James Fenimore Cooper
The Last of the Mohicans
A Narrative of 1757
»Mislike me not for my complexion
The shadowed livery of the burnished sun«
The Merchant of Venice IIi12
Preface
The reader who takes up these volumes in expectation of finding an imaginary
and romantic picture of things which never had an existence will probably lay
them aside disappointed The work is exactly what it professes to be in its
titlepage a narrative As it relates however to matters which may not be
universally understood especially by the more imaginative sex some of whom
under the impression that it is a fiction may be induced to read the book it
becomes the interest of the author to explain a few of the obscurities of the
historical allusions He is admonished to discharge this duty by the bitter cup
of experience which has often proved to him that however ignorant the public
may be of any thing before it is presented to their eyes the instant it has
been subjected to that terrible ordeal they individually and collectively and
he may add intuitively know more of it than the agent of the discovery and
yet that in direct opposition to this incontrovertible fact it is a very
unsafe experiment either for a writer or a projector to trust to the inventive
powers of any one but himself Therefore nothing which can well be explained
should be left a mystery Such an expedient would only impart a peculiar
pleasure to readers of that description who find a strange gratification in
spending more of their time in making books than of their money in buying them
With this preliminary explanation of his reasons for introducing so many
unintelligible words in the very threshold of his undertaking the author will
commence his task Of course nothing will or need be told with which any one
in the smallest degree acquainted with Indian antiquities is not already
familiar
The greatest difficulty with which the student of Indian history has to
contend is the utter confusion that pervades the names When however it is
recollected that the Dutch the English and the French each took a
conquerors liberty in this particular that the natives themselves not only
speak different languages and even dialects of those languages but that they
are also fond of multiplying their appellations the difficulty is more a matter
of regret than of surprise It is hoped that whatever other faults may exist in
the following pages their obscurity will be thought to arise from this fact
The Europeans found that immense region which lies between the Penobscot and
the Potomac the Atlantic and the Mississippi in the possession of a people who
sprang from the same stock In one or two points of this immense boundary their
limits may have been a little extended or curtailed by the surrounding nations
but such in general terms was the extent of their territory The generic name
of this people was the Wapanachki They were fond however of calling
themselves the Lenni Lenape which of itself signifies an unmixed people It
would far exceed the information of the author to enumerate a moiety of the
communities or tribes into which this race of beings was subdivided Each
tribe had its name its chiefs its hunting grounds and frequently its
dialect Like the feudal princes of the old world they fought among themselves
and exercised most of the other privileges of sovereignty Still they admitted
the claims of a common origin a similar language and of that moral interest
which was so faithfully and so wonderfully transmitted through their traditions
One branch of this numerous people was seated on a beautiful river known as the
Lenapewihittuck where the long house or Great Council Fire of the nation was
universally admitted to be established
The tribe that possessed the country which now composes the southwestern
parts of NewEngland and that portion of NewYork that lies east of the Hudson
and the country even much farther to the south was a mighty people called the
Mahicanni or more commonly the Mohicans The latter word has since been
corrupted by the English into Mohegan
The Mohicans were again subdivided In their collective capacity they even
disputed the point of antiquity with their neighbours who possessed the long
house but their claim to be the eldest son of their grandfather was freely
allowed Of course this portion of the original proprietors of the soil was the
first dispossessed by the whites The few of them that now remain are chiefly
scattered among other tribes and retain no other memorials of their power and
greatness than their melancholy recollections
The tribe that guarded the sacred precincts of the council house was
distinguished for ages by its flattering title of the »Lenape« but after the
English changed the appellation of their river to Delaware they came gradually
to be known by the same name In the use of these terms however great delicacy
of perception was observed among themselves These shades of expression pervade
their language tempering all their communications and frequently imparting its
pathos or energy to their eloquence
For many hundreds of miles along the northern boundaries of the Lenape was
seated another people similarly situated as to subdivisions descent and
language They were called by their neighbours the Mengwe These northern
savages were for a time however less powerful and less united than the
Lenape In order to obviate this disadvantage five of the most powerful and
warlike of their tribes who lay nearest to the council house of their enemies
confederated for the purposes of mutual defence being in truth the oldest
United Republics of which the history of North America furnishes any evidence
These tribes were the Mohawks the Oneidas the Senecas the Cayugas and the
Onondagas At a later day a straggling band of their race which had gone
nigher to the sun was reclaimed and admitted into a full communion of all
their political privileges This tribe the Tuscarora increased their number so
far that the English changed the appellation they had given the confederation
from the Five to the Six Nations It will be seen in the course of the
narrative that the word nation is sometimes applied to a community and
sometimes to the people in their most extended sense The Mengwe were often
called by their Indian neighbours the Maquas and frequently by way of
contempt Mingoes The French gave them the name of Iroquois which was probably
a corruption of one of their own terms
There is a well authenticated and disgraceful history of the means by which
the Dutch on one side and the Mengwe on the other succeeded in persuading the
Lenape to lay aside their arms trusting their defence entirely to the latter
and becoming in short in the figurative language of the natives women The
policy on the part of the Dutch was a safe one however generous it may have
been From that moment may be dated the downfall of the greatest and most
civilized of the Indian nations that existed within the limits of the present
United States Robbed by the whites and murdered and oppressed by the savages
they lingered for a time around their councilfire but finally broke off in
bands and sought refuge in the western wilds Like the lustre of the dying
lamp their glory shone the brightest as they were about to become extinct
Much more might be said concerning this interesting people especially of
their later history but it is believed not to be essential to the plan of the
present work Since the death of the pious the venerable and the experienced
Heckewelder a fund of information of this nature has been extinguished which,
it is feared can never again be collected in one individual He laboured long
and ardently in their behalf and not less to vindicate their fame than to
improve their moral condition
With this brief introduction to his subject then the author commits his
book to the reader As however candour if not justice requires such a
declaration at his hands he will advise all young ladies whose ideas are
usually limited by the four walls of a comfortable drawing room all single
gentlemen of a certain age who are under the influence of the winds and all
clergymen if they have the volumes in hand with intent to read them to
abandon the design He gives this advice to such young ladies because after
they have read the book they will surely pronounce it shocking to the
bachelors as it might disturb their sleep and to the reverend clergy because
they might be better employed
Introduction
It is believed that the scene of this tale and most of the information
necessary to understand its allusions are rendered sufficiently obvious to the
reader in the text itself or in the accompanying notes Still there is so much
obscurity in the Indian traditions and so much confusion in the Indian names
as to render some explanation useful
Few men exhibit greater diversity or if we may so express it greater
antithesis of character than the native warrior of North America In war he is
daring boastful cunning ruthless selfdenying and selfdevoted in peace
just generous hospitable revengeful superstitious modest and commonly
chaste These are qualities it is true which do not distinguish all alike but
they are so far the predominating traits of these remarkable people as to be
characteristic
It is generally believed that the Aborigines of the American continent have
an Asiatic origin There are many physical as well as moral facts which
corroborate this opinion and some few that would seem to weigh against it
The colour of the Indian the writer believes is peculiar to himself and
while his cheekbones have a very striking indication of a Tartar origin his
eyes have not Climate may have had great influence on the former but it is
difficult to see how it can have produced the substantial difference which
exists in the latter The imagery of the Indian both in his poetry and his
oratory is Oriental chastened and perhaps improved by the limited range of
his practical knowledge He draws his metaphors from the clouds the seasons
the birds the beasts and the vegetable world In this perhaps he does no
more than any other energetic and imaginative race would do being compelled to
set bounds to fancy by experience but the North American Indian clothes his
ideas in a dress that is so different from that of the African and is Oriental
in itself His language has the richness and sententious fulness of the Chinese
He will express a phrase in a word and he will qualify the meaning of an entire
sentence by a syllable he will even convey different significations by the
simplest inflexions of the voice
Philologists have said that there are but two or three languages properly
speaking among all the numerous tribes which formerly occupied the country that
now composes the United States They ascribe the known difficulty one people
have in understanding another to corruptions and dialects The writer remembers
to have been present at an interview between two chiefs of the Great Prairies
west of the Mississippi and when an interpreter was in attendance who spoke
both their languages The warriors appeared to be on the most friendly terms
and seemingly conversed much together yet according to the account of the
interpreter each was absolutely ignorant of what the other said They were of
hostile tribes brought together by the influence of the American government
and it is worthy of remark that a common policy led them both to adopt the same
subject They mutually exhorted each other to be of use in the event of the
chances of war throwing either of the parties into the hands of his enemies
Whatever may be the truth as respects the root and the genius of the Indian
tongues it is quite certain they are now so distinct in their words as to
possess most of the disadvantages of strange languages hence much of the
embarrassment that has arisen in learning their histories and most of the
uncertainty which exists in their traditions
Like nations of higher pretensions the American Indian gives a very
different account of his own tribe or race from that which is given by other
people He is much addicted to overestimating his own perfections and to
undervaluing those of his rival or his enemy a trait which may possibly be
thought corroborative of the Mosaic account of the creation
The Whites have assisted greatly in rendering the traditions of the
Aborigines more obscure by their own manner of corrupting names Thus the term
used in the title of this book has undergone the changes of Mahicanni Mohicans
and Mohegans the latter being the word commonly used by the Whites When it is
remembered that the Dutch who first settled New York the English and the
French all gave appellations to the tribes that dwelt within the country which
is the scene of this story and that the Indians not only gave different names
to their enemies but frequently to themselves the cause of the confusion will
be understood
In these pages LenniLenape Lenope Delawares Wapanachki and Mohicans
all mean the same people or tribes of the same stock The Mengwe the Maquas
the Mingoes and the Iroquois though not all strictly the same are identified
frequently by the speakers being politically confederated and opposed to those
just named Mingo was a term of peculiar reproach as were Mengwe and Maqua in a
less degree
The Mohicans were the possessors of the country first occupied by the
Europeans in this portion of the continent They were consequently the first
dispossessed and the seemingly inevitable fate of all these people who
disappear before the advances or it might be termed the inroads of
civilisation as the verdure of their native forests falls before the nipping
frost is represented as having already befallen them There is sufficient
historical truth in the picture to justify the use that has been made of it
Before closing this introduction it will not be improper to say a word of
an important character of this legend who is also a conspicuous actor in two
other tales of the same writer To portray an individual as a scout in the wars
in which England and France contended for the possession of the American
continent a hunter in that season of activity which so immediately succeeded
the peace of 1783 and a lone trapper in the Prairies after the policy of the
republic threw open those interminable wastes to the enterprise of the half wild
beings who hang between society and the wilderness is poetically to furnish a
witness to the truth of those wonderful alterations which distinguish the
progress of the American nation to a degree that has been hitherto unknown and
to which hundreds of living men might equally speak In this particular the
fiction has no merit as an invention
Of the character in question the writer has no more to say than that he
represents a man of native goodness removed from the temptations of civilised
life though not entirely forgetful of its prejudices and lessons exposed to
the customs of barbarity and yet perhaps more improved than injured by the
association and betraying the weaknesses as well as the virtues both of his
situation and of his birth It would perhaps have been more observant of
reality to have drawn him of less moral elevation but it would have also been
less attractive and the business of a writer of fiction is to approach as near
as his powers will allow to poetry After this avowal it is scarcely necessary
to add that individual character had little to do with either the conception or
the filling up of this fanciful personage It was believed that enough had been
sacrificed to truth in preserving the language and the dramatic keeping
necessary to the part
In point of fact, the country which is the scene of the following tale has
undergone as little change since the historical events alluded to had place as
almost any other district of equal extent within the whole limits of the United
States There are fashionable and wellattended wateringplaces at and near the
spring where Hawkeye halted to drink and roads traverse the forests where he
and his friends were compelled to journey without even a path Glenns has a
large village and while William Henry and even a fortress of later date are
only to be traced as ruins there is another village on the shores of the
Horican But beyond this the enterprise and energy of a people who have done
so much in other places have done little here The whole of that wilderness in
which the latter incidents of the legend occurred is nearly a wilderness still
though the red man has entirely deserted this part of the state Of all the
tribes named in these pages there exist only a few halfcivilised beings of the
Oneidas on the reservations of their people in New York The rest have
disappeared either from the regions in which their fathers dwelt or altogether
from the earth
There is one point on which we would wish to say a word before closing this
preface Hawkeye calls the Lac du Saint Sacrement the Horican As we believe
this to be an appropriation of the name that has its origin with ourselves the
time has arrived perhaps when the fact should be frankly admitted While
writing this book fully a quarter of a century since it occurred to us that
the French name of this lake was too complicated the American too commonplace
and the Indian too unpronounceable for either to be used familiarly in a work
of fiction Looking over an ancient map it was ascertained that a tribe of
Indians called Les Horicans by the French existed in the neighborhood of this
beautiful sheet of water As every word uttered by Natty Bumppo was not to be
received as rigid truth we took the liberty of putting the Horican into his
mouth as the substitute for Lake George The name has appeared to find favor
and all things considered it may possibly be quite as well to let it stand
instead of going back to the House of Hanover for the appellation of our finest
sheet of water We relieve our conscience by the confession at all events
leaving it to exercise its authority as it may see fit
Chapter I
»Mine ear is open and my heart prepared
The worst is worldly loss thou canst unfold
Say is my kingdom lost«
Richard II IIIii9395
It was a feature peculiar to the colonial wars of North America that the toils
and dangers of the wilderness were to be encountered before the adverse hosts
could meet A wide and apparently an impervious boundary of forests severed
the possessions of the hostile provinces of France and England The hardy
colonist and the trained European who fought at his side frequently expended
months in struggling against the rapids of the streams or in effecting the
rugged passes of the mountains in quest of an opportunity to exhibit their
courage in a more martial conflict But emulating the patience and selfdenial
of the practised native warriors they learned to overcome every difficulty and
it would seem that in time there was no recess of the woods so dark nor any
secret place so lovely that it might claim exemption from the inroads of those
who had pledged their blood to satiate their vengeance or to uphold the cold
and selfish policy of the distant monarchs of Europe
Perhaps no district throughout the wide extent of the intermediate
frontiers can furnish a livelier picture of the cruelty and fierceness of the
savage warfare of those periods than the country which lies between the head
waters of the Hudson and the adjacent lakes
The facilities which nature had there offered to the march of the
combatants were too obvious to be neglected The lengthened sheet of the
Champlain stretched from the frontiers of Canada deep within the borders of the
neighbouring province of NewYork forming a natural passage across half the
distance that the French were compelled to master in order to strike their
enemies Near its southern termination it received the contributions of another
lake whose waters were so limpid as to have been exclusively selected by the
Jesuit missionaries to perform the typical purification of baptism and to
obtain for it the title of the lake du Saint Sacrement The less zealous English
thought they conferred a sufficient honour on its unsullied fountains when they
bestowed the name of their reigning prince the second of the House of Hanover
The two united to rob the untutored possessors of its wooded scenery of their
native right to perpetuate its original appellation of Horican1
Winding its way among countless islands and imbedded in mountains the holy
lake extended a dozen leagues still farther to the south With the high plain
that there interposed itself to the further passage of the water commenced a
portage of as many miles which conducted the adventurer to the banks of the
Hudson at a point where with the usual obstructions of the rapids or rifts
as they were then termed in the language of the country the river became
navigable to the tide
While in the pursuit of their daring plans of annoyance the restless
enterprise of the French even attempted the distant and difficult gorges of the
Alleghany it may easily be imagined that their proverbial acuteness would not
overlook the natural advantages of the district we have just described It
became emphatically the bloody arena in which most of the battles for the
mastery of the colonies were contested Forts were erected at the different
points that commanded the facilities of the route and were taken and retaken
rased and rebuilt as victory alighted on the hostile banners While the
husbandmen shrunk back from the dangerous passes within the safer boundaries of
the more ancient settlements armies larger than those that had often disposed
of the sceptres of the mother countries were seen to bury themselves in these
forests whence they rarely returned but in skeleton bands that were haggard
with care or dejected by defeat Though the arts of peace were unknown to this
fatal region its forests were alive with men its glades and glens rang with
the sounds of martial music and the echoes of its mountains threw back the
laugh or repeated the wanton cry of many a gallant and reckless youth as he
hurried by them in the noontide of his spirits to slumber in a long night of
forgetfulness
It was in this scene of strife and bloodshed that the incidents we shall
attempt to relate occurred during the third year of the war which England and
France last waged for the possession of a country that neither was destined to
retain
The imbecility of her military leaders abroad and the fatal want of energy
in her councils at home had lowered the character of Great Britain from the
proud elevation on which it had been placed by the talents and enterprise of her
former warriors and statesmen No longer dreaded by her enemies her servants
were fast losing the confidence of self respect In this mortifying abasement
the colonists though innocent of her imbecility and too humble to be the
agents of her blunders were but the natural participators They had recently
seen a chosen army from that country which reverencing as a mother they had
blindly believed invincible an army led by a chief who had been selected from
a crowd of trained warriors for his rare military endowments disgracefully
routed by a handful of French and Indians and only saved from annihilation by
the coolness and spirit of a Virginian boy whose riper fame has since diffused
itself with the steady influence of moral truth to the uttermost confines of
Christendom2 A wide frontier had been laid naked by this unexpected disaster
and more substantial evils were preceded by a thousand fanciful and imaginary
dangers The alarmed colonists believed that the yells of the savages mingled
with every fitful gust of wind that issued from the interminable forests of the
west The terrific character of their merciless enemies increased
immeasurably the natural horrors of warfare Numberless recent massacres were
still vivid in their recollections nor was there any ear in the provinces so
deaf as not to have drunk in with avidity the narrative of some fearful tale of
midnight murder in which the natives of the forests were the principal and
barbarous actors As the credulous and excited traveller related the hazardous
chances of the wilderness the blood of the timid curdled with terror and
mothers cast anxious glances even at those children which slumbered within the
security of the largest towns In short the magnifying influence of fear began
to set at nought the calculations of reason and to render those who should have
remembered their manhood the slaves of the basest of passions Even the most
confident and the stoutest hearts began to think the issue of the contest was
becoming doubtful and that abject class was hourly increasing in numbers who
thought they foresaw all the possessions of the English crown in America
subdued by their Christian foes or laid waste by the inroads of their
relentless allies
When therefore intelligence was received at the fort which covered the
southern termination of the portage between the Hudson and the lakes that
Montcalm had been seen moving up the Champlain with an army numerous as the
leaves on the trees its truth was admitted with more of the craven reluctance
of fear than with the stern joy that a warrior should feel in finding an enemy
within reach of his blow The news had been brought towards the decline of a day
in midsummer by an Indian runner who also bore an urgent request from Munro
the commander of a work on the shore of the holy lake for a speedy and powerful
reinforcement It has already been mentioned that the distance between these
two posts was less than five leagues The rude path which originally formed
their line of communication had been widened for the passage of wagons so that
the distance which had been travelled by the son of the forest in two hours
might easily be effected by a detachment of troops with their necessary
baggage between the rising and setting of a summer sun The loyal servants of
the British crown had given to one of these forest fastnesses the name of
William Henry and to the other that of Fort Edward calling each after a
favourite prince of the reigning family The veteran Scotchman just named held
the first with a regiment of regulars and a few provincials a force really
by far too small to make head against the formidable power that Montcalm was
leading to the foot of his earthen mounds At the latter however lay General
Webb who commanded the armies of the king in the northern provinces with a
body of more than five thousand men By uniting the several detachments of his
command this officer might have arrayed nearly double that number of combatants
against the enterprising Frenchman who had ventured so far from his
reinforcements with an army but little superior in numbers
But under the influence of their degraded fortunes both officers and men
appeared better disposed to await the approach of their formidable antagonists
within their works than to resist the progress of their march by emulating the
successful example of the French at Fort du Quesne and striking a blow on their
advance
After the first surprise of the intelligence had a little abated a rumour
was spread through the intrenched camp which stretched along the margin of the
Hudson forming a chain of outworks to the body of the fort itself that a
chosen detachment of fifteen hundred men was to depart with the dawn for William
Henry the post at the northern extremity of the portage That which at first
was only rumour soon became certainty as orders passed from the quarters of
the commanderinchief to the several corps he had selected for this service to
prepare for their speedy departure All doubt as to the intention of Webb now
vanished and an hour or two of hurried footsteps and anxious faces succeeded
The novice in the military art flew from point to point retarding his own
preparations by the excess of his violent and somewhat distempered zeal while
the more practised veteran made his arrangements with a deliberation that
scorned every appearance of haste though his sober lineaments and anxious eye
sufficiently betrayed that he had no very strong professional relish for the as
yet untried and dreaded warfare of the wilderness At length the sun set in a
flood of glory behind the distant western hills and as darkness drew its veil
around the secluded spot the sounds of preparation diminished the last light
finally disappeared from the log cabin of some officer the trees cast their
deeper shadows over the mounds and the rippling stream and a silence soon
pervaded the camp as deep as that which reigned in the vast forest by which it
was environed
According to the orders of the preceding night the heavy sleep of the army
was broken by the rolling of the warning drums whose rattling echoes were heard
issuing on the damp morning air out of every vista of the woods just as day
began to draw the shaggy outlines of some tall pines of the vicinity on the
opening brightness of a soft and cloudless eastern sky In an instant the whole
camp was in motion the meanest soldier arousing from his lair to witness the
departure of his comrades and to share in the excitement and incidents of the
hour The simple array of the chosen band was soon completed While the regular
and trained hirelings of the king marched with haughtiness to the right of the
line the less pretending colonists took their humbler position on its left
with a docility that long practice had rendered easy The scouts departed
strong guards preceded and followed the lumbering vehicles that bore the
baggage and before the gray light of the morning was mellowed by the rays of
the sun the main body of the combatants wheeled into column and left the
encampment with a show of high military bearing that served to drown the
slumbering apprehensions of many a novice who was now about to make his first
essay in arms While in view of their admiring comrades the same proud front
and ordered array was observed until the notes of their fifes growing fainter
in distance the forest at length appeared to swallow up the living mass which
had slowly entered its bosom
The deepest sounds of the retiring and invisible column had ceased to be
borne on the breeze to the listeners and the latest straggler had already
disappeared in pursuit but there still remained the signs of another departure
before a log cabin of unusual size and accommodations in front of which those
sentinels paced their rounds who were known to guard the person of the English
general At this spot were gathered some half dozen horses caparisoned in a
manner which showed that two at least were destined to bear the persons of
females of a rank that it was not usual to meet so far in the wilds of the
country A third wore the trappings and arms of an officer of the staff while
the rest from the plainness of the housings and the travelling mails with
which they were encumbered were evidently fitted for the reception of as many
menials who were seemingly already awaiting the pleasure of those they
served At a respectful distance from this unusual show were gathered divers
groupes of curious idlers some admiring the blood and bone of the highmettled
military charger and others gazing at the preparations with the dull wonder of
vulgar curiosity There was one man however who by his countenance and
actions formed a marked exception to those who composed the latter class of
spectators being neither idle nor seemingly very ignorant
The person of this individual was to the last degree ungainly without being
in any particular manner deformed He had all the bones and joints of other men
without any of their proportions Erect his stature surpassed that of his
fellows though seated he appeared reduced within the ordinary limits of the
race The same contrariety in his members seemed to exist throughout the whole
man His head was large his shoulders narrow his arms long and dangling while
his hands were small if not delicate His legs and thighs were thin nearly to
emaciation but of extraordinary length and his knees would have been
considered tremendous had they not been outdone by the broader foundations on
which this false superstructure of blended human orders was so profanely
reared The illassorted and injudicious attire of the individual only served to
render his awkwardness more conspicuous A skyblue coat with short and broad
skirts and low cape exposed a long thin neck and longer and thinner legs to
the worst animadversions of the evil disposed His nether garment was of yellow
nankeen closely fitted to the shape and tied at his bunches of knees by large
knots of white ribbon a good deal sullied by use Clouded cotton stockings and
shoes on one of the latter of which was a plated spur completed the costume of
the lower extremity of this figure no curve or angle of which was concealed
but on the other hand studiously exhibited through the vanity or simplicity
of its owner From beneath the flap of an enormous pocket of a soiled vest of
embossed silk heavily ornamented with tarnished silver lace projected an
instrument which from being seen in such martial company might have been
easily mistaken for some mischievous and unknown implement of war Small as it
was this uncommon engine had excited the curiosity of most of the Europeans in
the camp though several of the provincials were seen to handle it not only
without fear but with the utmost familiarity A large civil cocked hat like
those worn by clergymen within the last thirty years surmounted the whole
furnishing dignity to a good natured and somewhat vacant countenance that
apparently needed such artificial aid to support the gravity of some high and
extraordinary trust
While the common herd stood aloof in deference to the quarters of Webb the
figure we have described stalked into the centre of the domestics freely
expressing his censures or commendations on the merits of the horses as by
chance they displeased or satisfied his judgment
»This beast I rather conclude friend is not of home raising but is from
foreign lands or perhaps from the little island itself over the blue water«
he said in a voice as remarkable for the softness and sweetness of its tones
as was his person for its rare proportions »I may speak of these things and be
no braggart for I have been down at both havens that which is situate at the
mouth of Thames and is named after the capital of Old England and that which
is called Haven with the addition of the word New and have seen the snows and
brigantines collecting their droves like the gathering to the ark being
outward bound to the island of Jamaica for the purpose of barter and traffic in
fourfooted animals but never before have I beheld a beast which verified the
true scripture warhorse like this He paweth in the valley and rejoiceth in
his strength he goeth on to meet the armed men He saith among the trumpets ha
ha and he smelleth the battle afar off the thunder of the captains and the
shouting It would seem that the stock of the horse of Israel has descended to
our own time would it not friend«
