me.

SwAWwrRAHB, Much Ado abmU Nothing ^ TLL. t. 6b

The tribe, or rather half tribe, of Delawares, which
has been so often mentioned, and whose present place of
encampment was so nigh the temporary village of the
Hurons, could assemble about an equal number of warriors
with^ the latter people. Like their neighbors, they had
followed Montcalm into the territories of the English
crown, and were making heavy and serious inroads on the
hunting grounds of the Mohawks; though they had seen
fit, with the mysterious reserve so common among the
natives, to withhold their assistance at the moment when
it was most required. The French had accounted for this
unexpected defection on the part of their ally in various
ways. It was the prevalent opinion, however, that they
had been influenced by veneration for the ancient treaty,
that had once made them dependent on the Six Nations
for military protection, and now rendered them reluctant
to encounter their former masters. As for the tribe itself,
it had been content to announce to Montcalm, through
his emissaries, "v^ith Indian brevity, that their hatchets
were dull, and time was necessary to sharpen them. The
politic captain of the Canadas had deemed it wiser to suh-
mit to entertain a passive friend, than by any acts of ill-
fudged severity to convert him into an open enemy.

On that morning when Magna led his silent party from
the settlement of the beavers into the foresti in the man*

\

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 343

3ier described, the sun rose upon the Delaware encamp-
ment as if it had suddenly burst upon a busy people,
actively employed in all the customary avocations of high
noon. The women ran from lodge to lodge, some en-
gaged in preparing their morning's meal, a few earnestly
bent on seeking the comforts necessary to their habits, but
more pausing to exchange hasty and whispered sentences
with their friends. The warriors were lounging in groups,
musing more than they conversed; and when a few words
were uttered, speaking like men who deeply weighed
their opinions. The instruments of the chase were to be
seen in abundance among the lodges; but none departed.
Here and there a warrior was examining his arms, with
.an attention that is rarely bestowed on the implements,
when no other eneniy than the beasts of the forest is
expected to be encountered. And occasionally, the eyes
of a whole group were turned simultaneously towards a
large and silent lodge in the centre of the village, as if it
contained the subject of their common thoughts.

During the existence of this scene, a man suddenly
appeared at the furthest extremity of a platform of rock
which formed the level of the village. He was without
arms, and his paint tended rather to soften than increase
the natural sternness of his austere countenance. When
in full view of the Delawares he stopped, and made a
gesture of amity, by throwing his arm upward towards
heaven, and then letting it fall impressively on his breast.
The inhabitants of the village answered his salute by a
low murmur of welcome, and encouraged him to advance
by similar indications of friendship. Fortified by these
assurances, the dark figure left the brow of the natural
rocky terrace, where it had stood a moment, drawn in a
istrong outline against the blushing morning sky, and
moved with dignity into the very centre of the huts. As
he approached, nothing was audible but the rattling of
the light silver ornaments that loaded his arms and neck,
and the tinkling of the little bells that fringed his deer-
skin moccasins. He made, as he advanced, many courte-
ous signs of greeting to the men he passed, neglecting tq^

344 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

notice the women, however, like one who deemed tlieii
favor, in the present enterprise, of no importance. When
he had reached the group in which it was evident, by the
haughtiness of their common mien, that the principal
chiefs were collected, the stranger paused, and then the
Delawares saw that the active and erect form that stood
before them was that of the well-known Huron chief, Xie
Eenard Subtil.

His reception was grave, silpnt, and wary. The war-
riors in front stepped aside, opening the way to their most
approved orator by the action ; one who spoke all those
languages that were cultivated among the northern abori-
gines.

"The wise Huron is welcome,'' said the Delaware, in
the language of the Maquas; "he is come to eat his ' suc-
cotash,' ^ with his brothers of the lakes."

"He is come," repeated Magna, bending his head with
the dignity of an Eastern prince.

The chief extended his arm, and taking the other bj
the wrist, they once more exchanged friendly salutations.
Then the Delaware invited his guest to enter his own
lodge, and share his morning meal. The invitation was
accepted ; and the two warriors, attended by three or four
of the old men, walked calmly away, leaving the rest of
the tribe devoured by a desire to understand the reasons
of so imusual a visit, and yet not betraying the least im-
patience by sign or word.

During the short and frugal repast that followed, the
conversation was extremely circumspect, and related en-
tirely to the events of the hunt, in which Magna had so
lately been engaged. It would have been impossible for
the most finished breeding to wear more of the appearance
of considering the visit as a thing of course, than did his.
hosts, notwithstanding every individual present was per-
fectly aware that it must be connected with some secret
object, and that probably of importance to themselves.
When the appetites of the whole were appeased, the

1 A dish composed of cracked com and beans. It is mucli used alM
fegr the whites. By com is meant maize.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 345

Bquaws removed the trenchers and gourds, and the two
parties began to prepare themselves for a subtle trial pi
their wits.

''Is the face of my great Canada father turned again
towards his Huron children 1 " demanded the orator of the
Delawares. ,

" When was it ever otherwise ? " returned Magna. " He
calls my people ' most beloved. * ''

The Delaware gravely bowed his acquiescence to what
he knew to be false, and continued, —

"The tomahawks of your young men have been very
red.''

"It is so; but they are now bright and dull; for the
Yengeese are dead, and the Delawares are our neighbors.''
The other acknowledged the. pacific compliment by a
gesture of the hand, and remained silent. Then Magna,
as if recalled to such a recollection, by the allusion to the
massacre, demanded, —

" Does my prisoner give trouble to my brothers ? "
"She is welcome."

"The path between the Hurons and the Delawares is
3hort, and it is open; let her be sent to my squaws, if she
gives trouble to my brother."

"She is welcome," returned the chief of the latter
nation, still more emphatically.

The baffled Magna continued silent several minutes,
apparently indifferent, however, to the repulse he had
received in this his opening effort to regain possession of
Cora.

" Do my young men leave the Delawares room on the
mountains for their hunts ? " he at length continued.

"The Lenape are rulers of their own hills," returned
the other, a little haughtily.

"It is well. Justice is the master of a redskin!
Why should they brighten their tomahawks, and sharpen
their knives against each other? Are not the palefaces
thicker than the swallows in the season of flowers ? "

"Good! " exclaimed two or three of his auditors at the
same time.

((I
«

S46 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Magua waited a little, to permit his words to soften the
feelings of the Delawares, before he added, —

" Have there not been strange moccasins in the woods t
Have not my brothers scented the feet of white men ? ''

"Let my Canada father come>'' returned the other
evasively; "his children are ready to see him.''

" When the great chief comes, it is to smoke with the
Indians in their wigwams. The Hurons say, too, he is
welcome. But the Yengeese have long arms, and legs
that never tire ! My young men dreamed they had seen
the trail of the Yengeese nigh the village of the Dela-
wares ! "

They will not find the Lenape asleep. "
It is well. The warrior whose eye is open can see
his enemy,'' said Magua, once more shifting his ground,
when he found himself unable to penetrate the caution of
his companion. "I have brought gifts to my brother.
His nation would not go on the war-path, because they
did not think it well; but their friends have remembered
where they lived."

When he had thus announced his liberal- intention, the
crafty chief arose, and gravely spread his presents before
the dazzled eyes of his hosts. They consisted principally
of trinkets of little value, plundered from the slaughtered
females of William Henry. In the division of the bau-
bles the cunning Huron discovered no less art than in
their selection. While he bestowed those of greater value
on the two most distinguished warriors, one of whom was
his^ host, he seasoned his offerings to their inferiors with
such well-timed and apposite compliments, as left them
no grounds of complaint. In short, the whole ceremony
contained such a happy blending of the profitable with
the flattering, that it was not difficult for the donor imme-
diately to read the effect of a generosity so aptly mingled
with praise, in the eyes of those he addressed.

This well-judged and politic stroke on the part of
Magua was not without instantaneous results. The Dela-
wares lost their gravity in a much more cordial expres-
sion ; and the host, in particular, after contemplating hii

THE" LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 847

own liberal share of the spoil for some moments with
peculiar gratification, repeated with strong emphasis, the
words, —

" My brother is a wise chief. He is welcome. "

"The Hurons love their friends the Delawares,'' re-
turned Magna. " Why should they not ? they are colored
by the same sun, and their just men will hunt in the samc^
grounds after death. The red-skins should be friends^
and look with open eyes on the white men. Has not my
brother scented spies in the woods ? ''

The Delaware whose name in English signified "Hard
Heart," an appellation that the French had translated into
"Le CoBur-dur," forgot that obduracy of purpose which
had probably obtained him so significant a title. His
countenance grew very sensibly less stem, and he now
deigned to answer more directly.

"There have been strange moccasins about my camp.
They have been tracked into my lodges."

" Did my brother beat out the dogs ? " asked Magna,
without adverting in any manner to the former equivoca-
tion of the chief.

" It would not do. The stranger is always welcome to
the children of the Lenape."

"The stranger, but not the spy."

" Would the Yengeese send their women as spies ? Did
not the Huron chief say he took women in the battle ? "

"He told no lie. The Yengeese have sent out their
scouts. They have been in my wigwams, but they found
there no one to say welcome. Then they fled to the
Dela wares — for, they say, the Delawares are our friends;
their minds are turned from their Canada father. "

This insinuation was a home thrust, and one that in a
more advanced state of society would have entitled Magna
to the reputation of a skillful diplomatist. The recent
defection of the tribe had, as they well knew themselves,
subjected the Delawares to much reproach among their
French allies; and they were now made to feel that their
future actions were to be regarded with jealousy and dis-
trust. There was no deep insight into causes and effects

848 THE LAST OF THE MOHIGAIIS.

necessary to foresee that such a situation of things was
likely to prove highly prejudicial to their future move-
ments. Their distant villages, their hunting-grounds,
and hundreds of their women and children, together with
a material part of their physical force, were actually within
the limits of the French territory. Accordingl}', this
alarming annunciation was received, as Magna intended,
with manifest disapprobation, if not with alarm.

"Let my father look in my face," said Le Coeur-dur;
"he will see no change. It is true, my young men did
not go out on the war-path; they had dreams for not
doing so. But they lovp and venerate the great whitt
chief."

" Will he think so . when he hears that his greatest
enemy is fed in the camp of his children? When he is
told a bloody Yengee smokes at your fire ? That the pale-
face who has slain so many of his friends goes in and out
among the Delawares? Go! my great Canada father is
not a fool ! "

" Where is the Yengee that the Delawares fear ? " re^.
turned the "other; "who has slain my young men? who
is the mortal enemy of my Great Father ! "

"La Longue Carabine."

The Delaware warriors started at the well known name,
betraying, by their amazement, that they now learnt, for
the first time, one so famous among the Lidian allies of
France was within their power.

" What does my brother mean ? " demanded Le Coeur-
dur, in a tone that, by its wonder, far exceeded the usual
apathy of his race.

" A Huron never lies ! " returned Magna coldly, lean-
ing his head against the side of the lodge, and drawing
his slight robe across his tawny breast. "Let the Dela-
wares count their prisoners ; they will find one whose skin
is neither red nor pale."

A long and musing pause succeeded. The chief con-
sulted apart with his companions, and messengers were
dispatched to collect certain others of the most distin*
guished men of the tribe.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 849

As warrior after warrior dropped in, they were each
made acquainted, in turn, with the important intelligence
that Magna had just communicated. The air of surprise,
and the usual low, deep, guttural exclamation, were com-
mon to them all. The news spread from mouth to mouth,
until the whole encampment hecame powerfully agitated.
The women suspended their lahors, to catch such syllables
as unguardedly fell from the lips of the consulting war-
riors. The boys deserted their sports, and walking fear-
lessly among their fathers, looked up in curious admira-
tion, as they heard the brief exclamations of wonder they
so freely expressed at the temerity of their hated foe. In
short, every occupation was abandoned for the time, and
all other pursuits seemed discarded, in order that the tribe
might freely indulge, after their own peculiar manner, in
an open expression of feeling.

When the excitement had a little abated, the old men
disposed themselves seriously to consider that which it
became- the honor and safety of their tribe to perform,
under circumstances of so much delicacy and embarrass-
ment. During all these movements, and in the midst of
the general commotion, Magna had not only maintained
his seat, but the very attitude he had originally taken,
against the side of the lodge, where he continued as im-
movable, and, apparently, as unconcerned, as if he had no
interest in the result. Not a single indication of the
future intentions of his hosts, however, escaped his vigi-
lant eyes. With his consummate knowledge of the nature
of the people with whom he had to deal, he anticipated
every measure on which they decided ; and it might almost
be said, that, in many instances, he knew their intentions,
even before they became known to themselves.

The council of the Delawares was short. When it was
ended, a general bustle announced that it was to be im-
mediately succeeded by a solemn and formal assemblage
of the nation. As such meetings were rare, and only
called on occasions of the last importance, the subtle
Huron, who still sat apart, a wily and dark observer of
the proceedings, now knew that all his projects must be

850 THE LAST CfF THE MOHICANS.

brought to their final issue. He, therefore, left the lodge,
and walked silently forth to the place, in front of the
encampment, whither the warriors were already beginning
to collect.

It might have been half an hour before each individual,
including even the women and children, was in his place.
The delay had been created by the grave preparations that
were deemed necessary to so solemn and unusual a confer-
ence. But when the sun was seen climbing above the
tops of that mountain, against whose bosom the Delawares
had constructed their encampment, most were seated ; and
as his bright rays darted from behind the outline of trees
that fringed the eminence, they fell upon as grave, as
attentive, and as deeply interested a multitude, as was
probably ever before lighted by his morning beams. Its
number somewhat exceeded a thousand souls.

In a collection of so serious savages, there is never to
be found any impatient aspirant after premature distinc-
tion, standing ready to move his auditors to some hasty,
and, perhaps, injudicious discussion, in order that his
own reputation may be the gainer. An act of so much
precipitancy and presumption would seal the downfall of
precocious intellect forever. It rested solely with the
oldest and most' experienced of the men to lay the subject
of the conference before the people. Until such a one
chose to make some movement, no deeds in arms, no
natural gifts, nor any renown as an orator, would have
justified the slightest interruption. On the present occa-
sion, the aged warrior whose privilege it was to speak,
was silent, seemingly oppressed with the magnitude of his
subject. The delay had already continued long beyond
the usual deliberative pause that always precedes a confer-
ence; but no sign of impatience or surprise escaped even
the youngest boy. Occasionally, an eye was raised from
the earth, where the looks of most were riveted, and
strayed towards a particular lodge, that was, however, in
no manner distinguished from those around it, except in
the peculiar care that had been taken to protect it against
the assaults of the weather.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICAKS. 851

AL xfsagthf one of those low murmurs that are so apt to
disturd a multitude, was heard, and the whole nation
arose to their feet by a common impulse. At that instant
the door of the lodge in question opened, and three men,
issuing from it, slowly approached the place of consulta-
tion. They were all aged, even beyond that period to
which the oldest present had reached; but one in the
centre, who leaned on his companions for support, had
numbered an amount of years to which the human race i-.
seldom permitted to attain. His frame, which had once
been tall and erect, like the cedar, was now bending under
the pressure of more than a century. The elastic, light
step of an Indian was gone, and in its place he was com-
pelled to toil his tardy way over the ground, inch by inch.
His dark, wrinkled countenance was in singular and wild
contrast with the long white locks which floated on his
shoulders, in such thickness, as to announce that genera-
tions had probably passed away since they had last been
shorn.

The dress of this patriarch — for such, considering his
vast age, in conjunction with his affinity and influence
with his people, he might very properly be termed — was
rich and imposing, though strictly after the simple fash-
ions of the tribe. His robe was of the finest skins, which
had been deprived of their fur in order to admit of a hie-
roglyphical representation of various deeds in arms, done
in former ages. His bosom was loaded with medals, some
in massive silver, and one or two even in gold, the gifts
of various Christian potentates during the long period of
his life. He also wore armlets, and cinctures above the
ankles, of the latter precious metal. His head, on the
whole of which the hair had been permitted to grow, the
pursuits of war having so long been abandoned, was en-
circled by a sort of plated diadem, which, in its turn, bore
lesser and more glittering ornaments, that sparkled amid
the glossy hues of three drooping ostrich feathers, dyed
a deep black, in touching contrast to the color of his snow-
white locks. His tomahawk was nearly hid in silver, and
the handle of his knife shone like a horn of solid gold.

852 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

So soon as the first hum of emotion and pleasure
which the sudden appearance of this venerated individual
created had a little subsided, the name of "Tamenund"^
was whispered from mouth to mouth. Magna had often
heard the fame of this wise and just Delaware ; a reputa-
tion that even proceeded so far as to bestow on him the
rare gift of holding secret communion with the Great
Spirit, and which has since transmitted his name, with
some slight alteration, to the white usurpers of his ancient
territory, as the imaginary tutelar saint ' of a vast empire.
The Huron chief, therefore, stepped eagerly out a little
from the throng, to a spot whence he might catch a nearer
glimpse of the features of the man, whose decision was
likely to produce so deep an influence on his own fortunes.

