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据信，这个故事的场景以及理解其典故所需的大部分信息，在文本本身或随附的注释中对读者来说已经足够明显了。印度的传统中仍然有很多晦涩难懂的地方，印度名字也有很多混乱的地方，因此需要做出一些解释。

很少有人能比北美本土的战士表现出更大的多样性，或者，如果我们可以这样表达的话，性格上的对立。在战争中，他大胆、自夸、狡猾、冷酷、克己、献身；和平、公正、慷慨、好客、报复心强、迷信、谦虚、普遍贞洁。确实，这些品质并不能区分所有的人。但到目前为止，它们是这些杰出人物的主要特征，因而具有特色。

人们普遍认为美洲大陆的原住民有亚洲血统。有许多物理和道德事实证实了这一观点，但也有一些事实似乎与这一观点相悖。

作者认为，印第安人的肤色是他自己所特有的，虽然他的颧骨上有一个非常明显的鞑靼血统迹象，但他的眼睛却没有。气候可能对前者有很大的影响，但很难看出它如何产生后者存在的实质性差异。印度人的意象，无论是在他的诗歌还是演讲中，都是东方的。由于他的实践知识范围有限，他受到了磨练，或许还有进步。他从云彩、季节、鸟类、野兽和植物世界中汲取隐喻。在这方面，他也许并不比任何其他精力充沛、富有想象力的种族所做的更多，因为他被迫根据经验来设定幻想的界限；但北美印第安人将他的思想穿上了与非洲人不同的服装，而且本身就是东方的。他的语言具有汉语的丰富性和丰富性。他会用一个词表达一个短语，他会用一个音节来限定整个句子的含义；他甚至会通过最简单的声音变化来传达不同的含义。

语言学家说过，准确地说，在以前占领现在组成美国的国家的众多部落中，只有两三种语言。他们将人们理解另一个人所面临的已知困难归咎于腐败和方言。作者记得曾参加过密西西比河以西大草原两位酋长的会见，当时有一名会说他们两种语言的翻译在场。战士们的关系似乎非常友好，而且似乎在一起交谈了很多。然而，根据翻译的说法，每个人都完全不知道对方所说的话。他们是敌对的部落，在美国政府的影响下聚集在一起。值得注意的是，共同的政策导致他们都采取了相同的主题。他们互相劝告，万一发生战争，任何一方落入敌人手中，都要发挥作用。无论真相如何，就印度语言的根源和天才而言，可以肯定的是，它们现在的语言是如此独特，以至于具有陌生语言的大部分缺点；因此，在了解他们的历史时会出现许多尴尬，以及他们的传统中存在的大部分不确定性。

与自命不凡的民族一样，美洲印第安人对自己的部落或种族的描述与其他人的描述截然不同。他非常热衷于高估自己的完美，而低估对手或敌人的完美。这一特征可能被认为证实了马赛克对创造的描述。

白人通过他们自己破坏名字的方式，极大地帮助了原住民的传统变得更加模糊。因此，本书标题中使用的术语经历了 Mahicanni、Mohicans 和 Mohegans 的变化；后者是白人常用的词。当我们记得荷兰人（首先定居纽约）、英国人和法国人都对居住在这个故事场景所在的国家内的部落起称呼时，印第安人不仅给出了不同的名字对于他们的敌人来说，但通常对于他们自己来说，混乱的原因就会被理解。

在这些页面中，Lenni-Lenape、Lenope、Delawares、Wapanachki 和 Mohicans 均指同一民族或同一血统的部落。蒙格威人、马夸人、明戈人以及易洛魁人虽然并非完全相同，但经常被演讲者提及，他们在政治上结盟并与刚刚提到的那些人对立。 Mingo 是一个带有特殊责备的词，Mengwe 和 Maqua 的程度较轻。

莫希干人是欧洲人在这片大陆上首先占领的国家的拥有者。因此，他们是最先被剥夺的。所有这些人似乎不可避免的命运，在文明进步之前消失，或者可以被称为文明入侵，就像他们的原生森林在寒冷的霜冻之前消失一样，被描绘成已经降临到他们身上。图片中有足够的历史真相来证明其使用的合理性。

事实上，自从提到的历史事件发生以来，下一个故事的场景国家几乎没有发生任何变化，就像美国整个范围内同等范围内的几乎任何其他地区一样。鹰眼在泉水附近停下来喝水，那里有时尚且人头攒动的饮水处，道路穿过森林，他和他的朋友们被迫在没有路的情况下旅行。格伦有一个大村庄；虽然威廉·亨利，甚至后来的一座堡垒，都只能被追踪为废墟，但霍里肯河岸上还有另一个村庄。但除此之外，在其他地方做出巨大贡献的人们的进取心和精力在这里却收效甚微。传说中后面的事件发生的整个荒野几乎仍然是一片荒野，尽管红种人已经完全放弃了该州的这一部分。在这些页面中提到的所有部落中，只有少数奥奈达人的半文明生物存在于他们在纽约的保留地中。其余的人要么从他们祖先居住的地区消失，要么完全从地球上消失。

在结束本序言之前，我们想谈谈一点。鹰眼将圣圣湖称为“Horican”。由于我们相信这是对这个起源于我们自己的名字的挪用，也许，坦白承认这一事实的时候已经到来了。整整四分之一个世纪后，在写这本书的时候，我们突然想到，这个湖的法语名字太复杂，美国名字太普通，印度名字太难发音，这两个名字都不适合在小说中使用。 。翻阅一张古老的地图，可以确定在这片美丽的水域附近存在着一个被法国人称为“Les Horicans”的印第安部落。由于纳蒂·邦波所说的每一句话都不能被视为严格的真理，我们冒昧地将“Horican”放入他的嘴里，作为“乔治湖”的替代品。这个名字似乎很受欢迎，考虑到所有因素，最好让它保留下来，而不是回到汉诺威王室来为我们最好的水域命名。我们通过忏悔来缓解我们的良心，无论如何，让它按照它认为合适的方式行使它的权威。

“我的耳朵已敞开，我的心已准备好：
最糟糕的是你可以展开的文字损失：——
你说，我的王国消失了吗？”——莎士比亚

北美殖民战争的一个特点是，在敌对双方相遇之前，先要经历荒野的艰辛和危险。广阔且明显不透水的森林边界切断了法国和英国敌对省份的领地。顽强的殖民者和与他并肩作战的训练有素的欧洲人，经常花费数月的时间与急流搏斗，或者穿越崎岖的山脉，寻找机会在更加军事化的冲突中展示他们的勇气。 。但是，通过效仿经验丰富的本土武士的耐心和克己精神，他们学会了克服一切困难；看来，随着时间的推移，树林里再没有比这更黑暗的地方，也没有比这更可爱的秘密地方了，以至于它可以免受那些誓言用鲜血来满足他们的复仇或维护上帝的人的入侵。遥远的欧洲君主的冷酷和自私的政策。

也许在整个中间边境的广阔范围内，没有哪个地区比位于哈德逊河源头和邻近湖泊之间的国家更生动地描绘了那个时期野蛮战争的残酷和激烈。

大自然为战斗人员的行军提供的便利是显而易见的，不容忽视。加长的尚普兰河从加拿大边境一直延伸到邻近的纽约省的边界深处，形成了一条自然通道，跨越了法国人为打击敌人而被迫掌握的一半距离。在其南端附近，它收到了另一个湖的贡献，该湖的湖水如此清澈，以至于耶稣会传教士专门选择它来进行洗礼的典型净化，并为其获得了“圣圣湖”的称号。 ”不那么热心的英国人认为，当他们授予汉诺威王室第二任王子的名字时，他们就给予了这里洁净的喷泉足够的荣誉。两人联合起来，剥夺了未受过教育的树木繁茂的拥有者的固有权利，以延续其最初的名称“Horican”。 *

* 由于印第安人的每个民族都有自己的语言或语言
方言，他们通常给同一个东西起不同的名字
地方，尽管几乎所有的称谓都是
对物体的描述。因此，直译为
部落使用的这片美丽的水域的名称
住在河岸上的那个，就是“湖尾”。
乔治湖，虽然现在很粗俗，但实际上是合法的，
被称为，当观看时形成尚普兰湖的一种尾巴
在地图上。由此得名。

“圣湖”蜿蜒在无数岛屿之间，镶嵌在群山之中，向南延伸了十几里。那里的高地平原插入了进一步的水道，开始了长达数英里的运输，将冒险家带到了哈德逊河岸边，那里通常有急流或裂谷的障碍，正如当时用该国语言所称呼的那样，这条河在涨潮时可以通航。

虽然法国人在追求其大胆的恼人计划时，甚至尝试了遥远而艰难的阿勒格尼峡谷，但我们很容易想象，他们众所周知的敏锐不会忽视我们刚刚拥有的地区的自然优势。描述。它显然成为了血腥的竞技场，大多数争夺殖民地的战争都是在这里进行的。堡垒在不同的地点建立起来，控制着路线上的设施，随着胜利降临在敌方的旗帜上，堡垒被占领和重新占领，夷为平地和重建。当农夫们从危险的山口退缩时，在更古老的定居点的更安全的边界内，比那些经常夺取母国权杖的军队更大的军队被看到把自己埋在这些森林里，他们很少从那里返回，但在骷髅乐队中，他们要么因忧虑而憔悴，要么因失败而沮丧。尽管和平的艺术对于这个致命的地区来说是未知的，但它的森林里却充满了人类。它的树荫和峡谷里响起了军乐的声音，山峦的回声回荡着许多勇敢而鲁莽的年轻人的笑声，或者重复着肆意的哭声，当他在精神正午的时候匆匆从他们身边经过时，在漫漫长夜的遗忘中沉睡。

正是在这个冲突和流血的场景中，我们试图讲述的事件发生在英国和法国最近一次为占领一个注定无法保留的国家而发动的战争的第三年期间。

英国在国外的军事领导人的低能，以及在国内议会中致命的缺乏活力，已经降低了英国的品质，使其不再是由她的前战士和政治家的才能和进取所带来的自豪的高度。她的仆人们不再害怕她的敌人，很快就失去了自尊的信心。在这种令人屈辱的屈辱中，殖民者虽然对她的低能无知，而且太卑微，不能成为她的错误的代理人，但他们只是自然的参与者。他们最近看到了一支来自那个国家的精选军队，他们像母亲一样崇敬，盲目地相信这支军队是不可战胜的——一支由一位酋长率领的军队，这位酋长是从一群训练有素的战士中挑选出来的，因其罕见的军事天赋，被可耻地击败了。少数法国人和印第安人，只有一个弗吉尼亚男孩的冷静和精神才使他们免遭毁灭，自那以后，他的名声在道德真理的稳定影响下传播到了基督教世界的最边缘。这场突如其来的灾难暴露了人类的命运，而在更严重的灾难发生之前，还出现了上千种想象中的危险。惊慌失措的殖民者相信，野蛮人的叫喊声与从西部一望无际的森林中吹来的阵阵狂风混杂在一起。他们无情的敌人的可怕性格极大地增加了战争的自然恐怖。最近发生的无数屠杀仍然历历在目。各省的人们都充耳不闻，热衷于聆听一些可怕的午夜谋杀案的故事，森林里的土著人是其中的主要和野蛮的演员。当轻信而兴奋的旅行者讲述荒野中的危险机会时，胆小的人的血液因恐惧而凝结，母亲们甚至向那些在最大城镇的安全环境中熟睡的孩子投来焦虑的目光。简而言之，恐惧的放大影响开始使理性的计算变得毫无意义，并使那些本应记住自己的男子气概的人成为最卑鄙的激情的奴隶。即使是最有信心、最坚强的人也开始认为这场竞赛的问题变得可疑了。这个卑鄙阶级的人数每小时都在增加，他们认为自己预见到英国王室在美洲的所有财产都会被他们的基督教敌人征服，或者被他们无情的盟友的入侵所摧毁。

* 华盛顿在无益地警告欧洲人之后
概述了他不经意间陷入的危险，
这次拯救了英国军队的残余力量
他的决定和勇气。所赢得的声誉
华盛顿在这场战役中的主要原因是
后来被选为指挥美国军队
天。这是一个值得观察的情况，虽然
全美国都回响着他当之无愧的声誉，他的名字
没有出现在任何欧洲对该战役的记载中；在
至少作者已经搜索过但没有成功。在
祖国就这样吸收了名誉，
在那个统治体系下。

因此，当覆盖哈德逊河和湖泊之间的港口南端的堡垒收到情报时，有人看到蒙卡尔姆率领一支“数量如树上的叶子”的军队沿尚普兰河而上，这就是事实。承认这一点时，更多的是出于恐惧而怯懦的不情愿，而不是战士在发现敌人在他的打击范围之内时应该感受到的强烈喜悦。这个消息是在仲夏夜幕降临时，一位印度跑者带来的，他还接到了“圣湖”岸边工事指挥官蒙罗的紧急请求，要求他迅速而有力地增援。 。前面已经提到过，这两个柱子之间的距离不到五里格。原本是他们交通线的那条简陋的小路已经被拓宽了，以便让马车通过。因此，森林之子在两个小时内所走的距离，可以很容易地通过一支部队带着必要的行李，在夏日太阳升起和落下之间完成。英国王室的忠实仆人将其中一处森林要塞命名为威廉·亨利，将另一处命名为爱德华堡，并以统治家族最喜爱的王子来称呼它们。刚刚被提名的老苏格兰人占据了第一，他带领着一队常客和一些外省人。迄今为止，这股力量实在太小，不足以对抗蒙卡尔姆带领到土丘脚下的强大力量。然而，后者由韦伯将军指挥，他指挥着国王在北部省份的军队，拥有五千多人的军队。通过将他指挥下的几个分队联合起来，这位军官可能会派出近两倍的战斗人员来对抗这位进取的法国人，因为法国人冒险远离他的增援部队，带着一支在数量上几乎没有优势的军队。

但是，在他们的命运下降的影响下，官兵们似乎更倾向于在自己的工作范围内等待强大对手的逼近，而不是效仿法国人在凯讷堡的成功范例来阻止他们的行军。 ，并对他们的前进进行打击。

在情报的最初惊喜稍稍减弱之后，谣言在营地中传播开来，营地沿着哈德逊河边缘延伸，形成了一条连至堡垒本身的外墙链，一支由 1500 人组成的精挑细选的分队黎明时分，人们将出发前往位于港口北端的威廉·亨利哨所。起初只是谣言，但很快就确定了，因为命令从总司令的住所传递到他选定的几个军团，为他们的迅速出发做好准备。现在，对韦伯意图的所有怀疑都消失了，一两个小时的匆忙脚步和焦虑的表情成功了。这位军事艺术新手从一个地方飞到另一个地方，由于他过度的暴力和有些暴躁的热情而耽误了他自己的准备工作。而经验丰富的老手则在做出安排时经过深思熟虑，不屑于任何仓促的表现。尽管他冷静的面容和焦虑的目光足以暴露出他对尚未尝试过的、可怕的荒野战争并没有很强的职业兴趣。最后，太阳在灿烂的光芒中落下，落在遥远的西山后面，当黑暗给这个僻静的地方披上面纱时，准备的声音也减弱了。最后一丝光亮终于从某个军官的小木屋里消失了。树木在土丘和碧波荡漾的溪流上投下更深的阴影，营地很快就陷入了一片寂静，就像周围的广阔森林一样寂静。

根据前一天晚上的命令，警钟的敲响打破了军队的沉睡，黎明时分，在潮湿的早晨空气中，从树林的每一个远景中都可以听到嘎嘎作响的回声。在柔和无云的东方天空的开放光亮上，画出附近一些高大松树的毛茸茸的轮廓。刹那间，整个营地都动了起来。最卑鄙的士兵从巢穴中醒来，目睹战友的离去，分享当时的兴奋和事件。选带的简单阵法很快就完成了。当国王的正规且训练有素的雇佣兵傲慢地行进到战线右侧时，不那么装腔作势的殖民者则站在战线左侧，带着一种经过长期训练变得很容易的温顺。侦察兵们离开了。装载行李的笨重车辆前面和后面都有强大的警卫；清晨的灰蒙蒙的阳光还没有被太阳的光芒柔和起来，战斗人员的主力就列成纵队，带着高尚的军事气势离开了营地，这让许多新手在沉睡中的忧虑被淹没了。 ，他现在即将在武器中发表他的第一篇文章。在他们钦佩的同志们的注视下，他们看到了同样骄傲的前线和整齐的排列，直到他们的笛声在远处变得越来越微弱，森林似乎最终吞没了慢慢进入它怀抱的生命体。

隐退的队伍中最深沉的声音已经不再随风飘向听众，而最新的掉队者也已经在追击中消失了。但在一座大小和住宿条件都不同寻常的小木屋前，仍然留下了另一次出发的迹象，那些哨兵在木屋前走来走去，众所周知，他们是看守英国将军的。这里聚集了大约六匹马，它们的盛装表明其中至少有两匹注定是女性，这种等级在该国的荒野中迄今为止并不常见。第三个人穿着参谋部军官的服饰和武器。而其余的，从朴素的住房和他们所携带的旅行邮件来看，显然适合接待尽可能多的仆人，他们似乎已经在等待他们所服务的人的快乐。在这场不寻常的表演保持着敬意的距离外，聚集着不同群体的好奇的闲人。一些人在欣赏这匹勇猛的军马的血和骨，另一些人则带着庸俗好奇心的迟钝惊奇注视着准备工作。然而，有一个人，从他的表情和行为来看，与后一类观众中的那些人相比，他是一个明显的例外，他既不闲着，也不显得很无知。

这个人的身材极其笨拙，但没有任何特殊的畸形。他拥有其他人所有的骨头和关节，却没有任何比例。他的身材挺拔，超过了他的同伴。尽管是坐着的，但他看起来在比赛的正常范围内有所下降。同样的矛盾似乎也存在于他的整个人身上。他的头很大；他的肩膀很窄；他的手臂又长又悬垂；他的手虽然不算纤细，但也很小。他的腿和大腿很瘦，几乎到了消瘦的程度，但是却非常长。他的膝盖会被认为是巨大的，如果他没有被更广泛的基础所超越，这个错误的上层建筑的混合人类秩序是如此亵渎地建立起来。个人的不协调和不明智的着装只会让他的尴尬更加明显。天蓝色的外套，短而宽的裙摆，低低的斗篷，露出又长又细的脖子，又长又细的腿，让恶人最恶感。他的下身衣服是一件黄色的棉布，非常合身，膝盖上用大结的白色丝带系着，但由于使用而被弄脏了很多。云朵状的棉袜和鞋子，其中一个是镀金的马刺，完成了这个人物下肢的服装，没有隐藏任何曲线或角度，但另一方面，通过精心展示，其所有者的虚荣或简单。

一件脏兮兮的压花丝绸背心，上面装饰着大量失去光泽的银色蕾丝，从它的一个巨大口袋的翻盖下面，伸出了一件仪器，从在这样的军事团体中看到的情况来看，很容易被误认为是某种顽皮的、未知的战争工具。 。尽管它很小，但这台不寻常的发动机激起了营地中大多数欧洲人的好奇心，尽管有人看到一些外省人不仅没有恐惧，而且非常熟悉地操作它。一顶巨大的、文明的三角帽，就像过去三十年里神职人员所戴的那样，超越了整体，为善良而有些空虚的面容提供了尊严，显然需要这种人为的帮助，以支撑一些崇高而非凡的重力。相信。

当普通马群站在韦伯的住处时，我们所描述的人物却大步走进家畜中心，自由地表达他对马匹优点的谴责或赞扬，因为它们偶然使他的判断不高兴或满意。

“朋友，我宁愿断定，这头野兽不是家里饲养的，而是来自外国，或者也许来自蓝色水面上的小岛本身？”他说道，他的声音因其柔和而甜美的音调而引人注目，正如他的身材以其罕见的比例一样引人注目。 “我可以谈论这些事情，但并不是自吹自擂；因为我曾到过这两个避风港；位于泰晤士河口的地方，以旧英格兰的首都命名，称为“港口”，并加上“新”一词；并看到苏格兰人和双桅船收集他们的牲畜，就像聚集到方舟一样，被运往牙买加岛，目的是进行易货贸易和四足动物的贸易；但我以前从未见过这样的野兽，它像这样验证了真正的圣经战马：“它在山谷中行走，并因自己的力量而欢欣；他继续去见武装人员。他在号角声中说道，哈，哈；他从远处就闻到了战争的气息，还有将领们的雷霆和呐喊。 看来，以色列的马匹已经下降到我们这个时代了。不是吗，朋友？

这个非凡的呼吁没有得到任何答复，事实上，由于它是以饱满而响亮的音调发出的，值得引起某种注意，因此唱出圣书语言的他转向了沉默的人物，他不知不觉地对自己说话，并在他凝视的物体中找到了一个新的、更强大的钦佩对象。他的目光落在那个“印第安跑者”一动不动、笔直而僵硬的身上，他在前一天晚上把不受欢迎的消息带到了营地。尽管他处于完美的休息状态，并且以特有的斯多葛主义，显然无视周围的兴奋和喧嚣，但有一种阴沉的凶猛与野蛮人的安静混合在一起，这很可能会吸引比那些更有经验的眼睛的注意。现在它扫视着他，毫不掩饰地惊讶。当地人携带着他部落的战斧和小刀。但他的外表并不完全是一个战士。相反，他的身上有一种疏忽的神情，就像最近的巨大劳累造成的，但他还没有闲暇去修复。战争油漆的颜色在他凶猛的面容上混合成黑暗混乱，使他黝黑的轮廓比艺术试图偶然产生的效果更加野蛮和令人厌恶。他的眼睛独自一人，像低垂的云层中一颗炽热的星星一样闪闪发光，可以看到其原始的野性状态。有那么一瞬间，他探寻而又警惕的目光与对方疑惑的目光相遇，然后半狡猾、半蔑视地改变了方向，它保持不动，仿佛穿透了遥远的空气。

如果不是白人积极的好奇心再次被其他物体所吸引，很难说两个如此独特的人之间的这种简短而无声的交流可能会从白人那里引起什么意想不到的评论。家仆们一阵普遍的动静，以及一阵低沉的温柔声音，宣告了那些只需要在场就能让队伍移动的人的到来。战马的单纯崇拜者立即倒退到一匹低矮、瘦弱、断尾的母马身边，母马正在无意识地拾取附近营地里枯萎的牧草；在那里，他把一只手肘靠在毯子上，毯子上藏着对马鞍的歉意，他成了离开的旁观者，而一匹小马驹正在同一匹动物的另一侧安静地吃早餐。

一名身着军官服装的年轻人牵着两名雌性坐骑，从她们的服装可以看出，她们已经做好了在树林里长途跋涉的准备。其一，虽然两人都很年轻，但她的外表更加稚嫩，让人可以瞥见她耀眼的肤色、金色的头发和明亮的蓝色眼睛，她天真地任由早晨的空气吹开绿色的面纱。它从她的海狸身上低垂下来。

西天的松树上还残留着一抹红晕，并不比她脸颊上的花朵更明亮、更娇嫩。当年轻人扶她上马时，她向年轻人露出了活泼的微笑，开幕当天最令人欢呼的事情莫过于此。另一位似乎同样受到年轻军官的关注，她小心翼翼地隐藏自己的魅力，不让士兵们看到，这似乎更适合她再过四五年的经历。不过看得出来，她的身材比例虽然同样精致，但也没有因她所穿的旅行装而失去优雅，反而比她的同伴更加丰满和成熟。

这些雌性一坐下，她们的随从就轻轻地跳上战马的马鞍，当三个人都向韦伯鞠躬时，韦伯礼貌地在他的小屋门槛上等待着她们分别，并转过马头，她们他们缓慢地走着，后面跟着他们的火车，朝营地的北入口走去。当他们走过那么短的距离时，他们之间没有听到任何声音。但是，当印度跑步者出人意料地从她身边滑过并沿着她前面的军用道路带路时，年轻的雌性发出了一声轻微的惊呼。印第安人这突如其来的惊人动作，对方没有发出任何声音，但她的面纱也惊讶地打开了褶皱，流露出一种难以形容的怜悯、钦佩和恐惧，她的黑眸随着轻松的动作而流露出来。野蛮人的。这位女士的头发乌黑闪亮，就像乌鸦的羽毛。她的肤色不是棕色，而是充满了浓郁血液的颜色，似乎即将突破界限。然而，她的面庞却十分规整，端庄而美丽，既不粗俗，也不缺乏阴影。她笑了，仿佛对自己一时的健忘表示怜悯，发现她的行为让她发现了一排足以让最纯净的象牙相形见绌的牙齿；当她重新戴上面纱时，她低着脸，默默地骑马，就像一个思想从周围的场景中抽离出来的人。

“索拉，索拉，哇哈哈，嗬，索拉！”
——莎士比亚

当我们草草呈现给读者的其中一个可爱的生物因此陷入沉思时，另一个很快从引起惊呼的惊慌中恢复过来，她嘲笑自己的软弱，询问骑在她身边的年轻人:

“海沃德，树林里经常有这样的幽灵吗？还是说这景象是为我们安排的特别娱乐活动？如果是后者，我们必须闭上感恩的嘴；但如果是前者，科拉和我都需要很大程度上利用我们所夸耀的遗传勇气，甚至在我们遇到令人敬畏的蒙卡尔姆之前。

“Yon Indian 是军队的‘跑者’；而且，按照他的人民的时尚，他可能会被视为英雄。”军官回答道。 “他自愿带我们到湖边，走一条鲜为人知的小路，比我们跟着队伍迟缓的行进更快；因此，更令人愉快。”

“我不喜欢他，”那位女士颤抖着说道，部分是假装的，但更多的是真正的恐惧。 “你了解他，邓肯，否则你不会如此放心地相信自己受他保管？”

“更确切地说，爱丽丝，我不会相信你。我确实认识他，否则他不会得到我的信任，尤其是在此刻。据说他也是加拿大人；然而他却与我们的朋友莫霍克人一起服役，如你所知，莫霍克人是六个同盟国家之一。据我所知，他是由于一次奇怪的事故而来到我们中间的，你父亲对这起事故很感兴趣，而野蛮人却受到了严厉的对待。但我忘记了这个无聊的故事，他现在是我们的朋友就足够了。”

“如果他是我父亲的敌人，我就更不喜欢他了！”女孩现在真的很着急，惊呼道。 “海沃德少校，你能不能跟他说话，让我听听他的语气？尽管这可能很愚蠢，但你经常听到我承认我对人声的信仰！”

“这将是徒劳的；很可能，答案就是射精。尽管他可能理解英语，但他像他的大多数人一样，装作对英语一无所知。最重要的是，既然战争要求他最大限度地行使他的尊严，他就不会屈尊说出这句话。但他停了下来；毫无疑问，我们要走的私人道路就在眼前。”

海沃德少校的猜想是正确的。当他们到达印第安人站立的地方时，他指着军事道路边缘的灌木丛；一条狭窄而死胡同的小路变得清晰可见，虽然可能会带来一些不便，但每次只能接待一个人。

“那么，我们的路就在这里。”年轻人低声说道。 “不要表现出不信任，否则你可能会招致你似乎担心的危险。”

“科拉，你觉得怎么样？”一位不情愿的公平人士问道。 “如果我们和军队一起旅行，尽管我们可能会觉得他们的存在令人厌烦，但我们难道不会感到自己的安全更有保障吗？”

“爱丽丝，你不太习惯野蛮人的做法，你弄错了真正危险的地方，”海沃德说。 “如果敌人真的到达了港口，这绝对是不可能的，因为我们的侦察兵在国外，他们肯定会被发现在队列的边缘，那里的头皮最多。分遣队的路线是已知的，而我们的路线在一小时内就确定了，但仍必须保密。”

“我们应该不信任这个人，因为他的举止与我们的举止不同，而且他的皮肤很黑？”科拉冷冷地问道。

爱丽丝不再犹豫了。但她却用鞭子狠狠地抽了一下纳兰甘西特*，她第一个把灌木丛的细枝甩开，跟着跑步者沿着黑暗而纠结的小路走下去。年轻人对最后一位发言者表示出公开的钦佩，甚至允许她更漂亮（尽管肯定不是更漂亮）的同伴在无人看管的情况下继续前行，而他自己则孜孜不倦地为她（被称为科拉）的通道打开道路。看来家人们事先已经得到指示了；因为他们没有深入灌木丛，而是沿着纵队的路线前进。海沃德称，这一措施是由他们的向导的睿智所决定的，目的是为了减少他们的踪迹，如果加拿大野蛮人可能在他们的军队之前潜伏得这么远的话。在很长一段时间里，由于路线错综复杂，无法进行进一步的对话。随后，他们从公路沿线宽阔的灌木丛中钻了出来，进入了森林高高但黑暗的拱门下面。在这里，他们的进展较少受到干扰。当向导发现母马可以指挥他们的马匹时，他继续前行，步伐介于小跑和步行之间，其速度使他们骑着的步履稳健​​且奇特的动物保持快速而轻松的漫步。年轻人正转身对黑眼睛的科拉说话，这时远处传来马蹄声，落在他身后破碎道路的树根上，让他检查了他的战马；当他的同伴们同时拉起缰绳时，整个队伍都停了下来，以便得到关于意外中断的解释。

* 在罗德岛州有一个海湾叫
纳拉甘西特（Narragansett），以一个强大的印第安部落命名，
以前居住在河岸上。事故或其中之一
大自然有时会扮演不负责任的怪胎
动物世界，产生了一种曾经是马的品种
在美国很有名，并以他们的习惯而闻名
踱步。这场比赛的马匹过去和现在都在很大程度上
要求作为鞍马，因为它们的坚韧和
他们动作的轻松程度。因为他们也确信自己的脚步，
纳拉甘西特人深受女性追捧，
我们不得不探寻“新事物”的根源和漏洞
国家。”

不一会儿，一匹小马像小鹿一样在笔直的松树树干间滑行。就在另一瞬间，前一章中所描述的那个丑陋的人出现在视野中，他的速度尽可能快地刺激着他那可怜的野兽，让他忍耐而不至于公开破裂。直到现在，这个人物都逃过了旅人的注意。如果说他在徒步展示其海拔高度的荣耀时拥有吸引任何游移目光的能力，那么他的马术优雅更容易吸引人们的注意。

尽管他不断地用一只手臂的脚后跟踩住母马的侧翼，但他能建立的最可靠的步态是用后腿进行坎特伯雷驰骋，在这种情况下，那些更靠前的人会在不确定的时刻提供帮助，尽管通常满足于保持大步奔跑小跑。也许从一种步伐到另一种步伐的快速变化创造了一种视觉错觉，从而可能放大野兽的力量；可以肯定的是，海沃德对马的优点有着真正的洞察力，但他无法以他最大的聪明才智来决定追赶他的人以什么样的动作沿着他的脚步蜿蜒前行。

骑手的勤奋和动作并不比骑乘者逊色。每当后者进化发生变化时，前者都会在马镫上抬起他的高个子；以这种方式，由于他的双腿过度伸长，身材突然增大和减小，使人们对他的尺寸做出的每一个猜测都感到困惑。如果再加上这样一个事实，即由于单方面施加马刺，母马的一侧似乎比另一侧走得更快；毛茸茸的尾巴不停地摆动，坚决地表明了受屈的侧面，我们完成了马和人的画面。

海沃德英俊、开放、有男子气概的眉头皱起的眉头逐渐放松，当他看着这个陌生人时，他的嘴角弯起一丝微笑。爱丽丝并没有做出很大的努力来控制她的欢乐。就连科拉那双深思熟虑的黑眼睛也闪烁着幽默的光芒，这似乎是女主人压抑的习惯，而不是本性。

“来这里找你吗？”当对方已经足够近以减缓他的速度时，海沃德问道； “我相信你不是带来凶信的人吧？”

“即便如此，”陌生人回答道，他勤奋地使用他的三角脚轮，在树林的密闭空气中产生流通，让听众怀疑他回答了年轻人的哪个问题；然而，当他的脸冷静下来，恢复了呼吸后，他继续说道：“我听说你正骑马去威廉·亨利；当我自己也正在前往那里时，我得出的结论是，好的陪伴似乎符合双方的愿望。”

“你似乎拥有投决定票的特权，”海沃德回答道。 “我们是三个人，而你却没有咨询过任何人，除了你自己。”

“即使是这样。首先要获得的一点是了解自己的内心。一旦确定了这一点，对于女性而言，接下来就是按照决定采取行动并不容易。我已经努力做到这两点，而我就在这里。”

“如果你去湖边，你就走错了路，”海沃德傲慢地说。 “通往那里的高速公路至少在你身后半英里处。”

“即便如此，”陌生人回答道，并没有因为这种冷遇而畏惧。 “我在‘爱德华’呆了一个星期了，如果我没有询问我要走的路，那我就太傻了。如果我愚蠢的话，我的职业生涯就会结束。”他小声地笑了一下，就像一个谦虚的人禁止更公开地表达他对听众完全无法理解的俏皮话的钦佩一样，然后他继续说道：“对于我这个职业的任何一个人来说，过于熟悉那些他必须指示；因此我不遵循军队的路线；除此之外，我得出的结论是，像您这样的绅士对于出行问题有着最好的判断力。因此，我决定加入公司，以便让旅程变得愉快，并参与社交活动。”

“即使不是一个仓促的决定，也是一个非常武断的决定！”海沃德惊呼道，他犹豫不决是要发泄心中日益增长的愤怒，还是当着对方的面大笑。 “但是你谈到的是指导和职业；您是省军团的附属人员，作为防御和进攻的崇高科学的大师吗？或者，也许你是一个打着解释数学的幌子画直线和角度的人？”

陌生人惊讶地看着审讯者。然后，他脸上露出庄严谦卑的表情，失去了一切自满的表情，回答道：

“我希望双方都没有冒犯他人的行为；出于辩护，我没有做任何辩护——靠着上帝的仁慈，自从上次恳求他的宽恕恩典以来，我没有犯下任何明显的罪过。我不明白你对直线和角度的暗示；我将向那些被召唤并被任命担任这一神圣职位的人进行解释。我声称自己没有比对赞美诗中所实践的祈祷和感恩的光荣艺术有一点点洞察力更高的天赋了。”

“这个人显然是阿波罗的弟子，”爱丽丝被逗乐了，大声说道，“我把他置于我自己的特殊保护之下。不，海沃德，抛开皱眉，怜悯我渴望的耳朵，允许他乘坐我们的火车旅行。此外，”她用低沉而匆忙的声音补充道，看了一眼远处的科拉，科拉慢慢地跟随他们沉默而阴沉的向导的脚步，“在我们需要的时候，它可能是一个为我们增添力量的朋友。 ”

“爱丽丝，你认为我会通过这条秘密道路信任我所爱的人，我想象过这种需要会发生吗？”

“不，不，我现在不想这个了；但这个奇怪的人让我觉得好笑；如果他‘灵魂里有音乐’，我们就不要无礼地拒绝他的陪伴。”她用马鞭令人信服地沿着小路指着，而他们的目光相遇了，年轻人停留了一会儿，延长了目光。然后，屈服于她温柔的影响，他用马刺拍击战马，几个跳跃后又回到了科拉身边。

“我很高兴见到你，朋友，”少女继续说道，一边向陌生人挥挥手，让他继续前行，一边催促她的纳拉甘塞特继续漫步。 “部分亲戚几乎让我相信，我自己在二重唱中并非毫无价值；我们可以通过沉迷于我们最喜欢的追求来让我们的旅途充满活力。对于像我这样无知的人来说，听到一位艺术大师的观点和经验可能会带来很大的好处。”

“在适当的季节里沉迷于圣歌，对精神和身体来说都是令人耳目一新的，”歌唱大师回答道，毫不犹豫地答应了她的指示。 “没有什么比这种令人安慰的交流更能舒缓心灵的了。但要使旋律完美，四个声部是缺一不可的。你拥有柔和而丰富的高音的所有表现；借助特别的帮助，我可以将完整的男高音传达到最高的字母；但我们缺少低音炮和低音炮！国王的一位军官曾犹豫是否让我加入他的公司，如果我们可以从他在日常对话中的语调来判断的话，他可能会填补后者的空缺。”

“不要根据仓促和欺骗性的外表做出太草率的判断，”那位女士微笑着说道。 “虽然海沃德少校有时会发出如此深沉的音符，但相信我，他的自然音调比你听到的低音更适合柔和的男高音。”

“那么，他在诗篇艺术方面练习得很多吗？”她质朴的同伴问道。

爱丽丝想笑，但她成功地压制住了自己的笑意，然后回答道：

“我认为他对亵渎的歌曲相当上瘾。士兵的生命机会几乎不适合鼓励更清醒的倾向。”

“人的声音就像他的其他才能一样，是被赋予来使用的，而不是被滥用的。没有人可以说他们知道我曾经忽视过我的天赋！我很庆幸的是，虽然我的童年可以说是为了音乐而像大卫王的青年时代一样，但粗鲁的诗句中的任何一个音节都没有亵渎过我的嘴唇。”

“那么，你的努力仅限于圣歌吗？”

“即使是这样。正如大卫的诗篇胜过所有其他语言一样，这片土地上的神职人员和圣人为他们改编的诗篇也胜过所有虚荣的诗歌。幸运的是，我可以说我所说的只是以色列国王本人的想法和愿望。因为尽管时代可能需要一些细微的改变，但我们在新英格兰殖民地使用的这个版本远远超过了所有其他版本，以至于它的丰富性、精确性和精神简单性，接近于接近的版本。也许是为了这位受启发的作家的伟大作品。我在任何地方，无论是睡觉还是醒着，都会遇到这种天才作品的例子。这是第六版和第二十版，于 1744 年在波士顿颁布；题为《旧约和新约的诗篇、赞美诗和灵歌》；忠实地翻译成英语韵律，以供圣徒在公共和私人场合使用、启迪和舒适，特别是在新英格兰。”

在对本土诗人的罕见作品进行颂扬时，陌生人从口袋里掏出这本书，在鼻子上戴上一副铁框眼镜，以与其神圣目的相称的小心翼翼和崇敬态度打开了这本​​书。然后，没有拐弯抹角，也没有道歉，首先说出了“站起来”这个词，并将已经描述过的未知引擎放在嘴里，从中他发出了高而刺耳的声音，随后是一个八度以下的声音，来自他自己的声音，他开始用饱满、甜美、悠扬的音调唱出下面的歌词，这让音乐、诗歌，甚至他那只未经训练的野兽不安的动作都受到了挑战； “哦，看吧，弟兄们团结一致，住在一起是多么美好，多么令人高兴。就像精选的药膏一样，从头到胡须都去了；顺着亚伦的头，他的衣襟一直垂到。”

陌生人一边说着这些巧妙的韵律，一边有规律地抬起和放下右手，直到放下为止，让手指在这本小书的书页上驻足片刻。在上升过程中，成员们的表现如此出色，除了入门者之外，没有人希望模仿。看来经过长期的练习，这种手动伴奏是必要的。因为直到诗人为诗句结尾选择的介词像两个音节的单词一样适时地表达出来时，它才停止。

这种对森林的寂静和隐退的创新不可能不引起那些提前在如此短的距离内旅行的人们的注意。印第安人用蹩脚的英语向海沃德咕哝了几句，海沃德又对陌生人说话。立刻打断了他的音乐努力，并暂时结束了他的音乐努力。

“虽然我们没有处于危险之中，但出于谨慎起见，我们会尽可能安静地穿越这片荒野。那么，请原谅我，爱丽丝，如果我要求这位先生推迟他的吟诵，直到有更安全的机会，就会减少你的乐趣。”

“你确实会削弱他们，”大姑娘回答道。 “因为我从来没有听到过比我一直在听的更不值得的执行和语言的结合；当我对声音和感觉之间如此不相容的原因进行博学的探究时，你用你的低音打破了我沉思的魅力，邓肯！

“我不知道你怎么称呼我的贝司，”海沃德对她的话感到愤怒，说道，“但我知道你和科拉的安全对我来说比亨德尔音乐中的任何管弦乐队都重要得多。”他停了下来，迅速把头转向一片灌木丛，然后怀疑地把目光转向他们的向导，后者继续他稳定的步伐，不受干扰的重力。年轻人暗自微笑，因为他相信自己把树林里闪闪发光的浆果误认为是潜行的野蛮人闪闪发光的眼球，然后他骑马向前走，继续被一闪而过的思绪打断的谈话。

海沃德少校的错误只是用他年轻时慷慨的骄傲来压制他积极的警惕。队伍很快就过去了，灌木丛中的灌木枝条被小心翼翼地分开，一张人类的面孔，像野蛮的艺术和肆无忌惮的激情一样狂野，凝视着旅行者渐行渐远的脚步。当森林居民追踪着他的目标受害者的路线时，一丝狂喜的光芒掠过森林居民的深色轮廓，他们无意识地向前骑行，雌性轻盈而优雅的身形在树林间挥舞着，在弯曲的树林中挥舞着。他们的道路，在每个转弯处都有海沃德的男子气概的身影，直到最后，歌唱大师无形的人被隐藏在无数树干后面，这些树干在中间空间中以黑色线条升起。

“在这些田地被修剪和耕种之前，
我们的河流满溢而过；
水的旋律充满了
清新无际的木头；
激流奔腾，小溪流淌，
喷泉在树荫下喷涌。”——布莱恩特

让毫无戒心的海沃德和他的密友们深入到一个关押着如此奸诈囚犯的森林中去，我们必须利用作者的特权，将场景转移到我们上次见到他们的地方以西几英里的地方。

那天，两个人在一条小而急的溪流边徘徊，距离韦伯营地不到一小时路程，就像那些等待缺席者出现或等待某种预期事件临近的人一样。巨大的树冠延伸到河边，悬在水面上，用更深的色调遮蔽了黑暗的水流。太阳的光线开始变得不那么猛烈，白天的酷热也减弱了，泉水和喷泉的凉爽蒸气升到了绿叶茂盛的床上，并停留在大气中。仍然是那令人窒息的寂静，标志着七月美国风景的昏昏欲睡的闷热，弥漫在这个僻静的地方，只有男人们低沉的声音、啄木鸟偶尔懒洋洋的敲击声、一些华丽的松鸦的不和谐的叫声，或者远处瀑布沉闷的轰鸣声使耳朵肿胀。然而，这些微弱而破碎的声音对护林员来说太熟悉了，无法将他们的注意力从对话中更有趣的事情上转移开。其中一个游荡者的皮肤是红色的，衣着狂野，就像是森林里的本地人，而另一个人则透过他粗鲁、近乎野蛮的装备的面具，展现出一种明亮的肤色，尽管被晒伤了，而且长着一张脸，就像一个可能声称有欧洲血统。前者坐在一根长满青苔的木头上，他的姿势使他能够通过印第安人参与辩论时冷静但富有表现力的手势来增强他真诚的语言的效果。他的身体几乎赤裸，呈现出可怕的死亡象征，由白色和黑色混合绘制。他的头上剃得光光的，除了众所周知的、具有骑士精神的头皮毛*之外，没有其他头发，没有任何装饰，除了一根孤独的鹰羽，穿过他的头顶，垂在左边。肩膀。他的腰带上挂着一把英国制造的战斧和剥头皮刀。而一支短军用步枪，正是白人政策用来武装他们野蛮盟友的那种，漫不经心地放在他光秃秃的、肌肉发达的膝盖上。这位战士宽大的胸膛、丰满的四肢和严肃的面容，表明他已经达到了他那个时代的活力，尽管腐烂的症状似乎还没有削弱他的男子气概。

* 北美武士导致头发被拔掉
从他的整个身体；树冠上留下了一小簇
他的头，以便他的敌人可以利用它，
当他摔倒时，他会扭断头皮。这
头皮是唯一可接受的胜利奖杯。因此，它
人们认为获得头皮比杀人更重要
男人。有些部落非常重视荣誉
撞击一具尸体。这些做法几乎
在大西洋各州的印第安人中消失了。

从没有被衣服遮盖的部分来看，这个白人的身材就像一个从小就经历过艰辛和努力的人。他的身材虽然肌肉发达，但却很瘦弱，而不是饱满。但每根神经和肌肉都因无休无止的暴露和劳累而紧张和硬化。他穿着一件森林绿色的狩猎衬衫，流苏是褪色的黄色*，戴着一顶剥了毛的兽皮帽子。他还在贝壳腰带上佩戴了一把小刀，就像印第安人穿着单薄的衣服时所用的腰带一样，但没有战斧。他的莫卡辛鞋按照当地人的欢快时尚进行装饰，而他的内衣中唯一露出狩猎服下面的部分是一条鹿皮打底裤，两侧有系带，在膝盖以上系着吊带，上面有一条鹿皮打底裤。鹿的筋。袋子和号角完善了他的个人装备，尽管一把很长的步枪**靠在邻近的一棵树苗上，更聪明的白人告诉他们，这是所有枪支中最危险的。猎人或侦察兵，无论他是谁，眼睛都小，敏捷，敏锐，焦躁不安，在他说话时，在他的各个侧面徘徊，仿佛在寻找猎物，或者怀疑某些潜伏者的突然接近。敌人。尽管有习惯性怀疑的症状，但他的表情不但没有任何狡诈，而且在被介绍的那一刻，就充满了坚定的诚实表情。

* 狩猎衬衫是一件风景如画的罩衫，
较短，并饰有流苏和流苏。颜色
旨在模仿木材的色调，以期
隐瞒。许多美国步枪兵团就这样被
穿着，这件衣服是现代最引人注目的衣服之一
次。狩猎衬衫通常是白色的。

** 军队的步枪较短；猎人的那个是
总是很长。

“就连你们的传统也对我有利，Chingachgook，”他说，用的是所有以前居住在哈德逊河和波托马克河之间的土地上的当地人都知道的语言，我们将为它提供免费翻译。读者的利益；同时，努力保留个人和语言的一些特性。 “你们的祖先从夕阳西下而来，渡过大河*，与这个国家的人民作战，占领了土地；我的任务来自早晨红色的天空，盐湖上空，按照你们设定的方式进行工作。那么我们之间的事就让老天爷来裁决吧，朋友们就少说话吧！”

* 密西西比河。童子军提到了一个传统，那就是
在大西洋各州的部落中非常受欢迎。
他们的亚洲起源的证据是从
尽管总体上存在很大的不确定性
印第安人的历史。

“我的父辈与赤裸的红种人战斗！”印第安人用同样的语言严厉地回答道。 “鹰眼，战士的石头箭和你用来杀人的铅弹有什么区别吗？”

“印第安人是有理性的，尽管大自然使他拥有红色的皮肤！”白人说道，摇着头，就像一个对他的正义呼吁没有被拒绝的人。有一瞬间，他似乎意识到自己的争论已经到了最糟糕的地步，然后，他再次振作起来，以他有限的信息所能允许的最好方式回答了对手的反对意见：

“我不是学者，我不在乎谁知道；但是，从我在鹿追逐和松鼠狩猎中所看到的以及下面的火花来看，我认为他们祖父手中的步枪并不像山核桃弓和优质燧石头那么危险，如果以印度人的判断力绘制，并由印度人的眼睛发送。”

“你有你父亲讲过的故事，”另一个回答道，冷冷地挥了挥手。 “你们的老人们怎么说？他们是否告诉年轻的战士们，苍白的面孔遇到了红衣人，他们为战争而涂装，手持石斧和木枪？”

“我不是一个有偏见的人，也不是一个吹嘘自己天生特权的人，尽管我在地球上有最大的敌人，而且他是易洛魁人，但我不敢否认我是真正的白人，”侦察兵回答道，打量着，带着暗暗的满足，他骨瘦如柴、肌肉发达的手褪色了，“我愿意承认我的人民有很多方法，但作为一个诚实的人，我不能批准这些方法。他们的习惯之一是把自己做过的事情和看到的事情写在书里，而不是在自己的村庄里告诉他们，在那里，谎言可以当着懦弱的吹牛者的面，勇敢的士兵可以号召他的战友来见证。为了他的话的真实性。由于这种不良风尚，一个男人如果过于认真，不愿浪费时间与女人相处，学习黑色标记的名字，他可能永远不会听说他父亲的事迹，也不会因为努力超越他们而感到自豪。就我自己而言，我得出结论，Bumppos 可以射击，因为我天生就擅长用步枪，这一定是代代相传的，正如我们神圣的戒律告诉我们的那样，所有善恶的礼物都是被赋予的；尽管我不愿意在这样的问题上为其他人负责。但每个故事都有其两个方面：所以我问你，Chingachgook，根据红种人的传统，当我们的祖先第一次见面时，发生了什么？”

沉默了一分钟，印第安人静静地坐着。然后，他充满了自己职务的尊严，以一种严肃的态度开始了他的简短故事，这增强了故事的真实性。

“听着，鹰眼，你的耳朵不会接受谎言。这就是我的父辈所说的话，也是莫西干人所做的。”他犹豫了一下，小心翼翼地看了一眼他的同伴，然后继续说道，语气中既有审问，也有断言。 “我们脚下的这条溪流，不是一直流向夏天，直到水变成盐，水流向上流吗？”

“不可否认的是，你们的传统告诉你们在这两件事上都是正确的，”白人说。 “因为我去过那里，也见过它们，但为什么水在阴凉处如此甘甜，在阳光下却变得苦涩，这是我无法解释的一种变化。”

“还有电流！”印第安人问道，他期待着他的答复，就像一个人在证实证词时所感受到的那样，即使他尊重证词，他也会感到惊讶； “Chingachgook 的祖先没有说谎！”

“圣经再真实不过了，这是自然界最真实的东西。他们将这种逆流称为潮汐，这很快就得到了解释，而且足够清楚。六个小时水流入，六个小时流出，原因是这样的：当海里的水比河里的水高时，水就流入，直到河水最高，然后又流出。 ”。

“树林里和大湖里的水一直向下流，直到它们像我的手一样平躺，”印第安人一边说，一边在他面前水平地伸展肢体，“然后它们就不再流了。”

“诚实的人不会否认这一点，”侦察兵说道，他对他对潮汐之谜的解释暗示的不信任感到有点恼火。 “我承认，在小范围内、在地面平坦的地方，这是正确的。但一切都取决于你看待事物的尺度。现在，在小范围内，“地球是水平的；”但从大的角度来看，它是圆形的。以这种方式，水池和池塘，甚至巨大的淡水湖，可能会停滞不前，正如你我都知道的那样，看到它们之后；但是，当你把水撒到一大片土地上，就像大海一样，地球是圆的，水怎么会平静呢？你可能还以为河流静静地躺在我们上方一英里处那些黑色岩石的边缘，尽管你自己的耳朵告诉你，此刻河水正在从它们上面翻滚。”

如果这位印度人对他同伴的哲学不满意，他也太有尊严了，不会流露出他的不信。他像一个被说服的人一样听着，然后以以前的严肃态度继续叙述。

“我们从晚上隐藏太阳的地方出发，越过水牛居住的大平原，直到到达大河。我们在那里与阿利格维人战斗，直到地面被他们的鲜血染红。从大河岸边到盐湖岸边，都没有见到我们。马夸人远远地跟在后面。我们说过，从这条小溪上不再有水流的地方，一直到夏天二十个太阳路程的河流，这个国家应该属于我们。我们把马库斯和熊一起赶进了树林。他们只在舔的时候尝到了盐的味道；他们没有从大湖里打到鱼。我们把骨头扔给他们了。”

“这一切我都听到了，也相信了。”白人说道，注意到印第安人停了下来。 “但英国人进入这个国家很久以前了。”

“当时栗子所在的地方长着一棵松树。我们中间第一批苍白的面孔不会说英语。当我的父亲们把战斧和他们周围的红人一起埋葬时，他们乘着一艘大独木舟来到了这里。那么，鹰眼，”他继续说道，暴露了他内心深处的情感，只是让他的声音降到低沉的喉音，这使得他有时所说的语言非常有音乐感； “那么，鹰眼，我们就是一个人，我们很幸福。盐湖给了我们鱼，森林给了鹿，空气给了鸟。我们娶了妻子，她们给我们生了孩子；我们崇拜伟大的精神；我们让马夸人远离我们凯旋之歌的声音。”