Receiving no reply to this extraordinary appeal which in truth as it was
delivered with the vigour of full and sonorous tones merited some sort of
notice he who had thus sung forth the language of the holy book turned to the
silent figure to whom he had unwittingly addressed himself and found a new and
more powerful subject of admiration in the object that encountered his gaze His
eyes fell on the still upright and rigid form of the Indian runner who had
borne to the camp the unwelcome tidings of the preceding evening Although in a
state of perfect repose and apparently disregarding with characteristic
stoicism the excitement and bustle around him there was a sullen fierceness
mingled with the quiet of the savage that was likely to arrest the attention of
much more experienced eyes than those which now scanned him in unconcealed
amazement The native bore both the tomahawk and knife of his tribe and yet his
appearance was not altogether that of a warrior On the contrary there was an
air of neglect about his person like that which might have proceeded from great
and recent exertion which he had not yet found leisure to repair The colours
of the warpaint had blended in dark confusion about his fierce countenance and
rendered his swarthy lineaments still more savage and repulsive than if art had
attempted an effect which had been thus produced by chance His eye alone
which glistened like a fiery star amid lowering clouds was to be seen in its
state of native wildness For a single instant his searching and yet wary
glance met the wondering look of the other and then changing its direction
partly in cunning and partly in disdain it remained fixed as if penetrating
the distant air
It is impossible to say what unlooked for remark this short and silent
communication between two such singular men might have elicited from the white
man had not his active curiosity been again drawn to other objects A general
movement amongst the domestics and a low sound of gentle voices announced the
approach of those whose presence alone was wanted to enable the cavalcade to
move The simple admirer of the warhorse instantly fell back to a low gaunt
switchtailed mare that was unconsciously gleaning the faded herbage of the
camp nigh by where leaning with one elbow on the blanket that concealed an
apology for a saddle he became a spectator of the departure while a foal was
quietly making its morning repast on the opposite side of the same animal
A young man in the dress of an officer conducted to their steeds two
females who it was apparent by their dresses were prepared to encounter the
fatigues of a journey in the woods One and she was the most juvenile in her
appearance though both were young permitted glimpses of her dazzling
complexion fair golden hair and bright blue eyes to be caught as she
artlessly suffered the morning air to blow aside the green veil which descended
low from her beaver The flush which still lingered above the pines in the
western sky was not more bright nor delicate than the bloom on her cheek nor
was the opening day more cheering than the animated smile which she bestowed on
the youth as he assisted her into the saddle The other who appeared to share
equally in the attentions of the young officer concealed her charms from the
gaze of the soldiery with a care that seemed better fitted to the experience of
four or five additional years It could be seen however that her person
though moulded with the same exquisite proportions of which none of the graces
were lost by the travelling dress she wore was rather fuller and more mature
than that of her companion
No sooner were these females seated than their attendant sprang lightly
into the saddle of the warhorse when the whole three bowed to Webb who in
courtesy awaited their parting on the threshold of his cabin and turning their
horses heads they proceeded at a slow amble followed by their train towards
the northern entrance of the encampment As they traversed that short distance
not a voice was heard amongst them but a slight exclamation proceeded from the
younger of the females as the Indian runner glided by her unexpectedly and
led the way along the military road in her front Though this sudden and
startling movement of the Indian produced no sound from the other in the
surprise her veil also was allowed to open its folds and betrayed an
indescribable look of pity admiration and horror as her dark eye followed the
easy motions of the savage The tresses of this lady were shining and black
like the plumage of the raven Her complexion was not brown but it rather
appeared charged with the colour of the rich blood that seemed ready to burst
its bounds And yet there was neither coarseness nor want of shadowing in a
countenance that was exquisitely regular and dignified and surpassingly
beautiful She smiled as if in pity at her own momentary forgetfulness
discovering by the act a row of teeth that would have shamed the purest ivory
when replacing the veil she bowed her face and rode in silence like one
whose thoughts were abstracted from the scene around her
Chapter II
»Sola sola wo ha ho sola«
The Merchant of Venice Vi39
While one of the lovely beings we have so cursorily presented to the reader was
thus lost in thought the other quickly recovered from the alarm which induced
the exclamation and laughing at her own weakness she inquired of the youth
who rode by her side
»Are such spectres frequent in the woods Heyward or is this sight an
especial entertainment ordered on our behalf If the latter gratitude must
close our mouths but if the former both Cora and I shall have need to draw
largely on that stock of hereditary courage of which we boast even before we
are made to encounter the redoubtable Montcalm«
»Yon Indian is a runner of the army and after the fashion of his people
he may be accounted a hero« returned the officer »He has volunteered to guide
us to the lake by a path but little known sooner than if we followed the tardy
movements of the column and by consequence more agreeably«
»I like him not« said the lady shuddering partly in assumed yet more in
real terror »You know him Duncan or you would not trust yourself so freely to
his keeping«
»Say rather Alice that I would not trust you I do know him or he would
not have my confidence and least of all at this moment He is said to be a
Canadian too and yet he served with our friends the Mohawks who as you know
are one of the six allied nations3 He was brought amongst us as I have heard
by some strange accident in which your father was interested and in which the
savage was rigidly dealt by but I forget the idle tale it is enough that he
is now our friend«
»If he has been my fathers enemy I like him still less« exclaimed the now
really anxious girl »Will you not speak to him Major Heyward that I may hear
his tones Foolish though it may be you have often heard me avow my faith in
the tones of the human voice«
»It would be in vain and answered most probably by an ejaculation Though
he may understand it he affects like most of his people to be ignorant of the
English and least of all will he condescend to speak it now that war demands
the utmost exercise of his dignity But he stops the private path by which we
are to journey is doubtless at hand«
The conjecture of Major Heyward was true When they reached the spot where
the Indian stood pointing into the thicket that fringed the military road a
narrow and blind path which might with some little inconvenience receive one
person at a time became visible
»Here then lies our way« said the young man in a low voice »Manifest no
distrust or you may invite the danger you appear to apprehend«
»Cora what think you« asked the reluctant fair one »If we journey with
the troops though we may find their presence irksome shall we not feel better
assurance of our safety«
»Being little accustomed to the practices of the savages Alice you mistake
the place of real danger« said Heyward »If enemies have reached the portage at
all a thing by no means probable as our scouts are abroad they will surely be
found skirting the column where scalps abound the most The route of the
detachment is known while ours having been determined within the hour must
still be secret«
»Should we distrust the man because his manners are not our manners and
that his skin is dark« coldly asked Cora
Alice hesitated no longer but giving her Narraganset4 a smart cut of the
whip she was the first to dash aside the slight branches of the bushes and to
follow the runner along the dark and tangled pathway The young man regarded
the last speaker in open admiration and even permitted her fairer though
certainly not more beautiful companion to proceed unattended while he
sedulously opened a way himself for the passage of her who has been called
Cora It would seem that the domestics had been previously instructed for
instead of penetrating the thicket they followed the route of the column a
measure which Heyward stated had been dictated by the sagacity of their guide
in order to diminish the marks of their trail if haply the Canadian savages
should be lurking so far in advance of their army For many minutes the
intricacy of the route admitted of no further dialogue after which they emerged
from the broad border of underbrush which grew along the line of the highway
and entered under the high but dark arches of the forest Here their progress
was less interrupted and the instant the guide perceived that the females could
command their steeds he moved on at a pace between a trot and a walk and at a
rate which kept the surefooted and peculiar animals they rode at a fast and
yet easy amble The youth had turned to speak to the darkeyed Cora when the
distant sounds of horses hoofs clattering over the roots of the broken way in
his rear caused him to check his charger and as his companions drew their
reins at the same instant the whole party came to a halt in order to obtain an
explanation of the unloocked for interruption
In a few moments a colt was seen gliding like a fallow deer amongst the
straight trunks of the pines and in another instant the person of the ungainly
man described in the preceding chapter came into view with as much rapidity
as he could excite his meager beast to endure without coming to an open
rupture Until now this personage had escaped the observation of the travellers
If he possessed the power to arrest any wandering eye when exhibiting the
glories of his altitude on foot his equestrian graces were still more likely to
attract attention Notwithstanding a constant application of his one armed heel
to the flanks of the mare the most confirmed gait that he could establish was
a Canterbury gallop with the hind legs in which those more forward assisted for
doubtful moments though generally content to maintain a lopeing trot Perhaps
the rapidity of the changes from one of these paces to the other created an
optical illusion which might thus magnify the powers of the beast for it is
certain that Heyward who possessed a true eye for the merits of a horse was
unable with his utmost ingenuity to decide by what sort of movement his
pursuer worked his sinuous way on his footsteps with such persevering
hardihood
The industry and movements of the rider were not less remarkable than those
of the ridden At each change in the evolutions of the latter the former raised
his tall person in the stirrups producing in this manner by the undue
elongation of his legs such sudden growths and diminishings of the stature as
baffled every conjecture that might be made as to his dimensions If to this be
added the fact, that in consequence of the ex parte application of the spur one
side of the mare appeared to journey faster than the other and that the
aggrieved flank was resolutely indicated by unremitted flourishes of a bushy
tail we finish the picture of both horse and man
The frown which had gathered around the handsome open and manly brow of
Heyward gradually relaxed and his lips curled into a slight smile as he
regarded the stranger Alice made no very powerful effort to control her
merriment and even the dark thoughtful eye of Cora lighted with a humour
that it would seem the habit rather than the nature of its mistress
repressed
»Seek you any here« demanded Heyward when the other had arrived
sufficiently nigh to abate his speed »I trust you are no messenger of evil
tidings«
»Even so« replied the stranger making diligent use of his triangular
castor to produce a circulation in the close air of the woods and leaving his
hearers in doubt to which of the young mans questions he responded when
however he had cooled his face and recovered his breath he continued »I hear
you are riding to William Henry as I am journeying thitherward myself I
concluded good company would seem consistent to the wishes of both parties«
»You appear to possess the privilege of a casting vote« returned Heyward
»we are three whilst you have consulted no one but yourself«
»Even so The first point to be obtained is to know ones own mind Once
sure of that and where women are concerned it is not easy the next is to act
up to the decision I have endeavoured to do both and here I am«
»If you journey to the lake you have mistaken your route« said Heyward
haughtily »the highway thither is at least halfamile behind you«
»Even so« returned the stranger nothing daunted by this cold reception »I
have tarried at Edward a week and I should be dumb not to have inquired the
road I was to journey and if dumb there would be an end to my calling« After
simpering in a small way like one whose modesty prohibited a more open
expression of his admiration of a witticism that was perfectly unintelligible
to his hearers he continued »It is not prudent for one of my profession to be
too familiar with those he has to instruct for which reason I follow not the
line of the army besides which I conclude that a gentleman of your character
has the best judgment in matters of wayfaring I have therefore decided to join
company in order that the ride may be made agreeable and partake of social
communion«
»A most arbitrary if not a hasty decision« exclaimed Heyward undecided
whether to give vent to his growing anger or to laugh in the others face »But
you speak of instruction and of a profession are you an adjunct to the
provincial corps as a master of the noble science of defence and offence or
perhaps you are one who draws lines and angles under the pretence of
expounding the mathematics«
The stranger regarded his interrogator a moment in wonder and then losing
every mark of selfsatisfaction in an expression of solemn humility he
answered
»Of offence I hope there is none to either party of defence I make none
by Gods good mercy having committed no palpable sin since last entreating
his pardoning grace I understand not your allusions about lines and angles and
I leave expounding to those who have been called and set apart for that holy
office I lay claim to no higher gift than a small insight into the glorious
art of petition and thanksgiving as practised in psalmody«
»The man is most manifestly a disciple of Apollo« cried the amused Alice
»and I take him under my own especial protection Nay throw aside that frown
Heyward and in pity to my longing ears suffer him to journey in our train
Besides« she added in a low and hurried voice casting a glance at the distant
Cora who slowly followed the footsteps of their silent but sullen guide »it
may be a friend added to our strength in time of need«
»Think you Alice that I would trust those I love by this secret path did
I imagine such need could happen«
»Nay nay I think not of it now but this strange man amuses me and if he
hath music in his soul let us not churlishly reject his company« She pointed
persuasively along the path with her riding whip while their eyes met in a
look which the young man lingered a moment to prolong then yielding to her
gentle influence he clapt his spurs into his charger and in a few bounds was
again at the side of Cora
»I am glad to encounter thee friend« continued the maiden waving her hand
to the stranger to proceed as she urged her Narraganset to renew its amble
»Partial relatives have almost persuaded me that I am not entirely worthless in
a duette myself and we may enliven our wayfaring by indulging in our
favourite pursuit It might be of signal advantage to one ignorant as I to
hear the opinions and experience of a master in the art«
»It is refreshing both to the spirits and to the body to indulge in
psalmody in befitting seasons« returned the master of song unhesitatingly
complying with her intimation to follow »and nothing would relieve the mind
more than such a consoling communion But four parts are altogether necessary
to the perfection of melody You have all the manifestations of a soft and rich
treble I can by especial aid carry a full tenor to the highest letter but we
lack counter and bass Yon officer of the king who hesitated to admit me to his
company might fill the latter if one may judge from the intonations of his
voice in common dialogue«
»Judge not too rashly from hasty and deceptive appearances« said the lady
smiling »though Major Heyward can assume such deep notes on occasion believe
me his natural tones are better fitted for a mellow tenor than the bass you
heard«
»Is he then much practised in the art of psalmody« demanded her simple
companion
Alice felt disposed to laugh though she succeeded in suppressing her
merriment ere she answered
»I apprehend that he is rather addicted to profane song The chances of a
soldiers life are but little fitted for the encouragement of more sober
inclinations«
»Mans voice is given to him like his other talents to be used and not to
be abused None can say they have ever known me neglect my gifts I am thankful
that though my boyhood may be said to have been set apart like the youth of
the royal David for the purposes of music no syllable of rude verse has ever
profaned my lips«
»You have then limited your efforts to sacred song«
»Even so As the psalms of David exceed all other language so does the
psalmody that has been fitted to them by the divines and sages of the land
surpass all vain poetry Happily I may say that I utter nothing but the
thoughts and the wishes of the King of Israel himself for though the times may
call for some slight changes yet does this version which we use in the
colonies of NewEngland so much exceed all other versions that by its
richness its exactness and its spiritual simplicity it approacheth as near
as may be to the great work of the inspired writer I never abide in any place
sleeping or waking without an example of this gifted work Tis the
sixandtwentieth edition promulgated at Boston Anno Domini 1744 and is
entitled The Psalms Hymns and Spiritual Songs of the Old and New Testaments
faithfully translated into English Metre for the Use Edification and Comfort
of the Saints in Public and Private especially in NewEngland«
During this eulogium on the rare production of his native poets the
stranger had drawn the book from his pocket and fitting a pair of ironrimmed
spectacles to his nose had opened the volume with a care and veneration suited
to its sacred purposes Then without circumlocution or apology first
pronouncing the word Standish and placing the unknown engine already
described to his mouth from which he drew a high shrill sound that was
followed by an octave below from his own voice he commenced singing the
following words in full sweet and melodious tones that set the music the
poetry and even the uneasy motion of his illtrained beast at defiance
»How good it is O see
And how it pleaseth well
Together een in unity
For brethren so to dwell
Its like the choice ointment
From head to th beard did go
Down Aarons beard that downward went
His garments skirts unto«
The delivery of these skilful rhymes was accompanied on the part of the
stranger by a regular rise and fall of his right hand which terminated at the
descent by suffering the fingers to dwell a moment on the leaves of the little
volume and on the ascent by such a flourish of the member as none but the
initiated may ever hope to imitate It would seem that long practice had
rendered this manual accompaniment necessary for it did not cease until the
preposition which the poet had selected for the close of his verse had been
duly delivered like a word of two syllables
Such an innovation on the silence and retirement of the forest could not
fail to enlist the ears of those who journeyed at so short a distance in
advance The Indian muttered a few words in broken English to Heyward who in
his turn spoke to the stranger at once interrupting and for the time
closing his musical efforts
»Though we are not in danger common prudence would teach us to journey
through this wilderness in as quiet a manner as possible You will then pardon
me Alice should I diminish your enjoyments by requesting this gentleman to
postpone his chant until a safer opportunity«
»You will diminish them indeed« returned the arch girl »for never did I
hear a more unworthy conjunction of execution and language than that to which I
have been listening and I was far gone in a learned inquiry into the causes of
such an unfitness between sound and sense when you broke the charm of my
musings by that bass of yours Duncan«
»I know not what you call my bass« said Heyward piqued at her remark »but
I know that your safety and that of Cora is far dearer to me than could be any
orchestra of Handels music« He paused and turned his head quickly towards a
thicket and then bent his eyes suspiciously on their guide who continued his
steady pace in undisturbed gravity The young man smiled to himself for he
believed he had mistaken some shining berry of the woods for the glistening
eyeballs of a prowling savage and he rode forward continuing the conversation
which had been interrupted by the passing thought
Major Heyward was mistaken only in suffering his youthful and generous pride
to suppress his active watchfulness The cavalcade had not long passed before
the branches of the bushes that formed the thicket were cautiously moved
asunder and a human visage as fiercely wild as savage art and unbridled
passions could make it peered out on the retiring footsteps of the travellers
A gleam of exultation shot across the darkly painted lineaments of the
inhabitant of the forest as he traced the route of his intended victims who
rode unconsciously onward the light and graceful forms of the females waving
among the trees in the curvatures of their path followed at each bend by the
manly figure of Heyward until finally the shapeless person of the singing
master was concealed behind the numberless trunks of trees that rose in dark
lines in the intermediate space
Chapter III
»Before these fields were shorn and tilled
Full to the brim our rivers flowed
The melody of waters filled
The fresh and boundless wood
And torrents dashed and rivulets played
And fountains spouted in the shade«
Bryant »An Indian at the BurialPlace
of His Fathers« ll 6772
Leaving the unsuspecting Heyward and his confiding companions to penetrate
still deeper into a forest that contained such treacherous inmates we must use
an authors privilege and shift the scene a few miles to the westward of the
place where we have last seen them
On that day two men were lingering on the banks of a small but rapid
stream within an hours journey of the encampment of Webb like those who
awaited the appearance of an absent person or the approach of some expected
event The vast canopy of woods spread itself to the margin of the river
overhanging the water and shadowing its dark current with a deeper hue The
rays of the sun were beginning to grow less fierce and the intense heat of the
day was lessened as the cooler vapours of the springs and fountains rose above
their leafy beds and rested in the atmosphere Still that breathing silence
which marks the drowsy sultriness of an American landscape in July pervaded the
secluded spot interrupted only by the low voices of the men the occasional
and lazy tap of a woodpecker the discordant cry of some gaudy jay or a
swelling on the ear from the dull roar of a distant waterfall
These feeble and broken sounds were however too familiar to the foresters
to draw their attention from the more interesting matter of their dialogue
While one of these loiterers showed the red skin and wild accoutrements of a
native of the woods the other exhibited through the mask of his rude and
nearly savage equipments the brighter though sunburnt and longfaded
complexion of one who might claim descent from a European parentage The former
was seated on the end of a mossy log in a posture that permitted him to
heighten the effect of his earnest language by the calm but expressive gestures
of an Indian engaged in debate His body which was nearly naked presented a
terrific emblem of death drawn in intermingled colours of white and black His
closely shaved head on which no other hair than the well known and chivalrous
scalping tuft5 was preserved was without ornament of any kind with the
exception of a solitary eagles plume that crossed his crown and depended over
the left shoulder A tomahawk and scalpingknife of English manufacture were
in his girdle while a short military rifle of that sort with which the policy
of the whites armed their savage allies lay carelessly across his bare and
sinewy knee The expanded chest fullformed limbs and grave countenance of
this warrior would denote that he had reached the vigour of his days though no
symptoms of decay appeared to have yet weakened his manhood
The frame of the white man judging by such parts as were not concealed by
his clothes was like that of one who had known hardships and exertion from his
earliest youth His person though muscular was rather attenuated than full
but every nerve and muscle appeared strung and indurated by unremitted exposure
and toil He wore a huntingshirt of forestgreen fringed with faded yellow6
and a summer cap of skins which had been shorn of their fur He also bore a
knife in a girdle of wampum like that which confined the scanty garments of the
Indian but no tomahawk His moccasins were ornamented after the gay fashion of
the natives while the only part of his under dress which appeared below the
huntingfrock was a pair of buckskin leggings that laced at the sides and
which were gartered above the knees with the sinews of a deer A pouch and horn
completed his personal accoutrements though a rifle of great length7 which the
theory of the more ingenious whites had taught them was the most dangerous of
all firearms leaned against a neighbouring sapling The eye of the hunter or
scout whichever he might be was small quick keen and restless roving while
he spoke on every side of him as if in quest of game or distrusting the
sudden approach of some lurking enemy Notwithstanding these symptoms of
habitual suspicion his countenance was not only without guile but at the
moment at which he is introduced it was charged with an expression of sturdy
honesty
»Even your traditions make the case in my favour Chingachgook« he said
speaking in the tongue which was known to all the natives who formerly inhabited
the country between the Hudson and the Potomack and of which we shall give a
free translation for the benefit of the reader endeavouring at the same time
to preserve some of the peculiarities both of the individual and of the
language »Your fathers came from the setting sun crossed the big river8
fought the people of the country and took the land and mine came from the red
sky of the morning over the salt lake and did their work much after the
fashion that had been set them by yours then let God judge the matter between
us and friends spare their words«
»My fathers fought with the naked redman« returned the Indian sternly in
the same language »Is there no difference Hawkeye between the stoneheaded
arrow of the warrior and the leaden bullet with which you kill«
»There is reason in an Indian though nature has made him with a red skin«
said the white man shaking his head like one on whom such an appeal to his
justice was not thrown away For a moment he appeared to be conscious of having
the worst of the argument then rallying again he answered the objection of his
antagonist in the best manner his limited information would allow »I am no
scholar and I care not who knows it but judging from what I have seen at deer
chaces and squirrel hunts of the sparks below I should think a rifle in the
hands of their grandfathers was not so dangerous as a hickory bow and a good
flinthead might be if drawn with Indian judgment and sent by an Indian eye«
»You have the story told by your fathers« returned the other coldly waving
his hand »What say your old men do they tell the young warriors that the
palefaces met the redmen painted for war and armed with the stone hatchet or
wooden gun«
»I am not a prejudiced man nor one who vaunts himself on his natural
privileges though the worst enemy I have on earth and he is an Iroquois
darent deny that I am genuine white« the scout replied surveying with secret
satisfaction the faded colour of his bony and sinewy hand »and I am willing to
own that my people have many ways of which as an honest man I cant approve
It is one of their customs to write in books what they have done and seen
instead of telling them in their villages where the lie can be given to the
face of a cowardly boaster and the brave soldier can call on his comrades to
witness for the truth of his words In consequence of this bad fashion a man
who is too conscientious to misspend his days among the women in learning the
names of black marks may never hear of the deeds of his fathers nor feel a
pride in striving to outdo them For myself I conclude all the Bumppos could
shoot for I have a natural turn with a rifle which must have been handed down
from generation to generation as our holy commandments tell us all good and
evil gifts are bestowed though I should be loth to answer for other people in
such a matter But every story has its two sides so I ask you Chingachgook
what passed according to the traditions of the red men when our fathers first
met«
A silence of a minute succeeded during which the Indian sat mute then
full of the dignity of his office he commenced his brief tale with a solemnity
that served to heighten its appearance of truth
»Listen Hawkeye and your ear shall drink no lie Tis what my fathers
have said and what the Mohicans have done« He hesitated a single instant and
bending a cautious glance towards his companion he continued in a manner that
was divided between interrogation and assertion »does not this stream at our
feet run towards the summer until its waters grow salt and the current flows
upward«
»It cant be denied that your traditions tell you true in both these
matters« said the white man »for I have been there and have seen them
though why water which is so sweet in the shade should become bitter in the
sun is an alteration for which I have never been able to account«
»And the current« demanded the Indian who expected his reply with that
sort of interest that a man feels in the confirmation of testimony at which he
marvels even while he respects it »the fathers of Chingachgook have not lied«
»The Holy Bible is not more true and that is the truest thing in nature
They call this upstream current the tide which is a thing soon explained and
clear enough Six hours the waters run in and six hours they run out and the
reason is this when there is higher water in the sea than in the river they
run in until the river gets to be highest and then it runs out again«
»The waters in the woods and on the great lakes run downward until they
lie like my hand« said the Indian stretching the limb horizontally before him
»and then they run no more«
»No honest man will deny it« said the scout a little nettled at the
implied distrust of his explanation of the mystery of the tides »and I grant
that it is true on the small scale and where the land is level But every thing
depends on what scale you look at things Now on the small scale the arth is
level but on the large scale it is round In this manner pools and ponds and
even the great fresh water lakes may be stagnant as you and I both know they
are having seen them but when you come to spread water over a great tract
like the sea where the earth is round how in reason can the water be quiet
You might as well expect the river to lie still on the brink of those black
rocks a mile above us though your own ears tell you that it is tumbling over
them at this very moment«
If unsatisfied by the philosophy of his companion the Indian was far too
dignified to betray his unbelief He listened like one who was convinced and
resumed his narrative in his former solemn manner
»We came from the place where the sun is hid at night over great plains
where the buffaloes live until we reached the big river There we fought the
Alligewi till the ground was red with their blood From the banks of the big
river to the shores of the salt lake there was none to meet us The Maquas
followed at a distance We said the country should be ours from the place where
the water runs up no longer on this stream to a river twenty suns journey
toward the summer The land we had taken like warriors we kept like men We
drove the Maquas into the woods with the bears They only tasted salt at the
licks they drew no fish from the great lake we threw them the bones«
»All this I have heard and believe« said the white man observing that the
Indian paused »but it was long before the English came into the country«
»A pine grew then where this chestnut now stands The first pale faces who
came among us spoke no English They came in a large canoe when my fathers had
buried the tomahawk with the red men around them Then Hawkeye« he continued
betraying his deep emotion only by permitting his voice to fall to those low
guttural tones which render his language as spoken at times so very musical
»then Hawkeye we were one people and we were happy The salt lake gave us
its fish the wood its deer and the air its birds We took wives who bore us
children we worshipped the Great Spirit and we kept the Maquas beyond the
sound of our songs of triumph«
»Know you any thing of your own family at that time« demanded the white
»But you are a just man for an Indian and as I suppose you hold their gifts
your fathers must have been brave warriors and wise men at the council fire«
»My tribe is the grandfather of nations but I am an unmixed man The blood
of chiefs is in my veins where it must stay for ever The Dutch landed and
gave my people the firewater they drank until the heavens and the earth seemed
to meet and they foolishly thought they had found the Great Spirit Then they
parted with their land Foot by foot they were driven back from the shores
until I that am a chief and a Sagamore have never seen the sun shine but