The eyes of the old man were closed, as though the
organs were wearied with having so long witnessed the
selfish workings of the human passions. The color of
his skin differed from that of most around him, being
richer and darker, the latter hue having been produced by
certain delicate and mazy lines of complicated and yet
beautiful figures, which had been traced over most of his
person by the operation of tattooing. Notwithstanding
the position of the Huron, he passed the observant and
silent Magna without notice, and leaning on his two ven-
erable supporters proceeded to the high place of the mul-

^ The Americans sometimes call their tutelar saint Tamenay, a cor-
ruption of the name of the renowned chief here introduced. There are
many traditions which speak of the character and power of Tamenund.

s There is but little known regarding the great chief of the Lenni
Lennape who bore this name. His existence is a mere tradition. His
people declared that he had been a renowned warrior, an orator of won-
derful eloquence and of unbounded influence. His name was held in
the greatest reverence. He was said to have been wise above all other
red men and to have lived to a very great age. But at what precise
period this venerated chief lived, and died, has never been clearly
proved. The author of the ** Mohicans'' in conferring the same name
upon a venerable character of the last century, was only following a
practice common among the red men, that of handing down the names
of their greatest chiefs to succeeding generations as so many titles of
honor. It is said indeed that the Delawares on the Ohio conferred the
name of ^'Tamenund," upon an American officer, whose courage and
wisdom they admired, as an especial honor, as late as 1776. — S. F. C.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 353

titude, where he seated himself in the centre of his nation,
-with the dignity of a monarch and the air of a father.

[Nothing could surpass the reverence and affection with
wbich this unexpected visit from one who belonged rather
to another world than to this, was received by his people.
After a suitable and decent pause, the principal chiefs
axose; and approaching the patriarch, they placed his
liands reverently on their heads, seeming to entreat a
blessing. " The younger men were content with touching
his robe, or even drawing nigh his person, in order to
breathe in the atmosphere of one so aged, so just, and so
valiant. None but the most distinguished among the
youthful warriors even presumed so far as to perform the
latter ceremony ; the great mass of the multitude deeming
it a sufficient happiness to look upon a form so deeply
venerated, and so well beloved. When these acts of affec-
tion and respect were performed, the chiefs drew back
again to their several places, and silence reigned in the
"whole encampment.

After a short delay, a few of the young men, to whom
instructions had been whispered by one of the aged atten-
dants of Tamenund, arose, left the crowd, and entered the
lodge which has already been noted as the object of so
much attention throughout that morning. In a few min-
utes they reappeared, escorting the individuals who had
caused all these solemn preparations towards the seat of
judgment. The crowd opened in a lane ; and when the
party had reentered, it closed in again, forming a large
and dense belt of human bodies, arranged in an open
circle

854 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

CHAPTER XXrX.

The ■■■fimhly Mated, riaiiig o'» the nrt,
Aflhillaii thus the king of men addreaaed.

Pon'sJUadL

GoBA stood foremost among the prisoners, entwining
her arms in those of Alice, in the tenderness of sisterly
love. Notwithstanding the fearful and menacing array of
savages on every side of her, no apprehension on her own
account could prevent the noble-minded maiden from
keeping her eyes fastened on the pale and anxious features
of the trembling Alice. Close at their side stood Hey-
ward, with an interest in both, that, at such a moment of
intense uncertainty, scarcely knew a preponderance in
favor of her whom he most loved. Hawkeye had placed
himself a little in the rear, with a deference to the supe-
rior rank of his companions, that no similarity in the state
of their present fortunes could induce him to forget.
Uncas was not there.

When perfect silence was again restored, and after the
usual long, impressive pause, one of the two aged chiefs
who sat at the side of the patriarch arose, and demanded
aloud, in very intelligible English, —

" Which of my prisoners is La Longue Carabine ? "

Neither Duncan nor the scout answered. The former,
however, glanced his eyes around the dark and silent
assembly, and recoiled a pace, when they fell on the
malignant visage of Magna. He saw, at once, that this
wily savage had some secret agency in their present arraign^
ment before the nation, and determined to throw every
possible impediment in the way of the execution of his
sinister plans. He -had witnessed one instance of the
summary punishments of the Indians, and now dreaded
that his companion was to be selected for a second. In
this dilemma, with little or no time for reflection, he sud-
denly determined to cloak his invaluable friend, at any or
every hazard to himself. Before he had time, however,

THE LAST OF TH£ MOHICANS. 855

to speak, the question was repeated in a louder voice, and
iTFith a clearer utterance.

"Give us arms," the young man haughtily replied,
"and place us in yonder woods. Our deeds shall speak
for us ! "

"This is the warrior whose name has filled our ears!'^
returned the chief, regarding Heyward with that sort of
curious interest which seems inseparable from man, when
first beholding one of his fellows to whom merit or acci-
dent, virtue or crime, has given notoriety. "What has
brought the white man into the camp of the Delawares ? "

"My necessities. I come for food, shelter, and friends."

"It cannot be. The woods are full of game. The
head of a warrior needs no other shelter than a sky with-
out clouds; and the Dela wares are the enemies, and not
the friends, of the Yengeese. Gro I the mouth has spoken,
while the heart said nothing."

Duncan, a little at a loss in what manner to proceed,
remained silent; but the scout, who had listened atten-
tively to all that passed, now advanced steadily to the
front.

" That I did not answer to the call for La Longue Cara-
bine, was not owing either to shame or fear," he said;
" for neither one nor the other is the gift of an honest
man. But I do not admit the right of the Mingoes to
bestow a name on one whose friends have been mindful
of his gifts, in this particular; especially as their title is
a lie, Killdeer being a grooved barrel and no carabyne.
I am the man, however, that got the name- of Nathaniel
from my kin ; the compliment of Hawkeye from the Dela-
wares, who live on their own river; and whom the Iro-
quois have presumed to style the * Long Rifle, * without
any warranty from him who is most concerned in the
matter."

The eyes of all present, which had hitherto been gravely
scanning the person of Duncan, were now turned, on the
instant, towards the upright iron frame of this new pre-
tender to the distinguished appellation. It was in no
degree remarkable that there should be found two who

356 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

were willing to claim so great an honor, for impostors^
though rare, were not unknown amongst the natives; but
it was altogether material to the just and severe intentions
of the Dela wares, that there should be no mistake in the
matter. Some of their old men consulted together in
private, and then, as it would seem, they determined to
interrogate their visitor on the subject.

"My brother has said that a snake crept into my camp,"
said the chief to Magua ; " which is he ? "

The Huron pointed to the scout.

"Will a wise Delaware believe the barking of a wolf?''
exclaimed ODuncan, still more confirmed in the evil inten-
tions of his ancient enemy : " a dog never lies, but when
was a wolf known to speak the truth ? "

The eyes of Magua flashed fire ; but, suddenly recollect-
ing the necessity of maintaining his presence of mind,
he turned away in silent disdain, well assured that the
sagacity of the Indians would not fail to extract the real »
merits of the point in controversy. He was not deceived; ^
for, after another short consultation, the wary Delaware
turned to him again, and expressed the determination of
the chiefs, though in the most considerate language.

"My brother has been called a liar,'' he said, "and his
friends are angry. They will show that he has spoken
the truth. Give my prisoners guns, and let them prove
which is the man." /

Magua affected to consider the expedient, which he well
knew proceeded from distrust of himself, as a compliment,
and made a gesture of acquiescence, well content that his
veracity should be supported by so skillful a marksman as
the scout. The weapons were instantly placed in the
hands of the friendly opponents, and they were bid to fire,
over the heads of the seated multitude, at an earthen ves-
eel, which lay, by accident, on a stump, some fifty yards
from the place where they stood.

Heyward smiled to himself at the idea of a competition
with the scout, though he determined to persevere in the
deception, until apprised of the real designs of Magua.
Raising his rifle with the utmost care, and renewing his

. THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 357

aim three several times, he fired. The hullet cut the
-wood within a few inches of the vessel; and a general
exclamation of satisfaction announced that the shot was
considered a proof of great skill in the use of the weapon.
Even Hawkeye nodded his head, as if he would say, it
-wEis better than he had expected. But, instead of mani-
festing an intention to contend with the successful marks-
man, he stood leaning on his rifle for more than a minute,
like a man who was completely buried in thought. From
this reverie he was, however, awakened by one of the
young Indians who had Wished the arms, and who now
touched his shoulder, saying, in exceedingly broken Eng-
lish, —

" Can the paleface beat it ? '*

" Yes, Huron ! " exclaimed the scout, raising the short
rifle in his right hand, and shaking it at Magna, with as
much apparent ease as if it were a reed; "yes, Huron, I
could strike you now, and no power of earth could prevent
the deed! The soaring hawk is not more certain of the
dove than I am this moment of you, did I choose to send
a bullet to your heart ! Why should I not 1 Why ! —
because the gifts of my color forbid it, and I might draw
down evil on tender and innocent heads. If you know
such a being as God, thank Him, therefore, in your in-
ward soul ; for you have reason ! '' ,

The flushed countenance, angry eye, and swelling figure
of the scout, produced a sensation of secret awe in all that
heard him. The Delawares held their breath in expecta-
tion; but Magna himself, even while he distrusted the
forbearance of his enemy, remained immovable and calm,
where he stood wedged in by the crowd, as one who grew
to the spot.

" Beat it, '* repeated the young Delaware at the elbow
of the scout. 4

" Beat what, fool ! — what ! " exclaimed Hawkeye, still
flourishing the weapon angrily above his head, though his
eye no longer sought the person of Magna.

"If the white man is the warrior he pretends," said
the aged chief, "let him strike nigher to the mark.''

358 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

The scout laughed aloud — a noise that produced the
startling effect of an unnatural sound on Hey ward ; then
dropping the piece, heavily, into his extended left hand,
it was discharged, apparently by the shock, driving the
fragments of the vessel into the air, and scattering them
on every side. Almost at the same instant, the rattling
sound of the rifle was heard, as he suffered it to fall, con-
temptuously, to the earth.

The first impression of so strange a scene was engrossing
admiration. Then a low, but increasing murmur, ran
through the multitude, and finally swelled into sounds
that denoted a lively opposition in the sentiments of the
spectators. While some openly testified their satisfaction
at so unexampled dexterity, by far the larger portion of
the tribe were inclined to believe the success of the shot
was the result of accident. Heyward was not slow to
confirm an opinion that was so favorable to his own pre-
tensions.

"It was chance! " he exclaimed; "none can shoot with-
out an aim ! "

" Chance ! " echoed the excited woodsman, who was now
stubbornly bent on maintaining his identity at every haz-
ard, and on whom the secret hints of Heyward to acqui-
esce in the deception were entirely lost. "Does yonder
lying Huron, too, think it chance? Give him another
gun, and place us face to face, without cover or dodge,
and let Providence, and our own eyes, decide the matter
atween us! I do not make the offer to you, Major; for
our blood is of a color, and we serve the same master."

"That the Huron is a liar, is very evident," returned
Heyward, coolly; "you have yourself heard him assert
you to be La Longue Carabine."

It were impossible to say what violent assertion the
stublxMn Hawkeye would have next made, in his headlong
wish to vindicate his identity, had not the aged Delaware
once more interposed.

"The hawk which comes from the clouds can return
when he will," he said; "give them the guns."

This time the scout seized the rifle with avidity; noi

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 359

had Magua, though he watched the movement of the
marksman with jealous eyes, any further cause for appre-
hension.

" Now let it he proved, in the face of this trihe of Dela-
wares, which is the better man,'^ cried the scout, tapping
the butt of his piece with that finger which had pulled so
many fatal triggers. "You see the gourd hanging against
yonder tree, Major; if you are a marksman fit for the
borders, let me see you break its shell ! '^

Duncan noted the object, and prepared himself to renew
the trial. The gourd was one of the usual little vessels
used by the Indians, and it was suspended from a dead
branch of a small pine, by a thong of deer-skin, at the
full distance of a hundred yards. So strangely com-
pounded is the feeling of self-love, that the young soldier,
while he knew the utter worthlessness of the suffrages of
his savage umpires, forgot the sudden motives of the con-
test in a wish to excel. It has been seen, already, that
his skill was far from being contemptible, and he now
resolved to put forth its ni^iest qualities. Had his life
depended on the issue, the aim of Duncan could not have
been more deliberate or guarded. He fired; and three or
four young Indians, who sprang forward at the report,
announced with a shout, that the ball was in the tree, a
very little on one side of the proper object. The warriors
uttered a common ejaculation of pleasure, and then turned
their eyes, inquiringly, on the movement^ of his rival.

" It may do for the Royal Americans ! " said Hawkey e,
laughing once more in his own silent, heartfelt manner;
"but had my gun often turned so much from the true
line, many a marten, whose skin in now in a lady's muff,
would still be in the woods; aye, and many a bloody
Mingo, who has departed to his final account, would be
acting his deviltries at this very day, atween the provinces.
I hope the squaw who owns the gourd has more of them
in her wigwam, for this will never hold water again ! "

The scout had shook his priming, and cocked his piece,
while speaking; and, as he ended, he threw back a foot,
and slowly raised the muzzle from the earth: the motion

SeO THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

was steady, nnif onn, and in one direction. When on a
perfect level, it remained for a single moment, without
tremor or variation, as though hoth man and rifle were
carved in stone. During that stationary instant, it poured
forth its contents, in a hright, glancing sheet of flame.
Again the young Indians hounded forward; hut their hur-
ried search and disappointed looks announced that no
traces of the bullet were to he seen.

"Gro!" said the old chief to the scout, in a tone of
strong disgust; "thou art a wolf in the skin of a dog. I
will talk to the * Long Bifle ' of the Yengeese."

"Ah! had I that piece which furnished the name you
use, I would obligate myself to cut the thong, and drop
the gourd without breaking it!" returned Hawkey e, per-
fectly undisturbed by the other's manner. "Fool^ if you
would find the bullet of a sharpshooter of these woods,
you must look in the object and not around it ! "

The Indian youths instantly comprehended his meaning
— for this time he spoke in the Delaware tongue — and
tearing the gourd from the tree, they held it on high '^ith
an exulting shout, displaying a hole in its bottom, which
had been cut by the bullet, after passing through the usual
orifice in the centre of its upper side. At this imexpected
exhibition, a loud and vehement expression of pleasure
burst from the mouth of every warrior present. It de-
cided the question, and effectually established Hawkeye in
the possession of his dangerous reputation. Those curious
and admiring eyes which had been turned again on Hej-
ward, were finally directed to the weather-beaten form of
the scout, who immediately became the principal object
of attention to the simple and unsophisticated beings by
whom he was surrounded. When the sudden and noisy
commotion had a little subsided, the aged chief resumed
his examination.

" Why did you wish to stop my ears ? " he said, address-
ing Duncan; ''are the Dela wares fools, that they could
not know the young panther from the cat ? "

"They will yet find the Huron a singing-bird," said
Duncan, endeavoring to adopt the figurative language of
^he natives.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 361

"It is good. We will know who can shut the ears of
men. Brother,'' added the chief, turning his eyes on
Magna, "the Delawares listen.".

Thus singled, and directly called on to declare his ob-
ject, the Huron arose; and advancing with great delibera-
tion and dignity into the very centre of the circle, where
he stood confronted to the prisoners, he placed himself in
an attitude to speak. Before opening his mouth, how-
ever, he bent his eyes slowly along the whole living boun-
dary of earnest faces, as if to temper his expressions to
the capacities of his audience. On Hawkeye he cast a
glance of respectful enmity; on Duncan, a look of inex-
tinguishable hatred; the shrinking figure of Alice he
scarcely deigned to notice; .but when his glance met the
firm, commanding, and yet lovely form of Cora, his eye
lingered a moment, with an expression that it might have
been difficult to define. Then, filled with his own dark
intentions, he spoke in the language of the Ganadas, a
tongue that he well knew was comprehended by most of
his auditors.

"The Spirit that made men colored them difi^erently,"
commenced the subtle Huron. " Some are blacker than
the sluggish bear. These He said should be slaves; and
He ordered them to work forever, like the beaver. You
may hear them groan, when the south wind blows, louder
than the lowing buffaloes, along the shores of the great
salt lake, where the big canoes come and go with them in
droves. Some He made with faces paler than the ermine
of the forests: and these He ordered to be traders; dogs
to their women, and wolves to their slaves. He gave this
people the nature of the pigeon; wings that never tire;
young, more plentiful than the leaves on the trees, and
appetites to devour the earth. He gave them tongues like
the false call of the wild- cat ; hearts like rabbits ; the cun-
ning of the hog (but none of the fox), and arms longer
than the legs of the moose. With his tongue, he stops
the ears of the Indians; his heart teaches him to pay
warriors to fight his battles ; his cunning tells him how to
get together the goods of the earth ; and his arms inclose

862 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

the land from the shores of the salt-water to the islands of
the great lake. His gluttony makes him sick. God gave
him enough, and yet he wants all. Such are the pale-
faces.

" Some the Great Spirit made with skins brighter and
redder than yonder sun," continued Magna, pointing im-
pressively upwards to the lurid luminary, which was
struggling through the misty atmosphere of the horizon;
"and these did He fashion to his own mind. He gave
them this island as He had made it, covered with trees,
and filled with game. The wind made their clearings;
the sun and rains ripened their fruits; and the snows
came to tell them to be thankful. What need had they
of roads to journey by! They saw through the hilk!
When the beavers worked, thay lay in the shade, and
looked on. The winds cooled them in summer; in win-
ter, skins kept them warm. If they fought among them-
selves, it was to prove that they were men. They were
brave; they were just; they were happy."