“你当时对你自己的家族有什么了解吗？”白人问道。 “但对于一个印度人来说，你只是一个人；我猜你手里拿着他们的礼物，你的父亲一定是勇敢的战士，也是议会火场上的智者。”

“我的部落是万国之祖，但我却是一个纯粹的人。酋长的血液流淌在我的血管里，它必须永远留在那里。荷兰人登陆，给我的人民提供了消防水；他们喝到天地似乎交汇在一起，他们愚蠢地以为自己找到了伟大的灵魂。然后他们分割了自己的土地。他们被一步一步地从海岸上赶了回来，直到我，作为一个酋长和一个萨加莫尔人，除了穿过树林之外从未见过阳光，也从未去过我祖先的坟墓。”

“坟墓给心灵带来庄严的感觉，”侦察兵回答道，他的同伴平静的痛苦让他深受感动。 “他们常常帮助一个人的善意；然而，对于我自己来说，我希望自己的骨头不被掩埋，在树林里漂白，或者被狼撕成碎片。但是，在这么多年的夏天之后，你们的种族又到特拉华州探亲的人到哪里去了呢？”

“那些夏天的花朵在哪里！——一朵一朵地凋零；于是我全家就依次出发，前往神灵之地。我在山顶，必须下到山谷；当恩卡斯追随我的脚步时，萨加莫尔人的血统将不再存在，因为我的儿子是最后一个莫希干人。”

“恩卡斯在这里，”另一个声音在他的肘部附近说道，声音同样柔和，带有喉音。 “谁在和恩卡斯说话？”

听到这突然的打断，白人松开了皮鞘里的刀，不由自主地把手伸向步枪。但印第安人平静地坐着，对于意外的声音没有转过头。

下一刻，一名年轻的武者迈着无声无息的脚步从他们中间穿过，坐到了急流的岸边。在接下来的几分钟里，父亲没有发出任何惊讶的叫声，也没有提出任何问题，也没有给出任何答复。每个人似乎都在等待着说话的时机，但又没有表现出女人般的好奇心或孩子气的不耐烦。白人似乎借鉴了他们的习俗，放下了手中的步枪，也保持着沉默和保留。最后，钦加古克慢慢地将目光转向儿子，问道：

“马夸人敢在这片树林里留下莫卡辛鞋的印记吗？”

“我一直在追踪他们，”年轻的印第安人回答道，“我知道他们的数量和我两只手的手指一样多；但他们像懦夫一样隐藏起来。”

“盗贼们在边远地区抢夺头皮和掠夺，”白人说道，我们按照他同伴的方式，称他为“鹰眼”。 “那个忙碌的法国人蒙卡尔姆会派他的间谍进入我们的营地，但他会知道我们走哪条路！”

“够了，”父亲回答道，眼睛望向夕阳。 “他们将像鹿一样被赶出灌木丛。鹰眼，我们今晚吃饭吧，明天就让马库斯人知道我们是男人。”

“我已经准备好做这件事了，就像做另一件事一样；但要与易洛魁人作战，就必须找到潜伏者；要吃饭，就必须获得野味——谈论魔鬼，他就会来；有一对我这个季节见过的最大的鹿角，移动着山下的灌木丛！现在，恩卡斯，”他用一种半耳语的声音继续说道，并带着一种内心的声音大笑，就像一个学会了警惕的人，“我将用我的充电器与一英尺贝壳打赌，赌注是三倍装满的火药，我把他放在两眼之间，离右边比离左边更近。”

“它不可能是！”年轻的印第安人说道，他带着年轻的渴望跳了起来。 “除了角尖之外，所有的东西都被隐藏起来了！”

“他是个男孩！”白人边说边摇头，对父亲说道。 “他是否认为当猎人看到该生物的一部分时，他无法分辨出该生物的其余部分应该在哪里！”

他调整了一下步枪，正要展示一下他非常看重的这项技能，这时战士用手击打了那支枪，说道：

“鹰眼！你会和马库斯人战斗吗？”

“这些印第安人了解森林的性质，这可能是出于本能！”侦察兵返回，扔下步枪，转身走开，就像一个确信自己错误的人一样。 “我必须把雄鹿留给你的箭，恩卡斯，否则我们可能会杀一头鹿给易洛魁人这些小偷吃。”

当父亲做出一个富有表现力的手势来表示这一暗示时，恩卡斯就扑倒在地，小心翼翼地接近这只动物。当距离掩体几码时，他小心翼翼地将箭装在弓上，而鹿角则在移动，就好像它们的主人在污染的空气中扼杀了敌人一样。过了一会儿，传来了绳子的响声，一道白色的条纹扫进了灌木丛，受伤的雄鹿从掩体中跳了下去，跌到了隐藏的敌人的脚边。避开愤怒的动物的角，恩卡斯冲到他身边，用刀划过喉咙，当跳到河边时，它掉了下来，鲜血染红了河水。

“这是用印第安人的技巧完成的，”侦察兵心里笑着说道，但心里却非常满意。 “这真是一个美丽的景象！虽然箭近射，还需要刀才能完成任务。”

“休！”他的同伴迅速转过身，像一只闻到猎物气味的猎犬一样，喊道。

“上帝啊，有一群人！”侦察兵大声说道，他的眼睛开始闪烁着他平常职业的热情； “如果他们进入子弹射程之内，我就会投下一颗，尽管整个六国都应该潜伏在声音之中！你听到了什么，钦加古克？因为在我听来，树林是无声的。”

“只有一只鹿，而且他死了。”印第安人弯着身体，直到耳朵几乎贴到地面。 “我听到脚步声了！”

“也许狼群已经把雄鹿赶到了避难所，正在追踪他的踪迹。”

“不。白人的马匹来了！”另一个回答道，他庄重地站起身来，又恢复了原来的镇静坐在圆木上的位置。 “鹰眼，他们是你的兄弟；和他们说话。”

“我愿意，用英语表示国王不必羞于回答，”猎人用他吹嘘的语言回答道。 “但我什么也看不见，也听不到人或兽的声音；奇怪的是，一个印第安人竟然比一个血液中没有十字架的人更能理解白色的声音，而他的敌人将承认，他的血液中没有十字架，尽管他可能已经与红色皮肤一起生活了足够长的时间，以至于受到怀疑！哈！还有类似干棍劈裂的声音——现在我听到灌木丛在移动——是的，是的，有一种踩踏声，我误以为是瀑布——然后——但它们自己来了；上帝保佑他们远离易洛魁人！”

“走吧：你不可以离开这片树林
直到我为你所受的伤害而折磨你。”——仲夏夜之梦。

侦察兵的话还没说完，队伍中的领头人就公开出现在了他的视野中，他接近的脚步声引起了印第安人警惕的耳朵。一条人迹罕至的小路，就像鹿定期经过的路一样，蜿蜒穿过不远处的一个小峡谷，在白人和他的红色同伴驻扎的地方到达河流。旅行者们沿着这条小路，在森林深处制造了如此不寻常的惊喜，慢慢地向猎人走去，猎人就在他的同伴面前，准备迎接他们。

“谁来了？”侦察兵漫不经心地把步枪扔在左臂上，右手的食指一直扣在扳机上，但他在行动中避免了任何威胁的表现。 “谁来到这里，置身于荒野的野兽和危险之中？”

“宗教的信徒，法律和国王的朋友，”骑在最前面的他回答道。 “从太阳升起起，在这片森林的阴凉处，没有任何营养，就开始旅行的人们，对他们的旅途感到悲伤和厌倦。”

“那么，你迷路了，”猎人打断道，“并且发现不知道该走右手还是左手是多么无助？”

“即使是这样;吸吮婴儿并不比我们更依赖那些指导他们的人，我们已经长大了，现在可以说拥有人类不知道的地位。你知道到威廉·亨利的王位有多远吗？

“叱！”斥候大声喊道，他没有放过公开的笑声，但立即制止了危险的声音，他沉浸在欢乐中，以免被任何潜伏的敌人偷听。 “你就像猎犬一样失去了嗅觉，霍里肯和鹿就在他身边！威廉·亨利，伙计！如果你是国王的朋友并且与军队有生意往来，你的方法就是沿着河流到爱德华那里，把事情交给韦伯，韦伯在那里停留，而不是冲进峡谷，把这个顽皮的法国人赶回来穿过尚普兰，再次进入他的巢穴。”

陌生人还没来得及对这个意想不到的提议作出任何答复，另一位骑兵就冲开了灌木丛，将战马跳到了小路上，挡在了他同伴的前面。

“那么，我们距爱德华堡的距离可能是多少？”要求一位新的发言人； “你建议我们去的地方我们今天早上就出发了，我们的目的地是湖头。”

“那么你一定是在迷路之前就失去了视力，因为穿过港口的道路被切成了整整两杆，而且我估计，这条路和任何通往伦敦的道路一样宏伟，甚至是通往伦敦王宫的道路。国王本人。”

“我们不会对这段经文的精彩之处提出异议，”海沃德微笑着回答道。因为，正如读者所预料的那样，就是他。 “就目前而言，我们相信一位印度向导会带我们走一条更近但更盲目的道路，但我们被他的知识欺骗了。简而言之，我们不知道自己在哪里。”

“一个印第安人在树林里迷路了！”侦察兵疑惑地摇着头说道。 “当太阳晒干树梢，水道满了；当他看到的每一棵山毛榉上的苔藓都会告诉他北极星将在晚上的哪个季度发光。树林里到处都是鹿的小径，通向溪流和舔舐的地方，这些都是众所周知的地方。鹅也没有完全飞到加拿大水域！一个印第安人竟然在霍里坎和河湾之间迷路了，这真是奇怪！他是莫霍克人吗？”

“虽然是在那个部落收养的，但不是出生的；我认为他的出生地在更北的地方，他是你们所说的休伦人之一。”

“休！”侦察兵的两个同伴惊呼道，他们一直坐在那里一动不动，显然对发生的事情漠不关心，直到对话的这一部分，但现在他们跳了起来，表现出一种活跃和兴趣，显然已经克服了他们的矜持。惊喜。

“休伦人！”那位身强力壮的斥候重复了一遍，再次摇摇头，表示不信任。 “他们是一个偷窃的种族，我也不关心他们被谁收养；除了偷偷摸摸和流浪汉之外，你永远无法把他们变成任何东西。既然你把自己托付给那个国家之一的照顾，我只是奇怪你没有陷入更多的困境。”

“这几乎没有什么危险，因为威廉·亨利就在我们前面这么多英里。你忘了我告诉过你我们的向导现在是莫霍克人，他作为朋友在我们的部队中服役。”

“我告诉你，出生时是明戈人的人，死时也是明戈人。”另一个积极地回答道。 “莫霍克人！不，老实说，给我一个特拉华州或莫希干州；当他们要战斗时，他们不会所有人都这样做，因为他们的狡猾的敌人，马夸人，把他们变成了女人——但是当他们要战斗时，看看特拉华州或莫希干人，作为战士！

“够了，”海沃德不耐烦地说。 “我不想探究一个我认识的人的性格，而你对他来说一定很陌生。你还没有回答我的问题；我们距爱德华的主力部队还有多远？”

“看来这可能取决于谁是你的向导。人们会认为这样一匹马可能会在日出和日落之间跨越很大的地面。”

“我不想和你争论闲话，朋友，”海沃德说，抑制住他不满的态度，用更温和的声音说话。 “如果你能告诉我到爱德华堡的距离，并带我去那里，你的劳动将不会没有回报。”

“这样做，我怎么知道我没有引导敌人和蒙卡尔姆的间谍去军队工作？并不是每个会说英语的人都是诚实的人。”

“如果你在军队中服役，我认为你是其中的侦察兵，你应该知道像第六十团这样的国王军团。”

“六十号！尽管我确实穿的是狩猎衬衫而不是猩红色夹克，但你可以告诉我一些我不知道的皇家美洲人的情况。”

“那么，除此之外，你可能还知道它的专业名字吧？”

“是专业！”猎人打断了他的话，抬起了身体，就像一个为自己的信任感到自豪的人。 “如果这个国家有一个人认识埃芬汉少校，他就站在你面前。”

“这是一个拥有多个专业的军团；你所说的这位先生是年长的，但我说的是他们中的年幼的；他指挥着威廉·亨利的驻军连队。”

“是的，是的，我听说一位来自遥远南方省份的富有的年轻绅士得到了这个地方。他也太年轻了，无法担任这样的职务，而且比那些头开始变白的人还要高。但他们却说他是一位知识渊博的军人，一位英勇的绅士！”

“无论他是什么，或者无论他的级别如何，他现在都在向你说话，当然，他不会是任何可怕的敌人。”

球探惊讶地看着海沃德，然后他抬起帽子回答道，语气比以前不那么自信了——尽管仍然表示怀疑。

“我听说今天早上有一队人要离开营地前往湖岸？”

“你已经听到了真相；但我更喜欢一条更近的路线，相信我提到的印第安人的知识。”

“然后他欺骗了你，然后就抛弃了你？”

“正如我所相信的，两者都不是；当然不是后者，因为他在后面。”

“我想看看这个生物； “如果这是一个真正的易洛魁人，我可以通过他恶毒的外表和他的油漆来判断他，”侦察员说。跨过海沃德的战马，进入歌唱大师的母马后面的小路，他的小马驹利用停下来的机会来索取母性的贡献。推开灌木丛，向前走了几步，他遇到了雌性，她们焦急地等待着会议的结果，但也并非完全没有忧虑。在这些人身后，跑步者靠在一棵树上，他站在那儿，神情不动地仔细审视着侦察兵，尽管他的表情如此阴暗和野蛮，本身就可能会引起恐惧。猎人对自己的审视感到满意，很快就离开了他。当他重新经过那些雌性时，他停了下来，凝视着她们的美丽，用一种开放的快乐的表情回应了爱丽丝的微笑和点头。然后他走到母兽身边，花了一分钟时间询问她的骑手的性格，但毫无结果，他摇了摇头，回到了海沃德。

“明戈人就是明戈人，上帝创造了他，莫霍克人和任何其他部落都无法改变他，”当他重新获得以前的职位时，他说道。 “如果我们独自一人，而你今晚将那匹高贵的马留在狼群的摆布下，我可以在一个小时内亲自带你去见爱德华，因为距离这里只有大约一个小时的路程；但你们公司里有这样的女士，这是不可能的！”

“那为什么呢？他们很累，但也相当于多跑了几英里。”

“这自然是不可能的！”侦察兵重复了一遍； “夜幕降临后，我不会在这些树林里走一英里，和那个跑步者一起，寻找殖民地最好的步枪。他们都是边远的易洛魁人，而你的莫霍克杂种很清楚在哪里可以找到他们，所以不能成为我的同伴。”

“你也这么认为吗？”海沃德在马鞍上身体前倾，声音低得几乎像耳语一样说道。 “我承认，我并非没有自己的怀疑，尽管我努力隐瞒这些怀疑，并且为了我的同伴，表现出一种我并不总是感受到的信任。因为怀疑他，所以我不再跟随；正如你所看到的，让他跟随我。”

“我一看到他就知道他是骗子之一！”侦察兵回答道，将一根手指放在鼻子上，以示警告。

“小偷靠在糖树的脚下，你可以看到上面有灌木丛；他的右腿与树皮成一直线，而且，”敲击他的步枪，“我可以从我站的地方，在角度和膝盖之间，一枪把他打倒，结束他的踩踏树林里，至少一个月。如果我回到他身边，那只狡猾的恶鼠就会有所怀疑，然后像受惊的小鹿一样在树林里躲闪。”

“这样不行。”他可能是无辜的，我不喜欢这种行为。不过，如果我对他的背叛充满信心——”

“计算易洛魁人的恶行是安全的，”侦察兵说着，以一种本能的动作向前扔了他的步枪。

“抓住！”海沃德打断道：“这是不行的——我们必须想出其他办法——然而，我有充分的理由相信这个流氓欺骗了我。”

猎人已经放弃了残害奔跑者的意图，沉吟片刻，然后做了一个手势，瞬间将两个红色同伴拉到了自己的身边。他们用特拉华语真诚地交谈，尽管声音很小。白人的手势经常指向树苗的顶部，显然他指出了他们隐藏的敌人的情况。同伴们很快就明白了他的愿望，放下枪械，分道扬镳，分到路的两侧，埋进灌木丛，动作小心翼翼，脚步声听不见。

“现在，回去吧，”猎人再次对海沃德说道，“让小恶魔说话；这些莫西干人会在不破坏他油漆的情况下抓住他。”

“不，”海沃德自豪地说，“我会亲自抓住他。”

“希斯特！骑着马，在灌木丛中对抗印第安人，你能做什么！”

“我要下马了。”

“而且，你想，当他看到你的一只脚离开马镫时，他会等待另一只脚自由吗？凡是到森林里与当地人打交道的人，如果想事业兴旺，就必须穿着印度时装。那就去吧;开诚布公地与恶棍交谈，并似乎相信他是你在“地球上”最真诚的朋友。

海沃德准备服从，尽管他对他被迫执行的职务性质感到强烈厌恶。然而，每时每刻，他都对危急的局势深信不疑，他通过自己的信心获得了无价的信任。太阳已经消失了，树林突然失去了阳光*，呈现出昏暗的色调，这敏锐地提醒他，野蛮人通常选择进行最野蛮、最无情的复仇或敌对行为的时刻，正在迅速临近。 。出于忧虑，他离开了侦察兵，侦察兵立即与那天早上毫不客气地加入旅行者队伍的陌生人大声交谈。海沃德经过他的温和同伴时说了几句鼓励的话，并高兴地发现，尽管由于一天的锻炼而疲惫不堪，但他们似乎并没有怀疑他们目前的尴尬只是意外的结果。让他们有理由相信他只是被雇用来咨询未来的路线，他刺激了他的马，当马把他带到离那个闷闷不乐的跑步者仍然站立的地方几码远时，他再次拉动缰绳。树。

*这个故事的场景是在北纬42度，
那里的黄昏永远不会持续太久。

“你可能会看到，马古亚，”他努力表现出一种自由和自信的神情，“夜色正在我们周围逼近，但我们离威廉·亨利的距离并不比我们离开韦伯营地时的距离更近。太阳。

“你迷路了，我也没有更幸运。但是，幸运的是，我们遇到了一位猎人，你可以听到他与歌手交谈，他熟悉森林里的鹿道和小道，他答应带我们到一个我们可以安全休息的地方，直到早上。”

印第安人用他那不完美的英语问道：“他一个人吗？”他用发光的眼睛盯着海沃德。

“独自的！”海沃德犹豫地回答道，对海沃德来说，欺骗太新鲜了，不可能不感到尴尬。 “哦！当然，马古亚并不孤单，因为你知道我们和他在一起。”

“那么勒·雷纳尔·苏蒂尔就走。”跑步者回答道，冷静地从脚边抬起小钱包。 “苍白的面孔除了他们自己的颜色之外什么也看不到。”

“去！谁叫你勒雷纳德？”

“这是他的加拿大父亲给马瓜起的名字，”跑步者回答道，神态中流露出他对这一殊荣的自豪。 “对于 Le Subtil 来说，当蒙罗等待着他时，夜晚就和白天一样了。”

“勒雷纳德会向威廉·亨利的酋长解释他女儿们的什么情况呢？他敢告诉这位热血的苏格兰人，他的孩子们没有向导了，尽管马瓜承诺会成为一个向导？”

“虽然灰头的声音很大，手臂很长，但勒雷纳德在树林里听不到他，也感觉不到他。”

“但是莫霍克人会怎么说呢？他们会给他做衬裙，并叫他和女人们一起住在棚屋里，因为男人的事不再被托付给他了。”

“Le Subtil知道通往五大湖的路，他能找到他祖先的骸骨。”这位跑步者不为所动地回答道。

“够了，马瓜，”海沃德说。 “我们不是朋友吗？我们之间何必有恶言相向呢？蒙罗已答应为你提供一份礼物，作为你履行服务的礼物，而我将成为你另一份礼物的债务人。然后，让疲惫的四肢休息一下，打开钱包去吃东西。我们还有一些空闲时间；我们不要把它们浪费在像与女人争吵那样的谈话上。等女士们精神恢复了，我们就会继续。”

“苍白的面孔让自己成为女人的狗，”印第安人用他的母语嘀咕道，“当他们想吃东西时，他们的战士必须放下战斧来满足他们的懒惰。”

“你说呢，雷纳德？”

“Le Subtil 说这很好。”

然后，印第安人敏锐地盯着海沃德张开的脸，但一看到他的目光，他就迅速把目光移开，故意坐在地上，拿出以前吃的剩菜，开始吃东西，尽管没有吃完。没有先慢慢地、小心翼翼地将目光转向他周围。

“这很好，”海沃德继续说道。 “勒雷纳尔将有力量和视力在早上找到道路”； ”他停了下来，因为声音就像一根干棍子的折断声，以及从邻近的灌木丛中升起的树叶的沙沙声，但他立即回想起自己，继续说：“我们必须在看到太阳之前移动，否则蒙卡尔姆可能会躺在我们的土地上。并把我们挡在堡垒之外。”

马古的手从嘴边落到了身侧，虽然他的眼睛紧盯着地面，但他的头偏向一边，鼻孔张大，耳朵甚至比平时竖得更直，给人一种一座代表强烈关注的雕像。

海沃德警惕地注视着他的一举一动，漫不经心地将一只脚从马镫上抽出来，同时将一只手伸向皮套上的熊皮。

跑步者试图检测最受关注的点的所有努力都被他的器官颤抖的目光完全挫败了，这些器官似乎一刻也没有停留在任何特定的物体上，同时，也很难说它在移动。当他犹豫着如何继续时，勒苏蒂尔小心翼翼地站了起来，尽管动作如此缓慢和谨慎，以至于这个变化没有产生丝毫噪音。海沃德觉得现在他有责任采取行动。他把腿跨在马鞍上，下了马，决心冲上前去抓住他那个奸诈的同伴，相信自己的男子气概会带来结果。不过为了避免不必要的惊慌，他还是保持着平静和友善的神情。

“Le Renard Subtil 不吃东西，”他说，这个称呼最能迎合印度人的虚荣心。 “他的玉米没有烤熟，看起来很干。让我检查一下；也许我自己的食物中可以找到一些可以帮助他胃口的东西。”

马瓜把钱包递给对方。他甚至允许他们的手相碰，没有流露出丝毫的感情，也没有改变他全神贯注的态度。但是，当他感觉到海沃德的手指沿着他赤裸的手臂轻轻移动时，他击中了年轻人的肢体，发出一声刺耳的叫声，他冲到了肢体下面，一跃跳进了对面的灌木丛中。 。下一瞬间，钦加古克的身影从灌木丛中出现，看起来就像画中的幽灵，并在小路上滑行，迅速追赶。接下来是恩卡斯的喊叫声，树林突然被一道闪光照亮，伴随着猎人步枪的尖锐声响。

……”在这样的夜晚
这是可怕的露水吗？
并在狮子本人之前看到了影子。”——《威尼斯商人》

向导的突然逃跑，以及追击者的疯狂叫喊，让海沃德呆呆地呆了一会儿，一副无动于衷的惊讶之情。然后，他想起了抓捕逃亡者的重要性，于是他冲开周围的灌木丛，急切地向前冲去，为追捕提供帮助。然而，还没走出一百码，他就遇到了追击未果而归来的三名林务员。

“怎么这么快就灰心丧气了！”他惊呼道； “这个恶棍肯定藏在其中一些树后面，并且可能已经被固定住了。当他逍遥法外时我们并不安全。”

“你会放云去追风吗？”失望的侦察兵返回。 “我听到小恶魔像一条黑蛇一样掠过干燥的树叶，眨眼瞥见了他，就在大松树上，我拉着它，就像闻到了气味一样；但不行！然而，出于推理的目的，如果除了我之外的任何人都扣动了扳机，我应该称之为快速视线；我可能被认为在这些事情上有经验，而且应该知道。看看这个漆树；它的叶子是红色的，但大家都知道，七月的果实是黄色的花！”

“这是 Le Subtil 的血液！他受伤了，还可能摔倒！”

“不，不，”侦察兵回答道，坚决反对这个观点，“也许我擦掉了树枝上的树皮，但那只生物为此跳得更久。当动物狂吠时，步枪子弹会作用在奔跑的动物身上，就像马刺作用在马身上一样；也就是说，它加速了运动，并将生命注入肉体，而不是夺走它。但当它穿过破烂的洞时，在一两跳之后，通常会出现进一步跳跃的停滞，无论是印第安人还是鹿！”

“我们是四个能干的人，一个受伤的人！”

“生活对你来说是痛苦的吗？”侦察兵打断道。 “在你陷入激烈的追逐之前，那边的红魔会把你吸引到他战友的战斧挥动范围内。对于一个经常在战争呼喊声中入睡的人来说，在伏击声中发出自己的声音，这是一个不经思考的行为！但那是一种自然的诱惑！这很自然！来吧，朋友们，让我们移动我们的车站，而且也要以这种方式，以免狡猾的明戈人闻到错误的气味，否则我们的头皮将在蒙卡尔姆的大帐篷前被风吹干，就在这个小时明天。”

这名侦察兵以完全理解的人的冷静保证说出了这一令人震惊的声明，同时他并不害怕面对危险，这提醒了海沃德他本人所承担的责任的重要性。他环视四周，徒劳地试图刺穿森林茂密的拱门下日益浓重的阴暗，他觉得，如果脱离了人类的援助，他那些不抵抗的同伴很快就会完全受到那些野蛮敌人的摆布，他们就像猛兽一样，只等待着黑暗的降临，让他们的攻击变得更加致命。他苏醒的想象力，被欺骗性的光芒迷惑，将每一个摇曳的灌木丛，或者倒下的树木的碎片，都变成了人类的形态，二十次他幻想自己能够辨别出潜伏的敌人的可怕面孔，从他们的藏身之处窥视，从未停止监视他的政党的动向。抬头望去，他发现那天傍晚在蓝天上画下的薄薄的云朵，已经失去了最淡的玫瑰色，而嵌入的溪流，从他站着的地方滑过，只能追踪到了。沿着树木繁茂的河岸的黑暗边界。

“什么是要做！”他说，在如此紧迫的困境中感到完全的无助和怀疑。 “看在上帝的份上，不要抛弃我！留下来保卫我护送的人，并自由地命名你自己的奖励！”

他的同伴们用部落的语言互相交谈，没有理会这突然而恳切的呼吁。尽管他们的对话保持着低沉而谨慎的声音，但略高于耳语，海沃德现在走近，可以轻松地区分年轻战士的认真语气和他的前辈更加深思熟虑的讲话。很明显，他们就某种措施的适当性进行了争论，这些措施几乎关系到旅行者的福祉。海沃德屈服于他对这个话题的强烈兴趣，并且对似乎充满了如此多额外危险的拖延感到不耐烦，他向那群昏暗的人群走得更近，打算让他的补偿提议更加明确，这时白人示意他摆摆手，仿佛承认了这一争议点，然后转过身，用英语自言自语地说：

“安卡斯说得对！将这些无害的东西留给自己的命运并不是人类的行为，即使这会永远破坏庇护所。如果你想从最恶毒的毒蛇的毒牙中拯救这些温柔的花朵，先生，你既没有时间可以浪费，也没有决心扔掉！”

“这样的愿望怎能怀疑！我不是已经提出——”

“向上帝祈祷吧，他能给我们智慧，让我们避开遍布这片树林的魔鬼的狡猾，”侦察兵平静地打断道，“但请不要提供金钱，你可能活不到意识到，我也无法从中获利。 。这些莫希干人和我将尽人类所能发明的一切，保护这些花朵，它们虽然如此甜美，但却从未为荒野而生，免受伤害，并且除了上帝总是给予正直行为的回报之外，不希望有任何其他回报。首先，你必须答应两件事，一是以你自己的名义，二是为了你的朋友，否则我们不服侍你，只会害了自己！”

“给他们起名字。”

“一是，像这些沉睡的树林一样安静，让一切发生，二是，对所有凡人永远保密我们要带你去的地方。”

“我将尽最大努力确保这两个条件都得到满足。”

“那就跟着吧，因为我们正在失去像受伤的鹿的心血一样宝贵的时刻！”

海沃德透过夜色渐浓的阴影，辨认出了侦察兵不耐烦的姿态，他迈着脚步，迅速走向他离开队伍其余部分的地方。当他们重新加入期待和焦虑的女性时，他简要地向他们介绍了新向导的情况，以及他们在即时和认真的努力中平息一切忧虑的必要性。尽管他的令人震惊的信息并没有引起听众的秘密恐惧，但他的真诚和令人印象深刻的态度，也许是在危险的性质的帮助下，成功地支撑了他们的神经，接受了一些意想不到的和不寻常的考验。他们默默地、没有片刻的拖延，允许他从马鞍上协助他们，当他们迅速下降到水边时，侦察兵已经在那里聚集了队伍的其他成员，更多的是通过富有表现力的手势而不是任何使用的话。

“怎么处理这些愚蠢的生物！”白人嘀咕道，他们未来行动的唯一控制权似乎落在了他身上。 “割断他们的喉咙，把他们扔进河里会浪费时间；把它们留在这里就等于告诉明戈人，它们已经不远了就能找到它们的主人了！”

“然后给他们缰绳，让他们在树林里走动，”海沃德大胆地建议道。

“不;最好是误导小恶魔，让他们相信自己必须达到马的速度才能追赶。哎呀，哎呀，那会蒙蔽他们的火球眼睛的！钦加奇——历史！是什么搅动了灌木丛？”

“那匹小马驹。”

“至少那匹小马驹必须死。”侦察兵低声说道，他抓住那匹敏捷的野兽的鬃毛，但它轻易地就躲开了他的手。 “安卡斯，你的箭！”

“抓住！”被定罪的动物的主人大声喊道，不顾其他人的低语声； “饶了米丽亚姆的小马驹吧！它是忠实母亲的漂亮后代，并且愿意伤害任何人。”

“当人们为上帝赋予他们的单一生活而奋斗时，”斥候严厉地说，“即使是他们自己的同类也不过是森林里的野兽。如果你再说话，我就让你听从玛库斯人的摆布！画向你的箭头，恩卡斯；我们没有时间进行第二次打击。”

当那匹受伤的小马驹先是用后腿站立起来，然后向前猛地跪下时，他那低沉、咕哝的威胁声音仍然清晰可闻。 Chingachgook 遇到了它，他的刀比想象中更快地穿过了它的喉咙，然后他加速了挣扎的受害者的动作，冲进了河里，顺流而下，随着生命的消退，他大声喘息着。这种表面上残忍，但却确实必要的行为，落在了旅行者的精神上，就像对他们所面临的危险的可怕警告，而场景中演员冷静而坚定的决心更是加剧了这种警告。姐妹俩颤抖着，紧紧地抱在一起，而海沃德则本能地将手放在了他刚刚从枪套中拔出的一把手枪上，他将自己置于冲锋者和那些浓密的阴影之间，这些阴影似乎在胸前画了一层难以穿透的面纱。森林的。

然而，印第安人却没有片刻犹豫，拿起缰绳，把受惊、不情愿的马匹牵进河床。

在距海岸不远的地方，他们转向，很快就被河岸的突出部分所掩盖，他们在河脊下向与水流相反的方向移动。与此同时，侦察兵从一些低矮灌木丛下的隐蔽处拖出了一艘树皮独木舟，灌木丛的树枝随着水流的漩涡而摇曳，他默默地示意雌性进入其中。他们毫不犹豫地答应了，尽管身后有许多人投来恐惧和焦虑的目光，投向越来越浓重的阴暗，现在阴暗就像小溪边缘的一道黑暗屏障。

科拉和爱丽丝一坐下，侦察员就没有考虑任何因素，指示海沃德支撑脆弱船只的一侧，并站在另一侧，他们将其抬到溪流上，沮丧的船主紧随其后。死马驹。他们就这样继续前行，在一片寂静中，只有水的涟漪、漩涡在他们周围嬉戏，或者他们自己小心翼翼的脚步声发出低沉的冲刺声。海沃德含蓄地将独木舟的引导交给了侦察兵，侦察兵靠近或远离海岸，以避免岩石碎片或河流较深的部分，他的准备表明他了解他们所走的路线。有时他会停下来；有时他会停下来。在呼吸的寂静中，瀑布沉闷但不断增强的轰鸣声只会显得更加令人印象深刻，他会痛苦地全神贯注地倾听，捕捉沉睡的森林中可能发出的任何声音。当确信一切都静止了，并且即使借助他熟练的感官也无法察觉到敌人逼近的任何迹象时，他就会故意恢复缓慢而谨慎的前进。最后，他们到达了河中的一个地方，海沃德的目光被一簇黑色物体吸引住了，这些物体聚集在高高的河岸上，在黑暗的水面上投下比平时更深的阴影。他犹豫着要不要走，他向同伴指出了这个地方。

“哎呀，”那位镇定自若的侦察兵回答道，“印第安人用当地人的判断力把野兽藏起来了！水不会留下痕迹，猫头鹰的眼睛会被这样一个洞的黑暗弄瞎。”

整个队伍很快就重聚了，侦察兵和他的新战友又进行了一次协商，在这次协商中，他们的命运取决于这些无名林务员的信仰和聪明才智，他们有一点闲暇更仔细地观察他们的情况。

河流被高大崎岖的岩石所包围，其中一块岩石就悬在独木舟停泊处的上方。由于这些山上又长满了高大的树木，这些树木似乎在悬崖的眉毛上摇摇欲坠，这使得溪流看起来像是流过一个又深又窄的山谷。一切都在奇异的树枝和参差不齐的树顶之下，到处都是在星空的映衬下模糊地画出来的，都同样处于阴影中。在他们身后，河岸的弧度很快就用同样的黑暗和树木繁茂的轮廓限制了视野。但在前面，显然距离不远，水似乎堆积在天空中，从那里滚入洞穴，从洞穴中发出那些阴沉的声音，充满了夜晚的气氛。事实上，这似乎是一个专门用于隐居的地方，当姐妹们凝视着它浪漫但并不令人震惊的美丽时，她们吸收了一种令人安心的安全感。然而，他们的指挥员之间的普遍运动，很快就把他们从对那天晚上狂野魅力的沉思中召回来，让这个地方对他们真正的危险产生了痛苦的感觉。

马匹被固定在岩石裂缝中生长的一些分散的灌木丛中，它们站在水中过夜。侦察员指示海沃德和他郁郁寡欢的同伴坐在独木舟的前端，并亲自抓住了另一个人，他笔直而稳定，就像漂浮在一艘更坚固的材料的容器中一样。印第安人小心翼翼地原路返回，朝他们离开的地方走去，这时侦察兵用力一推，将竿子抵在岩石上，将脆弱的树皮直接扔进了湍急的溪流中。他们漂浮的光泡和湍急的水流之间持续了好几分钟的激烈斗争，令人怀疑。乘客们连手都不能动，几乎不敢呼吸，以免将脆弱的织物暴露在汹涌的溪流中，他们怀着狂热的悬念看着波光粼粼的水面。有二十次，当他们的领航员高手用独木舟的船头阻止急流时，他们以为旋转的漩涡将把他们卷入毁灭。一场漫长而有力的斗争，在雌性看来，是一种绝望的努力，结束了这场斗争。就在爱丽丝惊恐地捂住眼睛，以为自己即将被卷入瀑布脚下的漩涡时，独木舟静止地漂浮在一块平坦的岩石旁边，岩石与地面处于同一水平线上。水。

“我们现在在哪里，接下来要做什么！”海沃德发现侦察兵已经停止了努力，问道。

“你在格伦的脚下，”另一个人大声说道，毫不担心瀑布的轰鸣声中的后果。 “接下来的事情就是平稳着陆，以免独木舟翻倒，你应该再沿着我们走过的艰难道路走得比你上来的快；当河水有点涨时，这是一个很难堵住的裂缝；五是一个不自然的数字，需要用一点桦树皮和口香糖来保持干燥、匆忙。好了，你们都到岩石上去吧，我会用鹿肉把莫希干人带上来。一个人宁可不带头皮去睡觉，也不要在丰衣足食的情况下挨饿。”

他的乘客很高兴地遵守了这些指示。当最后一只脚接触到岩石时，独木舟从原地旋转起来，一瞬间，我们看到侦察兵高大的身影在水面上滑行，然后消失在河床上难以穿透的黑暗中。旅行者们在导游的带领下，在无助的无知中呆了几分钟，甚至不敢沿着破碎的岩石移动，以免一步错误会使他们陷入许多深邃而咆哮的洞穴中的某个洞穴中，水似乎要翻滚进去，在他们的每一面。不过，他们的悬念很快就解开了。因为，在当地人技巧的帮助下，独木舟飞回了漩涡，并再次漂浮在低矮的岩石旁边，而他们还没有想到侦察兵有时间重新加入他的同伴。

海沃德高兴地喊道：“我们现在已经设防、驻防和给养，可能会让蒙卡尔姆和他的盟友感到反抗。现在，我警惕的哨兵，怎么能在大陆上看到任何你们称之为易洛魁人的人！”

“我称他们为易洛魁人，因为对我来说，每一个讲外语的当地人都被视为敌人，尽管他可能假装为国王服务！如果韦伯想要一个印第安人的信仰和诚实，就让他带出特拉华州的部落，把这些贪婪而撒谎的莫霍克人和奥奈达人，以及他们的六个国家的混混，派到法国人那里去！”

“那就用好战的朋友换无用的朋友吧！我听说特拉华州人已经放下了前嫌，并且满足于被称为女性！”

“是的，荷兰人和易洛魁人感到羞耻，他们用邪恶的手段绕过了他们，签订了这样的条约！但我认识他们已有二十年了，我称他为骗子，说特拉华人的血管里流淌着懦弱的血液。你已经把他们的部落赶出了海岸，现在你会相信他们的敌人所说的话，这样你就可以在晚上安然入睡了。不，不;对我来说，每一个说外语的印第安人都是易洛魁人，无论他部落的城堡*在加拿大，还是在约克。”

* 印第安人的主要村庄仍被称为
纽约白人的“城堡”。 “奥奈达城堡”不是
不仅仅是一个分散的小村庄；但名字一般
使用。

海沃德察觉到这名侦察兵顽固地拥护他的朋友特拉华人或莫希干人的事业，因为他们是同一批人的分支，很可能会延长无用的讨论，于是改变了话题。

“无论有没有条约，我都清楚你们的两个伙伴都是勇敢而谨慎的战士！他们有没有听到或看到我们敌人的任何消息！”

“印第安人是一个凡人，在被看见之前就被感觉到了，”侦察兵回答道，爬上岩石，漫不经心地把鹿扔了下来。 “当我在明戈人的踪迹上行走时，我相信其他迹象，而不是那些肉眼可见的迹象。”

“你的耳朵有没有告诉你，他们已经追踪到我们的撤退了？”

“我应该很遗憾地认为他们做到了，尽管这是一个需要坚强勇气才能进行聪明混战的地方。不过，我不否认，当我经过马匹时，它们都畏缩起来，仿佛它们闻到了狼的气味。狼是一种很容易在印第安人伏击周围盘旋的野兽，渴望吃野人杀死的鹿的内脏。”

“你忘记了脚下的担子！或者，我们难道不应该把他们的来访归功于那匹死去的小马吗？哈！那是什么声音？

“可怜的米丽亚姆！”陌生人低声说道； “你的小马驹注定会成为饥饿野兽的猎物！”然后，在海水永恒的喧嚣中，他突然提高了声音，大声唱道：“埃及的第一个诞生者，他击杀了人类和野兽：哦，埃及！奇事在你中间，法老和他的臣仆身上也发生了！”

“这匹小马的死让它的主人心情沉重，”侦察兵说道。 “但是，看到一个男人向他的愚蠢朋友汇报，这是一个好兆头。他有宗教信仰，相信将要发生的事情一定会发生。有了这样的安慰，用不了多久，他就会屈服于杀死四足野兽以拯救人类生命的理性。可能正如你所说，”他继续说道，回到海沃德最后一句话的要旨； “更重要的是，我们应该切牛排，让尸体顺流而下，否则我们就会让狼群沿着悬崖嚎叫，不情愿地吞下我们的每一口。此外，虽然特拉华语对于易洛魁人来说就像一本书一样，但狡猾的小混混很快就能理解狼嚎的原因。

斥候一边说话，一边忙着收集一些必要的工具。当他结束时，他在莫西干人的陪伴下，默默地跟随这群旅行者移动，莫西干人似乎本能地准备好理解他的意图，当这三个人相继消失时，似乎消失在一块垂直岩石的黑暗表面上，该岩石上升到几码的高度，距水边几英尺。

“那些曾经在锡安甜蜜的菌株滑落；
他谨慎地走过一段路。
他神情庄严地说，‘让我们敬拜上帝’。”——伯恩斯

海沃德和他的女同伴们目睹了这一神秘的举动，心中暗自不安。因为，尽管白人的行为迄今为止无可非议，但他的粗鲁装备、直言不讳、强烈的反感，以及他沉默的同伙的性格，都引起了人们的不信任，而这些人最近才惊慌失措。印度的背叛。

陌生人独自无视发生的事情。他坐在岩石的突出部分上，除了精神上的挣扎（表现为频繁而沉重的叹息）外，他没有表现出任何其他意识迹象。接下来，人们听到了压抑的声音，仿佛人们在地底深处互相呼唤，突然一道光亮照到了外面的人身上，揭露了这个地方备受珍视的秘密。

在岩石中一个又窄又深的洞穴的最远端，由于透视和光线的性质，洞穴的长度显得很长，侦察兵坐着，手里拿着一个燃烧的松树节。强烈的火光照射在他那张饱经风霜的面容和森林装束上，给他的面容增添了一种浪漫狂野的气息，在清醒的阳光下，他会表现出一种独特的气质。这个男人以其奇特的着装、钢铁般僵硬的身躯以及敏捷、警惕的睿智和精致的简单性的独特组合而闻名，这反过来又取代了他肌肉发达的特征。前方不远的地方，昂卡斯站着，整个人赫然映入眼帘。旅人们焦急地注视着莫西干青年挺拔灵活的身姿，举止优雅，动作自然。尽管他的身体比平常更多地被一件绿色流苏狩猎衬衫所遮挡，就像白人一样，但他那双漆黑的、扫视的、无所畏惧的眼睛却毫不掩饰，既可怕又平静；他高高傲慢的五官轮廓鲜明，呈现出纯正的红色；或者是他后退的额头庄严地抬高，以及高贵头部的所有最完美的比例，裸露在宽大的头皮簇上。这是邓肯和他的同伴们第一次有机会看到他们的印第安随从的明显轮廓，队伍中的每个人都感到从怀疑的负担中解脱出来，因​​为他们骄傲而坚定，尽管狂野地表达了他们的特征。这位年轻的战士强迫自己引起了他们的注意。他们觉得这可能是一个在无知之谷中部分愚昧的人，但不可能是一个愿意将自己丰富的天赋用于肆意背叛的目的的人。纯真的爱丽丝凝视着他自由的神态和骄傲的举止，就像她凝视着希腊凿子的一些珍贵遗物一样，奇迹的介入赋予了它生命。海沃德虽然习惯于看到纯洁的土著人中普遍存在的完美形式，但他公开表达了他对人类最高贵比例的完美典范的钦佩。

“我可以安心地睡觉了，”爱丽丝低声回答道，“有这样一个无畏而慷慨的年轻人作为我的哨兵。当然，邓肯，我们读到和听到的那些残酷的谋杀，那些可怕的酷刑场景，从来没有在像他这样的人在场的情况下发生过！”

他回答说：“这无疑是一个罕见而辉煌的例子，展现了这些奇特的人所具有的天生品质。” “我同意你的看法，爱丽丝，你认为形成这样的正面和眼睛是为了恐吓而不是欺骗；但是，我们不要期望我们所推崇的美德会以其他方式表现出来，而不是按照野蛮人的时尚来表现，这是对自己的欺骗。正如伟大品质的光辉典范在基督徒中并不常见，同样，这些品质在印第安人中也是独一无二的。不过，为了我们共同本性的荣誉，两者都没有能力生产它们。那么，让我们希望这个莫西干人不会辜负我们的愿望，而是证明他的外表所表明的那样，他是一个勇敢而忠实的朋友。”

“现在海沃德少校的讲话就像海沃德少校应该做的那样，”科拉说。 “谁看着这个自然生物，还记得他皮肤的颜色？”

这句话过后是一阵短暂的、显然是尴尬的沉默，但被侦察兵大声叫他们进来打断了。

“这堆火开始表现出过于明亮的火焰，”当他们服从时，他继续说道，“可能会点燃明戈人，导致我们的灭亡。安卡斯，放下毯子，让恶棍们看到它的阴暗面。这不是美国皇家少校有权利期待的晚餐，但我知道军团中的粗壮分队很高兴生吃鹿肉，但也没有津津有味*。你看，我们这里有足够的盐，可以快速烧烤。女士们可以坐在新鲜的檫树树枝上，这些树枝可能不像她们的“我的猪几内亚椅子”那么令人自豪，但它散发出的味道比任何猪的皮肤都更甜，无论是几内亚还是其他国家的猪。任何其他土地。来吧，朋友，不要为这匹小马悲伤；这是一个无辜的事情，并没有经历过太多的苦难。它的死将使这个生物免于许多背部酸痛和脚部疲劳！”

*用通俗的话说，吃饭的调味品被称为
美国人的“a relish”，用“thing”代替“it”
影响。这些省级术语经常出现在
说话者的嘴，根据他们的几个
生活条件。其中大部分是本地使用的，并且
其他的则是特定阶级的人特有的
该角色属于哪个角色。在本例中，
侦察兵使用这个词时直接指的是“盐”，
他自己的政党很幸运能够得到这些。

恩卡斯按照对方的吩咐做了，当鹰眼的声音停止时，瀑布的轰鸣声听起来就像是远处雷霆的隆隆声。

“我们在这个山洞里还安全吗？”海沃德问道。 “没有意外的危险吗？一个全副武装的人会在入口处将我们置于他的摆布之下。”

一个看起来像幽灵的人影从侦察兵身后的黑暗中走了出来，抓住了一根燃烧的烙铁，把它举向了他们撤退地点的最远端。爱丽丝发出一声微弱的尖叫，当这个可怕的物体进入光亮时，就连科拉也站了起来。但海沃德的一句话让他们平静下来，并保证只有他们的服务员钦加古克（Chingachgook）抬起另一条毯子，发现洞穴有两个出口。然后，他拿着牌子，穿过岩石中的一条又深又窄的裂缝，这条裂缝与他们所在的通道成直角，但与那条通道不同，它是通向天空的，进入了另一个洞穴，这与他们的描述相呼应。第一，在每一个基本细节上。

“像我和钦加古克这样的老狐狸，很少会被困在一个有洞的手推车里，”鹰眼笑着说道； “你很容易看出这个地方的巧妙——岩石是黑色的石灰岩，每个人都知道它很软；在缺乏刷子和松木的地方，它不会产生不舒服的枕头；好吧，瀑布曾经就在我们下方几码处，我敢说，在当时，它就像哈德逊河沿岸的一片水域一样规则和美丽。但年老对美丽来说是一个很大的伤害，因为这些可爱的年轻女士还没有长大！可悲的是这个地方已经改变了！这些岩石充满了裂缝，有些地方比其他地方更软，水为自己挖出了深深的空洞，直到它向后退去，哎，几百英尺，这里破裂，那里磨损，直到落下。既没有形状，也没有一致性。”

“我们属于他们的哪一部分？”海沃德问道。

“哎呀，我们就在普罗维登斯最初安置他们的地方附近，但他们似乎太叛逆，无法留下来。事实证明，我们两边的岩石都比较软，所以他们让河中心光秃秃的，干燥的，首先挖出了两个小洞让我们躲进去。”

“那么我们就在一座岛上了！”

哎呀！我们的两侧都是瀑布，上面和下面都是河流。如果有白天的话，不辞辛劳地登上这块岩石的高度，看看水的曲折，也是值得的。它的下降完全没有规律；有时它跳跃，有时它翻滚；在那里它会跳过；它在这里射击；一处白如雪，一处绿如草；在附近，它陷入深坑，隆隆地压碎大地；然后，它像小溪一样荡漾、歌唱，在古老的石头上形成漩涡和沟壑，仿佛它并不比踩过的粘土更坚硬。河流的整体设计看起来很混乱。首先，它运行得很平稳，好像要按照预定的顺序走下去；然后它转向并面向海岸；也没有什么地方需要它向后看，仿佛不愿意离开荒野，与盐混合在一起。哎呀，女士，你脖子上戴的那件看起来像蜘蛛网的细布很粗糙，就像一张渔网，在我可以给你看的小地方，河流在那里制造了各种各样的图像，仿佛脱离了秩序，它会尝试一切。但这又算什么！水受苦之后，有了它的意志，有一段时间，像一个任性的人，它被创造它的手聚集在一起，在下面几杆的地方你可以看到这一切，稳定地流向大海，正如从地球诞生之初就注定的那样！”

虽然他的审计员从格伦未经训练的描述中得到了他们隐藏地点安全的欢呼保证，但他们对鹰眼狂野美景的判断却与鹰眼不同。但他们无法让自己的思想停留在自然物体的魅力上。而且，由于侦察员发现在说话时没有必要停止他的烹饪工作，除非用一把折断的叉子指出叛逆溪流中某个特别令人讨厌的点的方向，所以他们现在忍受着被吸引到的注意力。对他们的晚餐进行必要但更为粗俗的考虑。

* 格伦瀑布位于哈德逊河畔，大约四十或五十英里
高于潮头，或者河流所在的地方
变得可供单桅帆船航行。对此的描述
风景如画、引人注目的小白内障，由
侦察兵，是足够正确的，尽管应用
文明生活用水受到严重损害
它的美丽。岩石岛和两个洞穴众所周知
对于每一个旅行者来说，因为前者支撑着一个码头
这座桥现在已经跨过河了，立即
高于秋天。在解释鹰眼的味道时，它
应该记住，男人总是最珍视那些
是最不享受的。因此，在一个新的国家，树林和
在旧国家会保留的其他物品
付出巨大的代价，被摆脱，只是为了
正如所谓的“改进”。

海沃德在下马时特意携带了一些美味佳肴，这对这顿饭菜来说大有裨益，让疲惫的一行人感到非常清爽。恩卡斯充当女性的侍者，在他的权力范围内执行所有的小事务，带着尊严和焦虑的优雅，这让海沃德感到高兴，他很清楚这是对印第安习俗的彻底创新，印第安习俗禁止他们的战士从事任何卑微的工作，特别是有利于他们的妇女。然而，由于好客的权利在他们中间被认为是神圣的，这种对男子气概尊严的小小的背离并没有引起任何可闻的评论。如果那里有人充分抽身成为一名密切观察者，他可能会认为这位年轻酋长的服务并不完全公正。当他以足够的礼貌向爱丽丝提供一葫芦甜水和装在菜盘里的鹿肉时，他以足够的礼貌，对她的妹妹执行同样的职责，他的黑眼睛在她富有的人身上徘徊，说话面容。有一两次，他被迫说话，以引起她对他所服务的人的注意。在这种情况下，他会使用英语，虽然不完整，不完美，但足够容易理解，他用低沉的喉音将英语表达得如此温和和悦耳，以至于这总是引起两位女士钦佩和惊讶的抬头。在这些礼貌的过程中，双方交换了几句话，这有助于建立双方之间友好交往的表象。

与此同时，Chingcachgook 的重力仍然一动不动。他坐在光环内，客人们频繁而不安的目光更能将他脸上的自然表情与战争油漆的人为恐惧区分开来。他们发现父子之间有很强的相似之处，但由于年龄和困难而可能存在差异。现在，他脸上的凶狠似乎已经睡着了，取而代之的是安静、空虚的镇定，这是印度武士的特点，当他的能力不需要用于他存在的任何更伟大的目的时。然而，从他黝黑的脸上偶尔闪现的光芒中，我们很容易看出，只要激起他的激情，就能充分发挥他用来恐吓敌人的绝妙手段。另一方面，侦察员敏捷而游移的眼睛很少休息。他吃喝的胃口很大，任何危险的感觉都不会打扰他，但他的警惕似乎从未放弃过。有二十次，葫芦或鹿肉挂在他的唇边，而他的头却偏向一边，仿佛在聆听某种遥远而令人怀疑的声音——这一动作总能让他的客人从他们所处的新奇处境中回想起他们的新奇之处。回忆驱使他们寻求它的令人震惊的原因。由于这些频繁的停顿之后从来没有任何评论，所以它们所造成的一时的不安很快就过去了，有一段时间被遗忘了。