through the trees and have never visited the graves of my fathers«
»Graves bring solemn feelings over the mind« returned the scout a good
deal touched at the calm suffering of his companion »and they often aid a man
in his good intentions though for myself I expect to leave my own bones
unburied to bleach in the woods or to be torn asunder by the wolves But where
are to be found those of your race who came to their kin in the Delaware
country so many summers since«
»Where are the blossoms of those summers fallen one by one so all of my
family departed each in his turn to the land of spirits I am on the hilltop
and must go down into the valley and when Uncas follows in my footsteps there
will no longer be any of the blood of the Sagamores for my boy is the last of
the Mohicans«
»Uncas is here« said another voice in the same soft guttural tones near
his elbow »who speaks to Uncas«
The white man loosened his knife in its leathern sheath and made an
involuntary movement of the hand towards his rifle at this sudden interruption
but the Indian sat composed and without turning his head at the unexpected
sounds
At the next instant a youthful warrior passed between them with a
noiseless step and seated himself on the bank of the rapid stream No
exclamation of surprise escaped the father nor was any question asked or reply
given for several minutes each appearing to await the moment when he might
speak without betraying womanish curiosity or childish impatience The white
man seemed to take counsel from their customs and relinquishing his grasp of
the rifle he also remained silent and reserved At length Chingachgook turned
his eyes slowly towards his son and demanded
»Do the Maquas dare to leave the print of their moccasins in these woods«
»I have been on their trail« replied the young Indian »and know that they
number as many as the fingers of my two hands but they lie hid like cowards«
»The thieves are outlying for scalps and plunder« said the white man whom
we shall call Hawkeye after the manner of his companions »That busy
Frenchman Montcalm will send his spies into our very camp but he will know
what road we travel«
»Tis enough« returned the father glancing his eyes towards the setting
sun »they shall be driven like deer from their bushes Hawkeye let us eat
tonight and show the Maquas that we are men tomorrow«
»I am as ready to do the one as the other but to fight the Iroquois tis
necessary to find the skulkers and to eat tis necessary to get the game
talk of the devil and he will come there is a pair of the biggest antlers I
have seen this season moving the bushes below the hill Now Uncas« he
continued in a half whisper and laughing with a kind of inward sound like one
who had learnt to be watchful »I will bet my charger three times full of
powder against a foot of wampum that I take him atwixt the eyes and nearer to
the right than to the left«
»It cannot be« said the young Indian springing to his feet with youthful
eagerness »all but the tips of his horns are hid«
»Hes a boy« said the white man shaking his head while he spoke and
addressing the father »Does he think when a hunter sees a part of the creatur
he cant tell where the rest of him should be«
Adjusting his rifle he was about to make an exhibition of that skill on
which he so much valued himself when the warrior struck up the piece with his
hand saying
»Hawkeye will you fight the Maquas«
»These Indians know the nature of the woods as it might be by instinct«
returned the scout dropping his rifle and turning away like a man who was
convinced of his error »I must leave the buck to your arrow Uncas or we may
kill a deer for them thieves the Iroquois to eat«
The instant the father seconded this intimation by an expressive gesture of
the hand Uncas threw himself on the ground and approached the animal with wary
movements When within a few yards of the cover he fitted an arrow to his bow
with the utmost care while the antlers moved as if their owner snuffed an
enemy in the tainted air In another moment the twang of the cord was heard a
white streak was seen glancing into the bushes and the wounded buck plunged
from the cover to the very feet of his hidden enemy Avoiding the horns of the
infuriated animal Uncas darted to his side and passed his knife across the
throat when bounding to the edge of the river it fell dying the waters with
its blood
»Twas done with Indian skill« said the scout laughing inwardly but with
vast satisfaction »and twas a pretty sight to behold Though an arrow is a
near shot and needs a knife to finish the work«
»Hugh« ejaculated his companion turning quickly like a hound who scented
his game
»By the Lord there is a drove of them« exclaimed the scout whose eyes
began to glisten with the ardour of his usual occupation »if they come within
range of a bullet I will drop one though the whole Six Nations should be
lurking within sound What do you hear Chingachgook for to my ears the woods
are dumb«
»There is but one deer and he is dead« said the Indian bending his body
till his ear nearly touched the earth »I hear the sounds of feet«
»Perhaps the wolves have driven the buck to shelter and are following on
his trail«
»No The horses of white men are coming« returned the other raising
himself with dignity and resuming his seat on the log with his former
composure »Hawkeye they are your brothers speak to them«
»That will I and in English that the king neednt be ashamed to answer«
returned the hunter speaking in the language of which he boasted »but I see
nothing nor do I hear the sounds of man or beast tis strange that an Indian
should understand white sounds better than a man who his very enemies will
own has no cross in his blood although he may have lived with the red skins
long enough to be suspected Ha there goes something like the cracking of a dry
stick too now I hear the bushes move yes yes there is a trampling that I
mistook for the falls and but here they come themselves God keep them from
the Iroquois«
Chapter IV
»Well go thy way thou shalt not from this grove
Till I torment thee for this injury«
A Midsummer Nights Dream IIi146147
The words were still in the mouth of the scout when the leader of the party
whose approaching footsteps had caught the vigilant ear of the Indian came
openly into view A beaten path such as those made by the periodical passage of
the deer wound through a little glen at no great distance and struck the river
at the point where the white man and his red companions had posted themselves
Along this track the travellers who had produced a surprise so unusual in the
depths of the forest advanced slowly towards the hunter who was in front of
his associates in readiness to receive them
»Who comes« demanded the scout throwing his rifle carelessly across his
left arm and keeping the fore finger of his right hand on the trigger though
he avoided all appearance of menace in the act »Who comes hither among the
beasts and dangers of the wilderness«
»Believers in religion and friends to the law and to the king« returned he
who rode foremost »Men who have journeyed since the rising sun in the shades
of this forest without nourishment and are sadly tired of their wayfaring«
»You are then lost« interrupted the hunter »and have found how helpless
tis not to know whether to take the right hand or the left«
»Even so sucking babes are not more dependent on those who guide them than
we who are of larger growth and who may now be said to possess the stature
without the knowledge of men Know you the distance to a post of the crown
called William Henry«
»Hoot« shouted the scout who did not spare his open laughter though
instantly checking the dangerous sounds he indulged his merriment at less risk
of being overheard by any lurking enemies »You are as much off the scent as a
hound would be with Horican atwixt him and the deer William Henry man if you
are friends to the king and have business with the army your better way would
be to follow the river down to Edward and lay the matter before Webb who
tarries there instead of pushing into the defiles and driving this saucy
Frenchman back across Champlain into his den again«
Before the stranger could make any reply to this unexpected proposition
another horseman dashed the bushes aside and leaped his charger into the
pathway in front of his companion
»What then may be our distance from Fort Edward« demanded a new speaker
»the place you advise us to seek we left this morning and our destination is
the head of the lake«
»Then you must have lost your eyesight afore losing your way for the road
across the portage is cut to a good two rods and is as grand a path I
calculate as any that runs into London or even before the palace of the king
himself«
»We will not dispute concerning the excellence of the passage« returned
Heyward smiling for as the reader has anticipated it was he »It is enough
for the present that we trusted to an Indian guide to take us by a nearer
though blinder path and that we are deceived in his knowledge In plain words
we know not where we are«
»An Indian lost in the woods« said the scout shaking his head doubtingly
»when the sun is scorching the tree tops and the water courses are full when
the moss on every beech he sees will tell him in which quarter the north star
will shine at night The woods are full of deer paths which run to the streams
and licks places well known to every body nor have the geese done their flight
to the Canada waters altogether Tis strange that an Indian should be lost
atwixt Horican and the bend in the river Is he a Mohawk«
»Not by birth though adopted in that tribe I think his birth place was
farther north and he is one of those you call a Huron«
»Hugh« exclaimed the two companions of the scout who had continued until
this part of the dialogue seated immoveable and apparently indifferent to
what passed but who now sprang to their feet with an activity and interest that
had evidently gotten the better of their reserve by surprise
»A Huron« repeated the sturdy scout once more shaking his head in open
distrust »they are a thievish race nor do I care by whom they are adopted you
can never make any thing of them but skulks and vagabonds Since you trusted
yourself to the care of one of that nation I only wonder that you have not
fallen in with more«
»Of that there is little danger since William Henry is so many miles in our
front You forget that I have told you our guide is now a Mohawk and that he
serves with our forces as a friend«
»And I tell you that he who is born a Mingo will die a Mingo« returned the
other positively »A Mohawk No give me a Delaware or a Mohican for honesty
and when they will fight which they wont all do having suffered their cunning
enemies the Maquas to make them women but when they will fight at all look
to a Delaware or a Mohican for a warrior«
»Enough of this« said Heyward impatiently »I wish not to inquire into the
character of a man that I know and to whom you must be a stranger You have not
yet answered my question what is our distance from the main army at Edward«
»It seems that may depend on who is your guide One would think such a horse
as that might get over a good deal of ground atwixt sunup and sundown«
»I wish no contention of idle words with you friend« said Heyward curbing
his dissatisfied manner and speaking in a more gentle voice »if you will tell
me the distance to Fort Edward and conduct me thither your labour shall not go
without its reward«
»And in so doing how know I that I dont guide an enemy and a spy of
Montcalm to the works of the army It is not every man who can speak the
English tongue that is an honest subject«
»If you serve with the troops of whom I judge you to be a scout you should
know of such a regiment of the king as the 60th«
»The 60th you can tell me little of the Royal Americans that I dont know
though I do wear a hunting shirt instead of a scarlet jacket«
»Well then among other things you may know the name of its major«
»Its major« interrupted the hunter elevating his body like one who was
proud of his trust »If there is a man in the country who knows Major Effingham
he stands before you«
»It is a corps which has many majors the gentleman you name is the senior
but I speak of the junior of them all he who commands the companies in garrison
at William Henry«
»Yes yes I have heard that a young gentleman of vast riches from one of
the provinces far south has got the place He is over young too to hold such
rank and to be put above men whose heads are beginning to bleach and yet they
say he is a soldier in his knowledge and a gallant gentleman«
»Whatever he may be or however he may be qualified for his rank he now
speaks to you and of course can be no enemy to dread«
The scout regarded Heyward in surprise and then lifting his cap he
answered in a tone less confident than before though still expressing doubt
»I have heard a party was to leave the encampment this morning for the
lake shore«
»You have heard the truth but I preferred a nearer route trusting to the
knowledge of the Indian I mentioned«
»And he deceived you and then deserted«
»Neither as I believe certainly not the latter for he is to be found in
the rear«
»I should like to look at the creatur if it is a true Iroquois I can tell
him by his knavish look and by his paint« said the scout stepping past the
charger of Heyward and entering the path behind the mare of the singing master
whose foal had taken advantage of the halt to exact the maternal contribution
After shoving aside the bushes and proceeding a few paces he encountered the
females who awaited the result of the conference with anxiety and not entirely
without apprehension Behind these the runner leaned against a tree where he
stood the close examination of the scout with an air unmoved though with a look
so dark and savage that it might in itself excite fear Satisfied with his
scrutiny the hunter soon left him As he repassed the females he paused a
moment to gaze upon their beauty answering to the smile and nod of Alice with a
look of open pleasure Thence he went to the side of the motherly animal and
spending a minute in a fruitless inquiry into the character of her rider he
shook his head and returned to Heyward
»A Mingo is a Mingo and God having made him so neither the Mohawks nor any
other tribe can alter him« he said when he had regained his former position
»If we were alone and you would leave that noble horse at the mercy of the
wolves to night I could show you the way to Edward myself within an hour for
it lies only about an hours journey hence but with such ladies in your
company tis impossible«
»And why they are fatigued but they are quite equal to a ride of a few
more miles«
»Tis a natural impossibility« repeated the scout »I wouldnt walk a mile
in these woods after night gets into them in company with that runner for the
best rifle in the colonies They are full of outlying Iroquois and your mongrel
Mohawk knows where to find them too well to be my companion«
»Think you so« said Heyward leaning forward in the saddle and dropping
his voice nearly to a whisper »I confess I have not been without my own
suspicions though I have endeavoured to conceal them and affected a confidence
I have not always felt on account of my companions It was because I suspected
him that I would follow no longer making him as you see follow me«
»I knew he was one of the cheats as soon as I laid eyes on him« returned
the scout placing a finger on his nose in sign of caution »The thief is
leaning against the foot of the sugar sapling that you can see over them bushes
his right leg is in a line with the bark of the tree and« tapping his rifle
»I can take him from where I stand between the ankle and the knee with a
single shot putting an end to his tramping through the woods for at least a
month to come If I should go back to him the cunning varmint would suspect
something and be dodging through the trees like any frightened deer«
»It will not do He may be innocent and I dislike the act Though if I
felt confident of his treachery«
»Tis a safe thing to calculate on the knavery of an Iroquois« said the
scout throwing his rifle forward by a sort of instinctive movement
»Hold« interrupted Heyward »it will not do we must think of some other
scheme and yet I have much reason to believe the rascal has deceived me«
The hunter who had already abandoned his intention of maiming the runner
mused a moment and then made a gesture which instantly brought his two red
companions to his side They spoke together earnestly in the Delaware language
though in an under tone and by the gestures of the white man which were
frequently directed towards the top of the sapling it was evident he pointed
out the situation of their hidden enemy His companions were not long in
comprehending his wishes and laying aside their firearms they parted taking
opposite sides of the path and burying themselves in the thicket with such
cautious movements that their steps were inaudible
»Now go you back« said the hunter speaking again to Heyward »and hold the
imp in talk these Mohicans here will take him without breaking his paint«
»Nay« said Heyward proudly »I will seize him myself«
»Hist what could you do mounted against an Indian in the bushes«
»I will dismount«
»And think you when he saw one of your feet out of the stirrup he would
wait for the other to be free Whoever comes into the woods to deal with the
natives must use Indian fashions if he would wish to prosper in his
undertakings Go then talk openly to the miscreant and seem to believe him
the truest friend you have on arth«
Heyward prepared to comply though with strong disgust at the nature of the
office he was compelled to execute Each moment however pressed upon him a
conviction of the critical situation in which he had suffered his invaluable
trust to be involved through his own confidence The sun had already
disappeared and the woods suddenly deprived of his light9 were assuming a
dusky hue which keenly reminded him that the hour the savage usually chose for
his most barbarous and remorseless acts of vengeance or hostility was speedily
drawing near Stimulated by apprehension he left the scout who immediately
entered into a loud conversation with the stranger that had so unceremoniously
enlisted himself in the party of travellers that morning In passing his gentler
companions Heyward uttered a few words of encouragement and was pleased to
find that though fatigued with the exercise of the day they appeared to
entertain no suspicion that their present embarrassment was other than the
result of accident Giving them reason to believe he was merely employed in a
consultation concerning the future route he spurred his charger and drew the
reins again when the animal had carried him within a few yards of the place
where the sullen runner still stood leaning against the tree
»You may see Magua« he said endeavouring to assume an air of freedom and
confidence »that the night is closing around us and yet we are no nearer to
William Henry than when we left the encampment of Webb with the rising sun You
have missed the way nor have I been more fortunate But happily we have
fallen in with a hunter he whom you hear talking to the singer that is
acquainted with the deerpaths and byways of the woods and who promises to
lead us to a place where we may rest securely till the morning«
The Indian riveted his glowing eyes on Heyward as he asked in his imperfect
English »Is he alone«
»Alone« hesitatingly answered Heyward to whom deception was too new to be
assumed without embarrassment »Oh not alone surely Magua for you know that
we are with him«
»Then le Renard Subtil will go« returned the runner coolly raising his
little wallet from the place where it had lain at his feet »and the pale faces
will see none but their own colour«
»Go Whom call you le Renard«
»Tis the name his Canada fathers have given to Magua« returned the runner
with an air that manifested his pride at the distinction »Night is the same as
day to le Subtil when Munro waits for him«
»And what account will le Renard give the chief of William Henry concerning
his daughters will he dare to tell the hotblooded Scotsman that his children
are left without a guide though Magua promised to be one«
»Though the gray head has a loud voice and a long arm le Renard will not
hear him or feel him in the woods«
»But what will the Mohawks say They will make him petticoats and bid him
stay in the wigwam with the women for he is no longer to be trusted with the
business of a man«
»Le Subtil knows the path to the great lakes and he can find the bones of
his fathers« was the answer of the unmoved runner
»Enough Magua« said Heyward »are we not friends why should there be
bitter words between us Munro has promised you a gift for your services when
performed and I shall be your debtor for another Rest your weary limbs then
and open your wallet to eat We have a few moments to spare let us not waste
them in talk like wrangling women When the ladies are refreshed we will
proceed«
»The pale faces make themselves dogs to their women« muttered the Indian
in his native language »and when they want to eat their warriors must lay
aside the tomahawk to feed their laziness«
»What say you Renard«
»Le Subtil says it is good«
The Indian then fastened his eyes keenly on the open countenance of Heyward
but meeting his glance he turned them quickly away and seating himself
deliberately on the ground he drew forth the remnant of some former repast and
began to eat though not without first bending his looks slowly and cautiously
around him
»This is well« continued Heyward »and le Renard will have strength and
sight to find the path in the morning« he paused for sounds like the
snapping of a dried stick and the rustling of leaves rose from the adjacent
bushes but recollecting himself instantly he continued »we must be moving
before the sun is seen or Montcalm may lie in our path and shut us out from
the fortress«
The hand of Magua dropped from his mouth to his side and though his eyes
were fastened on the ground his head was turned aside his nostrils expanded
and his ears seemed even to stand more erect than usual giving to him the
appearance of a statue that was made to represent intense attention
Heyward who watched his movements with a vigilant eye carelessly
extricated one of his feet from the stirrup while he passed a hand towards the
bearskin covering of his holsters Every effort to detect the point most
regarded by the runner was completely frustrated by the tremulous glances of
his organs which seemed not to rest a single instant on any particular object
and which at the same time could be hardly said to move While he hesitated
how to proceed le Subtil cautiously raised himself to his feet though with a
motion so slow and guarded that not the slightest noise was produced by the
change Heyward felt it had now become incumbent on him to act Throwing his leg
over the saddle he dismounted with a determination to advance and seize his
treacherous companion trusting the result to his own manhood In order
however to prevent unnecessary alarm he still preserved an air of calmness and
friendship
»Le Renard Subtil does not eat« he said using the appellation he had found
most flattering to the vanity of the Indian »His corn is not well parched and
it seems dry Let me examine perhaps something may be found among my own
provisions that will help his appetite«
Magua held out the wallet to the proffer of the other He even suffered
their hands to meet without betraying the least emotion or varying his riveted
attitude of attention But when he felt the fingers of Heyward moving gently
along his own naked arm he struck up the limb of the young man and uttering a
piercing cry as he darted beneath it plunged at a single bound into the
opposite thicket At the next instant the form of Chingachgook appeared from
the bushes looking like a spectre in its paint and glided across the path in
swift pursuit Next followed the shout of Uncas when the woods were lighted by
a sudden flash that was accompanied by the sharp report of the hunters rifle
Chapter V
»In such a night
Did Thisbe fearfully oertrip the dew
And saw the lions shadow ere himself«
The Merchant of Venice Vi78
The suddenness of the flight of his guide and the wild cries of the pursuers
caused Heyward to remain fixed for a few moments in inactive surprise Then
recollecting the importance of securing the fugitive he dashed aside the
surrounding bushes and pressed eagerly forward to lend his aid in the chase
Before he had however proceeded a hundred yards he met the three foresters
already returning from their unsuccessful pursuit
»Why so soon disheartened« he exclaimed »the scoundrel must be concealed
behind some of these trees and may yet be secured We are not safe while he
goes at large«
»Would you set a cloud to chase the wind« returned the disappointed scout
»I heard the imp brushing over the dry leaves like a black snake and blinking
a glimpse of him just over agin yon big pine I pulled as it might be on the
scent but twouldnt do and yet for a reasoning aim if any body but myself
had touched the trigger I should call it a quick sight and I may be accounted
to have experience in these matters and one who ought to know Look at this
sumach its leaves are red though every body knows the fruit is in the yellow
blossom in the month of July«
»Tis the blood of le Subtil he is hurt and may yet fall«
»No no« returned the scout in decided disapprobation of this opinion »I
rubbed the bark off a limb perhaps but the creatur leaped the longer for it A
rifle bullet acts on a running animal when it barks him much the same as one
of your spurs on a horse that is it quickens motion and puts life into the
flesh instead of taking it away But when it cuts the ragged hole after a
bound or two there is commonly a stagnation of further leaping be it Indian
or be it deer«
»We are four able bodies to one wounded man«
»Is life grievous to you« interrupted the scout »Yonder red devil would
draw you within swing of the tomahawks of his comrades before you were heated
in the chase It was an unthoughtful act in a man who has so often slept with
the warwhoop ringing in the air to let off his piece within sound of an
ambushment But then it was a natural temptation twas very natural Come
friends let us move our station and in such a fashion too as will throw the
cunning of a Mingo on a wrong scent or our scalps will be drying in the wind in
front of Montcalms marquee agin this hour tomorrow«
This appalling declaration which the scout uttered with the cool assurance
of a man who fully comprehended while he did not fear to face the danger
served to remind Heyward of the importance of the charge with which he himself
had been intrusted Glancing his eyes around with a vain effort to pierce the
gloom that was thickening beneath the leafy arches of the forest he felt as if
cut off from human aid his unresisting companions would soon lie at the entire
mercy of those barbarous enemies who like beasts of prey only waited till the
gathering darkness might render their blows more fatally certain His awakened
imagination deluded by the deceptive light converted each waving bush or the
fragment of some fallen tree into human forms and twenty times he fancied he
could distinguish the horrid visages of his lurking foes peering from their
hiding places in neverceasing watchfulness of the movements of his party
Looking upward he found that the thin fleecy clouds which evening had painted
on the blue sky were already losing their faintest tints of rosecolour while
the embedded stream which glided past the spot where he stood was to be traced
only by the dark boundary of its wooded banks
»What is to be done« he said feeling the utter helplessness of doubt in
such a pressing strait »desert me not for Gods sake remain to defend those I
escort and freely name your own reward«
His companions who conversed apart in the language of their tribe heeded
not this sudden and earnest appeal Though their dialogue was maintained in low
and cautious sounds but little above a whisper Heyward who now approached
could easily distinguish the earnest tones of the younger warrior from the more
deliberate speeches of his seniors It was evident that they debated on the
propriety of some measure that nearly concerned the welfare of the travellers
Yielding to his powerful interest in the subject and impatient of a delay that
seemed fraught with so much additional danger Heyward drew still nigher to the
dusky groupe with an intention of making his offers of compensation more
definite when the white man motioning with his hand as if he conceded the
disputed point turned away saying in a sort of soliloquy and in the English
tongue
»Uncas is right it would not be the act of men to leave such harmless
things to their fate even though it breaks up the harbouring place for ever If
you would save these tender blossoms from the fangs of the worst of sarpents
gentleman you have neither time to lose nor resolution to throw away«
»How can such a wish be doubted have I not already offered«
»Offer your prayers to Him who can give us wisdom to carcumvent the cunning
of the devils who fill these woods« calmly interrupted the scout »but spare
your offers of money which neither you may live to realize nor I to profit by
These Mohicans and I will do what mans thoughts can invent to keep such
flowers which though so sweet were never made for the wilderness from harm
and that without hope of any other recompense but such as God always gives to
upright dealings First you must promise two things both in your own name and
for your friends or without serving you we shall only injure ourselves«
»Name them«
»The one is to be still as these sleeping woods let what will happen and
the other is to keep the place where we shall take you forever a secret from
all mortal men«
»I will do my utmost to see both these conditions fulfilled«
»Then follow for we are losing moments that are as precious as the hearts
blood to a stricken deer«
Heyward could distinguish the impatient gesture of the scout through the
increasing shadows of the evening and he moved in his footsteps swiftly
towards the place where he had left the remainder of his party When they
rejoined the expecting and anxious females he briefly acquainted them with the
conditions of their new guide and with the necessity that existed for their
hushing every apprehension in instant and serious exertions Although his
alarming communication was not received without much secret terror by the
listeners his earnest and impressive manner aided perhaps by the nature of the
danger succeeded in bracing their nerves to undergo some unlooked for and
unusual trial Silently and without a moments delay they permitted him to
assist them from their saddles when they descended quickly to the waters
edge where the scout had collected the rest of the party more by the agency of
his expressive gestures than by any use of words
»What to do with these dumb creaturs« muttered the white man on whom the
sole control of their future movements appeared to devolve »it would be time
lost to cut their throats and cast them into the river and to leave them here
would be to tell the Mingoes that they have not far to seek to find their
owners«
»Then give them their bridles and let them range the woods« Heyward
ventured to suggest
»No it would be better to mislead the imps and make them believe they must
equal a horses speed to run down their chase Ay ay that will blind their
fireballs of eyes Chingach Hist what stirs the bush«
»The colt«
»That colt at least must die« muttered the scout grasping at the mane of
the nimble beast which easily eluded his hand »Uncas your arrows«
»Hold« exclaimed the proprietor of the condemned animal aloud without
regard to the whispering tones used by the others »spare the foal of Miriam it
is the comely offspring of a faithful dam and would willingly injure
naught«
»When men struggle for the single life God has given them« said the scout
sternly »even their own kind seem no more than the beasts of the wood If you
speak again I shall leave you to the mercy of the Maquas Draw to your arrows
head Uncas we have no time for second blows«
The low muttering sounds of his threatening voice were still audible when
the wounded foal first rearing on its hinder legs plunged forward to its
knees It was met by Chingachgook whose knife passed across its throat quicker
than thought and then precipitating the motion of the struggling victim he
dashed it into the river down whose stream it glided away gasping audibly for
breath with its ebbing life This deed of apparent cruelty but of real
necessity fell upon the spirits of the travellers like a terrific warning of
the peril in which they stood heightened as it was by the calm though steady
resolution of the actors in the scene The sisters shuddered and clung closer
to each other while Heyward instinctively laid his hand on one of the pistols
he had just drawn from their holsters as he placed himself between his charge
and those dense shadows that seemed to draw an impenetrable veil before the
bosom of the forest
The Indians however hesitated not a moment but taking the bridles they
led the frightened and reluctant horses into the bed of the river
At a short distance from the shore they turned and were soon concealed by
the projection of the bank under the brow of which they moved in a direction
opposite to the course of the waters In the mean time the scout drew a canoe
of bark from its place of concealment beneath some low bushes whose branches
were waving with the eddies of the current into which he silently motioned for
the females to enter They complied without hesitation though many a fearful
and anxious glance was thrown behind them towards the thickening gloom which
now lay like a dark barrier along the margin of the stream
So soon as Cora and Alice were seated the scout without regarding the
element directed Heyward to support one side of the frail vessel and posting
himself at the other they bore it up against the stream followed by the
dejected owner of the dead foal In this manner they proceeded for many rods
in a silence that was only interrupted by the rippling of the water as its
eddies played around them or the low dash made by their own cautious footsteps
Heyward yielded the guidance of the canoe implicitly to the scout who
approached or receded from the shore to avoid the fragments of rocks or deeper
parts of the river with a readiness that showed his knowledge of the route they
held Occasionally he would stop and in the midst of a breathing stillness
that the dull but increasing roar of the waterfall only served to render more
impressive he would listen with painful intenseness to catch any sounds that
might arise from the slumbering forest When assured that all was still and