Here the speaker paused, and again looked around him,
to discover if his legend had touched the sympathies of
his listeners. He met everywhere with eyes riveted on
his own, heads erect, and nostrils expanded, as if each
individual present felt himself able and willing, singly,
to redress the wrongs of his race.

" If the Great Spirit gave different tongues to his red
children," he continued, in a low, still melancholy voice,
"it was that all animals might understand them. Some
He placed among the snows, with their cousin the bear.
Some he placed near the setting sun, on the road to the
happy hunting-grounds. Some on the lands around the
great fresh waters; but to his greatest, an^most beloved,
He gave the sands of the salt* lake. Do 'my brothers
know the name of this favored people ? "

" It was the Lenape ! " exclaimed twenty eager voices,
in a breath.

"It was the Lenni Lenape," returned Magua, affecting
to bend his head in reverence to their former greatness.
''It was the tribes of the Lenape! The sun rose from

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 368

water that was salt, and set in water that was sweet, and
never hid himself from their eyes. But why should I, a
Huron of the woods, tell a wise people their own tradi-
tions? Why remind them of their injuries; their ancient
greatness; their deeds; their glory; their happiness, —
their losses; their defeats; their misery? Is there not
one among them who has seen it all, and who knows it
to be true? I have done. My tongue is still, for my
heart is of lead. I listen. 'ii

As the voice of the speaker suddenly ceased, every face
and all eyes turned, by a common movement^ towards the
venerable Tamenund. From the moment that he took his
seat, until the present instant, the lips of the patriarch
nad not severed, and scarcely a sign of life had escaped
him. He sat bent in feebleness, and apparently uncon-
scious of the presence he was in, during the whole of that
opening scene, in which the skill of the scout had been so
clearly established. At the nicely graduated sound of
Magna' s voice, however, he betrayed some evidence of
consciousness, and once or twice he even raised his head,
as if to listen. But when the crafty Huron spoke of his
nation by name, the eyelids of the old man raised them-
selves, and he looked out upon the multitude with that
sort of dull, unmeaning expression which might be sup-
posed to belong to the countenance of a spectre. Then
he made an effort to rise, and being upheld by his sup-
porters, he gained his feet, in a posture commanding by
its dignity, while he tottered with weakness.

" Who calls upon the children of the Lenape ! " he said,
in a deep, guttural voice, that was rendered awfully audi-
ble by the breathless silence of the multitude: ''who
speaks of things gone ! Does not the egg become a worm
— the worm a fly, and perish ? Why tell the Delawares
of good that is past ? Better thank the Manitou for that
which remains."

"It is a Wyandot," said Magna, stepping nigher to the
rude platform on which the other stood; "a friend of
Tamenund. "

''A friend! " repeated the sage, on whose brow a dark

864 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

frown settled, imparting a portion of that severity which
had rendered his eye so terrible in middle age. "Are the
Mingoes rulers of the earth? What brings a Huron
here ? "

'^ Justice. His prisoners are with his brothers, and he
^omes for his own. "

Tamenund turned his head towards one of his supp<ftt-
ers, and listened to the short explanation the man gave.
Then facing the applicant, }m regarded him a moment
with deep attention; after which he said, in a low and
reluctant voice, —

"Justice is the law of the great Manitou. My chil-
dren, give the stranger food. Then, Huron, take thine
own and depart. ''

On the delivery of this solemn judgment, the patriarch
seated himself, and closed his eyes again, as if better
pleased with the images of his own ripened experience
than with the visible objects of the world. Against such
a decree there was no Delaware sufficiently hardy to mur-
mur, much less oppose himself. The words were barely
uttered when four or five of the younger warriors, step-
ping behind Heyward and the scout, passed thongs so
dexterously and rapidly around their arms, as to hold
them both in instant bondage. The former was too much
engrossed with his precious and nearly insensible burden,
to be aware of their intentions before they were executed;
and the latter, who considered even the hostile tribes of
the Delawares a superior race of beings, submitted without
resistance. Perhaps, however, the manner of the scout
would not have been so passive, had he fully comprehended
the language in which the preceding dialogue had been
conducted.

Magua cast a look of triumph around the whole assem-
bly before he proceeded to the execution of his purpose.
Perceiving that the men were unable to offer any resist-
ance, he turned his looks on her he valued most. Cora
met his gaze with an eye so calm and firm, that his reso-
lution wavered. Then recollecting his former artifice, he
raised Alice from the arms of the warrior against whom

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 865

she leaned, and beckoning Heyward .to follow, he motioned
for the encircling crowd to open. But Cora, instead of
obeying the impulse he had expected, rushed to the feet
of the patriarch, and raising her voice, exclaimed aloud, —

"Just and venerable Delaware, on thy wisdom and
power we lean for mercy ! Be deaf to yonder artful and
remorseless monster, who poisons thy ears with falsehoods
to feed his thirst for blood. Thou that hast lived long,
and that hast seen the evil of the world, shouldst know
how to temper its calamities to the miserable."

The eyes of the old man opened heavily, and he once
more looked upwards at the multitude. As the piercing
tones of the supplicant swelled on his ears, they moved
slowly in the direction of her person, and finally settled
there in a steady gaze. Cora had cast herself to her
knees ; and, with hands clenched in each other and pressed
upon her bosom, she remained like a beauteous and breath-
ing model of her sex, looking up in his faded, but majes-
tic countenance, with a species of holy reverence. Grad-
ually the expression of Tamenund's features changed, and
losing their vacancy in admiration, they lighted with a
portion of that intelligence which a century before had
been wont to communicate his youthful fire to the exten-
sive bands of the Delawares. Eising without assistance,
and seemingly without an effort, he demanded, in a voice
that startled its auditors by its firmiiess, —

" What art thou ? "

"A woman. One of a hated race, if thou wilt — a
Yengee. But one who has never harmed thee, and who
cannot harm thy people, if she would; who asks for
succor. "

"Tell me, my children," continued the patriarch,
hoarsely, motioning to those around him, though his eyea
still dwelt upon the kneeling form of Cora, "where have
the Delawares camped ? "

"In the mountains of the Iroquois, beyond the clear
springs of the Horican."

"Many parching summers are come and gone," contin-
ued the sage, "since I drank of the water of my own

866 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

rivers. The children of Minquon ^ are the justest whit«
men; but they were thirsty, and they took it to them-
selves. Do they follow us so far ? "

"We follow none; we covet nothing," answered Cora.
"Captives against our wills have we been brought
amongst you; and we ask but permission to depart to our
own in peace. Art thou not Tamenund — the father, the
judge, I had almost said, the prophet — of this people 1 ''

"I am Tamenund of many days."

" 'T is now some seven years that one of thy people was
at the mercy of a white chief on the borders of this prov-
ince. He claimed to be of the blood of the good and just
Tamenund. * Go, ' said the white man, * for thy parent's
sake thou art free.' Dost thou remember the name of
that English warrior ? "

"I remember, that when a laughing boy," returned the
patriarch, with the peculiar recollection of vast age, "I
stood upon the sands of the sea-shore, and saw a big
canoe, with wings whiter than the swan's, and wider than
many eagles, come from the rising sun."

"Nay, nay; I speak not of a time so very distant, but
of favor shown to thy kindred by one of mine, within the
memory of thy youngest warrior."

" Was it when the Yengeese and the Dutchmanne fought
for the hunting-grounds of the Delawares? Then Tame-
nund was a chief, and first laid aside the bo^ for the
lightning of the palefaces " —

"Nor yet then," interrupted Cora, "by many ages; I
speak of a thing of yesterday. Surely, surely, you forget
it not."

"It was but yesterday," rejoined the aged man, with
touching pathos, "that the children of the Lenape were
masters of the world. The fishes of the salt lake, the

1 William Penn was termed Minquon by the Delawares, and, as he
never used violence or injustice in his dealings with them, his reputation
for probity passed into a proverb. The American is justly proud of the
origin of his nation, which is perhaps unequaled in the history of the
world ; but the Pennsylvanian and Jerseyman have more reason to
value themselves in their ancestors than the natives of any other States
since no wrong was done the original owners of the soil.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 367

birds, the beasts, and the Mengwe of the woods owned
them for Sagamores."

Cora bowed her head in disappointment, andj for a bit-
ter moment, struggled with her chagrin. Then elevating
her rich features and beaming eyes, she continued, in
tones scarcely less penetrating than the unearthly voice of
the patriarch himself, —

" Tell me, is Tamenund a father? "
The old man looked down upon her from his elevated
stand, with a benignant smile on his wasted countenance,
and then casting his eyes slowly over the whole assem-
blage, he answered, —
"Of a nation.''

" For myself I ask nothing. Like thee and thine, ven-
erable chief," she continued, pressing her hands convul-
sively on her heart, and suffering her head to droop until
her burning cheeks were nearly concealed in the maze of
dark glossy tresses that fell in disorder 'upon her shoulderj
"the curse of my ancestors has fallen heavily on their
child. But yonder is one who has never known the
weight of Heaven's displeasure until now. She is the
daughter of an old and failing man, whose days are near
their close. She has many, very many, to love her, and
delight in her; and she is too good, much too precious, to
become the victim of that villain."

"I know that the palefaces are a proud and hungry
race. I know that they claim not only to have the earth,
but that the meanest of their color is better than the Sa-
chems of the red-man. The dogs and crows of their
tribes," continued the earnest old chieftain, without heed-
ing the wounded spirit of his listener, whose head was
nearly crushed to the earth in shame, as he proceeded,
" would bark and caw before they would take a woman to
their wigwams whose blood was not of the color of snow.
But let them not boast before the face of the Manitou too
loud. They entered the land at the rising, and may yet
go off at the setting sun. I have often seen the locusts
strip the leaves from the trees, but the season of blossoms
has always come again."

868 THE LAST OF THB MOHICANS.

"It IB so/' said Cora, drawing a long breath, as if re-
yiying from a trance, raising her face, and shaking back
her shining veil, with a kindling eye, that contradicted
the death-like paleness of her countenance; "but why —
it is not permitted us to inquire. There is yet one oi
thine own people who has not been brought before thee;
before thou lettest the Huron depart in triumph, hear him
speak."

Observing Tamenund to look about him doubtingly,
one of his companions said, —

" It is a snake — a red-skin in the pay of the Yengeese.
We keep him for the torture."

"Let him come," returned the sage.

Then Tamenund once more sank into his seat^ and a
silence so deep prevailed, while the young men prepared
to obey his simple mandate, that the leaves, which flat-
tered in the draught of the light morning air, were dis-
tinctly heard rustling in the surrounding forest.

CHAPTER XXX.

tf yoa deny me, fle upon yonr law !

There is do force in the decrees of Venice.

I stand for judgment : answer ; shall I have it ?

BHA»iwpa4Tii, Merchant cf Fefiiee, IV. L

The silence continued unbroken by human sounds for
many anxious minutes. Then the waving multitude
opened and shut again, and Uncas stood in the living
circle. All those eyes, which had been curiously study-
ing the lineaments of the sage, as the source of their own
intelligence, turned on the instant, and were now bent in
secret admiration on the erect, agile, and faultless person
of the captive. But neither the presence in which he
found himself, nor the exclusive attention that he attracted,
in any manner disturbed the self-possession of the young
Mohican. He cast a deliberate and observing look on eveiy
side of him, meeting the settled expression of hoetility
that lowered in the visages of the chiefsi with the same

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 369

cahnness as the curious gaze of the attentive children.
But when, last in his haughty scrutiny, the person of
Tamenund came under his glance, his eye hecame fixed,
as though all other objects were already forgotten. Then
advancing with a slow and noiseless step up the area, he
placed himself immediately before the footstool of the
sage. Here he stood unnoted, though keenly observant
himself, until one of the chiefs apprised the latter of his
presence.

"With what tongue does the prisoner speak to the
Manitou ? '^ demanded the patriarch, without unclosing his
eyes.

"Like his fathers," Uncas replied; "with the tongue of
a Delaware."

At this sudden and unexpected annunciation, a low,
fierce yell ran through the multitude, that might not in-
aptly be compared to the growl of the lion, as his choler
is first awakened — a fearful omen of the weight of his
future anger. The effect was equally strong on the sage,
though differently exhibited. He passed a*hand before
his eyes, as if to exclude the least evidence of so shameful
a spectacle, while he repeated, in his low, guttural tones,
the words he had just heard.

"A Delaware! I have lived to see the tribes of the
Lenape driven from their council fires, and scattered, like
broken herds of deer, among the hills of the Iroquois I
I have seen the hatchets of a strange people sweep woods
from the valleys, that the winds of heaven had spared I
The beasts that run on the mountains, and the birds that
fly above the trees, have I seen living in the wigwams of
men; but never before have I found a Delaware so base
as to creep, like a poisonous serpent, into the camps of
his nation."

"The singing-birds have opened their bills," returned
Uncas, in the softest notes of his own musical voice;
^and Tamenund has heard their song."

The sage started, and bent his head aside, as if to catch
the fleeting sounds of some passing melody.

"Does Tamenund dream?" he exclaimed. "What

870 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

voice is at his ear? Have the winters gone backward f
Will summer come again to the children of the Lenape f "

A solemn and respectful silence succeeded this incoher-
ent burst from the lips of the Delaware prophet. His
people readily construed his unintelligible language into
one of those mysterious conferences he was believed to
hold so frequently with a superior intelligence, and they
awaited the issue of the revelation in awe. After a patient
pause, however, one of the aged men, perceiving that the
sage had lost the recollection of the subject before them,
ventured to remind him again of the presence of the
prisoner.

'^ The false Delaware trembles lest he should hear the
words of Tamenund," he said. "'Tis a hound that
howls, when the Yengeese show him a trail."

"And ye," returned Uncas, looking sternly around
him, "are dogs that whine, when the Frenchman casts ye
the offals of his deer ! "

Twenty knives gleamed in the air, and as many war-
riors sprang to their feet, at this biting, and perhaps
merited retort ;* but a motion from one of the chiefs sup-
pressed the outbreaking of their tempers, and restored the
appearance of quiet. The task might probably have been
more difficult, had not a movement made by Tamenund
indicated that he was again about to speak.

"Delaware! " resumed the sage, "little art thou worthy
of thy name. My people have not seen a bright sun in
many winters ; and the warrior who deserts his tribe when
hid in clouds is doubly a traitor. The law of the .Mani-
tou is just. It is so ; while the rivers run and the moun-
tains stand, while the blossoms come and go on the trees,
it must be so. He is thine, my children ; deal justly by
him."

Kot a limb was moved, nor was a breath drawn louder
and longer than common, until the closing syllable of this
final decree had passed the lips of Tamenund. Then a
cry of vengeance burst at once, as it might be, from the
united lips of the nation ; a frightful augury of their ruth-
less intentions. In the midst of these prolonged and

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 871

savage jells, a chief proclaimed, in a high voice, that the
captive was condemned to endure the dreadful trial of
torture by fire. The circle broke its order, and screams
of delight mingled with the bustle and tumult of prepara-
tion. Hey ward struggled madly with his captors; the
anxious eyes of Hawkeye began to look around him, with
an expression of peculiar earnestness; and Cora again
threw herself at the feet of the patriarch, once more a
suppliant for mercy.

Throughout the whole of these trying moments, Uncas
had alone preserved his serenity. He looked on the prepa-
rations with a steady eye, and when the tormentors came
to seize him, he met them with a firm and upright atti-
tude. One among them, if possible, more fierce and sav-
age than his fellows, seized the hunting-shirt of the young
warrior, and at a single efTort tore it from his body.
Then, with a yell of frantic pleasure, he leaped towards
his unresisting victim, and prepared to lead him to the
stake. But, at that moment, when he appeared most a
stranger to the feelings of humanity, tbe purpose of the
savage was arrested as suddenly as if a supernatural agency
had interposed in the behalf of Uncas. The eyeballs of
the Delaware seemed to start from their sockets; his
mouth opened, and his whole form became frozen in an
attitude of amazement. Baising his hand with a slow
and regulated motion, he pointed with a finger to the
bosom of the captive. His companions crowded about him
in wonder, and every eye was, like his own, fastened in-
tently on the figure of a small tortoise, beautifully tattooed
on the breast of the prisoner, in a bright blue tint.

For a single instant Uncas enjoyed his triumph, smiling /
calmly on the scene. Then motioning the crowd away y
with a high and haughty sweep of his arm, he advanced
in front of the nation with the air of a king, and spoke
in a voice louder than the murmur of admiration that rar.
through the multitude.

" Men of the Lenni Lenape ! " he said, " my race up-
holds the earth ! Your feeble tribe stands on my shell I
What fire that a Delaware can light would burn the child

872 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAKS.

of my fathers ? " lie added, pointing proudly to the simple
blazonry on his skin; 'Hhe blood that came from such
a stock would smother your flames! My race is the
grandfather of nations ! "

" Who art thou ? " demanded Tamenund, rising at the
startling tones he heard, more than at any meaning con-
veyed by the language of the prisoner.