“来吧，朋友，”鹰眼说，在用餐快要结束的时候，他从树叶遮盖下拿出一个小桶，对坐在他身边的陌生人说话，充分展示了他的烹饪技巧，“尝试一下云杉。” ;斜纹将洗去所有关于小马驹的想法，并加速你怀里的生命。我为我们更好的友谊干杯，希望一点点马肉不会给我们带来心痛。你怎么称呼自己？”

“Gamut——David Gamut。”歌唱大师回答道，准备用樵夫那浓烈而精心设计的浓烈的酒来冲刷他的悲伤。

“一个非常好的名字，而且，我敢说，是从诚实的祖先那里传承下来的。我是一个对名字的崇拜者，尽管基督教的时尚在这一点上远远低于野蛮的习俗。我认识的最大的胆小鬼叫里昂；他的妻子佩兴斯会把你骂得耳朵都听不见，所花的时间比一只被追捕的鹿用棍子追赶的时间还要短。对于印第安人来说，这是一个良心问题；他对自己的称呼，一般来说就是——并不是说Chingachgook，它的意思是“大蛇”，实际上是一条蛇，无论大蛇还是小蛇；而是蛇。但他了解人性的曲折和变化，并且保持沉默，并在敌人最意想不到的时候袭击他们。你的使命是什么？

“我是一个不配的赞美诗艺术导师。”

“阿南！”

“我向康涅狄格征兵团的年轻人教唱歌。”

“你可能会找到更好的工作。年轻的猎犬在树林里又笑又唱，他们的呼吸声不应该比躲在掩体里的狐狸还大声。你能使用滑膛枪，还是能操作步枪？”

“感谢上帝，我从来没有机会动用凶器！”

“也许你懂指南针，把荒野的水道和山脉写在纸上，以便追随者可以根据自己的名字找到地方？”

“我不从事此类工作。”

“你有一双腿，可以让长路显得短！我想，你有时会出差，为将军带来消息。”

“绝不;我只遵循我自己的崇高使命，那就是神圣音乐的指导！”

“这是一个奇怪的召唤！”鹰眼低声说道，内心暗笑，“像猫鸟一样度过一生，嘲笑其他人喉咙里可能发生的所有起起落落。好吧，朋友，我想这是你的天赋，就像是射击或其他更好的爱好一样，不能被拒绝。让我们听听您可以用这种方式做什么； “这将是一种友好的晚安方式，因为这些女士们应该在早晨的骄傲中，在马夸斯起床之前积蓄力量，进行一次艰难而长时间的推力。”

“我非常高兴地同意”，大卫一边说，一边调整着他的铁框眼镜，拿出他心爱的小册子，立即把它交给了爱丽丝。 “在经历了一天的极度危险之后，还有什么比晚上的赞美更合适、更安慰的呢！”

爱丽丝微笑着；但一提到海沃德，她就脸红了，犹豫起来。

“放纵一下自己吧，”他低声说道。 “在这样的时刻，与诗篇作者同名的人的建议不应该有其分量吗？”

在他的意见的鼓励下，爱丽丝做了她虔诚的爱好和对温柔声音的强烈兴趣，以前如此强烈地敦促。这本书是在一首不太适合他们处境的赞美诗中打开的，在这首赞美诗中，诗人不再被他超越以色列国王的渴望所激励，而是发现了一些经过磨炼和令人尊敬的力量。科拉背叛了支持她妹妹的倾向，在必不可少的音笛预备曲之后，神圣的歌曲继续进行，而有条不紊的大卫也适当地注意了这首曲子。

空气肃穆而缓慢。有时，它会升到女人们丰富的声音的最大范围，她们带着神圣的兴奋挂在她们的小书上，然后它又下降得如此之低，以至于流水的湍急贯穿了她们的旋律，就像空洞的伴奏一样。大卫天生的品味和真正的耳朵控制和修改了声音，以适应狭窄的洞穴，每个缝隙和缝隙都充满了他们灵活声音的令人兴奋的音符。印第安人的目光紧紧盯着岩石，全神贯注地倾听着，似乎要把它们变成石头。而手托着下巴，一脸冷漠的侦察兵，僵硬的面容却渐渐放松下来，直到一首一首的诗句，他感觉自己的钢铁本性被压垮了，而他的记忆也被带回了少年时代。 ，当时他的耳朵已经习惯了在殖民地的定居点聆听类似的赞美之声。他的眼睛开始湿润，在赞美诗结束之前，滚烫的泪水从似乎早已干涸的喷泉中涌出，顺着脸颊流下来，那双脸颊更常感受到天堂的风暴，而不是任何软弱的见证。歌手们正沉浸在那些低沉的、垂死的和弦中，耳朵以如此贪婪的狂喜吞噬着它们，仿佛意识到自己即将失去它们，这时外面的空气中响起了一声既不属于人类也不属于尘世的呼喊，不仅深入洞窟的深处，而且深入每个听到它的人的内心深处。接下来是一片寂静，显然如此深沉，仿佛海水在如此可怕和不寻常的中断中停止了汹涌的前进。

“它是什么？”经过片刻的可怕悬念后，爱丽丝低声说道。

“它是什么？”休亚德大声重复道。

鹰眼和印第安人都没有做出任何回应。他们听着，仿佛期待着声音再次响起，语气中流露出惊讶之色。最后，他们用特拉华语真诚地交谈，这时恩卡斯穿过最隐蔽的内部缝隙，小心翼翼地离开了洞穴。当他走后，侦察兵首先用英语说话。

“这是什么，或者不是什么，这里没人能说得清，尽管我们两个人已经在树林里巡游了三十多年。我确实相信印第安人或野兽发出的叫声我的耳朵都没有听过。但这证明了我只是一个虚荣自负的凡人。”

“那么，这不是战士们想要威吓敌人时发出的喊声吗？”科拉站在那里，用面纱遮住自己的身体，问道，她的平静是她焦躁的姐姐所不具备的。

“不，不;这很糟糕，令人震惊，而且有一种不人道的声音。但当你听到战争的呼喊声时，你永远不会将其误认为是其他声音。嗯，恩卡斯！”当年轻的酋长重新进入时，他在特拉华州对他说：“你看到了什么？我们的灯光能透过毯子发光吗？”

答案很简短，而且显然是决定性的，是用同样的语言给出的。

“没有什么是看不到的。”鹰眼不满地摇着头继续说道。 “而我们的藏身处仍然处于黑暗之中。需要的人，请进入另一个洞穴，寻求睡眠；我们必须在太阳出来之前很久就出发，并充分利用我们的时间去见爱德华，而明戈一家正在午睡。”

科拉树立了服从的榜样，她的坚定让胆小的爱丽丝明白了服从的必要性。然而，在离开这个地方之前，她低声请求邓肯跟随。恩卡斯掀起毯子让她们通过，当姐妹们转过身来感谢他的关注时，她们看到侦察兵再次坐在了即将熄灭的余烬前，他的脸靠在双手上，这表明他陷入了多么深的沉思。因无缘无故的打扰打断了他们晚上的灵修活动。

海沃德随身带着一个燃烧的结，它为他们新公寓狭窄的视野投射出昏暗的光线。他把它放在一个有利的位置，加入了雌性们的行列，这是自从她们离开爱德华堡友好的城墙以来，她们第一次发现自己和他单独在一起。

“不要离开我们，邓肯，”爱丽丝说，“我们不能在这样的地方睡觉，耳边还回响着那可怕的叫声。”

“首先让我们检查一下你们要塞的安全情况，”他回答道，“然后我们再谈休息。”

他走到了洞穴的另一端，来到了一个出口，这个出口和其他出口一样，都被毯子遮住了。摘下厚厚的纱窗，呼吸着白内障里清新、苏醒的空气。河水的一条臂流过一条又深又窄的峡谷，水流冲刷了他脚下的松软岩石，正如他相信的那样，形成了有效的防御，抵御来自该地区的任何危险；水在他们上方几杆的地方，以最猛烈、最破碎的方式猛冲、掠过、扫过。

“大自然在这一边设置了一道无法逾越的屏障，”他继续说道，在放下毯子之前，他指着垂直的斜坡向下进入暗流； “正如你所知，善良的人和真正的人都在前面警惕，我认为没有理由忽视我们诚实的东道主的建议。我确信科拉会和我一起说睡眠对你们俩来说都是必要的。”

“科拉可以服从你的公正意见，尽管她不能付诸实践。”姐姐回答道，她坐在爱丽丝旁边，坐在檫木沙发上。 “尽管我们没有受到这种神秘噪音的冲击，但还有其他原因可以驱走睡眠。海沃德，扪心自问，女儿们能否忘记父亲必须忍受的焦虑，他不知道孩子们寄宿在哪里，也不知道如何寄宿在如此荒野中，置身于如此多的危险之中？”

“他是一名军人，知道如何估计树林里的机会。”

“他是一个父亲，不能否认他的本性。”

“他对我所有的愚蠢行为是多么仁慈，对我所有的愿望是多么温柔和宽容！”爱丽丝抽泣着。 “姐妹，冒着如此危险的风险催促我们来访，实在是太自私了。”

“在一个非常尴尬的时刻，我可能鲁莽地要求他同意，但我会向他证明，无论其他人在他的困境中如何忽视他，他的孩子们至少是忠诚的。”

“当他听说你来到爱德华身边时，”海沃德和蔼地说，“他的心中在恐惧和爱之间进行了一场激烈的斗争；尽管后者，如果可能的话，由于长时间的分离而加剧，很快就占了上风。 “邓肯，正是我那高尚的科拉精神在引导着他们，”他说，“我不会阻止这一点。”但愿上帝保有我们王主荣耀的守护者，也能表现出她一半的坚定！”

“海沃德，他没有提到过我吗？”爱丽丝带着嫉妒的感情问道。 “他肯定没有完全忘记他的小埃尔西吧？”

“那是不可能的，”年轻人回答道。 “他用一千个可爱的绰号称呼你，我可能不会冒昧地使用这些绰号，但我可以热情地证明这些绰号的公正性。确实，有一次他说过——”

邓肯不再说话了。因为当他的眼睛盯着爱丽丝的眼睛时，爱丽丝带着孝顺的感情转向他，想听听他的话，空气中充满了和以前一样强烈、可怕的叫声，让他哑口无言。一阵长时间的、令人屏息的沉默，在此期间，每个人都看着其他人，都害怕听到重复的声音。最后，毯子慢慢地被掀起来，侦察兵站在洞里，脸上的坚定显然开始在一个似乎威胁着某种危险的谜团面前屈服，他所有的狡猾和经验都可能对这个危险毫无用处。

“他们不睡觉，
在那边的悬崖上，有一群灰熊，
我看到他们坐着。”——格雷

“当森林里响起这样的声音时，鹰眼说：‘为了我们的利益，再隐藏下去就等于忽视了警告。这些温和的人可能会靠近，但莫西干人和我会在岩石上看守，我想六十年代的少校会希望与我们作伴。”

“那么，我们的危险就这么紧迫吗？”科拉问道。

“只有发出奇怪声音并为人们提供信息的人才知道我们的危险。如果我在空中宣扬这样的警告，我会认为自己是邪恶的，违背了他的意愿！即使是那些在歌声中度过一生的弱者灵魂也会被呼喊所激动，正如他所说，“准备好上战场”如果“这只是一场战斗，那将是我们所有人都能理解的事情”易于管理；但我听说，当这样的尖叫声响彻天地之间时，就预示着另一种战争！

“我的朋友，如果我们所有的恐惧理由都仅限于超自然的原因，那么我们就没有什么理由感到惊慌，”泰然自若的科拉继续说道，“你确定我们的敌人没有发明一些新的、巧妙的东西吗？怎样才能让我们感到恐惧，让他们的征服变得更容易？”

“女士，”侦察兵严肃地回答道，“三十年来，我一直在聆听树林里的所有声音，就像一个生死取决于耳朵敏捷性的人一样。没有豹子的哀鸣，没有猫鸟的哨声，也没有邪恶的明戈斯的任何发明，可以欺骗我！我听见森林像凡人在苦难中一样呻吟；我常常一次又一次地聆听风在环绕的树木的树枝上演奏的音乐；我听见闪电在空中爆裂，就像燃烧的刷子劈啪作响，喷出火花和叉状火焰；但我从未想过，我听到的不仅仅是他用手中的东西玩耍的快乐。但无论是莫西干人，还是我这个没有十字架的白人，都无法解释刚才听到的呼喊声。因此，我们相信这是为了我们的利益而给予的征兆。”

“这太了不起了！”海沃德一边说，一边从他进来时放置手枪的地方取出手枪。 “无论是和平的信号还是战争的信号，都必须引起重视。引路吧，我的朋友；我跟随。”

从他们的禁闭地点出来后，整个队伍立即经历了一次令人感激的精神焕发，把藏身处的压抑空气换成了瀑布周围的漩涡和倾斜的凉爽和充满活力的气氛。傍晚的微风吹过河面，似乎把瀑布的轰鸣声吹进了自己的洞穴深处，发出沉重而持续的声音，就像远山那边轰隆隆的雷声。月亮已经升起来了，它的光芒已经在他们头顶的水面上到处闪烁。但他们站立的那块岩石的尽头却处于阴影之中。除了湍急的河水发出的声音，以及断断续续的水流从他们身边呼啸而过时偶尔传来的空气呼吸声外，周围一片寂静，就像夜晚和孤独一样。每个人的眼睛都徒劳地沿着对岸望去，寻找一些生命迹象，以解释他们所听到的中断的本质。他们焦急而热切的目光被迷惑的光线所迷惑，或者只停留在光秃秃的岩石和笔直不动的树木上。

“这里什么也看不见，只有一个美丽的夜晚的阴郁和安静，”邓肯低声说道。 “在任何其他时刻，我们应该多么珍惜这样的场景，以及所有这一切令人呼吸的孤独，科拉！想象一下自己处于安全之中，现在也许会增加你的恐惧，可能会变得有利于享受——”

“听！”爱丽丝打断道。

这种谨慎是不必要的。同样的声音再次出现，仿佛从河床上发出，突破了悬崖的狭窄界限，以遥远而濒临消失的节奏在森林中起伏。

“这里有人能给这种哭声起个名字吗？”当最后的回声消失在树林中时，鹰眼问道； “如果是这样，就让他说话；就我自己而言，我判断它不属于‘arth’！”

“那么，这里就有一个能骗你的人，”邓肯说。 “我非常熟悉这个声音，因为我经常在战场上以及士兵生活中常见的情况下听到它。这是马在痛苦时发出的可怕的尖叫声；人们常常因为痛苦而离开他，尽管有时是因为恐惧。我的战马要么是森林野兽的猎物，要么他看到了自己的危险，但没有能力避免。在山洞里，声音可能会欺骗我，但在户外，我对它了如指掌，不会出错。”

侦察兵和他的同伴们饶有兴致地听着这个简单的解释，就像那些吸收新思想的人，同时又抛弃了那些令囚犯不愉快的旧思想。两人又发出了惯常的感叹：“呼！”当真相第一次出现在他们的脑海中时，前者在短暂的沉思停顿后，开始回答。

“我不能否认你的话，”他说，“因为我虽然出生在马盛产的地方，但对马的技术并不熟练。狼群一定在河岸上盘旋在它们的头顶上，这些胆怯的生物正在以它们力所能及的最好方式向人类求助。恩卡斯”——他在特拉华州说道——“恩卡斯，跳进独木舟，在人群中旋转一个牌子；否则，恐惧可能会做出狼无法完成的事情，让我们在早上失去马匹，而那时我们非常需要迅速赶路！”

年轻的当地人已经下到水里去服从，这时河边响起了一声长长的嚎叫，很快就被带入了森林深处，仿佛野兽们自愿放弃了自己的家园。突然的恐惧中的猎物。恩卡斯本能地迅速退开，三位林务员又举行了一次低沉而认真的会议。

“我们就像失去了天堂的猎人，太阳已经被隐藏了好几天，”鹰眼说着，转身离开了他的同伴。 “现在我们又开始认清我们路线的标志了，路上的荆棘也被清除了！坐在月亮从那边山毛榉投下的树荫下——它比松树的树荫还厚——让我们等待主选择下一次发送的东西。让你们所有的谈话都在低声进行；不过，如果每个人都暂时表达自己的想法，那会更好，也许最终会更明智。”

侦察兵的举止令人印象深刻，尽管不再有任何缺乏男子气概的忧虑迹象。显然，随着他自己的经历无法理解的一个谜团的解释，他暂时的弱点消失了。尽管他现在感受到了他们的真实状况，但他已经准备好用他坚韧的本性的能量来迎接他们。这种感觉对当地人来说似乎也很常见，他们把自己置于可以看到两岸全景的位置，而自己的人却实际上被隐藏起来，无法被观察到。在这种情况下，出于普遍的谨慎，海沃德和他的同伴们应该效仿来自如此聪明的来源的警告。年轻人从山洞里取出一堆檫树，放在分隔两个山洞的裂缝中，姐妹们就占据了它，这样她们就受到了岩石的保护，免受任何导弹的袭击，而她们的焦虑也被缓解了。确保任何危险都不会在没有警告的情况下逼近。海沃德本人就在附近，距离如此之近，他可以与同伴交流，而不必将声音提高到危险的高度。而大卫则效仿樵夫，将自己置于岩石的裂缝中，这样他那笨拙的四肢就不再显得碍眼了。

就这样，几个小时过去了，没有再受到打扰。月亮升到了最高点，把柔和的光芒垂直地洒在姐妹俩在彼此怀里安然熟睡的美丽景色上。邓肯把科拉的宽披肩放在他非常喜欢沉思的奇观前，然后用自己的头在岩石上寻找一个枕头。大卫开始发出声音，在清醒的时候，这些声音会震动他脆弱的器官。简而言之，除了鹰眼和莫西干人之外，所有人都陷入了无法控制的睡意，失去了一切意识。但这些警惕的保护者的警惕既不疲倦也不打瞌睡。他们像那块岩石一样一动不动，每块岩石似乎都是其中的一部分，他们的眼睛不停地沿着树木的黑暗边缘躺着，这些树木限制了狭窄溪流的相邻海岸。他们没有发出任何声音。最细微的检查也无法看出他们有呼吸。显然，这种过度的谨慎源于他们的敌人的狡猾无法欺骗的经验。然而，这种情况一直持续着，没有产生任何明显的后果，直到月亮落下，树梢上空的一道苍白的条纹，在下面河湾的拐弯处，宣告了白天的到来。

然后，第一次看到鹰眼动了。他沿着岩石爬行，将邓肯从沉睡中摇醒。

“现在是出发的时候了，”他低声说道。 “唤醒温柔的人，当我把独木舟带到登陆地点时，准备好进入独木舟。”

“你度过了一个安静的夜晚吗？”海沃德说； “对于我自己来说，我相信睡眠已经战胜了我的警惕性。”

“一切都还如午夜一样寂静。保持沉默，但动作要快。”

这时候邓肯已经彻底清醒了，他立刻掀起了睡梦中女性身上的披肩。这个动作让科拉举起了手，仿佛要拒绝他，而爱丽丝则用她温柔的声音低声说道：“不，不，亲爱的父亲，我们没有被遗弃；我们没有被遗弃。”邓肯和我们在一起！”

“是的，甜蜜的纯真。”年轻人低声说道。 “邓肯就在这里，只要生命还在继续，危险依然存在，他永远不会离开你。科拉！爱丽丝！苏醒！行动的时刻到了！”

妹妹中妹妹的一声尖叫，以及另一个妹妹惊恐地直立在他面前的身影，是他收到的意想不到的答案。

当海沃德嘴里还念叨着这句话的时候，周围就响起了一阵喧闹的叫喊和哭喊，把他自己的血液从急速的流淌的河水里赶了回来，流进了他内心的源泉。近一分钟的时间里，地狱的恶魔似乎占据了他们周围的空气，并用野蛮的声音发泄着他们的野蛮幽默。哭声没有来自特定的方向，尽管很明显，哭声充满了树林，而且，正如惊恐的听众很容易想象的那样，还充满了瀑布的洞穴、岩石、河床和高空。大卫在地狱般的喧嚣中抬起高大的身子，一只手放在两只耳朵上，大声喊道：

“哪来的这种不和谐！地狱已经崩溃了，那个男人竟然会发出这样的声音！”

明亮的闪光和十几支步枪的快速射击，从溪流的对岸，随着他的人身暴露，使不幸的歌唱大师失去了知觉，躺在他已经沉睡了很长时间的岩石上。莫西干人大胆地回击了敌人的恐吓叫喊，敌人在色穆特陷落时发出了野蛮胜利的呼喊。步枪的闪光很快就传到了他们之间，但双方的技术都太精湛了，连肢体都暴露在敌方的瞄准之下。邓肯极其焦虑地聆听着船桨的敲击声，相信飞行现在是他们唯一的避难所。河水以平常的流速掠过，但漆黑的水面上却看不到独木舟。他刚刚还以为他们被侦察兵残酷地抛弃了，脚下的岩石中冒出一股火焰，一声激烈的叫喊，夹杂着痛苦的尖叫，宣告着死亡使者从鹰眼的致命武器中发出来，找到了受害者。受到这轻微的击退，袭击者立即撤退，渐渐地，这里又恢复了突然骚动之前的寂静。

邓肯抓住了有利的时机，跳到了伽穆特的身上，他将伽穆特带到了保护姐妹俩的狭窄裂缝的庇护所内。又过了一会儿，整个队伍都聚集在这个相对安全的地方。

“这个可怜的家伙保住了他的头皮，”鹰眼说道，冷静地把手放在大卫的头上。 “但他证明了一个人的舌头可能生来就太长了！在一块裸露的岩石上向狂暴的野蛮人展示六英尺长的血肉，这简直是疯狂。我只是奇怪他居然能逃过一劫。”

“他没死吗？”科拉问道，声音沙哑，显示出自然的恐惧与她假装的坚定作了多么强烈的斗争。 “我们能做点什么来帮助这个可怜的人吗？”

“不，不！生命还在他心里，睡一会儿之后，他就会清醒过来，并因此成为一个更聪明的人，直到他真正的时刻到来。”鹰眼回答道，又斜眼看了一眼失去知觉的身体。 ，同时他以令人钦佩的精美装满了充电器。 “把他抬进去，恩卡斯，把他放在檫木上。他的小睡持续的时间越长，对他来说就越好，因为我怀疑他能否在这些岩石上找到一个合适的遮盖物。唱歌对易洛魁人没有任何好处。”

“那么，你相信袭击会再次发生吗？”海沃德问道。

“我还指望饿狼一口就能解渴吗！她们失去了一个男人，当她们遭遇损失并在意外中失败时，她们就会退缩，这就是她们的时尚。但我们会再次穿上它们，用新的权宜之计来绕过我们，控制我们的头皮。我们主要的希望，”他继续说道，抬起了他粗犷的面容，一丝焦虑的阴影就像乌云一样掠过他的面容，“将是保留这块岩石，直到蒙罗派出一支队伍来帮助我们！上帝保佑，这可能很快就会发生，而且是在一位了解印度习俗的领导者的领导下！”

“你听到了我们可能的命运，科拉，”邓肯说，“你知道我们从你父亲的焦虑和经历中得到了一切希望。那么，和爱丽丝一起进入这个洞穴吧，在这里你至少可以免受我们敌人凶残的步枪的伤害，并且可以根据你的温柔本性给予我们不幸的同志适当的照顾。

姐妹们跟着他走进了外面的山洞，大卫在那里开始叹息，表现出恢复意识的症状，然后提醒她们注意受伤的人，他立即准备离开她们。

“邓肯！”当科拉到达洞口时，他用颤抖的声音说道。他转过身来，看到了说话的人，她的脸色变成了死一般的苍白，嘴唇颤抖着，注视着他的背影，脸上带着感兴趣的表情，立刻让他想起了她的身边。 “记住，邓肯，你的安全对我们来说是多么重要——你如何承担一个父亲的神圣托付——这在多大程度上取决于你的谨慎和关心——简而言之，”她补充道，而泄露秘密的鲜血在她的脸上偷偷地流淌，让她的脸变得通红。寺庙，“对于蒙罗的名字，你们是多么当之无愧。”

“如果有什么可以增加我对生活的基本热爱，”海沃德说，他的眼睛无意识地扫视着沉默的爱丽丝年轻的身影，“那就太好了。作为第六十团的少校，我们诚实的东道主会告诉你，我必须分担战斗的责任；但我们的任务很容易；只是为了让这些猎犬远离几个小时。”

没有等待回应，他就从姐妹俩身边挣脱出来，加入了侦察兵和他的同伴们，他们仍然躺在两个洞穴之间的小裂缝的保护范围内。

“我告诉你，恩卡斯，”当海沃德加入他们时，前者说道，“你浪费了你的火药，步枪的踢力使你无法瞄准！小火药、轻铅和长臂，几乎都能带来明戈的死亡尖叫！至少，这是我与这个生物的经历。来吧，朋友们：让我们躲到隐蔽处去，因为没有人能知道玛卡*会在何时何地发起攻击。”

* Mingo 是特拉华州对五国的称呼。马夸斯
这是荷兰人给他们起的名字。法国人，从他们的
第一次与他们交往时，称他们为易洛魁人。

印第安人默默地修复了他们指定的站点，这些站点是岩石中的裂缝，从那里他们可以指挥通往瀑布脚下的道路。小岛中央，几棵矮小的松树扎了根，形成了一片灌木丛，鹰眼像鹿一样敏捷地冲进了灌木丛，活跃的邓肯紧随其后。在情况允许的情况下，他们在散落各处的灌木丛和石头碎片中安全地躲藏起来。他们上方是一块光秃秃的圆形岩石，水在岩石的两侧嬉戏，并以前面已经描述过的方式陷入下面的深渊。天已破晓，对岸不再呈现出模糊的轮廓，但他们能够向树林中望去，并能辨别出阴沉的松树荫下的物体。

经过长时间而焦急的监视，成功了，但没有任何进一步的证据表明有新的袭击。邓肯开始希望他们的火力比想象的更致命，他们的敌人已经被有效地击退。当他冒险向同伴说出这个想法时，鹰眼难以置信地摇了摇头。

“如果你以为马卡人不带头皮就能轻易被击退，那你就根本不了解马卡人的本质！”他回答道。 “如果今天早上有一只小恶魔在喊叫，那么就有四十只！他们太了解我们的数量和质量，不会这么快就放弃追逐。历史！看看上面的水，就在水冲破岩石的地方。我不是凡人，如果那些冒险的恶魔没有游到球场上，而且不幸的是，他们已经击中了岛的顶部。历史！伙计，靠近点！不然刀子一转，你的头发就会从你的头顶上掉下来！”

海沃德从封面上抬起头，看到了他认为是鲁莽和技巧的天才。河流磨损了软岩的边缘，使得它的第一个坡度不像瀑布通常那样突然和垂直。除了与岛头交汇处的溪流涟漪之外，没有其他引导，一群贪得无厌的敌人冒险进入了水流，并游到了这一点，知道如果成功的话，它将为他们提供现成的通道。他们的目标受害者。

当鹰眼停止说话时，可以看到四个人头在裸露的岩石上的几根浮木上方凝视，这可能表明了这项危险任务的可行性。下一刻，人们看到第五种形态漂浮在瀑布的绿色边缘上，距离岛屿的线稍远。野蛮人奋力挣扎，想获得安全的位置，趁着波光粼粼的水流，他已经伸出手臂去迎接同伴的抓握，当他再次乘着漩涡般的水流飞走时，似乎升到了空中。他举起双臂，睁大了眼睛，突然坠入了他盘旋的深渊。洞穴里传出一声狂野而绝望的尖叫，一切又像坟墓一样寂静无声。

邓肯的第一个慷慨的冲动就是冲过去营救这个不幸的人。但他感觉自己被那个一动不动的侦察兵铁一般的抓手绑在了原地。

“如果你们告诉明戈人我们所在的位置，就会给我们带来必死无疑的结果吗？”鹰眼严厉地问道。 “这节省了一笔火药，弹药现在就像忧心忡忡的鹿的呼吸一样珍贵！重新给你的手枪上膛——瀑布的中间很容易减弱硫磺的味道——并坚定地进行一场近距离的搏斗，而我则向他们的冲锋开火。”

他把一根手指放进嘴里，吹出了一声又长又尖的口哨，莫西干人守卫的岩石里回应了这一声。当这个信号在空中升起时，邓肯瞥见了散落的浮木上方的人头，但他们又像他们看到他的视线时一样突然消失了。接下来，一阵低沉的沙沙声吸引了他的注意力，他转过头，发现恩卡斯就在几英尺之外，正在爬到他身边。鹰眼在特拉华州与他进行了交谈，当时这位年轻的酋长以异常谨慎和不受干扰的冷静就位。对海沃德来说，这是一个充满狂热和不耐烦悬念的时刻。尽管侦察兵认为选择这个机会向他的年轻伙伴们宣读有关谨慎使用枪支艺术的讲座是合适的。

“在我们所有的武器中，”他开始说道，“长枪管、真槽、软金属步枪在熟练的手中是最危险的，尽管它需要强壮的手臂、敏捷的眼睛和良好的冲锋判断力，展现出它所有的美丽。枪匠们在制作猎鸟用具和短骑兵用具时，对他们的行业几乎没有什么洞察力——”

他被恩卡斯低沉但富有表现力的“休”声打断了。

“我看到他们了，孩子，我看到他们了！”鹰眼继续说道； “他们聚集在一起是为了赶时间，否则他们会把脏兮兮的背藏在圆木下面。好吧，让他们去吧，”他补充道，检查着他的燧石； “主角肯定会死，尽管应该是蒙卡尔姆本人！”

就在这时，树林里又响起了一阵叫喊声，四个野人一听到信号，就从浮木的掩护下跳了出来。海沃德感到一股强烈的渴望冲上前去迎接他们，此刻的疯狂焦虑是如此强烈。但他被侦察兵和恩卡斯的刻意榜样所克制。

当他们的敌人跳过分隔他们的黑色岩石，发出最狂野的叫喊时，距离只有几杆，鹰眼的步枪在灌木丛中缓缓升起，倾泻出致命的子弹。最前面的印第安人像一只受伤的鹿一样跳了起来，一头栽进了岛屿的裂缝中。

“现在，恩卡斯！”侦察兵拔出长刀，大喊道，他那双敏捷的眼睛里开始闪烁着热情，“抓住最后一个尖叫的小鬼；”另外两个我们是萨坦！

他被服从了；但还有两个敌人需要克服。海沃德把他的一把手枪交给了鹰眼，他们一起冲下一个小斜坡，冲向敌人。他们同时发射了武器，但同样没有成功。

“我就知道了！我说过了！”侦察兵嘀咕道，带着苦涩的蔑视，在瀑布上旋转着这个被人鄙视的小工具。 “来吧，你们这些该死的地狱猎犬！你们遇到了一个没有十字架的人！”

话音刚落，他就遇到了一个身材魁梧，气势极为凶猛的野蛮人。与此同时，邓肯发现自己正与对方进行一场类似的肉搏战。凭借熟练的技巧，鹰眼和他的对手各自抓住了对方举起的那把危险的刀。他们站着将近一分钟，直视对方的眼睛，并逐渐发挥肌肉的力量来掌握。

最终，白人强健的肌肉战胜了当地人缺乏训练的四肢。后者的手臂在侦察兵日益强大的力量面前慢慢屈服，侦察兵突然从敌人手中夺回武装的手，将锋利的武器穿过他赤裸的胸膛，刺入心脏。与此同时，海沃德面临着一场更为致命的斗争。他的轻剑在第一次交锋中就折断了。由于他没有任何其他防御手段，他的安全现在完全取决于身体的力量和决心。尽管他不具备这两个品质，但他还是遇到了一个与他同等的敌人。令人高兴的是，他很快就成功地解除了对手的武装，对手的刀落在了他们脚下的岩石上。从这一刻起，谁应该把另一个人从令人晕眩的高度扔到附近的瀑布洞穴里，就变成了一场激烈的斗争。每一次连续的斗争都让他们更接近边缘，邓肯意识到必须做出最后的、征服性的努力。双方都拼尽了全力，结果却双双跌落悬崖。海沃德感觉到对方掐住了他的喉咙，看到这个野蛮人脸上露出冷酷的笑容，他怀着复仇的希望，希望他能催促他的敌人走向与自己相似的命运，同时他感到自己的身体慢慢屈服于一种不可抗拒的力量，年轻人经历了这一刻的痛苦和恐惧。就在这万分危险的时刻，一只漆黑的手和一柄斜光的刀出现在了他的面前。印第安人松开了手，鲜血从手腕被切断的肌腱周围自由地流淌出来。当邓肯被恩卡斯的救援之手向后拉时，他那双迷人的眼睛仍然盯着他的敌人凶猛而失望的表情，后者阴郁而失望地跌下了无法挽回的悬崖。

“覆盖！覆盖！”鹰眼喊道，此时他已经消灭了敌人。 “为了你们的生命而掩护！工作还只完成了一半！”

年轻的莫希干人发出胜利的欢呼，邓肯跟在他后面，他滑上他们为战斗而下降的斜坡，并在岩石和灌木丛中寻找友好的庇护所。

“他们还徘徊不去，
他们祖国的复仇者。”——格雷

侦察兵的警告并不是无缘无故的。在刚刚发生的致命遭遇中，瀑布的轰鸣声没有被任何人类声音所中断。似乎对结果的兴趣让对岸的当地人保持了喘不过气来的悬念，而战斗人员位置的快速演变和迅速变化有效地阻止了可能对朋友和敌人都危险的火灾。但战斗一决胜负，空气中就响起了一阵激烈而野蛮的叫喊声。紧接着是步枪的快速闪光，这让他们沉重的使者齐射穿过岩石，仿佛袭击者会在这场致命比赛的麻木场面上倾注他们无力的愤怒。

钦加古克（Chingachgook）的步枪虽然是故意的，但稳定地还击了，他在整个战斗中始终坚定地坚守在自己的位置上。当恩卡斯胜利的呼喊声传到他耳边时，心满意足的父亲提高了声音回应一声，随后他的忙碌就证明了他仍然以不倦的勤奋守卫着自己的关口。就这样，许多分钟随着思绪飞快地过去了。袭击者的步枪时而发出嘎嘎声齐射，时而向其他人发出分散的射击。尽管被围困者周围的岩石、树木和灌木有数百处被砍伐和撕裂，但他们的掩护是如此紧密，而且维护得如此严格，以至于迄今为止，大卫是他们这一小群人中唯一的受害者。

“让他们烧掉火药吧，”那个深思熟虑的侦察兵说道，一颗颗子弹从他安全地躺着的地方呼啸而过。 “比赛结束后，铅会聚集在一起，我想在这些老石头大声求饶之前，小鬼们会厌倦这项运动！ Uncas，孩子，你因过度充电而浪费了玉米粒；而踢腿步枪永远不会携带真正的子弹。我告诉过你要把那个大步狂奔的恶棍带到白点线以下；现在，如果你的子弹飞过一根头发的宽度，它就会高出两英寸。明戈人的生命垂危，人类教导我们尽快消灭蛇蛇。”

年轻的莫希干人傲慢的脸上露出了一丝平静的微笑，这暴露了他对英语的了解以及对方的意思。但他没有做出任何回应，就让这件事过去了。

“我不能允许你指责恩卡斯缺乏判断力或技能，”邓肯说。 “他以最冷静、最轻松的方式救了我的命，他结识了一位永远不需要别人提醒他所欠的朋友。”

恩卡斯半抬起身体，伸出手握住海沃德。在这次友谊之举中，两个年轻人交换了智慧的眼神，使邓肯忘记了他狂野伙伴的性格和状况。与此同时，鹰眼以冷酷而慈祥的目光看着这股青春气息的爆发，做出了如下的回答：

“生命是一种义务，朋友们在荒野中常常互相欠下。我敢说我以前可能曾为恩卡斯服务过这样的经历；我清楚地记得，他曾五次站在我与死亡之间。三次从明戈斯出发，一次是在穿越霍里坎，然后——”

“那颗子弹比普通子弹瞄准得好！”邓肯惊呼道，一记漂亮的篮板击中了他身边的岩石，他不由自主地退缩了。

鹰眼将手放在那块无形的金属上，一边检查一边摇摇头，说道：“坠落的铅永远不会被压平，如果它来自云层，这可能会发生。”

但恩卡斯的步枪故意举向天空，将同伴的目光引向一个点，谜团立刻就被解释了。河的右岸生长着一棵参差不齐的橡树，几乎与他们的位置相对，为了寻求开放空间的自由，橡树向前倾斜得如此之远，以至于它的上部树枝悬在离自己的海岸最近的溪流上。 。最上面的叶子遮住了粗糙、发育不良的四肢，一个野蛮人依偎在树干上，一半被树干遮住，一半暴露在外，仿佛俯视着他们，以确定他的危险目标所产生的效果。

“这些恶魔会爬上天堂，绕过我们走向毁灭。”鹰眼说道。 “让他继续玩耍，孩子，直到我能用‘杀鹿’来对付，那时我们会立即在树的每一侧尝试他的金属。”

恩卡斯推迟了开火时间，直到侦察兵说出这个词。

步枪闪光，橡树叶和树皮飞到空中，被风吹散，但印第安人以嘲讽的笑声回应他们的攻击，又向他们发射了一颗子弹作为回报，击中了鹰眼的帽子他的头。树林里再次爆发出野蛮的叫喊声，铅灰色的冰雹在被围困者的头顶上呼啸而过，仿佛要把他们限制在一个地方，让他们很容易成为爬上树的战士的牺牲品。

“必须注意这一点，”侦察兵说道，用焦急的目光环顾四周。 “恩卡斯，给你父亲打电话；我们需要全力以赴，把这只狡猾的恶鼠从他的巢穴里带出来。”

信号立即发出；在鹰眼重新装弹之前，钦加古克也加入了他们。当他的儿子向这位经验丰富的战士指出他们危险敌人的情况时，他的嘴里突然爆发出通常的感叹声“休”；此后，他不再表现出惊讶或惊慌的表情。鹰眼和莫西干人在特拉华州认真地交谈了一会儿，然后各自悄悄就位，以执行他们迅速制定的计划。

从发现的那一刻起，橡树上的战士就一直保持着快速但无效的火力。但他的瞄准被敌人的警惕打断了，敌人的步枪立即瞄准了他暴露在外的任何部位。但他的子弹还是落在了蹲伏的队伍中央。海沃德的衣服让他格外显眼，衣服被多次割破，有一次他手臂上的一个小伤口还流血了。

最后，在敌人长期耐心的监视下，休伦人尝试了一个更好、更致命的目标。莫西干人敏锐的目光捕捉到了他下肢的黑线，那条黑线不经意地从稀疏的树叶中露出来，距离树干只有几英寸。他们的步枪发出了共同的声音，当野蛮人的受伤肢体倒在地上时，野蛮人的身体的一部分映入眼帘。鹰眼如想象般迅速抓住了优势，将致命武器射入了橡树顶。叶子异常地躁动。危险的步枪从高处落下，徒劳地挣扎了一会儿，只见野人的身形在风中摇摆，而他的双手仍然紧握着一根破烂的、光秃秃的树枝。

“可怜地给他，给他另一支步枪的内容，”邓肯喊道，他惊恐地转开眼睛，看着一个同类处于如此可怕的危险之中。

“不是畜棚！”顽固的鹰眼喊道； “他的死亡是肯定的，我们没有多余的火药，因为印第安人的战斗有时会持续数天；这是他们的头皮还是我们的头皮！创造我们的上帝已将保留头部皮肤的渴望植入我们的本性中。”

反对这种严厉和不屈的道德观，尽管有如此明显的政策支持，却没有人提出上诉。从那一刻起，森林里的叫喊声再次停止，火势也渐渐减弱，所有的目光，无论是朋友还是敌人，都集中在这个在天地间晃来晃去的可怜虫的绝望处境上。身体屈服于气流，虽然受害者没有发出任何杂音或呻吟，但有时他会冷酷地面对敌人，通过中间的距离，可以在他黝黑的面容上追踪到冰冷绝望的痛苦。 。侦察兵曾三度出于怜悯而举起棋子，但往往谨慎的态度战胜了他的意图，棋子又被默默地放下了。最后，休伦人的一只手失去了控制，疲惫地倒在了他的身边。绝望而徒劳的挣扎成功地夺回了树枝，然后在转瞬即逝的瞬间，我们看到了野蛮人疯狂地抓住空虚的空气。闪电并不比鹰眼步枪的火焰快；受害者的四肢颤抖并收缩，头垂到怀里，身体像铅一样分开泡沫般的海水，当元素以不断的速度在其上方闭合时，不幸的休伦人的每一处痕迹都永远消失了。

这一重要的优势并没有伴随着胜利的欢呼声，但就连莫西干人也默默地惊恐地互相凝视着。树林里突然传来一声叫喊，一切又恢复了寂静。鹰眼此时似乎只有一个人在讲道理，他为自己一时的软弱摇了摇头，甚至大声说出了自己的不满。

“这是我喇叭里的最后一次冲锋，也是我袋子里的最后一颗子弹，这是一个男孩的行为！”他说; “他撞到岩石上是死是活又有什么关系呢！感觉很快就会结束。安卡斯，小伙子，到独木舟那里去，把大号角拉上来；这是我们剩下的所有粉末，我们需要它直到最后一粒，否则我对明戈的本性一无所知。”

年轻的莫西干人照办了，让侦察兵翻出了袋子里无用的东西，并再次不满地摇晃着空号角。然而，从这次令人不满意的检查中，他很快就被恩卡斯发出的一声响亮而刺耳的惊呼叫住了，即使是对于没有经验的邓肯来说，这声音也听起来像是某种新的、意想不到的灾难的信号。年轻人满脑子都是对他之前藏在山洞里的宝藏的担忧，他站了起来，完全不顾这样暴露会带来什么危险。仿佛受到共同的冲动驱动，他的同伴们纷纷模仿他的动作，然后他们一起冲下山口，冲向友好的裂口，速度之快使得敌人的四散火力完全无害。不寻常的呼喊声将姐妹们和受伤的大卫带离了避难所。整个队伍一眼就知道了这场灾难的性质，这场灾难甚至扰乱了他们年轻的印度保护者一贯的坚忍精神。

在离岩石不远的地方，可以看到它们的小树皮漂浮在漩涡上，朝着湍急的河水漂去，这证明了河水的走向是由某种隐藏的代理人所引导的。当这个不受欢迎的景象引起侦察兵的注意时，他的步枪本能地被调平，但枪管对燧石的明亮火花没有任何反应。

“太晚了，太晚了！”鹰眼惊呼一声，失望地扔掉了那块无用的碎片。 “恶人已闯急流；如果我们有火药的话，领先优势几乎不可能比他现在的速度更快了！”

富有冒险精神的休伦人把头抬起到独木舟的庇护所上方，当独木舟迅速顺流而下时，他挥舞着手，发出一声喊叫，这是众所周知的成功信号。树林里传来回应他的呼喊和大笑的声音，仿佛有五十个恶魔在对某个基督徒灵魂的堕落发出亵渎之声。

“祝你们笑吧，魔鬼的孩子们！”侦察兵坐在岩石的突出部分上，任由枪落在脚下，说道，“这树林里最快、最真实的三支步枪并不比这么多毛蕊花或去年的牛角好多少。”一块钱！

“什么是要做？”邓肯问道，他不再有最初的失望感，而是更加有男子气概地努力奋斗。 “我们会变成什么样子？”

鹰眼没有做出任何回应，只是用手指抚摸着头顶，其方式如此重要，以至于目睹这一动作的人都不会误解其含义。

“当然，当然，我们的情况并没有那么绝望！”年轻人惊呼道； “休伦人不在这里；我们可以修复洞穴，我们可以阻止他们登陆。”

“什么？”侦察兵冷冷地问道。 “恩卡斯的箭，或者女人流下的眼泪！不，不;你年轻，有钱，有朋友，在这样的年纪我知道死很难！但是，”他瞥了一眼莫西干人，“让我们记住，我们是没有十字架的人，让我们教导这些森林里的土著，当指定的时间到来时，白血可以像红血一样自由流动。”

邓肯迅速转向对方眼睛所指示的方向，并宣读了一份确认书，证实了他对印第安人行为的最担忧。钦加古克以庄严的姿势站在另一块岩石上，他已经放下刀和战斧，正从头上取下老鹰的羽毛，抚平那一簇头发，准备执行它的任务。最后一个令人反感的办公室。他的表情虽然沉思，但却很平静，而他那双闪闪发亮的黑眼睛逐渐失去了战斗的凶猛，表情更适合他即将经历的变化。

“我们的情况不是、不可能这么绝望！”邓肯说； “即使在此时此刻，救援也可能就在眼前。我没有看到敌人！他们已经厌倦了一场冒着巨大风险却几乎没有收获的斗争！”

“可能要过一分钟，也可能要过一个小时，狡猾的蛇就会偷偷地袭击我们，此时此刻，它们就在我们能听见的范围内，这是很自然的，”鹰眼说。 “但他们会来的，而且是以一种让我们没有希望的方式来的！钦加古克”——他在特拉华州说道——“我的兄弟，我们一起打完了最后一场战斗，马库斯人将在莫希干圣人和苍白面孔的死亡中取得胜利，他的眼睛可以将夜晚变成白天，平云去泉雾！”

“让明戈妇女们为遇难者哭泣吧！”印第安人带着特有的骄傲和不为所动的坚定返回。 “莫希干人的大蛇已经盘绕在他们的棚屋里，用孩子们的哭声毒害了他们的胜利，而他们的父亲还没有回来！自从冰雪融化以来，十一名战士就隐藏在他们部落的坟墓中，当 Chingachgook 的舌头沉默时，没有人会知道在哪里可以找到他们！让他们拔出最锋利的刀，挥动最迅捷的战斧，因为最凶恶的敌人就在他们手中。恩卡斯，高贵树干的最高枝，呼吁胆小鬼赶紧行动，否则他们的心就会软化，他们就会变成女人！”

“它们在鱼群中寻找死者！”年轻酋长用低沉、柔和的声音回答道。 “休伦人与粘糊糊的鳗鱼一起漂浮！它们就像可以吃的水果一样从橡树上掉下来！特拉华州人笑了！”

“哎呀，哎呀，”侦察兵低声说道，他全神贯注地听着当地人这种奇特的爆发声。 “他们对印第安人的感情已经升温，他们很快就会激怒马夸人，让他们尽快结束。至于我，身为白人的纯血统，就应该按照我的肤色而死，嘴里没有嘲讽的话，心里没有痛苦！”

“为什么要死啊！”科拉一边说，一边从自然恐怖的地方走出来，直到这一刻，她才被牢牢地钉在岩石上。 “道路四通八达；然后，飞到树林里，祈求上帝的帮助。勇敢的人们，走吧，我们已经欠你们太多了；让我们不再把你卷入我们不幸的命运之中吧！”

“女士，你对易洛魁人的手艺知之甚少，如果你判断他们已经把通向树林的小路打开了！”鹰眼回答道，但他立即简单地补充道：“可以肯定的是，下游的水流可能很快就会把我们席卷到他们的步枪或他们的声音之外。”

“那就试试河吧。为什么要拖延让我们无情的敌人造成更多的受害者呢？”

“为什么？”侦察兵重复道，自豪地环顾四周。 “因为一个人平静地死去比被邪恶的良心困扰着要好！当蒙罗问我们把他的孩子留在哪里以及如何离开时，我们能给出什么答案呢？”

“去见他，告诉他们你给他们留下了口信，要求他们尽快提供援助。”科拉回答道，她热情地向斥候走近。 “休伦人将他们带入北方荒野，但只要保持警惕和速度，他们仍然可以获救；如果他的援助来得太迟了，如果上天让他高兴的话，请忍受他，”她继续说道，她的声音逐渐降低，直到几乎窒息，“他女儿们的爱、祝福和最后的祈祷，并嘱咐他不要哀悼他们早年的命运，而要怀着谦卑的信心展望基督徒与孩子们见面的目标。”侦察员那冷酷、饱经风霜的面容开始发挥作用，当她结束时，他用手托住下巴，就像一个男人在深刻地思考求婚的本质。

“她的话有道理！”最后，他紧闭、颤抖的嘴唇终于挣脱了。 “是的，他们具有基督教精神；对于一个红皮肤来说可能是正确和适当的事情，对于一个甚至没有血十字架来为自己的无知辩护的人来说可能是有罪的。钦加古克！恩卡斯！你听到那个黑眼睛女人的谈话了吗？”

他现在在特拉华州向他的同伴们讲话，他的讲话虽然平静而从容，但似乎非常坚决。年长的莫希干人听得很严肃，似乎在思考他的话，似乎感觉到了其中的重要性。犹豫片刻后，他摆了摆手表示同意，并说出了英文单词“Good！”他的人民特别强调。然后，战士将刀和战斧重新插在腰带上，默默地移动到距离河岸最隐蔽的岩石边缘。说到这里，他停顿了一会儿，意味深长地指着下面的树林，用自己的语言说了几句话，仿佛在指示他预定的路线，然后他就掉进了水里，从目击者眼前沉了下去。

斥候推迟了出发时间，去和那位慷慨的女孩交谈。看到她的抗议成功，她的呼吸变得轻快了。

“智慧有时会授予年轻人，也有时会授予老年人，”他说。 “你所说的话是明智的，无需用更好的词来称呼它。如果你被带进树林，那么你可能会暂时幸免，当你经过时，折断灌木丛上的树枝，并在凡人的眼睛可以看到的情况下，尽可能宽地留下你的踪迹。他们，依赖于有一个朋友，在他抛弃你之前，他会追随到世界的尽头。”

他亲切地握了握科拉的手，举起步枪，忧郁地注视了一会儿，然后小心翼翼地把它放在一边，然后下降到钦加古克刚刚消失的地方。有那么一瞬间，他悬在岩石旁，环顾四周，脸上带着一种特殊的关心，痛苦地补充道：“如果把粉末拿在手上，这种耻辱就永远不会发生！”然后，松开他的手，水淹没了他的头顶，他也消失了。

现在所有的目光都集中在恩卡斯身上，他靠在崎岖的岩石上，一动不动。等了一会儿，科拉指着河下游说道：

“你的朋友们还没有被发现，现在很可能已经安全了。现在还不到你跟上的时候吗？”

“恩卡斯会留下来，”年轻的莫西干人用英语平静地回答。

“为了增加我们被捕时的恐怖程度，并减少我们被释放的机会！去吧，慷慨的年轻人，”科拉继续说道，在莫西干人的注视下，她低下了眼睛，或许，她直觉地意识到了自己的力量； “正如我所说，去我父亲那里，成为我最机密的使者。告诉他相信你有能力为他的女儿们购买自由。去！你一定会走，这是我的愿望，也是我的祈祷！”

年轻首领原本平静的神情一转，脸色阴沉，但他不再犹豫。他无声无息地跨过了岩石，掉进了湍急的溪水中。他留下的人几乎没有呼吸，直到他们瞥见他的头浮出水面，在水流深处呼吸，然后他再次沉入水中，再也看不见了。

这些突然而明显成功的实验都是在当时的几分钟内完成的，现在变得如此珍贵。最后看了安卡斯一眼后，科拉转过身来，嘴唇颤抖着，对海沃德说道：

“邓肯，我也听说过你夸耀的水技术。”她说。 “那么，就跟随这些简单而忠实的人们为你树立的明智榜样吧。”

“这就是科拉·芒罗向她的保护者索取的信仰吗？”年轻人说道，笑容哀伤，却又带着苦涩。

“现在不是胡思乱想和错误观点的时候，”她回答道。 “但在这个时刻，每项职责都应该得到同等考虑。对我们来说，你在这里无法再为我们提供更多的帮助，但你的宝贵生命可能会被拯救给其他和更亲近的朋友。”