unable to detect even by the aid of his practised senses any sign of his
approaching foes he would deliberately resume his slow and guarded progress At
length they reached a point in the river where the roving eye of Heyward became
riveted on a cluster of black objects collected at a spot where the high bank
threw a deeper shadow than usual on the dark waters Hesitating to advance he
pointed out the place to the attention of his companion
»Ay« returned the composed scout »the Indians have hid the beasts with the
judgment of natives Water leaves no trail and an owls eyes would be blinded
by the darkness of such a hole«
The whole party was soon reunited and another consultation was held between
the scout and his new comrades during which they whose fates depended on the
faith and ingenuity of these unknown foresters had a little leisure to observe
their situation more minutely
The river was confined between high and cragged rocks one of which impended
above the spot where the canoe rested As these again were surmounted by tall
trees which appeared to totter on the brows of the precipice it gave the
stream the appearance of running through a deep and narrow dell All beneath the
fantastic limbs and ragged treetops which were here and there dimly painted
against the starry zenith lay alike in shadowed obscurity Behind them the
curvature of the banks soon bounded the view by the same dark and wooded
outline but in front and apparently at no great distance the water seemed
piled against the heavens whence it tumbled into caverns out of which issued
those sullen sounds that had loaded the evening atmosphere It seemed in
truth to be a spot devoted to seclusion and the sisters imbibed a soothing
impression of security as they gazed upon its romantic though not unappalling
beauties A general movement among their conductors however soon recalled them
from a contemplation of the wild charms that night had assisted to lend the
place to a painful sense of their real peril
The horses had been secured to some scattering shrubs that grew in the
fissures of the rocks where standing in the water they were left to pass the
night The scout directed Heyward and his disconsolate fellow travellers to seat
themselves in the forward end of the canoe and took possession of the other
himself as erect and steady as if he floated in a vessel of much firmer
materials The Indians warily retraced their steps towards the place they had
left when the scout placing his pole against a rock by a powerful shove sent
his frail bark directly into the centre of the turbulent stream For many
minutes the struggle between the light bubble in which they floated and the
swift current was severe and doubtful Forbidden to stir even a hand and
almost afraid to breathe lest they should expose the frail fabric to the fury
of the stream the passengers watched the glancing waters in feverish suspense
Twenty times they thought the whirling eddies were sweeping them to destruction
when the masterhand of their pilot would bring the bows of the canoe to stem
the rapid A long a vigorous and as it appeared to the females a desperate
effort closed the struggle Just as Alice veiled her eyes in horror under the
impression that they were about to be swept within the vortex at the foot of the
cataract the canoe floated stationary at the side of a flat rock that lay on
a level with the water
»Where are we and what is next to be done« demanded Heyward perceiving
that the exertions of the scout had ceased
»You are at the foot of Glenns« returned the other speaking aloud
without fear of consequences within the roar of the cataract »and the next
thing is to make a steady landing lest the canoe upset and you should go down
again the hard road we have travelled faster than you came up tis a hard rift
to stem when the river is a little swelled and five is an unnatural number to
keep dry in the hurryskurry with a little birchen bark and gum There go you
all on the rock and I will bring up the Mohicans with the venison A man had
better sleep without his scalp than famish in the midst of plenty«
His passengers gladly complied with these directions As the last foot
touched the rock the canoe whirled from its station when the tall form of the
scout was seen for an instant gliding above the waters before it disappeared
in the impenetrable darkness that rested on the bed of the river Left by their
guide the travellers remained a few minutes in helpless ignorance afraid even
to move along the broken rocks lest a false step should precipitate them down
some one of the many deep and roaring caverns into which the water seemed to
tumble on every side of them Their suspense however was soon relieved for
aided by the skill of the natives the canoe shot back into the eddy and
floated again at the side of the low rock before they thought the scout had
even time to rejoin his companions
»We are now fortified garrisoned and provisioned« cried Heyward
cheerfully »and may set Montcalm and his allies at defiance How now my
vigilant sentinel can you see any thing of those you call the Iroquois on the
main land«
»I call them Iroquois because to me every native who speaks a foreign
tongue is accounted an enemy though he may pretend to serve the king If Webb
wants faith and honesty in an Indian let him bring out the tribes of the
Delawares and send these greedy and lying Mohawks and Oneidas with their six
nations of varlets where in nature they belong among the French«
»We should then exchange a warlike for a useless friend I have heard that
the Delawares have laid aside the hatchet and are content to be called women«
»Ay shame on the Hollanders10 and Iroquois who carcumvented them by their
deviltries into such a treaty But I have known them for twenty years and I
call him liar that says cowardly blood runs in the veins of a Delaware You
have driven their tribes from the seashore and would now believe what their
enemies say that you may sleep at night upon an easy pillow No no to me
every Indian who speaks a foreign tongue is an Iroquois whether the castle11 of
his tribe be in Canada or be in York«
Heyward perceiving that the stubborn adherence of the scout to the cause of
his friends the Delawares or Mohicans for they were branches of the same
numerous people was likely to prolong a useless discussion changed the
subject
»Treaty or no treaty I know full well that your two companions are brave
and cautious warriors have they heard or seen any thing of our enemies«
»An Indian is a mortal to be felt afore he is seen« returned the scout
ascending the rock and throwing the deer carelessly down »I trust to other
signs than such as come in at the eye when I am outlying on the trail of the
Mingoes«
»Do your ears tell you that they have traced our retreat«
»I should be sorry to think they had though this is a spot that stout
courage might hold for a smart skrimmage I will not deny however but the
horses cowered when I passed them as though they scented the wolves and a wolf
is a beast that is apt to hover about an Indian ambushment craving the offals
of the deer the savages kill«
»You forget the buck at your feet or may we not owe their visit to the
dead colt Ha what noise is that«
»Poor Miriam« murmured the stranger »thy foal was foreordained to become a
prey to ravenous beasts« Then suddenly lifting up his voice amid the eternal
din of the waters he sang aloud
»First born of Egypt smite did he
Of mankind and of beast also
O Egypt wonders sent midst thee
On Pharaoh and his servants too«
»The death of the colt sits heavy on the heart of its owner« said the scout
»but its a good sign to see a man account upon his dumb friends He has the
religion of the matter in believing what is to happen will happen and with
such a consolation it wont be long afore he submits to the rationality of
killing a fourfooted beast to save the lives of human men It may be as you
say« he continued reverting to the purport of Heywards last remark »and the
greater the reason why we should cut our steaks and let the carcass drive down
the stream or we shall have the pack howling along the cliffs begrudging every
mouthful we swallow Besides though the Delaware tongue is the same as a book
to the Iroquois the cunning varlets are quick enough at understanding the
reason of a wolfs howl«
The scout whilst making his remarks was busied in collecting certain
necessary implements as he concluded he moved silently by the groupe of
travellers accompanied by the Mohicans who seemed to comprehend his intentions
with instinctive readiness when the whole three disappeared in succession
seeming to vanish against the dark face of a perpendicular rock that rose to
the height of a few yards within as many feet of the waters edge
Chapter VI
»Those strains that once did sweet in Zion glide
He wales a portion with judicious care
And let us worship God he says with solemn air«
Burns »The Cotters Saturday Night« ll 106108
Heyward and his female companions witnessed this mysterious movement with
secret uneasiness for though the conduct of the white man had hitherto been
above reproach his rude equipments blunt address and strong antipathies
together with the character of his silent associates were all causes for
exciting distrust in minds that had been so recently alarmed by Indian
treachery The stranger alone disregarded the passing incidents He seated
himself on a projection of the rocks whence he gave no other signs of
consciousness than by the struggles of his spirit as manifested in frequent
and heavy sighs Smothered voices were next heard as though men called to each
other in the bowels of the earth when a sudden light flashed upon those
without and laid bare the much prized secret of the place
At the farther extremity of a narrow deep cavern in the rock whose length
appeared much extended by the perspective and the nature of the light by which
it was seen was seated the scout holding a blazing knot of pine The strong
glare of the fire fell full upon his sturdy weatherbeaten countenance and
forest attire lending an air of romantic wildness to the aspect of an
individual who seen by the sober light of day would have exhibited the
peculiarities of a man remarkable for the strangeness of his dress the
ironlike inflexibility of his frame and the singular compound of quick
vigilant sagacity and of exquisite simplicity that by turns usurped the
possession of his muscular features At a little distance in advance stood
Uncas his whole person thrown powerfully into view The travellers anxiously
regarded the upright flexible figure of the young Mohican graceful and
unrestrained in the attitudes and movements of nature Though his person was
more than usually skreened by a green and fringed hunting shirt like that of
the white man there was no concealment to his dark glancing fearless eye
alike terrible and calm the bold outline of his high haughty features pure in
their native red or to the dignified elevation of his receding forehead
together with all the finest proportions of a noble head bared to the generous
scalping tuft It was the first opportunity possessed by Duncan and his
companions to view the marked lineaments of either of their Indian attendants
and each individual of the party felt relieved from a burthen of doubt as the
proud and determined though wild expression of the features of the young
warrior forced itself on their notice They felt it might be a being partially
benighted in the vale of ignorance but it could not be one who would willingly
devote his rich natural gifts to the purposes of wanton treachery The ingenuous
Alice gazed at his free air and proud carriage as she would have looked upon
some precious relic of the Grecian chisel to which life had been imparted by
the intervention of a miracle while Heyward though accustomed to see the
perfection of form which abounds among the uncorrupted natives openly expressed
his admiration at such an unblemished specimen of the noblest proportions of
man
»I could sleep in peace« whispered Alice in reply »with such a fearless
and generous looking youth for my sentinel Surely Duncan those cruel murders
those terrific scenes of torture of which we read and hear so much are never
acted in the presence of such as he«
»This certainly is a rare and brilliant instance of those natural
qualities in which these peculiar people are said to excel« he answered »I
agree with you Alice in thinking that such a front and eye were formed rather
to intimidate than to deceive but let us not practise a deception on ourselves
by expecting any other exhibition of what we esteem virtue than according to
the fashion of a savage As bright examples of great qualities are but too
uncommon among christians so are they singular and solitary with the Indians
though for the honour of our common nature neither are incapable of producing
them Let us then hope that this Mohican may not disappoint our wishes but
prove what his looks assert him to be a brave and constant friend«
»Now Major Heyward speaks as Major Heyward should« said Cora »who that
looks at this creature of nature remembers the shades of his skin«
A short and apparently an embarrassed silence succeeded this remark which
was interrupted by the scout calling to them aloud to enter
»This fire begins to show too bright a flame« he continued as they
complied »and might light the Mingoes to our undoing Uncas drop the blanket
and show the knaves its dark side This is not such a supper as a major of the
Royal Americans has a right to expect but Ive known stout detachments of the
corps glad to eat their venison raw and without a relish too12 Here you see
we have plenty of salt and can make a quick broil Theres fresh saxafrax
boughs for the ladies to sit on which may not be as proud as their
myhogguinea chairs but which sends up a sweeter flavour than the skin of any
hog can do be it of Guinea or be it of any other land Come friend dont be
mournful for the colt twas an innocent thing and had not seen much hardship
Its death will save the creatur many a sore back and weary foot«
Uncas did as the other had directed and when the voice of Hawkeye ceased
the roar of the cataract sounded like the rumbling of distant thunder
»Are we quite safe in this cavern« demanded Heyward »Is there no danger of
surprise A single armed man at its entrance would hold us at his mercy«
A spectral looking figure stalked from out the darkness behind the scout
and seizing a blazing brand held it towards the further extremity of their
place of retreat Alice uttered a faint shriek and even Cora rose to her feet
as this appalling object moved into the light but a single word from Heyward
calmed them with the assurance it was only their attendant Chingachgook who
lifting another blanket discovered that the cavern had two outlets Then
holding the brand he crossed a deep narrow chasm in the rocks which ran at
right angles with the passage they were in but which unlike that was open to
the heavens and entered another cave answering to the description of the
first in every essential particular
»Such old foxes as Chingachgook and myself are not often caught in a burrow
with one hole« said Hawkeye laughing »you can easily see the cunning of the
place the rock is black limestone which every body knows is soft it makes no
uncomfortable pillow where brush and pine wood is scarce well the fall was
once a few yards below us and I dare to say was in its time as regular and as
handsome a sheet of water as any along the Hudson But old age is a great injury
to good looks as these sweet young ladies have yet to larn The place is sadly
changed These rocks are full of cracks and in some places they are softer
than at othersome and the water has worked out deep hollows for itself until
it has fallen back ay some hundred feet breaking here and wearing there
until the falls have neither shape nor consistency«
»In what part of them are we« asked Heyward
»Why we are nigh by the spot that Providence first placed them at but
where it seems they were too rebellious to stay The rock proved softer on
either side of us and so they left the centre of the river bare and dry first
working out these two little holes for us to hide in«
»We are then on an island«
»Ay there are the falls on two sides of us and the river above and below
If you had daylight it would be worth the trouble to step up on the height of
this rock and look at the perversity of the water It falls by no rule at all
sometimes it leaps sometimes it tumbles there it skips here it shoots in
one place tis white as snow and in another tis green as grass hereabouts it
pitches into deep hollows that rumble and quake the arth and thereaway it
ripples and sings like a brook fashioning whirlpools and gullies in the old
stone as if twas no harder than trodden clay The whole design of the river
seems disconcerted First it runs smoothly as if meaning to go down the descent
as things were ordered then it angles about and faces the shores nor are there
places wanting where it looks backward as if unwilling to leave the
wilderness to mingle with the salt Ay lady the fine cobweblooking cloth you
wear at your throat is coarse and like a fish net to little spots I can show
you where the river fabricates all sorts of images as if having broke loose
from order it would try its hand at every thing And yet what does it amount
to After the water has been suffered to have its will for a time like a
headstrong man it is gathered together by the hand that made it and a few rods
below you may see it all flowing on steadily towards the sea as was
foreordained from the first foundation of the arth«
While his auditors received a cheering assurance of the security of their
place of concealment from this untutored description of Glenns13 they were
much inclined to judge differently from Hawkeye of its wild beauties But they
were not in a situation to suffer their thoughts to dwell on the charms of
natural objects and as the scout had not found it necessary to cease his
culinary labours while he spoke unless to point out with a broken fork the
direction of some particularly obnoxious point in the rebellious stream they
now suffered their attention to be drawn to the necessary though more vulgar
consideration of their supper
The repast which was greatly aided by the addition of a few delicacies
that Heyward had the precaution to bring with him when they left their horses
was exceedingly refreshing to the wearied party Uncas acted as attendant to the
females performing all the little offices within his power with a mixture of
dignity and anxious grace that served to amuse Heyward who well knew that it
was an utter innovation on the Indian customs which forbid their warriors to
descend to any menial employment especially in favour of their women As the
rites of hospitality were however considered sacred among them this little
departure from the dignity of manhood excited no audible comment Had there been
one there sufficiently disengaged to become a close observer he might have
fancied that the services of the young chief were not entirely impartial That
while he tendered to Alice the gourd of sweet water and the venison in a
trencher neatly carved from the knot of the pepperage with sufficient
courtesy in performing the same offices to her sister his dark eye lingered on
her rich speaking countenance Once or twice he was compelled to speak to
command the attention of those he served In such cases he made use of English
broken and imperfect but sufficiently intelligible and which he rendered so
mild and musical by his14 deep guttural voice that it never failed to cause
both ladies to look up in admiration and astonishment In the course of these
civilities a few sentences were exchanged that served to establish the
appearance of an amicable intercourse between the parties
In the meanwhile the gravity of Chingachgook remained immovable He had
seated himself more within the circle of light where the frequent uneasy
glances of his guests were better enabled to separate the natural expression of
his face from the artificial terrors of the warpaint They found a strong
resemblance between father and son with the difference that might be expected
from age and hardship The fierceness of his countenance now seemed to slumber
and in its place was to be seen the quiet vacant composure which distinguishes
an Indian warrior when his faculties are not required for any of the greater
purposes of his existence It was however easy to be seen by the occasional
gleams that shot across his swarthy visage that it was only necessary to arouse
his passions in order to give full effect to the terrific device which he had
adopted to intimidate his enemies On the other hand the quick roving eye of
the scout seldom rested He ate and drank with an appetite that no sense of
danger could disturb but his vigilance seemed never to desert him Twenty times
the gourd or the venison was suspended before his lips while his head was
turned aside as though he listened to some distant and distrusted sounds a
movement that never failed to recall his guests from regarding the novelties of
their situation to a recollection of the alarming reasons that had driven them
to seek it As these frequent pauses were never followed by any remark the
momentary uneasiness they created quickly passed away and for a time was
forgotten
»Come friend« said Hawkeye drawing out a keg from beneath a cover of
leaves towards the close of the repast and addressing the stranger who sat at
his elbow doing great justice to his culinary skill »try a little spruce
twill wash away all thoughts of the colt and quicken the life in your bosom I
drink to our better friendship hoping that a little horseflesh may leave no
heartburnings atween us How do you name yourself«
»Gamut David Gamut« returned the singing preparing to wash down his
sorrows in a powerful draught of the woodsmans highflavoured and welllaced
compound
»A very good name and I dare say handed down from honest forefathers Im
an admirator of names though the Christian fashions fall far below savage
customs in this particular The biggest coward I ever knew was called Lyon and
his wife Patience would scold you out of hearing in less time than a hunted
deer would run a rod With an Indian tis a matter of conscience what he calls
himself he generally is not that Chingachgook which signifies a big sarpent
is really a snake big or little but that he understands the windings and
turnings of human natur and is silent and strikes his enemies when they least
expect him What may be your calling«
»I am an unworthy instructor in the art of psalmody«
»Anan«
»I teach singing to the youths of the Connecticut levy«
»You might be better employed The young hounds go laughing and singing too
much already through the woods when they ought not to breathe louder than a fox
in his cover Can you use the smooth bore or handle the rifle«
»Praised be God I have never had occasion to meddle with murderous
implements«
»Perhaps you understand the compass and lay down the water courses and
mountains of the wilderness on paper in order that they who follow may find
places by their given names«
»I practise no such employment«
»You have a pair of legs that might make a long path seem short you journey
sometimes I fancy with tidings for the general«
»Never I follow no other than my own high vocation which is instruction in
sacred music«
»Tis a strange calling« muttered Hawkeye with an inward laugh »to go
through life like a catbird mocking all the ups and downs that may happen to
come out of other mens throats Well friend I suppose it is your gift and
mustnt be denied any more than if twas shooting or some other better
inclination Let us hear what you can do in that way twill be a friendly
manner of saying good night for tis time these ladies should be getting
strength for a hard and a long push in the pride of the morning afore the
Maquas are stirring«
»With joyful pleasure do I consent« said David adjusting his ironrimmed
spectacles and producing his beloved little volume which he immediately
tendered to Alice »What can be more fitting and consolatory than to offer up
evening praise after a day of such exceeding jeopardy«
Alice smiled but regarding Heyward she blushed and hesitated
»Indulge yourself« he whispered »ought not the suggestion of the worthy
namesake of the Psalmist to have its weight at such a moment«
Encouraged by his opinion Alice did what her pious inclinations and her
keen relish for gentle sounds had before so strongly urged The book was open
at a hymn not ill adapted to their situation and in which the poet no longer
goaded by his desire to excel the inspired King of Israel had discovered some
chastened and respectable powers Cora betrayed a disposition to support her
sister and the sacred song proceeded after the indispensable preliminaries of
the pitchpipe and the tune had been duly attended to by the methodical David
The air was solemn and slow At times it rose to the fullest compass of the
rich voices of the females who hung over their little book in holy excitement
and again it sunk so low that the rushing of the waters ran through their
melody like a hollow accompaniment The natural taste and true ear of David
governed and modified the sounds to suit their confined cavern every crevice
and cranny of which was filled with the thrilling notes of their flexible
voices The Indians riveted their eyes on the rocks and listened with an
attention that seemed to turn them into stone But the scout who had placed his
chin in his hand with an expression of cold indifference gradually suffered
his rigid features to relax until as verse succeeded verse he felt his iron
nature subdued while his recollection was carried back to boyhood when his
ears had been accustomed to listen to similar sounds of praise in the
settlements of the colony His roving eyes began to moisten and before the hymn
was ended scalding tears rolled out of fountains that had long seemed dry and
followed each other down those cheeks that had oftener felt the storms of
heaven than any testimonials of weakness The singers were dwelling on one of
those low dying chords which the ear devours with such greedy rapture as if
conscious that it is about to lose them when a cry that seemed neither human
nor earthly rose in the outward air penetrating not only the recesses of the
cavern but to the inmost hearts of all who heard it It was followed by a
stillness apparently as deep as if the waters had been checked in their furious
progress at such a horrid and unusual interruption
»What is it« murmured Alice after a few moments of terrible suspense
»What is it« repeated Heyward aloud
Neither Hawkeye nor the Indians made any reply They listened as if
expecting the sound would be repeated with a manner that expressed their own
astonishment At length they spoke together earnestly in the Delaware
language when Uncas passing by the inner and most concealed aperture
cautiously left the cavern When he had gone the scout first spoke in English
»What it is or what it is not none here can tell though two of us have
ranged the woods for more than thirty years I did believe there was no cry that
Indian or beast could make that my ears had not heard but this has proved that
I was only a vain and conceited mortal«
»Was it not then the shout the warriors make when they wish to intimidate
their enemies« asked Cora who stood drawing her veil about her person with a
calmness to which her agitated sister was a stranger
»No no this was bad and shocking and had a sort of unhuman sound but
when you once hear the warwhoop you will never mistake it for any thing else
Well Uncas« speaking in the Delaware to the young chief as he reentered
»what see you do our lights shine through the blankets«
The answer was short and apparently decided being given in the same
tongue
»There is nothing to be seen without« continued Hawkeye shaking his head
in discontent »and our hidingplace is still in darkness Pass into the other
cave you that need it and seek for sleep we must be afoot long before the
sun and make the most of our time to get to Edward while the Mingoes are
taking their morning nap«
Cora set the example of compliance with a steadiness that taught the more
timid Alice the necessity of obedience Before leaving the place however she
whispered a request to Duncan that he would follow Uncas raised the blanket for
their passage and as the sisters turned to thank him for this act of attention
they saw the scout seated again before the dying embers with his face resting
on his hands in a manner which showed how deeply he brooded on the
unaccountable interruption which had broken up their evening devotions
Heyward took with him a blazing knot which threw a dim light through the
narrow vista of their new apartment Placing it in a favourable position he
joined the females who now found themselves alone with him for the first time
since they had left the friendly ramparts of fort Edward
»Leave us not Duncan« said Alice »we cannot sleep in such a place as
this with that horrid cry still ringing in our ears«
»First let us examine into the security of your fortress« he answered »and
then we will speak of rest«
He approached the farther end of the cavern to an outlet which like the
others was concealed by blankets and removing the thick skreen breathed the
fresh and reviving air from the cataract One arm of the river flowed through a
deep narrow ravine which its current had worn in the soft rock directly
beneath his feet forming an effectual defence as he believed against any
danger from that quarter the water a few rods above them plunging glancing
and sweeping along in its most violent and broken manner
»Nature has made an impenetrable barrier on this side« he continued
pointing down the perpendicular declivity into the dark current before he
dropped the blanket »and as you know that good men and true are on guard in
front I see no reason why the advice of our honest host should be disregarded
I am certain Cora will join me in saying that sleep is necessary to you both«
»Cora may submit to the justice of your opinion though she cannot put it in
practice« returned the elder sister who had placed herself by the side of
Alice on a couch of sassafras »there would be other causes to chase away
sleep though we had been spared the shock of this mysterious noise Ask
yourself Heyward can daughters forget the anxiety a father must endure whose
children lodge he knows not where or how in such a wilderness and in the
midst of so many perils«
»He is a soldier and knows how to estimate the chances of the woods«
»He is a father and cannot deny his nature«
»How kind has he ever been to all my follies how tender and indulgent to
all my wishes« sobbed Alice »We have been selfish sister in urging our visit
at such hazard«
»I may have been a rash in pressing his consent in a moment of so much
embarrassment but I would have proved to him that however others might neglect
him in his strait his children at least were faithful«
»When he heard of your arrival at Edward« said Heyward kindly »there was
a powerful struggle in his bosom between fear and love though the latter
heightened if possible by so long a separation quickly prevailed It is the
spirit of my noble minded Cora that leads them Duncan he said and I will not
balk it Would to God that he who holds the honor of our royal master in his
guardianship would show but half her firmness«
»And did he not speak of me Heyward« demanded Alice with jealous
affection »Surely he forgot not altogether his little Elsie«
»That were impossible« returned the young man »he called you by a thousand
endearing epithets that I may not presume to use but to the justice of which I
can warmly testify Once indeed he said «
Duncan ceased speaking for while his eyes were rivetted on those of Alice
who had turned towards him with the eagerness of filial affection to catch his
words the same strong horrid cry as before filled the air and rendered him
mute A long breathless silence succeeded during which each looked at the
others in fearful expectation of hearing the sound repeated At length the
blanket was slowly raised and the scout stood in the aperture with a
countenance whose firmness evidently began to give way before a mystery that
seemed to threaten some danger against which all his cunning and experience
might prove of no avail
Chapter VII
»They do not sleep
On yonder cliffs a grisly band
I see them sit«
Gray »The Bard«
I3 Epode I ll 4345
»Twould be neglecting a warning that is given for our good to lie hid any
longer« said Hawkeye »when such sounds are raised in the forest These gentle
ones may keep close but the Mohicans and I will watch upon the rock where I
suppose a major of the 60th would wish to keep us company«
»Is then our danger so pressing« asked Cora
»He who makes strange sounds and gives them out for mans information
alone knows our danger I should think myself wicked unto rebellion against his
will was I to burrow with such warnings in the air Even the weak soul who
passes his days in singing is stirred by the cry and as he says is ready to
go forth to the battle If twere only a battle it would be a thing understood
by us all and easily managed but I have heard that when such shrieks are
atween heaven and arth it betokens another sort of warfare«
»If all our reasons for fear my friend are confined to such as proceed
from supernatural causes we have but little occasion to be alarmed« continued
the undisturbed Cora »are you certain that our enemies have not invented some
new and ingenious method to strike us with terror that their conquest may
become more easy«
»Lady« returned the scout solemnly »I have listened to all the sounds of
the woods for thirty years as a man will listen whose life and death depend on
the quickness of his ears There is no whine of the panther no whistle of the
catbird nor any invention of the devilish Mingoes that can cheat me I have
heard the forest moan like mortal men in their affliction often and again
have I listened to the wind playing its music in the branches of the girdled
trees and I have heard the lightning cracking in the air like the snapping of
blazing brush as it spitted forth sparks and forked flames but never have I
thought that I heard more than the pleasure of him who sported with the things
of his hand But neither the Mohicans nor I who am a white man without a
cross can explain the cry just heard We therefore believe it a sign given
for our good«
»It is extraordinary« said Heyward taking his pistols from the place where
he had laid them on entering »be it a sign of peace or a signal of war it
must be looked to Lead me way my friend I follow«
On issuing from their place of confinement the whole party instantly
experienced a grateful renovation of spirits by exchanging the pent air of the
hiding place for the cool and invigorating atmosphere which played around the