"Uncas, the son of Chingachgook," answered the cap-
tive modestly, turning . from the nation, and bending his
head in reverence to the other's character and years; "a
eon of the great Unamis. " ^

" The hour of Tamenund is nigh I " exclaimed the sage ;
"the day is come, at last, to the night! I thank the
Manitou, that one is here to fill my place at the council-
fire. Uncas, the child of Uncas, is found! Let the eyes
of a dying eagle gaze on the rising sun. '^

The youth stepped lightly, but proudly, on the plat-
form, where he became visible to the whole agitated and-
wondering multitude. Tamenund held him long at the
length of his arm, and read every turn in the fine linea-
ments of his countenance, with the untiring gaze of one
who recalled days of happiness.

" Is Tamenund a boy ? '^ at length the bewildered pro-
phet exclaimed. "Have I dreamt of so many snows —
that my people were scattered like floating sands — of
Yengeese, more plenty than the leaves on the trees! The
arrow of Tamenund would not frighten the fawn ; his arm
is withered like the branch of a dead oak ; the snail would
be swifter in the race ; yet is Uncas before him as they
went to battle against the palefaces ! Uncas, the panther
of his tribe, the eldest son of the Lenape, the wisest Saga-
more of the Mohicans ! Tell me, ye Delawajces, has Tame-
nund been a sleeper for a hundred winters ? "

The calm and deep silence which succeeded these words,
sufficiently announced the awful reverence with which his
people received the communication of the patriarch. None
dared to answer, though all listened in breathless expecta-
tion of what might follow. Uncas, however, lopking in

1 Turtle.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 378

liis face with the fondness and veneration of a favored
child, presumed on his own high and acknowledged rank,
to reply.

" Four warriors of his race have lived, and died," he
said, ''since the friend of Tamehund led his people in
battle. The blood of the turtle has been in many chiefs,
but all have gone back into the earth from whence they
came except Chingachgook and his son."

"It is true — it is true," returned the sage; a flash of
recollection destroying all his pleasing fancies, and restor-
ing him at once to a consciousness of the true history of
his nation. "Our wise men have often said that two
warriors of the unchanged race were in the hills of the
Yengeese; why have their seats at the council fires of the
I>elawares been so long empty 1 "

At these words the young man raised his head, which
he had still kept bowed a little, in reverence; and lifting
his voice so as to be heard by the multitude, as if to ex-
plain at once and forever the policy of his family, he said
aloud,- —

" Once we slept where we could hear the salt lake speak |>^
in its anger. Then we were rulers and Sagamores over ^
the land. But when a paleface was seen on every brook,
we followed the deer back to the river of our nation.
The Delawares were gone. Eew warriors of them all
stayed to drink of the stream they loved. Then said my
fathers, * Here will we hunt. The waters of the river go
into the salt lake. If we go towards the setting sun, we
shall find streams that run into the great lakes of sweet
water; there would a Mohican die, like fishes of the sea,
in the clear spriiigs. When the Manitou is ready, and
shall say "Come," we will follow the river to the sea,
and take our own again.' Such, Delawares, is the belief
of the children of the Turtle. Our eyes are on the rising,
and not towards the setting sun. We know whence he
comes, but we know not whither he goes. It is enough."

The men of the Lenape listened to his words with all
the respect that superstition could lend, finding a secret
ehann even in the figurative language with which the

874 THE LA.ST OF THE MOHICANS.

young Sagamore imparted his ideas. Uncas himself
watched the effect of his brief explanation with intelligent
eyes, and gradually dropped the air of authority he had
assumed, as he perceived that his auditors were content.
Then permitting his looks to wander over the silent throng
that crowded around the elevated seat of Tamenund, he
first perceived Hawkeye in his bonds. Stepping eagerly
from his stand, he made way for himself to the side of
his friend; and cutting his thongs with a quick and angry
stroke of his own knife, he motioned to the crowd to
divide. The Indians silently obeyed, and once more they
stood ranged in their circle, as before his appearance
among them. Uncas took the scout by the hand, and led
him to the feet of the patriarch.

"Father," he said, "look at this paleface; a just man,
and the friend of the Delawares."

" Is he a son of Miquon ? "

"Not so; a warrior known to the Yengeese, and feared
by the Maquas."

" What name has he gained by his deeds ? "

"We call him Hawkeye," Uncas replied, iising the
* Delaware phrase; "for his sight never fails. The Min-
goes know him better by the death he gives their warriors;
with them he is * The Long Rifle. ' "

" La Longue Carabine ! " exclaimed Tamenund, opening
his eyes, and regarding the scout sternly. " My son has
not done well to call him friend."

"I call him so who proves himself such," returned the
young chief, with great calmness, but with a steady mien.
"If Uncas is welcome among the Delawares, then is
Hawkeye with his friends."

"The paleface has slain my young men'; his name i?
great for the blows he has struck the Lenape."

" If a Mingo has whispered that much in the ear of the
Delaware, he has only shown that he is a singing-bird,"
said the scout, who now believed that it was time to vin-
dicate himself from such offensive charges, and who spoke
in the tongue of the man he addressed, modifying his
Indian figures, however, with his own peculiar notion&

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 37#

•* That I have slain the Maquas I am not the man to deny,
even at their own council fires; but that, knowingly, my
Ii£tnd has ever harmed a Delaware, is opposed to the rea-
son of my gifts, which is friendly to them, and all that
TDelongs to their nation. "

A low exclamation of applause passed among the war-
riors, who exchanged looks with each other like men that
first began to perceive their error.

" Where is the Huron ? " demanded Tamenund. "Has
lie stopped my ears ? "

Magua, whose feelings during that scene in which Un-
cas had triumphed may be much better imagined than
described, answered to the call by stepping boldly in front
of the patriarch.

"The just Tamenund," he said, "will not keep what a
Huron has lent."

"Tell me, son of my brother," returned the sage, avoid-
ing the dark countenance of Le Subtil, and turning gladly
to the more ingenuous features of Uncas, "has the stranger
a conqueror's right over you V

" He has none. The panther may get into snares set
"by the women; but he is strong, and knows how to leap
through them."

" La Longue Carabine ? "

" Laughs at the Mingoes. Go, Huron, ask your squaws
the color of a bear."

"The stranger and the white maiden that came into my
camp together ? "

"Should journey on an open path."

" And the woman that Huron left with my warriors 1 "

Uncas made no reply.

"And the woman that the Mingo has brought into my
camp," repeated Tamenund, gravely.

"She is mine," cried Magua, shaking his hand in tri-
umph at Uncas. "Mohican, you know that she is mine."

"My son is silent," said Tamenund, endeavoring to
read the expression of the face that the youth turned from
him in sorrow.

"It is so," was the low answer.

876 THS LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

A short and impressive pause succeeded, during which
it was very apparent with what reluctance the multitude
admitted the justice of the Mingo's claim. At length the
sage, on whom alone the decision depended, said, in a
firm voice, —

"Huron, depart."

"As he came, just Tamenund," demanded the wily
Magna, " or with hands filled with the faith of the Dela-
waresl The wigwam of Le Kenard Subtil is empty.
Make him strong with his own."

The aged man mused with himself for a time; and then
bending his head towards one of his venerable companions,
he asked, —

" Are my ears open 1 "

"It is true."

"Is this Mingo a chief?"

"The first in his nation."

" Girl, what wouldst thou ? A great warrior takes thee
to wife. Go! thy race will not end."

"Better, a thousand times, it should,^' exclaimed the
l^orror-struck Cora, " than meet with such a degradation ! "

"Huron, her mind is in the tents of her fathers. An
unwilling maiden makes an unhappy wigwam."

"She speaks with the tongue of her people," returned
Magna, regarding his victim with a look of bitter irony.
" She is of a race of traders, and will bargain for a bright
look. Let Tamenund speak the words."

"Take you the wampum, and our love."

"Nothing hence but what Magna brought hither."

"Then depart with thine own. The Great Manitou
forbids that a Delaware should be unjust."

Magna advanced, and seized his captive strongly by the
arm ; the Delawares fell back, in silence ; and Cora, as if
conscious that remonstrance would be useless, prepared to
submit to her fate without resistance.

"Hold, hold!" cried Duncan, springing forward;
" Huron, have mercy ! her ransom shall make thee richer
than any of thy people were ever yet known to be."

"Magna is a red-skin; he wants not the beads of the
palefaces."

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 877

€t

Gold, silver, powder, lead — all that a warrior needs
sliall be in thy wigwam; all that becomes the greatest
chief."

**Iie Subtil is very strong," cried Magna, violently
slialiiing the hand which grasped the unresisting arm of
Cora ; " he has his revenge ! "

•* Mighty ruler of providence!" exclaimed Hey ward,
clasping his hands together in agony, ''can this be suf-
fered? To you, just Tamenund, I appeal for mercy."

*'The words of the Delaware are said," returned the
sage, closing his eyes, and dropping back into his seat,
alike wearied with his mental and his bodily exertion.
** Men speak not twice."

" That a chief should not misspend his time in unsaying
"^hat has once been spoken, is wise and reasonable," said
Hawkey e, motioning to Duncan to be silent; "but it is
also prudent in every warrior to consider well before he
strikes his tomahawk into the head of his prisoner.
Huron, I love you not; nor can I say that any Mingo has
ever received much favor at luy hands. It is fair to con-
clude that, if this war does not soon end, many more of
your warriors will meet me in the woods. Put it to your
judgment, then, whether you would prefer taking such a
prisoner as that into your encampment, or one like myself,
who am a man that it would greatly rejoice your nation to
see with naked hands."

" Will * The Long Rifle ' give his life for the woman 1 "
demanded Magna, hesitatingly; for he had already made
a motion towards quitting the place with his victim.

"No, no; I have not said so much as that," returned
Hawkeye, drawing back with suitable discretion, when he
noted the eagerness with which Magna listened to his
proposal. "It would be an unequal exchange, to give a
warrior, in the prime of his age and usefulness, for the
best woman on the frontiers. I might consent to go into
winter quarters, now — ^ at least six weeks afore the leaves
will turn — on condition you will release the maiden."

Magna shook his head, and made an impatient sign for
the crowd to open.

878 THE LAST OF THE M0HICA17S.

''Well, then,'' added the scout, with the musing aii of
a man who had not half made up his mind, "I will throw
Killdeer into the bargain. Take the word of an expe-
rienced hunter, the piece has not its equal atween the
provinces."

Magna still disdained to reply, continuing his efforts to
disperse the crowd.

'' Perhaps, " added the scout, losing his dissembled cool-
ness, exactly in proportion as the other manifested an in-
difference to the exchange, " if I should condition to teach
your young men the real virtue of the weapon, it would
smooth the little differences in our judgments."

Le Henard fiercely ordered the Delawares, who still
lingered in an impenetrable belt around him, in hopes he
would listen to the amicable proposal, to open his path,
threatening, by the glance of his eye, another appeal to
the infallible justice of their "prophet."

"What is ordered must sooner or later arrive," contin-
ued Hawkey e, turning with a sad and humbled look to
Uncas. "The varlet knows his advantage, and will keep
it ! God bless you, boy ; you have found friends among
your natural kin and I hope they will prove as true as
some you have met who had no Indian cross. As for me,
sooner or later, I must die ; it is therefore fortunate there
are but few to make my death-howl. After all, it is likely
the imps would have managed to master my scalp, so a
day or two will make no great difference in the everlast-
ing reckoning of time. God bless you," added the rugged
woodsman, bending his head aside and then instantly
changing its direction again, with a wistful look towards
the youth; "I loved both you and your father, Uncas,
though our skins are not altogether of a color, and our
gifts are somewhat different. Tell the Sagamore I never
lost sight of him in my greatest trouble ; and, as for you,
think of me sometimes when on a lucky trail ; and depend
on it, boy, whether there be one" heaven or two, there is
a path in the other world Wy which honest men may come
together again. You '11 find the rifle in the place we hid
it; take it, and keep it for my sake; and harkee, lad, as

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 37&

your natural gifts don't deny you the use of vengeance,
use it a little freely on the Mingoes; it may unburden
grief at my loss, and ease your mind. Huron, I accept
your offer ; release the woman. I am your prisoner ! ''

A suppressed, but still distinct murmur of approbation,
ran through the crowd at this generous proposition; even
the fiercest among the Delaware warriors manifesting plea-
sure at the manliness of the intended sacrifice. Magna
paused, and for an anxious moment, it might be said, he
doubted; then casting his eyes on Cora, with an expres-
sion in which ferocity and admiration were strangely min-
gled, his purpose became fixed forever.

He intimated his contempt of the offer with a backward
motion of his head, and said, in a steady and settled
voice, —

"Le Renard Subtil is a great chief; he has but one
mind. Come," he added, laying his hand too familiarly
on the shoulder of his captive to urge her onward; "a
Huron is no tattler; we will go."

The maiden drew back in lofty womanly reserve, and
her dark eye kindled, while the rich blood shot, like the \ f
passing brightness of the sun, into her very temples, at
the indignity.

''I am your prisoner, and at a fitting time shall be
ready to follow, even to my death. But violence is un-
necessary," she coldly said, and, immediately turning to
Hawkeye, added, "Generous hunter! from my soul I
thank you. Your offer is vain, neither could it be ac-
cepted; but still you may serve me, even more than in
your own noble intention. Look at that drooping, hum-
bled child ! Abandon her not until you leave her in the
habitations of civilized men. I will not say," wringing
the hard hand of the scout, "that her father will reward
you — for such as you are above the rewards of men —
but he will thank you, and bless you. And, believe me,
the blessing of a just and aged man has virtue in the
sight of Heaven. Would to God, I could hear one from
his lips at this awful moment ! " Her voice became
choked, and, for an instant, she was silent; then advan*^

9S0 THE LAST OF THE M OHICAKS.

dng a step nigher to Dancan, who was supporting her
unconscious sister, she continued, in more subdued tones,
but in which feeling and the habits of her sex maintained
a fearful struggle, — "I need not tell you to cherish the
treasure you will possess. You Iotc her, Heywaid; that
would conceal a thousand faults, though she had them.
She is kind, gentle, sweet, good, as mortal may be.
There is not a blemish in mind or person at which the
proudest of you all would sicken. She is fair — Oh, how
surpassingly fair!'' laying her own beautiful, but less
brilliant hand, in melancholy affection on the alabaster fore-
head of Alice, and parting the golden hair which clustered
about her brows; ''and yet her soul is pure and spotless
as her skin! I could say much — more, perhaps, thac
cooler reason would approve; but I will spare you and
myself" — Her voice became inaudible, and her face
was bent over the form of her sister. After a long and
burning kiss, she arose, and with features of the hue of
death, but without even a tear in her feverish eye, she
turned away, and added, to the savage, with all her for-
mer elevation of manner, ''Kow, sir, if it be your plea-
sure, I will follow."

"Aye, go," cried Duncan, placing Alice in the arms of
an Indian girl; "go, Magua, go. These Delawares have
their laws, which forbid them to detain you; but I — I
have no such obligation. Go, malignant monster — why
do you delay ? "

It would be difficult to describe the expression with
which Magua listened to this threat to follow. There was
at first a fierce and manifest display of joy, and then it
was instantly subdued in a look of. cunning coldness.

"The woods are open," he was content with answering.
" * The Open Hand ' can come."

"Hold," cried Hawkey e, seizing Duncan by the ann,
and detaining him by violence ; " you know not the craft
of the imp. He would lead you to an ambushment, and
your death " —

"Huron," interrupted Uncas, who, submissive to the
stem customs of his people, had been an attentive and

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 881

grave listener to all that passed ; " Huron, the justice of
the Delawares comes from the Manitou. Look at the sun.
He is now in the upper branches of the hemlock. Your
path is short and open. When he is seen above the trees,
there will be men on your trail."

"I hear a crow!" exclaimed Magna, with a taunting
laugh. " Go ! " he added, shaking his hand at the crowd,
which had slowly opened to admit his passage^ ''where
are the petticoats of the Delawares ? Let them send their
arrows and their guns to the Wyandots; they shall have
venison to eat, and com to hoe. Dogs, rabbits, thieves
— I spit on you ! "

His parting gibes were listened to in a dead, boding
silence, and, with these biting words in his mouth, the
triumphant Magna passed unmolested into the forest, fol-
lowed by his passive captive, and protected by the invio-
lable laws of Lidian hospitality.

CHAPTER XXXL

ITiMBen. — KUltliepojrBUidthelnggmgal *tiaexpreMl7agaJiigfcthe]»wof trms:
*tis as arrant a piece of knafery, mark you now, as can be ofler*t ; in your oon-
■denoe, now, ia it not?

SHAKnnABB, King Henry T., IV. Tii.

So long as their enemy and his victim continued in
sight, the multitude remained motionless as beings charmed
to the place by some power that was friendly to the
Huron; but the instant he disappeared, it became tossed
and agitated by fierce and powerful passion. Uncas main-
tained his elevated stand, -keeping his eyes on the form of
Cora, until the colors of her dress were blended with the
foliage of the forest; when he descended, and moving
silently through the throng, he disappeared in that lodge
from w-hich he had so recently issued. A few of the
graver and more attentive warriors, who caught the gleams
of anger that shot from the eyes of the young chief in
passing, followed him to the place he had selected for his
meditations. After which Tamenund and Alice were

882 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

removed, and the women and children were ordered to dis-
perse. During the momentous hour that succeeded, the
encampment resembled a hive of troubled bees, who only
awaited the appearance and example of their leader to take
some distant and momentous flight.