他没有回答，目光若有所思地落在爱丽丝美丽的身躯上，爱丽丝像婴儿般依附在他的手臂上。

“想一想，”科拉停顿了一下，继续说道，在此期间，她似乎在与一种比她的恐惧所激发的任何感觉都更加剧烈的痛苦作斗争，“对我们来说，最糟糕的可能就是死亡；所有人都必须在上帝指定的好时机表达敬意。”

“有比死亡更糟糕的罪恶，”邓肯声音嘶哑地说，似乎对她的纠缠感到烦躁，“但如果有一个愿意为你而死的人在场，就可以避免这种情况。”

科拉停止了恳求。她用披肩遮住脸，带着几乎失去知觉的爱丽丝跟着她进入了内部洞穴的最深处。

“安全地成为同性恋；
美丽的姑娘，用微笑驱散乌云，
那挂在你清澈的额头上。”——阿格里皮娜之死

突然的、近乎神奇的变化，从激动人心的战斗事件到现在笼罩在他周围的寂静，像某个令人兴奋的梦一样作用于海沃德的激烈想象力。虽然他所目睹的所有图像和事件都深深地印在他的记忆中，但他感到很难说服他相信它们的真相。他仍然不知道那些相信急流的帮助的人的命运，他首先专心聆听任何信号或警报声音，这可能会宣布他们危险事业的好运或厄运。然而，他的注意力是徒劳的。因为随着恩卡斯的消失，冒险者们的每一个迹象都消失了，让他对他们的命运完全不确定。

在如此痛苦的怀疑时刻，邓肯毫不犹豫地环顾四周，没有考虑之前对他的安全如此必要的岩石保护。然而，试图发现隐藏的敌人接近的哪怕一丁点的证据，就像对他已故同伴的调查一样，都是徒劳的。树木繁茂的河岸似乎再次被所有拥有动物生命的东西所遗弃。最近在森林穹顶中回荡的喧闹声已经消失了，只剩下汹涌的水流随着空气的流动而膨胀和下沉，在大自然的纯粹甜蜜中。一只鱼鹰固定在一棵枯死的松树最高的树枝上，一直是这场战斗的远处旁观者，现在它从高高的、参差不齐的栖木上猛扑下来，大范围地掠过猎物的上方；而一只松鸦，其喧闹的声音被野蛮人嘶哑的叫声所压制，又冒险张开他不和谐的喉咙，仿佛再次不受干扰地拥有他的野生领地。邓肯从孤独场景的这些自然伴奏中捕捉到了一线希望。他开始集结自己的才能，重新努力，带着一种类似重拾成功的信心。

“休伦人是看不见的，”他对大卫说道，大卫还没有从遭受的令人震惊的打击中恢复过来。 “让我们把自己隐藏在山洞里，剩下的就交给天意吧。”

“我记得我曾和两位美丽的姑娘在一起，高声赞美和感恩，”困惑的歌唱大师回答道。 “从那时起，我因我的罪孽而受到严厉的审判。我受到了睡眠般的嘲笑，而不和谐的声音撕裂了我的耳朵，这些声音可能表明时间已经成熟，而大自然已经忘记了她的和谐。”

“可怜的家伙！事实上，你自己的时代已接近完成！起来吧，跟我来吧；我会引导你去到除了你自己的诗篇以外的所有其他声音的地方。”

“瀑布落下有旋律，多水奔腾，感官甜美！” “大卫说，他困惑地把手按在额头上。 “空气中不是还充满了尖叫声和哭声吗，就好像那些该死的人的亡灵——”

“不是现在，不是现在，”不耐烦的海沃德打断道，“他们已经停止了，那些抚养他们的人，我相信上帝，他们也消失了！除了水以外，一切都是平静的；那么，你可以在那里创造出那些你非常喜欢听到的声音。”

听到这个暗示他心爱的职业，大卫悲伤地笑了，虽然不无短暂的喜悦之情。他不再犹豫，被带到了一个可以让他疲惫的感官得到如此纯正满足的地方。他拄着同伴的胳膊，走进了狭窄的洞口。邓肯抓起一堆檫树，把它们画在通道前，刻意地掩盖每一个缝隙的出现。在这个脆弱的屏障内，他整理了护林员遗弃的毯子，使洞穴的内部末端变暗，而洞穴的外部则接收到来自狭窄峡谷的柔和的光线，河流的一条手臂冲过峡谷，与它的姊妹支流形成了交汇处。下面有几根杆。

“我不喜欢当地人的原则，这种原则教导他们在看似绝望的紧急情况下不经斗争就屈服，”他在忙于这份工作时说道。 “我们自己的格言‘只要活着，就有希望’，更能安慰人，也更适合军人的气质。科拉，我不会对你说任何无意义的鼓励的话；你自己的毅力和不受干扰的理性会教会你所有可能成为你性别的东西；但我们不能擦干你怀里那个颤抖的哭泣者的眼泪吗？”

“我平静多了，邓肯。”爱丽丝一边说，一边从姐姐的怀里站起来，泪流满面，强装镇静。 “现在平静多了。当然，在这个隐蔽的地方，我们是安全的，我们是秘密的，没有受到伤害；我们希望那些已经为我们冒了巨大风险的慷慨人士提供一切帮助。”

“现在我们温柔的爱丽丝说话像蒙罗的女儿了！”海沃德一边说，一边走向洞穴的外入口，停下来握住她的手。 “有两个这样的勇气的例子摆在他面前，一个人会羞于证明自己不是英雄。”然后他坐在山洞中央，手痉挛地握紧了剩下的手枪，而他紧缩的皱着眉头的眼睛宣告了他的目的的阴郁绝望。 “休伦人如果来了，可能不会像他们想象的那么容易获得我们的地位，”他慢慢地咕哝道。他把头靠在岩石上，似乎在耐心地等待结果，尽管他的目光不断地盯着通往他们撤退地点的开阔大道。

随着他最后的声音响起，一阵深沉、漫长、几乎令人窒息的沉默随之而来。早晨的新鲜空气已经渗透进了凹处，它的影响逐渐影响着囚犯们的精神。一分钟又一分钟过去了，让他们处于不受干扰的安全之中，希望的感觉逐渐占据了每个人的胸膛，尽管每个人都不愿意说出下一刻可能会被可怕摧毁的期望。

对于这些不同的情绪，只有大卫是个例外。一道光线从开口处射出，掠过他苍白的面容，落在那本小书的书页上，他又开始翻动书页，仿佛在寻找一首比他们见过的任何歌曲更适合他们的处境的歌曲。 。他很可能一直在混乱地回忆着邓肯所承诺的安慰。看来，他的耐心勤奋终于得到了回报。因为，他没有解释，也没有道歉，就大声念出了“怀特岛”这个词，从他的音管中发出了长长的、甜美的声音，然后对他刚刚提到的名字的空气进行了初步的调制，用更甜美的声音进行了初步的调制。他自己的音乐声音的音调。

“这难道不会很危险吗？”科拉问道，用黑眼睛看了海沃德少校一眼。

“可怜的家伙！他的声音太微弱，在瀑布的喧嚣声中听不见。”回答是。 “此外，这个洞穴将证明他的朋友。让他放纵自己的激情吧，因为这样做不会有任何危险。”

“怀特岛！”大卫重复道，他用一种尊严环顾四周，他长期以来一直用这种尊严来压制学校里的窃窃私语。 “这是一首勇敢的曲子，而且歌词庄严！让它以尊重的方式来歌唱！”

在安静片刻以加强他的纪律之后，可以听到歌手的声音，低沉、低沉的音节，逐渐偷偷地传入耳中，直到狭窄的拱顶里充满了声音，这些声音因他的虚弱。任何弱点都无法摧毁的旋律，逐渐对听者的感官产生甜美的影响。它甚至胜过对大卫之歌的悲惨嘲讽，这首歌是歌手从一本类似的作品中挑选出来的，并在声音的暗示和谐中使意义被遗忘。爱丽丝不自觉地擦干了眼泪，用融化的目光注视着盖姆特苍白的脸庞，脸上流露出既不掩饰也不掩饰的痛苦的喜悦之情。科拉对犹太王子的虔诚努力报以赞许的微笑，而海沃德很快就把他从洞穴出口看出来的坚定、严厉的目光转向了大卫，用一种温和的性格将它固定在大卫的脸上，或者说，遇见了时不时从爱丽丝湿润的眼睛中消失的游移光束。听众的公开同情激起了这位音乐崇拜者的精神，他的声音恢复了丰富和音量，同时又不失那证明其秘密魅力的动人的柔和。他将焕然一新的神力发挥到了极致，还没将悠长而饱满的音调填满洞窟的拱门，就在此时，洞外空气中突然响起了一声叫喊，让他虔诚的神情顿时平息下来，他的声音突然哽咽，仿佛他的心脏真的被震住了。跳进了他的喉咙。

“我们迷路了！”爱丽丝喊道，投入了科拉的怀抱。

“还没有，还没有，”海沃德激动但无所畏惧地回答道，“声音来自岛的中心，是因为看到死去的同伴而发出的。我们还没有被发现，但仍有希望。”

尽管逃跑的前景微弱而近乎绝望，但邓肯的话并没有被抛弃，因为它唤醒了姐妹们的力量，让她们在沉默中等待着结果。紧接着第一声喊叫之后，很快就传来了第二声喊叫，一阵人声从岛屿的上端涌到下端，直到他们到达洞穴上方裸露的岩石，在那里，在一声野蛮胜利的呼喊之后，空气继续沸腾。充满了可怕的呼喊和尖叫声，只有人类才能发出，而且只有在最野蛮的状态下才能发出。

声音很快就传向了他们周围的各个方向。有些人在水边呼唤同伴，并在高处得到回应。两个山洞之间的裂缝附近传来令人震惊的叫喊声，其中夹杂着从深谷深渊中传来的沙哑叫喊声。简而言之，野蛮的声音在贫瘠的岩石上传播得如此之快，以至于焦急的听众不难想象他们可以听到他们的声音，因为事实上他们在他们的四面八方的上方。

就在这喧闹声中，隐秘的山洞入口几码范围内，响起了一阵胜利的叫喊声。海沃德放弃了一切希望，相信这是他们被发现的信号。当他听到声音聚集在白人不情愿地放弃步枪的地方时，这种印象再次消失了。在他现在清楚地听到的印度方言行话中，不仅可以轻松地区分加拿大方言中的单词，还可以轻松地区分句子。一阵声音同时喊道：“拉长卡宾枪！”海沃德清楚地记得，这个名字是他的敌人给英国营里一位著名的猎人和侦察兵起的，而他现在第一次知道，这个名字是他已故的同伴。 。

“拉长卡宾枪！拉长卡宾枪！”口口相传，直到整个乐队似乎都聚集在一个奖杯周围，这似乎宣告了其强大主人的死亡。经过一次大声的协商（有时会被一阵阵野蛮的喜悦震耳欲聋），他们再次分开，空气中充满了敌人的名字，海伍德可以从他们的表情中收集到敌人的尸体，他们希望找到隐藏在某个缝隙中的敌人。岛上的。

“现在，”他对颤抖的姐妹们耳语道，“现在是不确定的时刻了！如果我们的避难所逃过了这个审查，我们仍然安全！在每一次事件中，我们都确信，我们的敌人已经倒下，我们的朋友已经逃脱了，在短短的两个小时内，我们可能会向韦伯寻求救援。”

现在有几分钟令人恐惧的寂静，在此期间海沃德清楚地知道野蛮人以更高的警惕性和更有条理的方式进行搜索。他不止一次能辨认出他们的脚步声，他们掠过檫树，导致褪色的树叶沙沙作响，树枝折断。终于，那堆东西终于屈服了，毯子的一角掉了下来，一丝微弱的光芒照进了山洞的内部。科拉痛苦地将爱丽丝抱在怀里，邓肯跳了起来。就在这时，一声喊叫，仿佛从岩石中心发出，宣告着附近的洞穴终于进入了。一分钟之内，声音的数量和响度表明，整个队伍都聚集到了那个秘密地点及其周围。

由于通往两个洞穴的内部通道非常接近，邓肯相信已经不可能逃脱了，他越过了大卫和姐妹们，将自己置于后者和可怕的相遇的第一次爆发之间。他对自己的处境感到绝望，他靠近了那道小小的屏障，那道屏障与他无情的追击者仅相距几英尺，他把脸贴在这个不经意的开口上，甚至以一种绝望的冷漠态度向外看去，观察着他们的动向。

他的手臂触手可及的是一个巨大的印第安人的强壮肩膀，他低沉而权威的声音似乎在为他的同伴们指明方向。邓肯再次望向对面的金库，里面挤满了野蛮人，他们翻倒并扫射侦察兵简陋的家具。大卫的伤口将檫木的叶子染成了当地人熟知的预兆季节的颜色。看到这一成功的迹象，他们发出了一声嚎叫，就像是许多猎犬找到了丢失的踪迹一样。在这胜利的呼喊之后，他们撕毁了山洞里芬芳的床铺，把树枝伸进了裂缝，把树枝散落一地，仿佛他们怀疑他们隐藏了这个他们长久以来憎恨和恐惧的人。一名凶猛而狂野的战士拿着一支刷子走近酋长，兴高采烈地指着刷子上的深红色污渍，用印第安人的叫喊声表达了他的喜悦，海沃德只能通过频繁的喊叫才能理解其含义。重复“La Longue Carabine！”这个名字当他的胜利结束后，他把画笔扔在邓肯在第二个洞穴入口前堆成的小堆上，然后关闭了视野。其他人也效仿了他的做法，当他们从侦察员的洞穴中拔出树枝时，将它们扔成一堆，不知不觉地增加了他们所寻找的人的安全感。防御的轻微性是它的主要优点，因为没有人想到去打扰一大堆灌木，他们都相信，在那个匆忙和混乱的时刻，他们自己的队伍的手不小心举起了这些灌木。

当毯子在向外的压力下屈服，树枝靠自重沉入岩石裂缝中，形成一个紧凑的身体时，邓肯再次自由地呼吸。他脚步轻快，心情轻松，回到了山洞中央，来到了刚才离开的地方，可以俯瞰河边的洞口。当他做出这一举动时，印第安人似乎因共同的冲动而改变了他们的目的，从身体的裂缝中挣脱出来，人们听到他们再次冲上岛屿，朝他们最初下降的地方前进。 。在这里，又一声哭声暴露出他们再次聚集在死去战友的尸体周围。

邓肯现在大胆地看看他的同伴们。因为，在他们面临危险的最关键时刻，他担心自己脸上的焦虑可能会给那些无力承受的人带来额外的恐慌。

“他们走了，科拉！”他低声说道； “爱丽丝，他们从哪里来就回来了，我们得救了！上天，仅凭这一点就将我们从如此无情的敌人手中解救出来，万分赞美！”

“那我就谢天谢地了！”妹妹惊呼道，她从科拉的手臂中站起来，满怀热情地感激地倒在裸露的岩石上。 “致那个不让白发父亲流泪的天堂；拯救了我所爱之人的生命。”

海沃德和性格比较温和的科拉都怀着强烈的同情心目睹了这种不由自主的情感行为，前者暗自相信，虔诚从来没有像现在在年轻的爱丽丝身上呈现出如此可爱的形式。她的眼睛里闪烁着感激的光芒。她美丽的红晕再次出现在她的脸颊上，她的整个灵魂似乎已经准备好并渴望通过她雄辩的面容倾诉感恩之情。但当她的嘴唇动起来时，原本应该说的话却因为突然出现的一股新的寒意而僵住了。她的绽放被死亡的苍白所取代；她那双柔软而融化的眼睛变得冷酷起来，似乎因恐惧而收缩。她举起的那双手互相握紧，指向天空，在她面前呈水平线，手指抽搐着指向前方。海沃德在她指出了他的怀疑方向后立即转过身来，在构成洞穴开口入口的壁架上方凝视着，他看到了勒雷纳尔·苏蒂尔邪恶、凶猛和野蛮的面容。

在那惊讶的时刻，海沃德并没有失去冷静。他从印第安人面无表情的表情中看出，习惯了户外环境的眼睛还无法看清洞窟深处弥漫的昏暗光线。他甚至想过撤退到天然墙壁的一个弧度之外，这可能仍然隐藏着他和他的同伴，当野蛮人脸上突然闪现出智慧的光芒时，他发现为时已晚，他们已经被背叛了。

宣布这个可怕事实的狂喜和残酷胜利的表情令人无法抗拒地恼怒。邓肯除了热血的冲动之外忘记了一切，他举起手枪开火。武器的轰鸣声让山洞里发出火山喷发般的轰鸣声。当它吐出的烟雾在从峡谷中喷出的气流之前被驱散时，刚刚被他那奸诈的向导所占据的地方就空了。海沃德冲向出口，瞥见他的黑色身影正在悄悄绕过一个低矮狭窄的壁架，很快就将他完全隐藏起来。

爆炸声过后，野蛮人陷入了可怕的寂静，刚刚听到岩石内部爆发出爆炸声。但当勒雷纳德大声喊叫时，每个听到声音的印第安人都自发地大喊起来。

岛上再次传来喧闹的声音。邓肯还没来得及从震惊中恢复过来，他那脆弱的灌木丛就被风吹散了，洞穴的两端都被进入了，他和他的同伴们被从他们的庇护所里拖了出来，带到了他们站立的地方。被凯旋的休伦人的整个队伍包围着。

“我担心明天早上我们会睡过
我们今晚已经看够了！”
——仲夏夜之梦

这突如其来的不幸事件所带来的震惊一平息，邓肯就开始观察抓捕者的外貌和行动。与当地人肆无忌惮地取得成功的习惯相反，他们不仅尊重颤抖的姐妹们，也尊重他自己。他军装上的华丽装饰品确实被部落中不同的人反复触摸过，眼神中流露出对拥有这些小玩意的野蛮渴望；但在采取惯常的暴力之前，已经提到过的大战士的权威声音命令，阻止了举起的手，并说服海沃德他们将被保留用于特定时刻的某个目标。

然而，虽然这些弱点的表现是由队伍中的年轻人和虚荣者表现出来的，但更有经验的战士继续在两个洞穴中进行搜索，这一活动表明他们对已经取得的征服成果远远不满意。被曝光。由于无法发现任何新的受害者，这些勤奋的复仇者很快就接近了他们的男性囚犯，以一种不容易被误会的凶猛发音“La Longue Carabine”。邓肯假装不明白他们反复而暴力的询问的含义，而他的同伴则由于不懂法语而没有遭受类似的欺骗。前者最终厌倦了他们的纠缠，并担心过于顽固的沉默会激怒俘虏他的人，他环顾四周寻找马古，马古可能会解释他对问题的回答，而这些问题每时每刻都变得更加认真和威胁。

这个野蛮人的行为与他所有的同伴相比是一个例外。当其他人忙于满足他们对华丽的幼稚热情时，甚至通过掠夺侦察员的悲惨后果，或者一直在他们的外表中以如此嗜血的复仇寻找他们缺席的主人，勒雷纳德站在不远的地方。从囚犯那里，他的举止如此安静和满意，以至于暴露出他已经实现了他背叛的宏伟目的。当海沃德第一次与他新来的向导的目光相遇时，他因所看到的阴险而平静的眼神而惊恐地把目光转开。然而，他克服了厌恶，转过脸去对他成功的敌人讲话。

海沃德不情愿地说道：“勒雷纳德·苏蒂尔太像个战士了，他无法拒绝告诉一个手无寸铁的人他的征服者所说的话。”

“他们要求寻找熟悉森林小路的猎人，”马古用他蹩脚的英语回答道，同时带着凶狠的微笑，把手放在那捆树叶上，他自己肩膀上有一个伤口。被包扎起来。 “‘拉长卡宾枪’！他的步枪很好，而且他的眼睛从不闭上；但是，就像白人酋长的短枪一样，这并不妨碍 Le Subtil 的生活。”

“勒雷纳尔太勇敢了，他不记得在战争中受到的伤害，也不记得给予这些伤害的双手。”

“当疲惫的印第安人在糖树下休息品尝玉米时，这难道是战争吗？谁让灌木丛里充满了爬行的敌人！谁拔出了刀，他的舌头是平静的，而他的心却被鲜血染红了！马瓜有没有说斧头是从地里出来的，是他亲手挖出来的？”

由于邓肯不敢反驳他的原告，提醒他自己有预谋的背叛，也懒得用任何道歉的言语来淡化他的怨恨，所以他保持沉默。马瓜似乎也满足于平息争议以及所有进一步的交流，因为他恢复了靠在岩石上的姿势，在瞬间的能量中，他从岩石上站了起来。但当不耐烦的野蛮人意识到简短的对话结束时，“拉长卡宾枪”的叫声又响起了。

“你听到了，”马瓜冷漠地说道，“红休伦人要求‘长步枪’的生命，否则他们就会流着他的血，让他隐藏起来！”

“他走了——逃走了；他远远超出了他们的能力范围。”

雷纳德冷蔑一笑，回答道：

“当白人死时，他认为自己很平静；但红人甚至知道如何折磨敌人的鬼魂。他的尸体在哪里？让休伦人看看他的头皮。”

“他没有死，只是逃了。”

马古亚不可置信地摇摇头。

“他是一只鸟吗？张开翅膀；或者他是一条鱼，没有空气也能游泳！白人酋长读过他的书，他认为休伦人都是傻瓜！”

“虽然没有鱼，但‘长枪’会游。当粉末全部燃烧，当休伦人的眼睛躲在云层后面时，他顺流而下。”

“那白人酋长为什么留下来？”仍然难以置信的印第安人问道。 “他到底是一块石头沉到底，还是头皮发烫？”

“我不是石头，你掉进瀑布死去的战友，如果他还活着，他可能会回答说，”被激怒的年轻人说道，他在愤怒中使用了最有可能激怒人们的自夸语言。对印度人的钦佩。 “白人认为只有懦夫才会抛弃他们的女人。”

马古亚从牙缝里小声嘀咕了几句，然后大声说道：

“特拉华州人也可以游泳，也可以在灌木丛中爬行吗？ ‘大蛇’在哪里？”

邓肯从这些加拿大称谓的使用中看出，他已故的同伴对他的敌人比他自己更了解，他不情愿地回答说：“他也随着水而沉没了。”

“‘Le Cerf Agile’不在这里吗？”

“我不知道你称谁为‘敏捷的鹿’，”邓肯说，很高兴地利用任何借口来制造拖延。

“Uncas，”马瓜回答道，他念出特拉华州名字的难度比说英语单词还要困难。 “当白人呼唤年轻的莫西干人时，他会说‘跳跃麋鹿’。”

“勒雷纳德，我们之间的名字有些混乱，”邓肯说道，希望能引发一场讨论。 “Daim 是法语中鹿的意思，cerf 是雄鹿的意思；当人们谈论麋鹿时，“elan”才是真正的术语。”

“是的，”印第安人用他的母语嘀咕道。 “那些苍白的脸都是喋喋不休的女人！他们每件事都有两个词，而红皮肤会让他的声音对他说话。”然后，他改变了语言，继续坚持他的省级导师不完善的命名法。 “鹿虽快，但弱；麋鹿敏捷而有力； “Le Serpent”的儿子是“Le Cerf Agile”。他跳河到树林里了吗？”

“如果你指的是年轻的特拉华，他也已随水而下。”

对于印第安人来说，逃亡并不是什么不可能的事情，马古承认了他所听到的事实，并做好了准备，这提供了更多证据，证明他不会珍惜这些毫无价值的俘虏。然而，和他的同伴在一起，感觉就明显不同了。

休伦人以特有的耐心等待着这段简短对话的结果，沉默逐渐加剧，直到乐队中一片寂静。当海沃德停止说话时，他们像一个人一样将目光转向马瓜，以这种富有表现力的方式要求对所说的话做出解释。他们的翻译指着河流，让他们通过行动和他所说的几句话来了解结果。当人们普遍了解了事实后，野蛮人发出了可怕的叫喊，这表明了他们的失望程度。有些人愤怒地跑到水边，用疯狂的手势拍打空气，而另一些人则向元素吐口水，以怨恨它对他们公认的征服者权利所犯下的叛国罪。有几个人，他们是这群人中最强大、最了不起的人，向那些仍然掌握在权力之下的俘虏投去低沉的目光，其中最强烈的激情只能通过习惯性的自我控制来缓和，而一两个人甚至发出了发泄的声音。他们用最具威胁性的姿态来表达她们的恶毒感情，而姐妹们的性和美貌都无法抵御这种行为。年轻的士兵拼尽全力想要跳到爱丽丝身边，却徒劳无功，这时他看见一个野蛮人的黑手在她肩上飘逸的浓密长发中盘旋，一把刀子从她的头上划过。它们倒下，仿佛预示着它的美丽装饰即将被夺走。但他的双手被绑着；当他做出第一个动作时，他就感觉到指挥乐队的那个强大的印第安人抓住了他，像虎钳一样压着他的肩膀。他立即意识到，与如此压倒性的力量进行任何斗争都将是徒劳的，他屈服于自己的命运，用一些低沉而温柔的保证来鼓励他温柔的同伴，当地人的威胁很少会超过他们的表现。

尽管邓肯用这些安慰的话来平息姐妹们的忧虑，但他并没有软弱到欺骗自己的地步。他深知，印第安酋长的权威非常不符合传统，其权威往往是通过身体上的优越性来维持的，而不是通过他可能拥有的道德上的至高无上来维持。因此，危险程度与包围他们的野蛮灵魂的数量成正比。他这位看似公认的领袖所发出的最积极的命令，随时都有可能被任何鲁莽的人所违反，他们可能会选择将受害者献祭给死去的朋友或亲戚。因此，虽然他表面上保持着冷静和坚韧，但只要任何凶猛的俘虏比平常更接近无助的姐妹，或者将她们阴沉、徘徊的目光固定在那些脆弱的身体上，他的心就会跳到喉咙里。我们无力抵抗最轻微的攻击。

然而，当他看到领袖召集他的战士们商议时，他的忧虑大大缓解了。他们的审议时间很短，而且从大多数党员的沉默来看，这个决定似乎是一致的。从少数发言者频繁地指向韦伯营地的方向来看，显然他们害怕危险从那个方向逼近。这样的考虑，恐怕加速了他们的决心，也加快了接下来的动作。

在短暂的会议期间，海沃德从最严重的恐惧中找到了喘息的机会，他有闲暇欣赏休伦人即使在敌对行动停止后仍谨慎行事的方式。

前面已经说过，岛屿的上半部是一块裸露的岩石，除了几根零散的浮木外，没有任何其他防御设施。他们选择了这个地点下降，为此目的，他们划着独木舟穿过大瀑布周围的树林。十几个紧贴船侧的人将手臂放入小船中，相信独木舟的方向，独木舟由两名最熟练的战士控制，他们的态度使他们能够看到危险的通道。受到这种安排的青睐，他们到达了岛的顶部，事实证明，这对他们的第一批冒险者来说是致命的，但他们拥有人数优势和拥有火器的优势。邓肯很清楚他们的血统就是这样的。因为他们现在从岩石上端取出了浅色树皮，并将其放入靠近外洞口的水中。变化一出，首领就示意囚犯们下去进入。

由于抵抗是不可能的，抗议也无济于事，海沃德树立了屈服的榜样，带路进入独木舟，很快他就与姐妹们和仍然疑惑的大卫坐在一起。尽管休伦人必然不知道河流中的漩涡和急流中的小河道，但他们对这种航行的常见迹象太了解了，不会犯任何重大错误。当被选来负责引导独木舟任务的领航员就位后，整个队伍再次陷入河中，船只顺着水流滑行，不一会儿，俘虏们发现自己已经到了小溪的南岸，几乎已经到了河的南岸。与他们前一天晚上到达的位置相反。

这里又举行了一次简短但认真的协商，在此期间，马匹被从树林的掩护处牵出来，带到了避难的地方。乐队现在分裂了。这位经常被提及的伟大酋长骑上海沃德的战马，直接带路过河，身后跟着他的大部分人民，然后消失在树林里，留下囚犯看管着六个野蛮人，他们的首领是勒·雷纳尔微妙。邓肯看着他们的一举一动，心中再次感到不安。

由于野蛮人异常的宽容，他一直喜欢相信自己被保留为囚犯，将被送往蒙卡尔姆。由于那些处于痛苦之中的人的思想很少会沉睡，而当希望被无论多么微弱和遥远的希望所激发时，这种发明就会变得更加活跃，他甚至想象蒙罗的父母感情会成为引诱他的工具。从他对国王的职责来看。因为，尽管这位法国指挥官具有勇气和进取心的崇高品格，但他也被认为是那些并不总是尊重更好的道德义务的政治实践的专家，这些政治实践普遍使当时的欧洲外交蒙羞。

所有那些忙碌而巧妙的猜测现在都被绑架者的行为消灭了。跟随这位巨大战士的那部分人，沿着通往霍里肯山脚的路线，对他自己和同伴来说，除了被野蛮的征服者当作绝望的俘虏之外，别无其他期望。他急于知道最坏的情况，并愿意在这种紧急情况下尝试一下黄金的功效，他克服了不愿与马瓜交谈的心理。他向他的前任向导讲话，他现在已经拥有了指导党的未来运动的权威和方式，他用他所能想象到的友好和信任的语气说道：

“我会和马瓜说话，这句话只适合如此伟大的酋长听到。”

印第安人轻蔑地将目光转向年轻士兵，回答道：

“说话;树没有耳朵。”

“但是红休伦人并不聋；适合一个国家的伟人的忠告会让年轻的战士喝醉。如果马瓜不听，大王的官员知道如何保持沉默。”

野蛮人漫不经心地对他的战友们说话，他们正忙着准备马匹来迎接姐妹们，他们的举止笨拙，他向一侧移动了一点，以谨慎的姿态引导海沃德跟上。

“现在，说吧，”他说。 “如果这些话是马古应该听到的。”

“Le Renard Subtil 已经证明自己配得上他的加拿大父辈们赋予他的光荣称号，”海沃德开始说道。 “我看到了他的智慧，以及他为我们所做的一切，当奖励他的时刻到来时，我会记住它。是的！雷纳德已经证明，他不仅是一位伟大的议会首领，而且还知道如何欺骗敌人！”

“雷纳德做了什么？”印第安人冷冷地问道。

“什么！难道他没有看到树林里到处都是敌人的外围部队，而蛇不可能在不被发现的情况下偷偷穿过树林吗？那么，他不是迷失了道路，蒙蔽了休伦人的眼睛吗？他不是假装回到了曾经虐待过他并像狗一样把他赶出棚屋的部落吗？当他看到他想做什么时，我们不是通过做假面孔来帮助他，以便休伦人可能会认为白人相信他的朋友是他的敌人吗？这一切难道不是真的吗？当勒苏蒂尔用他的智慧闭上了眼睛、塞住了他的国家的耳朵时，他们难道没有忘记他们曾经冤枉过他，并迫使他逃往莫霍克人吗？难道他们没有把他和俘虏留在河的南边，而他们却愚蠢地去了河的北边吗？雷纳德难道不想像狐狸一样跟上脚步，把他的女儿们带到富有的白发苏格兰人那里吗？是的，马瓜，我都看到了，我已经在想，这么多的智慧和诚实应该如何回报。首先，威廉·亨利的酋长将作为一位伟大酋长应有的奉献精神来提供这样的服务。 Magua 的奖章*将不再由锡制成，而是由精打金制成；他的角会沾满粉末；他的口袋里的美元将像霍里肯海岸上的鹅卵石一样充足；鹿会舔他的手，因为它们知道从他携带的步枪中飞走是徒劳的！至于我自己，我不知道怎样才能超越苏格兰人的感激之情，但我——是的，我会——”

*长期以来一直有与白人和解的做法
通过颁发奖章来表彰印第安人的重要人物
被佩戴在他们自己粗鲁的装饰品的地方。那些
英国人给人的印象通常是
现任国王，以及美国人给予的那些
主席。

“来自太阳的年轻酋长会给出什么？”休伦人问道，他注意到海沃德犹豫是否希望以可能构成印第安人愿望的高潮来结束列举利益。

“他将使来自盐湖岛屿的火水在马瓜的棚屋前流动，直到印第安人的心脏比蜂鸟的羽毛更轻，他的呼吸比野生金银花更甜美。”

勒雷纳德严肃地听着海沃德缓慢地进行这场微妙的演讲。当年轻人提到他认为印第安人对自己的国家采取的诡计时，听者的脸上露出了谨慎严肃的表情。当邓肯假装相信伤害将休伦人赶出了他的家乡部落时，对方的眼中闪现出难以控制的凶猛的光芒，这让这位爱冒险的演讲者相信他已经击中了正确的心弦。当他巧妙地将复仇的渴望与获利的欲望融为一体时，他至少已经获得了野蛮人最深切的关注。勒雷纳尔提出的问题很平静，而且充满了印第安人的尊严。但从听者脸上深思熟虑的表情可以明显看出，这个答案是经过精心设计的。休伦人沉思了一会儿，然后把手放在受伤肩膀上粗糙的绷带上，充满活力地说：

“朋友们也会留下这样的印记吗？”

“‘拉长卡宾枪’会对敌人造成如此轻微的伤害吗？”

“特拉华人会像蛇一样爬到他们所爱的人身上，扭曲自己进行攻击吗？”

“他希望聋子的耳朵能听到‘大蛇’吗？”

“白酋​​长会把火药烧到他兄弟们的脸上吗？”

“当他一心想杀人时，他是否会错过目标？”邓肯回来了，脸上带着真诚的微笑。

在这些冗长的问题和准备好的答复之后，又是一次长时间的、刻意的停顿。邓肯看出印第安人犹豫了。为了完成自己的胜利，正当他重新开始计算奖励的时候，马古做出了一个表情丰富的手势，说道：

“足够的;勒雷纳尔是一位明智的酋长，他的所作所为将会被看到。走吧，闭嘴。当马古开口说话的时候，就是回答的时候了。”

海沃德察觉到同伴的目光警惕地盯着乐队的其他成员，立即向后退去，以避免与他们的领导者出现任何可疑的同盟关系。马古亚走近马匹，假装对战友们的勤奋和聪明才智感到非常满意。然后他向海沃德示意，协助姐妹们上马，因为他很少屈尊使用英语，除非出于某种比平时更重要的动机。

不再有任何合理的拖延借口；尽管很不情愿，但邓肯还是不得不遵守。当他履行这一职责时，他在颤抖的女性耳边低声诉说着重获新生的希望，她们因为害怕遭遇绑架者的野蛮面容，很少将目光从地面上抬起来。大卫的母马被大酋长的追随者掳走。结果，它的主人和邓肯都被迫步行。然而，后者并没有对这种情况感到遗憾，因为这可能会让他减缓队伍的速度。因为他仍然将渴望的目光转向爱德华堡的方向，徒劳地期望从那片森林中听到一些声音，这可能表明救援即将到来。当一切准备就绪后，马古亚发出了出发的信号，亲自走在前面，带领着一行人。接下来是大卫，随着伤口的影响变得越来越不明显，他逐渐真正意识到自己的状况。姐妹们骑在他的后面，海沃德在她们身边，而印第安人则在队伍的两侧，带着似乎永不疲倦的谨慎，结束了行军。

就这样，他们在不间断的沉默中进行，除非海沃德对雌性单独说一些安慰的话，或者大卫用可怜的感叹来发泄他精神上的呻吟，他的目的是表达顺从的谦卑。他们的方向朝南，路线几乎与通往威廉·亨利的道路相反。尽管马瓜显然坚持了征服者最初的决心，但海沃德无法相信他诱人的诱饵这么快就被遗忘了；他对印第安人道路的曲折性了如指掌，以至于在完全需要技巧的时候，他不会认为它的明显路线会直接通向它的目标。然而，他们就这样痛苦地在无边无际的树林里走了一里又一里，没有任何结束旅程的希望。海沃德看着太阳，他的子午线光线穿过树枝，渴望着马瓜的政策改变路线，转向更有利于他的希望的那一刻。有时他会想象这个警惕的野蛮人，对安全地通过蒙卡尔姆的军队感到绝望，正朝着一个著名的边境定居点前进，那里有一位杰出的王室官员，也是六国的一位受宠的朋友，那里保管着他的大量财产，以及他的常住地。被交付到威廉·约翰逊爵士手中比被带到加拿大的荒野要好得多。但为了实现前者，就必须穿越森林许多疲惫的联盟，每一步都使他远离战争现场，因此，不仅远离荣誉，但出于职责。

只有科拉记得侦察兵的临别嘱咐，只要有机会，她就会伸出手臂，把碰到她手的树枝推开。但印第安人的警惕性使得这一预防行动变得既困难又危险。当她有必要假装自己没有感觉到的警报，并以某种女性忧虑的姿态占据肢体时，她的目的常常会因为遇到他们警惕的目光而失败。一次，也是仅有一次，她彻底成功了。当她折断一棵大漆树的树枝时，突然想到，她的手套同时落了下来。这个标志是为那些可能跟随的人准备的，被她的一位指挥员观察到，他恢复了手套，折断了灌木丛的剩余树枝，其方式似乎是从树枝上的某种野兽的挣扎中产生的，并且然后他把手放在战斧上，神情如此意味深长，有效地结束了这些被盗的关于他们的旅程的纪念碑。

由于在印第安人的两个部落中都有马匹留下了足迹，这种中断切断了通过他们的踪迹传递援助的任何可能的希望。

如果马瓜阴暗的保护区里有什么令人鼓舞的事情，海沃德一定会冒险提出抗议。但这个野蛮人在这段时间里很少回头看他的追随者，也从不说话。依靠太阳作为他唯一的向导，或者依靠只有本地人才知道的盲目痕迹的帮助，他沿着贫瘠的松树，穿过偶尔肥沃的小山谷，穿过小溪和小溪，越过起伏的山丘。 ，具有本能的准确性，几乎具有鸟类的直接性。他似乎从来没有犹豫过。这条路是否难以辨认，是否消失，或者它是否在他面前平坦而平坦，对他的速度或确定性没有明显的影响。疲劳似乎并不能影响他。每当疲倦的旅人从他们踩过的腐叶上抬起眼睛时，就会看到他的黑色身影在前面的树干中扫视，他的头一动不动地固定在前方，头顶上有浅色的羽毛。他在气流中飘动，这完全是他自己动作的敏捷造成的。

但所有这些勤奋和速度并非没有目的。穿过一个低洼的山谷，一条小溪蜿蜒流过，他突然登上了一座小山，山势陡峭，攀登困难，姐妹俩只得下车跟上。当到达顶峰时，他们发现自己处于一个平坦的地方，但树木覆盖得很薄，马古亚将他的黑色身影扔在其中一棵树下，似乎愿意并准备好寻求整个队伍都非常需要的休息。

“如果我原谅他，我的部落就会被诅咒。”
——夏洛克

印第安人为此选择了一座陡峭的金字塔形山丘，这些山丘与人工土丘非常相似，并且经常出现在美洲山谷中。所讨论的那座山又高又陡。它的顶部像往常一样扁平；但它的一侧比平常更加不规则。作为一个休息场所，除了它的海拔和形状之外，它没有其他明显的优势，这可能使防御变得容易，并且几乎不可能出其不意。然而，由于海沃德不再指望救援（时间和距离现在变得如此不可能），他以一种毫无兴趣的眼光看待这些小怪事，完全致力于安慰和慰问他那些虚弱的同伴。纳拉甘西特人只能吃散布在山顶上的树木和灌木的树枝，而他们剩下的食物则散布在山毛榉的树荫下，山毛榉的水平枝条像天篷一样在他们上方伸展开来。 。

尽管他们逃得很快，但其中一个印第安人找到了一个机会，用箭射中了一只掉队的小鹿，并耐心地把受害者身上更好的碎片扛在了他的肩膀上，到达了停下来的地方。在没有烹饪科学的帮助的情况下，他和他的同伴一样，立即开始用这种易于消化的食物狼吞虎咽。马古独自坐在一旁，没有参加这顿令人作呕的饭菜，显然陷入了最深的沉思。

当印第安人拥有充饥的手段时，他的这种节制是非常了不起的，最终引起了海沃德的注意。年轻人心甘情愿地相信，休伦人正在考虑最合适的方式来躲避他的同伙的警惕。为了通过自己的建议来帮助他的计划，并增强诱惑，他离开了山毛榉，像没有目标一样，零散地走到勒雷纳尔坐着的地方。

“马瓜没有让阳光照在脸上足够长的时间，以逃避加拿大人的所有危险吗？”他问道，仿佛不再怀疑他们之间建立的良好情报。 “威廉·亨利的酋长会不会更高兴见到他的女儿们，以免下一个夜晚让他的心变得更加坚硬，失​​去她们，从而使他在奖励方面变得不那么慷慨？”

“那些苍白的脸早上比晚上更不爱他们的孩子吗？”印第安人冷冷地问道。

“决不，”海沃德回答道，他急于回忆起自己的错误，如果他犯了一个错误的话。 “白人可能而且经常忘记他祖先的埋葬地；他有时会忘记那些他应该爱的人，而他曾经承诺过要珍惜的人；但父母对孩子的感情是永远不允许消逝的。”

“白头酋长的心是不是软了，他会想起他的娘们给他生的宝贝们吗？他对他的战士很严厉，他的眼睛是石头做的？”

“他对懒惰和邪恶的人很严厉，但对清醒和值得的人来说，他是一位领导者，既公正又人道。我认识许多慈爱温柔的父母，但我从未见过一个人对自己的孩子心如此温柔。你已经看到了他的战士马古亚面前的灰发女郎；但当他谈到现在在你手中的那些孩子时，我看到他的眼睛在水里游泳！

海沃德停了下来，因为他不知道如何理解这位专注的印第安人黝黑的脸上闪烁着的非凡表情。起初，当他倾听父母的感情来源时，对承诺的奖励的记忆似乎在他的脑海中变得清晰起来，以确保获得它。但是，随着邓肯的继续，喜悦的表情变得如此凶恶，以至于不可能不理解它是出于某种比贪婪更险恶的激情。

“走吧，”休伦人说道，他立刻压制住了令人震惊的表现，面容死一般的平静。 “去找黑发女儿，说：‘马瓜等着说话’，父亲会记住孩子的承诺。”

邓肯将这次演讲解读为表达了对承诺的礼物不应被扣留的额外承诺的愿望，他慢慢地、不情愿地回到了姐妹们现在因疲劳而休息的地方，向科拉传达了其要旨。

“你了解印第安人愿望的本质，”当他带领她走向她期待的地方时，他总结道，“并且一定会挥霍你提供的粉末和毯子。然而，像他这样的人最看重的是热情的精神。从你自己的手中添加一些恩惠也没有什么错，因为你非常知道如何练习这种优雅。记住，科拉，你的冷静和聪明才智，甚至你的生命，以及爱丽丝的生命，在某种程度上也可能取决于你的冷静和聪明才智。”

“海沃德，还有你的！”

“我的时间不多；它已经卖给了我的国王，并且是任何拥有权力的敌人都可以夺取的战利品。我没有父亲期待我，也没有几个朋友来哀叹我在功成名就后用青年人永不满足的渴望所追求的命运。但是安静！我们接近印第安人。你要谈话的那位女士马瓜就在这里。”

印第安人慢慢地从座位上站起来，一动不动地沉默地站了近一分钟。随后他挥手示意海沃德退役，冷冷地说：

“当休伦人与妇女交谈时，他的部落却充耳不闻。”

邓肯依然犹豫不决，似乎不肯答应，科拉平静地微笑着说道：

“你听到了，海沃德，精致至少应该促使你退休。去找爱丽丝，用我们复兴的前景来安慰她。”

她一直等到他离开，然后转向当地人，她的声音和态度充满了女性的尊严，她补充道：“勒雷纳德会对蒙罗的女儿说什么？”

“听着，”印第安人说，他的手紧紧地放在她的手臂上，仿佛愿意让她全神贯注地听他的话。科拉坚决而安静地拒绝了这一举动，他将肢体从他手中解开：他看见了二十个夏天的太阳，让二十个冬天的雪在溪水中流淌，然后他看到了一张苍白的脸。他很高兴！然后他的加拿大父亲来到树林里，教他喝火水，他就成了一个流氓。休伦人将他从他父亲的坟墓中赶了出来，就像他们追逐被猎杀的水牛一样。他跑下湖岸，顺着湖水出口到达“炮城”。在那里他打猎、捕鱼，直到人们再次追赶他穿过树林，投入敌人的怀抱。这位出身休伦人的酋长最终成为了莫霍克人中的一名战士！”

“我以前听过类似的事，”科拉说，他注意到他停下来压制那些开始燃烧的激情，因为他回忆起了他所谓的受伤的回忆。

“勒雷纳德的头不是石头做的，这难道是他的错吗？谁给了他火水？谁让他成为恶棍呢？ “是那些苍白的脸，和你肤色相同的人。”

“我是否应该对存在这样的轻率、无原则的人负责，他们的面容可能与我相似？”科拉平静地向兴奋的野蛮人问道。

“不;马瓜是个男人，不是个傻子；就像你永远不会向燃烧的溪流张开嘴唇：伟大的精神给了你智慧！”

“那么，就你的不幸而言，更不用说你的错误了，我应该做什么或说什么呢？”

“听着，”印第安人重复道，恢复了他的认真态度。 “当他的英国和法国父亲拔起斧头时，勒雷纳尔袭击了莫霍克人的战地，并出去反对自己的国家。苍白的面孔将红皮肤的人赶出了他们的狩猎场，现在当他们战斗时，一个白人在前面带路。霍里坎的老酋长，你的父亲，是我们战队的伟大队长。他对莫霍克人说，做这个，做那个，他很介意。他制定了一条法律，如果一个印第安人吞下了火水，并进入了他的战士的布棚屋，那么他不应该被忘记。马瓜傻乎乎地张开了嘴，滚烫的酒液把他带进了蒙罗的小屋。灰头干了什么？让他女儿说吧。”

“他没有忘记自己的话，并通过惩罚罪犯来伸张正义，”勇敢的女儿说道。

“正义！”印第安人重复道，用最凶猛的表情斜眼瞥了她不屈的面容。 “制造邪恶然后惩罚它是正义吗？马瓜已经不再是他自己了；是火水为他说话、为他行动！但芒罗确实相信这一点。休伦酋长被绑在所有脸色苍白的战士面前，像狗一样被鞭打。”

科拉保持沉默，因为她不知道如何以适合印第安人理解的方式来缓和她父亲这种轻率的严厉态度。

“看！”马瓜继续说道，撕开那件不太完美地遮盖了他画过的胸部的小印花布； “这里有刀子和子弹留下的伤痕——战士可以在他的国家面前夸耀这些伤痕；但灰头在休伦族酋长的背上留下了痕迹，他必须像女鸦一样躲在这件白色的彩衣下面。”

“我原以为，”科拉继续说道，“印第安战士是有耐心的，他的精神感觉不到，也不知道他的身体所遭受的痛苦。”

“当齐佩瓦人把马瓜绑在木桩上，割下这个伤口时，”另一个人一边说，一边把手指放在一道深深的伤疤上，“休伦人当着他们的面大笑，告诉他们，女人打得太轻了！此时他的神魂已经飘到云端了！但当他感受到蒙罗的打击时，他的灵魂就倒在了桦树下。休伦人的精神永远不会醉；它会永远记住！”

“但它可能会被安抚。如果我父亲对你做了这种不公正的事，请向他展示一个印第安人如何能够原谅伤害，并夺回他的女儿们。你从海沃德少校那里听说过——”

马瓜摇了摇头，禁止他重复提出他如此鄙视的提议。

“你想要什么？”科拉在一阵极其痛苦的停顿之后继续说道，同时她的脑海中浮现出这样的信念：过于乐观和慷慨的邓肯被野蛮人的狡猾所残酷地欺骗了。

“休伦人热爱什么——永远善良；坏了就坏了！”

“那么，你将为蒙罗对他无助的女儿们造成的伤害进行报复。走在自己面前，获得战士的满足，这不是更像一个男人吗？”

“苍白面孔的手臂很长，刀子很锋利！”野蛮人恶狠狠地笑了一声，说道：“勒纳尔手里拿着灰头鬼的灵魂，为什么还要去他的战士们的火枪中间呢？”

“说出你的意图，马瓜，”科拉说，努力让自己保持平静。 “是为了把我们这些囚犯带到树林里，还是在盘算着更大的罪恶？难道没有奖励，没有办法减轻伤害，软化你的心吗？至少，放开我温柔的妹妹，把你所有的恶意都倒在我身上吧。以她的安全来购买财富，并用一个受害者来完成你的复仇。失去两个女儿可能会将老人带入坟墓，那么勒雷纳德哪里会感到满足呢？

“听着，”印第安人又说道。 “如果黑发女人以她祖先的伟大灵魂发誓不说谎，浅色眼睛可以回到霍里坎，告诉老酋长发生了什么。”

“我必须保证什么？”科拉问道，她的镇定和女性尊严仍然对这个凶猛的当地人保持着秘密的优势。

“当马古亚离开他的人民时，他的妻子被送给了另一位酋长；他现在已经与休伦人交上了朋友，并将回到大湖岸边他部落的坟墓。让英国酋长的女儿跟随，永远住在他的棚屋里。”

不管这种性格的提议对科拉来说可能会多么令人反感，尽管她非常厌恶，但她仍然保持着足够的自制力来回应，没有暴露出自己的弱点。

“如果马古亚与一个他不爱的妻子同住一间小屋，他会感到多么高兴啊！一个民族和肤色与他不同的人？最好拿下蒙罗的金子，用他的礼物买一些休伦女仆的心。”

印第安人将近一分钟没有回答，但他用凶狠的目光注视着科拉的脸，她的目光如此摇摆不定，以致她的眼睛因羞愧而沉了下来，给人的印象是，他们第一次遇到贞洁女性不会有的表情。可能会忍受。当她内心畏缩着，生怕耳朵被比上次更令人震惊的提议弄伤时，玛古亚的声音用最恶毒的语气回答道：

“当休伦人的背部受到打击时，他就会知道到哪里去找一个女人来感到聪明。门罗的女儿会为他打水、锄玉米、煮鹿肉。灰发人的身体会睡在他的大炮中，但他的心却在《微妙》的刀的触及范围内。”

“怪物！ “你真是罪有应得，”科拉大声喊道，他的孝顺之怒难以抑制。 “只有恶魔才能进行这样的复仇。但你高估了你的力量！你会发现，事实上，你所拥有的正是门罗的心，而它会反抗你最大的恶意！”

印第安人以一个可怕的微笑回应了她的大胆挑衅，这表明了他的目的没有改变，同时他示意她离开，仿佛要永远结束会议。科拉已经后悔自己的冲动，只得答应了，因为马瓜立刻离开了现场，走向了他那贪吃的同伴们。海沃德飞到了那位激动的女性身边，询问他在远处饶有兴趣地观看的一场对话的结果。但是，由于不愿引起爱丽丝的恐惧，她回避了直接答复，只是用她焦急的表情注视着绑架者最轻微的动作。对于姐姐一再严肃地询问她们可能的目的地的问题，她只是用无法控制的激动指着黑暗的一群人，一边低声说着，一边把爱丽丝抱在怀里。

“那儿，那儿；从他们的脸上看出我们的命运；我们将会看到；我们拭目以待吧！

科拉的动作和哽咽的话语比任何言语都更令人印象深刻，并很快引起了她同伴们的注意，而她自己的注意力则被一种只有木桩的重要性才能产生的强烈情绪所吸引。

当马古亚来到一群懒洋洋的野蛮人面前时，他们吃饱了恶心的食物，在野蛮的放纵中躺在地上，他开始以印第安酋长的尊严说话。他说出的第一个音节就引起了听众的尊重。由于休伦人使用的是他的母语，因此，尽管当地人小心翼翼地让囚犯们保持在战斧的挥动范围内，囚犯们只能从那些印第安人总是用来展示其雄辩的重要手势的性质来推测他长篇大论的实质内容。