whirlpools and pitches of the cataract A heavy evening breeze swept along the
surface of the river and seemed to drive the roar of the falls into the
recesses of their own caverns whence it issued heavily and constant like
thunder rumbling beyond the distant hills The moon had risen and its light was
already glancing here and there on the waters above them but the extremity of
the rock where they stood still lay in shadow With the exception of the sounds
produced by the rushing waters and an occasional breathing of the air as it
murmured past them in fitful currents the scene was as still as night and
solitude could make it In vain were the eyes of each individual bent along the
opposite shores in quest of some signs of life that might explain the nature
of the interruption they had heard Their anxious and eager looks were baffled
by the deceptive light or rested only on naked rocks and straight and
immovable trees
»Here is nothing to be seen but the gloom and quiet of a lovely evening«
whispered Duncan »how much should we prize such a scene and all this breathing
solitude at any other moment Cora Fancy yourselves in security and what now
perhaps increases your terror may be made conducive to enjoyment «
»Listen« interrupted Alice
The caution was unnecessary Once more the same sound arose as if from the
bed of the river and having broken out of the narrow bounds of the cliffs was
heard undulating through the forest in distant and dying cadences
»Can any here give a name to such a cry« demanded Hawkeye when the last
echo was lost in the woods »if so let him speak for myself I judge it not to
belong to arth«
»Here then is one who can undeceive you« said Duncan »I know the sound
full well for often have I heard it on the field of battle and in situations
which are frequent in a soldiers life Tis the horrid shriek that a horse will
give in his agony oftener drawn from him in pain though sometimes in terror
My charger is either a prey to the beasts of the forest or he sees his danger
without the power to avoid it The sound might deceive me in the cavern but in
the open air I know it too well to be wrong«
The scout and his companions listened to this simple explanation with the
interest of men who imbibe new ideas at the same time that they get rid of old
ones which had proved disagreeable inmates The two latter uttered their usual
and expressive exclamation »hugh« as the truth first glanced upon their minds
while the former after a short musing pause took on himself to reply
»I cannot deny your words« he said »for I am little skilled in horses
though born where they abound The wolves must be hovering above their heads on
the bank and the timorsome creatures are calling on man for help in the best
manner they are able Uncas« he spoke in Delaware »Uncas drop down in the
canoe and whirl a brand among the pack or fear may do what the wolves cant
get at to perform and leave us without horses in the morning when we shall
have so much need to journey swiftly«
The young native had already descended to the water to comply when a long
howl was raised on the edge of the river and was borne swiftly off into the
depths of the forest as though the beasts of their own accord were abandoning
their prey in sudden terror Uncas with instinctive quickness receded and
the three foresters held another of their low earnest conferences
»We have been like hunters who have lost the points of the heavens and from
whom the sun has been hid for days« said Hawkeye turning away from his
companions »now we begin again to know the signs of our course and the paths
are cleared from briars Seat yourselves in the shade which the moon throws
from yonder beech tis thicker than that of the pines and let us wait for
that which the Lord may choose to send next Let all your conversation be in
whispers though it would be better and perhaps in the end wiser if each one
held discourse with his own thoughts for a time«
The manner of the scout was seriously impressive though no longer
distinguished by any signs of unmanly apprehension It was evident that his
momentary weakness had vanished with the explanation of a mystery which his own
experience had not served to fathom and though he now felt all the realities of
their actual condition that he was prepared to meet them with the energy of his
hardy nature This feeling seemed also common to the natives who placed
themselves in positions which commanded a full view of both shores while their
own persons were effectually concealed from observation In such circumstances
common prudence dictated that Heyward and his companions should imitate a
caution that proceeded from so intelligent a source The young man drew a pile
of the sassafras from the cave and placing it in the chasm which separated the
two caverns it was occupied by the sisters who were thus protected by the
rocks from any missiles while their anxiety was relieved by the assurance that
no danger could approach without a warning Heyward himself was posted at hand
so near that he might communicate with his companions without raising his voice
to a dangerous elevation while David in imitation of the woodsmen bestowed
his person in such a manner among the fissures of the rocks that his ungainly
limbs were no longer offensive to the eye
In this manner hours passed by without further interruption The moon
reached the zenith and shed its mild light perpendicularly on the lovely
sight of the sisters slumbering peacefully in each others arms Duncan cast
the wide shawl of Cora before a spectacle he so much loved to contemplate and
then suffered his own head to seek a pillow on the rock David began to utter
sounds that would have shocked his delicate organs in more wakeful moments in
short all but Hawkeye and the Mohicans lost every idea of consciousness in
uncontrollable drowsiness But the watchfulness of these vigilant protectors
neither tired nor slumbered Immovable as that rock of which each appeared to
form a part they lay with their eyes roving without intermission along the
dark margin of trees that bounded the adjacent shores of the narrow stream Not
a sound escaped them the most subtle examination could not have told they
breathed It was evident that this excess of caution proceeded from an
experience that no subtlety on the part of their enemies could deceive It was
however continued without any apparent consequences until the moon had set
and a pale streak above the tree tops at the bend of the river a little below
announced the approach of day
Then for the first time Hawkeye was seen to stir He crawled along the
rock and shook Duncan from his heavy slumbers
»Now is the time to journey« he whispered »awake the gentle ones and be
ready to get into the canoe when I bring it to the landing place«
»Have you had a quiet night« said Heyward »for myself I believe sleep has
gotten the better of my vigilance«
»All is yet still as midnight Be silent but be quick«
By this time Duncan was thoroughly awake and he immediately lifted the
shawl from the sleeping females The motion caused Cora to raise her hand as if
to repulse him while Alice murmured in her soft gentle voice »No no dear
father we were not deserted Duncan was with us«
»Yes sweet innocence« whispered the youth »Duncan is here and while life
continue or danger remain he will never quit thee Cora Alice awake The
hour has come to move«
A loud shriek from the younger of the sisters and the form of the other
standing upright before him in bewildered horror was the unexpected answer he
received While the words were still on the lips of Heyward there had arisen
such a tumult of yells and cries as served to drive the swift currents of his
own blood back from its bounding course into the fountains of his heart It
seemed for near a minute as if the demons of hell had possessed themselves of
the air about them and were venting their savage humours in barbarous sounds
The cries came from no particular direction though it was evident they filled
the woods and as the appalled listeners easily imagined the caverns of the
falls the rocks the bed of the river and the upper air David raised his tall
person in the midst of the infernal din with a hand on either ear exclaiming
»Whence comes this discord Has hell broke loose that man should utter
sounds like these«
The bright flashes and the quick reports of a dozen rifles from the
opposite banks of the stream followed this incautious exposure of his person
and left the unfortunate singing master senseless on that rock where he had
been so long slumbering The Mohicans boldly sent back the intimidating yell of
their enemies who raised a shout of savage triumph at the fall of Gamut The
flash of rifles was then quick and close between them but either party was too
well skilled to leave even a limb exposed to the hostile aim Duncan listened
with intense anxiety for the strokes of the paddle believing that flight was
now their only refuge The river glanced by with its ordinary velocity but the
canoe was no where to be seen on its dark waters He had just fancied they were
cruelly deserted by the scout as a stream of flame issued from the rock beneath
him and a fierce yell blended with a shriek of agony announced that the
messenger of death hurled from the fatal weapon of Hawkeye had found a
victim At this slight repulse the assailants instantly withdrew and gradually
the place became as still as before the sudden tumult
Duncan seized the favourable moment to spring to the body of Gamut which he
bore within the shelter of the narrow chasm that protected the sisters In
another minute the whole party was collected in this spot of comparative safety
»The poor fellow has saved his scalp« said Hawkeye coolly passing his
hand over the head of David »but he is a proof that a man may be born with too
long a tongue Twas downright madness to show six feet of flesh and blood on a
naked rock to the raging savages I only wonder he has escaped with life«
»Is he not dead« demanded Cora in a voice whose husky tones showed how
powerfully natural horror struggled with her assumed firmness »Can we do aught
to assist the wretched man«
»No no the life is in his heart yet and after he has slept awhile he will
come to himself and be a wiser man for it till the hour of his real time shall
come« returned Hawkeye casting another oblique glance at the insensible body
while he filled his charger with admirable nicety »Carry him in Uncas and lay
him on the saxafrax The longer his nap lasts the better it will be for him as
I doubt whether he can find a proper cover for such a shape on these rocks and
singing wont do any good with the Iroquois«
»You believe then the attack will be renewed« asked Heyward
»Do I expect a hungry wolf will satisfy his craving with a mouthful They
have lost a man and tis their fashion when they meet a loss and fail in the
surprise to fall back but we shall have them on again with new expedients to
circumvent us and master our scalps Our main hope« he continued raising his
rugged countenance across which a shade of anxiety just then passed like a
darkening cloud »will be to keep the rock until Munro can send a party to our
help God send it may be soon and under a leader that knows the Indian
customs«
»You hear our probable fortunes Cora« said Duncan »and you know we have
every thing to hope from the anxiety and experience of your father Come then
with Alice into this cavern where you at least will be safe from the
murderous rifles of our enemies and where you may bestow a care suited to your
gentle natures on our unfortunate comrade«
The sisters followed him into the outer cave where David was beginning by
his sighs to give symptoms of returning consciousness and then commending
the wounded man to their attention he immediately prepared to leave them
»Duncan« said the tremulous voice of Cora when he had reached the mouth of
the cavern He turned and beheld the speaker whose colour had changed to a
deadly paleness and whose lip quivered gazing after him with an expression of
interest which immediately recalled him to her side »Remember Duncan how
necessary your safety is to our own how you bear a fathers sacred trust how
much depends on your discretion and care in short« she added while the
telltale blood stole over her features crimsoning her very temples »how very
deservedly dear you are to all of the name of Munro«
»If any thing could add to my own base love of life« said Heyward
suffering his unconscious eyes to wander to the youthful form of the silent
Alice »it would be so kind an assurance As major of the 60th our honest host
will tell you I must take my share of the fray but our task will be easy it is
merely to keep these bloodhounds at bay for a few hours«
Without waiting for reply he tore himself from the presence of the sisters
and joined the scout and his companions who still lay within the protection of
the little chasm between the two caves
»I tell you Uncas« said the former as Heyward joined them »you are
wasteful of your powder and the kick of the rifle disconcerts your aim Little
powder light lead and a long arm seldom fail of bringing the death screech
from a Mingo At least such has been my experience with the creaturs Come
friends let us to our covers for no man can tell when or where a Maqua15 will
strike his blow«
The Indians silently repaired to their appointed stations which were
fissures in the rocks whence they could command the approaches to the foot of
the falls In the centre of the little island a few short and stunted pines had
found root forming a thicket into which Hawkeye darted with the swiftness of
a deer followed by the active Duncan Here they secured themselves as well as
circumstances would permit among the shrubs and fragments of stone that were
scattered about the place Above them was a bare rounded rock on each side of
which the water played its gambols and plunged into the abysses beneath in the
manner already described As the day had now dawned the opposite shores no
longer presented a confused outline but they were able to look into the woods
and distinguish objects beneath the canopy of gloomy pines
A long and anxious watch succeeded but without any further evidences of a
renewed attack and Duncan began to hope that their fire had proved more fatal
than was supposed and that their enemies had been effectually repulsed When he
ventured to utter this impression to his companion it was met by Hawkeye with
an incredulous shake of the head
»You know not the nature of a Maqua if you think he is so easily beaten
back without a scalp« he answered »If there was one of the imps yelling this
morning there were forty and they know our number and quality too well to give
up the chase so soon Hist look into the water above just where it breaks over
the rocks I am no mortal if the risky devils havent swam down upon the very
pitch and as bad luck would have it they have hit the head of the island
Hist man keep close or the hair will be off your crown in the turning of a
knife«
Heyward lifted his head from the cover and beheld what he justly considered
a prodigy of rashness and skill The river had worn away the edge of the soft
rock in such a manner as to render its first pitch less abrupt and
perpendicular than is usual at waterfalls With no other guide than the ripple
of the stream where it met the head of the island a party of their insatiable
foes had ventured into the current and swam down upon this point knowing the
ready access it would give if successful to their intended victims As
Hawkeye ceased speaking four human heads could be seen peering above a few
logs of drift wood that had lodged on these naked rocks and which had probably
suggested the idea of the practicability of the hazardous undertaking At the
next moment a fifth form was seen floating over the green edge of the fall a
little from the line of the island The savage struggled powerfully to gain the
point of safety and favoured by the glancing water he was already stretching
forth an arm to meet the grasp of his companions when he shot away again with
the whirling current appeared to rise into the air with uplifted arms and
starting eyeballs and fell with a sullen plunge into that deep and yawning
abyss over which he hovered A single wild despairing shriek rose from the
cavern and all was hushed again as the grave
The first generous impulse of Duncan was to rush to the rescue of the
hapless wretch but he felt himself bound to the spot by the iron grasp of the
immoveable scout
»Would ye bring certain death upon us by telling the Mingoes where we lie«
demanded Hawkeye sternly »tis a charge of powder saved and ammunition is as
precious now as breath to a worried deer Freshen the priming of your pistols
the mist of the falls is apt to dampen the brimstone and stand firm for a
close struggle while I fire on their rush«
He placed a finger in his mouth and drew a long shrill whistle which was
answered from the rocks that were guarded by the Mohicans Duncan caught
glimpses of heads above the scattered drift wood as this signal rose on the
air but they disappeared again as suddenly as they had glanced upon his sight
A low rustling sound next drew his attention behind him and turning his head
he beheld Uncas within a few feet creeping to his side Hawkeye spoke to him
in Delaware when the young chief took his position with singular caution and
undisturbed coolness To Heyward this was a moment of feverish and impatient
suspense though the scout saw fit to select it as a fit occasion to read a
lecture to his more youthful associates on the art of using firearms with
discretion
»Of all wepons« he commenced »the long barrelled true grooved soft
metalled rifle is the most dangerous in skillful hands though it wants a
strong arm a quick eye and great judgment in charging to put forth all its
beauties The gunsmiths can have but little insight into their trade when they
make their fowlingpieces and short horsemens «
He was interrupted by the low but expressive hugh of Uncas
»I see them boy I see them« continued Hawkeye »they are gathering for
the rush or they would keep their dingy backs below the logs Well let them«
he added examining his flint »the leading man certainly comes on to his death
though it should be Montcalm himself«
At that moment the woods were filled with another burst of cries and at
the signal four savages sprang from the cover of the drift wood Heyward felt a
burning desire to rush forward to meet them so intense was the delirious
anxiety of the moment but he was restrained by the deliberate examples of the
scout and Uncas When their foes who leaped over the black rocks that divided
them with long bounds uttering the wildest yells were within a few rods the
rifle of Hawkeye slowly rose among the shrubs and poured out its fatal
contents The foremost Indian bounded like a stricken deer and fell headlong
among the clefts of the island
»Now Uncas« cried the scout drawing his long knife while his quick eyes
began to flash with ardour »take the last of the screeching imps of the other
two we are sartain«
He was obeyed and but two enemies remained to be overcome Heyward had
given one of his pistols to Hawkeye and together they rushed down a little
declivity towards their foes they discharged their weapons at the same instant
and equally without success
»I knowd it and I said it« muttered the scout whirling the despised
little implement over the falls with bitter disdain »Come on ye bloody minded
hellhounds ye meet a man without a cross«
The words were barely uttered when he encountered a savage of gigantic
stature and of the fiercest mien At the same moment Duncan found himself
engaged with the other in a similar contest of hand to hand With ready skill
Hawkeye and his antagonist each grasped that uplifted arm of the other which
held the dangerous knife For near a minute they stood looking one another in
the eye and gradually exerting the power of their muscles for the mastery At
length the toughened sinews of the white man prevailed over the less practised
limbs of the native The arm of the latter slowly gave way before the increasing
force of the scout who suddenly wresting his armed hand from the grasp of his
foe drove the sharp weapon through his naked bosom to the heart In the
meantime Heyward had been pressed in a more deadly struggle His slight sword
was snapped in the first encounter As he was destitute of any other means of
defence his safety now depended entirely on bodily strength and resolution
Though deficient in neither of these qualities he had met an enemy every way
his equal Happily he soon succeeded in disarming his adversary whose knife
fell on the rock at their feet and from this moment it became a fierce
struggle who should cast the other over the dizzy height into a neighbouring
cavern of the falls Every successive struggle brought them nearer to the verge
where Duncan perceived the final and conquering effort must be made Each of the
combatants threw all his energies into that effort and the result was that
both tottered on the brink of the precipice Heyward felt the grasp of the other
at his throat and saw the grim smile the savage gave under the revengeful hope
that he hurried his enemy to a fate similar to his own as he felt his body
slowly yielding to a resistless power and the young man experienced the passing
agony of such a moment in all its horrors At that instant of extreme danger a
dark hand and glancing knife appeared before him the Indian released his hold
as the blood flowed freely from around the severed tendons of his wrist and
while Duncan was drawn backward by the saving arm of Uncas his charmed eyes
were still riveted on the fierce and disappointed countenance of his foe who
fell sullenly and disappointed down the irrecoverable precipice
»To cover to cover« cried Hawkeye who just then had despatched his
enemy »to cover for your lives the work is but half ended«
The young Mohican gave a shout of triumph and followed by Duncan he glided
up the acclivity they had descended to the combat and sought the friendly
shelter of the rocks and shrubs
Chapter VIII
»They linger yet
Avengers of their native land«
Gray »The Bard«
I3 Epode I ll 4546
The warning call of the scout was not uttered without occasion During the
occurrence of the deadly encounter just related the roar of the falls was
unbroken by any human sound whatever It would seem that interest in the result
had kept the natives on the opposite shores in breathless suspense while the
quick evolutions and swift changes in the positions of the combatants
effectually prevented a fire that might prove dangerous alike to friend and
enemy But the moment the struggle was decided a yell arose as fierce and
savage as wild and revengeful passions could throw into the air It was followed
by the swift flashes of the rifles which sent their leaden messengers across
the rock in vollies as though the assailants would pour out their impotent fury
on the insensible scene of the fatal contest
A steady though deliberate return was made from the rifle of Chingachgook
who had maintained his post throughout the fray with unmoved resolution When
the triumphant shout of Uncas was borne to his ears the gratified father had
raised his voice in a single responsive cry after which his busy piece alone
proved that he still guarded his pass with unwearied diligence In this manner
many minutes flew by with the swiftness of thought the rifles of the assailants
speaking at times in rattling vollies and at others in occasional
scattering shots Though the rock the trees and the shrubs were cut and torn
in a hundred places around the besieged their cover was so close and so
rigidly maintained that as yet David had been the only sufferer in their
little band
»Let them burn their powder« said the deliberate scout while bullet after
bullet whizzed by the place where he securely lay »there will be a fine
gathering of lead when it is over and I fancy the imps will tire of the sport
afore these old stones cry out for mercy Uncas boy you waste the kernels by
overcharging and a kicking rifle never carries a true bullet I told you to
take that loping miscreant under the line of white paint now if your bullet
went a hairs breadth it went two inches above it The life lies low in a
Mingo and humanity teaches us to make a quick end of the sarpents«
A quiet smile lighted the haughty features of the young Mohican betraying
his knowledge of the English language as well as of the others meaning but he
suffered it to pass away without vindication or reply
»I cannot permit you to accuse Uncas of want of judgment or of skill« said
Duncan »he saved my life in the coolest and readiest manner and he has made a
friend who never will require to be reminded of the debt he owes«
Uncas partly raised his body and offered his hand to the grasp of Heyward
During this act of friendship the two young men exchanged looks of
intelligence which caused Duncan to forget the character and condition of his
wild associate In the meanwhile Hawkeye who looked on this burst of youthful
feeling with a cool but kind regard made the following reply
»Life is an obligation which friends often owe to each other in the
wilderness I dare say I may have served Uncas some such turn myself before now
and I very well remember that he has stood between me and death five different
times three times from the Mingoes once in crossing Horican and «
»That bullet was better aimed than common« exclaimed Duncan involuntarily
shrinking from a shot which struck the rock at his side with a smart rebound
Hawkeye laid his hand on the shapeless metal and shook his head as he
examined it saying »Falling lead is never flattened had it come from the
clouds this might have happened«
But the rifle of Uncas was deliberately raised toward the heavens directing
the eyes of his companions to a point where the mystery was immediately
explained A ragged oak grew on the right bank of the river nearly opposite to
their position which seeking the freedom of the open space had inclined so
far forward that its upper branches overhung that arm of the stream which
flowed nearest to its own shore Among the topmost leaves which scantily
concealed the gnarled and stunted limbs a savage was nestled partly concealed
by the trunk of the tree and partly exposed as though looking down upon them
to ascertain the effect produced by his treacherous aim
»These devils will scale heaven to circumvent us to our ruin« said
Hawkeye »keep him in play boy until I can bring killdeer to bear when we
will try his metal on each side of the tree at once«
Uncas delayed his fire until the scout uttered the word The rifles flashed
the leaves and bark of the oak flew into the air and were scattered by the
wind but the Indian answered their assault by a taunting laugh sending down
upon them another bullet in return that struck the cap of Hawkeye from his
head Once more the savage yells burst out of the woods and the leaden hail
whistled above the heads of the besieged as if to confine them to a place where
they might become easy victims to the enterprise of the warrior who had mounted
the tree
»This must be looked to« said the scout glancing about him with an anxious
eye »Uncas call up your father we have need of all our wepons to bring the
cunning varment from his roost«
The signal was instantly given and before Hawkeye had reloaded his rifle
they were joined by Chingachgook When his son pointed out to the experienced
warrior the situation of their dangerous enemy the usual exclamatory hugh
burst from his lips after which no further expression of surprise or alarm was
suffered to escape him Hawkeye and the Mohicans conversed earnestly together
in Delaware for a few moments when each quietly took his post in order to
execute the plan they had speedily devised
The warrior in the oak had maintained a quick though ineffectual fire
from the moment of his discovery But his aim was interrupted by the vigilance
of his enemies whose rifles instantaneously bore on any part of his person that
was left exposed Still his bullets fell in the centre of the crouching party
The clothes of Heyward which rendered him peculiarly conspicuous were
repeatedly cut and once blood was drawn from a slight wound in his arm
At length emboldened by the long and patient watchfulness of his enemies
the Huron attempted a better and more fatal aim The quick eyes of the Mohicans
caught the dark line of his lower limbs incautiously exposed through the thin
foliage a few inches from the trunk of the tree Their rifles made a common
report when sinking on his wounded limb part of the body of the savage came
into view Swift as thought Hawkeye seized the advantage and discharged his
fatal weapon into the top of the oak The leaves were unusually agitated the
dangerous rifle fell from its commanding elevation and after a few moments of
vain struggling the form of the savage was seen swinging in the wind while he
still grasped a ragged and naked branch of the tree with hands clenched in
desperation
»Give him in pity give him the contents of another rifle« cried Duncan
turning away his eyes in horror from the spectacle of a fellow creature in such
awful jeopardy
»Not a karnel« exclaimed the obdurate Hawkeye »his death is certain and
we have no powder to spare for Indian fights sometimes last for days tis
their scalps or ours and God who made us has put into our natures the
craving to keep the skin on the head«
Against this stern and unyielding morality supported as it was by such
visible policy there was no appeal From that moment the yells in the forest
once more ceased the fire was suffered to decline and all eyes those of
friends as well as enemies became fixed on the hopeless condition of the
wretch who was dangling between heaven and earth The body yielded to the
currents of air and though no murmur or groan escaped the victim there were
instants when he grimly faced his foes and the anguish of cold despair might be
traced through the intervening distance in possession of his swarthy
lineaments Three several times the scout raised his piece in mercy and as
often prudence getting the better of his intention it was again silently
lowered At length one hand of the Huron lost its hold and dropped exhausted
to his side A desperate and fruitless struggle to recover the branch succeeded
and then the savage was seen for a fleeting instant grasping wildly at the
empty air The lightning is not quicker than was the flame from the rifle of
Hawkeye the limbs of the victim trembled and contracted the head fell to the
bosom and the body parted the foaming waters like lead when the element
closed above it in its ceaseless velocity and every vestige of the unhappy
Huron was lost for ever
No shout of triumph succeeded this important advantage but even the
Mohicans gazed at each other in silent horror A single yell burst from the
woods and all was again still Hawkeye who alone appeared to reason on the
occasion shook his head at his own momentary weakness even uttering his
selfdisapprobation aloud
»Twas the last charge in my horn and the last bullet in my pouch and
twas the act of a boy« he said »what mattered it whether he struck the rock
living or dead feeling would soon be over Uncas lad go down to the canoe
and bring up the big horn it is all the powder we have left and we shall need
it to the last grain or I am ignorant of the Mingo nature«
The young Mohican complied leaving the scout turning over the useless
contents of his pouch and shaking the empty horn with renewed discontent From
this unsatisfactory examination however he was soon called by a loud and
piercing exclamation from Uncas that sounded even to the unpractised ears of
Duncan as the signal of some new and unexpected calamity Every thought filled
with apprehension for the precious treasure he had concealed in the cavern the
young man started to his feet totally regardless of the hazard he incurred by
such an exposure As if actuated by a common impulse his movement was imitated
by his companions and together they rushed down the pass to the friendly
chasm with a rapidity that rendered the scattering fire of their enemies
perfectly harmless The unwonted cry had brought the sisters together with the
wounded David from their place of refuge and the whole party at a single
glance was made acquainted with the nature of the disaster that had disturbed
even the practised stoicism of their youthful Indian protector
At a short distance from the rock their little bark was to be seen floating
across the eddy towards the swift current of the river in a manner which
proved that its course was directed by some hidden agent The instant this
unwelcome sight caught the eye of the scout his rifle was levelled as by
instinct but the barrel gave no answer to the bright sparks of the flint
»Tis too late tis too late« Hawkeye exclaimed dropping the useless
piece in bitter disappointment »the miscreant has struck the rapid and had we
powder it could hardly send the lead swifter than he now goes«
The adventurous Huron raised his head above the shelter of the canoe and
while it glided swiftly down the stream he waved his hand and gave forth the
shout which was the known signal of success His cry was answered by a yell
and a laugh from the woods as tauntingly exulting as if fifty demons were
uttering their blasphemies at the fall of some Christian soul
»Well may you laugh ye children of the devil« said the scout seating
himself on a projection of the rock and suffering his gun to fall neglected at
his feet »for the three quickest and truest rifles in these woods are no
better than so many stalks of mullen or the last years horns of a buck«
»What is to be done« demanded Duncan losing the first feeling of
disappointment in a more manly desire for exertion »what will become of us«
Hawkeye made no other reply than by passing his finger around the crown of
his head in a manner so significant that none who witnessed the action could
mistake its meaning
»Surely surely our case is not so desperate« exclaimed the youth »the
Hurons are not here we may make good the caverns we may oppose their landing«
»With what« coolly demanded the scout »The arrows of Uncas or such tears
as women shed No no you are young and rich and have friends and at such an
age I know it is hard to die but« glancing his eyes at the Mohicans »let us
remember we are men without a cross and let us teach these natives of the
forest that white blood can run as freely as red when the appointed hour is
come«
Duncan turned quickly in the direction indicated by the others eyes and
read a confirmation of his worst apprehensions in the conduct of the Indians
Chingachgook placing himself in a dignified posture on another fragment of the
rock had already laid aside his knife and tomahawk and was in the act of
taking the eagles plume from his head and smoothing the solitary tuft of hair