A young warrior at length issued from the lodge of
Uncas; and moving deliberately, with a sort of grave
march, towards a dwarf pine that grew in the crevices of
the rocky terrace, he tore the bark from its body, and
then returned whence he came without speaking. He
was soon followed by another, who stripped the sapling of
its branches, leaving it a naked and blazed^ trunk. A
third colored the post with stripes of a dark red paint ; all
which indications of a hostile design in the leaders of the
nation were received by the men without in a gloomy and
ominous silence. Finally, the Mohican himself reap-
peared, divested of all his attire except his girdle and
leggings, and with one half of his fine features hid under
a cloud of threatening black.

Uncas moved with a slow and dignified tread towards
the post, which he immediately commenced encircling
with a measured step, not unlike an ancient dance, raising
his voice, at the same time, in the wild and irregular
chant of his war-song. The notes were in the extremes
of human sounds ; being sometimes melancholy and exqui-
sitely plaintive, even rivaling the melody of birds — and
then, by sudden and startling transitions, causing the
auditors to tremble by their depth and energy. The
words were few and often repeated, proceeding gradually
from a sort of invocation, or hymn to the Deity, to an
intimation of the warrior's object, and terminating as they
commenced with an acknowledgment of his own depend-
ence on the Great Spirit. If it were possible to translate
the comprehensive and melodious language in which he
spoke, the ode might read something like the following: —

1 A tree which has been partially or entirely stripped of its bark is
saidy in the language of the country, to be "blazed." The term is
strictly English ; for a horse is said to be blazed when it has a white
mark.

THE LA.ST OF THE MOHICANS. 883

''Manitoul Manitou! Manitoul
Thou art great, thou art good, thou art wise ^
Manitou! Manitou!
Thou art just.

''In the heavens, in the clouds, O, I see
Many spots — many dark, many red:
In the heavens, O, I see
Many clouds.

^In the woods, in the air, O, I hear
The whoop, the long yell, and the cry:
In the woods, O, I hear
The loud whoop!

''Manitou! Manitou! Manitou!
I am weak — thou art strong; I am flow;
Manitou! Manitou!
Give me aid."

At the end of what might be called each verse he made
a pause, by raising a note louder and longer than common,
that was peculiarly suited to the sentiment just expressed.
The first close was solemn, and intended to convey the
idea of veneration; the second descriptive, bordering on
the alarming; and the third was the well known and ter-
rific war-whoop, which burst from the lips of the young
warrior, like a combination of all the frightful sounds of
battle. The last was like the first, humble and imploring.
Three times did he repeat this song, and as often did he
encircle the post in his dance.

At the close of the first turn, a grave and highly es-
teemed chief of the Lenape followed his example, singing
words of his own, however, to music of a similar character.
Warrior after warrior enlisted in the dance, until all of
any renown and authority were numbered in its mazes.
The spectacle now became wildly terrific; the fierce-look-
ing and menacing visages of the chiefs receiving additional
power from the appalling strains in which they mingled
their guttural tones. Just then Uncas struck his toma-
hawk deep into the post, and raised his voice in a shout^
which might be termed his own battle-cry. The act ai^

8S4 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

nounced that he had assumed the chief authority in th6
intended expedition. *

It was a signal that awakened all the slumhering pas-
sions of the nation. A hundred youths, who had hitherto
heen restrained by the diffidence of their years, rushed in
a frantic body on the fancied emblem of their enemy,
and severed it asunder, splinter by splinter, until nothing
remained of the trunk but its roots in the earth. During
this moment of tumult, the most ruthless deeds of war
were performed on the fragments of the tree, with as
much apparent ferocity as if they were the living victims
of their cruelty. Some were scalped; some received the
keen and trembling axe; and others suffered by thrusts
from the fatal knife. In short, the manifestations of zea]
and fierce delight were so great and unequivocal, that the
expedition was declared to be a war of the nation.

The instant Uncas had struck the blow, he moved out
of the circle, and cast his eyes up to the sun, which was
just gaining the point, when the truce with Magna was to
end. The fact was soon announced by a significant ges-
ture accompanied by a corresponding cry; and the whole
of the excited multitude abandoned their mimic warfare,
with shrill yells of pleasure, to prepare for the more haz-
ardous experiment of the reality.

The whole face of the encampment was instantly
changed. The warriors, who were already armed and
painted, became as still as if they were incapable of any
uncommon burst of emotion. On the other hand, the
women broke out of the lodges, with the songs of joy and
those of lamentation, so strangely mingled, that it might
have been difficult to have said which passion preponder-
ated. None, however, were idle. Some bore their choicest
articles, others their young, and some their aged and
infirm, into the forest, which spread itself like a verdant
carpet of bright green against the side of the mountain.
Thither Tamenund also retired, with calm composure,
after a short and touching interview with Uncas; from
whom the sage separated with the reluctance that a parent
would quit a long lost and just recovered child. In the

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 885

mean time, Duncan saw Alice to a place of safety, and
then sought the scout, with a countenance that denoted
how eagerly he also panted for the approaching contest.

But Hawkeye was too much accustomed to the war
song and the enlistments of the natives, to hetray any
interest in the passing scene. He merely cast an occa-
sional look at the number and quality of the warriors,
who, from time to time, signified their readiness to accom'
pany Uncas to the field. In this particular he was soon
satisfied; for, as has been already seen, the power of the
young chief quickly embraced every fighting man in the
nation. After this material point* was so satisfactorily
decided, he dispatched an Indian boy in quest of Kill-
deer and the rifle of Uncas, to the place where they had
deposited the weapons on approaching the camp of the
Delawares; a measure of double policy, inasmuch as it
protected the arms from their own fate, if detained as
prisoners, and gave them the advantage of appearing
among the strangers rather as sufferers than as men pro-
vided with the means of defense and subsistence. In
selecting another to perform the office of reclaiming his
highly prized rifle, the scout had lost sight of none of his
habitual caution. He knew that Magna had not come
unattended, and he also knew that Huron spies watched
the movements of their new enemies, along the whole
boundary of the woods. It would, therefore, have been
fatal to himself to have attempted the experiment ; a war-
rior would have fared no better; but the danger of a boy
would not be likely to commence until after his object
was discovered. When Hey ward joined him, the scout
was coolly awaiting the result of this experiment.

The boy, who had been well instructed, and was suffi-
ciently crafty, proceeded, with a bosom that was swelling
with the pride of such a confidence, and all the hopes of
young ambition, carelessly across the clearing to the wood,
which he entered at a point at some little distance from
the place where the guns were secreted. The instant,
however, he was concealed by the foliage of the bushes,
his dusky form was to be seen gliding, like that of a seiy

386 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAK&

pent, towards the desired treasure. He was successful;
and in another moment he appeared flying across the nar-
row opening that skirted the base of the terrace on which
the village stood, with the velocity of an arrow, and bear-
ing a prize in each hand. He had actually gained the
crags, and was leaping up their sides with incredible activ-
ity, when a shot from the woods showed how accurate had
been the judgment of the scout. The boy answered it
with a feeble but contemptuous shout; and immediately
a second bullet was sent after him from another part of
the cover. At the next instant he appeared on the level
above, elevating his guns in triumph, while he moved
with the air of a conqueror towards the renowned hunter
who had honored him by so glorious a commission.

Kotwithstanding the lively interest Hawkeye had taken
in the fate of his messenger, he received Killdeer with
a satisfaction that, momentarily, drove all other recollec-
tions from his mind. After examining the piece with an
intelligent eye, and opening and shutting the pan some
ten or fifteen times, and trying sundry other equally im-
portant experiments on the lock, he turned to the boy,
and demanded with great manifestations of kindness, if
he was hurt. The urchin looked proudly up in his face,
but made no reply.

" Ah ! I see, lad, the knaves have barked your arm ! "
added the scout, taking up the limb of the patient sufferer,
across which a deep flesh wound had been made by one of
the bullets; ''but a little bruised alder will act like a
charm. In the mean time I will wrap it in a badge of
wampum ! You have commenced the business of a war-
rior early, my brave boy, and are likely to bear a plenty
of honorable scars to your grave. I know many young
men that have taken scalps who cannot show such a mark
as this. Go!'* having bound up the arm; "you will be
a chief ! "

The lad departed, prouder of his flowing blood than the
vainest courtier could be of his blushing ribbon; and
stalked among the fellows of his age, an object of general
admiration and envy.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 967

But in a moment of so many serious and important
duties, this single act of juvenile fortitude did not attract
the general notice and commendation it would have re-
ceived under milder auspices. It had, however, served
to apprise the Delawares of the position and the intentions
of their enemies. Accordingly a party of adventurers,
better suited to the task than the weak though spirited
"boy, was ordered to dislodge the skulkers. The duty was
soon performed ; for most of the Hurons retired of them-
selves when they found they had been discovered. The
Delawares followed to a sufficient distance from their own
encampment^ and then halted for orders, apprehensive of
being led into an ambush. As both parties secreted them-
selves, the woods were again as still and quiet as a mild
summer morning and deep solitude could render them.

The calm but still impatient Uncas now collected his
chiefs, and divided his power. He presented Hawkeye
as a warrior, often tried, and always found deserving of
confidence. When he found his friend met with a favor-
able reception, he bestowed on him the command of twenty
men, like himself, active, skillful, and resolute. He gave
the Delawares to understand the rank of Heyward among
the troops of the Yengeese, and then tendered to him a
trust of equal authority. But Duncan declined the charge,
professing his readiness to serve as a volunteer by the side
of the scout. After this disposition, the young Mohican
appointed various native chiefs to fill the different situa-
tions of responsibility, and the time pressing, he gave forth
the word to march. He was cheerfully, but silently,
obeyed by more than two hundred men.

Their entrance into the forest was perfectly unmolested;
nor did they encounter any living objects, that could
either give the alarm, or furnish the intelligence they
needed, until they came upon the lairs of their own
scouts. Here a halt was ordered, and the chiefs were
assembled to hold a "whispering council."

At this meeting divers plans of operation were sug-
gested, though none of a character to meet the wishes of
their ardent leader. Had Uncas followed the promptings

888 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

of his own inclinations, he would have led his followers
to the charge without a moment's delay, and put the con-
flict to the hazard of an instant issue ; hut such a course
would have heen in opposition to all the received practices
and opinions of his countrymen. He was, therefore, fain
to adopt a caution that in the present temper of his mind
he execrated, and to listen to advice at which his fiery-
spirit chafed, under the vivid recollection of Cora's danger
and Magna' 8 insolence.

After an unsatisfactory conference of many minutes,
a solitary individual was seen advancing from the side of
the enemy, with such apparent haste, as to induce the
helief he might he a messenger charged with pacific over-
tures. When within a hundred yards, however, of the
cover hehind which the Delaware council had assembled,
the stranger hesitated, appeared uncertain what course to
take, and finally halted. All eyes were now turned on
Uncas, as if seeking directions how to proceed.

"Hawkeye," said the young chief, in a low voice, "he
must never speak to the Hurons again."

"His time has come,'' said the laconic scout, thrusting
the long barrel of his rifle through the leaves, and taking
his deliberate and fatal aim. But, instead of pulling the
trigger, he lowered the muzzle again, and indulged himself
in a fit of his peculiar mirth. "I took the imp for a
Mingo, as I 'm a miserable sinner! " he said; "but when
my eye ranged along his ribs for a place to get the bullet
In — would you think it, Uncas ? — I saw the musicianer's
blower; and so, after all, it is the man they call Gamut,
whose death can profit no one, and whose life, if his
I tongue can dct anything but sing, may be made serviceable
ll to our own ends. If sounds have not lost their virtue,
I '11 soon have a discourse with the honest fellow, and
that in a voice he '11 find more agreeable than the speech
of Killdeer."

So saying, Hawkeye laid aside his rifle; and crawling
through the bushes until within hearing of David, he
attempted to repeat the musical efi'ort, which had con-
'^ucted himself, with so much safety and ectat^ through

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 389

the Huron encampment. The exquisite organs of Gamut
could not readily be deceived (and, to say the truth, it
would have been difficult for any other 4;han Hawkeye
to produce a similar noise), and consequently, having
once before heard the sounds, he now knew whence they
proceeded. The poor fellow appeared relieved from a
state of great embarrassment; for pursuing the direction
of the voice — a task that to him was not much less
arduous than it would have been to have gone up in the
face of a battery — he soon discovered the hidden song-
ster.

" I wonder what the Hurons will think of that ! " said
the scout, laughing, as he took his companion by the anh|
and urged him towards the rear. "If the knaves lift
within ear-shot, they will say there are two non-compossers
instead of one ! But here we are safe, " he added, point-
ing to Uncas and his associates. "Now give us the his-
tory of the Mingo inventions in natural English, and
without any ups and downs of voice."

David gazed about him, at the fierce and wild-looking
chiefs, in mute wonder; but assured by the presence of
faces that he knew, he soon rallied his faculties so far as
to make an intelligent reply.

"The heathen are abroad in goodly numbers," said
David; "and, I fear, with evil intent. There has been
much howling and ungodly revelry, together with such
sounds as it is profanity to utter, in their habitations
within the past hour; so much so, in truth, that I have
fled to the Dela wares in search of peace."

"Your ears might not have profited much by the ex-
change, had you been quicker of foot," returned the scout
a little dryly. " But let that be as it may ; where are the
Hurons ? "

"They lie hid in the forest, between this spot and
their village, in such force, that prudence would teach you
instantly to return."

Uncas cast a glance along the range of trees which con*
cealed his own band and mentioned the name of —

"Magna?"

890 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

" Is among them. He brought in the maiden that had
sojourned with the Dela wares, and leaving her in the
cave, has put himself, like a raging wolf, at the head of
his savages. I know not what has troubled his spirit so
greatly I "

" He has left her, you say, in the cave ! " interrupted
Hey ward; "'tis well that we know its situation! May
not something be done for her instant relief 1 "

XJncas looked earnestly at the scout, before he asked, —

" What says Hawkeye 1 "

"Give me my twenty rifles, and I will turn to the
right, along the stream; and passing by the huts of the
beaver, will join the Sagamore and the colonel. You
shall then hear the whoop from that quarter; with this
wind one may easily send it a mile. Then, XJncas, do
you drive in their front; when they come within range of
our pieces, we will give them a blow that, I pledge the
good name of an old frontiersman, shall make their line
bend like an ashen bow. After which, we will carry
their village, and take the woman from the cave; when
the affair may be finished with the tribe, according to a
white man's battle, by a blow and a victory; or, in the
Indian fashion, with dodge and cover. There may be no
great learning. Major, in this plan, but with courage and
patience it can all be done.''

"I like it much," cried Duncan, who saw that the
release of Cora was the primary object in the mind
of the scout; "I like it much. Let it be instantly at-
tempted. "

After a short conference, the plan was matured, and
rendered more intelligible to the several parties; the dif-
ferent signals were appointed, and the chiefs separated,
each to his allotted station.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. d91

CHAPTER XXXII.

Bat plA^M diall apread, «nd fmiend fires incrwuM,
Till the great ku^, without a ranaom paid,
To her own Ghryia send the black-eyed maid.

Pqpb*8 Iliad.

DuBiNG the time Uncas was making this disposition
of his forces, the woods were as still, and, with the excep-
tion of those who had met in council, apparently as much
untenanted, as when they came fresh from the hands of
their Almighty Creator. The eye could range in every
direction through the long and shadowed vistas of the
trees; hut nowhere was any ohject to be seen that did not
properly belong to the peaceful and slumbering scenery.
Here and there a bird was heard fluttering among the
branches of the beeches, and occasionally a squirrel dropped
a nut, drawing the startled looks of the party, for a
moment, to the place ; but the instant the casual interrup-
tion ceased, the passing air was heard murmuring above
their heads, along that verdant and undulating surface of
forest which spread itself unbroken, unless by stream or
lake, over such a vast region of country. Across the tract
of wilderness which lay between the Delawares and the
village of their enemies, it seemed as if the foot of man
had never trodden, so breathing and deep was the silence
in which it lay. But Hawkeye, whose duty led him
foremost in the adventure, knew the character of those
with whom he was about to contend too well to trust the
treacherous quiet.

When he saw his little band collected, the scout threw
Killdeer into the hollow of his arm, and making a silent
signal that he would be followed, he led them many rods
towards the rear, into the bed of a little brook which they
had crossed in advancing. Here he halted, and after
waiting for the whole of his grave and attentive warriors
to close about him, he spoke in Delaware, demanding, -^

" Do any of my young men know whither this run will
lead us ? "

892 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

A Delaware stretched forth a hand, with the two fingers
separated, and indicating the manner in which they were
joined at the root, he answered, —

"Before the sun could go his own length, the little
water will be in the big." Then he added, pointing in
the direction of the place he mentioned, "The two make
enough for the beavers."

"I thought as much," returned the scout, glancing his
eye upwards at the opening in the tree- tops, "from the
course it takes, and the bearings of the mountains. Men,
we will keep within the cover of its banks tiU we scent
the Hurons."

His companions gave the usual brief exclamation of
assent, but perceiving that their leader was about to lead
the way in person, one or two made signs that all was not
as it should be. Hawkeye, who comprehended their
meaning glances, turned, and perceived that his party had
been followed thus far by the singing-master.