起初，马瓜的语言和动作都显得平静而从容。当他成功地充分引起了同志们的注意后，海沃德频繁地指向大湖的方向，他以为自己在谈论他们祖先的土地和他们遥远的部落。听众们频频发出掌声，他们发出富有表现力的“休！”互相看着对方，对说话者表示赞扬。勒雷纳尔技术精湛，不容忽视他的优势。他现在谈到了他们离开那些宽敞的土地和幸福的村庄，来到加拿大与他们的父亲的敌人作战的漫长而痛苦的道路。他列举了党内的战士；他们的几个优点；他们经常为国家服务；他们的伤口，以及他们剥下的头皮数量。每当他提到任何礼物时（狡猾的印度人不会忽视任何一件礼物），受宠若惊的人的黑脸上就会闪烁着兴奋的光芒，他甚至毫不犹豫地通过鼓掌和确认的手势来断言话语的真实性。然后说话者的声音低了下来，失去了他列举他们的成功和胜利的事迹时那种响亮而生动的胜利声调。他描述了格伦的白内障；其岩石岛的位置固若金汤，有洞穴、无数的急流和漩涡；他把名字命名为“拉长卡宾枪”，然后停了下来，直到他们脚下的森林发出最后一声响亮而长长的呼喊声，人们才收到了这个令人讨厌的称呼。他指着年轻的俘虏，描述了一位最喜爱的战士的死亡，这位战士被他的手扔进了深谷。他不仅提到了那个悬在天地之间给整个乐队带来如此恐怖景象的人的命运，而且他在一棵树苗的树枝上重新表演了他的处境、他的决心和他的死亡的恐怖。 ;最后，他快速地叙述了他们每个朋友的堕落过程，从来没有忘记提到他们的勇气和他们最公认的美德。当这场事件的叙述结束时，他的声音再次发生了变化，变得哀伤，甚至带有音乐性，低沉的喉音。他现在谈到了被杀者的妻子和孩子。他们的贫困；他们身体和精神上的痛苦；他们的距离；最后，他们未报仇的错误。然后他突然提高了声音，充满了能量，最后说道：

“休伦狗能承受这个吗？谁敢对梅诺瓜的妻子说，鱼儿吃了他的头皮，他的民族还没有报仇！谁敢双手干净地去见瓦萨瓦蒂米的母亲，那个轻蔑的女人！当老人向我们要头皮时，我们没有一根白头发可以给他们，该怎么办呢！女人们会把手指指向我们。休伦人的名字上有一个黑点，一定是藏在血里了！”他的声音在愤怒的爆发中已经听不见了，愤怒现在爆发在空气中，仿佛树林里不再有这么小的一支乐队，而是充满了整个国家。在上述演讲中，那些对演讲者的成功最感兴趣的人通过演讲者的表情，可以清楚地看出演讲者的进展。他们用同情和悲伤来回应他的忧郁和哀悼。他的主张，通过确认的手势；他的吹嘘带着野蛮人的狂喜。当他谈到勇气时，他们的表情坚定而敏感。当他提到他们的伤势时，他们的眼睛里充满了愤怒。当他提到妇女们的奚落时，她们羞愧地低下了头。但当他指出他们的复仇手段时，他触动了印第安人的心弦。当他们第一次感觉到那是在他们可以触及的范围内时，整个乐队像一个人一样跳了起来。他们用最疯狂的叫喊来表达自己的愤怒，手持拔出的刀和高举的战斧冲向囚犯。海沃德扑倒在姐妹俩和最前面的两个姐妹之间，他用绝望的力量抓住了她们，这暂时抑制了他的暴力行为。这种意想不到的抵抗给了马瓜时间进行干预，他以快速的发音和生动的手势再次将乐队的注意力吸引到自己身上。他用他非常清楚如何假设的语言，转移了他的同志们的当前目标，并邀请他们延长受害者的痛苦。他的提议得到热烈欢迎，并迅速得到执行。

两名强大的战士向海沃德发起进攻，而另一名则忙着保护不太活跃的歌唱大师。然而，两名俘虏都没有经过绝望但徒劳的挣扎而屈服。就连大卫也将攻击他的人摔倒在地；海沃德也没有获得安全，直到印第安人战胜了他的同伴，使他们能够集中他们的部队来实现这一目标。然后他被绑在树苗的身上，马瓜在树苗的树枝上表演了休伦人倒下的哑剧。当年轻的士兵恢复记忆时，他痛苦地确信，全党将有共同的命运。坐在他右边的是科拉，他的表情与他相似，脸色苍白，焦躁不安，但他的目光坚定，仍然在观察着敌人的行踪。在他的左边，将她绑在松树上的绳索为爱丽丝履行了她颤抖的四肢所拒绝的职责，并独自阻止了她脆弱的身体下沉。她的双手在身前合十祈祷，但她并没有向上看去，仰望那能拯救她们的力量，而是无意识地看着邓肯的脸，带着婴儿般的依赖。大卫曾争辩过，但这种新奇的情况让他保持沉默，思考着这起不寻常的事件是否恰当。

休伦人的复仇现在已经采取了新的方向，他们准备用他们在几个世纪以来的实践中所熟悉的野蛮的聪明才智来实施它。有些人寻找绳结，以抬高燃烧的火堆；其中一人正在劈开松木碎片，以便用燃烧的碎片刺穿俘虏的肉体。和其他人将两棵树苗的顶部弯曲到地面，以便用手臂将海沃德悬挂在反冲的树枝之间。但马瓜的复仇寻求的是更深层次、更恶毒的享受。

当这群不那么文雅的怪物在那些将要受苦的人面前准备这些众所周知的、粗俗的酷刑手段时，他走近科拉，用最恶毒的表情指出，很快就会有这样的命运。等待着她：

“哈！”他补充道：“蒙罗的女儿怎么说？她的头太好了，在勒雷纳德的棚屋里找不到枕头。当它在这座山上滚动成为狼的玩物时，她会更喜欢它吗？她的怀抱无法哺育休伦人的孩子；她会看到它被印第安人吐口水！”

“怪物是什么意思！”海沃德惊讶地问道。

“没有什么！” ”这是坚定的答复。 “他是一个野蛮人，一个野蛮无知的野蛮人，他不知道自己在做什么。让我们在临死前找个空闲，请求他的忏悔和宽恕。”

“赦免！”凶猛的休伦人附和着，他在愤怒中误解了她的话的含义。 “印第安人的记忆不过是苍白面孔的手臂；他的仁慈比他们的正义还短！说;我应该把黄头发送给她父亲吗？你愿意跟随玛瓜到大湖里去，为他挑水，给他喂玉米吗？”

科拉招呼他走开，心中涌起一种无法控制的厌恶情绪。

“离开我，”她说道，语气严肃，暂时制止了印第安人的野蛮行径。 “你在我的祈祷中夹杂着苦涩；你站在我和我的上帝之间！”

不过，这个野蛮人很快就忘记了这个轻微的印象，他继续用嘲讽的语气指着爱丽丝。

“看！孩子哭了！她还太年轻，死不了！把她送到门罗那里，帮他梳理白发，让老人的心里永存生机。”

科拉无法抗拒看着她年轻妹妹的欲望，她的眼神中流露出恳求的目光，这背叛了大自然的渴望。

“他怎么说，最亲爱的科拉？”爱丽丝用颤抖的声音问道。 “他有说要送我去见我们的父亲吗？”

很多时候，姐姐看着妹妹，脸上的表情因强烈而矛盾的情绪而摇摆不定。她终于开口说话了，尽管她的语气已经失去了丰富而平静的饱满，但表情却充满了慈母般的温柔。

“爱丽丝，”她说，“休伦河为我们俩提供了生命，不，比我们俩都多。他提出要让邓肯，我们无价的邓肯，还有你，回到我们的朋友身边，回到我们的父亲身边，回到我们伤心欲绝、没有孩子的父亲身边，只要我屈服于我这种叛逆、顽固的骄傲，并同意——”

她的声音变得哽咽，她紧握双手，向上看去，仿佛在痛苦中寻找无限智慧中的智慧。

“说吧，”爱丽丝喊道。 “什么，最亲爱的科拉？哦！这个提议是向我提出的！为了拯救你，为了让我们年迈的父亲高兴，为了恢复邓肯的生命，我死得多么高兴啊！”

“死！”科拉用更平静、更坚定的声音重复道：“那很容易！也许替代方案也同样如此。他会让我，”她继续说道，她的口音因深深意识到这个提议的堕落而下沉，“跟随他到荒野；去休伦人的居住地；留在那里；总之，成为他的妻子！那么，请说话，爱丽丝；我心爱的孩子！我爱的妹妹！海沃德少校，你也用你的建议来帮助我脆弱的理智。生命是用这样的牺牲来换取的吗？爱丽丝，你愿意以这样的价格从我手中收到它吗？而你，邓肯，引导我；在你们之间控制我；因为我完全是你的了！”

“我可以吗！”愤怒而惊讶的年轻人呼应道。 “科拉！科拉！你拿我们的苦难开玩笑！不要再说出那个可怕的选择；这个想法本身比一千次死亡更糟糕。”

“这就是你的答案，我很清楚！”科拉惊呼道，她的脸颊涨得通红，黑色的眼睛里再次闪烁着女人挥之不去的情感。 “我的爱丽丝怎么说？我会为她顺服，不再发怨言。”

尽管海沃德和科拉都带着痛苦的悬念和全神贯注地听着，但没有听到任何回应的声音。听着这个提议，爱丽丝娇嫩敏感的身躯似乎要收缩起来。她的手臂纵向垂在身前，手指轻微抽搐。她的头垂在怀里，整个人似乎悬在树上，看起来就像是她性别上受伤的娇嫩的美丽象征，缺乏活力，但却有着敏锐的意识。然而过了一会儿，她的头开始缓慢地转动，表现出深深的、不可克服的不满。

“不不不;最好我们一起死去，就像我们曾经活着一样！”

“那就去死吧！” “马瓜喊道，他用战斧猛烈地向那个毫无抵抗力的发言者投掷，他咬牙切齿地怒气冲冲，再也无法抑制这个他认为是党内最弱者突然表现出的坚定态度。斧头劈开了海沃德面前的空气，砍掉了爱丽丝飘逸的卷发，她在她头顶的树上颤抖着。这一幕让邓肯陷入了绝望。他集中了所有的精力，猛地折断了绑住他的树枝，冲向另一个野蛮人，后者正准备大声喊叫，瞄准更仔细的目标，重复这一击。他们相遇，扭打，一起倒在了地上。海沃德赤裸的身体让海沃德无法抓住他的对手，对手从他的手中滑落，然后再次站起来，用一只膝盖抵住他的胸口，用巨人的重量将他压倒。邓肯已经看到那把刀在空中闪闪发光，这时一阵呼啸声从他身边掠过，与其说是伴随着，不如说是步枪尖锐的爆响。他感到自己的胸口从之前所承受的负担中解脱出来了。当印第安人倒在他身边的枯叶上时，他看到对手脸上的野蛮表情变成了茫然的野性。

“克洛——我走了，陛下，
不久之后，陛下，我会再次和您在一起。”
-第十二夜

休伦人对死亡突然降临到他们的一个部落感到惊愕。但是，当他们看到这个敢于冒着对朋友造成如此大的危险而牺牲敌人的目标的致命准确性时，“拉长卡宾枪”的名字同时从每个人的嘴里爆发出来，接替的是狂野和哀伤的声音。嗥。回应叫声的是一片小灌木丛中传来的一声大喊，那群不小心的人把手臂堆在了那里。就在下一刻，鹰眼急于给他重新夺回的步枪装弹，他向他们逼近，挥舞着棍棒武器，用宽而有力的扫风划破空气。尽管侦察兵的步伐大胆而迅速，但它被一种轻盈而有力的形态所超越，它从他身边跳过去，以令人难以置信的活力和勇气，跃入休伦河的正中心，在那里它站在那里，旋转着战斧，在科拉面前挥舞着一把闪闪发光的刀，带着可怕的威胁。比思想追随那些意想不到的、大胆的动作更快，一个身穿死亡象征性全副武装的形象在他们眼前滑过，并在对方身边摆出威胁的态度。野蛮的折磨者在这些好战的入侵者面前退缩，当他们如此迅速地连续出现时，他们经常重复地发出奇怪的惊讶感叹，随后是众所周知的可怕的称呼：

“Le Cerf 敏捷！大蛇！”

但这位谨慎而警惕的休伦族领袖并不那么容易惊慌失措。他用锐利的目光扫视着这片小平原，一眼就明白了这次袭击的性质，并以声音和榜样鼓励他的追随者，他拔出危险的长刀，大声呼喊着冲向了那片小平原。期待Chingachgook。这是一场全面战斗的信号。双方都没有枪支，比赛将以最致命的方式决出胜负，肉搏战，进攻武器，不使用防御武器。

恩卡斯回应了一声呼喊，跳向敌人，用他的战斧一击，将他劈成脑部。海沃德从树苗上扯下马瓜的武器，急切地冲向战场。由于双方人数相等，双方各挑一名敌方对手。冲锋和打击以旋风般的狂暴和闪电般的迅猛而过。鹰眼很快就让另一个敌人触手可及，他用他强大的武器一扫，就击垮了对手脆弱而不人为的防御，一击将他压倒在地。海沃德大胆地扔出了他抓住的战斧，他太热心了，没有等待关门的时刻。它击中了他所选择的印第安人的额头，并立即阻止了他的前进。被这微弱的优势所鼓舞，鲁莽的年轻人继续发起进攻，赤手空拳地向敌人扑去。一瞬间就足以让他确信这一措施是鲁莽的，因为他立即发现自己正在全力以赴，用他所有的活力和勇气，努力抵御休伦刀的绝望刺击。他再也无法挫败如此机警和警惕的敌人了，他用双臂环住了他，并成功地将对方的四肢固定在自己的身边，用铁一般的抓握，但这对他来说太累了，无法持续太久。就在这危急关头，他听到附近有一个声音喊道：

“消灭那些混蛋！决不能容忍一个该死的明戈！”

下一刻，鹰眼的枪口就落在了对手赤裸的脑袋上，对手的肌肉似乎在震动下枯萎了，从邓肯的怀里沉了下去，灵活而一动不动。

当恩卡斯解决了他的第一个对手后，他像一头饥饿的狮子一样转身去寻找另一个对手。第五个也是唯一一个在第一次进攻中脱离的休伦人停顿了一会儿，然后看到他周围的人都陷入了致命的冲突，他以地狱般的复仇寻求完成令人困惑的复仇工作。他发出胜利的呼喊，向手无寸铁的科拉扑去，并挥出锋利的斧头，作为他接近的可怕先兆。战斧擦过她的肩膀，砍断了将她绑在树上的肩胛骨，让少女得以自由飞翔。她逃脱了野蛮人的控制，不顾自己的安全，扑倒在爱丽丝的怀里，用抽搐的、方向不当的手指奋力撕开束缚她姐姐身体的树枝。除了怪物之外，任何人都会对这种对最美好、最纯洁的感情的慷慨奉献行为感到心慈手软。但休伦人的胸怀对同情心是陌生的。他抓住科拉那一头蓬松的长发，将她的身形弄得乱七八糟，把她从疯狂的怀抱中拽了出来，用残酷的暴力将她跪倒在地。野蛮人用手拉过飘逸的卷发，用伸出的手臂将它们高高举起，然后用刀绕过受害者造型精美的头部，脸上带着嘲弄和狂喜的笑声。但他却以失去致命的机会换取了这一刻的强烈满足。就在这时，这一幕引起了恩卡斯的注意。他从脚步中跳了起来，瞬间在空中飞奔，然后像球一样下降，落在敌人的胸口上，把他从原地赶了好几码，头朝下倒在地上。剧烈的用力让年轻的莫希干人站在了他的身边。他们一起站起来，依次战斗、流血。但冲突很快就得到了解决。海沃德的战斧和鹰眼的步枪落在了休伦人的头骨上，同时恩卡斯的刀也刺到了他的心脏。

现在，除了“Le Renard Subtil”和“Le Gros Serpent”之间的旷日持久的斗争之外，战斗已经完全结束。这些野蛮的战士很好地证明了他们应得的那些因在以前的战争中的事迹而被授予的重要名字。当他们交战时，他们浪费了一些时间来躲避针对他们生命的快速而猛烈的攻击。突然，它们互相冲撞，闭合，来到地面，像缠绕的蛇一样扭曲在一起，形成柔韧而微妙的褶皱。当胜利者发现自己空无一人的时候，这些经验丰富、绝望的战士所躺的地方只能被一团灰尘和树叶所识别，这些灰尘和树叶从小平原的中心向它的边界移动，仿佛被通道升起。的旋风。在孝顺、友谊和感恩等不同动机的驱使下，海沃德和他的同伴们齐心协力地冲到了这个地方，包围了悬挂在战士们头顶的小灰尘天篷。恩卡斯徒劳地绕着云团飞奔，想要用刀刺入他父亲敌人的心脏。鹰眼那具威胁性的步枪徒劳地举起并悬空，而邓肯则试图用似乎失去力量的双手抓住休伦人的四肢。浑身沾满灰尘和鲜血的战斗者们飞快的进化，仿佛将他们的身体融为一体。莫希干人的死亡般的身影和休伦人的黑暗身影，在他们眼前如此快速而混乱地连续闪烁，以至于前者的朋友们不知道该在哪里进行救援。确实，有一些短暂而转瞬即逝的时刻，马古那双火热的眼睛闪闪发光，就像传说中蛇怪的器官透过笼罩着他的尘土飞扬的花环一样，他从那些短暂而致命的目光中读出了这个人的命运。在敌人面前作战；然而，在任何敌对的手能够落在他虔诚的头上之前，它的位置就被钦加古克阴沉的面容所取代。就这样，战斗场景从小平原的中心转移到了边缘。莫希干人现在找到了一个机会，用他的刀进行了有力的刺击；马古突然松开了手，向后倒去，一动不动，似乎没有了生命。他的对手一跃而起，让森林的拱门响起胜利的声音。

“特拉华州干得好！莫西干人的胜利！”鹰眼喊道，再次举起致命的长步枪枪托； “一个没有十字架的人的最后一击永远不会损害他的荣誉，也不会剥夺他的权利。”

但就在危险的武器即将下降的那一刻，狡猾的休伦从危险之下迅速翻滚，越过悬崖边缘，双脚着地，一跃跳入了悬崖。一片低矮灌木丛的中心，这些灌木丛紧贴在它的两侧。特拉华人以为敌人已经死了，发出惊讶的感叹，像猎犬在开阔的视野中追赶鹿一样，迅速而喧闹地追赶，这时侦察兵发出一声尖锐而奇特的叫声，立即改变了他们的目的，并召回了他们。到山顶。

“这就像他自己一样！”这位顽固的护林员喊道，他的偏见在很大程度上掩盖了他在所有与明戈人有关的事情上天生的正义感； “他就是一个撒谎、欺骗的混蛋。现在，一个诚实的特拉华人，如果被彻底击败，就会一动不动地躺着，然后被敲到头，但这些恶棍马夸人就像许多山上的猫一样坚持着生命。让他走——让他走；这只是一个人，他没有步枪或弓箭，距离他的法国战友有很长的距离；就像一只失去了尖牙的响尾蛇一样，他不能再做任何恶作剧，直到他和我们也能在一大片沙质平原上留下莫卡辛鞋的脚印。你看，恩卡斯，”他在特拉华州补充道，“你的父亲已经在剥头皮了。也许我们最好绕一圈去感受一下剩下的流浪汉，或者我们可能会看到另一个他们在树林里大步穿过，像长了翅膀的松鸦一样尖叫。”

说着，这位诚实但冷酷无情的侦察兵绕了一圈死者，把他的长刀刺进了死者毫无知觉的怀里，冷静得仿佛他们是许多野蛮的尸体。然而，年长的莫希干人已经预料到了他的到来，他已经从那些毫无抵抗力的阵亡者的头上撕下了胜利的徽章。

但恩卡斯否认了他的习惯，我们几乎已经说出了他的本性，在海沃德的陪伴下，本能地优雅地飞向雌性的援助，并迅速释放了爱丽丝，将她放入科拉的怀抱中。我们不会试图描述对全能事件处理者的感激之情，这种感激之情在姐妹们的怀抱中闪耀，因此，她们意外地恢复了生命并彼此恢复了联系。他们的感恩是深沉而无声的。他们温柔的灵魂的祭品在他们心灵的秘密祭坛上燃烧得最明亮、最纯洁；他们的感情焕然一新，更加世俗化，在漫长而热烈但无言的爱抚中表现出来。当爱丽丝从她跪在科拉身边的地方站起来时，她扑倒在科拉的怀里，大声哭泣着他们年迈父亲的名字，而她温柔的鸽子般的眼睛闪烁着光芒。的希望。

“我们得救了！我们得救了！”她低声说道； “回到我们亲爱的、亲爱的父亲的怀抱，他的心就不会因悲伤而破碎。还有你，科拉，我的妹妹，不仅仅是我的妹妹，我的母亲；你也幸免于难。还有邓肯，”她补充道，脸上带着难以形容的天真微笑，环视着年轻人，“就连我们勇敢而高贵的邓肯也毫发无伤地逃脱了。”

对于这些热情而近乎天真的话语，科拉没有做出任何其他回答，只是将这位年轻的说话者紧紧地贴在她的心上，同时她弯下腰，带着融化的温柔。海沃德的男子气概毫不羞耻地为这一充满深情的狂喜的场面而流泪。恩卡斯站在那里，浑身是刚打过仗，身上沾满了血迹，他确实很平静，而且显然是一个无动于衷的旁观者，但他的眼睛已经失去了凶猛，闪烁着同情的光芒，使他远远地高高在上。超越了智力，并在几个世纪前就推进了他国家的实践。

在这种在他们的处境中如此自然的情感表现中，鹰眼接近了大卫，将他从束缚中解放出来，鹰眼的警惕性不信任让自己相信，破坏了天上景象的休伦人不再拥有破坏其和谐的力量。直到那一刻，都以最堪称典范的耐心忍受着。

“好了，”斥候把最后一根棍子扔到身后喊道，“你再次成为了自己肢体的主人，尽管你使用它们的判断力似乎并不比它们最初被塑造时大得多。如果来自一位年龄不比你大，但大部分时间生活在荒野，可以说拥有超出他年龄的经验的人的建议不会冒犯我，欢迎你加入我的想法；这些就是，把你夹克里的小喇叭乐器送给你遇到的第一个傻瓜，然后用这笔钱买一些我们的东西，如果它只是一个骑兵手枪的枪管。通过勤奋和细心，你可能会取得一些进展；因为到了这个时候，我想，你的眼睛会清楚地告诉你，食腐乌鸦是比嘲笑长尾鸟更好的鸟。一种至少可以消除人类面前的污秽景象，而另一种则只能通过欺骗所有听到它们的人的耳朵来在树林中制造骚乱。”

“武器和战斗的号角，更是胜利的感恩之歌！”被解放的大卫回答道。 “朋友，”他补充道，善意地向鹰眼伸出瘦弱而精致的手，他的眼睛闪闪发亮，变得湿润，“我感谢你，我的头发仍然生长在上帝最初扎根的地方；我感谢你。”因为，尽管其他人的大脑可能更有光泽、更卷曲，但我发现我自己的大脑非常适合他们所庇护的大脑。我没有参加战斗，与其说是因为不愿意，不如说是因为异教徒的束缚。你在冲突中证明了自己的英勇和技巧，在继续履行其他更重要的职责之前，我在此感谢你，因为你已经证明自己非常值得基督徒的赞扬。

“这只是一件小事，如果你在我们中间呆久了，你可能会经常看到它，”侦察兵回答道，通过这种明确的感激之情，他对歌者的态度软化了许多。 “我找回了我的老伙伴‘杀鹿’，”他补充道，并用手敲击着步枪的后膛。 “这本身就是一场胜利。这些易洛魁人很狡猾，但当他们把枪械放在够不到的地方时，他们就骗了自己。如果恩卡斯或他的父亲有印第安人一般的耐心，我们应该用三颗子弹而不是一颗子弹来对付这些无赖，这样就可以消灭整个狼群了。永洛平·瓦尔莱特，以及他的战友们。但这都是预先安排好的，而且是最好的。”

“你说得好，”大卫回答说，“你抓住了基督教的真正精神。该得救的人就得救，该被定罪的人就被定罪。这是真理的教义，对于真正的信徒来说，这是最令人安慰和振奋的。”

侦察兵此时已坐下，带着一种父母般的殷勤检查着步枪的状况，此时他抬起头，带着不悦的表情看着对方，他不想掩饰，粗鲁地打断了进一步的谈话。

“不管有没有教义，”强壮的樵夫说，“这是无赖的信仰，也是诚实人的诅咒。我可以相信那边的休伦河将会落入我的手中，因为我亲眼所见；但除了作为证人之外，我不会认为他得到了任何奖励，或者说 Chingachgook 会在最后一天受到谴责。”

大卫喊道：“你无法保证如此大胆的教义，也没有任何盟约来支持它。”他深深地感受到了微妙的区别，在他的时代，尤其是在他的省份，这些区别是围绕着美丽的简单性而绘制的。启示，通过努力洞察神性的可怕奥秘，通过自给自足提供信仰，从而使那些从人类教条中推理出来的人陷入荒谬和怀疑； “你的神庙建在沙地上，第一场暴风雨就会冲走它的根基。我要求你们的当局做出这样无情的断言（像其他系统的倡导者一样，大卫在使用术语时并不总是准确的）。命名章节和诗节；你在哪本圣书中找到了支持你的语言？”

“书！”鹰眼重复道，语气中带着奇异的、难以掩饰的蔑视。 “你以为我是一个在你老姑娘围裙边哭泣的男孩吗？我膝盖上的这把好步枪可以当鹅翼羽毛，我的牛角可以当一瓶墨水，我的皮袋可以当横杆手帕来装我的晚餐吗？书！我这样一个旷野的战士，虽然没有十字架，与书有什么关系呢？我只读过一本，那里写的文字太简单​​、太明白了，不需要太多的教育。尽管我可以夸耀四十年漫长而勤奋的岁月。”

“你怎么称呼音量？”大卫误解了对方的意思。

“它就在你眼前，”侦察兵回答道。 “拥有它的人并不吝惜它的使用。我听说有人通过读书来说服自己有一位上帝。我不知道，但人类可能会如此扭曲他在定居点的作品，以至于让商人和牧师对荒野中如此清晰的作品产生怀疑。如果有这样的人，他会跟随我从一个太阳到另一个太阳，穿过森林的蜿蜒曲折，他会看到足够的东西来告诉他他是一个傻瓜，他最大的愚蠢在于努力上升到最高的高度。无论是在善良上，还是在权力上，他都永远无法匹敌。”

当大卫发现他与一位从自然之光吸收了他的信仰、避开教义的所有微妙之处的争论者进行战斗时，他心甘情愿地放弃了这场争论，因为他认为这场争论既不会带来利益，也不会带来信用。侦察员一边说话，一边也坐下来，拿出准备好的小册子和铁框眼镜，准备履行一项职责，除了他在正统观念中受到的意外攻击之外，没有任何东西可以让他长久以来的中止。事实上，他是西大陆的吟游诗人——当然，比那些以前唱男爵和王子的亵渎名声的天才吟游诗人要晚得多，但他遵循的是他自己的时代和国家的精神。他现在准备施展他的狡猾技艺，庆祝，或者更确切地说，感谢最近的胜利。他耐心地等待鹰眼停下来，然后抬起眼睛，连同声音，大声说道：

“朋友们，我邀请你们一起赞扬从野蛮人和异教徒手中释放出来的信号，并以舒适而庄严的曲调《北安普顿》来赞美这一信号。”

接下来，他命名了所选韵律所在的页面和诗句，并将音管放在嘴唇上，以他在寺庙中习惯使用的适当重力。然而，这一次他没有任何伴奏，因为当时姐妹们正在倾诉我们已经提到过的那些温柔的感情。听众人数很少，事实上，听众中只有心怀不满的侦察兵，但没有什么能阻止他，他提高了嗓门，开始和结束了神圣的歌曲，没有任何意外或中断。

鹰眼一​​边听着，一边冷静地调整着火石，重新装填步枪。但这些声音需要额外的场景和同情的帮助，未能唤醒他沉睡的情感。从来没有吟游诗人，或者大卫应该被称为任何更合适的名字，在更麻木不仁的听众面前发挥他的才能。尽管考虑到他动机的单纯和真诚，很可能没有一个亵渎歌曲的吟游诗人发出过如此接近所有敬意和赞美都应得的宝座的音符。斥候摇了摇头，嘟囔着一些难以理解的词语，其中只有“喉咙”和“易洛魁人”两个字，然后他走开了，去收集和检查被俘获的休伦人的军火库的状况。现在 Chingachgook 也来到了他的办公室，他在武器中发现了自己的步枪，以及他儿子的步枪。甚至海沃德和大卫也配备了武器；弹药也不想使它们全部有效。

当护林员们做出选择并分发奖品时，侦察员宣布需要搬家的时间到了。这时，《色域》之歌已经停止，姐妹们也学会了平息她们的情感表现。在邓肯和年轻的莫希干人的帮助下，两人从那座山的陡峭山坡上走了下来，他们最近是在截然不同的赞助下登上这座山的，而这座山的山顶几乎就是他们大屠杀的现场。他们发现纳拉甘西特人在山脚下正在灌木丛中吃草，上马后，他们跟随向导的动作，向导在最致命的困境中经常证明自己是他们的朋友。然而，旅程很短。鹰眼离开了休伦人走过的盲道，向右拐了一小段路，进入了灌木丛，穿过了一条潺潺的小溪，在几棵水榆树荫下的一个狭窄的山谷里停了下来。他们距离那座致命山丘的底部只有几杆，而这些战马只能在穿过浅溪时发挥作用。

侦察兵和印第安人似乎对他们现在所在的偏僻地方很熟悉；因为，他们把步枪靠在树上，开始把干树叶扔到一边，打开蓝色粘土，一股清澈、闪闪发光的泉水很快就从里面冒出来。白人然后环顾四周，似乎在寻找什么东西，但并没有像他想象的那么容易找到。

“这些粗心的小鬼，莫霍克人，还有他们的塔斯卡罗拉和奥农达加兄弟，一直在这里解渴，”他嘀咕道，“而这些流浪汉却把葫芦扔掉了！这就是福利的方式，当它们被授予这样不记得的猎犬时！为了他们的利益，主在这片嚎叫的荒野中伸出了自己的手，从大地深处涌出了一股泉水，这可能会嘲笑所有殖民地最富有的药剂店；瞧！恶棍们践踏了泥土，破坏了这里的清洁，就好像他们是野兽，而不是人类。”

恩卡斯默默地向他伸出了想要的葫芦，鹰眼的脾脏迄今为止一直阻止他在榆树枝上观察葫芦。他把水装满，后退了一小段距离，来到了一个地面更加坚硬和干燥的地方。他冷静地坐了下来，喝了一大口，显然是感激不尽的酒后，他开始非常严格地检查休伦人留下的食物碎片，这些食物碎片挂在他手臂上的钱包里。

“谢谢你，小伙子！”他继续说道，把空葫芦还给了恩卡斯。 “现在我们将看到这些狂暴的休伦人在外围伏击时如何生活。看这个！小杂种们知道鹿身上最好的部分。人们会认为他们可以雕刻和烘烤一把马鞍，堪比这片土地上最好的厨师！但一切都是原始的，因为易洛魁人是彻头彻尾的野蛮人。恩卡斯，拿起我的钢铁，点燃一把火；在走了这么长的路之后，一口嫩嫩的烤肉会给大自然伸出援助之手。”

海沃德察觉到她们的向导现在正严肃认真地开始就餐，便协助女士们下车，并坐在她们身边，在刚刚经历了血腥场面之后，他不情愿地享受片刻的感激之情。在烹饪过程中，好奇心促使他探寻导致他们及时意外获救的情况：

“我慷慨的朋友，我们怎么这么快就见到你了，”他问道，“而且没有爱德华驻军的援助？”

“如果我们走到河湾，也许可以及时把树叶扫到你们身上，但已经来不及保住你们的头皮了。”侦察兵冷冷地回答道。 “不，不;我们并没有因为越过堡垒而浪费力量和机会，而是在哈德逊河岸边躺着，等待观察休伦人的动向。”

“那么，你是所发生的一切的见证人吗？”

“不是全部；因为印度人的视力太敏锐，不容易被欺骗，所以我们保持着密切的关系。让这个莫西干男孩安然地躲在伏击中也是一件困难的事情。啊!恩卡斯，恩卡斯，你的行为更像是一个好奇的女人，而不是一个闻到他气味的战士。”

恩卡斯的目光短暂地落在说话者坚毅的脸上，但他既没有说话，也没有表现出任何悔改的迹象。相反，海沃德认为年轻的莫西干人的举止即使不是有点激烈，也是轻蔑的，他压抑着即将爆发的激情，这既是对听众的恭维，也是对他的白人的尊重。联系。

“你看到我们被抓了？”海沃德接着问道。

“我们听到了，”这是一个重要的答案。 “对于那些在树林里度过日子的人来说，印第安人的叫喊声是简单的语言。但当你着陆时，我们被迫像蛇一样在树叶下面爬行；然后我们完全看不见你了，直到我们再次看到你被绑在树上，准备好进行印第安人大屠杀。”

“我们的救援是上天的作为。你没有走错路几乎是一个奇迹，因为休伦人分裂了，每个部落都有自己的马匹。”

哎呀！在那里，我们失去了踪迹，如果不是恩卡斯，我们可能真的会失去踪迹。然而，我们却走上了通往荒野的道路。因为我们判断，而且判断正确，野蛮人会对他们的俘虏采取这种做法。但当我们跟着它走了好几英里，却没有像我建议的那样发现一根树枝折断时，我的心就开始怀疑了。尤其是所有的脚步声都带有莫卡辛鞋的印记。”

“抓捕我们的人采取了预防措施，看到我们穿着和他们一样的鞋子，”邓肯抬起一只脚，展示了他穿的鹿皮鞋。

“是的，他很有判断力，而且像他们自己一样；尽管我们太专业了，不会被如此常见的发明迷惑。”

“那么，我们的安全要归功于什么呢？”

“作为一个没有印第安血统的白人，我应该羞于拥有什么；年轻的莫西干人的判断，在一些事情上我应该比他更了解，但我现在几乎不敢相信这是真的，尽管我自己的眼睛告诉我事实如此。”

“这太了不起了！你不说出原因吗？”

“恩卡斯有足够的胆量说，那些由温柔的人骑乘的野兽，”鹰眼继续说道，他的眼睛不无好奇地扫视着女士们的小马驹，“将一侧的腿同时放在地上。时间，这与我所知的所有小跑的四足动物的运动相反，除了熊。然而，正如我亲眼所见，以及它们长达二十英里的足迹所显示的那样，这里的马总是以这种方式旅行。”

“这就是动物的优点！他们来自普罗维登斯种植园小省纳兰甘西特湾的海岸，并因其坚韧和这种特殊运动的轻松而闻名。尽管其他马也经常接受同样的训练。”

“可能是——可能是。”鹰眼说道，他全神贯注地听着这个解释。 “虽然我是一个拥有纯种白人血统的人，但我对鹿和海狸的判断力比对驮兽的判断力更大。埃芬汉少校有许多高贵的战马，但我从未见过有哪匹战马以如此侧行的步态行驶。”

“真的;因为他会根据不同的特性来评价这些动物。尽管如此，这个品种仍然受到高度尊重，正如你所见，它经常注定要承担的重担而倍受荣幸。”

莫希干人暂停了在微弱的火光周围的行动，以倾听声音。邓肯说完后，他们意味深长地互相看了一眼，父亲不断地发出惊讶的感叹。侦察兵如消化新知识般沉思，再次偷眼看了一眼马匹。

“我敢说，定居点里还有更奇怪的景象！”他终于说道。可悲的是，当人类一旦掌握了“自然”的统治权后，就遭到了人类的滥用。但是，无论是侧行还是直走，恩卡斯都看到了动静，他们的踪迹将我们引向了破碎的灌木丛。外面的树枝，靠近一匹马的脚印，向上弯曲，就像一位女士从茎上折下一朵花一样，但其余的树枝都破烂不堪，折断了，仿佛一个男人有力的手正在撕扯它们！所以我得出的结论是，狡猾的怪物看到了树枝弯曲，并撕毁了其余部分，让我们相信一只雄鹿一直在用鹿角触摸树枝。”

“我相信你的睿智没有欺骗你；因为发生了这样的事情！”

“这很容易看出，”侦察兵补充道，他完全没有意识到自己表现出了任何非凡的洞察力。 “而对于一匹摇摇晃晃的马来说，情况就完全不同了！然后我突然想到，明戈人会推动这个泉水，因为这些无赖们非常了解这水的价值！”

“那么，它这么有名吗？”海沃德一边问道，一边用更加好奇的眼光审视着这个僻静的山谷，那里有冒着气泡的喷泉，周围环绕着深褐色的泥土。

“很少有红皮肤的人在五大湖的南部和东部旅行时听说过它的品质。你自己尝尝吗？”

海沃德接过葫芦，吞了一点水后，一脸不满地扔到一边。斥候无声却由衷地笑了笑，满意地摇了摇头。

“啊！你想要人们习惯的味道；那时我和你一样不喜欢它；但我已经适应了我的口味，现在我渴望它，就像鹿舔*一样。你的浓烈酒并不比红皮人喜欢这水更好；尤其是当他的本性有病时。但恩卡斯已经生火了，我们该考虑吃饭了，因为我们的旅程很长，一切都在我们面前。”

* 美国森林中的许多动物都栖息于此
那些发现盐泉的地方。这些被称为
用该国的语言来说是“舔”或“盐舔”，
由于四足动物经常被迫
舔土，以获得盐颗粒。
这些地方是猎人度假的好地方，他们
在通向他们的道路附近伏击他们的猎物。

由于这种突然的转变打断了对话，侦察兵立即求助于从休伦人的贪婪中逃脱的食物碎片。当他和莫希干人开始他们简陋的饭菜时，一个非常简单的过程完成了简单的烹饪，他们的沉默和勤奋使自己能够忍受巨大而不懈的辛劳。

当这项必要的、令人高兴的、感激不尽的职责完成后，每个护林员都弯下腰，在那个孤独而寂静的泉水*前喝了一口长长的、临别时的饮水，在这泉水和它的姐妹喷泉周围，五十年内，财富、美丽和半球的人才聚集在一起，追求健康和快乐。然后鹰眼宣布了他继续前进的决心。姐妹们又重新坐上马鞍。邓肯和大卫抓起步枪，跟上脚步。侦察兵带头前进，莫希干人居后。整个队伍迅速穿过狭窄的小路，向北走去，让治愈之水与附近的小溪混在一起，而死者的尸体则在附近的山上溃烂，没有举行葬礼；这是一种命运，但对于森林战士来说太常见了，无法激起同情或评论。

* 上述事件发生地点为
巴尔斯顿村现在矗立着；两个主要人物之一
美国的饮水地。

“我会寻找一条更容易的道路。”
—帕内尔

鹰眼所走的路线穿过那些沙质平原，偶尔会出现山谷和隆起的土地，这些都是他们一行人在同一天早上走过的，而困惑的马瓜则为他们提供了向导。太阳已经落到了远处的群山上。当他们的旅程穿过一望无际的森林时，炎热不再令人窒息。因此，他们的进步是相称的。早在暮色降临之前，他们就已经辛苦地走了好几英里才回来。

猎人，就像他所填补的野蛮人一样，似乎带着一种本能，在狂野路线的盲目标志中进行选择，很少放慢速度，也从不停下来深思熟虑。快速而斜视地瞥一眼树上的苔藓，偶尔向上凝视夕阳，或者稳定而短暂地看看他涉过的众多水道的方向，就足以确定他的路径，并且消除他最大的困难。与此同时，森林开始改变它的色调，失去了点缀其拱门的生机勃勃的绿色，在阴沉的光线中，这是一天结束时通常的前兆。

当姐妹们的眼睛努力透过树林瞥见金色的光辉时，它们在太阳周围形成了闪闪发光的光环，到处都带有红宝石色的条纹，或者以闪亮的黄色窄边为边界，一大团西山上空不远处，云层堆积，鹰眼猛然转身，指向上方绚烂的天空，说道：

“那边是向人类发出寻找食物和自然休息的信号，”他说； “如果他能理解自然的迹象，并向空中的飞禽和田野的野兽学习，那就更好、更明智了！然而，我们的夜晚很快就会结束，因为有了月亮，我们必须再次起床并继续前进。我记得在我第一次从人类身上汲取鲜血的战争中，这里没有马库斯人；我们扔了一堆积木，以防止贪婪的恶鼠接触我们的头皮。如果我的标记没有失败的话，我们会在左边几杆远的地方找到这个地方。”

没有等待他的同意，或者说，事实上，没有等待任何答复，这位强壮的猎人就大胆地走进一片茂密的栗子树丛，每一步都像一个期待的人一样，推开几乎覆盖地面的茂盛的嫩芽枝条。 ，发现一些他以前知道的物体。侦察兵的回忆并没有欺骗他。穿过布满荆棘的灌木丛几百英尺后，他进入了一片空地，周围是一座低矮的绿色小山丘，山顶上有一座腐烂的碉堡。这座简陋且被忽视的建筑是那些废弃的建筑之一，它是在紧急情况下建造的，随着危险的消失而被遗弃，现在在孤独的森林中静静地摇摇欲坠，被忽视和几乎被遗忘，就像导致其被饲养的环境。这种关于人类的迁徙和斗争的纪念物在曾经分隔敌对省份的广阔荒野屏障中仍然很常见，形成了一种与殖民历史的回忆密切相关的废墟，并且与殖民历史的记忆保持了适当的一致。周围景色的阴郁特征。树皮屋顶早已掉落，与土壤混在一起，但匆忙拼凑在一起的巨大松木圆木仍然保持着它们的相对位置，尽管作品的一个角度在压力下已经塌陷，并受到威胁。这座乡村建筑的其余部分迅速倒塌。当海沃德和他的同伴犹豫着要不要接近一座如此破败的建筑时，鹰眼和印第安人进入了矮墙内，不仅没有恐惧，而且表现出明显的兴趣。前者怀着每时每刻都在回忆的好奇心，从内部和外部勘察废墟，而钦加古克则用特拉华州的语言，带着征服者的自豪感，向他的儿子讲述了这座城市的简短历史。他年轻时在那个僻静的地方发生过的小冲突。然而，一丝忧郁与他的胜利融为一体，使他的声音一如既往地柔和而悦耳。

与此同时，姐妹俩高兴地下了马，准备在夜晚的凉爽中享受她们的停留，她们相信除了森林里的野兽之外没有其他人可以入侵。

“我可敬的朋友，我们的安息之地不是会更加隐秘吗？”更加警惕的邓肯问道，他意识到侦察员已经完成了他的简短调查，“如果我们选择了一个比这里更不为人所知、更罕见的地方？”

“很少有人知道碉堡曾被建造过。”这是缓慢而沉思的回答。 “像莫希干人和莫霍克人之间自己发动的战争这样的混战的书籍和叙述并不常见。那时我还是个年轻人，和特拉华州队一起出去，因为我知道他们是一个令人愤慨和冤屈的种族。四十天四十夜，小鬼们在这堆原木周围渴望我们的鲜血，这是我设计并部分饲养的，正如你所记得的那样，我本人不是印第安人，而是一个没有十字架的人。特拉华州人全力以赴，我们做得很好，十到二十，直到我们的人数几乎相等，然后我们出击猎犬，他们中没有一个人回来告诉他的队伍的命运。是的是的;那时我还年轻，对血还很陌生。我不喜欢像我这样拥有灵魂的生物躺在裸露的土地上，被野兽撕成碎片，或者在雨中漂白，我亲手埋葬了死者，在你们那里的那个小山丘下。摆好自己的位置；尽管它是由凡人的骨头支撑起来的，但它也没有造成什么不好的座位。”

海沃德和姐妹们立即从长满青草的坟墓中站起来。后者，尽管他们最近经历了可怕的场景，当他们发现自己如此熟悉地接触死去的莫霍克人的坟墓时，他们也无法完全抑制自然的恐怖情绪。灰色的光芒，那片阴郁的小片黑草，周围环绕着灌木丛，松树在松树的周围升起，在呼吸的寂静中，显然进入了云层，还有广阔森林的死一般的寂静，所有这些都一致地加深了这样的感觉。 “他们已经走了，也无害了。”鹰眼继续说道，面对他们明显的惊恐，他挥了挥手，脸上带着忧郁的微笑。 “他们再也不会大声喊叫，也不会再用战斧进行打击了！在所有帮助将他们安置在原处的人中，只有 Chingachgook 和我还活着！莫希干人的兄弟和家人组成了我们的战争队伍；你就可以看到他的种族现在剩下的一切了。”

听众的目光不由自主地寻找印第安人的形象，对他们荒凉的命运充满同情心。在碉堡的阴影下，仍能看到他们黝黑的身躯，儿子以那种强烈的心情聆听着父亲的关系，这种紧张感是由一种叙述所创造出来的，这种叙述极大地提高了那些他长久以来的名字的人的荣誉。因其勇气和野蛮美德而受到尊敬。

“我原以为特拉华人是一个爱好和平的民族，”邓肯说，“他们从来没有亲自发动过战争；相信那些被你杀死的莫霍克人能保护他们的双手！”

“这在一定程度上是正确的，”侦察员回答道，“但从根本上来说，这是一个邪恶的谎言。这样的条约是在很久以前，通过荷兰人的邪恶手段达成的，他们希望解除对他们定居的国家最有权利的当地人的武装。莫希干人虽然是同一个民族的一部分，却不得不与英国人打交道，但他们从来没有进行愚蠢的讨价还价，而是保持了他们的男子气概。事实上，当特拉华人睁开眼睛看到自己的愚蠢行为时，他们也是这么做的。您面前看到的是伟大的莫希干萨加莫尔人的酋长！曾经，他的家人可以在比奥尔巴尼·帕特隆（Albany Patteroon）更宽的乡村中追逐鹿，而无需越过不属于他们自己的小溪或山丘；但他们的后裔还剩下什么？当上帝选择时，他可能会找到他的六英尺土地，并保持和平，也许，如果他有一个朋友愿意不辞辛劳地将头低得如此之低，以至于犁头无法到达它！

“足够的！”海沃德说道，他担心这个话题可能会引发一场讨论，从而破坏和谐，而和谐对于保护他美丽的同伴来说是必要的。 “我们已经走了很远的路，我们之中很少有人拥有像你这样的形态，它似乎既不知道疲劳，也不知道虚弱。”

“一个人的筋骨支撑着我度过了这一切。”猎人说道，他的语气简单地打量着自己肌肉发达的四肢，这暴露了这种恭维给他带来的真诚的快乐。 “在定居点里可以找到更大更重的人，但你可能会在一个城市里旅行很多天，然后才能遇到一个能够步行五十英里而不停下来喘气的人，或者在追逐中让猎犬保持在听力范围内的人小时。然而，血肉之躯并不总是一样的，所以有理由认为，温柔的人在经历了这一天的所见所闻之后，愿意休息。安卡斯，把泉水清理干净，而你的父亲和我会用这些栗子芽为它们嫩嫩的头盖上盖子，并用草和树叶铺成床。”

对话停止了，猎人和他的同伴忙着准备安慰和保护他们所引导的人。许多年前，一处泉水吸引着当地人选择了这个地方作为临时防御工事，但很快，这里的树叶就被清除了，一股水晶喷泉从河床中喷涌而出，将水扩散到青翠的小山上。然后，建筑物的一角被盖上屋顶，以排除气候中的浓露，并在其下面铺上成堆的甜灌木和干树叶，供姐妹们休息。

当勤劳的伐木工人以这种方式被雇用时，科拉和爱丽丝分享了这种茶点，这种茶点所需要的远远超出了他们的意愿促使他们接受的程度。然后，他们退到了墙内，首先对过去的仁慈表示感谢，并祈求上帝在接下来的夜晚继续施恩，他们将温柔的身体放在芬芳的沙发上，尽管有回忆和不祥的预感，很快，他们就离开了。沉入大自然如此专横要求的睡眠中，并因对明天的希望而变得甜蜜。邓肯准备在他们附近过夜，以免造成废墟，但侦察兵察觉到了他的意图，指着钦加古克，冷静地将自己的人放在草地上，说道：

“对于这样的手表来说，白人的眼睛太沉重、太盲目了！莫希干人将是我们的哨兵，所以让我们睡觉吧。”

海沃德说：“昨晚我在岗位上证明了自己是一个懒惰的人，而且比你更需要休息，你为士兵的品格做出了更多的贡献。那么，让大家休息吧，我负责守卫。”

“如果我们躺在六十团的白色帐篷里，面对像法国人这样的敌人，我找不到比这更好的守望者了，”侦察兵回答道。 “但在黑暗和旷野的迹象中，你的判断就像一个孩子的愚蠢，你的警惕性被抛弃了。那么，就像我和恩卡斯一样，睡觉，并且安全地睡觉。”

事实上，海沃德察觉到，在他们谈话时，年轻的印第安人把他的身体扔到了山坡上，就像一个试图充分利用分配给休息的时间的人一样，大卫也效仿了他的榜样，他的声音字面意思是“贴在他的下巴上”，他的伤口发烧，事实上，由于他们艰苦的行军，他的伤口更加发烧。年轻人不愿再继续无用的讨论，他假装服从了，半躺着，背靠着碉堡的圆木，尽管他心里下定决心，在讲完他的讲话之前，决不闭上眼睛。宝贵的冲锋投入了门罗本人的怀抱。鹰眼相信自己已经取得了胜利，很快就睡着了，寂静的地方就像他们发现时的孤独一样深沉，弥漫在这个僻静的地方。

在很长一段时间里，邓肯成功地让他的感官保持警惕，对森林中传来的每一声呻吟声都很敏感。当夜色降临到这个地方时，他的视野变得更加敏锐。即使星星在他头顶上闪烁，他仍能辨认出同伴们的卧姿，因为他们四肢伸展地躺在草地上，并注意到钦加古克这个人，他笔直地坐着，一动不动，就像树上的一棵树一样。四面八方形成黑暗结界。他仍然能听到姐妹们轻柔的呼吸声，她们就在离他几英尺的地方，没有一片叶子被吹过的空气吹乱，他的耳朵也察觉不到低语声。然而，最后，鞭子般的悲哀声调与猫头鹰的呻吟声混合在一起。他沉重的眼睛偶尔会寻找星星的明亮光芒，然后他幻想自己透过下垂的眼睑看到了它们。在短暂清醒的瞬间，他误以为灌木丛是他的副哨兵。接下来，他的头靠在肩膀上，而肩膀又寻求地面的支撑。最后，他整个人变得轻松柔顺，年轻人陷入了沉睡，梦见自己是一位古代骑士，在重新捕获的公主的帐篷前守夜，并没有辜负公主的青睐。通过这样的奉献和警惕的证明来获得收益。

疲倦的邓肯在这种昏迷状态中躺了多久，他自己也不知道，但当他被轻轻拍了一下肩膀时，他的睡梦早已消失在完全的遗忘中。被这个信号唤醒，尽管信号很轻微，他跳了起来，脑子里混乱地回忆起夜晚开始时他自己承担的责任。

“谁来了？”他问道，摸索着剑通常悬挂的地方。 “说话！朋友还是敌人？”

“朋友，”钦加古克低声回答。他向上指着在他们的露营地里从树洞里射出柔和光线的发光体，立即用粗鲁的英语补充道：“月亮来了，白人的堡垒很远——很远；”当法国人的双眼因睡眠而闭上时，该行动起来了！”

“你说的是真的！叫上你的朋友，套上马笼头，我就准备我自己的同伴出发！”

“我们醒了，邓肯，”爱丽丝在大楼里用柔和、银色的声音说道，“经过如此神清气爽的睡眠后，我们准备好快速旅行了；但在经历了漫长的一天的疲劳之后，你却为了我们度过了乏味的夜晚！”

“更确切地说，我本来想看的，但我那双奸诈的眼睛出卖了我；我已经两次证明自己不适合我所承担的信任。”