in readiness to perform its last and revolting office His countenance was
composed though thoughtful while his dark gleaming eyes were gradually
losing the fierceness of the combat in an expression better suited to the change
he expected momentarily to undergo
»Our case is not cannot be so hopeless« said Duncan »even at this very
moment succour may be at hand I see no enemies they have sickened of a
struggle in which they risk so much with so little prospect of gain«
»It may be a minute or it may be an hour afore the wily sarpents steal
upon us and its quite in natur for them to be lying within hearing at this
very moment« said Hawkeye »but come they will and in such a fashion as will
leave us nothing to hope Chingachgook« he spoke in Delaware »my brother we
have fought our last battle together and the Maquas will triumph in the death
of the sage man of the Mohicans and of the pale face whose eyes can make night
as day and level the clouds to the mists of the springs«
»Let the Mingo women go weep over their slain« returned the Indian with
characteristic pride and unmoved firmness »the great snake of the Mohicans has
coiled himself in their wigwams and has poisoned their triumph with the
wailings of children whose fathers have not returned Eleven warriors lie hid
from the graves of their tribe since the snows have melted and none will tell
where to find them when the tongue of Chingachgook shall be silent Let them
draw the sharpest knife and whirl the swiftest tomahawk for their bitterest
enemy is in their hands Uncas topmost branch of a noble trunk call on the
cowards to hasten or their hearts will soften and they will change to women«
»They look among the fishes for their dead« returned the low soft voice of
the youthful chieftain »the Hurons float with the slimy eels They drop from
the oaks like fruit that is ready to be eaten and the Delawares laugh«
»Ay ay« muttered the scout who had listened to this peculiar burst of the
natives with deep attention »they have warmed their Indian feelings and
theyll soon provoke the Maquas to give them a speedy end As for me who am of
the whole blood of the whites it is befitting that I should die as becomes my
colour with no words of scoffing in my mouth and without bitterness at the
heart«
»Why die at all« said Cora advancing from the place where natural horror
had until this moment held her riveted to the rock »the path is open on every
side fly then to the woods and call on God for succour Go brave men we
owe you too much already let us no longer involve you in our hapless fortunes«
»You but little know the craft of the Iroquois lady if you judge they have
left the path open to the woods« returned Hawkeye who however immediately
added in his simplicity »the down stream current it is certain might soon
sweep us beyond the reach of their rifles or the sounds of their voices«
»Then try the river Why linger to add to the number of the victims of our
merciless enemies«
»Why« repeated the scout looking about him proudly »because it is better
for a man to die at peace with himself than to live haunted by an evil
conscience What answer could we give to Munro when he asked us where and how
we left his children«
»Go to him and say that you left them with a message to hasten to their
aid« returned Cora advancing nigher to the scout in her generous ardour
»that the Hurons bear them into the northern wilds but that by vigilance and
speed they may yet be rescued and if after all it should please heaven that
his assistance come too late bear to him« she continued her voice gradually
lowering until it seemed nearly choked »the love the blessings the final
prayers of his daughters and bid him not mourn their early fate but to look
forward with humble confidence to the Christians goal to meet his children«
The hard weatherbeaten features of the scout began to work and when she
had ended he dropped his chin to his hand like a man musing profoundly on the
nature of the proposal
»There is reason in her words« at length broke from his compressed and
trembling lips »ay and they bear the spirit of christianity what might be
right and proper in a red skin may be sinful in a man who has not even a cross
in blood to plead for his ignorance Chingachgook Uncas hear you the talk of
the darkeyed woman«
He now spoke in Delaware to his companions and his address though calm and
deliberate seemed very decided The elder Mohican heard him with deep gravity
and appeared to ponder on his words as though he felt the importance of their
import After a moment of hesitation he waved his hand in assent and uttered
the English word good with the peculiar emphasis of his people Then replacing
his knife and tomahawk in his girdle the warrior moved silently to the edge of
the rock most concealed from the banks of the river Here he paused a moment
pointed significantly to the woods below and saying a few words in his own
language as if indicating his intended route he dropped into the water and
sunk from before the eyes of the witnesses of his movements
The scout delayed his departure to speak to the generous girl whose
breathing became lighter as she saw the success of her remonstrance
»Wisdom is sometimes given to the young as well as to the old« he said
»and what you have spoken is wise not to call it by a better word If you are
led into the woods that is such of you as may be spared for a while break the
twigs on the bushes as you pass and make the marks of your trail as broad as
you can when if mortal eyes can see them depend on having a friend who will
follow to the ends of the arth afore he desarts you«
He gave Cora an affectionate shake of the hand lifted his rifle and after
regarding it a moment with melancholy solicitude laid it carefully aside and
descended to the place where Chingachgook had just disappeared For an instant
he hung suspended by the rock and looking about him with a countenance of
peculiar care he added bitterly »Had the powder held out this disgrace could
never have befallen« then loosening his hold the water closed above his head
and he also became lost to view
All eyes were now turned on Uncas who stood leaning against the ragged
rock in immoveable composure After waiting a short time Cora pointed down the
river and said
»Your friends have not been seen and are now most probably in safety is
it not time for you to follow«
»Uncas will stay« the young Mohican calmly answered in English
»To increase the horror of our capture and to diminish the chances of our
release Go generous young man« Cora continued lowering her eyes under the
gaze of the Mohican and perhaps with an intuitive consciousness of her power
»go to my father as I have said and be the most confidential of my messengers
Tell him to trust you with the means to buy the freedom of his daughters Go
tis my wish tis my prayer that you will go«
The settled calm look of the young chief changed to an expression of
gloom but he no longer hesitated With a noiseless step he crossed the rock
and dropped into the troubled stream Hardly a breath was drawn by those he left
behind until they caught a glimpse of his head emerging for air far down the
current when he again sunk and was seen no more
These sudden and apparently successful experiments had all taken place in a
few minutes of that time which had now become so precious After the last look
at Uncas Cora turned and with a quivering lip addressed herself to Heyward
»I have heard of your boasted skill in the water too Duncan« she said
»follow then the wise example set you by these simple and faithful beings«
»Is such the faith that Cora Munro would exact from her protector« said the
young man smiling mournfully but with bitterness
»This is not a time for idle subtleties and false opinions« she answered
»but a moment when every duty should be equally considered To us you can be of
no further service here but your precious life may be saved for other and
nearer friends«
He made no reply though his eyes fell wistfully on the beautiful form of
Alice who was clinging to his arm with the dependency of an infant
»Consider« continued Cora after a pause during which she seemed to
struggle with a pang even more acute than any that her fears had excited »that
the worst to us can be but death a tribute that all must pay at the good time
of Gods appointment«
»There are evils worse than death« said Duncan speaking hoarsely and as
if fretful at her importunity »but which the presence of one who would die in
your behalf may avert«
Cora ceased her entreaties and veiling her face in her shawl drew the
nearly insensible Alice after her into the deepest recess of the inner cavern
Chapter IX
»Be gay securely
Dispel my fair with smiles the timrous cloud
That hangs on thy clear brow«
Gray Agrippina A Tragedy Sc II 196197
The sudden and almost magical change from the stirring incidents of the combat
to the stillness that now reigned around him acted on the heated imagination of
Heyward like some exciting dream While all the images and events he had
witnessed remained deeply impressed on his memory he felt a difficulty in
persuading himself of their truth Still ignorant of the fate of those who had
trusted to the aid of the swift current he at first listened intently to any
signal or sounds of alarm which might announce the good or evil fortune of
their hazardous undertaking His attention was however bestowed in vain for
with the disappearance of Uncas every sign of the adventurers had been lost
leaving him in total uncertainty of their fate
In a moment of such painful doubt Duncan did not hesitate to look about
him without consulting that protection from the rocks which just before had
been so necessary to his safety Every effort however to detect the least
evidence of the approach of their hidden enemies was as fruitless as the
inquiry after his late companions The wooded banks of the river seemed again
deserted by every thing possessing animal life The uproar which had so lately
echoed through the vaults of the forest was gone leaving the rush of the waters
to swell and sink on the currents of the air in the unmingled sweetness of
nature A fishhawk which secure on the topmost branches of a dead pine had
been a distant spectator of the fray now stooped from his high and ragged
perch and soared in wide sweeps above his prey while a jay whose noisy
voice had been stilled by the hoarser cries of the savages ventured again to
open his discordant throat as though once more in undisturbed possession of his
wild domains Duncan caught from these natural accompaniments of the solitary
scene a glimmering of hope and he began to rally his faculties to renewed
exertions with something like a reviving confidence of success
»The Hurons are not to be seen« he said addressing David who had by no
means recovered from the effects of the stunning blow he had received »let us
conceal ourselves in the cavern and trust the rest to Providence«
»I remember to have united with two comely maidens in lifting up our voices
in praise and thanksgiving« returned the bewildered singingmaster »since
which time I have been visited by a heavy judgment for my sins I have been
mocked with the likeness of sleep while sounds of discord have rent my ears
such as might manifest the fullness of time and that nature had forgotten her
harmony«
»Poor fellow thine own period was in truth near its accomplishment But
arouse and come with me I will lead you where all other sounds but those of
your own psalmody shall be excluded«
»There is melody in the fall of the cataract and the rushing of many waters
is sweet to the senses« said David pressing his hand confusedly on his brow
»Is not the air yet filled with shrieks and cries as though the departed
spirits of the damned «
»Not now not now« interrupted the impatient Heyward »they have ceased
and they who raised them I trust in God they are gone too every thing but the
water is still and at peace in then where you may create those sounds you
love so well to hear«
David smiled sadly though not without a momentary gleam of pleasure at
this allusion to his beloved vocation He no longer hesitated to be led to a
spot which promised such unalloyed gratification to his wearied senses and
leaning on the arm of his companion he entered the narrow mouth of the cave
Duncan seized a pile of the sassafras which he drew before the passage
studiously concealing every appearance of an aperture Within this fragile
barrier he arranged the blankets abandoned by the foresters darkening the inner
extremity of the cavern while its outer received a chastened light from the
narrow ravine through which one arm of the river rushed to form the junction
with its sister branch a few rods below
»I like not that principle of the natives which teaches them to submit
without a struggle in emergencies that appear desperate« he said while busied
in this employment »our own maxim which says while life remains there is
hope is more consoling and better suited to a soldiers temperament To you
Cora I will urge no words of idle encouragement your own fortitude and
undisturbed reason will teach you all that may become your sex but cannot we
dry the tears of that trembling weeper on your bosom«
»I am calmer Duncan« said Alice raising herself from the arms of her
sister and forcing an appearance of composure through her tears »much calmer
now Surely in this hidden spot we are safe we are secret free from injury
we will hope every thing from those generous men who have risked so much
already in our behalf«
»Now does our gentle Alice speak like a daughter of Munro« said Heyward
pausing to press her hand as he passed towards the outer entrance of the cavern
»With two such examples of courage before him a man would be ashamed to prove
other than a hero« He then seated himself in the centre of the cavern grasping
his remaining pistol with a hand convulsively clenched while his contracted and
frowning eye announced the sullen desperation of his purpose »The Hurons if
they come may not gain our position so easily as they think« he lowly
muttered and dropping his head back against the rock he seemed to await the
result in patience though his gaze was unceasingly bent on the open avenue to
their place of retreat
With the last sound of his voice a deep a long and almost breathless
silence succeeded The fresh air of the morning had penetrated the recess and
its influence was gradually felt on the spirits of its inmates As minute after
minute passed by leaving them in undisturbed security the insinuating feeling
of hope was gradually gaining possession of every bosom though each one felt
reluctant to give utterance to expectations that the next moment might so
fearfully destroy
David alone formed an exception to these varying emotions A gleam of light
from the opening crossed his wan countenance and fell upon the pages of the
little volume whose leaves he was again occupied in turning as if searching
for some song more fitted to their condition than any that had yet met his eye
He was most probably acting all this time under a confused recollection of the
promised consolation of Duncan At length it would seem his patient industry
found its reward for without explanation or apology he pronounced aloud the
words »Isle of Wight« drew a long sweet sound from his pitchpipe and then
ran through the preliminary modulations of the air whose name he had just
mentioned with the sweeter tones of his own musical voice
»May not this prove dangerous« asked Cora glancing her dark eye at Major
Heyward
»Poor fellow his voice is too feeble to be heard amid the din of the
falls« was the answer »besides the cavern will prove his friend Let him
indulge his passion since it may be done without hazard«
»Isle of Wight« repeated David looking about him with that dignity with
which he had long been wont to silence the whispering echoes of his school
»tis a brave tune and set to solemn words let it be sung with meet respect«
After allowing a moment of stillness to enforce his discipline the voice of
the singer was heard in low murmuring syllables gradually stealing on the
ear until it filled the narrow vault with sounds rendered trebly thrilling by
the feeble and tremulous utterance produced by his debility The melody which no
weakness could destroy gradually wrought its sweet influence on the senses of
those who heard it It even prevailed over the miserable travesty of the song of
David which the singer had selected from a volume of similar effusions and
caused the sense to be forgotten in the insinuating harmony of the sounds
Alice unconsciously dried her tears and bent her melting eyes on the pallid
features of Gamut with an expression of chastened delight that she neither
affected nor wished to conceal Cora bestowed an approving smile on the pious
efforts of the namesake of the Jewish prince and Heyward soon turned his
steady stern look from the outlet of the cavern to fasten it with a milder
character on the face of David or to meet the wandering beams which at moments
strayed from the humid eyes of Alice The open sympathy of the listeners stirred
the spirit of the votary of music whose voice regained its richness and volume
without losing that touching softness which proved its secret charm Exerting
his renovated powers to their utmost he was yet filling the arches of the cave
with long and full tones when a yell burst into the air without that instantly
stilled his pious strains choking his voice suddenly as though his heart had
literally bounded into the passage of his throat
»We are lost« exclaimed Alice throwing herself into the arms of Cora
»Not yet not yet« returned the agitated but undaunted Heyward »the sound
came from the centre of the island and it has been produced by the sight of
their dead companions We are not yet discovered and there is still hope«
Faint and almost despairing as was the prospect of escape the words of
Duncan were not thrown away for it awakened the powers of the sisters in such a
manner that they awaited the result in silence A second yell soon followed the
first when a rush of voices was heard pouring down the island from its upper
to its lower extremity until they reached the naked rock above the caverns
where after a shout of savage triumph the air continued full of horrible cries
and screams such as man alone can utter and he only when in a state of the
fiercest barbarity
The sounds quickly spread around them in every direction Some called to
their fellows from the waters edge and were answered from the heights above
Cries were heard in the startling vicinity of the chasm between the two caves
which mingled with hoarser yells that arose out of the abyss of the deep ravine
In short so rapidly had the savage sounds diffused themselves over the barren
rock that it was not difficult for the anxious listeners to imagine that they
could be heard beneath as in truth they were above and on every side of
them
In the midst of this tumult a triumphant yell was raised within a few yards
of the hidden entrance to the cave Heyward abandoned every hope with the
belief it was the signal that they were discovered Again the impression passed
away as he heard the voices collect near the spot where the white man had so
reluctantly abandoned his rifle Amid the jargon of the Indian dialects that he
now plainly heard it was easy to distinguish not only words but sentences in
the patois of the Canadas A burst of voices had shouted simultaneously »la
Longue Carabine« causing the opposite woods to reecho with a name which
Heyward well remembered had been given by his enemies to a celebrated hunter
and scout of the English camp and who he now learnt for the first time had
been his late companion
»La Longue Carabine la Longue Carabine« passed from mouth to mouth until
the whole band appeared to be collected around a trophy which would seem to
announce the death of its formidable owner After a vociferous consultation
which was at times deafened by bursts of savage joy they again separated
filling the air with the name of a foe whose body Heyward could collect from
their expressions they hoped to find concealed in some crevice of the island
»Now« he whispered to the trembling sisters »now is the moment of
uncertainty if our place of retreat escape this scrutiny we are still safe In
every event we are assured by what has fallen from our enemies that our
friends have escaped and in two short hours we may look for succour from Webb«
There were now a few minutes of fearful stillness during which Heyward well
knew that the savages conducted their search with greater vigilance and method
More than once he could distinguish their footsteps as they brushed the
sassafras causing the faded leaves to rustle and the branches to snap At
length the pile yielded a little a corner of a blanket fell and a faint ray
of light gleamed into the inner part of the cave Cora folded Alice to her bosom
in agony and Duncan sprang to his feet A shout was at that moment heard as if
issuing from the centre of the rock announcing that the neighbouring cavern had
at length been entered In a minute the number and loudness of the voices
indicated that the whole party was collected in and around that secret place
As the inner passages to the two caves were so close to each other Duncan
believing that escape was no longer possible passed David and the sisters to
place himself between the latter and the first onset of the terrible meeting
Grown desperate by his situation he drew nigh the slight barrier which
separated him only by a few feet from his relentless pursuers and placing his
face to the casual opening he even looked out with a sort of desperate
indifference on their movements
Within reach of his arm was the brawny shoulder of a gigantic Indian whose
deep and authoritative voice appeared to give directions to the proceedings of
his fellows Beyond him again Duncan could look into the vault opposite which
was filled with savages upturning and rifling the humble furniture of the
scout The wound of David had died the leaves of sassafras with a colour that
the natives well knew was anticipating the season Over this sign of their
success they set up a howl like an opening from so many hounds who had
recovered a lost trail After this yell of victory they tore up the fragrant
bed of the cavern and bore the branches into the chasm scattering the boughs
as if they suspected them of concealing the person of the man they had so long
hated and feared One fierce and wild looking warrior approached the chief
bearing a load of the brush and pointing exultingly to the deep red stains
with which it was sprinkled uttered his joy in Indian yells whose meaning
Heyward was only enabled to comprehend by the frequent repetition of the name
of »la Longue Carabine« When his triumph had ceased he cast the brush on the
slight heap that Duncan had made before the entrance of the second cavern and
closed the view His example was followed by others who as they drew the
branches from the cave of the scout threw them into one pile adding
unconsciously to the security of those they sought The very slightness of the
defence was its chief merit for no one thought of disturbing a mass of brush
which all of them believed in that moment of hurry and confusion had been
accidentally raised by the hands of their own party
As the blankets yielded before the outward pressure and the branches
settled into the fissure of the rock by their own weight forming a compact
body Duncan once more breathed freely With a light step and lighter heart he
returned to the centre of the cave and took the place he had left where he
could command a view of the opening next the river While he was in the act of
making this movement the Indians as if changing their purpose by a common
impulse broke away from the chasm in a body and were heard rushing up the
island again towards the point whence they had originally descended Here
another wailing cry betrayed that they were again collected around the bodies of
their dead comrades
Duncan now ventured to look at his companions for during the most critical
moments of their danger he had been apprehensive that the anxiety of his
countenance might communicate some additional alarm to those who were so little
able to sustain it
»They are gone Cora« he whispered »Alice they are returned whence they
came and we are saved To heaven that has alone delivered us from the grasp of
so merciless an enemy be all the praise«
»Then to heaven will I return my thanks« exclaimed the younger sister
rising from the encircling arms of Cora and casting herself with enthusiastic
gratitude on the naked rock »to that heaven who has spared the tears of a
grayheaded father has saved the lives of those I so much love «
Both Heyward and the more tempered Cora witnessed the act of involuntary
emotion with powerful sympathy the former secretly believing that piety had
never worn a form so lovely as it had now assumed in the youthful person of
Alice Her eyes were radiant with the glow of grateful feelings the flush of
her beauty was again seated on her cheeks and her whole soul seemed ready and
anxious to pour out its thanksgivings through the medium of her eloquent
features But when her lips moved the words they should have uttered appeared
frozen by some new and sudden chill Her bloom gave place to the paleness of
death her soft and melting eyes grew hard and seemed contracting with horror
while those hands which she had raised clasped in each other towards heaven
dropped in horizontal lines before her the fingers pointing forward in
convulsed motion Heyward turned the instant she gave a direction to his
suspicions and peering just above the ledge which formed the threshold of the
open outlet of the cavern he beheld the malignant fierce and savage features
of le Renard Subtil
In that moment of surprise the selfpossession of Heyward did not desert
him He observed by the vacant expression of the Indians countenance that his
eye accustomed to the open air had not yet been able to penetrate the dusky
light which pervaded the depth of the cavern He had even thought of retreating
beyond the curvature in the natural wall which might still conceal him and his
companions when by the sudden gleam of intelligence that shot across the
features of the savage he saw it was too late and that they were betrayed
The look of exultation and brutal triumph which announced this terrible
truth was irresistibly irritating Forgetful of every thing but the impulses of
his hot blood Duncan levelled his pistol and fired The report of the weapon
made the cavern bellow like an eruption from a volcano and when the smoke it
vomited had been driven away before the current of air which issued from the
ravine the place so lately occupied by the features of his treacherous guide
was vacant Rushing to the outlet Heyward caught a glimpse of his dark figure
stealing around a low and narrow ledge which soon hid him entirely from sight
Among the savages a frightful stillness succeeded the explosion which had
just been heard bursting from the bowels of the rock But when le Renard raised
his voice in a long and intelligible whoop it was answered by a spontaneous
yell from the mouth of every Indian within hearing of the sound The clamorous
noises again rushed down the island and before Duncan had time to recover from
the shock his feeble barrier of brush was scattered to the winds the cavern
was entered at both its extremities and he and his companions were dragged from
their shelter and borne into the day where they stood surrounded by the whole
band of the triumphant Hurons
Chapter X
»I fear we shall outsleep the coming morn
As much as we this night have overwatched«
A Midsummer Nights Dream Vi365366
The instant the shock of this sudden misfortune had abated Duncan began to make
his observations on the appearance and proceedings of their captors Contrary to
the usages of the natives in the wantonness of their success they had
respected not only the persons of the trembling sisters but his own The rich
ornaments of his military attire had indeed been repeatedly handled by
different individuals of the tribe with eyes expressing a savage longing to
possess the baubles but before the customary violence could be resorted to a
mandate in the authoritative voice of the large warrior already mentioned
stayed the uplifted hand and convinced Heyward that they were to be reserved
for some object of particular moment
While however these manifestations of weakness were exhibited by the young
and vain of the party the more experienced warriors continued their search
throughout both caverns with an activity that denoted they were far from being
satisfied with those fruits of their conquest which had already been brought to
light Unable to discover any new victim these diligent workers of vengeance
soon approached their male prisoners pronouncing the name of la Longue
Carabine with a fierceness that could not easily be mistaken Duncan affected
not to comprehend the meaning of their repeated and violent interrogatories
while his companion was spared the effort of a similar deception by his
ignorance of French Wearied at length by their importunities and
apprehensive of irritating his captors by too stubborn a silence the former
looked about him in quest of Magua who might interpret his answers to questions
which were at each moment becoming more earnest and threatening
The conduct of this savage had formed a solitary exception to that of all
his fellows While the others were busily occupied in seeking to gratify their
childish passion for finery by plundering even the miserable effects of the
scout or had been searching with such bloodthirsty vengeance in their looks
for their absent owner le Renard had stood at a little distance from the
prisoners with a demeanour so quiet and satisfied as to betray that he had
already effected the grand purpose of his treachery When the eyes of Heyward
first met those of his recent guide he turned them away in horror at the
sinister though calm look he encountered Conquering his disgust however he
was able with an averted face to address his successful enemy
»Le Renard Subtil is too much of a warrior« said the reluctant Heyward »to
refuse telling an unarmed man what his conquerors say«
»They ask for the hunter who knows the paths through the woods« returned
Magua in his broken English laying his hand at the same time with a
ferocious smile on the bundle of leaves with which a wound on his own shoulder
was bandaged »la Longue Carabine his rifle is good and his eye never shut
but like the short gun of the white chief it is nothing against the life of le
Subtil«
»Le Renard is too brave to remember the hurts received in war or the hands
that gave them«
»Was it war when the tired Indian rested at the sugar tree to taste his
corn who filled the bushes with creeping enemies who drew the knife whose
tongue was peace while his heart was coloured with blood Did Magua say that
the hatchet was out of the ground and that his hand had dug it up«
As Duncan dared not retort upon his accuser by reminding him of his own
premeditated treachery and disdained to deprecate his resentment by any words
of apology he remained silent Magua seemed also content to rest the
controversy as well as all further communication there for he resumed the
leaning attitude against the rock from which in momentary energy he had
arisen But the cry of la Longue Carabine was renewed the instant the
impatient savages perceived that the short dialogue was ended
»You hear« said Magua with stubborn indifference »the red Hurons call for
the life of the long rifle or they will have the blood of them that keep him
hid«
»He is gone escaped he is far beyond their reach«
Renard smiled with cold contempt as he answered
»When the white man dies he thinks he is at peace but the red men know how
to torture even the ghosts of their enemies Where is his body Let the Hurons
see his scalp«
»He is not dead but escaped«
Magua shook his head incredulously
»Is he a bird to spread his wings or is he a fish to swim without air
The white chief reads in his books and he believes the Hurons are fools«
»Though no fish the long rifle can swim He floated down the stream when
the powder was all burnt and when the eyes of the Hurons were behind a cloud«
»And why did the white chief stay« demanded the still incredulous Indian
»Is he a stone that goes to the bottom or does the scalp burn his head«
»That I am not a stone your dead comrade who fell into the falls might
answer were the life still in him« said the provoked young man using in his
anger that boastful language which was most likely to excite the admiration of
an Indian »The white man thinks none but cowards desert their women«
Magua muttered a few words inaudibly between his teeth before he
continued aloud
»Can the Delawares swim too as well as crawl in the bushes Where is le
Gros Serpent«
Duncan who perceived by the use of these Canadian appellations that his
late companions were much better known to his enemies than to himself answered
reluctantly »He also is gone down with the water«
»Le Cerf Agile is not here«
»I know not whom you call the nimble deer« said Duncan gladly profiting by
any excuse to create delay
»Uncas« returned Magua pronouncing the Delaware name with even greater
difficulty than he spoke his English words »Bounding elk is what the white man
says when he calls to the young Mohican«
»Here is some confusion in names between us le Renard« said Duncan hoping
to provoke a discussion »Daim is the French for deer and cerf for stag élan
is the true term when one would speak of an elk«
»Yes« muttered the Indian in his native tongue »the pale faces are
prattling women they have two words for each thing while a red skin will make
the sound of his voice speak for him« Then changing his language he continued
adhering to the imperfect nomenclature of his provincial instructers »The deer
is swift but weak the elk is swift but strong and the son of le serpent is
le cerf agile Has he leaped the river to the woods«
»If you mean the younger Delaware he too is gone down with the water«
As there was nothing improbable to an Indian in the manner of the escape
Magua admitted the truth of what he had heard with a readiness that afforded
additional evidence how little he would prize such worthless captives With his
companions however the feeling was manifestly different
The Hurons had awaited the result of this short dialogue with characteristic
patience and with a silence that increased until there was a general
stillness in the band When Heyward ceased to speak they turned their eyes as
one man on Magua demanding in this expressive manner an explanation of what
had been said Their interpreter pointed to the river and made them acquainted
with the result as much by the action as by the few words he uttered When the
fact was generally understood the savages raised a frightful yell which