"Do you know, friend," asked the scout gravely, and
perhaps with a little of the pride of conscious deserving
in his manner, " that this is a band of rangers chosen for
the most desperate service, and put under the command of
one who, though another might say it with a better face,
will not be apt to leave them idle. It may not be five,
it cannot be thirty minutes before we tread on the body
of a Huron, living or dead."

"Though not admonished of your intentions in words,''
returned David, whose face was a little flushed, and whose
ordinarily quiet and unmeaning eyes glimmered with an
expression of unusual fire, "your men have reminded
me of the children of Jacob going out to battle against
the Shechemites, for wickedly aspiring to wedlock with a
woman of a race that was favored of the Lord. Now, I
have journeyed far, and sojourned much in good and evil
with the maiden ye seek ; and though not a man of war,
with my loins girded and my sword sharpened, yet would
I gladly strike a blow in her behalf."

The scout hesitated, as if weighing the chances of Buch
a strange enlistment in his mind before he answered, —

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 893

"Ton know not the use of any we'pon. You carry
no rifle ; and believe me, what the Mingpes take they wiU
freely give again."

"Though not a vaunting and bloodily disposed Goli-
ath," returned David, drawing a sling from beneath his
parti- colored and uncouth attire, "I have not forgotten
the example of the Jewish boy. With this ancient in-
strument of war have I practiced much in my youth, and
peradventure the skill has not entirely departed from me. *'

"Aye!" saidHawkeye, considering the deer-skin thong
and apron, with a cold and discouraging eye ; " the thing
might do its work among arrows, or even knives; but
these Mengwe have been furnished by the Frenchers with
a good grooved barrel a man. However, it seems to be
your gift to go unharmed amid fire; and as you have hith-
erto been favored — Major, you have left your rifle at a
cock; a single shot before the time would be just twenty
scalps lost to no purpose — singer, you can follow; we
may find use for you in the shoutings. "

" I thank you, friend, " returned David, supplying him-
self, like his royal namesake, from among the pebbles of
the brook; "though not given to the desire to kill, had
you sent me away my spirit would have been troubled."

"Remember," added the scout, tapping his own head
significantly on that spot where Gamut was yet sore, "we
come to fight, and not to musickate. Until the general
whoop is given, nothing speaks but the rifle."

David nodded, as much as to signify his acquiescence
with the terms ; and then Hawkeye, casting another
observant glance over his followers, made the signal to
proceed.

Their route lay, for the distance of a mile, along the
bed of the water-course. Though protected from any
great danger of observation by the precipitous banks, and
the thick shrubbery which skirted the stream, no precau-
tion known to an Indian attack was neglected. A war-
rior rather crawled than walked on each flank, so as to
eatch occasional glimpses into the forest; and every few
minutes the band came to a halt, and listened for hostile

094 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

sounds, with an acuteness of organs that would he scarcely
conceivahle to a man in a less iiatural state. Their march
was, however, unmolested, and they reached the point
where the lesser stream was lost in the greater, without
the smallest evidence that their progress had heen noted.
Here the scout again halted, to consult the signs of the
forest.

• "We are likely to have a good day for a fight,*' he
said, in English, addressing Heyward, and glancing his
eye upwards at the clouds, which hegan to move in broad
sheets across the firmament; "a bright sun and a glitter-
ing barrel are no friends to true sight. Everything is
favorable; they have the wind, which will bring down
their noises and their smoke too, no little matter in itself;
whereas with us it will be first a shot and then a clear
view. But here is an end of our cover; the beavers have
had the range of this stream for hundreds of years, and
what atween their food and their dams, there is, as you
see, many a girdled stub, but few living trees.'*

Hawkeye had, in truth, in these few words, given no
bad description of the prospect that now lay in their front.
The brook was irregular in its width, sometimes shoot-
ing through narrow fissures in the rocks, and at others
spreading over acres of bottom land, forming little areas
that might be termed ponds. Everywhere along its banks
were the mouldering relics of dead trees, in all the stages
of decay, from those that groaned on their tottering trunks
to such as had recently been robbed of those rugged coats
that so mysteriously contain their principle of life. A
few long, low, and moss-covered piles were scattered
among them, like the memorials of a former and long-
departed generation.

All these minute particulars were noted by the scout,
with a gravity and interest that they probably had never
before attracted. He knew that the Huron encampment
lay a short half mile up the brook; and, with the charac-
teristic anxiety of one who dreaded a hidden danger, he
was greatly troubled at not finding the smallest trace of
the presence of his enemy. Once or twice he felt induced

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 395

to give the order for a rush, and to attempt the village
by surprise; but his experience quickly admonished him
of the danger of so useless an experiment. Then he lis-
tened intently, and with painful uncertainty, for the
sounds of hostility in the quarter where Uncas was left;
but nothing was audible except the sighing of the wind,
that began to sweep over the bosom of the forest in gusts
which threatened a tempest. At length, yielding rather
to his unusual impatience than taking counsel from his
knowledge, he determined to bring matters to an issue,
by unmasking his force, and proceeding cautiously, but
steadily, up the stream.

The scout had stood, while making his observations,
sheltered by a brake, and his companions still lay in the
bed of the ravine, through which the smaller stream de-
bouched; but on hearing his low, though intelligible sig-
nal, the whole party stole up the bank, like so many dark
spectres, and silently arranged themselves around him.
Pointing in the direction he wished to proceed, Hawkeye
advanced, the band breaking off in single files, and fol-
lowing so accurately in his footsteps, as to leave it, if we
except Heyward and David, the trail of but a single man.

The party was, however, scarcely uncovered before a
volley from a dozen rifles was heard in their rear; and
a Delaware leaping high into the air, like a wounded
deer, fell at his whole length, perfectly dead.

" Ah ! I feared some deviltry like this ! " exclaimed the
scout, in English ; adding, with the quickness of thought^
in his adopted tongue, " To cover, men, and charge ! "

The band dispersed at the word, and before Heyward
had well recovered from his surprise, he found himself
standing alone with David. Luckily, the Hurons had
already fallen back, and he was safe from their fire. But
this state of things was evidently to be of short continu-
ance; for the scout set the example of pressing on their
retreat, by discharging his rifle, and darting from tree to
tree as his enemy slowly yielded ground.

It would seem that the assault had been made by a very
small party of the Hurons, which, however, continued to

396 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

•

increase in numbers, as it retired on its friends, until the
return fire was very nearly, if not quite, equal to that
maintained by the advancing Delawares. Heyward threw
himself among the combatants, and imitating the necessary
caution of his companions, he made quick discharges with
his own rifle. The contest now grew warm and station-
ary. Few were injured, as both parties kept their bodies
as much protected as possible by the trees; never, indeed,
exposing any part of their persons except in the act of
taking aim. But the chances were gradually growing
unfavorable to Hawkeye and his band. The quick-sighted
scout perceived his danger, without knowing how to rem-
edy it. He saw it was more dangerous to retreat than to
maintain his ground; while he found his enemy throwing
out men on his flank, wl^ich rendered the task of keeping
themselves covered so very difiieult to the Delawares, as
nearly to silence their fire. At this embarrassing moment,
when they began to think the whole of the hostile tribe
was gradually encircling them, they heard the yell of com-
batants, and the rattling of arms, echoing under the arches
of the wood, at the place where Uncas was posted; a
bottom which, in a manner, lay beneath the ground on
which Hawkeye and his party were contending.

The efl^ects of this attack were instantaneous, and to
the scout and his friends greatly relieving. It would
seem that, while his own surprise had been Anticipated,
and had consequently "failed, the enemy, in their turn,
having been deceived in its object and in his numbers,
had left too small a force to resist the impetuous onset of
the young Mohican. This fact was doubly apparent, by
the rapid manner in which the battle in the forest rolled
upwards towards the village, and by an instant falling off
in the number of their assailants, who rushed to assist in
maintaining the front, and, as it now proved to be, the
principal point of defense.

Animating his followers by his voice and his own ex-
ample, Hawkeye then gave the word to bear down upon
their foes. The charge, in that rude species of warfare,
nonsisted merely in pushing from cover to cover, nighei

T9E LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 897

to the enemy; and in this manoeuyre he was instantly and
successfully obeyed. The Hurons were compelled to with-
draw, and the scene of the contest rapidly changed from
the more open ground on which it had commenced, to a
spot where the assailed found a thicket to rest upon.
Here the struggle was protracted, arduous, and seemingly
of doubtful issue; the Delawares, though none of them
fell, beginning to bleed freely, in consequence of the dis-
advantage at which they were held.

In this crisis, Hawkeye found means to get behind the
same tree as that which served for a cover to Hey ward;
most of his own combatants being within call, a little on
his right, where they maintained rapid, though fruitless,
discharges on their sheltered enemies.

"You are a young man. Major," said the scout, drop-
ping the butt of Killdeer to the earth, and leaning on
the barrel, a little fatigued with his previous industry;
"and it may be your gift to lead armies, at some future
day, agin these imps, the Mingoes. You may here see
the philosophy of an Indian fight. It consists, mainly,
in a ready hand, a quick eye, and a good cover. Now, if
you had a company of the Royal Americans here, in what
manner would you set them to work in this business ? "

"The bayonet would make a road."

"Aye, there is white reason in what you say; but a
man must ask himself, in this wilderness, how many lives
he can spare. No — horse, "^ continued the scout, shak-
ing his head, like one who mused ; " horse, I am ashamed .
to say, must, sooner or later, decide these skrimmages. t
The brutes are better than men, and to horse must we

1 The American forest admits of the passage of horse, there being
little underbrush and. few tangled brakes. The plan of Hawkeye is the
one which has always proved the most successful in the battles between
the whites and the Indians. Wayne, in his celebrated campaign on the
Miami, received the fire of his enemies in line; and then causing his
ilragoons to wheel round his flanks, the Indians were driven from their
covers before they had time to load. One of the most conspicuous of
the chiefs who fought in the battle of Miami assured the writer that the
Ted-men could not fight the warriors with "long knives and leather-
Btockings; " meaning the dragoons with their sabres and boots.

898 THE LAST OF THE MOHICAN&

eome at last. Put a sbodden hoof on the moccasin of a
red-skin; and if his rifle be once emptied, he will never
stop to load it again.''

"This is a subject that might better be discussed at
another time," returned Hey ward; "shall we charge?"

"I see no contradiction to the gifts of any man, in
passing his breathing spells in useful reflections," the
scout replied. "As to a rush, I little relish such a mea-
sure; for a scalp or two must be thrown away in the
/ attempt. And yet," he added, bending his head aside,
to catch the sounds of the distant combat, "if we are to
be of use to Uncas, these knaves in our front must be got
rid of ! "

Then turning, with a prompt and decided air, he called
aloud to his Indians, in their own language. His words
were answered by a shout; and, at a given signal, each
warrior made a swift movement around his particular tree.
The sight of so many dark bodies, glancing before their
eyes at the same instant, drew a hasty, and consequently
an ineffectual fire from the Hurons. "Without stopping to
breathe, the Delawares leaped in long bounds towards
the wood, like so many panthers springing upon their
prey. Hawkeye was in front, brandishing his terrible
rifle, and animating his followers by his example. A few
of the older and more cunning Hurons, who had not been
deceived by the artifice which had been practiced to draw
their fire, now made a close and deadly discharge of their
pieces, and justified the apprehensions of the scout, by
f felling three of his foremost warriors. But the shock was
insufficient to repel the impetus of the charge. The Dela-
wares broke into the cover with the ferocity of their na-
tures, and swept away every trace of resistance by the fury
of the onset.

The combat endured only for an instant, hand to hand,
and then the assailed yielded ground rapidly, until they
reached the opposite margin of the thicket, where they
clung to the cover, with the sort of obstinacy that is so
often witnessed in hunted brutes. At this critical moment,
when the success of the struggle was again becoming

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 899

doubtful, the crack of a rifle was heard behind the Hurons,
and a bullet came whizzing from among some beaver
lodges, which were situated in the clearing, in their rear,
and was followed by the fierce and appalling yell of the
war-whoop.

" There speaks the Sagamore ! '' shouted Hawkeye, an*
swering the cry with his own stentorian voice; "we have
them now in face and back ! "

The effect on the Hurons was instantaneous. Discour-
aged by an assault from a quarter that left them no oppor-
tunity for cover, their warriors uttered a common yell of
disappointment, and breaking off in a body, they spread
themselves across the opening, heedless of every consider-
ation but flight. Many fell, in making the experiment,
under the bullets and the blows of the pursuing Dela-
wares.

We shall not paUse to detail the meeting between the
scout and Chingachgook, or the more touching interview
that Duncan held with Munxo. A few brief and hurried
words served to explain the state of things to both parties ;
and then Hawkeye, pointing out the Sagamore to his band,
resigned the chief authority into the hands of the Mohi-
can chief. Chingachgook assumed the station to which
his birth and experience gave him so distinguished a
claim, with the grave dignity that always gives force to ^
the mandates of a native warrior. Following the foot-
steps of the scout, he led the party back through the
thicket, his men scalping the fallen Hurons, and secreting
the bodies of their own dead as they proceeded, until they
gained a point where the former was content to make a
halt.

The warriors, who had breathed themselves freely in
the preceding struggle, were now posted on a bit of level
ground, sprinkled with trees in sufficient numbers to con-
ceal them. The land fell away rather precipitately in
front, and beneath their eyes stretched, for several miles,
a narrow, dark, and wooded vale. It was through this
dense and dark forest that Uncas was still contending
with the main body of the Hurons.

400 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

The Mohican and his friends advanced to the brow of
the hill, and listened, with practiced ears, to the sounds
of the combat. A few birds hovered over the leafy bosom
of the valley, frightened from their secluded nests; and
here and there a light vapory cloud, which seemed already
blending with the atmosphere, arose above the trees, and
indicated some spot where the struggle had been fierce and
stationary.

"The fight is coming up the ascent," said 'Duncan,
pointing in the direction of a new explosion of fire-arms;
"we are too much in the centre of their line to be effec-
tive."

"They will incline into the hollow, where the cover is
thicker," said the scout, "and that will leave us well on
their flank. Go, Sagamore; you will hardly be in time
to give the wl^oop, and lead on the young men. I will
fight this skrimmage with warriors of my own color. You
know me, Mohican; not a Huron of them all shall cross
the swell, into your rear, without the notice of Killdeer."

The Indian chief paused another moment to consider
the signs of the contest, which was now rolling rapidly
up the ascent, a certain evidence that the Delawares tri-
umphed; nor did he actually quit the place until admon-
ished of the proximity of his friends, as well as enemies,
by the bullets of the former, which began to patter among
the dried leaves on the ground, like the bits of falling
hail which precede the bursting of the tempest. Hawk-
eye and his three companions withdrew a few paces to a
shelter, and awaited the issue with calmness, that nothing
but great practice could impart in such a scene.

It was not long before the reports of the rifles began to
lose the echoes of the woods, and to sound like weapons
discharged in the open air. Then a warrior appeared,
here and there, driven to the skirts of the forest, and
rallying as he entered the clearing, as at the place where
the final stand was to be made. These were soon joined
by others, until a long line of swarthy figures was to be
seen clinging to the cover with the obstinacy of despera-
tion. Heyward began to grow impatient, and turned his

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 401

eyes anxiously in the direction of Chingacbgook. The
chief was seated on a rock, with nothing visible but hia
calm visage, considering the spectacle with an eye as
deliberate as if he were posted there merely to view the
struggle.

" The time is come for the Delaware to strike ! " said
Duncan.

"Not so, not so," returned the scout; "when he scents
his friends, he will let them know that he is here. See,
see; the knaves are getting in that clump of pines, like
bees settling after their flight. By the Lord, a squaw
might put a bullet into the centre of such a knot of dark
skins."

At that instant the whoop was given, and a dozen
Hurons fell by a discharge from Chingacbgook and his
band. The shout that followed was answered by a single
war-cry from the forest, and a yell passed through the air
that sounded as if a thousand throats were united in a
common effort. The Hurons staggered, deserting the
centre of their line, and Uncas issued from the forest
through the opening they left, at the head of a hundred
warriors.

Waving his hands right and left, the young chief
pointed out the enemy to his followers, who separated in
pursuit. The war now divided, both wings of the broken
Hurons seeking protection in the woods again, hotly
pressed by the victorious warriors of the Lenape. A
minute might have passed, but the sounds were already
receding in different directions, and gradually losing their
distinctness beneath the echoing arches of the woods.
One little knot of Hurons, however, had disdained to
seek a cover, and were retiring, like lions at bay, slowly
and sullenly up the acclivity which Chingacbgook and his
band had just deserted, to mingle more closely in the fray.
Magna was conspicuous in this party, both by his fierce
and savage mien, and by the air of haughty authority he
yet maintained.

In his eagerness to expedite the pursuit, Uncas had left
himself nearly alone; but the moment his eye caught the

402 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

figure of Le Subtil, every other consideration was forgot-
ten. Raising his cry of battle, which recalled some six
or seven warriors, and reckless of the disparity of their
numbers, he rushed upon his enemy. Le Kenard, who
watched the movement, paused to receive him with secret
joy. But at the moment when he thought the rashness
of his impetuous young assailant had left him at his
mercy, another shout was given, and La Longue Carabine
was seen rushing to the rescue, attended by all his white
\/ associates. The Huron instantly turned, and commenced
a rapid retreat up the ascent.