“不，邓肯，别否认，”爱丽丝微笑着打断道，她从大楼的阴影中走出来，沐浴在月光下，焕然一新的美丽令人心旷神怡。 “我知道你是一个粗心的人，当你关心的对象是自己时，却又对他人过于警惕。当你找到你需要的休息的时候，我们不能在这里多待一会儿吗？科拉和我将高高兴兴地、非常高兴地守夜，而你们和所有这些勇敢的人则努力争取一点睡眠！”

“如果羞耻心能治愈我的睡意，我就再也不会闭上眼睛了。”不安的年轻人凝视着爱丽丝天真的面容说道，然而，在爱丽丝甜蜜的关怀中，他没有读到任何东西来证实他半醒的状态。怀疑。 “确实，在我的疏忽导致你陷入危险之后，我连当一名军人应有的守护你枕头的功绩都没有了。”

“除了邓肯本人之外，没有人应该指责邓肯有这样的弱点。那么，去睡觉吧；相信我，我们这些软弱的女孩，都不会背叛我们的手表。”

钦加古克的一声惊呼和他儿子全神贯注的态度，让年轻人摆脱了对自己的过失进行进一步抗议的尴尬。

“莫西干人听到了敌人的声音！”鹰眼低声说道，此时，鹰眼和整个队伍一样，已经醒了，而且激动起来。 “它们在风中嗅到了危险的气息！”

“上帝禁止！”海沃德惊呼。 “我们当然已经受够了流血！”

然而，就在他说话的时候，年轻的士兵抓起步枪，向前线挺进，准备为自己的疏忽大意而赎罪，为保护他所参加的人而自由地暴露自己的生命。

“这是森林中的某种生物在我们周围徘徊寻找食物，”当那些使莫西干人震惊的低沉而明显遥远的声音传到他自己的耳朵时，他低声说道。

“希斯特！”细心的侦察兵返回。 “这是人；就连我现在也能分辨出他的脚步，尽管我的感官与印第安人相比还是很差！那个奔跑的休伦人已经与蒙卡尔姆的一支边远队伍发生了冲突，他们已经追上了我们的踪迹。我自己不应该在这个地方流更多的人血。”他补充道，脸上带着焦虑的表情环顾四周，看着周围昏暗的物体； “但是必须如此，必须如此！恩卡斯，把马牵进碉堡；朋友们，你们也跟着去同一个避难所吗？尽管它又穷又旧，但它提供了一个掩护，并且在今晚之前就响起了步枪的声音！”

他立即得到了服从，莫西干人带领纳兰甘塞特人进入废墟，整个队伍以最谨慎的沉默修复了那里。

接近的脚步声现在清晰可闻，无法让人对中断的性质产生任何怀疑。他们很快就用印第安方言互相呼唤，猎人小声地向海沃德确认这是休伦人的语言。当队伍到达马匹进入碉堡周围的灌木丛的地方时，他们显然犯了错，失去了那些在那一刻之前引导他们追击的标记。

从声音来看，二十个人很快就聚集到了那个地方，他们的不同意见和建议混杂在喧嚣之中。

“这些无赖们知道我们的弱点，”鹰眼低声说道，他站在海沃德身边，在浓浓的阴影中，透过圆木的一个缺口往里看，“否则他们不会在这样一个女人的行军中放纵自己的闲散。听听爬行动物的声音！他们中的每个人似乎都有两条舌头，但只有一条腿。”

邓肯虽然在战斗中很勇敢，但在如此痛苦的悬念时刻，他无法对侦察兵冷静而典型的评论做出任何答复。他只是把步枪握得更紧了，眼睛盯着那狭窄的洞口，透过洞口看着月光下的景色，心里越来越焦虑。接下来，在一片沉默中，听到了一位具有权威的发言者低沉的语气，这表明他的命令，或者更确切地说，建议受到了尊重。此后，随着树叶的沙沙声和干树枝的噼啪声，显然野蛮人正在分开寻找迷失的踪迹。对于被追赶的人来说幸运的是，月光虽然在废墟周围的一小片区域上投射出柔和的光泽，但还不足以穿透森林深处的拱门，那里的物体仍然处于欺骗性的阴影中。搜寻结果毫无结果。因为旅行者们从那条微弱的小路进入灌木丛的路程是如此短暂和突然，以至于他们的每一个足迹都消失在树林的朦胧中。

然而，没过多久，就听到焦躁不安的野蛮人敲打灌木丛的声音，并逐渐接近包围着这片小区域的茂密的年轻栗子边界的内边缘。

“他们来了。”海沃德低声说道，试图将步枪从原木的缝隙中刺进去。 “让我们向他们的进攻开火。”

“把所有东西都放在阴凉处，”侦察兵回答道。 “打火石的响声，甚至是硫磺的气味，都会让饥饿的小混蛋聚集在我们身上。如果上帝愿意我们必须为头皮而战，请相信那些了解野蛮人之道的人的经验，他们在战争呼喊时不会经常落后。”

邓肯将目光投向身后，看到瑟瑟发抖的修女们蜷缩在建筑物的远处角落里，而莫西干人则站在阴影中，像两根直立的柱子，做好了准备，显然愿意在需要打击的时候出击。 。他按捺住心中的急躁，再次望向四周，默默等待着结果。就在那一刻，灌木丛打开了，一个身材高大、全副武装的休伦人向前走了几步，进入了空地。当他凝视着寂静的碉堡时，月亮落在他黝黑的脸上，流露出惊讶和好奇。他发出了印第安人通常伴随着前一种情绪的感叹，并低声呼唤，很快就把一个同伴拉到了他身边。

这些森林之子一起站了一会儿，指着摇摇欲坠的建筑，用他们部落难以理解的语言交谈。然后他们走近了，虽然步伐缓慢而谨慎，但每时每刻都停下来观察这座建筑，就像受惊的鹿一样，它们的好奇心与觉醒的对掌控的恐惧进行了强有力的斗争。其中一人的脚突然踩在了土丘上，他停下来观察土丘的性质。这时，海沃德发现侦察兵松开了刀鞘，并放下了枪口。年轻人模仿着这些动作，为现在看来不可避免的斗争做好了准备。

野蛮人离得如此之近，哪怕是其中一匹马稍稍一动，甚至是比平常大一点的呼吸声，都会暴露逃亡者的身份。但在发现土丘的特征时，休伦人的注意力似乎转向了另一个物体。他们一起说话，声音低沉而肃穆，仿佛带着深深的敬畏和敬畏。然后他们小心翼翼地后退，眼睛紧紧盯着废墟，仿佛他们期待着从寂静的墙壁上看到死者的幽灵，直到到达该地区的边界，他们慢慢地进入灌木丛并消失。

鹰眼把步枪的枪尾扔到地上，长长地吸了一口气，用可听见的低声喊道：

哎呀！他们尊重死者，这一次它拯救了他们自己的生命，也可能拯救了更好的人的生命。”

海沃德暂时将注意力集中到了他的同伴身上，但他没有回答，而是再次转向了那些让他更感兴趣的人。他听见两个休伦人离开了灌木丛，很快就发现所有的追击者都聚集在他们周围，全神贯注地听着他们的报告。经过几分钟认真而严肃的对话后，声音变得越来越微弱，越来越远，最后消失在森林深处。

鹰眼一​​直等到听着的钦加古克发出信号，让他确信退赛队伍中的每一个声音都被距离完全吞没了，这时他示意海沃德牵着马匹，协助姐妹们上马。完成这一切后，她们就从破损的大门出发，从与进来的方向相反的方向偷偷溜了出去，然后离开了现场，姐妹们在离开时偷偷地看了一眼这片寂静、严肃、摇摇欲坠的废墟。柔和的月光，把自己埋在幽暗的树林里。

“守卫。——Qui est la？
普克。 ——Paisans，法国穷人。”
——亨利六世国王

在从碉堡快速移动的过程中，直到一行人被深深埋入森林中，每个人都对逃跑太感兴趣，甚至不敢在低声说话。斥候提前回到了自己的岗位，不过在他和敌人之间拉开安全距离后，他的脚步比之前的行军更加谨慎，因为他对周围树林的位置一无所知。他不止一次停下来与他的盟友莫西干人协商，向上指着月亮，仔细检查树皮。在这些短暂的停顿中，海沃德和姐妹们倾听着，他们的感觉因危险而变得更加敏锐，以发现任何可能表明敌人已经接近的症状。在这样的时刻，仿佛一大片乡村陷入了永恒的沉睡。森林里没有任何声音，除非是远处水道的涟漪，几乎听不见。鸟类、野兽和人类似乎都在沉睡，如果在那片广阔的荒野中确实发现后者的话。但小溪的声音虽然微弱而潺潺，但立即使向导们摆脱了一点尴尬，他们立即朝那里走去。

当到达小溪的岸边时，鹰眼又停了下来。他把脚上的软皮鞋脱下来，邀请海沃德和加穆特效仿他的做法。然后他进入水中，他们在溪床上行驶了近一个小时，没有留下任何痕迹。月亮已经沉入西方地平线上方的一大堆黑云中，当它们从低矮而弯曲的河道中升起，再次升到阳光明媚、平坦的沙地但树木繁茂的平原上时。在这里，侦察兵似乎又回到了家，因为他以一个以自己的知识为保障的人的确定性和勤奋坚持着这条路。道路很快变得更加崎岖不平，旅行者们可以清楚地感觉到，山脉在向他们逼近，事实上，他们即将进入其中一个峡谷。突然，鹰眼停顿了一下，等到所有人都加入了他的队伍后，他才开口说话，尽管语气如此低沉而谨慎，在这个安静和黑暗的地方，这让他的话语显得更加庄严。

“很容易知道道路，找到荒野中的洼地和水道，”他说； “但是谁看到了这个地方，敢说，一支强大的军队正在那边寂静的树林和荒山中休息呢？”

“那么，我们离威廉·亨利并不远吧？”海沃德一边说道，一边走近侦察兵。

“这仍然是一条漫长而疲惫的道路，何时何地踏上这条路是我们现在最大的困难。你看，”他指着树林中的一个地方说道，那里有一小盆水，平静的怀抱里反射着星星，“这里就是‘该死的池塘’；我不仅经常旅行，而且从日出到日落，我都没有遇到过敌人。”

“哈！那么，那片暗淡而沉闷的水就是那些在比赛中倒下的勇敢者的坟墓。我听说过它的名字，但我以前从未站在它的岸边。”

“一天之内，我们和那个荷兰法国人*打了三场仗。”鹰眼继续想着自己的想法，没有回答邓肯的话。 “在我们向外行军时，他猛烈地迎击我们，伏击他的前进，然后我们像被赶走的鹿一样，穿过峡谷，到达霍里坎的海岸。然后我们在倒下的树木后面集结起来，在威廉爵士的指挥下向他发起进攻——威廉爵士正是因为这一行为而被任命为威廉爵士的。我们已经为他早上的耻辱付出了代价！那天，数百名法国人最后一次看到太阳。甚至他们的领袖迪斯考本人也落入了我们的手中，他被铅割伤了，他已经回到了自己的国家，不适合在战争中采取进一步的行动。

* 迪斯考男爵 (Baron Dieskau)，德国人，为法国服役。一些
在故事发生的几年前，这名军官是
被纽约约翰斯敦的威廉·约翰逊爵士击败
乔治湖岸边。

“这是一次高贵的拒绝！”海沃德充满青春的热情，大声说道； “它的名气很早就在我们南方军队中传开了。”

哎呀！但事情并没有就此结束。埃芬汉少校按照威廉爵士的吩咐，派我去包抄法军，将他们的灾难消息穿过港口，带到哈德逊河畔的堡垒。就在这儿，当你看到树木长成山峦时，我遇到了一群人前来救援，我把他们带到了敌人正在吃饭的地方，没想到他们还没有完成当天的血腥工作。 ”

“你让他们感到惊讶吗？”

“对于那些只想着自己食欲的人来说，如果死亡能够成为一个惊喜就好了。我们只给了他们很少的喘息时间，因为他们在早上的战斗中向我们发起了猛烈的攻击，而我们队伍中几乎没有人没有在他们的手中失去过朋友或亲人。”

“当一切结束后，死者，有些人说是垂死者，被扔进那个小池塘里。这些眼睛看到了它的水被血染红了，因为天然水还从未从‘地球’的内部流出。”

“对于一名士兵来说，这是一个方便的坟墓，而且我相信，它将成为一个和平的坟墓。那么你在这个边境上看到了很多服务吗？

“哎呀！”斥候一边说着，一边挺起高大的身子，一副军人的骄傲样子。 “在这些山丘之间，没有多少回声没有伴随着我步枪的爆裂声响起，在霍里坎和河流之间的方圆英里的空间里，‘杀鹿’没有投下活体，是的。它是敌人还是野兽。至于坟墓有你说的那么安静，那就是另外一回事了。营地里有人说，也有人认为，人应该安静地躺着，当身体还有呼吸时，不应该被埋葬；可以肯定的是，那天晚上匆忙，医生们几乎没有时间判断谁还活着，谁已经死了。历史！你没看到池塘边有什么东西在走吗？”

“在这片荒凉的森林里，不可能有人像我们一样无家可归。”

“比如他可能不太关心房屋或庇护所，而夜露永远不会湿润在水中度过日子的身体，”侦察兵回答道，他抓住海沃德的肩膀，用力使年轻士兵感到痛苦。很明显，迷信的恐惧对一个通常如此无畏的人来说是多么的强大。

“天啊，有人形，快到了！站起来，我的朋友们；因为我们不知道我们遇到了谁。”

“还活着吗？”一道严厉而急促的声音，从那个孤独而庄严的地方发出，听起来像是来自另一个世界的挑战。

“说什么？”侦察兵低声说道； “它既不会说印度语，也不会说英语。”

“还活着吗？”重复着同样的声音，紧接着是手臂的嘎嘎声和威胁的态度。

“法国！”海沃德喊道，他从树荫下走到池塘边，距离哨兵只有几码。

“D'ou venez-vous——ou allez-vous，d'aussi bonne heure？”掷弹兵用老法国人的语言和口音问道。

“Je viens de la decouverte，et je vais me coucher。”

“你是国王的官员吗？”

“无忧无虑，亲爱的同志；我预感你是省级的！ Je suis Captainine de chasseurs（海沃德很清楚对方是前线一个团的成员）； j'ai ici，avec moi，les filles du Commandant de la fortification。啊哈！ tu en as entendu parler！我是在 autre 堡的监狱里的，我是将军。”

“妈呀！女士们； “j'en suis fâche pour vous”，年轻的士兵优雅地碰了碰帽子，大声说道。 “mais-fortune de guerre！”您是勇敢的将军，也是您的特鲁韦雷斯，请与女士们一起共事。”

“这就是战争一族的性格。”科拉镇定自若地说。 “再见，我的朋友； je vous souhaiterais un devoir plus agreeable a remplir.”

士兵对她的礼貌低声谦逊地致谢。海沃德又加上一句“晚安，我的同志们”，他们故意向前走去，留下哨兵在寂静的池塘边踱步，几乎没有怀疑敌人如此厚颜无耻，并自言自语地哼唱着那些在他脑海中回想起的话语。女人的目光，也许还有他自己遥远而美丽的法国的回忆：“葡萄酒万岁，爱情万岁”等等。

“你了解那个无赖真是太好了！”当他们离这个地方有一点距离时，侦察兵低声说道，并让他的步枪再次落入他手臂的凹陷处。 “我很快就发现他是不安的法国人之一；对他来说，最好的一点是他的言辞很友好，他的愿望也很友善，否则他的尸骨可能会在他的同胞中找到一席之地。”

他被小盆地里传来的一声长长的、沉重的呻吟打断了，事实上，死者的灵魂似乎在他们的水坟墓里徘徊。

“肯定是肉，”侦察兵继续说道。 “没有任何灵魂能够如此稳定地握住手臂。”

“它是肉体的； “但是这个可怜的家伙是否仍然属于这个世界很值得怀疑，”海沃德说，他的眼睛扫视着他周围，并怀念他们小乐队中的 Chingachgook。又一声比前一次更微弱的呻吟，接着是沉重而阴沉的跳入水中，一切又恢复了寂静，仿佛沉闷的水池边缘从未从造物的寂静中醒来。正当他们犹豫不决时，印第安人的身影从灌木丛中滑了出来。当酋长重新加入他们时，他用一只手将这位不幸的年轻法国人发臭的头皮绑在腰带上，用另一只手放回了喝了他的血的刀和战斧。然后，他回到了原来的位置，一副相信自己做了一件好事的样子。

侦察兵将步枪的一端扔在地上，双手撑在另一端，静静地站在那里沉思。然后，他悲伤地摇摇头，低声说道：

“对于一个白人来说，这将是一种残忍和不人道的行为；但这是印第安人的“天赋和天性”，我想这一点不应该被否认。不过，我希望它降临在一个该死的明戈身上，而不是那个来自旧国家的同性恋小男孩。”

“足够的！”海沃德说，担心无意识的姐妹们可能会理解拘留的本质，并像猎人一样通过一连串的反思来克服他的厌恶； “完成了；尽管最好不做，但无法修改。你看，我们太明显地处于敌人的哨兵之中了；你打算走什么路线？

“是的，”鹰眼再次打起精神说道。 “正如你所说，现在已经太晚了，无法进一步思考它。是的，法国人已经认真地聚集在堡垒周围，我们有一根微妙的针穿过他们。”

“但时间不多了，”海沃德补充道，他的眼睛向上看了一眼遮住落月的蒸汽银行。

“而且时间很少！”侦察兵重复道。 “这件事可以通过两种方式完成，一种是在上帝的帮助下，否则它可能根本无法完成。”

“快点说出他们的名字，以应对时间紧迫。”

“一种办法是让温和的人下马，让他们的野兽在平原上活动，让莫西干人走在前面，然后我们就可以从他们的哨兵中切出一条通道，从尸体上进入堡垒。”

“不行——不行！”慷慨的海沃德打断了他的话。 “士兵可能会以这种方式强行前进，但绝不会带着这样的车队。”

“对于如此柔弱的双脚来说，确实是一条血腥的道路，”同样不情愿的侦察兵回答道。 “但我认为这个名字适合我的男子气概。然后，我们必须调转路线，避开他们的瞭望线，然后向西转弯，进入山脉。我可以把你藏在那里，这样蒙卡尔姆雇佣的所有魔鬼猎犬都会在接下来的几个月里失去踪迹。”

“让它完成，并且立即完成。”

无需多言。对于鹰眼来说，只是发出了“跟随”的命令，就沿着刚刚进入危急甚至危险境地的路线前进了。他们的进展，就像他们迟来的对话一样，受到了谨慎的对待，没有任何噪音。因为没有人知道什么时候路过的巡逻队或蹲伏的敌人纠察队可能会出现在他们的路上。当他们默默地沿着池塘边走时，海沃德和侦察兵再次偷偷地瞥了一眼池塘那令人毛骨悚然的阴森。他们徒劳地寻找他们最近在寂静的海岸上看到的那个身影，而小波浪低沉而有规律的冲刷，宣布洪水尚未消退，为他们的血腥行为提供了可怕的纪念。刚刚见证。然而，那低矮的盆地却和那一闪而过的阴暗景象一样，很快就融化在黑暗中，与行人身后的大量黑色物体融为一体。

鹰眼很快就偏离了撤退路线，向狭窄平原西部边界的群山而去，他带领着他的追随者，迈着敏捷的步伐，深入到高耸而破碎的山峰投下的阴影中。现在这条路很痛苦；地面布满岩石，沟壑纵横，行进速度相当缓慢。他们的四周都是荒凉而黑色的山丘，它们所带来的安全感在某种程度上补偿了行军中额外的辛苦。最后，一行人开始慢慢地爬上陡峭而崎岖的山坡，沿着一条奇怪地蜿蜒在岩石和树木之间的小路，避开其中一个，并由另一个支撑，其方式表明它是由长期从事艺术的人设计的荒野的。当它们逐渐从山谷上升起时，通常在黎明之前的浓重黑暗开始消散，物体呈现出大自然赋予它们的朴素而明显的颜色。当他们从紧贴山势贫瘠的两侧的矮树林出发，踏上山顶平坦、长满青苔的岩石时，他们遇到了早晨，清晨的阳光从对面山上的绿色松树上泛起红晕。霍里坎山谷的。

斥候现在让姐妹们下马。他把这些疲倦的野兽嘴上的缰绳和背上的马鞍取下来，松开它们，在高地的灌木丛和贫瘠的草本植物中收集微薄的食物。

“去吧，”他说，“去大自然给你的地方寻找食物；要小心，不要成为这些山中饥饿的狼的食物。”

“我们不再需要他们了吗？”海沃德问道。

“看吧，亲眼判断吧。”斥候一边说着，一边朝东山麓前进，示意大家跟上。 “如果能像从这个地方窥探蒙卡尔姆营地的赤裸一样容易地洞察人心，那么伪君子就会变得稀少，而与诚实的明戈人相比，明戈人的狡猾可能会被证明是一场失败的游戏。特拉华州。”

当旅行者们到达悬崖边缘时，他们一眼就看出了侦察兵声明的真实性，以及他带领他们到达指挥站的令人钦佩的远见。

他们所站立的山峰高约一千英尺，是一座高高的圆锥体，比沿湖西岸绵延数英里的山脉略高一些，直到在水外几英里处与它的姐妹们相遇，它跑向加拿大，在混乱而破碎的岩石中，稀疏地散布着常绿植物。就在队伍的脚下，霍里坎河的南岸从一座山到另一座山，形成了一个宽阔的半圆形，形成了一条宽阔的海岸线，很快就变成了一片凹凸不平、稍高的平原。向北延伸的是清澈见底的“圣湖”，从那令人晕眩的高度看来，它是一片狭窄的“圣湖”，湖湾凹凸不平，有无数的海湾，点缀着奇异的海岬，还有无数的岛屿星罗棋布。几里格之外，水床消失在群山之中，或者被一大团水蒸气包裹着，这些水蒸气沿着他们的怀抱缓缓滚动，在清晨的微风中。但是山顶之间的一个狭窄的开口指出了他们找到更北的道路的通道，在将他们的贡品倒入遥远的尚普兰之前，再次铺开他们纯净而充足的床单。向南延伸的是峡谷，或者更确切地说，是经常提到的破碎平原。朝这个方向绵延数英里，群山似乎不愿屈服，但在目力所及的范围内，它们分道扬镳，最终融入平坦的沙地，我们陪伴冒险家踏上了双程旅程。沿着湖泊和山谷两侧的山峦，淡淡的蒸汽云从无人居住的树林中以螺旋状的花环升起，看起来就像隐藏的小屋的烟雾；或者懒洋洋地滚下斜坡，与低地的雾气混合在一起。一朵孤独的雪白云漂浮在山谷上空，标志着下面是“血腥池塘”寂静的水池。

威廉·亨利的宽阔土墙和低矮建筑就坐落在湖岸上，距离湖西比东边更近。其中两个堡垒似乎坐落在冲刷其基座的水面上，而一条深沟和广阔的沼泽则守卫着它的其他侧面和角度。作品周围一段合理距离的土地上的树木已被清除，但场景的所有其他部分都处于大自然的绿色制服中，除了清澈的水使景色变得柔和，或者大胆的岩石将它们黑色和裸露的头伸出来的地方山脉起伏的轮廓在它的前面可以看到分散的哨兵，他们疲倦地监视着他们众多的敌人。在城墙内，旅行者们俯视着那些整夜保持警惕、仍然昏昏欲睡的人们。向东南方向，但与要塞直接接触的是一个盘踞的营地，驻扎在岩石高处，这本来更适合这项工作本身，鹰眼在其中指出了那些最近才被占领的辅助团的存在。把哈德逊号留在了他们的公司里。从南边稍远一点的树林里，升起了无数又黑又刺眼的烟雾，这些烟雾很容易与泉水的纯净呼气区分开来，侦察兵也向海沃德展示了这些烟雾，作为敌人在附近集结的证据。那个方向。

然而，最让这位年轻士兵担心的景象是在湖的西岸，尽管离湖的南端很近。从他的看台上看，这片土地太窄，无法容纳这样一支军队，但事实上，从霍里坎海岸到山脚，这片土地延伸了数百码，可以看到白色的帐篷。以及一万人营地的军用发动机。炮台已经堆在他们的前面，就在他们上面的观众怀着如此不同的情绪俯视着他们脚下像地图一样的场景时，炮火的轰鸣声从山谷中升起，在雷鸣般的回声沿着东部的山丘回响。

“黎明刚刚降临到他们下面，”那位深思熟虑、若有所思的侦察兵说，“守望者想用炮声叫醒沉睡的人们。我们迟到了几个小时！蒙卡尔姆已经让他的可恶的易洛魁人充满了树林。”

“这个地方确实是投资过的，”邓肯回答道。 “但是我们没有办法进去吗？在作品中捕获比再次落入流浪印第安人手中要好得多。”

“看！”侦察兵惊呼道，不自觉地将科拉的注意力引向了她父亲的住处，“那一枪是如何让指挥官房子一侧的石头飞起来的！哎呀！这些法国人会把它撕成碎片，速度比组装起来还要快，尽管它又坚固又厚实！”

“海沃德，一看到我无法分担的危险，我就感到恶心，”这位无所畏惧但焦虑的女儿说道。 “让我们去蒙卡尔姆，要求入场：他不敢拒绝孩子的恩惠。”

“你很难找到有你头上头发的法国人的帐篷”；直率的侦察兵说道。 “如果我有那条海岸上千艘空船中的一艘，也许就能完成！哈！这里很快就会结束射击，因为那边会出现大雾，白天变成黑夜，使印第安箭比模制大炮更危险。现在，如果你能胜任这项工作，愿意跟随，我就会推动；因为我渴望进入那个营地，哪怕只是驱散一些我看到潜伏在那边白桦林边缘的明戈狗。”

“我们是平等的，”科拉坚定地说。 “在执行这样的任务时，我们将跟踪任何危险。”

侦察员转向她，脸上带着真诚而诚挚的微笑，回答道：

“我希望我有一千个人，四肢粗壮，目光敏锐，像你一样不怕死！在这一周结束之前，我会让他们再次把喋喋不休的法国人送回他们的巢穴，像许多被束缚的猎犬或饥饿的狼一样嚎叫。但是，先生，”他转身对着队伍的其他人补充道，“雾气来得如此之快，我们只有时间在平原上迎接它，并用它作为掩护。请记住，如果我发生任何意外，请保持左脸颊上的空气吹动——或者更确切地说，跟随莫西干人；无论是白天还是晚上，它们都会闻到自己的气味。”

然后他挥手示意他们跟上，然后迈着自由而小心的脚步，跳下陡峭的斜坡。海沃德搀扶姐妹俩下山，几分钟后，她们就已经远远地下了一座山，她们是费了九牛二虎之力才爬上山的。

鹰眼所走的方向很快就把旅行者带到了平原上，几乎与堡垒西幕的一个出击口相对，这个出击口距离他停下来允许的地点大约半英里。邓肯提出他的指控。由于他们的热切和地面的性质，他们预料到了大雾，大雾正在沿着湖面滚滚而下，因此有必要停下来，直到雾气将敌人的营地包裹在羊毛般的斗篷中。莫西干人利用拖延时间偷偷溜出了树林，并对周围的物体进行了调查。侦察兵在不远的地方尾随他们，目的是尽早从他们的报告中获益，并为自己获得一些关于更邻近地区的模糊知识。

没过多久，他就回来了，脸因烦恼而涨红，嘴里咕哝着失望之情，语气不怎么温和。

“这个狡猾的法国人直接在我们的道路上设置了纠察队，”他说； “红皮肤和白皮肤；我们很可能会掉进他们中间，就像在雾中经过他们一样！”

海沃德问道：“我们不能绕一圈以避免危险，并在危险过去后再次进入我们的道路吗？”

“一旦在雾中偏离行军路线的人就能知道何时或如何再次找到它！霍里肯的薄雾不像和平烟斗的卷曲，也不像蚊子火上的烟雾。”

他还没说话，就听一声轰然巨响，一颗炮弹进入了灌木丛，击中了一棵树苗的身躯，又弹到了地上，威力因之前的抵抗而消耗了不少。印第安人立即跟在后面，就像那位可怕的信使上忙碌的侍从一样，恩卡斯开始用特拉华语真诚地、动作频繁地讲话。

“也许是这样，小伙子，”侦察员说完后低声说道。 “因为绝热发烧不能像牙痛一样对待。快来吧，雾气正在围起来。”

“停止！”海沃德喊道； “首先解释一下你的期望。”

“很快就完成了，这只是一个小小的希望；但这总比没有好。你看到的这一枪，”侦察兵补充道，用脚踢着无害的铁，“已经在从堡垒出发的道路上犁出了大地，当所有其他迹象都可能失败时，我们将寻找它所留下的犁沟。不再多言，但请跟上，否则雾气可能会把我们留在路上，成为两军射击的目标。”

海沃德意识到，事实上，一场危机已经到来，行动比言语更重要，他将自己置于姐妹之间，拉着她们迅速向前走，眼中仍保留着她们领袖的模糊身影。很快就发现鹰眼并没有放大雾气的威力，因为在他们前进二十码之前，队伍中的不同个体很难在雾气中区分彼此。

他们已经向左转了一小圈，并且已经再次向右倾斜，正如海沃德所想，已经超过了距离友军近一半的距离，这时他的耳朵里传来了激烈的召唤声，显然距离不到二十英尺。其中，：

“奎瓦拉？”

“推进！”侦察兵低声说道，再次向左边弯下腰。

“推进！”海沃德重复道；当十几个声音再次发出召唤时，每个声音似乎都充满了威胁。

“这就是我，”邓肯喊道，拖着而不是带领他支持的人迅速前进。

“贝特！——qui？——moi！”

“法国朋友。”

“你是法国的敌人； Arrete ou pardieu je te ferai ami du diable。非！火，同志们，火！”

命令立即得到遵守，五十支步枪的爆炸声搅动了雾气。幸运的是，瞄准不好，子弹划破空气的方向与逃亡者的方向略有不同。尽管离他们很近，但对于大卫和两个雌性的不熟练的耳朵来说，他们似乎在距离器官几英寸的地方吹口哨。抗议声再次响起，命令不仅要再次开火，而且要追击，这一命令太明显了。当海沃德简单地解释了他们听到的话的意思时，鹰眼停了下来，语气迅速而坚定。

“让我们开火吧，”他说。 “他们会相信这是一次出击，然后让路，或者他们会等待援军。”

该计划构思良好，但效果不佳。法国人听到这些碎片的那一刻，平原上似乎充满了人，步枪沿着整个范围发出嘎嘎声，从湖岸到树林最远的边界。

“我们将集结他们的全部军队，发起全面进攻，”邓肯说道，“为了你和我们的生命，请继续前进，我的朋友。”

侦察兵似乎愿意遵守。但是，由于一时的匆忙和位置的改变，他迷失了方向。他徒劳地把脸转向明亮的空气。他们感觉同样很酷。在这种困境中，恩卡斯点燃了炮弹的沟槽，它在三个相邻的蚁丘上划出了地面。

“给我范围！”鹰眼说道，弯腰看了一眼方向，然后立即向前走去。

呼喊声、咒骂声、互相呼唤的声音，还有火枪的射击声，现在都迅速而持续不断，而且，显然，在他们的四面八方。突然，一道强烈的光芒闪过，浓雾卷起浓浓的花环，数门大炮从平原上轰鸣而过，轰鸣声从山间的轰鸣声中重重地传了回来。

“这是从堡垒来的！”鹰眼惊呼道，他的踪迹转瞬即逝。 “而我们，就像受了打击的傻瓜一样，在马夸人的刀下冲进树林。”

错误一改正，全党就极力追悔莫及。邓肯心甘情愿地将科拉的支持让给了恩卡斯的手臂，科拉欣然接受了受欢迎的援助。男人们热情而愤怒地追赶着他们，显然他们紧随其后，每时每刻都威胁着他们的被捕，甚至毁灭。

“Point de quartier aux coquins！”一位热切的追击者喊道，他似乎在指挥敌人的行动。

“站稳，做好准备，我英勇的六十岁！”突然，他们上方有一个声音喊道； “等待敌人的到来，低火扫荡冰川。”

“父亲！父亲！”雾气中传来一声撕心裂肺的叫声：“是我！爱丽丝！你自己的埃尔西！备用哦！救救你的女儿们！”

“抓住！”前面的发言者用父母痛苦的可怕语气喊道，声音甚至传到了树林里，并在庄严的回声中回荡。 “是她！上帝让我与我的孩子们重归于好！打开出击端口；到田野，六十，到田野；不要扣动扳机，以免杀死我的羔羊！用你的钢铁赶走这些法国狗。”

邓肯听到生锈的铰链发出的嘎吱声，按照声音的指引，他冲到了现场，遇到了一长排暗红色的战士，他们正迅速朝斜海方向过去。他知道他们是他自己的美国皇家营，并飞向他们的头部，很快就扫除了工厂前追赶者的所有踪迹。

一时间，科拉和爱丽丝站在那里，浑身颤抖，对这突如其来的遗弃感到困惑。但还没等两人有空说话，甚至还没来得及思考，一名身材魁梧的军官从雾气中冲了出来，他的头发因岁月和服役而褪色，但其军事威严的气质已被时间软化而不是摧毁，他把它们抱在怀里，大颗滚烫的泪水从他苍白、布满皱纹的脸颊上滚落下来，他用苏格兰特有的口音喊道：

“为此我感谢你，主啊！就让危险来吧，奴婢已经准备好了！”

“那么我们就进去，了解一下他的大使馆；
我可以通过现成的猜测来宣布，
在法国人开口之前。”
——亨利五世国王

接下来的几天是在贫困、骚乱和围困的危险中度过的，围困受到了某种势力的大力压制，而门罗却没有任何有效的抵抗手段来对抗这种势力。韦伯和他的军队似乎完全忘记了他的同胞被困在哈德逊河沿岸的海峡。蒙卡尔姆在港口的树林里挤满了野蛮人，他们的每一声叫喊声都响彻英军营地，让那些本来就想放大危险的人感到心寒。

然而，对于被围困的人来说却并非如此。在这些领导人的话语的激励下，在他们的榜样的激励下，他们找到了勇气，并保持了他们古老的声誉，他们的热情与他们指挥官的严厉性格相得益彰。这位法国将军虽然技术精湛，却忽视了占领邻近的山脉，似乎对穿越荒野迎战敌人的辛苦感到满意。从那里，被围困的人可能会被消灭而不受惩罚，而在该国更现代的战争中，这一点是不会被忽视的。这种对显赫人物的蔑视，或者更确切地说，对登上高位的努力的恐惧，可以被称为这一时期战争的最大弱点。它起源于印度竞赛的简单性，从战斗的性质和森林的密度来看，堡垒很少见，大炮几乎毫无用处。这些用法所造成的粗心大意甚至影响到了独立战争，使各州失去了重要的提康德罗加堡垒，为伯戈因的军队进入当时的国家腹地开辟了道路。我们惊奇地回顾这种无知或迷恋，无论它可以被称为什么，因为我们知道，对一位显赫人物的忽视，就像蔑视山的困难一样，在目前已经被如此夸大了。对于在他们的基地规划工程的工程师的声誉，或者对于保卫他们的将军的声誉来说，这是致命的。

游客，体弱多病的人，或者自然之美的业余爱好者，在他的四只手的拖车中，现在滚动穿过我们试图描述的场景，寻求信息，健康，或快乐，或在一位敢于将自己的政治品格押注在危险问题上的政治家*的管理下涌现的人工水域上，他稳步地朝着他的目标漂流，并不是假设他的祖先曾翻过那些山丘，或者与同样的水流搏斗。具有同等的设施。通常认为运输一门重炮就等于取得胜利。幸运的是，这段路程的困难并没有将它与必要的伴随物——弹药分开，以至于使它只不过是一根无用的笨重的铁管。

* 显然是已故的德威特·克林顿 (De Witt Clinton)，他去世于美国州长
1828年在纽约。

这种邪恶的状况严重影响了现在为威廉·亨利辩护的坚定的苏格兰人的命运。尽管他的对手忽略了山丘，但他却以判断力将炮台安置在平原上，并以活力和技巧为他们提供服务。面对这种进攻，被围困者只能对抗荒野中堡垒的不完善和仓促的准备。

围攻的第五天下午，也是他自己服役的第四天，海沃德少校从刚刚被击败的谈判中获益，修复了其中一个水堡垒的城墙，以呼吸。呼吸湖中的清凉空气，并调查围攻的进展情况。如果除了在土丘上踱步的孤独哨兵之外，他就一个人了。因为炮兵们也急于通过暂时停止繁重的任务来获利。夜晚非常平静，清澈的海水吹来的轻风清新而舒缓。似乎随着炮火的轰鸣和射击的停止，大自然也抓住了时机，展现出她最温和、最迷人的形态。太阳将临别时的光辉倾注在这幅场景上，没有那些属于气候和季节的猛烈光线的压迫。群山显得翠绿、清新、可爱，在柔和的光线下显得柔和，在阴影中柔和，薄薄的水蒸气漂浮在群山和太阳之间。无数的岛屿坐落在霍里坎的怀抱上，有些岛屿低矮凹陷，仿佛嵌入水中，而另一些岛屿则似乎悬浮在元素周围，形成绿色天鹅绒的小山丘；其中，围攻军队的渔民们平静地划着小船，或者在玻璃镜子上静静地漂浮着，安静地寻找着自己的工作。

场面既生动又静止。一切与自然有关的事物都是甜蜜的，或者简直是宏伟的；而那些取决于人的脾气和动作的部分则活泼有趣。

外面挂着两面一尘不染的小旗帜，一面挂在堡垒的突出角上，另一面挂在围攻者的先进炮台上。真理的象征不仅存在于行为中，而且也存在于战斗人员的敌意中。

在这些背后，英国和法国的竞争标准再次摇摆，丝绸褶皱沉重地打开和关闭。

一百个快乐而轻率的年轻法国人正在卵石海滩上撒网，距离要塞阴郁但无声的大炮很近，很危险，而东部的山正在回传伴随着他们的运动的大声喊叫和快乐的欢乐。一些人急切地冲向湖中享受水上运动，另一些人则怀着本国永不休止的好奇心，辛苦地爬上附近的山丘。然而，对于所有这些运动和追求，那些观看被围困的敌人以及被围困的人自己，都只是闲散的、同情的旁观者。确实，到处都有纠察队唱起歌来，或者夹杂着舞蹈，把来自森林中巢穴的肤色黝黑的野蛮人吸引到了他们周围。简而言之，一切看起来更像是一天的快乐，而不是从血腥和报复性战争的危险和辛劳中偷走的一个小时。

邓肯以一种沉思的态度站着，对这一场景思考了几分钟，这时他的眼睛被前面提到的出击口前面的斜坡所吸引，因为有脚步声靠近。他走到堡垒的一个角落，看到侦察兵在一名法国军官的看管下向堡垒的主体前进。鹰眼面色憔悴，忧心忡忡，神情沮丧，仿佛因为落入了敌人的势力而感到了最深的堕落。他没有他最喜欢的武器，他的手臂甚至被鹿皮制成的丁字裤绑在身后。近来经常出现旗帜来掩护传唤使者的情况，因此当海沃德第一次漫不经心地扫视这群人时，他预计会看到另一名敌方军官，负责类似的职务，但立即他认出了他的朋友樵夫，身材高大，虽然面容低落，但仍然很强壮，他惊讶地吃了一惊，然后转身从堡垒下降到工作的怀抱中。

然而其他声音却引起了他的注意，让他一时忘记了自己的目的。在土丘的内角，他遇到了姐妹们，她们沿着护墙行走，像他自己一样，寻找空气和摆脱禁闭的解脱。自从他把他们遗弃在平原上那痛苦的时刻起，他们就没有再见面，只是为了确保他们的安全。与他们告别时，他因小心翼翼而疲惫不堪，疲惫不堪。他现在看到它们焕然一新、绽放，尽管胆怯和焦虑。在这样的诱因下，年轻人为了解决这些问题而暂时看不到其他物体，也就不足为奇了。然而，天真又年轻的爱丽丝的声音却让他期待不已。

“啊！你这个暴君！你这个胆怯的骑士！他在名单上抛弃了他的少女，”她喊道； “我们已经好几天了，不，好几年了，期待着你在我们脚下，祈求怜悯，忘记你胆怯的倒退，或者我更应该说，倒退——因为确实，你以没有受灾的鹿的方式逃跑，作为我们值得尊敬的朋友球探会说，可以平等！”

“你知道爱丽丝意味着我们的感谢和祝福，”科拉表情更加严肃、更加体贴地补充道。 “事实上，我们有点奇怪为什么你要如此严格地缺席一个女儿们的感激之情可能会得到父母感谢的支持的地方。”

“你父亲本人可以告诉你，虽然你不在场，但我并没有完全忘记你的安全，”年轻人回答道。 “对那边小屋村的控制权，”指着邻近的营地，“一直存在着激烈的争议；谁占领了它，谁就必然拥有这座堡垒及其所包含的东西。自从我们分开以来，我的日日夜夜都在那里度过，因为我认为责任召唤我去那里。但是，”他带着懊恼的神情补充道，虽然他试图掩饰这一点，但没有成功，“如果我意识到我当时所认为的一名士兵的行为可以被如此解释，那么羞耻感就会被添加到原因清单中。” ”。

“海沃德！邓肯！”爱丽丝惊呼道，弯下身子看他半转过头的表情，直到她的一绺金色头发落在她泛红的脸颊上，几乎遮住了她眼中涌出的泪水； “如果我认为我的闲言让你感到痛苦，我会永远沉默。科拉可以说，如果科拉愿意的话，我们是多么公正地珍视你的服务，以及我们的感激之情是多么深厚——我几乎已经说过了，多么热烈。”

“科拉会证明这件事的真实性吗？”邓肯喊道，他脸上的乌云被一抹愉快的微笑驱散了。 “我们严肃的姐姐怎么说？她会为骑士忽视士兵的职责找到借口吗？”

科拉没有立即回答，而是把脸转向水面，仿佛在看霍里坎号的床单。当她把黑色的眼睛转向年轻人时，它们却充满了痛苦的表情，立刻驱散了他脑海中除了善意的关怀之外的所有想法。

“你身体不太好，最亲爱的门罗小姐！”他惊呼道； “当你受苦时，我们却小事一桩！”

“没什么，”她回答道，以女性的矜持拒绝了他的支持。 “我看不到生活中阳光明媚的一面，就像这位天真但热情的狂热者一样，”她补充道，轻轻地但深情地把手放在她妹妹的手臂上，“这是经验的惩罚，而且，也许，我本性的不幸。看，”她继续说道，仿佛决心以一种责任感摆脱虚弱。 “海沃德少校，看看你的周围，告诉我，对于一个军人的女儿来说，这会是怎样的前景，他最大的幸福就是他的荣誉和军事声誉。”

“他不应该也不应该因为他无法控制的情况而受到玷污，”邓肯热情地回答道。 “但是你的话让我想起了自己的职责。我现在去见你英勇的父亲，听听他在最后时刻辩护的决心。上帝保佑你万事如意，高贵的——科拉——我可以而且必须称呼你。”她坦白地向他伸出了手，嘴唇却在颤抖，脸颊也渐渐变得苍白。 “我知道，在每一次命运中，你都将成为女性的装饰品和荣耀。爱丽丝，再见”——他的声音​​从钦佩变成了温柔——“再见，爱丽丝；我们很快就会再次见面；作为征服者，我相信，并且在欢呼之中！”

不等两人回答，年轻人就扑倒在堡垒长满青草的台阶上，飞快地穿过游行队伍，很快就到了他们父亲的面前。当邓肯走进来时，蒙罗正在他狭窄的公寓里踱步，神情不安，迈着大步。

“你已经预料到了我的愿望，海沃德少校，”他说。 “我正想请求这个帮忙。”

“先生，我很遗憾地看到我热情推荐的使者已经被法国人关押回来了！我希望没有理由怀疑他的忠诚？”

“我很清楚《长步枪》的真实性，”蒙罗回答道，“而且是无可怀疑的；尽管他一贯的好运似乎最终落空了。蒙卡尔姆抓住了他，并以他的国家该死的礼貌把他送了进来，并讲述了一个悲伤的故事，“知道我如何评价这个家伙，他无法想到留住他。”邓肯·海沃德少校，这是耶稣会的方式，告诉一个人他的不幸！”

“但是将军和他的援军呢？”

“你们进来的时候向南看，难道没有看到他们吗？”老战士苦笑道。

“叱！叱！先生，你是个不耐烦的孩子，不能给先生们行军的时间！”

“那他们来了？侦察兵也这么说了？”

“什么时候？通过什么途径？因为这个傻瓜没有告诉我这一点。看来还有一封信；这是事情中唯一令人满意的部分。为了蒙卡尔姆侯爵一贯的关注——我向我保证，邓肯，洛锡安的他会买一打这样的侯爵夫人——但如果这封信的消息是坏消息，这位法国先生的绅士风度肯定会迫使他让我们知道。”

“那么，他一边释放信使，一边保留着这封信？”

“是的，他就是这样，为了你所说的‘好人’，我敢打赌，如果真相为人所知，那家伙的祖父教授了高贵的舞蹈科学。”

“但是侦察兵怎么说？他有眼睛、耳朵和舌头。他做了什么口头报告？”

“哦！先生，他不缺自然器官，他可以自由地讲述他的所见所闻。全部金额是这个；你知道，哈德逊河畔有一座国王陛下的堡垒，名叫爱德华，是为了纪念他仁慈的约克殿下。里面挤满了武装人员，这是一项工作应该做的事情。”

“但是没有任何动静，没有任何迹象表明有任何意图推进我们的救援吗？”

“有早上和晚上的游行；当其中一个外省的潜鸟——你会知道，邓肯，你自己也是半个苏格兰人——当他们中的一个把他的火药撒在他的门廊上时，如果它碰到了煤炭，它就会燃烧！然后，他突然改变了他苦涩、讽刺的态度，变得更加严肃和深思熟虑，他继续说道：“然而，那封信中可能也一定有一些东西，最好知道一下！”

“我们的决定应该很快，”邓肯说，很高兴地利用这种幽默的变化，强调他们采访中更重要的目标； “我不能向您隐瞒，先生，这个营地将无法再维持多久了；我很遗憾地补充说，堡垒里的情况似乎也没有好转。一半以上的枪都爆了。”

“否则又该如何呢？有些是从湖底打捞出来的；有些是从湖底打捞出来的。有些自从发现这个国家以来就在树林里生锈了；有些根本就不是枪——只是私掠者的玩物！先生，您认为您可以将伍尔维奇沃伦建在距英国三千英里的荒野之中吗？”

“我们耳边的墙壁正在倒塌，我们的粮食开始短缺，”海沃德继续说道，没有理会新一轮的愤怒爆发。 “就连男人也表现出不满和惊慌的迹象。”

“海沃德少校，”蒙罗转向他年轻的伙伴，他的年纪和军衔都很高。 “如果我不知道你所说的一切，也不知道我们处境的紧迫性，我本应该为陛下服务半个世纪，白白地赢得这些白发；尽管如此，一切都归功于国王的荣耀，也归功于我们自己。虽然还有救援的希望，但我将保卫这座堡垒，尽管这需要用湖岸上收集的鹅卵石来完成。因此，我们需要的是看到这封信，以便我们了解劳登伯爵留在我们中间作为他的替代者的意图。”

“那我可以帮忙吗？”

“先生，你可以；蒙卡尔姆侯爵除了表现出其他礼貌外，还邀请我参加作品和他自己阵营之间的个人会面。正如他所说，为了传递一些额外的信息。现在，我认为表现出任何过分的关心去见他是不明智的，我会雇用你，一名高级军官，作为我的替代者；因为如果有人说苏格兰的一位绅士在礼貌方面比地球上任何其他国家的人都逊色，那将有损苏格兰的荣誉。”

邓肯没有承担讨论国家礼貌的比较优点的额外任务，他愉快地同意在即将到来的采访中代替这位退伍军人。现在，一次漫长而保密的交流成功了，在此期间，年轻人从他的指挥官的经验和天生的敏锐性中对自己的职责有了一些额外的了解，然后前者离开了。

由于邓肯只能充当要塞司令的代表，敌方首脑会面的仪式自然就省去了。休战协议仍然存在，随着鼓声的敲响和一面小白旗的覆盖，邓肯在他的指示结束后十分钟内离开了出击口。法国军官按照惯例提前接待了他，并立即陪同他前往远处领导法国军队的著名士兵的帐篷。

敌人的将军接见了年轻的使者，周围是他的主要军官和一群黝黑的土著酋长，他们跟随他到了战场，还有他们几个部落的战士。海沃德短暂地停顿了一下，他的眼睛飞快地扫过后者那群黑色的人，他看到了马古那张恶毒的脸，他用冷静但阴沉的目光注视着他，这正是那个狡猾的野蛮人的表情。年轻人嘴里甚至爆发出一丝惊讶之色，但旋即回想起自己的使命和自己所站的存在，他压下一切情绪，转向已经上前一步的敌对首领。接待他。

在我们所写的那个时期，蒙卡尔姆侯爵正处于他的巅峰时期，而且可以补充说，正处于他的财富的顶峰。但即使在那种令人羡慕的情况下，他仍然和蔼可亲，并因其对礼节形式的关注而闻名，也因其骑士般的勇气而闻名，仅仅两年后，这种勇气就促使他在亚伯拉罕平原上献出了自己的生命。邓肯把目光从马瓜的恶毒表情上移开，让他们愉快地停留在这位法国将军微笑、光洁的面容和高贵的军人气质上。

“先生，”后者说道，“j'ai beaucoup de plaisir a——呸！——你能解释一下吗？”

“Je crois，先生，这是必要的，”海沃德谦虚地回答道。 “je parle un peu francais”。

“啊！ “j'en suis bien aise，”蒙卡尔姆说道，熟悉地挽着邓肯的手臂，领着他深入大帐篷，距离听力不到的地方。 “我讨厌 fripons-la；在 est avec eux 上的 nesait jamais sur quel 馅饼上。呃，好吧！先生，”他继续用法语说话； “虽然我应该为接待你的指挥官而感到自豪，但我很高兴他认为雇用一位如此杰出的军官是适当的，而且我相信他是如此和蔼可亲，就像你一样。”

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 practised 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 a readiness peculiar to himself, he continued, as if assenting to the truth of an enumeration which quite doubled his army:

“It is a poor compliment to the vigilance of us soldiers, monsieur, that, do what we will, we never can conceal our numbers. If it were to be done at all, one would believe 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 gallantry 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 so 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 laws, 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,” continued Montcalm, glancing his eyes at the group of grave and attentive Indians, without attending to the other’s questions; “I find it difficult, even now, to limit them to the usages of war.”

Heyward 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.

“Ces messieurs-la,” 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 garrison!”

“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 a part of our means.”

“Some six or eight thousand men,” returned Montcalm, 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 vexation 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 conversation, in a way that showed he believed the visit of his guest was solely to propose terms of capitulation. On the other hand, Heyward began to throw sundry inducements in the way of the French general, to betray the discoveries he had made through the intercepted letter. The artifice 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 invitations to the commandant of the fort to give him an immediate meeting in the open ground between the two armies.

There they separated, and Duncan returned to the advanced post of the French, accompanied as before; whence he instantly proceeded to the fort, and to the quarters of his own commander.

“EDG.—Before you fight the battle ope this letter.”
—Lear

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. Not only the dangers through which they had passed, but those which still impended above them, appeared to be momentarily forgotten, in the soothing indulgence 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 affection; 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 blushing 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 soldier, without having his camp filled with such prattling hussies as yourself!”

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 toward 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, Heyward, and such as any one may boast of.”

“You are not now to learn my opinion of your daughters, 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 becoming 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 Montcalm—”

“Let the Frenchman and all his host go to the devil, sir!” exclaimed the hasty veteran. “He is not yet master 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 domestic duties of his own family. Your mother was the only child of my bosom friend, Duncan; and I’ll 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, crying to speak a word under favor. A pretty degree of knighthood, sir, is that which can be bought with sugar hogsheads! and then your twopenny marquisates. The thistle is the order for dignity and antiquity; the veritable ‘nemo me impune lacessit’ of chivalry. Ye had ancestors in that degree, Duncan, and they were an ornament to the nobles of Scotland.”