declared the extent of their disappointment Some ran furiously to the waters
edge beating the air with frantic gestures while others spat upon the element
to resent the supposed treason it had committed against their acknowledged
rights as conquerors A few and they not the least powerful and terrific of the
band threw lowering looks in which the fiercest passion was only tempered by
habitual selfcommand at those captives who still remained in their power
while one or two even gave vent to their malignant feelings by the most menacing
gestures against which neither the sex nor the beauty of the sisters was any
protection The young soldier made a desperate but fruitless effort to spring
to the side of Alice when he saw the dark hand of a savage twisted in the rich
tresses which were flowing in volumes over her shoulders while a knife was
passed around the head from which they fell as if to denote the horrid manner
in which it was about to be robbed of its beautiful ornament But his hands were
bound and at the first movement he made he felt the grasp of the powerful
Indian who directed the band pressing his shoulder like a vice Immediately
conscious how unavailing any struggle against such an overwhelming force must
prove he submitted to his fate encouraging his gentle companions by a few low
and tender assurances that the natives seldom failed to threaten more than they
performed
But while Duncan resorted to these words of consolation to quiet the
apprehensions of the sisters he was not so weak as to deceive himself He well
knew that the authority of an Indian chief was so little conventional that it
was oftener maintained by physical superiority than by any moral supremacy he
might possess The danger was therefore magnified exactly in proportion to the
number of the savage spirits by which they were surrounded The most positive
mandate from him who seemed the acknowledged leader was liable to be violated
at each moment by any rash hand that might choose to sacrifice a victim to the
manes of some dead friend or relative While therefore he sustained an outward
appearance of calmness and fortitude his heart leaped into his throat whenever
any of their fierce captors drew nigher than common to the helpless sisters or
fastened one of their sullen wandering looks on those fragile forms which were
so little able to resist the slightest assault
His apprehensions were however greatly relieved when he saw that the leader
had summoned his warriors to himself in council Their deliberations were short
and it would seem by the silence of most of the party the decision unanimous
By the frequency with which the few speakers pointed in the direction of the
encampment of Webb it was apparent they dreaded the approach of danger from
that quarter This consideration probably hastened their determination and
quickened the subsequent movements
During this short conference Heyward finding a respite from his greatest
fears had leisure to admire the cautious manner in which the Hurons had made
their approaches even after hostilities had ceased
It has already been stated that the upper half of the island was a naked
rock and destitute of any other defences than a few scattering logs of drift
wood They had selected this point to make their descent having borne the canoe
through the wood around the cataract for that purpose Placing their arms in
the little vessel a dozen men clinging to its sides had trusted themselves to
the direction of the canoe which was controlled by two of the most skilful
warriors in attitudes that enabled them to command a view of the dangerous
passage Favoured by this arrangement they touched the head of the island at
that point which had proved so fatal to their first adventurers but with the
advantages of superior numbers and the possession of fire arms That such had
been the manner of their descent was rendered quite apparent to Duncan for
they now bore the light bark from the upper end of the rock and placed it in
the water near the mouth of the outer cavern As soon as this change was made
the leader made signs to the prisoners to descend and enter
As resistance was impossible and remonstrance useless Heyward set the
example of submission by leading the way into the canoe where he was soon
seated with the sisters and the still wondering David Notwithstanding the
Hurons were necessarily ignorant of the little channels among the eddies and
rapids of the stream they knew the common signs of such a navigation too well
to commit any material blunder When the pilot chosen for the task of guiding
the canoe had taken his station the whole band plunged again into the river
the vessel glided down the current and in a few moments the captives found
themselves on the south bank of the stream nearly opposite to the point where
they had struck it the preceding evening
Here was held another short but earnest consultation during which the
horses to whose panic their owners ascribed their heaviest misfortune were led
from the cover of the woods and brought to the sheltered spot The band now
divided The great chief so often mentioned mounting the charger of Heyward
led the way directly across the river followed by most of his people and
disappeared in the woods leaving the prisoners in charge of six savages at
whose head was le Renard Subtil Duncan witnessed all their movements with
renewed uneasiness
He had been fond of believing from the uncommon forbearance of the savages
that he was reserved as a prisoner to be delivered to Montcalm As the thoughts
of those who are in misery seldom slumber and the invention is never more
lively than when it is stimulated by hope however feeble and remote he had
even imagined that the parental feelings of Munro were to be made instrumental
in seducing him from his duty to the king For though the French commander bore
a high character for courage and enterprise he was also thought to be expert in
those political practices which do not always respect the nicer obligations of
morality and which so generally disgraced the European diplomacy of that
period
All those busy and ingenious speculations were now annihilated by the
conduct of his captors That portion of the band who had followed the huge
warrior took the route towards the foot of the Horican and no other
expectation was left for himself and companions than that they were to be
retained as hopeless captives by their savage conquerors Anxious to know the
worst and willing in such an emergency to try the potency of gold he
overcame his reluctance to speak to Magua Addressing himself to his former
guide who had now assumed the authority and manner of one who was to direct the
future movements of the party he said in tones as friendly and confiding as he
could assume
»I would speak to Magua what is fit only for so great a chief to hear«
The Indian turned his eyes on the young soldier scornfully as he answered
»Speak trees have no ears«
»But the red Hurons are not deaf and counsel that is fit for the great men
of a nation would make the young warriors drunk If Magua will not listen the
officer of the king knows how to be silent«
The savage spoke carelessly to his comrades who were busied after their
awkward manner in preparing the horses for the reception of the sisters and
moved a little to one side whither by a cautious gesture he induced Heyward
to follow
»Now speak« he said »if the words are such as Magua should hear«
»Le Renard Subtil has proved himself worthy of the honourable name given to
him by his Canada fathers« commenced Heyward »I see his wisdom and all that
he has done for us and shall remember it when the hour to reward him arrives
Yes Renard has proved that he is not only a great chief in council but one who
knows how to deceive his enemies«
»What has Renard done« coldly demanded the Indian
»What has he not seen that the woods were filled with outlying parties of
the enemies and that the serpent could not steal through them without being
seen Then did he not lose his path to blind the eyes of the Hurons Did he
not pretend to go back to his tribe who had treated him ill and driven him
from their wigwams like a dog And when we saw what he wished to do did we
not aid him by making a false face that the Hurons might think the white man
believed that his friend was his enemy Is not all this true And when le Subtil
had shut the eyes and stopped the ears of his nation by his wisdom did they not
forget that they had once done him wrong and forced him to flee to the Mohawks
And did they not leave him on the south side of the river with their prisoners
while they have gone foolishly on the north Does not Renard mean to turn like a
fox on his footsteps and carry to the rich and gray headed Scotchman his
daughters Yes Magua I see it all and I have already been thinking how so
much wisdom and honesty should be repaid First the chief of William Henry will
give as a great chief should for such a service The medal16 of Magua will no
longer be of tin but of beaten gold his horn will run over with powder
dollars will be as plenty in his pouch as pebbles on the shore of Horican and
the deer will lick his hand for they will know it to be vain to fly from the
rifle he will carry As for myself I know not how to exceed the gratitude of
the Scotchman but I yes I will «
»What will the young chief who comes from towards the sun give« demanded
the Huron observing that Heyward hesitated in his desire to end the enumeration
of benefits with that which might form the climax of an Indians wishes
»He will make the firewater from the islands in the salt lake flow before
the wigwam of Magua until the heart of the Indian shall be lighter than the
feathers of the hummingbird and his breath sweeter than the wild honeysuckle«
Le Renard had listened gravely as Heyward slowly proceeded in this subtle
speech When the young man mentioned the artifice he supposed the Indian to have
practised on his own nation the countenance of the listener was veiled in an
expression of cautious gravity At the allusion to the injury which Duncan
affected to believe had driven the Huron from his native tribe a gleam of such
ungovernable ferocity flashed from the others eyes as induced the adventurous
speaker to believe he had struck the proper chord And by the time he reached
the part where he so artfully blended the thirst of vengeance with the desire of
gain he had at least obtained a command of the deepest attention of the
savage The question put by le Renard had been calm and with all the dignity of
an Indian but it was quite apparent by the thoughtful expression of the
listeners countenance that the answer was most cunningly devised The Huron
mused a few moments and then laying his hand on the rude bandages of his
wounded shoulder he said with some energy
»Do friends make such marks«
»Would la Longue Carabine cut one so light on an enemy«
»Do the Delawares crawl upon those they love like snakes twisting
themselves to strike«
»Would le Gros Serpent have been heard by the ears of one he wished to be
deaf«
»Does the white chief burn his powder in the faces of his brothers«
»Does he ever miss his aim when seriously bent to kill« returned Duncan
smiling with well acted sincerity
Another long and deliberative pause succeeded these sententious questions
and ready replies Duncan saw that the Indian hesitated In order to complete
his victory he was in the act of recommencing the enumeration of the rewards
when Magua made an expressive gesture and said
»Enough le Renard is a wise chief and what he does will be seen Go and
keep the mouth shut When Magua speaks it will be the time to answer«
Heyward perceiving that the eyes of his companion were warily fastened on
the rest of the band fell back immediately in order to avoid the appearance of
any suspicious confederacy with their leader Magua approached the horses and
affected to be well pleased with the diligence and ingenuity of his comrades He
then signed to Heyward to assist the sisters into the saddles for he seldom
deigned to use the English tongue unless urged by some motive of more than
usual moment
There was no longer any plausible pretext for delay and Duncan was obliged
however reluctantly to comply As he performed this office he whispered his
reviving hopes in the ears of the trembling females who through dread of
encountering the savage countenances of their captors seldom raised their eyes
from the ground The mare of David had been taken with the followers of the
large chief in consequence its owners as well as Duncan were compelled to
journey on foot The latter did not however so much regret this circumstance
as it might enable him to retard the speed of the party for he still turned
his longing looks in the direction of fort Edward in the vain expectation of
catching some sound from that quarter of the forest which might denote the
approach of succour
When all were prepared Magua made the signal to proceed advancing in
front to lead the party in person Next followed David who was gradually
coming to a true sense of his condition as the effects of the wound became less
and less apparent The sisters rode in his rear with Heyward at their side
while the Indians flanked the party and brought up the close of the march with
a caution that seemed never to tire
In this manner they proceeded in uninterrupted silence except when Heyward
addressed some solitary word of comfort to the females or David gave vent to
the moanings of his spirit in piteous exclamations which he intended should
express the humility of resignation Their direction lay towards the south and
in a course nearly opposite to the road to William Henry Notwithstanding this
apparent adherence in Magua to the original determination of his conquerors
Heyward could not believe his tempting bait was so soon forgotten and he knew
the windings of an Indian path too well to suppose that its apparent course led
directly to its object when artifice was at all necessary Mile after mile was
however passed through the boundless woods in this painful manner without any
prospect of a termination to their journey Heyward watched the sun as he
darted his meridian rays through the branches of the trees and pined for the
moment when the policy of Magua should change their route to one more favourable
to his hopes Sometimes he fancied that the wary savage despairing of passing
the army of Montcalm in safety was holding his way towards a well known border
settlement where a distinguished officer of the crown and a favoured friend of
the Six Nations held his large possessions as well as his usual residence To
be delivered into the hands of Sir William Johnson was far preferable to being
led into the wilds of Canada but in order to effect even the former it would
be necessary to traverse the forest for many weary leagues each step of which
was carrying him further from the scene of the war and consequently from the
post not only of honour but of duty
Cora alone remembered the parting injunctions of the scout and whenever an
opportunity offered she stretched forth her arm to bend aside the twigs that
met her hands But the vigilance of the Indians rendered this act of precaution
both difficult and dangerous She was often defeated in her purpose by
encountering their watchful eyes when it became necessary to feign an alarm she
did not feel and occupy the limb by some gesture of feminine apprehension
Once and once only was she completely successful when she broke down the
bough of a large sumach and by a sudden thought let her glove fall at the
same instant This sign intended for those that might follow was observed by
one of her conductors who restored the glove broke the remaining branches of
the bush in such a manner that it appeared to proceed from the struggling of
some beast in its branches and then laid his hand on his tomahawk with a look
so significant that it put an effectual end to these stolen memorials of their
passage
As there were horses to leave the prints of their footsteps in both bands
of the Indians this interruption cut off any probable hopes of assistance being
conveyed through the means of their trail
Heyward would have ventured a remonstrance had there been any thing
encouraging in the gloomy reserve of Magua But the savage during all this
time seldom turned to look at his followers and never spoke With the sun for
his only guide or aided by such blind marks as are only known to the sagacity
of a native he held his way along the barrens of pine through occasional
little fertile vales across brooks and rivulets and over undulating hills
with the accuracy of instinct and nearly with the directness of a bird He
never seemed to hesitate Whether the path was hardly distinguishable whether
it disappeared or whether it lay beaten and plain before him made no sensible
difference in his speed or certainty It seemed as if fatigue could not affect
him Whenever the eyes of the wearied travellers rose from the decayed leaves
over which they trode his dark form was to be seen glancing among the stems of
the trees in front his head immoveably fastened in a forward position with the
light plume on its crest fluttering in a current of air made solely by the
swiftness of his own motion
But all this diligence and speed was not without an object After crossing a
low vale through which a gushing brook meandered he suddenly ascended a hill
so steep and difficult of ascent that the sisters were compelled to alight in
order to follow When the summit was gained they found themselves on a level
spot but thinly covered with trees under one of which Magua had thrown his
dark form as if willing and ready to seek that rest which was so much needed
by the whole party
Chapter XI
»Cursed be my tribe
If I forgive him«
The Merchant of Venice
Iiii5152
The Indian had selected for this desirable purpose one of those steep
pyramidal hills which bear a strong resemblance to artificial mounds and which
so frequently occur in the valleys of America The one in question was high and
precipitous its top flattened as usual but with one of its sides more than
ordinarily irregular It possessed no other apparent advantages for a resting
place than in its elevation and form which might render defence easy and
surprise nearly impossible As Heyward however no longer expected that rescue
which time and distance now rendered so improbable he regarded these little
peculiarities with an eye devoid of interest devoting himself entirely to the
comfort and condolence of his feebler companions The Narragansets were suffered
to browse on the branches of the trees and shrubs that were thinly scattered
over the summit of the hill while the remains of their provisions were spread
under the shade of a beech that stretched its horizontal limbs like a canopy
above them
Notwithstanding the swiftness of their flight one of the Indians had found
an opportunity to strike a straggling fawn with an arrow and had borne the more
preferable fragments of the victim patiently on his shoulders to the stopping
place Without any aid from the science of cookery he was immediately employed
in common with his fellows in gorging himself with this digestable sustenance
Magua alone sat apart without participating in the revolting meal and
apparently buried in the deepest thought
This abstinence so remarkable in an Indian when he possessed the means of
satisfying hunger at length attracted the notice of Heyward The young man
willingly believed that the Huron deliberated on the most eligible manner of
eluding the vigilance of his associates With a view to assist his plans by any
suggestion of his own and to strengthen the temptation he left the beech and
straggled as if without an object to the spot where le Renard was seated
»Has not Magua kept the sun in his face long enough to escape all danger
from the Canadians« he asked as though no longer doubtful of the good
intelligence established between them »and will not the chief of William Henry
be better pleased to see his daughters before another night may have hardened
his heart to their loss to make him less liberal in his reward«
»Do the pale faces love their children less in the morning than at night«
asked the Indian coldly
»By no means« returned Heyward anxious to recall his error if he had made
one »the white man may and does often forget the burial place of his fathers
he sometimes ceases to remember those he should love and has promised to
cherish but the affection of a parent for his child is never permitted to die«
»And is the heart of the whiteheaded chief soft and will he think of the
babes that his squaws have given him He is hard to his warriors and his eyes
are made of stone«
»He is severe to the idle and wicked but to the sober and deserving he is a
leader both just and humane I have known many fond and tender parents but
never have I seen a man whose heart was softer towards his child You have seen
the grayhead in front of his warriors Magua but I have seen his eyes swimming
in water when he spoke of those children who are now in your power«
Heyward paused for he knew not how to construe the remarkable expression
that gleamed across the swarthy features of the attentive Indian At first it
seemed as if the remembrance of the promised reward grew vivid in his mind
while he listened to the sources of parental feeling which were to assure its
possession but as Duncan proceeded the expression of joy became so fiercely
malignant that it was impossible not to apprehend it proceeded from some
passion more sinister than avarice
»Go« said the Huron suppressing the alarming exhibition in an instant in
a deathlike calmness of countenance »go to the darkhaired daughter and say
Magua waits to speak The father will remember what the child promises«
Duncan who interpreted this speech to express a wish for some additional
pledge that the promised gifts should not be withheld slowly and reluctantly
repaired to the place where the sisters were now resting from their fatigue to
communicate its purport to Cora
»You understand the nature of an Indians wishes« he concluded as he led
her towards the place where she was expected »and must be prodigal of your
offers of powder and blankets Ardent spirits are however the most prized by
such as he nor would it be amiss to add some boon from your own hand with that
grace you so well know how to practise Remember Cora that on your presence of
mind and ingenuity even your life as well as that of Alice may in some
measure depend«
»Heyward and yours«
»Mine is of little moment it is already sold to my king and is a prize to
be seized by any enemy who may possess the power I have no father to expect me
and but few friends to lament a fate which I have courted with the unsatiable
longings of youth after distinction But hush we approach the Indian Magua
the lady with whom you wish to speak is here«
The Indian rose slowly from his seat and stood for near a minute silent and
motionless He then signed with his hand for Heyward to retire saying coldly
»When the Huron talks to the women his tribe shut their ears«
Duncan still lingering as if refusing to comply Cora said with a calm
smile
»You hear Heyward and delicacy at least should urge you to retire Go to
Alice and comfort her with our reviving prospects«
She waited until he had departed and then turning to the native with the
dignity of her sex in her voice and manner she added »What would le Renard
say to the daughter of Munro«
»Listen« said the Indian laying his hand firmly upon her arm as if
willing to draw her utmost attention to his words a movement that Cora as
firmly but quietly repulsed by extricating the limb from his grasp »Magua
was born a chief and a warrior among the red Hurons of the lakes he saw the
suns of twenty summers make the snows of twenty winters run off in the streams
before he saw a paleface and he was happy Then his Canada fathers came into
the woods and taught him to drink the firewater and he became a rascal The
Hurons drove him from the graves of his fathers as they would chase the hunted
buffalo He ran down the shores of the lakes and followed their outlet to the
city of cannon There he hunted and fished till the people chased him again
through the woods into the arms of his enemies The chief who was born a Huron
was at last a warrior among the Mohawks«
»Something like this I had heard before« said Cora observing that he
paused to suppress those passions which began to burn with too bright a flame
as he recalled the recollection of his supposed injuries
»Was it the fault of le Renard that his head was not made of rock Who gave
him the firewater who made him a villain Twas the palefaces the people of
your own colour«
»And am I answerable that thoughtless and unprincipled men exist whose
shades of countenance may resemble mine« Cora calmly demanded of the excited
savage
»No Magua is a man and not a fool such as you never open their lips to
the burning stream the Great Spirit has given you wisdom«
»What then have I to do or say in the matter of your misfortunes not to
say of your errors«
»Listen« repeated the Indian resuming his earnest attitude »when his
English and French fathers dug up the hatchet le Renard struck the warpost of
the Mohawks and went out against his own nation The palefaces have driven the
redskins from their hunting grounds and now when they fight a white man
leads the way The old chief at Horican your father was the great captain of
our war party He said to the Mohawks do this and do that and he was minded
He made a law that if an Indian swallowed the firewater and came into the
cloth wigwams of his warriors it should not be forgotten Magua foolishly
opened his mouth and the hot liquor led him into the cabin of Munro What did
the grayhead let his daughter say«
»He forgot not his words and did justice by punishing the offender« said
the undaunted daughter
»Justice« repeated the Indian casting an oblique glance of the most
ferocious expression at her unyielding countenance »is it justice to make evil
and then punish for it Magua was not himself it was the firewater that spoke
and acted for him but Munro did not believe it The Huron chief was tied up
before all the palefaced warriors and whipped like a dog«
Cora remained silent for she knew not how to palliate this imprudent
severity on the part of her father in a manner to suit the comprehension of an
Indian
»See« continued Magua tearing aside the slight calico that very
imperfectly concealed his painted breast »here are scars given by knives and
bullets of these a warrior may boast before his nation but the grayhead has
left marks on the back of the Huron chief that he must hide like a squaw
under this painted cloth of the whites«
»I had thought« resumed Cora »that an Indian warrior was patient and that
his spirit felt not and knew not the pain his body suffered«
»When the Chippewas tied Magua to the stake and cut this gash« said the
other laying his finger on a deep scar »the Huron laughed in their faces and
told them women struck so light His spirit was then in the clouds But when he
felt the blows of Munro his spirit lay under the birch The spirit of a Huron
is never drunk it remembers for ever«
»But it may be appeased If my father has done you this injustice show him
how an Indian can forgive an injury and take back his daughters You have heard
from Major Heyward «
Magua shook his head forbidding the repetition of offers he so much
despised
»What would you have« continued Cora after a most painful pause while the
conviction forced itself on her mind that the too sanguine and generous Duncan
had been cruelly deceived by the cunning of the savage
»What a Huron loves good for good bad for bad«
»You would then revenge the injury inflicted by Munro on his helpless
daughters Would it not be more like a man to go before his face and take the
satisfaction of a warrior«
»The arms of the palefaces are long and their knives sharp« returned the
savage with a malignant laugh »why should le Renard go among the muskets of
his warriors when he holds the spirit of the grayhead in his hand«
»Name your intention Magua« said Cora struggling with herself to speak
with steady calmness »Is it to lead us prisoners to the woods or do you
contemplate even some greater evil Is there no reward no means of palliating
the injury and of softening your heart At least release my gentle sister and
pour out all your malice on me Purchase wealth by her safety and satisfy your
revenge with a single victim The loss of both his daughters might bring the
aged man to his grave and where would then be the satisfaction of le Renard«
»Listen« said the Indian again »The light eyes can go back to the Horican
and tell the old chief what has been done if the darkhaired woman will swear
by the Great Spirit of her fathers to tell no lie«
»What must I promise« demanded Cora still maintaining a secret ascendancy
over the fierce native by the collected and feminine dignity of her presence
»When Magua left his people his wife was given to another chief he has now
made friends with the Hurons and will go back to the graves of his tribe on
the shores of the great lake Let the daughter of the English chief follow and
live in his wigwam for ever«
However revolting a proposal of such a character might prove to Cora she
retained notwithstanding her powerful disgust sufficient selfcommand to
reply without betraying the weakness
»And what pleasure would Magua find in sharing his cabin with a wife he did
not love one who would be of a nation and colour different from his own It
would be better to take the gold of Munro and buy the heart of some Huron maid
with his gifts«
The Indian made no reply for near a minute but bent his fierce looks on the
countenance of Cora in such wavering glances that her eyes sunk with shame
under an impression that for the first time they had encountered an
expression that no chaste female might endure While she was shrinking within
herself in dread of having her ears wounded by some proposal still more
shocking than the last the voice of Magua answered in its tones of deepest
malignancy
»When the blows scorched the back of the Huron he would know where to find
a woman to feel the smart The daughter of Munro would draw his water hoe his
corn and cook his venison The body of the grayhead would sleep among his
cannon but his heart would lie within reach of the knife of le Subtil«
»Monster well dost thou deserve thy treacherous name« cried Cora in an
ungovernable burst of filial indignation »None but a fiend could meditate such
a vengeance But thou overratest thy power You shall find it is in truth the
heart of Munro you hold and that it will defy your utmost malice«
The Indian answered this bold defiance by a ghastly smile that showed an
unaltered purpose while he motioned her away as if to close the conference
for ever Cora already regretting her precipitation was obliged to comply for
Magua instantly left the spot and approached his gluttonous comrades Heyward
flew to the side of the agitated female and demanded the result of a dialogue
that he had watched at a distance with so much interest But unwilling to alarm
the fears of Alice she evaded a direct reply betraying only by her countenance
her utter want of success and keeping her anxious looks fastened on the
slightest movements of their captors To the reiterated and earnest questions of
her sister concerning their probable destination she made no other answer
than by pointing towards the dark groupe with an agitation she could not
control and murmuring as she folded Alice to her bosom
»There there read our fortunes in their faces we shall see we shall
see«
The action and the choked utterance of Cora spoke more impressively than
any words and quickly drew the attention of her companions on that spot where
her own was riveted with an intenseness that nothing but the importance of the
stake could create
When Magua reached the cluster of lolling savages who gorged with their
disgusting meal lay stretched on the earth in brutal indulgence he commenced
speaking with the dignity of an Indian chief The first syllables he uttered
had the effect to cause his listeners to raise themselves in attitudes of
respectful attention As the Huron used his native language the prisoners
notwithstanding the caution of the natives had kept them within the swing of
their tomahawks could only conjecture the substance of his harangue from the
nature of those significant gestures with which an Indian always illustrates his
eloquence
At first the language as well as the action of Magua appeared calm and
deliberative When he had succeeded in sufficiently awakening the attention of
his comrades Heyward fancied by his pointing so frequently toward the
direction of the great lakes that he spoke of the land of their fathers and of
their distant tribe Frequent indications of applause escaped the listeners
who as they uttered the expressive »hugh« looked at each other in commendation
of the speaker Le Renard was too skilful to neglect his advantage He now spoke
of the long and painful route by which they had left those spacious hunting
grounds and happy villages to come and battle against the enemies of their
Canadian fathers He enumerated the warriors of the party their several merits
their frequent services to the nation their wounds and the numbers of the
scalps they had taken Whenever he alluded to any present and the subtle
Indian neglected none the dark countenance of the flattered individual gleamed
with exultation nor did he even hesitate to assert the truth of the words by
gestures of applause and confirmation Then the voice of the speaker fell and
lost the loud animated tones of triumph with which he had enumerated their
deeds of success and victory He described the cataract of Glenns the
impregnable position of its rocky island with its caverns and its numerous
rapids and whirlpools he named the name of la Longue Carabine and paused until
the forest beneath them had sent up the last echo of a loud and long yell with
which the hated appellation was received He pointed toward the youthful
military captive and described the death of a favourite warrior who had been
precipitated into the deep ravine by his hand He not only mentioned the fate of
him who hanging between heaven and earth had presented such a spectacle of
horror to the whole band but he acted anew the terrors of his situation his
resolution and his death on the branches of a sapling and finally he rapidly
recounted the manner in which each of their friends had fallen never failing to
touch upon their courage and their most acknowledged virtues When this recital
of events was ended his voice once more changed and became plaintive and even
musical in its low guttural sounds He now spoke of the wives and children of
the slain their destitution their misery both physical and moral their
distance and at last of their unavenged wrongs Then suddenly lifting his