There was no time for greetings or congratulations; for
Uncas, though unconscious of the presence of his friends,
continued the pursuit with the velocity of the wind. Li
vain Hawkeye called to him to respect the covers; the
young Mohican braved the dangerous fire of his enemies
and soon compelled them to a flight as swift as his own
headlong speed. It was fortunate that the race was of
short continuance, and that the white men were much
favored by their position, or the Delaware would soon
have outstripped all his companions, and fallen a victim
to his own temerity. But ere such a calamity could hap-
pen, the pursuers and pursued entered the Wyandot vil-
lage, within striking distance of each other.

Excited by the presence of their dwellings, and tired
of the chase, the Hurons now made a stand, and fought
around their council lodge with the fury of despair. The
onset and the issue were like the passage and destruction
of a whirlwind. The tomahawk of Uncas, the blows of
Hawkeye, and even the still nervous arm of Munro, were
all busy for that passing moment, and the ground was
quickly strewed with their enemies. Still Magna, though
daring and much exposed, escaped from every effort
against his life, with that sort of fabled protection that
was made to overlook the fortunes of favored heroes in
the legends of ancient poetry. Raising a yell that spoke
volumes of anger and disappointment, the subtle chief,
when he saw his comrades fallen, darted away from the
place, attended by his two only surviving friends, leaving

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 403

the Delawares engaged in stripping the dead of the bloody
trophies of their victory.

But Uricas, who had vainly sought him in the mSl^e,
bounded forward in pursuit; Hawkeye, Hey ward, and
David still pressing on his footsteps. The utmost that
the scout could effect was to keep the muzzle of his rifle
a little in advance of his friend, to whom, however, it
answered every purpose of a charmed shield. Once Magna
appeared disposed to make another and a final effort to
revenge his losses; but, abandoning his intention as soon
as demonstrated, he leaped into a thicket of bushes,
through which he was followed by his enemies, and sud-
denly entered the mouth of the cave already known to the
reader. Hawkeye, who had only forborne to fire in ten-
derness to Uncas, raised a shout of success, and proclaimed
aloud that now they were certain of their game. The
pursuers dashed into the long and narrow entrance, in
time to catch a glimpse of the retreating forms of the
Hurons. Their passage through the natural galleries and
subterraneous apartments of the cavern was preceded by
the shrieks and cries of hundreds of women and children.
The place, seen by its dim and uncertain light, appeared
like the shades of the infernal regions, across which un-
happy ghosts and savage demons were flitting in multi-
tudes.

Still Uncas kept his eye on Magna, as if life to him
possessed but a single object. Hey ward and the scout
still pressed on his rear, actuated, though possibly in a
less degree, by a common feeling. But their way was
becoming intricate, in those dark and gloomy passages,
and the glimpses of the retiring warriors less distinct and
frequent; and for a moment the trace was believed to be
lost, when a white robe was seen fluttering in the further
extremity of a passage that seemed to lead up the moun-
tain.

" 'T is Cora ! " exclaimed Hey ward, in a voice in which
horror and delight were wildly mingled.

" Cora ! Cora I " echoed Uncas, bounding forward like a
deer.

404 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

"'Tifl the maiden!" shouted the scout. "Courage,
lady ; we come ! — we come ! "

The chase was renewed with a diligence rendered ten-
fold encouraging hy this glimpse of the captive. But the
way was rugged, broken, and in spots nearly impassable.
Uncas abandoned his rifle, and leaped forward with head-
long precipitation. Hey ward rashly imitated his example,
though both were, a moment afterwards, admonished of
its madness, by hearing the bellowing of a piece that the
Hurons found time to discharge down the passage in the
rocks, the bullet from which even gave the young Mohi-
can a slight wound.

" We must close ! " said the scout, passing his friends
by a desperate leap; "the knaves will pick us all off at
this distance; and see, they hold the maiden so as to
shield themselves ! "

Though his words were unheeded, or rather unheard,
his example was followed by his companions, who, by
incredible exertions, got near enough to the fugitives to
perceive that Cora was borne along between the two war-
riors, while Magna prescribed the direction and manner of
their flight. At this moment the forms of all four were
Btrongly drawn against an opening in the sky, and they
disappeared. Nearly frantic with disappointment, Uncas
and Heyward increased efforts that already seemed super-
human, and they issued from the cavern on the side of
the moimtain in time to note the route of the pursued.
The course lay up the ascent, and still continued hazard-
ous and laborious.

Encumbered by his rifle, and, perhaps, not sustained
by so deep an interest in the captive as his companions,
the scout suffered the latter to precede him a little, Uncas,
in his turn, taking the lead of Heyward. In this manner,
rocks, precipices, and difficulties were surmounted in an
incredibly short space, that at another time, and under
other circumstances, would have been deemed almost in-
superable. But the impetuous young men were rewarded
by finding that, encumbered with Cora, the Hurons were
losing ground in the race.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 405

" Stay, dog of the Wyandots ! " exclaimed Uncas, shak-
ing his bright tomahawk at Magua; "a Delaware girl calls
stay ! "

"I will go no further,'' cried Cora, stopping unexpect-
edly on a ledge of rocks, that overhung a deep precipice,
at no great distance from the summit of the mountain.
"Kill me if thou wilt, detestable Huron; I will go no
further. "

The supporters of the maiden raised their ready toma-
hawks with the impious joy that fiends are thought to
take in mischief, but Magna stayed the uplifted arms.
The Huron chief, after casting the weapons he had wrested
from his companions over the rock, drew his knife, and
turned to his captive, with a look in which conflicting
passions fiercely contended.

"Woman," he said, "choose; the wigwam or the knife
of Le Subtil!''

Cora regarded him not, but dropping on her knees, she
raised her eyes and stretched her arms towards heaven,
saying, in a meek and yet confiding voice, —

" I am thine I do with me as thou seest best ! "

"Woman," repeated Magna, hoarsely, and endeavoring ^
in vain to catch a glance from her serene and beaming %/
eye, "choose!"

But Cora neither heard nor heeded his demand. The
form of the Huron trembled in every fibre, and he raised
his arm on high, but dropped it again with a bewildered
air, like one who doubted. Once more he struggled with
himself and lifted the keen weapon again ; but just then
a piercing cry was heard above them, and Uncas appeared,
leaping frantically, from a fearful height, upon the ledge.
Magna recoiled a step; and one of his assistants, profiting
by the cl^ance, sheathed his own knife in the bosom of
Cora.

The Huron sprang like a tiger on his offending and
already retreating countryman, but the falling form of
Uncas separated the unnatural combatants. Diverted
from his object by this interruption, and maddened by the
murder he had just witnessed, Magna buried his weapon

406 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

in the back of the prostrate Delaware, uttering an un-
earthly shout as he committed the dastardly deed. But
Uncas arose from the blow, as the wounded panther turns
upon his foe, and struck the murderer of Cora to his feet,
by an efifort in which the last of his failing strength was
expended. Then, with a stern and steady look, he turned
to Le Subtil, and indicated by the expression of his eye
all that he would do, had not the power deserted him.
The latter seized the nerveless arm of the unresisting
Delaware, and passed his knife into his bosom three several
times, before his victim, still keeping his gaze riveted on
his enemy with a look of inextinguishable scorn, fell dead
at his feet.

"Mercy! mercy! Huron," cried Heyward, from above,
in tones nearly choked by horror; "give mercy, and thou
ehalt receive it ! "

Whirling the bloody knife up at the imploring youth,
the victorious Magna uttered a cry so fierce, so wild, and
yet so joyous, that it conveyed the sounds of savage tri-
umph to the ears of those who fought in the valley, a
thousand feet below. He was answered by a burst from
the lips of the scout, whose tall person was just then seen
moving swiftly towards him, along those dangerous crags,
with steps as bold and reckless as if he possessed the
power to move in air. But when the hunter reached the
scene of the ruthless massacre, the ledge was tenanted
only by the dead.

His keen eye took a single look at the victims, and then
shot its glances over the difficulties of the ascent in his
front. A form stood at the brow of the mountain, on the
very edge of the giddy height, with uplifted arms, in an
awful attitude of menace. Without stopping to consider
his person, the rifle of Hawkeye was raised; but a rock,
which fell on the head of one of the fugitives below ex-
posed the indignant and glowing countenance of the honest
Gamut. Then Magua issued from a crevice, and stepping
with calm indifference over the body of the last of his
associates, he leaped a wide fissure, and ascended the rocks
at a point where the arm of David could not reach him.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 407

A single bound would carry him to the brow of the preci-
pice, and assure his safety'. Before taking the leap, how-
ever, the Huron paused, and shaking his hand at the
scout, he shouted, — *

" The palefaces are dogs ! the Dela wares women I
Magua leaves them on the rocks, for the crows ! "

Laughing hoarsely, he made a desperate leap, and fell
short of his mark, though his hands grasped a shrub on
the verge of the height. The form of Hawkeye had
crouched like a beast about to take its spring, cuid his
frame trembled so violently with eagerness, that the muz-
zle of the half-raised rifle played like a leaf fluttering in
the wind. Without exhausting himself with fruitless
efforts, the cunning Magua suffered his body to drop to
the length of his arms, and found a fragment for his feet
to rest on. Then summoning all his powers, he renewed
the attempt, and so far succeeded as to draw his knees
on the edge of the mountain. It was now, when the
body of his enemy was most collected together, that the agi-
tated weapon of the scout was drawn to his shoulder. The
surrounding rocks themselves were not steadier than the
piece became, for the single instant that it poured out its
contents. The arms of the Huron relaxed, and his body
fell back a little, while his knees still kept their position.
Turning a relentless look on his enemy, he shook a hand
in grim defiance. But his hold loosened, and his dark
person was seen cutting the air with its head downwards,
for a fleeting instant, until it glided past the fringe of
shrubbery which clung to the mountain, in its rapid flight
to destruction.

408 THE LABT OF THE MOHICANS.

CHAPTEE XXXni.

They fought, like brave men, lox^ and well ;

They piled that ground with Moslem slain,
They conquered — but Bouaris fell,

Bleeding at every vein.
His few sunriving comrades saw
His smile when rang their proud hurrah,

And the red field was won ;
Then saw in death his eyelids close
Calmly, as to a night's repose.

Like flowers at set of sun.

FiTz-GBBBnt Halubck, Jfareo Bozsarii,

The sun found the Lenape, on the succeeding day, a
nation of mourners. The sounds of the hattle were over,
and they had fed fat their ancient grudge, and had
avenged their recent quarrel with the Mengwe, by the
destruction of a whole community. The black and murky
atmosphere that floated around the spot where the Hurons
had encamped, sufficiently announced, of itself, the fate
of that wandering tribe; while hundreds of ravens, that
stru^led above the bleak summits of the mountains, or
swept, in noisy flocks, across the wide ranges of the woods,
furnished a frightful direction to the scene of the combat
In short, any eye, at all practiced in the signs of a fron-
tier warfare, might easily have traced all those unerring
evidences of the ruthless results which attend an Indian
vengeance.

Still, the sun rose on the Lenape a nation of mourners.
No shouts of success, no songs of triumph, were heard, in
rejoicings for their victory. The latest straggler had
returned from his fell employment, only to strip himself
of the terrific emblems of his bloody calling, and to join in
the lamentations of his countrymen, as a stricken people.
Pride and exultation were supplanted by humility, and the
fiercest of human passions was already succeeded by the
most profound and unequivocal demonstrations of grief.

The lodges were deserted; but a broad belt of earnest
faces encircled a spot in their vicinity, whither everything
possessing life had repaired, and where all were now

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 409

collected, in deep and awful silence. Though l)eings of
every rank and age, of both sexes, and of all pursuits,
had united to form this breathing wall of bodies, they
were influenced by a single emotion. Each eye was riv-
eted on the centre of that ring, which contained the ob-
jects of so much, and of so common, an interest.

Six Delaware girls, with their long, dark, flowing
tresses falling loosely across thei'r bosoms, stood apart, and
only gave proofs of their existence as they occasionally
strewed sweet-scented herbs and forest flowers on a litter
of fragrant plants, that, under a pall of Indian robes, sup-
ported all that now remained of the ardent, high-souled,
and generous Cora. Her form was concealed in many
wrappers of the same simple manufacture, and her face
was shut forever from the gaze of men. At her feet was
seated the desolate Munro. His aged head was bowed
nearly to the earth, in compelled submission to the stroke
of Providence; but a hidden anguish struggled about his
furrowed brow, that was only partially concealed by the
careless locks of gray that had fallen, neglected, on his
temples. Gamut stood at his side, his meek head bared
to the rays of the sun, while his eyes, wandering and
concerned, seemed to be equally divided between that
little volume which contained so many quaint but holy
maxims, and the being in whose behalf his soul yearned
to administer consolation. Heyward was also nigh, sup-
porting himself against a tree, and endeavoring to keep
down those sudden risings of sorrow that it required his
utmost manhood to subdue.

But sad and melancholy as this group may easily be
imagined, it was far less touching than another, that occu-
pied the opposite space of the same area. Seated as in
life, with his form and limbs arranged in grave and decent
composure, Uncas appeared, arrayed in the most gorgeous
ornaments that the wealth of the tribe could furnish.
Rich plumes nodded above his head; wampum, gorgets,
bracelets, and medals adorned his person in profusion;
though his dull eye and vacant lineaments too strongly
contradicted the idle tale of pride they would convey.

410 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Directly in front of the corpse Chingachgook was placed,
without arms, paint, or adornment of any sort, except the
bright blue blazonry of his race, that was indelibly im-
pressed on his naked bosom. ^ During the long period
that the tribe had been thus collected, the Mohican war-
rior had kept a steady, anxious look on the cold and sense-
less countenance of his son. So riveted and intense had
been that gaze, and so changeless his attitude, that a
stranger might not have told the living from the dead,
but for the occasional gleamings of a troubled spirit, that
shot athwart the dark visage of one, and the death-like
calm that had forever settled on the lineaments of the
other.

The scout was hard by, leaning in a pensive posture on
his own fatal and avenging weapon; while Tamenunfi,
supported by the elders of his nation, occupied a high
place at hand, whence he might look down on the mute
and sorrowful assemblage of his people.

Just within the inner edge of the circle stood a soldier,
in the military attire of a strange nation; and without it
was his war-horse, in the centre of a collection of mounted
domestics, seemingly in readiness to undertake some dis-
tant journey, ^he vestments of the stranger announced
him to be one who held a responsible situation near the
person of the captain of the Canadas; and who, as it
would now seem, finding his errand of peace frustrated by
the fierce impetuosity of his allies, was content to become
a silent and sad spectator of the fruits of a contest that he
had arrived too late to anticipate.

The day was drawing to the close of its first quarter,
and yet had the multitude maintained its breathing still-
ness since its dawn. Ko sound louder than a stifled sob
had been heard among them, nor had even a limb been
moved throughout that long and painful period, except to
perform the simple and touching offerings that were made,
from time to time, in commemoration of the dead. The
patience and forbearance of Indian fortitude could alone

1 Both the Delawares and Mohicaus were occasionally tattooed. Si
B&j the best writers of the Iftat century. — S. F. C.

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 411

support such an appearance of abstraction as seemed now
to have turned each dark and motionless figure into stone.

At length, the sage of the Delawares stretched forth an
arm, and leaning on the shoulders of his attendants, he
arose with an air as feeble as if another age had already
intervened between the man who had met his nation the
preceding day, and him who now tottered on his elevated
stand.

" Men of the Lenape ! '^ he said, in hollow tones, that
sounded like a voice charged with some prophetic mission ;
"the face of the Manitou is behind a cloud! his eye is
turned from you; his ears are shut; his tongue gives no
answer. You see Him not; yet his judgments are before
you. Let your hearts be open and your spirits tell no
lie. Men of the Lenape ! the face of the Manibou is be-
hind a cloud."

As this simple and yet terrible annunciation stole on
the ears of the multitude, a stillness as deep and awful
succeeded as if the venerated spirit they worshiped had
uttered the words without the aid of human organs; and
even the inanimate Uncas appeared a being of life, com-
pared with the humbled and submissive throng by whom
he was surrounded. As the immediate effect, however,
gradually passed away, a low murmur of voices commenced
a sort of chant in honor of the dead. The sounds were
those of females, and were thrillingly soft and wailing.
The words were connected by no regular continuation, but
as one ceased another took up the eulogy, or lamentation,
whichever it might be called, and gave vent to her emo-
tions in such language as was suggested by her feelings
and the occasion. At intervals the speaker was inter-
rupted by general and loud bursts of sorrow, during which
the girls around the bier of Cora plucked the plants and
flowers blindly from her body, as if bewildered with grief.
But, in the milder moments of their plaint, these emblems
of purity and sweetness were cast back to their places,
with every sign of tenderness and regret. Though ren-
dered less connected by many and general interruptions
and outbreakings, a translation of their language would

V

412 THE LAST or THE MOmCAHS.

have contained a legnlar descant, which, in snhstanoe,
might have proved to possess a train of consecntive ideas.