Heyward, who perceived that his superior took a malicious pleasure in exhibiting his contempt for the message of the French general, was fain to humor a spleen that he knew would be short-lived; he therefore, replied with as much indifference as he could assume on such a subject:

“My request, as you know, sir, went so far as to presume to the honor of being your son.”

“Ay, 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 purpose.”

“Your notions are those of a gentleman, Major Heyward, 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!”

“Ay—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 Heyward?” 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 extraordinary 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 seemingly absorbed in the musings of his own mind. At length, he paused directly in front of Heyward, and riveting 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 encountered. 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 suitable.”

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’ll know, already, Major Heyward, that my family 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, maybe, 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 poverty. I did, therefore, what an honest man should—restored the maiden her troth, and departed the country in the service of my king. I had seen many regions, and had shed much blood in different 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 descended, remotely, from that unfortunate class who are so basely enslaved to administer to the wants of a luxurious people. Ay, 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! Major Heyward, you are yourself born at the south, where these unfortunate beings are considered of a race inferior to your own.”

“‘Tis most unfortunately true, sir,” said Duncan, unable 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 be?” 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 changing 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 Scotland, 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 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 her husband.”

“And became the mother of Alice?” exclaimed Duncan, with an eagerness that might have proved dangerous at a moment when the thoughts of Munro were less occupied that 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 single 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, and as if suddenly recovering his recollection; 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 commenced in an embarrassed voice, the half-forgotten message. 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 feelings of the father gradually gave way before the obligations 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.

“You have said enough, Major Heyward,” exclaimed the angry old man; “enough to make a volume of commentary on French civility. Here has this gentleman invited me to a conference, and when I send him a capable 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 not bad policy in such a stroke, young man.”

Duncan, who believed it of the last importance that they should speedily come to the contents of the letter borne by the scout, gladly encouraged this idea.

“Without doubt, he could gather no confidence by witnessing 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 proving the countenance of an enemy, and would be far preferable 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. Go, 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 in keeping; and hark’ee, 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 be 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 arrangements. A very few minutes only were necessary to parade a few files, and to dispatch an orderly with a flag to announce 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 hollow way which formed the bed of a brook that ran between the batteries of the besiegers and the fort. From the moment that Munro left his own works to appear in front of his enemy’s, 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 person.

“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 shall show them the front of men in deep security. Ye’ll 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 close at his back. As soon as this slight salutation had passed, Montcalm moved toward 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 Frenchman. Neither spoke for a few moments, each regarding the other with curious and interested eyes. Then, as became 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 arriere, mes enfants—il fait chaud—-retirez-vous un peu.”

Before Major Heyward would imitate this proof of confidence, 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 embarrassment, pointing at the same time toward those dangerous foes, who were to be seen in almost every direction. “Were we to dismiss our guard, we should stand here at the mercy of our enemies.”

“Monsieur, you have the plighted faith of ‘un gentilhomme Francais’, for your safety,” returned Montcalm, laying his hand impressively on his heart; “it should suffice.”

“It shall. Fall back,” Duncan added to the officer who led the escort; “fall back, sir, beyond hearing, and wait for orders.”

Munro witnessed this movement with manifest uneasiness; nor did he fail to demand an instant explanation.

“Is it not our interest, sir, to betray distrust?” retorted Duncan. “Monsieur de Montcalm pledges his word for our safety, and I have ordered the men to withdraw 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 seal of true honor.”

“You forget, dear sir, that we confer with an officer, distinguished alike in Europe and America for his deeds. From 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 contempt 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 himself 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 forever 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 answered 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 him the purport of this reply, and observed:

“What is now so freely accorded to approved courage, may be refused to useless obstinacy. Monsieur would wish to see my camp, and witness for himself our numbers, and the impossibility of his resisting them with success?”

“I know that the king of France is well served,” returned 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 Montcalm, 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 Duncan, 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 reconnoitering your works, messieurs, and I am possibly as well acquainted with their weak condition as you can be yourselves.”

“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 General Webb be his own interpreter,” returned the politic Montcalm, suddenly extending an open letter toward 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 betrayed how important he deemed its contents. As 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 single blow. Duncan 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 surrender, 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 Duncan, 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 toward them a step, in generous interest, “you little know Louis de St. Veran if you believe him capable of profiting by this letter to humble brave men, or to build up a dishonest 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 he wishes to frighten his enemy with words.”

Duncan explained the other’s meaning.

“Monsieur de Montcalm, we will hear you,” the veteran added, more calmly, as Duncan ended.

“To retain the fort is now impossible,” said his liberal enemy; “it 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 Heyward.

“Carry them to England, and show them to your king.”

“Our arms?”

“Keep them; none can use them better.”

“Our march; the surrender of the place?”

“Shall all be done in a way most honorable to yourselves.”

Duncan now turned to explain these proposals to his commander, who heard him with amazement, and a sensibility that was deeply touched by so unusual and unexpected 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 toward the fort, exhibiting, by the dejection of his air, to the anxious garrison, a harbinger of evil tidings.

From the shock of this unexpected blow the haughty feelings of Munro never recovered; but from that moment there commenced a change in his determined character, which accompanied him to a speedy grave. Duncan remained to settle the terms of the capitulation. He was seen to re-enter the works during the first watches of the night, and immediately after a private conference with the commandant, to leave them again. It was then openly announced that hostilities must cease—Munro having signed a treaty by which the place was to be yielded to the enemy, with the morning; the garrison to retain their arms, the colors and their baggage, and, consequently, according to military opinion, their honor.

“Weave we the woof.
The thread is spun.
The web is wove.
The work is done.”—Gray

The hostile armies, which lay in the wilds of the Horican, passed the night of the ninth of August, 1757, much in the manner they would, had they encountered 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 before the watches of the morning came the stillness of those boundless woods was only broken by a gay call from some exulting young Frenchman of the advanced pickets, or a menacing 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 person. 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 encountered one of the numberless sentinels who crossed his path, his answer was prompt, and, as it appeared, satisfactory; for he was uniformly allowed to proceed without further interrogation.

With the exception of such repeated but brief interruptions, he had moved silently from the center 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?”

“France,” was the reply.

“Le mot d’ordre?”

“La victorie,” 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 promenez bien matin, monsieur!”

“Il est necessaire 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 continuing his way toward 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, he turned to walk his post, muttering between his teeth:

“Il faut etre vigilant, en verite! je crois que nous avons la, 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 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 attention. His gaze at the ramparts was not that of a curious or idle spectator; but his looks wandered from point to point, denoting his knowledge of military usages, and betraying that his search was not unaccompanied by distrust. At length he appeared satisfied; and having cast his eyes impatiently upward toward 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 toward 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, musing, against the English ramparts, left no doubt as to his person in the mind of the observant 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 himself stood. A rifle next slowly rose between his eyes and the watery mirror; but before it could be discharged his own hand was on the lock.

“Hugh!” exclaimed the savage, whose treacherous aim was so singularly and so unexpectedly interrupted.

Without making any reply, the French officer laid his hand on the shoulder of the Indian, and led him in profound silence to a distance from the spot, where their subsequent 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 uniform and the cross of St. Louis which was suspended at his breast, Montcalm sternly demanded:

“What means this? Does not my son know that the hatchet is buried 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 pale faces make friends!”

“Ha, Le Renard Subtil! Methinks this is an excess of zeal for a friend who was so late an enemy! How many suns have set since Le Renard 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 Renard 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.”

“Magua is a great chief.”

“Let him prove it, by teaching his nation how to conduct themselves toward 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 Indian.

“To subdue it. My master owns the land, and your father was ordered to drive off these English squatters. They have consented to go, and now he calls them enemies no longer.”

“‘Tis 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.”

“Friends!” 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 fingers of the French commander on a deep scar in his bosom, and then exultingly demanded:

“Does my father know that?”

“What warrior does not? ‘Tis where a leaden bullet has cut.”

“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 sudden and native dignity, he added: “Go; teach your young men it is peace. Le Renard 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 toward 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 disregarding 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 strand where he had been left by his companion, brooding deeply on the temper which his ungovernable ally had just discovered. 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 the end, and of all the danger of setting in motion an engine which it exceeds human power to control. Then shaking off a train of reflections that he accounted a weakness in such a moment of triumph, he retraced his steps toward his tent, giving the order as he passed to make the signal that should arouse 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 meantime 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 already so well known, was officially 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 under the guns of the contested works.

A very different 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 was under the observances of military etiquette.

Women 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 dejected. 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 exhibition 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?”

“To-day I am only a soldier, Major Heyward,” 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 toward 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, being the first to speak.

“The fort is lost,” she said, with a melancholy smile; “though our good name, I trust, remains.”

“‘Tis brighter than ever. But, dearest Miss Munro, it is time to think less of others, and to make some provision 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 troops. Then where to seek a proper protector for you against the confusion and chances of such a scene?”

“None is necessary,” returned Cora; “who will dare to injure or insult the daughter of such a father, at a time like this?”

“I would not leave you alone,” continued the youth, looking about him in a hurried manner, “for the command of the best regiment in the pay of the king. Remember, 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! 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 adjacent building, which had already been deserted by its customary 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 Israel, when the young man had ended; “I have 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 nothing is now wanting but the doxology. Wilt thou bear a part, friend? The meter is common, and the tune ‘Southwell’.”

Then, extending the little volume, and giving the pitch of the air anew with considerate attention, David recommenced and finished his strains, with a fixedness of manner that it was not easy to interrupt. Heyward was fain to wait until the verse was ended; when, seeing David relieving himself from the spectacles, and replacing the book, he continued.

“It will be 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 brave father. In this task you will be seconded by the domestics of their household.”

“尽管如此。”

“It is possible 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, exhibiting his book, with an air in which meekness and confidence were singularly blended. Here are words which, uttered, or rather thundered, with proper emphasis, and in measured time, shall quiet the most unruly temper:

“‘Why rage the heathen furiously’?”

“Enough,” said Heyward, interrupting the burst of his musical 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 extraordinary 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 best that circumstances permitted, and, as he believed, 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 toward the Hudson, and immediately took his leave.

By this time the signal for departure had been 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 grenadiers, 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, however, 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. At a little distance on the right, and somewhat in the rear, the French army stood to their arms, Montcalm having collected 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, toward the common center, and gradually approached each other, as they converged to the point of their march, a 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 swooping 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 Magua gliding among his countrymen, and speaking with his fatal and 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 onward.

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 shawl 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 ornament, 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 shawl, and tore the screaming infant from her arms. 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 exchange, 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!” exclaimed 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 spurned 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 ferocity, he dashed the head of the infant against a rock, and cast its quivering remains to her very feet. For an instant 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 toward heaven, as if calling on God to curse the perpetrator of the foul deed. She was spared the sin of such a prayer for, maddened 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 engrossing love that had caused her to cherish it when living.

At that dangerous moment, Magua 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 before. 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 plain with instinctive alacrity. We shall not dwell on the revolting horrors that succeeded. Death was everywhere, 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 assailants 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 was 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, Alice 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, fearless of every danger, to claim the tardy escort for which he had before conditioned. Fifty glittering axes and barbed spears were offered unheeded at his life, but the savages respected his rank and calmness, even in their 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 courage to perform. Fortunately, the vindictive Magua was searching for his victim in the very band the veteran had just quitted.

“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, but it was unanswered. Once, indeed, the old man appeared to catch the sound, for he paused and listened; but 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, bent 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 jubilee of the devils, and this is not a meet place for Christians to tarry in. Let us up and fly.”

“Go,” said Cora, still gazing at her unconscious sister; “save thyself. To me thou canst not be of further use.”

David comprehended the unyielding character of her resolution, by the simple but expressive gesture that accompanied 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 by which he was governed.

“If the Jewish boy might tame the great 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 music here.”

Then raising his voice to its highest tone, he poured out a strain so powerful as to be heard even amid the din of that bloody field. More than one savage rushed toward them, thinking to rifle the unprotected sisters of their attire, and bear away their scalps; but when they found this strange and unmoved figure riveted to his post, they paused to listen. Astonishment soon changed to admiration, and they passed on to other and less courageous victims, openly expressing their satisfaction at the firmness with which the white warrior sang his death song. Encouraged and deluded by his success, David exerted all his powers to extend what he believed so holy an influence. 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 ancient 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 revolting aspect.

The Indian laughed tauntingly, as he held up his reeking 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 savage, “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 toward the woods.

“Hold!” shrieked Cora, following wildly on his footsteps; “release the child! wretch! what is’t you do?”

But Magua was deaf to her voice; or, rather, he knew his power, and was determined to maintain it.

“Stay—lady—stay,” called Gamut, after the unconscious 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 flying, the wounded and the dead. The fierce Huron was, at any time, sufficient for himself and the victim that he 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.

Magua, who knew how to avoid the more pressing dangers, and also to elude pursuit, entered the woods through a low ravine, where he quickly found the Narragansetts, which the travelers had abandoned so shortly before, awaiting his appearance, in custody of a savage as fierce and 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, perceiving 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 tenderest solicitude in her behalf, and in listening to the cries which were still too audible on the plain, to note the direction in which they journeyed. When, however, they gained the flattened surface of the mountain-top, and approached the eastern precipice, she recognized the spot to which she had once before been led under the more friendly auspices of the scout. Here Magua 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 cruel work was still unchecked. On every side the captured were flying before their relentless persecutors, while the armed columns 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.

“Why, anything;
An honorable murderer, if you will;
For naught I did in hate, but all in honor.”
—Othello

The bloody and inhuman scene rather incidentally mentioned than described in the preceding chapter, is conspicuous 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 commander 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 yet be written to prove, from this illustrious example, the defects of human excellence; to show how easy it is for generous sentiments, high courtesy, and chivalrous courage to lose their influence beneath the chilling blight of selfishness, and to exhibit 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 superior to policy. But the task would exceed our prerogatives; 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 Veran 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 detain the reader on the shores of the “holy lake.” When last seen, the environs of the works were filled with violence 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 smoldering 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 blackened beneath the fierce heats of August, were stiffening in their deformity before the blasts of a premature November. The curling and spotless mists, which had been seen sailing above the hills toward the north, were now returning 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 somber gloom that fell from the impending heavens. That humid and congenial atmosphere which commonly adorned the view, veiling its harshness, and softening its asperities, had disappeared, the northern air poured across the waste of water so harsh and 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 consuming 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 without 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 mournful 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 struggled with the gale; but no sooner was the green ocean of woods which stretched beneath them, passed, than they gladly stopped, at random, to their hideous banquet.

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 been seen issuing from the narrow vista of trees, where the path to the Hudson entered the forest, and advancing in the direction of the ruined works. At first their progress was slow and guarded, as though they entered with reluctance amid the horrors of the post, 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 reconnoiter, and indicating by 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, both 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 by the appalling sights that constantly arose in their path to the lake shore, were as different as the characters of the respective individuals who composed the party. The youth in front threw serious but 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 superior to such a weakness. He passed the groups of dead with a steadiness of purpose, and an eye so calm, that nothing but long and inveterate practise could enable him to maintain. The sensations produced in the minds of even the white men were different, though uniformly sorrowful. 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 experienced in scenes of war, was not ashamed to groan aloud, whenever a spectacle of more than usual horror came under 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, without fear of observation or dread of consequences. He gazed at the most appalling sight with eyes and muscles that knew not how to waver, but with execrations so bitter 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 Heyward. 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 Uncas, who moved in front, had reached the center of the plain, he raised a cry that drew his companions 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 toward the festering 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 melancholy pile, when the scout approached. Eyeing the sad spectacle with an angry countenance, the sturdy woodsman, for the first time since his entering the plain, spoke intelligibly and aloud:

“I have been on many a shocking field, and have followed 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! Revenge 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 wilderness—that should these Frenchers ever trust themselves again within the range of a ragged bullet, there is one rifle which shall play its part so long as flint will fire or powder burn! 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 Hurons boast of this to their women when the deep snows come?”

A gleam of resentment flashed across the dark lineaments of the Mohican chief; he loosened his knife in his sheath; and then turning calmly from the sight, his countenance settled into a repose as deep as if he knew the instigation of passion.

“Montcalm! Montcalm!” continued the deeply resentful 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 missing people; and he should have burial like a stout warrior. 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 form, and, turning 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. Spurning the loathsome 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 denunciations against the French commander in the same resentful strain.

“Nothing but vast wisdom and unlimited 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 creatures of the Lord? I hold it a sin to kill the second buck afore the first is eaten, unless a march in 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 ravens 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 Frencher, skulking for plunder. I do believe ‘killdeer’ would take an uncommon range today!”

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 quickly 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 Heyward; “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; 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 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 Heyward; “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!” 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 straight, and they may be within a dozen miles of us; but if the Hurons, or any of the French Indians, have laid hands on them, ‘tis probably they are now near the borders of the Canadas. But what matters that?” continued the deliberate scout, observing the powerful anxiety and disappointment the listeners exhibited; “here are the Mohicans and I on one end of the trail, and, rely on it, we find the other, though they should be 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!”

“Hugh!” exclaimed Chingachgook, who had been occupied in examining an opening that had been evidently made through the low underbrush which skirted the forest; and who now stood erect, as he pointed downward, in the attitude and with the air of a man who beheld a disgusting serpent.

“Here is the palpable impression of the footstep of a man,” cried Heyward, 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,” returned 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! 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?”

“Le Renard Subtil!”

“Ha! that rampaging devil again! there will never be an end of his loping till ‘killdeer’ has said a friendly word to him.”

Heyward reluctantly admitted the truth of this intelligence, 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 narrow; some with high, and some with low insteps; some intoed, and some out. One moccasin is no more like another 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; neither book nor moccasin is the worse for having two opinions, instead of one.” The scout stooped to the task, and instantly added:

“You are right, boy; here is the patch we saw so often in the other chase. And the fellow will drink when he can get an opportunity; your drinking Indian always learns to walk with a wider toe than the natural savage, it being the gift of a drunkard to straddle, whether of white or red skin. ‘Tis just the length and breadth, too! look at it, Sagamore; you measured the prints more than once, when we hunted the varmints 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!”

“Ay, ‘tis a settled thing; here, then, have passed the dark-hair and Magua.”

“And not Alice?” demanded Heyward.

“Of her we have not yet seen the signs,” returned the scout, looking closely around at the trees, the bushes and the ground. “What have we there? Uncas, bring hither the thing you see dangling from yonder thorn-bush.”

When the Indian had complied, the scout received the prize, and holding it on high, he laughed in his silent but heartfelt manner.

“‘Tis 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 Heyward. “And Cora and Alice are not without a friend.”

“Yes,” said Hawkeye, 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 not, the first catbird* he meets is the cleverer of the two. Well, boy, any signs of such a foundation?”

* The powers of the American mocking-bird are generally
known. But the true mocking-bird is not found so far north
as the state of New York, where it has, however, two
substitutes of inferior excellence, the catbird, so often
named by the scout, and the bird vulgarly called ground-
thresher. Either of these last two birds is superior to the
nightingale or the lark, though, in general, the American
birds are less musical than those of Europe.

“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’ll disconsart the formation. 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 rapid, it was still plainly visible. The aged soldier examined it with eyes that grew dim as he gazed; nor did he rise from this 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 commence our march. A moment, at such a time, will appear an age to the captives.”

“It is not the swiftest leaping deer that gives the longest 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 paths; for here she has not passed, light and little as her footsteps 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 sun 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 found 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! 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 younger Miss Munro,” said Duncan.

“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.”

Heyward instantly knew it for a trinket that Alice was fond of wearing, and which he recollected, with the tenacious memory of a lover, to have seen, on the fatal morning 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 wondering scout, who in vain looked for it on the ground, long after it was warmly pressed against the beating heart of Duncan.

“Pshaw!” said the disappointed Hawkeye, ceasing to rake the leaves with the breech of his rifle; “‘tis a certain sign of age, when the sight begins to weaken. Such a glittering gewgaw, and not to be seen! 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 between us.”

“So much the more reason why we should not delay our march,” returned Heyward; “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 where no bookish knowledge would carry you through harmless. 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 deliberate 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.”

Heyward saw, by the manner of the scout, that altercation would be useless. Munro had again sunk into that sort of apathy which had beset him since his late overwhelming 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.

“Salar.—Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take
his flesh; what’s that good for?
Shy.—To bait fish withal; if it will feed nothing else, it
will feed my revenge.”
——威尼斯商人

The shades of evening had come to increase the dreariness of the place, when the party entered the ruins of William Henry. The scout and his companions immediately made their preparations to pass the night there; but with an earnestness and sobriety of demeanor that betrayed how much the unusual horrors they had just witnessed worked on even their practised 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 toward his rude hut when his labor was ended; and Heyward, who understood the meaning of the silent gestures, 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 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 encircling 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 toward the water, and strove to divert his attention to the mimic stars that dimly glimmered on its moving surface. Still, his too-conscious ears performed their ungrateful duty, as if to warn him of some lurking danger. 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, requesting 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 position.

“Listen!” said Duncan, when the other placed himself deliberately at his elbow; “there are suppressed noises on the plain which may show Montcalm has not yet entirely deserted his conquest.”

“Then ears are better than eyes,” said the undisturbed scout, who, having just deposited a portion of a bear between 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 Frenchers, when they have done a clever thing, like to get back, and have a dance, or a merry-making, with the women over their success.”

“I know not. An Indian seldom sleeps in war, and plunder may keep a Huron here after his tribe has departed. 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 scalp, unless when blood is hot, and temper up; but after 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 of one and the same?”

“No doubt—no doubt. I thought I heard it again! or was it the rustling of the leaves in the top of the beech?”

“For my own part,” continued Hawkeye, turning his face for a moment in the direction indicated by Heyward, 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?” interrupted Duncan.

“Ay, ay; 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 the devils, if there was light and time for the sport. But, concerning 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 enjoyment. For myself, and I say it with reverence to the ordering of Providence, it would be no great indulgence to be kept shut up in those mansions of which they preach, having a natural longing for motion and the chase.”

Duncan, who was now made to understand the nature of the noise he had heard, answered, with more attention to the subject which the humor of the scout had chosen for 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?”

“Is it not the rushing of the wolves you have mentioned?”

Hawkeye slowly shook his head, and beckoned for Duncan 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 attention 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 he 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 toward the black mounds, as if seeking the place whence the sounds proceeded. The scout repeated the call, and in a few moments, Duncan saw the figure of Uncas stealing cautiously 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 summoned, he threw himself flat on the turf; where, to the eyes of Duncan, he appeared to lie quiet and motionless. Surprised at the immovable attitude of the young warrior, and curious to observe the manner in which he employed his faculties to obtain the desired information, Heyward advanced a few steps, and bent over the dark object on which he had kept his eye riveted. Then it was he discovered that the form of Uncas vanished, and that he beheld only the dark outline of an inequality in the embankment.

“What has become of the Mohican?” he demanded of the scout, stepping back in amazement; “it was here that I saw him fall, and 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? 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 your 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 countenance, 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 light of that fire, and he will become the first and most certain victim.”

“It is undeniable that now you speak the truth,” returned the scout, betraying more anxiety than was usual; “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 low 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 had heard the warning of the animal whose name he bore, he arose to an upright position, and his dark eyes glanced swiftly and keenly on every side of him. With his sudden and, perhaps, involuntary 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 suffered 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 suffered 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 vision.

“See the noble fellow!” whispered Hawkeye, 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 sparks of fire, around that spot where the eyes of Heyward were still fastened, with admiration and wonder. A second look told him that 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 solitary and fruitless attempt made on the life of Chingachgook, the attack appeared to have terminated. Once or twice the listeners thought they could distinguish the distant rustling of bushes, as bodies of some unknown description rushed through them; nor was it long before 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 breathless pause, a plunge was heard in the water, and it was immediately followed by the report of another rifle.

“There goes Uncas!” said the scout; “the boy bears 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 work. “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 of the valiant deeds done on the pale faces?”

Chingachgook very quietly resumed his seat; nor did he make any reply, until after he had examined the firebrand 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 to view, with the English monosyllable:

“一。”

“I thought as much,” returned Hawkeye, seating himself; “and as he had got the cover of the lake afore Uncas pulled upon him, it is more than probable the knave will sing his lies about some great ambushment, 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 scrimmage. 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 ag’in the face of reason. The varlet sent his lead within whistle of your ears, Sagamore.”

Chingachgook turned a calm and incurious eye toward 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 Uncas glided into the circle, and seated himself at the fire, with the same appearance of indifference as was maintained by his father.

Of these several moments Heyward was a deeply interested 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 probably that, had Heyward 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 skirt, 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 attention. Then dropping it, with disgust depicted in his strong features, he ejaculated:

“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 in uncommon earnestness to regard the bloody badge. “By the Lord, if the Oneidas are outlying upon the trail, we shall by 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 declares 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 learning, when a savage can read a language that would prove too much for the wisest of them all! What say you, lad, of what people was the knave?”

Uncas raised his eyes to the face of the scout, and answered, 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 us for French,” said Heyward; “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 Royal Americans,” 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 tribes 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 sovereign lord and master, I should not have deliberated long about letting 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.”

“When a man consort much with a people,” continued Hawkeye, “if they were 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 respects 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 Delawares 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 believed 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 preference 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 slumber. 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. Not so, however, with the scout and the Mohicans. Those acute and long-practised senses, whose powers so often exceed the limits of all ordinary credulity, after having detected the danger, had enabled them to ascertain its magnitude and duration. Not one of the three appeared in the least to doubt their perfect security, as was indicated by the preparations that were soon made to sit in 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 fighting 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 form 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 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 Hawkeye, 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 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 weed, 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, proposed the subject for deliberation. He was answered by the scout; and Chingachgook rejoined, when the other objected to his opinions. But the youthful Uncas continued 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 gradually 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 collected, might have learned a wholesome lesson of moderation from the forbearance and courtesy of the disputants. The words of Uncas were received with the same deep attention as those which fell from the maturer 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 gestures 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 trial, it was evident they urged a pursuit by land, while the repeated sweep of Hawkeye’s arm toward 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 suddenly 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 objects. Then he delineated a long and painful path, amid rocks and water-courses. The age and weakness of the slumbering and unconscious Munro were indicated by signs too palpable 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 concluded by pointing to the scalp of the Oneida, and apparently 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 gradually wrought its influence, and toward the close of Hawkeye’s speech, his sentences were accompanied by the customary exclamation of commendation. In short, Uncas 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 representatives of some great and civilized people, would have infallibly worked their political ruin, by destroying forever 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. Hawkeye, without looking round to read his triumph in applauding eyes, very composedly stretched his tall frame before the dying embers, 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 affection. 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 contagious but low laughter. While under the influence of these gentle and natural feelings, no trace of ferocity was to be seen in the softened features of the Sagamore. His figured panoply of death looked more like a disguise assumed in mockery than a fierce annunciation of a desire to carry destruction in his footsteps.

After an hour had passed in the indulgence of their better feelings, Chingachgook abruptly announced his desire to sleep, by wrapping his head in his blanket and stretching his form on the naked earth. The merriment of Uncas instantly ceased; and carefully raking the coals in such a manner that they should impart their warmth to his father’s feet, the youth sought his own pillow among the ruins of the place.

Imbibing renewed confidence from the security of these experienced foresters, Heyward soon imitated their example; and long before the night had turned, they who lay in the bosom of the ruined work, seemed to slumber as heavily as the unconscious multitude whose bones were already beginning to bleach on the surrounding plain.

“Land of Albania! let me bend mine eyes
On thee; thou rugged nurse of savage men!”
—Childe Harold

The heavens were still studded with stars, when Hawkeye came to arouse the sleepers. Casting aside their cloaks Munro and Heyward were on their feet while the woodsman was still making his low calls, 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 gesture for silence, made by their sagacious leader.

“Think over your prayers,” he whispered, as they approached 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 toward 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 as you go.”

His companions complied, though to two of them the reasons of this extraordinary precaution were yet a mystery. When they were in the low cavity that surrounded the earthen fort on three sides, they found that 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 trail that nothing but a nose can follow,” said the satisfied scout, looking back along their difficult way; “grass is a treacherous carpet for a flying party to tread on, but wood and stone take no print from a moccasin. 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. Shove 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, everything 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 dread. Heyward was silent until the Indians had cautiously paddled the canoe some distance from the fort, and within the broad and dark shadows 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 departure?”

“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 reptile Uncas slew?”

“By no means. But he was said to be alone, and dead men give no cause for fear.”

“Ay, he was alone in his deviltry! but an Indian 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 sufficient protection against the anger of our allies, especially in a case where the wretch so well merited his fate. I trust in Heaven you have not deviated 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 Frencher, he who is captain-general of the Canadas, bury the tomahawks of the Hurons, if a word from a white can work so strongly on the natur’ of an Indian?”

The reply of Heyward 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.

“Ay, ay, 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 rifle, with words that must begin with calling him your son. No, no,” continued the scout, looking back at the dim shore of William Henry, which was now fast receding, and laughing 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 absolutely of danger; for, with vigilant ears and quick eyes, 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 scrimmage, or some such divarsion, but always where covers are good, and ammunition abundant.”

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.

* 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
superior 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.

Chingachgook laid aside his paddle; while Uncas and the scout urged the light vessel through crooked and intricate channels, where every foot that they advanced exposed 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; and, when a clearer sheet of water permitted, his keen vision was bent along the bald rocks and impending forests that frowned upon the narrow strait.

Heyward, who was a doubly interested spectator, as well from the beauties of the place as from the apprehension 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 pointed in the direction in which his own steady look was riveted. Duncan’s eyes followed the motion. A few rods in their front lay another of the wooded islets, but it appeared as calm and peaceful as if its solitude had never been disturbed by the foot of man.

“I see nothing,” he said, “but land and water; and a lovely scene it is.”

“Hist!” interrupted the scout. “Ay, Sagamore, there is always a reason for what you do. ‘Tis 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? ‘Tis from a fire; but one that, in my judgment, has been suffered to burn low.”

“Let us, then, push for the place, and relieve our doubts,” said the impatient Duncan; “the party must be small that can lie on such a bit of land.”

“If you judge of Indian cunning by the rules you find 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 myself; though I thought it becoming my experience to tell the whole. We must, then, make a push, and if the Indians 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 resolution 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 haven’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 skipping along the placid surface of the strait, and a shrill yell from the island, interrupted his speech, and announced that their passage was discovered. In another instant several savages were seen rushing into 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, 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 this 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 distance; 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 accurate 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 save a Huron from the death-shriek by that word; have you reason for what you do?”

Uncas pointed toward a 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 language to confirm it. The scout laid aside his rifle, and resumed the paddle, while Chingachgook inclined the bows of the canoe a little toward the western shore, in order to increase the distance between them and this new enemy. In the meantime 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!”

“He who wishes to prosper in Indian warfare,” returned the scout, “must not be too proud to learn from the wit of a native. Lay her more along the land, Sagamore; 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 the 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 firearms. The exertions of the fugitives were too severe to continue long, and the pursuers had the advantage of numbers. Duncan observed with uneasiness, that the scout began to look anxiously about him, as if searching 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 fugitives taking the lead. This change had brought them nigher to each other, however, while it altered their relative positions.

“You showed knowledge in the shaping of a birchen bark, Uncas, when you chose this from among the Huron canoes,” said the scout, smiling, apparently more in satisfaction 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 Heyward; “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.”

“Lord! Lord! That is now a white man’s courage!” exclaimed the scout; “and like to many of his notions, not to be maintained by reason. Do you think the Sagamore, or Uncas, or even I, who am a man without a cross, would deliberate about finding a cover in the scrimmage, 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?”

“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 warrior expressed no other emotion, as the former was compelled 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 governed 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 another volley. Uncas described an arc in the water with his own blade, and as the canoe passed swiftly on, Chingachgook 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 Longue 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 about 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 bark of their little vessel. No perceptible emotion could be discovered in the Mohicans during this critical moment, 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 Heyward:

“The knaves love to hear the sounds of their pieces; but 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 without 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 anger. Now, major, if you will try to use this piece of flattened wood, I’ll let ‘killdeer’ take a part in the conversation.”

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 bows of the leading canoe had risen with a similar object, and he now fell backward, suffering his gun to escape from his hands into the water. In an instant, however, he recovered his feet, though his gestures were wild and bewildered. At the same moment his companions suspended their efforts, and the chasing canoes clustered together, and became stationary. Chingachgook 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 but 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 Uncas 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 already for a rifle to put forth its beauties, and you see yonder imps are holding a council. 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’ shall 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 increase our distance from the enemy.”

“Give me my children,” said Munro, hoarsely; “trifle no longer with a father’s agony, but restore me my babes.”

Long 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 tired. His efforts were seconded by those of the Mohicans and a very few minutes served to place such a sheet of water between them and their enemies, that Heyward 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 ragged 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 labor, 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 toward those hills behind which Montcalm was known to have led his army into the formidable fortress of Ticonderoga. As the Hurons, to every appearance, had 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 the beach, and the whole party landed. Hawkeye and Heyward ascended an adjacent bluff, 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?”

“But for its distance and its magnitude, I should suppose it a bird. Can it be a living object?”

“‘Tis 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 needless 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 our 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 take 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 war 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 abstracted 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 the water-course, which they crossed, and, continuing 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 backward, with the utmost care. They now followed the bed of the little stream to the 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 indistinct and uncertain to the eye. Then they resumed their route, and, favored by the darkness, pushed silently and vigorously toward 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.

“If you find a man there, he shall die a flea’s death.”
—Merry Wives of Windsor.

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 even now to penetrate its wild recesses.

As Hawkeye and the Mohicans had, however, often traversed the mountains and valleys of this vast wilderness, they did not hesitate to plunge into its depth, with the freedom of men accustomed to its privations and difficulties. For many hours the travelers 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 Duncan 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 travelers resumed their journey.

After proceeding a few miles, the progress of Hawkeye, who led the advance, became more deliberate and watchful. He often stopped to examine the trees; nor did he cross a rivulet without attentively considering the quantity, the velocity, and the color of its waters. Distrusting his own judgment, his appeals to the opinion of Chingachgook 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 Frenchers. Yet here are we, within a short range of the Scaroons, and not a sign of a trail have we crossed! 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?”

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 followed 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.”

“‘Tis 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 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 fathers’, 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 toward the forest.”

“Hound never ran on a more beautiful scent,” responded the scout, dashing forward, at once, on the indicated route; “we are favored, greatly favored, and can follow with high noses. Ay, 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 portion of hope to the whole party. Their advance was rapid; and made with as much confidence as a traveler 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 clew 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 Magua had found it necessary to journey through the valleys; a circumstance which rendered the general direction of the route sure. Nor had the Huron entirely neglected the arts uniformly practised 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 the afternoon they had passed the Scaroons, 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 offals 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 Narragansetts, 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 clew, he communicated his success to his companions; and while the latter were consulting on the circumstance, the youth reappeared, leading the two fillies, with their saddles broken, and the housings soiled, as though they had been permitted to run at will for several days.

“What should this prove?” 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 to keep up with the party, he might have taken their scalps; but without an enemy at his heels, and with 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 them; 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 French Indians had come into these hills to hunt the moose, and we are getting within scent of their camp. Why should they not? 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 parted.”

Hawkeye 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, however, resulted in no discovery. The impressions of footsteps 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 center 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 industry, to conceal each footstep as they proceeded. Still no discovery was made. At length Uncas, whose activity had enabled 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.

“This lad will be an honor to his people,” said Hawkeye, regarding the trail with as much admiration as a naturalist would expend on the tusk of a mammoth or the rib of a mastodon; “ay, 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 moccasins.

“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 impressions. The water soon flowed into its bed again, but watching the ground on either side, the foresters pursued their way content with knowing that the trail lay beneath. 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 bunch 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.

“Ay, 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?” demanded Heyward.

“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 land of Providence. All is plain but one thing, which is the manner that the knave contrived to get the gentle ones along the blind trail. Even a Huron would be too proud to let their tender feet touch the water.”

“Will this assist in explaining the difficulty?” said Heyward, pointing toward the fragments of a sort of handbarrow, that had been rudely constructed of boughs, and bound together with withes, and which now seemed carelessly cast aside as useless.

“‘Tis explained!” cried the delighted Hawkeye. “If them varlets have passed a minute, they have spent hours in striving to fabricate a lying end to their trail! Well, I’ve known them to waste a day in the same manner to as little purpose. Here we have three pair of moccasins, and two of little feet. It is amazing that any mortal beings 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 at 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, hereaway. Now, the singer was beginning to be footsore 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 snowshoes. Ay, ay, a man who uses his throat altogether, can hardly give his legs a proper training.”

From such undeniable testimony did the practised woodsman arrive at the truth, with nearly as much certainty 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 upward 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 now lay along the bottom which has already been mentioned. As the Hurons had made no further efforts to conceal their footsteps, the progress of the pursuers was no longer delayed by uncertainty. Before an hour had elapsed, however, the speed of Hawkeye sensibly abated, 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 Mohicans; “yonder is open sky, through the treetops, and we are getting too nigh their encampment. Sagamore, you will take the hillside, to the right; Uncas will bend along the brook to the left, while I will try the trail. If anything should happen, the call 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 approaching an encampment.”

The Indians departed their several ways without reply, while Hawkeye cautiously proceeded with the two gentlemen. 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 side. Duncan obeyed, and soon found himself in a situation 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 waters, as though the latter had overflowed its usual banks. Their rounded roofs, admirably molded for defense against the weather, denoted more of industry and foresight than the natives were wont to bestow on their regular habitations, much less on those they occupied for the temporary 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 length, he fancied he discovered several human forms advancing toward him on all fours, and apparently dragging in the train some heavy, and as he was quick to apprehend, 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 instinctively, 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, however, covered with a pair 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 see we have reached their settlement or encampment,” 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. Ay, 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 be 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 practise.

Repeating the words, “Fellows who are dodging about the water!” he added, “so much for schooling and passing a boyhood 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 bury part of his person in the thicket, when, stretching forth his arm, he arrested him, in order to ask:

“If I see you in danger, may I not risk a shot?”

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, several 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 meantime, the uplifted hand of Hawkeye was above him. But, without any apparent reason, it was withdrawn, and its owner indulged in another long, though still silent, fit of merriment. When the peculiar and hearty laughter of Hawkeye was ended, instead of grasping his victim by the throat, he tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and exclaimed 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 so well, would not deny them voices to proclaim His praise.”

“Bot.—Abibl we all met?
Qui.—Pat—pat; and here’s a marvelous convenient place
for our rehearsal.”
——仲夏夜之梦

The reader may better imagine, than we describe the surprise of Heyward. His lurking Indians were suddenly converted into four-footed beasts; his lake into a beaver pond; his cataract into a dam, constructed by those industrious and ingenious quadrupeds; and a suspected enemy into his tried friend, David Gamut, the master of psalmody. The presence of the latter created so many unexpected hopes relative to the sisters that, without a moment’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 grip that brought tears into the eyes of the placid David, and wished him joy of his new condition.

“You were about opening your throat-practisings 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 born dumb! What think you of such a song as this?”

David shut his sensitive ears, and even Heyward apprised as he was of the nature of the cry, looked upward in quest of the bird, as the cawing of a crow rang in the air about them.

“See!” continued the laughing scout, as he pointed toward 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 Heyward.

“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 trembling 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 possessed 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 interrupted the scout.

“He hunts the moose to-day, with his young men; and tomorrow, as I hear, they pass further into the 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 had 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, she has not suffered.”

“Has she then a heart for music?”

“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 communication, when the ears of the savages are astounded with the upliftings of our voices.”

“And why are you permitted to go at large, unwatched?”

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 terrible business of that field of blood through which we have 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 significantly, 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 content 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 intelligible, the sincere and steady expression of his eye, and the glow of his honest countenance, were not easily mistaken. Uncas pressed closer to his side, and regarded the speaker with a look of commendation, while his father expressed his satisfaction by the ordinary pithy exclamation of approbation. The scout shook his head as he rejoined:

“The Lord never intended that the man should place all his endeavors in his throat, to the neglect of other and better gifts! But he has fallen into the hands of some silly woman, when he should have been gathering his education under a blue sky, among the beauties of the forest. Here, friend; I did intend to kindle a fire with this tooting-whistle of thine; but, as you value the thing, take it, and blow your best on it.”

Gamut received his pitch-pipe with as strong an expression of pleasure as he believed compatible with the grave functions he exercised. After essaying its virtues repeatedly, in contrast with his own voice, and, satisfying himself that none of its melody was lost, he made a very serious demonstration toward achieving a few stanzas of one of the longest effusions in the little volume so often mentioned.

Heyward, however, hastily interrupted his pious purpose 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 simple, and the facts but few.

Magua had waited on the mountain until a safe moment to retire presented itself, when he had descended, and taken the route along the western side of the Horican in direction of the Canadas. As the subtle Huron was familiar with the paths, and well knew there was no immediate danger of pursuit, their progress had been moderate, and far from fatiguing. It appeared from the unembellished statement of David, that his own presence had been rather endured than desired; though even Magua had not been entirely exempt from that veneration with which the Indians regard those whom the Great Spirit had visited in their intellects. At night, the utmost care had been taken of the captives, both to prevent injury 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 resorted to, in order to cut off every clue to their place of retreat. On their arrival at the encampment of his people, Magua, 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 concerning 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 savage 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 rather mingled in consolation with those of the maidens.”

“The time may come when you will not consider the knife of a savage such a despicable vanity,” returned the scout, with a strong expression of contempt for the other’s dullness. “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 natur’ of an Indian. Even the Mingo adores but the true and loving God. ‘Tis 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 to 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 would enforce his meaning by the attitude. Duncan’s eyes followed the movement, and he perceived that the animal just mentioned was beautifully, though faintly, worked in 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 scout 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 Tortoises! 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.

“‘Tis 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 appeared painful. The impatient Duncan now made several 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 convince him of the folly of precipitation, in a manner that would require their coolest judgment and utmost fortitude.

“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?”

“‘Tis 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 bushes where the bird might be supposed—”

“Stop,” interrupted Heyward; “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 merciful.”

“Ay, 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. Name your objections no longer: I am resolved.”

Hawkeye regarded the young man a moment in speechless amazement. But Duncan, who, in deference to the other’s skill and services, had hitherto submitted somewhat implicitly to his dictation, now assumed the superior, with a manner that was not easily resisted. He waved 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 encampment, 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 undeniably 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 influence. 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 scraps of paper, making the mountains look like cocks of rusty hay, and placing the blue 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 natural fool of you, and that well to your liking.”

Duncan complied; and the Mohican, who had been an attentive listener to the discourse, readily undertook the office. Long practised 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 inclination for war, was carefully avoided; while, on the other hand, he studied those conceits that might be construed into amity.

In short, he entirely sacrificed every appearance of the warrior to the masquerade of a buffoon. Such exhibitions 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 former 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 Heyward aside, and acquainted him with his intention to leave the veteran in some safe encampment, in charge of Chingachgook, while he and Uncas pursued their inquires among the people they had reason to believe were Delawares. Then, renewing his cautions and advice, he concluded by saying, with a solemnity and warmth of feeling, with which Duncan was deeply touched:

“And, now, God bless you! You have shown a spirit that I like; for it is the gift of youth, more especially one of warm blood and a stout heart. But believe the warning 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 courage 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 gentleman, may Providence bless your undertaking, which is altogether for good; and, remember, that to outwit the knaves it is lawful to practise 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 concealment 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 simple, and so little qualified to render any assistance in desperate 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 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 began 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 essays 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 obtained 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 discovered. 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 that 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 specters, or some other unearthly beings, than creatures fashioned with the ordinary and vulgar materials of flesh and blood. A gaunt, naked form was seen, for a single instant, tossing its arms wildly in the air, and then the spot it had filled was vacant; the figure appearing suddenly in some other and distant place, or being succeeded by another, possessing the same mysterious character. David, observing that his companion lingered, pursued the direction of his gaze, and in some measure recalled the recollection of Heyward, 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 unconscious 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 efforts with whoopings and howlings 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 Duncan, suffering his lip to curl, as in mockery of his own superstition, said firmly:

“We will proceed.”

Without removing the safeguards form his ears, the master of song complied, and together they pursued their way toward what David was sometimes wont to call the “tents of the Philistines.”

“But though the beast of game
The privilege of chase may claim;
Though space and law the stag we lend
Ere hound we slip, or bow we bend;
Whoever recked, where, how, or when
The prowling fox was trapped or slain?”
—Lady of the Lake.

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 seldom 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 center 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 everywhere met by dark, quick, and rolling eyeballs.

Gathering no encouragement from this startling presage of the nature of the scrutiny he was likely to undergo 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 principal 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 province. Duncan found it difficult to assume the necessary appearance of unconcern, as he brushed the dark and powerful 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 center 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 the corner of the hut, and seated himself in silence.

So soon as their visitor had passed, the observant warriors 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 set its red 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 countenances of his hosts. But his ingenuity availed him little, against the cold artifices of the people he had encountered. 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 the 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 countenance, no gesture, no line of the paint, nor even the fashion 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 announced that he was still equal to the duties of manhood, advanced out of the gloom of a corner, whither he had probably posted himself to make his observations unseen, and spoke. He used the language of the Wyandots, or Hurons; his words were, consequently, unintelligible to Heyward, though they seemed, by the gestures that accompanied 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 English?” he said, in the former language, looking about him from countenance to countenance, in hopes of finding a nod of assent.

Though more than one had turned, as if to catch the meaning of his words, they remained unanswered.

“I should be grieved to think,” continued Duncan, speaking slowly, and using the simplest French 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!”

A long and grave pause succeeded, during which no movement of a limb, nor any expression of an eye, betrayed the expression produced by his remark. Duncan, who knew that silence was a virtue among 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 Canadas:

“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?”

“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 looking 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.”

“It cannot be. See; he has bid me, who am a man that 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 simultaneously 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 tremble for the result. He was, however, relieved again by the former speaker.

“Do the cunning men of the Canadas 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 compliment of 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 occupation, 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 declaration their guests 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 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 center of a disorderly throng, that included nearly everything having life, within the limits of the encampment. Men, women, and children; the aged, the inform, 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, Heyward was soon enabled to find its solution by the scene that followed.

There yet lingered sufficient 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 toward 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-hallo”; and each repetition of the cry was intended to announce to the tribe the fate of an enemy. Thus far the knowledge of Heyward 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 plaintive and terrific cry, which was intended to represent equally the wailings of the dead and the triumph to the victors, had entirely ceased. One of their number now called aloud, in words that were far from appalling, though not more intelligible to those for whose ears they were intended, than their expressive yells. It would be difficult to convey a suitable idea of the savage ecstasy with which the news thus imparted was received. The whole encampment, in a moment, became a scene of the most violent bustle and commotion. The warriors drew their knives, and flourishing them, they arranged themselves 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 exhibited 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 different 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 toward 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 hazardous race he was about to run. Insensibly the young man drew nigher to the swarthy lines of the Hurons, and 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 more 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 supernatural arena, in which malicious demons had assembled to act their bloody and lawless rites. The forms in the background 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 center of his relentless persecutors. Turning 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 courageous young stranger was lost.

Nothing could be distinguished but a dark mass of human forms tossed and involved in inexplicable confusion. Arms, gleaming knives, and formidable clubs, appeared 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. Suddenly 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 confusion. Human power could not, however, much longer endure so severe a trial. Of this the captive seemed conscious. 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 husbanded 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 without 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 stranger. 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, until 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 vocabulary 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 wildcat, 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 older and more malignant companion. But the stranger was superior to all their efforts. His head was immovable; nor did he betray the slightest consciousness that any were present, except when his haughty eye rolled toward 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 tomahawk before their victim, and adding his empty boasts to the taunts of the women. Then, indeed, the captive turned his face toward the light, and looked down on the stripling with an expression that was superior to contempt. 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, Heyward recoiled before 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 stern gesture, he took Uncas by the arm, and led him toward the door of the council-lodge. Thither all the chiefs, and most of the distinguished warriors, followed; among whom the anxious Heyward found means to enter without attracting any dangerous attention to himself.

A few minutes were 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 superior 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 center 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 Duncan had observed to stand forth with his friend, previously to the desperate trial of speed; and who, instead of joining in the chase, had remained, throughout its turbulent 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, seemingly, without a struggle. Heyward profited by 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.

“Delaware,” he said, “though one of a nation of women, you have proved yourself a man. I would give 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 companion,” resumed the other, without appearing to regard the boast of his captive; “when they get back, then will our wise man 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 snare. The cunning beaver may be caught.”

As Uncas thus replied, he pointed with his finger toward the solitary Huron, but without deigning to bestow 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 toward 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 human countenance.

In the meantime, the more aged chiefs, in the center, communed with each other in short and broken sentences. Not a word was uttered that did not convey the meaning 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 brave 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 an anxious and troubled glance at the dark assemblage of chiefs. The silence was finally broken by the aged warrior so often named. He arose from the earth, and moving 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, sidling 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 eyes, 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 futurity. Satisfied with her examination, she left him, with a slight expression of pleasure, and proceeded to practise the same trying experiment on her delinquent countryman.

The young Huron was in his war paint, and very little of a finely molded form was concealed by his attire. The light rendered every limb and joint discernible, and Duncan turned away in horror when he saw they were writhing in irrepressible agony. The woman was commencing a low and plaintive howl at the sad and shameful spectacle, when the chief put forth his hand and gently pushed her aside.

“Reed-that-bends,” he said, addressing the young culprit by name, and in his proper language, “though the Great Spirit has made you pleasant to the eyes, it would have been better that you had not been born. Your tongue is loud in the village, but in battle it is still. None of my young men strike the tomahawk deeper into the 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 impressively between 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 persons 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, glittering 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 dreadful 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 Indian judgment had now become its only tenants.

“Thus spoke the sage: the kings without delay
Dissolve the council, and their chief obey.”
—Pope’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 ear:

“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 toward the door, and admonished him of the danger that might attend the discovery of their intercourse. Slowly and reluctantly yielding 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 occasionally 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 adjacent 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 smoking, while they conversed gravely on the chief incidents of their recent expedition to the head of the Horican. 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 terrible 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 remained 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 doorway. In every other respect, the captive seemed at liberty; still he was excluded from all participation in the discourse, and possessed much more of the air of some finely molded 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 boldness. He would greatly have preferred silence and meditation 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,” said 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 practised among the Indians, in the cases of such supposed visitations. He saw, at a glance, that the circumstance might possibly be improved to further his own ends. It would, therefore, have been difficult, just then to have uttered a proposal that would have given him more satisfaction. Aware of the necessity of preserving the dignity of his imaginary character, however, he repressed his feelings, and answered with suitable 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?”

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 Heyward, 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 sustained Duncan. The latter cast an impatient look at his neighbor, and felt his flesh creep with uncontrollable horror when he found himself in actual contact with Magua.

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 newcomer, 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 absent two weary days on a long and toilsome hunt. Ten minutes, which appeared so many ages to Duncan, 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 my friend found the moose?”

“The young men stagger under their burdens,” returned Magua. “Let ‘Reed-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, leaving the place beneath clear of its fumes, and each dark visage distinctly visible. The looks of most of the warriors were riveted on the earth; though a few of the younger and less gifted of the party suffered their wild and glaring eyeballs 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 remarkable 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 Chippewas 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 commendation of his stoicism in the eyes of the 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 anguish. Standing a single minute to enjoy his 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 saying, in a cheerful voice, addressing himself in courtesy to Magua, 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?”

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!”

“Not 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 maintained, when there was no immediate call on his cunning 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 inquiries 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 for the first time a glance in the direction of the prisoner, who stood a little behind him. The wary, though seemingly abstracted Uncas, caught a glimpse of 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 gaze he encountered. 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 Magua 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:

“Le Cerf 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 toward their captive, in curious 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 exhibiting 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 English:

“Mohican, you die!”