A girl, selected for the task hy her rank and qnalifica-
tionSy commenced hy modest allnsions to the qualities of
the deceased warrior, emhellishing her expressions with
those oriental images that the Tndians have prohablj
brought with them from the extremes of the other conti-
nent^ and which form of themselves a link to connect the
ancient histories of the two worlds. She called him the
** panther of his tribe ; " and described him as one whose
moccasin left no trail on the dews; whose bound was like
the leap of the young fawn; whose eye was brighter than
a star in the dark night; and whose voice, in battle, was
loud as the thunder of the Manitou. She reminded him
of the mother who bore him, and dwelt forcibly on the hap-
piness she must feel in possessing such a son. She bade
him tell her, when they met in the world of spirits, that
the Delaware girls had shed tears above the grave of her
child, and had called her blessed.

Then they who succeeded, changing their tones to a
milder and still more tender strain, alluded, with the deli-
cacy and sensitiveness of women, to the stranger maiden,
who had left the upper earth at a time so near his own
departure as to render the will of the Great Spirit too
manifest to be disregarded. They admonished him to be
kind to her, and to have consideration for her ignorance
of those arts which were so necessary to the comfort of
a warrior like himself. They dwelt upon her matchless
beauty, and on her noble resolution, without the taint of
envy, and as angels may be thought to delight in a supe-
rior excellence; adding, that these endowments should
prove more than equivalent for any little imperfections in
her education.

After which, others again, in due succession, spoke to
the maiden herself, in the low, soft language of tenderness
and love. They exhorted her to be of cheerful mind, and
to fear nothing for her future welfare. A hunter would
be her companion who knew how to provide for her
emallest wants; and a warrior was at her side who was

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 413

able to protect her against every danger. They promised
that her path should be pleasant, and her burden light.
They cautioned her against unavailing regrets for the
friends of her youth, and the scenes where her fathers had
dwelt; assuring her that the "blessed hunting-grounds of
the Lenape '' contained vales as pleasant, streams as pure,
and flowers as sweet, as the "heaven of the palefaces.''
They advised her to be attentive to the wants of her com-
panion, and never to forget the distinction which the
Manitou had so wisely established between them. Then,
in a wild burst of their chant, they sang with united
voices the temper of the Mohican's mind. They pro-
nounced him noble, manly and generous; all that became
a warrior, and all that a maid might love. Clothing their
ideas in the most remote and subtle images, they betrayed
that in the short period of their intercourse they had
discovered, with the intuitive perception of their sex, the
truant disposition of his inclinations. The Delaware girls
had found no favor in his eyes ! He was of a race that
had once been lords on the shores of the salt lake, and
his wishes had led him back to a people who dwelt about
the graves of his fathers. Why should not such a predi-
lection be encouraged? That she was of a blood purer
and richer than the rest of her nation, any eye might have
seen; that she was equal to the dangers and daring of a
life in the woods, her conduct had proved; and now,
they added, the " wise one of the earth '' had transplanted
her to a place where she would find congenial spirits, and
might be forever happy.

Then, with another transition in voice and subject,
allusions were made to the virgin who wept in the adja-
cent lodge. They compared her to flakes of snow; as
pure, as white, as brilliant, and as liable to melt in the
fierce heats of summer, or congeal in the frosts of winter.
They doubted not that she was lovely in the eyes of the
young chief, whose skin and whose sorrow seemed so like
her own ; but, though far from expressing such a prefer-
ence, it was evident they deemed her less excellent than
the maid they mourned. Still they denied her no meed

414 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

•

her rare charms might properly claim. Her ringlets were
compared to the exuberant tendrils of the vine, her eye to
the blue vault of the heavens, and the most spotless cloud,
with its glowing flush of the sun, was admitted to be less
attractive than her bloom.

During these and similar songs nothing was audible but
the murmurs of the music; relieved, as it was, or rather
rendered terrible, by those occasional bursts of grief which
might be called its choruses. The Delawares theniselves
listened like charmed men; and it was very apparent, by
the variations of their speaking countenances, how deep
and true was their sympathy. Even David was not re-
luctant to lend his ears to the tones of voices so sweet;
and long ere the chant was ended, his gaze announced that
his soul was enthralled.

The scout, to whom alone, of all the white men, the
words were intelligible, suffered himself to be a little
aroused from his meditative posture, and bent his face
aside, to catch their meaning, as the girls proceeded. But
when they spoke of the future prospects of Cora and
Uncas, he shook his head, like one who knew the error of
their simple creed, and resuming his reclining attitude, he
maintained it until the ceremony — if that might be called
a ceremony, in which feeling was so deeply imbued — was
finished. Happily for the self-command of both Heyward
and Munro, they knew not the meaning of the wild isounds
they heard.

Chingachgook was a solitary exception to the interest
manifested by the native part of the audience. His look
never changed throughout the whole of the scene, nor did
a mUscle move in his rigid countenance, even at the wild-
est or the most pathetic parts of the lamentation. The
cold and senseless remains of his son were all to him, and
every other sense but that of sight seemed frozen, in order
that his eyes might take their final gaze at those linea-
ments he had so long loved, and which were now about
to be closed forever from his view.

In this stage of the funeral obsequies, a warrior much
renowned for deeds in arms, and more especially for ser-

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 415

vices in the recent combat, a man of stem and grave de--
meanor, advanced slowly from the crowd, and placed him-
self nigh the person of the dead.

" Why hast thou left us, pride of the Wapanachki ? "
he said, addressing himself to the dull ears of Uncas, as
if the empty clay retained the faculties of the animated
man; "thy time has been like that of the sun when in
the trees; thy glory brighter than his light at noonday.
Thou art gone, youthful warrior, but a hundred Wyandots
are clearing the briers from thy path to the world of
spirits. Who that saw thee in battle would believe that
thou couldst die? Who before thee has ever shown
Uttawa the way into the fight? Thy feet were like the
wings of eagles; thine arm heavier than falling branches
from the pine; and thy voice like the Manitou when he
speakp in the clouds. The tongue of Uttawa is weak,''
he added, looking about him with a melancholy gaze,
"and his heart exceeding heavy. Pride of the Wapa-
nachki, why hast thou left us ? "

He was succeeded by others, in due order, until most
of the high and gifted men of the nation had sung or
spoken their tribute of praise over the manes of the de-
ceased chief. When each had ended, another deep and
breathing silence reigned in all the place.

Then a low, deep sound was heard, like the suppressed
accompaniment of distant music, rising just high enough
on the air to be audible, and yet so indistinctly as to
leave its character, and the place whence it proceeded,
alike matters of conjecture. It was, however, succeeded
by another and another strain, each in a higher key, until
they grew on the ear, first in long drawn and often re-
peated interjections, and finally in words. The lips of
Chingachgook had so far parted as to announce that it
was the monody of the father. Though not an eye was
turned towards him, nor the smallest sign of impatience
exhibited, it was apparent, by the manner in which the
multitude elevated their heads to listen, that they drank
in the sounds with an intenseness of attention that none
but Tamenund himself had ever before commanded. But

416 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

they listened in vain. The strains rose just so loud as
to become intelligible, and then grew fainter and more
trembling, until they finally sank on the ear, as if borne
away by a passing breath of wind. The lips of the Saga-
more closed, and he remained silent in his seat, looking,
with his riveted eye and motionless form, like some crea-
ture that had been turned from the Almighty hand wii^
the form but without the spirit of a man. The Dela-
wares, who knew by these symptoms that the mind of
their friend was not prepared for so mighty an effort of
fortitude, relaxed in their attention; and, with an innate
delicacy, seemed to bestow all their thoughts on the obse-
quies of the stranger maiden.

A signal was given, by one of the elder chiefs, to the
women who crowded that part of the circle near which the
body of Cora lay. Obedient to the sign, the girls raised
the bier to the elevation of their heads, and advanced with
slow and regulated steps, chanting, as they proceeded,
another wailing song in praise of the deceased. Gamut,
who had been a close observer of rites he deemed so
heathenish, now bent his head over the shoulder of the
unconscious father, whispering, —

"They move with the remains of thy child; shall we
not follow, and see them interred with Christian burial?"

Munro started, as if the last trumpet had sounded in
his ear, and bestowing one anxious and hurried glance
around him, he arose and followed in the simple train,
with the mien of a soldier, but bearing the full burden of
a parent's suffering. His friends pressed aroimd him
with a sorrow that was too strong to be termed sympathy
— even the young Frenchman joining in the procession,
with the air of a man who was sensibly touched at the
early and melancholy fate of one so lovely. But when
the last and humblest female of the tribe had joined in
the wild, and yet ordered array, the men of the Lenape
contracted their circle, and formed again around the person
of Uncas, as silent, as grave, and as motionless as before.

The place which had been chosen for the grave of Cora
Was a little knoll, where a cluster of young and healthful

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 417

pines had taken root, forming of themselves a melancholy
and appropriate shade over the spot. On reaching it the
girls deposited their hurden, and continued for many
minutes waiting, with characteristic patience, and native
timidity, for some evidence that they whose feelings were
most concerned were content with the arrangement. At
length the scout, who alone understood their habits, said,
in their own language, —

"My daughters have done well; the white men thank
them."

Satisfied with this testimony in their favor, the girls
proceeded to deposit the body in a shell, ingeniously, and
not inelegantly, fabricated of the bark of the birch; after
which they lowered it into its dark and final abode. The
ceremony of covering the remains, and concealing the
marks of the fresh earth, by leaves and other natural and
customary objects, was conducted with the same simple
and silent forms. But when the Istbors of the kind beings
who had performed these sad and friendly offices were so
far completed, they hesitated, in a way to show that they
knew not how much further they might proceed. It was
in this stage of the rites that the scout again addressed
them : —

"My young women have done enough," he said; "the
spirit of a paleface has no need of food or raiment, their
gifts being according to the heaven of their color. I
see," he added, glancing an eye at David, who was pre-
paring his book in a manner that indicated an intention
to lead the way in sacred song, "that one who better
knows the Christian fashions is about to speak."

The females stood modestly aside, and, from having
been the principal actors in the scene, they now became
the meek and attentive observers of that which followed.
During the time David was occupied in pouring out the
pious feelings of his spirit in this manner, not a sign of
surprise, nor a look of impatience, escaped them. They
listened like those who knew the meaning of the strange
words, and appeared as if they felt the mingled emotions
of sorrow, hope, and resignation, they were intended to
convey.

418 ' THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Excited by the scene he had just witnessed, and per-
haps influenced by his own secret emotions, the master of
song exceeded his usual efforts. His full, rich voice was
not found to suffer by a comparison with the soft tones of
the girls; and his more modulated strains possessed, at
least for the ears of those to whom they were peculiarly
addressed, the additional power of intelligence. He ended
the anthem, as he had commenced it, in the midst of a
grave and solemn stillness.

When, however, the closing cadence had fallen on the
ears of his auditors, the secret, timorous glances of the
eyes, and the general and yet subdued movement of th^
assemblage, betrayed that something was expected from
the father of the deceased. Munro seemed sensible that
the time was come for him to exert what is, perhaps, the
greatest effort of which human nature is capable. He
bared his gray locks, and looked around the timid and
quiet throng by which he was encircled with a firm and
collected countenance. Then motioning with his hand for
the scout to listen, he said, —

'^Say to these kind and gentle females, that a heart-
broken and failing man returns them his thanks. Tell
them that the Being we all worship, under different
names, will be mindful of their charity ; and that the time
shall not be distant when we may assemble around his
throne without distinction of sex, or rank, or color."

The scout listened to the tremulous voice in which the
veteran delivered these words, and shook his head slowly
when they were ended, as one who doubted their efficacy.

"To tell them this," he said, "would be to tell them
that the snows come not in the winter, or that the sun
shines fiercest when the trees are stripped of their leaves."

Then turning to the women, he made such a communi-
cation of the other's gratitude as he deemed most suited
to the capacities of his listeners. The head of Munro
had already sunk upon his chest, and he was again fast
relapsing into melancholy, when the young Erenchman
before named ventured to touch him lightly on the elbow.
As soon as he had gained the attention of the mourning

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS., 419

old jnan, lie pointed towards a group of young Indians,
who approached with a light but closely covered litter,
and then pointed upwards towards the sun.

"I understand you, sir," returned Munro, with a voice
of forced firmness; "I understand you. It is the will of
Heaven, and I submit. Cora, my child! if the prayers
of a heartbroken father could avail thee now, how blessed
shouldst thou be! Come, gentlemen," he added, looking
about him with an air of lofty composure, though the an-
guish that quivered in his faded countenance was far too
powerful to be concealed, "our duty here is ended; let
us depart."

Heyward gladly obeyed a summons that took them from
a spot where, each instant, he felt his self-control was
about to desert him. While his companions were mount-
ing, however, he found time to press the hand of the
scout, and to repeat the terms of an engagement they had
made, to meet again within the posts of the British army.
Then gladly throwing himself into the saddle, he spurred
his charger to the side of the litter, whence low and stifled
sobs alone announced the presence of Alice. In this
manner, the head of Munro again dropping on his bosom,
with Heyward and David following in sorrowing silence,
and attended by the aide of Montcalm with his guard, all
the white men, with the exception of Hawkeye, passed
from before the eyes of the Delawares, and were soon
buried in the vast forests of that region.

But the tie which, through their common calamity,
had united the feelings of these simple dwellers in the
woods with the strangers who had thus transiently visited
them, was not so easily broken. Years passed away be-
fore the traditionary tale of the white maiden, and of the
young warrior of the Mohicans, ceased to beguile the long
nights and tedious marches, or to animate their youthful
and brave with a desire for vengeance. Neither were the
secondary actors in these momentous incidents forgotten.
Through the medium of the scout, who served for years
afterwards as a link between them and civilized life, they
learned, in answer to their inquiriesy that the "Gray

420 THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.

Head '' was speedily gathered to his fathers — borne down,
as was erroneously believed, by his military misfortunes;
and that the " Open Hand " had conveyed his surviving
daughter far into the settlements of the " palefaces,''
where her tears had at last ceased to flow, and had been
succeeded by the bright smiles which were better suited
' to her joyous nature.

But these were events of a time later than that which
concerns our tale. Deserted by all of his color, Hawkeye
.returned to the spot where his own sympathies led him
r with a force that no ideal bond of lunion could bestow.
He was just in time to catch a parting look of the features
of Uncas, whom the Delawares were already inclosing in
his last vestments of skins. They paused to permit the
longing and lingering gaze of the sturdy woodsman, and
when it was ended, the body was enveloped, never to be
unclosed again. Then came a procession like the other,
and the whole nation was collected about the temporary
grave of the chief — temporary, because it was proper
that, at some future day, his bones should rest among
those of his own people.

The movement, like the feeling, had been simultaneous
and general. The same grave expression of grief, the
same rigid silence, and the same deference to the principal
mourner, were observed around the place of interment as
have been already described. The body was deposited in
an attitude of repose, facing the rising sun, with the im-
plements of war and of the chase at hand, in readiness for
the final journey. An opening was left in the shell, by
which it was protected from the soil, for the spirit to
communicate with its earthly tenement, when necessary;
and the whole was concealed from the instinct and pro-
tected from the ravages of the beasts of prey, with an in-
genuity peculiar to the natives. The manual rites then
ceased, and all present reverted to the more spiritual part
of the ceremonies.

Chingachgook became once more the object of the com-
mon attention. He had not yet spoken, and something
consolatory and instructive was expected from so renowned

THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS. 421

a chief on an occasion of such interest. Conscious of the
wishes of the people, the stern and self-restrained warrior
raised his face, which had latterly heen huried in his
rohe, and looked about him with a steady eye. His firmly
compressed and expressive lips then severed, and for the
first time during the long ceremonies his voice was dis-
tinctly audible.

" Why do my brothers mourn 1 " he said, regarding the
dark race of dejected warriors by whom he was environed ;
" why do my daughters weep ? that a young man has gone
to the happy hunting-grounds; that a chief has filled his
time with honor! He was good; he was dutiful; he was
brave. Who can deny it? The Manitou had need of
such a warrior, and He has called him away. As for me,
the son and the father of Uncas, I am a blazed pine, in a
clearing of the palefaces. My race has gone from the
shores of the salt lake, and the hills of the Delawares.
But who can say that the Serpent of his tribe has forgot-
ten his wisdom ? I am alone " —

"No, no," cried Hawkeye, who had been gazing with
a yearning look at the rigid features of his friend, with
something like his own self-command, but whose philoso-
phy could endure no longer; "no. Sagamore, not alone.
The gifts of our colors may be different, but God has feo
placed us as to journey in the same path. I have no kin,
and I may also say, like you, no people. He was your
son, and a red-skin by nature; and it may be that your
blood was nearer — but if ever I forget the lad who has
so often fou't at my side in war, and slept at my side in
peace, may He who made us all, whatever may be our
color or our gifts, forget me ! The boy has left us for a
time; but. Sagamore, you are not alone."

Chingachgook grasped the hand that, in the warmth of
feeling, the scout had stretched across the fresh earth, and
in that attitude of friendship these two sturdy and intrepid
woodsmen bowed their heads together, while scalding tears
fell to their feet, watering the grave of Uncas like drops
of falling rain.

In the midst of the awful stillness with which such a