“The healing waters will never bring the dead Hurons to life,” returned Uncas, in the music of the Delawares; “the 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 Magua. 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 auditors, 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 described the nature and position of the mount whither he had led such captives as had fallen into their hands. Of his own bloody intentions toward 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 Magua 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 never 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 allusions, that in a nation which was composed of so few families, he contrived to strike every chord that might find, 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 toward 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 born. Shall this be? Are their souls to enter the land of the just like hungry Iroquois or unmanly Delawares, 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! a Chippewa has come hither with the name of a Huron.’ Brothers, we must not forget the dead; a red-skin never ceases to remember. We will load the back of this Mohican 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 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 orator, could scarcely be mistaken. Magua had so artfully blended the natural sympathies with the religious superstition of his auditors, that their minds, already prepared by custom to sacrifice a victim to the manes of their countrymen, lost every vestige of humanity in a wish for revenge. 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 Magua ended he arose and, uttering the yell of a demon, his polished little axe was seen glancing in the torchlight 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 Magua 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 scalping 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 pitying a want of skill which had proved so fortunate to himself, 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 young men whose duty it was to guard the prisoner instantly passed their ligaments of bark across his arms, and led him from the lodge, amid a profound and ominous silence. 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 he 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.

Magua was content with his success, or too much occupied 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 elbow. Notwithstanding his rising resentment, his natural firmness, and his anxiety on behalf of Uncas, Heyward 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 ordinary succession to every scene of violence and commotion among these 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 toward departing. A motion of a finger was the intimation he gave the supposed physician to follow; and passing through the clouds of smoke, Duncad 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 toward 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 had conveyed a few brands into some piles of tree-tops 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 directly 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 mountain, and was reflected downward upon a dark and mysterious-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 inexplicable. Again the fire brightened and its glare fell more distinctly on the object. Then even Duncan knew it, by its restless and sidling 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 eyeballs 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 pursued his course.

Duncan, who knew that the animal was often domesticated 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 moment in further examination; but Heyward was unable to prevent his eyes from looking backward, in salutary watchfulness 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 have 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 passage. 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 circumstances, the young man pressed forward, keeping as close as possible to his conductor. The bear growled frequently at his heels, and once or twice its enormous paws were laid on his person, as if disposed to prevent his further 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 glimmer 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 subdivisions 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 particularly 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, under 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 center of whom Heyward was surprised to find his missing friend David.

A single look was sufficient to apprise the pretended leech that the invalid was far beyond his powers of healing. She lay in a sort of paralysis, indifferent to the objects which crowded before her sight, and happily unconscious 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 moment, 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 interruption. 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 sepulchral. 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 animal, 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 communicating 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, and is at hand”; and precipitately left the cavern.

“Snug.—Have you the lion’s part written? Pray you, if it
be, give it to me, for I am slow of study.

Quince.—You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but
roaring.”
—Midsummer Night’s Dream.

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 seem 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 toward 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 species of incantation, and those uncouth rites, under which the Indian conjurers are accustomed to conceal their ignorance 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 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 unwieldy talons pawed stupidly about the grinning muzzle, and while Heyward kept his eyes riveted on its movements 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 merriment.

“Hist!” said the wary woodsman, interrupting Heyward’s exclamation of surprise; “the varlets are about the place, and any sounds that are not natural to witchcraft 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 accident,” returned the scout. “But, as a story should always commence at the beginning, 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 north-west Indians, not having as yet got the traders among them, continued to venerate the beaver. After which Uncas and I pushed for the other 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,” resumed 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 likeness 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 Heyward; “we know not at what moment the Hurons may return.”

“No 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:

“After the loss of the boy I turned upon the Hurons, as you may judge. There have been scrimmages 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 that 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 stringing 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 animal 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 or natur’ of such a beast. Had it been now a catamount, or even a full-size 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 overacted. 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 presence 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 this unhappy 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 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 conceit, 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 swung 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 discharge; 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 embellishment. It’s as common 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; after 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 safekeeping of so important a prisoner as a daughter of the commandant 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!” 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 dejected 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 be seated, while he recounted those leading incidents which it has been our task to accord. Alice listened with breathless interest; and though the young man touched lightly on the sorrows of the stricken father; taking care, however, 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 emotions, 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 experienced and invaluable friend, the scout, we may find our 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 happiness, 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 between your father and myself.”

“And, dearest Cora, Duncan; surely Cora was not forgotten?”

“Not forgotten! no; regretted, as woman was seldom mourned before. Your venerable father knew no difference between his children; but I—Alice, you will not be 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 aspire to a still nearer and dearer tie.”

Alice trembled violently, and there was an instant during 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.

“Heyward,” 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 parent before you urge me further.”

“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 Magua. 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 Heyward, in the usual cold and distant manner with which she received the visits of her captor.

The exulting Indian had resumed his austere countenance, 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 Magua 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 center of the cavern, until he had completely cut off every hope of retreat through the private 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 so often foiled. When Magua had effected his object he approached his prisoners, and said in English:

“The pale faces trap the cunning beavers; but the red-skins know how to take the Yengeese.”

“Huron, do your worst!” exclaimed the excited Heyward, 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 Magua; 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 Indian; “he will go and bring his young men, to see how bravely a pale face can laugh at tortures.”

He turned away while speaking, and was about to leave the place through the avenue by which Duncan had approached, 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. Magua, like the father of the sick woman, eyed it keenly for a moment, as if to ascertain its character. He was far above the more vulgar superstitions of his tribe, and so soon as he recognized the well-known attire 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 his hinder legs, it beat the air with its paws, in the manner practised 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 him in a grasp that might have vied with the far-famed power of the “bear’s hug” itself. Heyward had watched the whole procedure, on the part of Hawkeye, with breathless 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 record the circumstance. When the formidable Huron was completely pinioned, the scout released his hold, and Duncan laid his enemy on his back, utterly helpless.

Throughout the whole of this sudden and extraordinary operation, Magua, 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:

“休！”

“Ay, 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 gagged the Indian, his enemy might safely have been considered as “hors de combat.”

“By what place did the imp enter?” asked the industrious scout, when his work was ended. “Not a soul has passed my way since you left me.”

Duncan pointed out the door by which Magua 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.”

“‘Tis impossible!” said Duncan; “fear has overcome her, and she is helpless. Alice! my sweet, my own Alice, arouse yourself; now is the moment to fly. ‘Tis 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 companion, was eagerly obeying; and, as the other finished speaking, he took the light person of Alice in his arms, and followed in 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 re-enter.

“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. Practise 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 a bear as he proceeded. Duncan kept close at his heels, and soon found himself in the center of a cluster of twenty anxious relatives 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.

“Has my brother driven away the evil spirit?” demanded 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 will 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 intelligence 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.”

Heyward 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 the 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 counterfeit 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 wisest 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 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 distance, 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 powers 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 Heyward 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 stranger 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 Heyward, in surprise; “surely we part not here?”

“The Hurons hold the pride of the Delawares; the last of the high blood of the Mohicans is in their power,” returned 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 scrimmage; 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 summer, 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 the color of the skin; and Him I call to witness, that before the Mohican boy shall perish for the want of a friend, good faith shall depart the ‘arth, and ‘killdeer’ become as harmless as the tooting we’pon of the singer!”

Duncan released his hold on the arm of the scout, who turned, and steadily retraced his steps toward the lodges. After pausing a moment to gaze at his retiring form, the successful and yet sorrowful Heyward and Alice took their way together toward the distant village of the Delawares.

“Bot.—Let me play the lion too.”
——仲夏夜之梦

Notwithstanding the high resolution of Hawkeye he fully comprehended all the difficulties and danger he was about to incur. In his return to the camp, his acute and practised intellects were intently engaged in devising means to counteract a watchfulness and suspicion on the part of his enemies, that he knew were, in no degree, inferior to his own. Nothing but the color of his skin had saved the lives of Magua 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 ligaments with which he had bound his captives, and pursued his way directly toward the center of the lodges. As he approached the buildings, his steps become 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 account 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 general, who was about to feel the advanced 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, together 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 profounded reflections.

However implicit the faith of David was in the performance of ancient miracles, he eschewed the belief of any direct supernatural agency in the management of modern morality. In other words, while he had implicit faith in the ability of Balaam’s ass to speak, he was somewhat 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 undergone no other alteration from that so lately described, except 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 manner in which the other had abandoned his post at the bedside 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 position 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 pitch 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 intents; 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 repent.”

The bear shook his shaggy sides, and then a well-known voice replied:

“Put up the tooting we’pon, 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.

“Ay, 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 bondage, and much I fear his death is decreed. I greatly mourn that one so well disposed should die in his ignorance, and I have sought a goodly hymn—”

“Can you lead me to him?”

“The task will not be difficult,” returned David, hesitating; “though I greatly fear your presence would rather increase than mitigate his unhappy fortunes.”

“No more words, but lead on,” returned Hawkeye, concealing his face again, and setting the example in his own person, by instantly quitting the lodge.

As they proceeded, the scout ascertained that his companion found access to Uncas, under privilege of his imaginary 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 comprehended 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 repeat 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 instruction 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 center 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 which he appeared so much to despise. The boys were 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 manner 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 additional 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 instructions he had received, more than fulfilling the strongest hopes of his teacher.

“The Delawares are women!” he exclaimed, addressing 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 tomahawk, 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 fellows, 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:

“The cunning man is afraid that his breath will blow upon his brothers, and take away their courage too,” continued David, improving the hint he received; “they must stand further off.”

The Hurons, who would have deemed such a misfortune 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 entered 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 purposed of cookery.

Uncas occupied a distant corner, 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 represented. 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 Heyward had appeared so accurate, certain blemishes, that at once betrayed the counterfeit. Had Hawkeye been aware of the low estimation in which the skillful Uncas held his representations, he would probably have prolonged the entertainment a little in pique. But the scornful expression of the young man’s eye admitted of so many constructions, that the worthy scout was spared the mortification of such a discovery. As soon, therefore, as David gave 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 contemptible and disagreeable an object from his sight. But the moment the noise of the serpent was heard, he arose, and cast his looks on each side of him, bending his head low, and turning it inquiringly in every direction, until his keen eye rested on the shaggy monster, where it remained riveted, as though fixed by the power of a charm. Again the same sounds were repeated, evidently proceeding from the mouth of the beast. Once more the eyes of the youth roamed over the interior of the lodge, and returning to the 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 comprehend 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 certain 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 another similar weapon, both being the fruits of his prowess among their enemies during the evening.

“We will go,” said Uncas.

“去哪儿？”

“To the Tortoises; they are the children of my grandfathers.”

“Ay, 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; “their ‘totem’ is a moose, and they run like snails. The Delawares are children of the tortoise, and they outstrip the deer.”

“Ay, 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, I 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 had already approached the door, in readiness 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 lead, 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 will stay,” was the calm reply.

“为了什么？”

“To fight with his father’s brother, and die with the friend of the Delawares.”

“Ay, lad,” returned Hawkeye, squeezing the hand of Uncas between his own iron fingers; “‘twould have been more like a Mingo than a Mohican had you left me. But I thought I would make the offer, seeing that youth commonly 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.”

Whatever might have been the private opinion of Uncas of their respective abilities in this particular, his grave countenance manifested no opinion of his superiority. He silently and expeditiously encased himself in the covering of the beast, and then awaited such other movements as his more aged companion saw fit to dictate.

“Now, friend,” said Hawkeye, 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 wilderness. 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 liberality, had he not certainly profited, in many particulars, by the exchange. 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 starlight. As soon as these dispositions were made, the scout turned to David, and gave him his parting instructions.

“Are you much given to cowardice?” 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 forgotten my faith in the Lord, even in the greatest straits.”

“Your chiefest danger will be at the moment when the savages find out that they have been deceived. If you are not then knocked on the head, your being a non-composser will protect you; and you’ll then have a 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 the cheat, when, as I have already said, your times 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 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 formation might tell the truth too early. Keep silent 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 assurance 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 welfare.”

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 reflect 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 practise 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 is not greatly wrong, when the matter is duly considered, and keeping eternity before the eyes, though much depends on the natural gifts, and the force of temptation.”

So saying, the scout returned and shook David cordially by the hand; after which act of friendship he immediately left the lodge, attended by the new representative of the beast.

The instant Hawkeye found himself under the observation of the Hurons, he drew up his tall form in the rigid manner 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 practised in the 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 drew nigher. When at the nearest point the Huron who spoke 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?”

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 no counterfeit, that was rolling before him. Hawkeye, who feared his voice would betray him to his subtle enemies, gladly profited by the interruption, to break out anew in such a burst of musical expression 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 lodge; especially 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 betray 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 thy passed; and once or twice a dark-looking warrior stepped across their path, led to the act by superstition and 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 counterfeited was about to make some desperate effort.

“Hold!” said the scout, grasping his friend by the shoulder, “let them yell again! ‘Twas nothing but wonderment.”

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 accouterments, 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 sportsmen in readiness for their game, they dashed forward, and were soon buried in the somber darkness of the forest.

“Ant. I shall remember: When C’sar says
Do this, it is performed.”
—Julius Caesar

The impatience of the savages who lingered about 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 minutes they mistook the form of David for that of the prisoner; but the very accident which Hawkeye had foreseen 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 when 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 captive, 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 smooth 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 protection of anything defensive. The sounds of the alarm were, therefore, hardly uttered before two hundred men were afoot, and ready for the battle or the chase, as either might be required. The escape was soon known; and the whole tribe crowded, in a body, around the council-lodge, impatiently awaiting the instruction of their chiefs. In such a sudden demand on their wisdom, the presence of the cunning Magua could scarcely fail of being needed. His name was mentioned, and all looked round in wonder that he did not appear. Messengers were then despatched to his lodge requiring his presence.

In the meantime, some of the swiftest and most discreet of the young men were ordered to make the circuit of the clearing, under cover of the woods, in order to ascertain that their suspected neighbors, 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 announced 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 warriors entered the place, bringing with them the hapless conjurer, who had been left so long by the scout in duress.

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 brief story was ended, the father of the sick woman stepped forth, and, in a few pithy expression, 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 chiefs were selected to prosecute the investigation. As no time was to be 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 contradiction 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 look 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, recovering his self-possession, he faced his companions, and, pointing toward 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 silence. After a short pause, one of the elder Indians was about to speak, when a dark-looking object was seen rolling out of an adjoining apartment, into the very center 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, rising on end, exhibited the distorted but still fierce and sullen features of Magua. The discovery was succeeded by a general exclamation of amazement.

As soon, however, as the true situation of the chief was understood, several knives appeared, and his 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 convulsively 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 present; 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 might take revenge?”

“Let the Delaware die!” exclaimed Magua, in a voice of thunder.

Another longer 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; “‘tis the spirit that has taken the lives of so many Hurons; the spirit that slew my young men at ‘the tumbling river’; that took their scalps at the ‘healing spring’; and who has, now, bound the arms of Le Renard Subtil!”

“Of whom does my friend speak?”

“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 effect 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 bosom of their encampment, working injury, fearful rage took the place of wonder, and all those fierce passions with which the bosom of Magua 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 frantically as if the object of their resentment were suffering under their blows. But this sudden outbreaking of temper as quickly subsided in the still and sullen restraint they most affected in their moments of inaction.

Magua, 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 council-lodge. When they were seated, all eyes turned on Magua, 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 practised 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 that they had been insultingly, shamefully, disgracefully deceived. When he had ended, and resumed his seat, the collected tribe—for his auditors, in substance, included all the fighting men of the party—sat regarding each other like men astonished equally at the audacity and the success of their enemies. The next consideration, however, was the means and opportunities for revenge.

Additional pursuers were sent on the trail of the fugitives; and then the chiefs applied themselves, in earnest, to the business of consultation. Many different expedients were proposed by the elder warriors, in succession, to all of which Magua was a silent and respectful listener. That subtle savage had recovered his artifice and self-command, and now proceeded toward his object with his customary caution and skill. It was only when each one disposed to speak had uttered his sentiments, that he prepared to advance his own opinions. They were given with additional 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 advantage 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 reached the Huron village. Magua had early discovered 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 these revengeful impulses that in a savage seldom slumber, the chief was still attentive to his more permanent personal interests. The follies and disloyalty committed in his youth were to be expiated by a long and painful penance, ere he could be restored to the full enjoyment of the confidence of his ancient people; and without confidence there could be no authority in an Indian tribe. 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 been the success with which he had cultivated the favor of their powerful and dangerous neighbors. The result of his experiment had answered all the expectations 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 they are appreciated by others.

But, while he was making this ostensible sacrifice to general considerations, Magua never lost sight of his individual motives. The latter 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 possession 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, imperiously required them speedily to immolate some victims to their revenge. But plans so dangerous to attempt, and of such doubtful issue, Magua 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 auditors; a never-failing method of commanding attention. When he had enumerated the many different occasions on which the Hurons had exhibited their courage and prowess, 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 the brutes and men; 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 different 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 prudence more, and inclination less, in so critical circumstances. 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 complete 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 contemporaries, however he may be treated by posterity. All perceived 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 Magua prevailed. The tribe consented to act with deliberation, and with one voice they committed the direction of the whole affair to the government of the chief who had suggested such wise and intelligible expedients.

Magua had now attained one great object of all his cunning and enterprise. The ground he had lost in the favor of his people was completely regained, and he found himself even placed at the head of affairs. He was, in truth, their ruler; and, so long as he could maintain his popularity, 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.

Runners were despatched 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, Magua 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, Magua retired, when his labors of policy were ended. While others slept, however, he neither knew or 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 plans, from the hour of his retirement to the time he had appointed for the warriors to assemble again. Occasionally the air breathed through the crevices of the hut, and the low flame 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 Magua, until they had collected to the number of twenty. Each bore his rifle, and all the other accouterments 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 motionless statues, until the whole of the designated band was collected.

Then Magua 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 unobserved resembling a band of gliding specters, more than warriors seeking the bubble reputation by deeds of desperate daring.

Instead of taking the path which led directly toward the camp of the Delawares, Magua 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 Magua, who had resumed his ancient garb, bore the outline 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 so powerful a community of his fancied kindred, without bestowing some evidence of his regard. Accordingly, he paused, and spoke in words as kind and friendly as if he were addressing more intelligent beings. He called the animals his cousins, and reminded them that his protecting influence was the reason they remained unharmed, while 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 circumlocution, the expediency of bestowing on their relative a portion of that wisdom for which they were so renowned.*

* These harangues of the beasts were frequent among the
Indians. They often address their victims in this way,
reproaching them for cowardice or commending their
resolution, as they may happen to exhibit fortitude or the
reverse, in suffering.

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 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 uninhabited. Such an extraordinary sign of confidence was received 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 Magua 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-looking 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 intelligible 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 explained, by seeing the entire animal issue from the lodge, uncasing, by the act, the grave features of Chingachgook from his mask of fur.

“Brief, I pray for you; for you see, ‘tis a busy time with me.”
——无事生非。

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, with 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 submit to entertain a passive friend, than by any acts of ill-judged severity to convert him into an open enemy.

On that morning when Magua led his silent party from the settlement of the beavers into the forests, in the manner described, the sun rose upon the Delaware encampment 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 engaged 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 enemy than the beasts of the forest is expected to be encountered. And occasionally, the eyes of a whole group were turned simultaneously toward a large and silent lodge in the center 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 toward 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 strong outline against the blushing morning sky, and moved with dignity into the very center 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 deerskin moccasins. He made, as he advanced, many courteous signs of greeting to the men he passed, neglecting to notice the women, however, like one who deemed their 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, Le Renard Subtil.

His reception was grave, silent, and wary. The warriors 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 aborigines.

“The wise Huron is welcome,” said the Delaware, in the language of the Maquas; “he is come to eat his ‘succotash’ *, with his brothers of the lakes.”

* A dish composed of cracked corn and beans. It is much used
also by the whites. By corn is meant maise.

“He is come,” repeated Magua, bending his head with the dignity of an eastern prince.

The chief extended his arm and taking the other by 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 unusual a visit, and yet not betraying the least impatience by sign or word.

During the short and frugal repast that followed, the conversation was extremely circumspect, and related entirely to the events of the hunt, in which Magua 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 perfectly 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 squaws removed the trenchers and gourds, and the two parties began to prepare themselves for a subtle trial of their wits.

“Is the face of my great Canada father turned again toward his Huron children?” demanded the orator of the Delawares.

“When was it ever otherwise?” returned Magua. “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 Magua, 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 short 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 Magua 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 red-skin. Why should they brighten their tomahawks and sharpen their knives against each other? Are not the pale faces thicker than the swallows in the season of flowers?”

“Good!” exclaimed two or three of his auditors at the same time.

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? 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 Delawares!”

“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 warpath, 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 baubles 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 ground 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 immediately 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 Delawares lost their gravity in a much more cordial expression; and the host, in particular, after contemplating his 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,” returned Magua. “Why should they not? they are colored by the same sun, and their just men will hunt in the same 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 Coeur-dur,” forgot that obduracy of purpose, which had probably obtained him so significant a title. His countenance grew very sensibly less stern 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 Magua, without adverting in any manner to the former equivocation 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 Delawares—for, say they, 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 Magua 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 distrust. There was no deep insight into causes and effects necessary to foresee that such a situation of things was likely to prove highly prejudicial to their future movements. 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. Accordingly, this alarming annunciation was received, as Magua 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 love and venerate the great white 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?” returned 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 learned, for the first time, one so famous among the Indian 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 Magua, coldly, leaning his head against the side of the lodge, and drawing his slight robe across his tawny breast. “Let the Delawares count their prisoners; they will find one whose skin is neither red nor pale.”

A long and musing pause succeeded. The chief consulted apart with his companions, and messengers despatched to collect certain others of the most distinguished men of the tribe.

As warrior after warrior dropped in, they were each made acquainted, in turn, with the important intelligence that Magua had just communicated. The air of surprise, and the usual low, deep, guttural exclamation, were common to them all. The news spread from mouth to mouth, until the whole encampment became powerfully agitated. The women suspended their labors, to catch such syllables as unguardedly fell from the lips of the consulting warriors. The boys deserted their sports, and walking fearlessly among their fathers, looked up in curious admiration, as they heard the brief exclamations of wonder they so freely expressed 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 embarrassment. During all these movements, and in the midst of the general commotion, Magua had not only maintained his seat, but the very attitude he had originally taken, against the side of the lodge, where he continued as immovable, 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 vigilant 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 immediately 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 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 conference. 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 distinction, 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 occasion, 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 preceded a conference; 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 toward 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.

At length one of those low murmurs, that are so apt to disturb 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 consultation. They were all aged, even beyond that period to which the oldest present had reached; but one in the center, who leaned on his companions for support, had numbered an amount of years to which the human race is 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 compelled 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 generations 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 fashions of the tribe. His robe was of the finest skins, which had been deprived of their fur, in order to admit of a hieroglyphical 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 encircled 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.

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. Magua had often heard the fame of this wise and just Delaware; a reputation 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 Americans sometimes called their tutelar saint
Tamenay, a corruption of the name of the renowned chief here
introduced. There are many traditions which speak of the
character and power of Tamenund.

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 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 Magua without notice, and leaning on his two venerable supporters proceeded to the high place of the multitude, where he seated himself in the center of his nation, with the dignity of a monarch and the air of a father.

Nothing could surpass the reverence and affection with which this unexpected visit from one who belongs rather to another world than to this, was received by his people. After a suitable and decent pause, the principal chiefs arose, and, approaching the patriarch, they placed his hands 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 affection 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 attendants 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 minutes they reappeared, escorting the individuals who had caused all these solemn preparations toward the seat of judgment. The crowd opened in a lane; and when the party had re-entered, it closed in again, forming a large and dense belt of human bodies, arranged in an open circle.

“The assembly seated, rising o’er the rest,
Achilles thus the king of men addressed.”
—Pope’s Illiad

Cora 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 nobler-minded maiden from keeping her eyes fastened on the pale and anxious features of the trembling Alice. Close at their side stood Heyward, 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 superior 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 Magua. He saw, at once, that this wily savage had some secret agency in their present arraignment 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 suddenly determined to cloak his invaluable friend, at any or every hazard to himself. Before he had time, however, to speak, the question was repeated in a louder voice, and with 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 accident, 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 without clouds; and the Delawares are the enemies, and not the friends of the Yengeese. Go, 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 attentively to all that passed, now advanced steadily to the front.

“That I did not answer to the call for La Longue Carabine, 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 Delawares, who live on their own river; and whom the Iroquois 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, toward the upright iron frame of this new pretender to the distinguished appellation. It was in no degree remarkable that there should be found two who were willing to claim so great an honor, for impostors, though rare, were not unknown among the natives; but it was altogether material to the just and severe intentions of the Delawares, 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 Duncan, still more confirmed in the evil intentions 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 recollecting 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 vessel, 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 aim three several times, he fired. The bullet 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 a weapon. Even Hawkeye nodded his head, as if he would say, it was better than he expected. But, instead of manifesting an intention to contend with the successful marksman, 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 furnished the arms, and who now touched his shoulder, saying in exceedingly broken English:

“Can the pale face beat it?”

“Yes, Huron!” exclaimed the scout, raising the short rifle in his right hand, and shaking it at Magua, with as much apparent ease as if it were a reed; “yes, Huron, I could strike you now, and no power on 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? 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 inward 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 expectation; but Magua 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.

“Beat what, fool!—what?” exclaimed Hawkeye, still flourishing the weapon angrily above his head, though his eye no longer sought the person of Magua.

“If the white man is the warrior he pretends,” said the aged chief, “let him strike nigher to the mark.”

The scout laughed aloud—a noise that produced the startling effect of an unnatural sound on Heyward; 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, contemptuously, 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 pretensions.

“It was chance!” he exclaimed; “none can shoot without an aim!”

“Chance!” echoed the excited woodsman, who was now stubbornly bent on maintaining his identity at every hazard, and on whom the secret hints of Heyward to acquiesce 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 stubborn 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; nor had Magua, though he watched the movements of the marksman with jealous eyes, any further cause for apprehension.

“Now let it be proved, in the face of this tribe of Delawares, 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 that 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 deerskin, at the full distance of a hundred yards. So strangely compounded 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 contest in a wish to excel. It had been seen, already, that his skill was far from being contemptible, and he now resolved to put forth its nicest 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 movements of his rival.

“It may do for the Royal Americans!” said Hawkeye, 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 is now in a lady’s muff, would still be in the woods; ay, 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 was steady, uniform, and in one direction. When on a perfect level, it remained for a single moment, without tremor or variation, as though both man and rifle were carved in stone. During that stationary instant, it poured forth its contents, in a bright, glancing sheet of flame. Again the young Indians bounded forward; but their hurried search and disappointed looks announced that no traces of the bullet were to be seen.

“Go!” 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 Rifle’ 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 Hawkeye, perfectly undisturbed by the other’s manner. “Fools, if you would find the bullet of a sharpshooter in 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 with an exulting shout, displaying a hole in its bottom, which had been cut by the bullet, after passing through the usual orifice in the center of its upper side. At this unexpected exhibition, a loud and vehement expression of pleasure burst from the mouth of every warrior present. It decided the question, and effectually established Hawkeye in the possession of his dangerous reputation. Those curious and admiring eyes which had been turned again on Heyward, 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, addressing Duncan; “are the Delawares 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 the natives.

“It is good. We will know who can shut the ears of men. Brother,” added the chief turning his eyes on Magua, “the Delawares listen.”

Thus singled, and directly called on to declare his object, the Huron arose; and advancing with great deliberation and dignity into the very center of the circle, where he stood confronted by the prisoners, he placed himself in an attitude to speak. Before opening his mouth, however, he bent his eyes slowly along the whole living boundary 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 inextinguishable 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 Canadas, a tongue that he well knew was comprehended by most of his auditors.

“The Spirit that made men colored them differently,” 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 wildcat; hearts like rabbits; the cunning 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 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 Magua, pointing impressively upward 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 rain 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 hills! When the beavers worked, they lay in the shade, and looked on. The winds cooled them in summer; in winter, skins kept them warm. If they fought among themselves, 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, and 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 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 traditions? 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.”

As the voice of the speaker suddenly ceased, every face and all eyes turned, by a common movement, toward the venerable Tamenund. From the moment that he took his seat, until the present instant, the lips of the patriarch had not severed, and scarcely a sign of life had escaped him. He sat bent in feebleness, and apparently unconscious 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 Magua’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 themselves, and he looked out upon the multitude with that sort of dull, unmeaning expression which might be supposed to belong to the countenance of a specter. Then he made an effort to rise, and being upheld by his supporters, 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 audible 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 Magua, 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 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 in here?”

“Justice. His prisoners are with his brothers, and he comes for his own.”

Tamenund turned his head toward one of his supporters, and listened to the short explanation the man gave.

Then, facing the applicant, he 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 children, 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 murmur, much less oppose himself. The words were barely uttered when four or five of the younger warriors, stepping 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 assembly before he proceeded to the execution of his purpose. Perceiving that the men were unable to offer any resistance, he turned his looks on her he valued most. Cora met his gaze with an eye so calm and firm, that his resolution wavered. Then, recollecting his former artifice, he raised Alice from the arms of the warrior against whom 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, should know how to temper its calamities to the miserable.”

The eyes of the old man opened heavily, and he once more looked upward at the multitude. As the piercing tones of the suppliant 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 breathing model of her sex, looking up in his faded but majestic countenance, with a species of holy reverence. Gradually 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 extensive bands of the Delawares. Rising without assistance, and seemingly without an effort, he demanded, in a voice that startled its auditors by its firmness:

“你是什么东西？”

“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 eyes 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,” continued the sage, “since I drank of the water of my own rivers. The children of Minquon* are the justest white men, but they were thirsty and they took it to themselves. Do they follow us so far?”

* 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
state, since no wrong was done the original owners of the
泥。

“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?”

“I am Tamenund of many days.”

“‘Tis now some seven years that one of thy people was at the mercy of a white chief on the borders of this province. 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 Tamenund was a chief, and first laid aside the bow for the lightning of the pale faces—”

“Not 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 birds, the beasts, and the Mengee of the woods, owned them for Sagamores.”

Cora bowed her head in disappointment, and, for a bitter 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 assemblage, he answered:

“Of a nation.”

“For myself I ask nothing. Like thee and thine, venerable chief,” she continued, pressing her hands convulsively 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 shoulders, “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 pale faces 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 Sachems of the red man. The dogs and crows of their tribes,” continued the earnest old chieftain, without heeding 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.”

“It is so,” said Cora, drawing a long breath, as if reviving 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 of 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 man prepared to obey his simple mandate, that the leaves, which fluttered in the draught of the light morning air, were distinctly heard rustling in the surrounding forest.

“If you deny me, fie upon your law!
There is no force in the decrees of Venice:
I stand for judgment: answer, shall I have it?”
——威尼斯商人

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 studying 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 every side of him, meeting the settled expression of hostility that lowered in the visages of the chiefs with the same calmness as the curious gaze of the attentive children. But when, last in this haughty scrutiny, the person of Tamenund came under his glance, his eye became 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 inaptly 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 have seen the hatchets of a strong people sweep woods from the valleys, that the winds of heaven have spared! 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 voice is at his ear! Have the winters gone backward! Will summer come again to the children of the Lenape!”

A solemn and respectful silence succeeded this incoherent burst from the lips of the Delaware prophet. His people readily constructed 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 warriors sprang to their feet, at this biting, and perhaps merited retort; but a motion from one of the chiefs suppressed 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 Manitou is just. It is so; while the rivers run and the mountains stand, while the blossoms come and go on the trees, it must be so. He is thine, my children; deal justly by him.”

Not 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 ruthless intentions. In the midst of these prolonged and savage yells, 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 preparation. Heyward struggled madly with his captors; the anxious eye 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 preparations with a steady eye, and when the tormentors came to seize him, he met them with a firm and upright attitude. One among them, if possible more fierce and savage than his fellows, seized the hunting-shirt of the young warrior, and at a single effort tore it from his body. Then, with a yell of frantic pleasure, he leaped toward 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, the 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. Raising 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 intently 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 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 ran through the multitude.

“Men of the Lenni Lenape!” he said, “my race upholds the earth! Your feeble tribe stands on my shell! What fire that a Delaware can light would burn the child of my fathers,” he added, pointing proudly to the simple blazonry on his skin; “the 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 conveyed by the language of the prisoner.

“Uncas, the son of Chingachgook,” answered the captive modestly, turning from the nation, and bending his head in reverence to the other’s character and years; “a son of the great Unamis.” *

* Turtle.

“The hour of Tamenund is nigh!” 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 platform, 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 lineaments of his countenance, with the untiring gaze of one who recalled days of happiness.

“Is Tamenund a boy?” at length the bewildered prophet exclaimed. “Have I dreamed 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 pale faces! Uncas, the panther of his tribe, the eldest son of the Lenape, the wisest Sagamore of the Mohicans! Tell me, ye Delawares, has Tamenund 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 expectation of what might follow. Uncas, however, looking in his 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 Tamenund 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 restoring 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 Delawares been so long empty?”

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 explain 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 pale face was seen on every brook, we followed the deer back to the river of our nation. The Delawares were gone. Few 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 toward 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 springs. 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 toward 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 charm even in the figurative language with which the 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 pale face; a just man, and the friend of the Delawares.”

“Is he a son of Minquon?”

“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, using the Delaware phrase; “for his sight never fails. The Mingoes 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 pale face has slain my young men; his name is 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 vindicate himself from such offensive charges, and who spoke as the man he addressed, modifying his Indian figures, however, with his own peculiar notions. “That I have slain the Maquas I am not the man to deny, even at their own council-fires; but that, knowingly, my hand has never harmed a Delaware, is opposed to the reason of my gifts, which is friendly to them, and all that belongs to their nation.”

A low exclamation of applause passed among the warriors who exchanged looks with each other like men that first began to perceive their error.

“Where is the Huron?” demanded Tamenund. “Has he stopped my ears?”

Magua, whose feelings during that scene in which Uncas 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, avoiding 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?”

“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 white maiden that come into my camp together?”

“Should journey on an open path.”

“And the woman that Huron left with my warriors?”

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 triumph 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.

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 Magua, “or with hands filled with the faith of the Delawares? The wigwam of Le Renard Subtil is empty. Make him strong with his own.”

The aged man mused with himself for a time; and then, bending his head toward one of his venerable companions, he asked:

“Are my ears open?”

“是真的。”

“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 horror-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 Magua, 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 Magua brought hither.”

“Then depart with thine own. The Great Manitou forbids that a Delaware should be unjust.”

Magua 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.”

“Magua is a red-skin; he wants not the beads of the pale faces.”

“Gold, silver, powder, lead—all that a warrior needs shall be in thy wigwam; all that becomes the greatest chief.”

“Le Subtil is very strong,” cried Magua, violently shaking the hand which grasped the unresisting arm of Cora; “he has his revenge!”

“Mighty ruler of Providence!” exclaimed Heyward, clasping his hands together in agony, “can this be suffered! 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 what has once been spoken is wise and reasonable,” said Hawkeye, 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 my hands. It is fair to conclude 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?” demanded Magua, hesitatingly; for he had already made a motion toward 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 Magua 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.”

Magua shook his head, and made an impatient sign for the crowd to open.

“Well, then,” added the scout, with the musing air of a man who had not half made up his mind; “I will throw ‘killdeer’ into the bargain. Take the word of an experienced hunter, the piece has not its equal atween the provinces.”

Magua still disdained to reply, continuing his efforts to disperse the crowd.

“Perhaps,” added the scout, losing his dissembled coolness exactly in proportion as the other manifested an indifference to the exchange, “if I should condition to teach your young men the real virtue of the we’pon, it would smoothe the little differences in our judgments.”

Le Renard 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,” continued Hawkeye, 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 everlasting 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 toward 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 by which honest men may come together again. You’ll find the rifle in the place we hid it; take it, and keep it for my sake; and, harkee, lad, as your natural gifts don’t deny you the use of vengeance, use it a little freely on the Mingoes; it may unburden griefs 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 pleasure at the manliness of the intended sacrifice. Magua paused, and for an anxious moment, it might be said, he doubted; then, casting his eyes on Cora, with an expression in which ferocity and admiration were strangely mingled, 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 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 unnecessary,” 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 accepted; but still you may serve me, even more than in your own noble intention. Look at that drooping humbled 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 word from his lips at this awful moment!” Her voice became choked, and, for an instant, she was silent; then, advancing a step nigher to Duncan, 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 love her, Heyward; 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 forehead 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, than 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 former elevation of manner: “Now, sir, if it be your pleasure, I will follow.”

“Ay, 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 words are open,” he was content with answering, “‘The Open Hand’ can come.”

“Hold,” cried Hawkeye, seizing Duncan by the arm, 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 stern customs of his people, had been an attentive and 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 Magua, 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 corn 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 Magua passed unmolested into the forest, followed by his passive captive, and protected by the inviolable laws of Indian hospitality.

“Flue.—Kill the poys and the luggage! ‘Tis expressly
against the law of arms; ‘tis as arrant a piece of knavery,
mark you now, as can be offered in the ‘orld.”
—King Henry V.

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 maintained 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 which 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 removed, and the women and children were ordered to disperse. 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, toward a dwarf pine that grew in the crevices of the rocky terrace, he tore the bark from its body, and then turned 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 reappeared, 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.

* A tree which has been partially or entirely stripped of
its bark is said, 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.

Uncas moved with a slow and dignified tread toward 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 exquisitely 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 dependence 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: “Manitou! Manitou! Manitou! Thou art great, thou art good, thou art wise: Manitou! Manitou! Thou art just. In the heavens, in the clouds, oh, I see many spots—many dark, many red: In the heavens, oh, I see many clouds.”

“In the woods, in the air, oh, I hear the whoop, the long yell, and the cry: In the woods, oh, I hear the loud whoop!”

“Manitou! Manitou! Manitou! I am weak—thou art strong; I am slow; 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 terrific 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 esteemed 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-looking 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 tomahawk deep into the post, and raised his voice in a shout, which might be termed his own battle cry. The act announced that he had assumed the chief authority in the intended expedition.

It was a signal that awakened all the slumbering passions of the nation. A hundred youths, who had hitherto been 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 zeal 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 Magua was to end. The fact was soon announced by a significant gesture, 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 hazardous 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 mixed that it might have been difficult to have said which passion preponderated. None, however, was 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 meantime, 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 betray any interest in the passing scene. He merely cast an occasional look at the number and quality of the warriors, who, from time to time, signified their readiness to accompany 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 despatched an Indian boy in quest of “killdeer” and the rifle of Uncas, to the place where they had deposited their 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 provided with 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 Magua 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 warrior would have fared no better; but the danger of a boy would not be likely to commence until after his object was discovered. When Heyward joined him, the scout was coolly awaiting the result of this experiment.

The boy, who had been well instructed, and was sufficiently 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 serpent, toward the desired treasure. He was successful; and in another moment he appeared flying across the narrow opening that skirted the base of the terrace on which the village stood, with the velocity of an arrow, and bearing a prize in each hand. He had actually gained the crags, and was leaping up their sides with incredible activity, 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 toward the renowned hunter who had honored him by so glorious a commission.

Notwithstanding the lively interest Hawkeye had taken in the fate of his messenger, he received “killdeer” with a satisfaction that, momentarily, drove all other recollections 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 important 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 meantime I will wrap it in a badge of wampum! You have commenced the business of a warrior 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.

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 received 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 themselves 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 themselves, 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 favorable 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 situations 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 suggested, though none of a character to meet the wishes of their ardent leader. Had Uncas followed the promptings of his own inclinations, he would have led his followers to the charge without a moment’s delay, and put the conflict to the hazard of an instant issue; but such a course would have been in opposition to all the received practises 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 Magua’s 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 belief he might be a messenger charged with pacific overtures. When within a hundred yards, however, of the cover behind which the Delaware council had assembled, the stranger hesitated, appeared uncertain what course to take, and finally halted. All eyes were turned now 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 this tongue can do anything but sing, may be made serviceable to our own ends. If sounds have not lost their virtue, I’ll soon have a discourse with the honest fellow, and that in a voice he’ll 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 effort, which had conducted himself, with so much safety and eclat, through 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 than 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 that it would have been to have gone up in the face of a battery—he soon discovered the hidden songster.

“I wonder what the Hurons will think of that!” said the scout, laughing, as he took his companion by the arm, and urged him toward the rear. “If the knaves lie within earshot, they will say there are two non-compossers instead of one! But here we are safe,” he added, pointing to Uncas and his associates. “Now give us the history 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 Delawares in search of peace.”

“Your ears might not have profited much by the exchange, 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 concealed his own band and mentioned the name of:

“Magua?”

“Is among them. He brought in the maiden that had sojourned with the Delawares; 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!”

“He has left her, you say, in the cave!” interrupted Heyward; “‘tis well that we know its situation! May not something be done for her instant relief?”

Uncas looked earnestly at the scout, before he asked:

“What says Hawkeye?”

“Give me 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, Uncas, do you drive in the 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 the 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 very 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 attempted.”

After a short conference, the plan was matured, and rendered more intelligible to the several parties; the different signals were appointed, and the chiefs separated, each to his allotted station.

“But plagues shall spread, and funeral fires increase,
直到伟大的国王，在没有支付赎金的情况下，
To her own Chrysa send the black-eyed maid.”
-教皇。

During the time Uncas was making this disposition of his forces, the woods were as still, and, with the exception 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; but nowhere was any object 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 interruption 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 toward 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?”

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 upward 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 till 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 such a strange enlistment in his mind before he answered:

“You know not the use of any we’pon. You carry no rifle; and believe me, what the Mingoes take they will freely give again.”

“Though not a vaunting and bloodily disposed Goliath,” 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 instrument of war have I practised much in my youth, and peradventure the skill has not entirely departed from me.”

“Ay!” said Hawkeye, 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 hitherto 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 himself, 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 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 precaution known to an Indian attack was neglected. A warrior rather crawled than walked on each flank so as to catch occasional glimpses into the forest; and every few minutes the band came to a halt, and listened for hostile sounds, with an acuteness of organs that would be scarcely conceivable to a man in a less natural 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 been 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 eyes upward at the clouds, which began to move in broad sheets across the firmament; “a bright sun and a glittering 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 to 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 shooting 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 bands were the moldering 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 characteristic 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 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 listened 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 debouched; but on hearing his low, though intelligible, signal the whole party stole up the bank, like so many dark specters, and silently arranged themselves around him. Pointing in the direction he wished to proceed, Hawkeye advanced, the band breaking off in single files, and following 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 in to the air, like a wounded deer, fell at his whole length, 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 continuance; 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 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 stationary. 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 remedy 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; which rendered the task of keeping themselves covered so very difficult 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 combatants 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 effects 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 upward toward 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 example, Hawkeye then gave the word to bear down upon their foes. The charge, in that rude species of warfare, consisted merely in pushing from cover to cover, nigher to the enemy; and in this maneuver he was instantly and successfully obeyed. The Hurons were compelled to withdraw, 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 disadvantage 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 Heyward; 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, dropping 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, ag’in these imps, the Mingoes. You may here see the philosophy of an Indian fight. It consists mainly in 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.”

“Ay, 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, shaking his head, like one who mused; “horse, I am ashamed to say must sooner or later decide these scrimmages. The brutes are better than men, and to horse must we come at last. Put a shodden hoof on the moccasin of a red-skin, and, if his rifle be once emptied, he will never stop to load it again.”

* The American forest admits of the passage of horses, 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 dragoons 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 red men could
not fight the warriors with “long knives and leather
stockings”; meaning the dragoons with their sabers and
靴子。

“This is a subject that might better be discussed at another time,” returned Heyward; “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 rush, I little relish such a measure; 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 toward 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 felling three of his foremost warriors. But the shock was insufficient to repel the impetus of the charge. The Delawares broke into the cover with the ferocity of their natures 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 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, answering the cry with his own stentorian voice; “we have them now in face and back!”

The effect on the Hurons was instantaneous. Discouraged by an assault from a quarter that left them no opportunity for cover, the warriors uttered a common yell of disappointment, and breaking off in a body, they spread themselves across the opening, heedless of every consideration but flight. Many fell, in making the experiment, under the bullets and the blows of the pursuing Delawares.

We shall not pause to detail the meeting between the scout and Chingachgook, or the more touching interview that Duncan held with Munro. 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 Mohican 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 footsteps 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 conceal 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.

The Mohican and his friends advanced to the brow of the hill, and listened, with practised 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 firearms; “we are too much in the center of their line to be effective.”

“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 whoop, and lead on the young men. I will fight this scrimmage 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 triumphed; nor did he actually quit the place until admonished 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. Hawkeye and his three companions withdrew a few paces to a shelter, and awaited the issue with calmness that nothing but great practise 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 desperation. Heyward began to grow impatient, and turned his eyes anxiously in the direction of Chingachgook. The chief was seated on a rock, with nothing visible but his calm visage, considering the spectacle with an eye as deliberate as if he were posted there merely to view the struggle.

“The time has 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 center of such a knot of dark skins!”

At that instant the whoop was given, and a dozen Hurons fell by a discharge from Chingachgook 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 center 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 Chingachgook and his band had just deserted, to mingle more closely in the fray. Magua 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 figure of Le Subtil, every other consideration was forgotten. 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 Renard, 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. In 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 happen, the pursuers and pursued entered the Wyandot village, 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 Magua, 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 Delawares engaged in stripping the dead of the bloody trophies of their victory.

But Uncas, who had vainly sought him in the melee, bounded forward in pursuit; Hawkeye, Heyward 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 Magua 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 suddenly entered the mouth of the cave already known to the reader. Hawkeye, who had only forborne to fire in tenderness 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 unhappy ghosts and savage demons were flitting in multitudes.

Still Uncas kept his eye on Magua, as if life to him possessed but a single object. Heyward 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 mountain.

“‘Tis Cora!” exclaimed Heyward, in a voice in which horror and delight were wildly mingled.

“Cora! Cora!” echoed Uncas, bounding forward like a deer.

“‘Tis the maiden!” shouted the scout. “Courage, lady; we come! we come!”

The chase was renewed with a diligence rendered tenfold encouraging by this glimpse of the captive. But the way was rugged, broken, and in spots nearly impassable. Uncas abandoned his rifle, and leaped forward with headlong precipitation. Heyward rashly imitated his example, though both were, a moment afterward, admonished of his 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 Mohican 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 warriors while Magua prescribed the direction and manner of their flight. At this moment the forms of all four were strongly drawn against an opening in the sky, and they disappeared. Nearly frantic with disappointment, Uncas and Heyward increased efforts that already seemed superhuman, and they issued from the cavern on the side of the mountain, in time to note the route of the pursued. The course lay up the ascent, and still continued hazardous 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 insuperable. But the impetuous young men were rewarded by finding that, encumbered with Cora, the Hurons were losing ground in the race.

“Stay, dog of the Wyandots!” exclaimed Uncas, shaking his bright tomahawk at Magua; “a Delaware girl calls stay!”

“I will go no further!” cried Cora, stopping unexpectedly on a ledge of rock, 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 tomahawks with the impious joy that fiends are thought to take in mischief, but Magua 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, “chose; 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 toward heaven, saying in a meek and yet confiding voice:

“I am thine; do with me as thou seest best!”

“Woman,” repeated Magua, 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. Magua recoiled a step; and one of his assistants, profiting by the chance, sheathed his own knife in the bosom of Cora.

The Huron sprang like a tiger on his offending and already retreating country man, 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, Magua buried his weapon in the back of the prostrate Delaware, uttering an unearthly 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 effort 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 shalt receive from it!”

Whirling the bloody knife up at the imploring youth, the victorious Magua uttered a cry so fierce, so wild, and yet so joyous, that it conveyed the sounds of savage triumph 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 toward 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, exposed 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. A single bound would carry him to the brow of the precipice, and assure his safety. Before taking the leap, however, the Huron paused, and shaking his hand at the scout, he shouted:

“The pale faces are dogs! the Delawares women! 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, and his frame trembled so violently with eagerness that the muzzle 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 agitated 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 downward, for a fleeting instant, until it glided past the fringe of shrubbery which clung to the mountain, in its rapid flight to destruction.

“They fought, like brave men, long and well,
They piled that ground with Moslem slain,
They conquered—but Bozzaris fell,
Bleeding at every vein.
His few surviving comrades saw
His smile when rang their loud 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.”
—Halleck.

The sun found the Lenape, on the succeeding day, a nation of mourners. The sounds of the battle 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 struggled above the 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 practised in the signs of a frontier 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 collected, in deep and awful silence. Though beings 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 riveted on the center of that ring, which contained the objects of so much and of so common an interest.

Six Delaware girls, with their long, dark, flowing tresses falling loosely across their bosoms, stood apart, and only gave proof 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, supported 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, supporting 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 occupied 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.

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 impressed on his naked bosom. During the long period that the tribe had thus been collected, the Mohican warrior had kept a steady, anxious look on the cold and senseless 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 deathlike 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 Tamenund, 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 warhorse, in the center of a collection of mounted domestics, seemingly in readiness to undertake some distant journey. The 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 stillness since its dawn.

No 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 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 low, 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 Manitou is behind 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, compared 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 emotions in such language as was suggested by her feelings and the occasion. At intervals the speaker was interrupted 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 rendered less connected by many and general interruptions and outbreakings, a translation of their language would have contained a regular descant, which, in substance, might have proved to possess a train of consecutive ideas.

A girl, selected for the task by her rank and qualifications, commenced by modest allusions to the qualities of the deceased warrior, embellishing her expressions with those oriental images that the Indians have probably brought with them from the extremes of the other continent, 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 a 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 happiness 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 delicacy 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 dwelled upon her matchless beauty, and on her noble resolution, without the taint of envy, and as angels may be thought to delight in a superior excellence; adding, that these endowments should prove more than equivalent for any little imperfection 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 smallest wants; and a warrior was at her side who was able to protect he 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 father 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 pale faces.” They advised her to be attentive to the wants of her companion, 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 pronounced 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 predilection 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 adjacent 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 preference, it was evident they deemed her less excellent than the maid they mourned. Still they denied her no need her rare charms might properly claim. Her ringlets were compared to the exuberant tendrils of the vine, her eye to the blue vault of 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 themselves 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 reluctant 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 sounds 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 wildest or the most pathetic parts of the lamentation. The cold and senseless remains of his son was 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 lineaments he had so long loved, and which were now about to be closed forever from his view.

In this stage of the obsequies, a warrior much renowned for deed in arms, and more especially for services in the recent combat, a man of stern and grave demeanor, advanced slowly from the crowd, and placed himself 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 the 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 speaks 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 Wapanachki, 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 deceased 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 repeated 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 toward 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 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 Sagamore closed, and he remained silent in his seat, looking with his riveted eye and motionless form, like some creature that had been turned from the Almighty hand with the form but without the spirit of a man. The Delawares 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 obsequies 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 around 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 pines had taken root, forming of themselves a melancholy and appropriate shade over the spot. On reaching it the girls deposited their burden, 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 labors 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 the pale face 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 preparing 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 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.

Excited by the scene he had just witnessed, and perhaps 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 the 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 communication 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 Frenchman before named ventured to touch him lightly on the elbow. As soon as he had gained the attention of the mourning old man, he pointed toward a group of young Indians, who approached with a light but closely covered litter, and then pointed upward toward 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 heart-broken 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 anguish 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 mounting, 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 drooping 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 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 before 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 afterward as a link between them and civilized life, they learned, in answer to their inquiries, that the “Gray 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 pale faces, 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 sympathies led him, with a force that no ideal bond of union could destroy. He was just in time to catch a parting look of the features of Uncas, whom the Delawares were already inclosing in his last vestment 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 implements 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 protected from the ravages of the beasts of prey, with an ingenuity 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 common attention. He had not yet spoken, and something consolatory and instructive was expected from so renowned 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 been buried in his robe, 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 distinctly audible. “Why do my brothers mourn?” 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 pale faces. 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 forgotten 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 philosophy could endure no longer; “no, Sagamore, not alone. The gifts of our colors may be different, but God has so 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 an 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 burst of feeling, coming as it did, from the two most renowned warriors of that region, was received, Tamenund lifted his voice to disperse the multitude.

“It is enough,” he said. “Go, children of the Lenape, the anger of the Manitou is not done. Why should Tamenund stay? The pale faces are masters of the earth, and the time of the red men has not yet come again. My day has been too long. In the morning I saw the sons of Unamis happy and strong; and yet, before the night has come, have I lived to see the last warrior of the wise race of the Mohicans.”