voice to a pitch of terrific energy he concluded by demanding
»Are the Hurons dogs to bear this Who shall say to the wife of Menowgua
that the fishes have his scalp and that his nation have not taken revenge Who
will dare meet the mother of Wassawattimie that scornful woman with his hands
clean What shall be said to the old men when they ask us for scalps and we
have not a hair from a white head to give them The women will point their
fingers at us There is a dark spot on the names of the Hurons and it must be
hid in blood «
His voice was no longer audible in the burst of rage which now broke into
the air as if the wood instead of containing so small a band was filled with
their nation During the foregoing address the progress of the speaker was too
plainly read by those most interested in his success through the medium of the
countenances of the men he addressed They had answered his melancholy and
mourning by sympathy and sorrow his assertions by gestures of confirmation
and his boastings with the exultation of savages When he spoke of courage
their looks were firm and responsive when he alluded to their injuries their
eyes kindled with fury when he mentioned the taunts of the women they dropped
their heads in shame but when he pointed out their means of vengeance he
struck a chord which never failed to thrill in the breast of an Indian With the
first intimation that it was within their reach the whole band sprang upon
their feet as one man and giving utterance to their rage in the most frantic
cries they rushed upon their prisoners in a body with drawn knives and
uplifted tomahawks Heyward threw himself between the sisters and the foremost
whom he grappled with a desperate strength that for a moment checked his
violence This unexpected resistance gave Magua time to interpose and with
rapid enunciation and animated gestures he drew the attention of the band again
to himself In that language he knew so well how to assume he diverted his
comrades from their instant purpose and invited them to prolong the misery of
their victims His proposal was received with acclamations and executed with
the swiftness of thought
Two powerful warriors cast themselves on Heyward while another was occupied
in securing the less active singingmaster Neither of the captives however
submitted without a desperate though fruitless struggle Even David hurled his
assailant to the earth nor was Heyward secured until the victory over his
companion enabled the Indians to direct their united force to that object He
was then bound and fastened to the body of the sapling on whose branches Magua
had acted the pantomime of the falling Huron When the young soldier regained
his recollection he had the painful certainty before his eyes that a common
fate was intended for the whole party On his right was Cora in a durance
similar to his own pale and agitated but with an eye whose steady look still
read the proceedings of their enemies On his left the withes which bound her
to a pine performed that office for Alice which her trembling limbs refused
and alone kept her fragile form from sinking Her hands were clasped before her
in prayer but instead of looking upward to that power which alone could rescue
them her unconscious looks wandered to the countenance of Duncan with
infantile dependency David had contended and the novelty of the circumstance
held him silent in deliberation on the propriety of the unusual occurrence
The vengeance of the Hurons had now taken a new direction and they prepared
to execute it with that barbarous ingenuity with which they were familiarized
by the practice of centuries Some sought knots to raise the blazing pile one
was riving the splinters of pine in order to pierce the flesh of their captives
with the burning fragments and others bent the tops of two saplings to the
earth in order to suspend Heyward by the arms between the recoiling branches
But the vengeance of Magua sought a deeper and a more malignant enjoyment
While the less refined monsters of the band prepared before the eyes of
those who were to suffer these well known and vulgar means of torture he
approached Cora and pointed out with the most malign expression of
countenance the speedy fate that awaited her
»Ha« he added »what says the daughter of Munro Her head is too good to
find a pillow in the wigwam of le Renard will she like it better when it rolls
about this hill a plaything for the wolves Her bosom cannot nurse the children
of a Huron she will see it spit upon by Indians«
»What means the monster« demanded the astonished Heyward
»Nothing« was the firm reply »He is a savage a barbarous and ignorant
savage and knows not what he does Let us find leisure with our dying breath
to ask for him penitence and pardon«
»Pardon« echoed the fierce Huron mistaking in his anger the meaning of
her words »the memory of an Indian is longer than the arm of the palefaces
his mercy shorter than their justice Say shall I send the yellowhair to her
father and will you follow Magua to the great lakes to carry his water and
feed him with corn«
Cora beckoned him away with an emotion of disgust she could not control
»Leave me« she said with a solemnity that for a moment checked the
barbarity of the Indian »you mingle bitterness in my prayers you stand between
me and my God«
The slight impression produced on the savage was however soon forgotten
and he continued pointing with taunting irony towards Alice
»Look the child weeps She is young to die Send her to Munro to comb his
gray hairs and keep life in the heart of the old man«
Cora could not resist the desire to look upon her youthful sister in whose
eyes she met an imploring glance that betrayed the longings of nature
»What says he dearest Cora« asked the trembling voice of Alice »Did he
speak of sending me to our father«
For many moments the elder sister looked upon the younger with a
countenance that wavered with powerful and contending emotions At length she
spoke though her tones had lost their rich and calm fulness in an expression
of tenderness that seemed maternal
»Alice« she said »the Huron offers us both life nay more than both he
offers to restore Duncan our invaluable Duncan as well as you to our friends
to our father to our heartstricken childless father if I will bow down
this rebellious stubborn pride of mine and consent «
Her voice became choked and clasping her hands she looked upward as if
seeking in her agony intelligence from a wisdom that was infinite
»Say on« cried Alice »to what dearest Cora Oh that the proffer were
made to me to save you to cheer our aged father to restore Duncan how
cheerfully could I die«
»Die« repeated Cora with a calmer and firmer voice »that were easy
Perhaps the alternative may not be less so He would have me« she continued
her accents sinking under a deep consciousness of the degradation of the
proposal »follow him to the wilderness to go to the habitations of the Hurons
to remain there in short to become his wife Speak then Alice child of my
affections sister of my love And you too Major Heyward aid my weak reason
with your counsel Is life to be purchased by such a sacrifice Will you Alice
receive it at my hands at such a price And you Duncan guide me control me
between you for I am wholly yours«
»Would I« echoed the indignant and astonished youth »Cora Cora you jest
with our misery Name not the horrid alternative again the thought itself is
worse than a thousand deaths«
»That such would be your answer I well knew« exclaimed Cora her cheeks
flushing and her dark eyes once more sparkling with the lingering emotions of a
woman »What says my Alice for her will I submit without another murmur«
Although both Heyward and Cora listened with painful suspense and the
deepest attention no sounds were heard in reply It appeared as if the delicate
and sensitive form of Alice had shrunk into itself as she listened to this
proposal Her arms had fallen lengthwise before her the fingers moving in
slight convulsions her head dropped upon her bosom and her whole person seemed
suspended against the tree looking like some beautiful emblem of the wounded
delicacy of her sex devoid of animation and yet keenly conscious In a few
moments however her head began to move slowly in a sign of deep
unconquerable disapprobation
»No no no better that we die as we have lived together«
»Then die« shouted Magua hurling his tomahawk with violence at the
unresisting speaker and gnashing his teeth with a rage that could no longer be
bridled at this sudden exhibition of firmness in the one he believed the
weakest of the party The axe cleaved the air in front of Heyward and cutting
some of the flowing ringlets of Alice quivered in the tree above her head The
sight maddened Duncan to desperation Collecting all his energies in one effort
he snapped the twigs which bound him and rushed upon another savage who was
preparing with loud yells and a more deliberate aim to repeat the blow They
encountered grappled and fell to the earth together The naked body of his
antagonist afforded Heyward no means of holding his adversary who glided from
his grasp and rose again with one knee on his chest pressing him down with the
weight of a giant Duncan already saw the knife gleaming in the air when a
whistling sound swept past him and was rather accompanied than followed by
the sharp crack of a rifle He felt his breast relieved from the load it had
endured he saw the savage expression of his adversarys countenance change to a
look of vacant wildness when the Indian fell dead on the faded leaves by his
side
Chapter XII
»Clo I am gone sir
And anon sir
Ill be with you again«
Twelfth Night
IVii120122
The Hurons stood aghast at this sudden visitation of death on one of their band
But as they regarded the fatal accuracy of an aim which had dared to immolate
an enemy at so much hazard to a friend the name of la Longue Carabine burst
simultaneously from every lip and was succeeded by a wild and a sort of
plaintive howl The cry was answered by a loud shout from a little thicket
where the incautious party had piled their arms and at the next moment
Hawkeye too eager to load the rifle he had regained was seen advancing upon
them brandishing the clubbed weapon and cutting the air with wide and powerful
sweeps Bold and rapid as was the progress of the scout it was exceeded by that
of a light and vigorous form which bounding past him leaped with incredible
activity and daring into the very centre of the Hurons where it stood
whirling a tomahawk and flourishing a glittering knife with fearful menaces
in front of Cora Quicker than the thoughts could follow these unexpected and
audacious movements an image armed in the emblematic panoply of death glided
before their eyes and assumed a threatening attitude at the others side The
savage tormentors recoiled before these warlike intruders and uttered as they
appeared in such quick succession the often repeated and peculiar exclamation
of surprise followed by the well known and dreaded appellations of
»Le Cerf Agile le Gros Serpent«
But the wary and vigilant leader of the Hurons was not so easily
disconcerted Casting his keen eyes around the little plain he comprehended the
nature of the assault at a glance and encouraging his followers by his voice
as well as by his example he unsheathed his long and dangerous knife and
rushed with a loud whoop upon the expecting Chingachgook It was the signal
for a general combat Neither party had firearms and the contest was to be
decided in the deadliest manner hand to hand with weapons of offence and none
of defence
Uncas answered the whoop and leaping on an enemy with a single
welldirected blow of his tomahawk cleft him to the brain Heyward tore the
weapon of Magua from the sapling and rushed eagerly towards the fray As the
combatants were now equal in number each singled an opponent from the adverse
band The rush and blows passed with the fury of a whirlwind and the swiftness
of lightning Hawkeye soon got another enemy within reach of his arm and with
one sweep of his formidable weapon he beat down the slight and inartificial
defences of his antagonist crushing him to the earth with the blow Heyward
ventured to hurl the tomahawk he had seized too ardent to await the moment of
closing It struck the Indian he had selected on the forehead and checked for
an instant his onward rush Encouraged by this slight advantage the impetuous
young man continued his onset and sprang upon his enemy with naked hands A
single instant was sufficient to assure him of the rashness of the measure for
he immediately found himself fully engaged with all his activity and courage
in endeavouring to ward the desperate thrusts made with the knife of the Huron
Unable longer to foil an enemy so alert and vigilant he threw his arms about
him and succeeded in pinning the limbs of the other to his side with an iron
grasp but one that was far too exhausting to himself to continue long In this
extremity he heard a voice near him shouting
»Extarminate the varlets no quarter to an accursed Mingo«
At the next moment the breech of Hawkeyes rifle fell on the naked head of
his adversary whose muscles appeared to wither under the shock as he sunk from
the arms of Duncan flexible and motionless
When Uncas had brained his first antagonist he turned like a hungry lion
to seek another The fifth and only Huron disengaged at the first onset had
paused a moment and then seeing that all around him were employed in the deadly
strife he had sought with hellish vengeance to complete the baffled work of
revenge Raising a shout of triumph he had sprung towards the defenceless Cora
sending his keen axe as the dreadful precursor of his approach The tomahawk
grazed her shoulder and cutting the withes which bound her to the tree left
the maiden at liberty to fly She eluded the grasp of the savage and reckless
of her own safety threw herself on the bosom of Alice striving with convulsed
and illdirected fingers to tear asunder the twigs which confined the person of
her sister Any other than a monster would have relented at such an act of
generous devotion to the best and purest affection but the breast of the Huron
was a stranger to any sympathy Seizing Cora by the rich tresses which fell in
confusion about her form he tore her from her frantic hold and bowed her down
with brutal violence to her knees The savage drew the flowing curls through his
hand and raising them on high with an outstretched arm he passed the knife
around the exquisitely moulded head of his victim with a taunting and exulting
laugh But he purchased this moment of fierce gratification with the loss of
the fatal opportunity It was just then the sight caught the eye of Uncas
Bounding from his footsteps he appeared for an instant darting through the air
and descending in a ball he fell on the chest of his enemy driving him many
yards from the spot headlong and prostrate The violence of the exertion cast
the young Mohican at his side They arose together fought and bled each in
his turn But the conflict was soon decided the tomahawk of Heyward and the
rifle of Hawkeye descended on the skull of the Huron at the same moment that
the knife of Uncas reached his heart
The battle was now entirely terminated with the exception of the protracted
struggle between le Renard Subtil and le Gros Serpent Well did these barbarous
warriors prove that they deserved those significant names which had been
bestowed for deeds in former wars When they engaged some little time was lost
in eluding the quick and vigorous thrusts which had been aimed at their lives
Suddenly darting on each other they closed and came to the earth twisted
together like twining serpents in pliant and subtle folds At the moment when
the victors found themselves unoccupied the spot where these experienced and
desperate combatants lay could only be distinguished by a cloud of dust and
leaves which moved from the centre of the little plain towards its boundary as
if raised by the passage of a whirlwind Urged by the different motives of
filial affection friendship and gratitude Heyward and his companions rushed
with one accord to the place encircling the little canopy of dust which hung
above the warriors In vain did Uncas dart around the cloud with a wish to
strike his knife into the heart of his fathers foe the threatening rifle of
Hawkeye was raised and suspended in vain while Duncan endeavoured to seize the
limbs of the Huron with hands that appeared to have lost their power Covered
as they were with dust and blood the swift evolutions of the combatants seemed
to incorporate their bodies into one The deathlike looking figure of the
Mohican and the dark form of the Huron gleamed before their eyes in such quick
and confused succession that the friends of the former knew not where nor when
to plant the succouring blow It is true there were short and fleeting moments
when the fiery eyes of Magua were seen glittering like the fabled organs of the
basilisk through the dusty wreath by which he was enveloped and he read by
those short and deadly glances the fate of the combat in the presence of his
enemies ere however any hostile hand could descend on his devoted head its
place was filled by the scowling visage of Chingachgook In this manner the
scene of the combat was removed from the centre of the little plain to its
verge The Mohican now found an opportunity to make a powerful thrust with his
knife Magua suddenly relinquished his grasp and fell backward without motion
and seemingly without life His adversary leaped on his feet making the
arches of the forest ring with the sounds of triumph
»Well done for the Delawares victory to the Mohican« cried Hawkeye once
more elevating the butt of the long and fatal rifle »a finishing blow from a
man without a cross will never tell against his honour nor rob him of his
right to the scalp«
But at the very moment when the dangerous weapon was in the act of
descending the subtle Huron rolled swiftly from beneath the danger over the
edge of the precipice and falling on his feet was seen leaping with a single
bound into the centre of a thicket of low bushes which clung along its sides
The Delawares who had believed their enemy dead uttered their exclamation of
surprise and were following with speed and clamour like hounds in open view of
the deer when a shrill and peculiar cry from the scout instantly changed their
purpose and recalled them to the summit of the hill
»Twas like himself« cried the inveterate forester whose prejudices
contributed so largely to veil his natural sense of justice in all matters which
concerned the Mingoes »a lying and deceitful varlet as he is An honest
Delaware now being fairly vanquished would have laid still and been knocked
on the head but these knavish Maquas cling to life like so many
catsothemountain Let him go let him go tis but one man and he without
rifle or bow many a long mile from his French commerades and like a rattler
that has lost his fangs he can do no farther mischief until such time as he
and we too may leave the prints of our moccasins over a long reach of sandy
plain See Uncas« he added in Delaware »your father is flaying the scalps
already It may be well to go round and feel the vagabonds that are left or we
may have another of them loping through the woods and screeching like any jay
that has been winged«
So saying the honest but implacable scout made the circuit of the dead
into whose senseless bosoms he thrust his long knife with as much coolness as
though they had been so many brute carcasses He had however been anticipated
by the elder Mohican who had already torn the emblems of victory from the
unresisting heads of the slain
But Uncas denying his habits we had almost said his nature flew with
instinctive delicacy accompanied by Heyward to the assistance of the females
and quickly releasing Alice placed her in the arms of Cora We shall not
attempt to describe the gratitude to the Almighty Disposer of events which
glowed in the bosoms of the sisters who were thus unexpectedly restored to
life and to each other Their thanskgivings were deep and silent the offerings
of their gentle spirits burning brightest and purest on the secret altars of
their hearts and their renovated and more earthly feelings exhibiting
themselves in long and fervent though speechless caresses As Alice rose from
her knees where she had sunk by the side of Cora she threw herself on the
bosom of the latter and sobbed aloud the name of their aged father while her
soft dovelike eyes sparkled with the rays of hope
»We are saved we are saved« she murmured »to return to the arms of our
dear dear father and his heart will not be broken with grief And you too
Cora my sister my more than sister my mother you too are spared and
Duncan« she added looking round upon the youth with a smile of ineffable
innocence »even our own brave and noble Duncan has escaped without a hurt«
To these ardent and nearly incoherent words Cora made no other answer than
by straining the youthful speaker to her heart as she bent over her in melting
tenderness The manhood of Heyward felt no shame in dropping tears over this
spectacle of affectionate rapture and Uncas stood fresh and bloodstained from
the combat a calm and apparently an unmoved lookeron it is true but with
eyes that had already lost their fierceness and were beaming with a sympathy
that elevated him far above the intelligence and advanced him probably
centuries before the practices of his nation
During this display of emotions so natural in their situation Hawkeye
whose vigilant distrust had satisfied itself that the Hurons who disfigured the
heavenly scene no longer possessed the power to interrupt its harmony
approached David and liberated him from the bonds he had until that moment
endured with the most exemplary patience
»There« exclaimed the scout casting the last withe behind him »you are
once more master of your own limbs though you seem not to use them with much
greater judgment than that in which they were first fashioned If advice from
one who is not older than yourself but who having lived most of his time in
the wilderness may be said to have experience beyond his years will give no
offence you are welcome to my thoughts and these are to part with the little
tooting instrument in your jacket to the first fool you meet with and buy some
useful wepon with the money if it be only the barrel of a horsemans pistol
By industry and care you might thus come to some prefarment for by this time
I should think your eyes would plainly tell you that a carrion crow is a
better bird than a mocking thresher The one will at least remove foul sights
from before the face of man while the other is only good to brew disturbances
in the woods by cheating the ears of all that hear them«
»Arms and the clarion for the battle but the song of thanksgiving to the
victory« answered the liberated David »Friend« he added thrusting forth his
lean delicate hand toward Hawkeye in kindness while his eyes twinkled and
grew moist »I thank thee that the hairs of my head still grow where they were
first rooted by Providence for though those of other men may be more glossy
and curling I have ever found mine own well suited to the brain they shelter
That I did not join myself to the battle was less owing to disinclination than
to the bonds of the heathen Valiant and skilful hast thou proved thyself in the
conflict and I hereby thank thee before proceeding to discharge other and more
important duties because thou hast proved thyself well worthy of a Christians
praise«
»The thing is but a trifle and what you may often see if you tarry long
among us« returned the scout a good deal softened toward the man of song by
this unequivocal expression of gratitude »I have got back my old companion
killdeer« he added striking his hand on the breech of his rifle »and that in
itself is a victory These Iroquois are cunning but they outwitted themselves
when they placed their firearms out of reach and had Uncas or his father been
gifted with only their common Indian patience we should have come in upon the
knaves with three bullets instead of one and that would have made a finish of
the whole pack yon lopeing varlet as well as his commerades But twas all
foreordered and for the best«
»Thou sayest well« returned David »and has caught the true spirit of
christianity He that is to be saved will be saved and he that is predestined
to be damned will be damned This is the doctrine of truth and most consoling
and refreshing it is to the true believer«
The scout who by this time was seated examining into the state of his
rifle with a species of parental assiduity now looked up at the other in a
displeasure that he did not affect to conceal roughly interrupting further
speech
»Doctrine or no doctrine« said the sturdy woodsman »tis the belief of
knaves and the curse of an honest man I can credit that yonder Huron was to
fall by my hand for with my own eyes have I seen it but nothing short of being
a witness will cause me to think he has met with any reward or that
Chingachgook there will be condemned at the final day«
»You have no warranty for such an audacious doctrine nor any covenant to
support it« cried David who was deeply tinctured with the subtle distinctions
which in his time and more especially in his province had been drawn around
the beautiful simplicity of revelation by endeavouring to penetrate the awful
mystery of the divine nature supplying faith by selfsufficiency and by
consequence involving those who reasoned from such human dogmas in absurdities
and doubt »your temple is reared on the sands and the first tempest will wash
away its foundation I demand your authorities for such an uncharitable
assertion like other advocates of a system David was not always accurate in
his use of terms Name chapter and verse in which of the holy books do you
find language to support you«
»Book« repeated Hawkeye with singular and illconcealed disdain »do you
take me for a whimpering boy at the apron string of one of your old gals and
this good rifle on my knee for the feather of a gooses wing my oxs horn for a
bottle of ink and my leathern pouch for a crossbarred handkercher to carry my
dinner Book what have such as I who am a warrior of the wilderness though a
man without a cross to do with books I never read but in one and the words
that are written there are too simple and too plain to need much schooling
though I may boast that of forty long and hard working years«
»What call you the volume« said David misconceiving the others meaning
»Tis open before your eyes« returned the scout »and he who owns it is not
a niggard of its use I have heard it said that there are men who read in
books to convince themselves there is a God I know not but man may so deform
his works in the settlements as to leave that which is so clear in the
wilderness a matter of doubt among traders and priests If any such there be
and he will follow me from sun to sun through the windings of the forest he
shall see enough to teach him that he is a fool and that the greatest of his
folly lies in striving to rise to the level of one he can never equal be it in
goodness or be it in power«
The instant David discovered that he battled with a disputant who imbibed
his faith from the lights of nature eschewing all subtleties of doctrine he
willingly abandoned a controversy from which he believed neither profit nor
credit was to be derived While the scout was speaking he had also seated
himself and producing the ready little volume and the ironrimmed spectacles
he prepared to discharge a duty which nothing but the unexpected assault he had
received in his orthodoxy could have so long suspended He was in truth a
minstrel of the western continent of a much later day certainly than those
gifted bards who formerly sung the profane renown of baron and prince but
after the spirit of his own age and country and he was now prepared to exercise
the cunning of his craft in celebration of or rather in thanksgiving for the
recent victory He waited patiently for Hawkeye to cease then lifting his
eyes together with his voice he said aloud
»I invite you friends to join in praise for this signal deliverance from
the hands of barbarians and infidels to the comfortable and solemn tones of the
tune called Northampton«
He next named the page and verse where the rhymes selected were to be found
and applied the pitchpipe to his lips with the decent gravity that he had
been wont to use in the temple This time he was however without any
accompaniment for the sisters were just then pouring out those tender effusions
of affection which have been already alluded to Nothing deterred by the
smallness of his audience which in truth consisted only of the discontented
scout he raised his voice commencing and ending the sacred song without
accident or interruption of any kind
Hawkeye listened while he coolly adjusted his flint and reloaded his
rifle but the sounds wanting the extraneous assistance of scene and sympathy
failed to awaken his slumbering emotions Never minstrel or by whatever more
suitable name David should be known drew upon his talents in the presence of
more insensible auditors though considering the singleness and sincerity of his
motive it is probable that no bard of profane song ever uttered notes that
ascended so near to that throne where all homage and praise is due The scout
shook his head and muttering some unintelligible words among which Throat and
Iroquois were alone audible he walked away to collect and to examine into the
state of the captured arsenal of the Hurons In this office he was now joined by
Chingachgook who found his own as well as the rifle of his son among the
arms Even Heyward and David were furnished with weapons nor was ammunition
wanting to render them all effectual
When the foresters had made their selection and distributed their prizes
the scout announced that the hour had arrived when it was necessary to move By
this time the song of Gamut had ceased and the sisters had learned to still the
exhibition of their emotions Aided by Duncan and the younger Mohican the two
latter descended the precipitous sides of that hill which they had so lately
ascended under so very different auspices and whose summit had so nearly
proved the scene of their massacre At the foot they found the Narragansets
browsing the herbage of the bushes and having mounted they followed the
movements of a guide who in the most deadly straits had so often proved
himself their friend The journey was however short Hawkeye leaving the
blind path that the Hurons had followed turned short to his right and entering
the thicket he crossed a babbling brook and halted in a narrow dell under the
shade of a few water elms Their distance from the base of the fatal hill was
but a few rods and the steeds had been serviceable only in crossing the shallow
stream
The scout and the Indians appeared to be familiar with the sequestered place
where they now were for leaning their rifles against the trees they commenced
throwing aside the dried leaves and opening the blue clay out of which a clear
and sparkling spring of bright glancing water quickly bubbled The white man
then looked about him as though seeking for some object which was not to be
found as readily as he expected
»Them careless imps the Mohawks with their Tuscarora and Onondaga
brethren have been here slaking their thirst« he muttered »and the vagabonds
have thrown away the gourd This is the way with benefits when they are
bestowed on such disremembering hounds Here has the Lord laid his hand in the
midst of the howling wilderness for their good and raised a fountain of water
from the bowels of the arth that might laugh at the richest shop of
apothecarys ware in all the colonies and see the knaves have trodden in the
clay and deformed the cleanliness of the place as though they were brute
beasts instead of human men«
Uncas silently extended towards him the desired gourd which the spleen of
Hawkeye had hitherto prevented him from observing on a branch of an elm
Filling it with water he retired a short distance to a place where the ground
was more firm and dry here he coolly seated himself and after taking a long
and apparently a grateful draught he commenced a very strict examination of
the fragments of food left by the Hurons which had hung in a wallet on his arm
»Thank you lad« he continued returning the empty gourd to Uncas »now we
will see how these rampaging Hurons lived when outlying in ambushments Look at
this The varlets know the better pieces of the deer and one would think they
might carve and roast a saddle equal to the best cook in the land But every
thing is raw for them Iroquois are thorough savages Uncas take my steel and
kindle a fire a mouthful of a tender broil will give natur a helping hand
after so long a trail«
Heyward perceiving that their guides now set about their repast in sober
earnest assisted the ladies to alight and placed himself at their side not
unwilling to enjoy a few moments of grateful rest after the bloody scene he had
just gone through While the culinary process was in hand curiosity induced him
to inquire into the circumstances which had led to their timely and unexpected
rescue
»How is it that we see you so soon my generous friend« he asked »and
without aid from the garrison of Edward«
»Had we gone to the bend in the river we might have been in time to rake
the leaves over your bodies but too late to have saved your scalps« coolly
answered the scout »No no instead of throwing away strength and opportunity
by crossing to the fort we lay by under the bank of the Hudson waiting to
watch the movements of the Hurons«
»You were then witnesses of all that passed«
»Not of all for Indian sight is too keen to be easily cheated and we kept
close A difficult matter it was too to keep this Mohican boy snug in the
ambushment Ah Uncas Uncas your behaviour was more like that of a curious
woman than of a warrior on his scent«
Uncas permitted his eyes to turn for an instant on the sturdy countenance of
the speaker but he neither spoke nor gave any indication of repentance On the
contrary Heyward thought the manner of the young Mohican was disdainful if not
a little fierce and that he suppressed passions that were ready to explode as
much in compliment to the listeners as from the deference he usually paid to
his white associate
»You saw our capture« Heyward next demanded
»We heard it« was the significant answer »An Indian yell is plain language
to men who have passed their days in the woods But when you landed we were
driven to crawl like sarpents beneath the leaves and then we lost sight of
you entirely until we placed eyes on you again trussed to the trees and ready
bound for an Indian massacre«
»Our rescue was the deed of Providence It was nearly a miracle that you did
not mistake the path for the Hurons divided and each band had its horses«
»Ay there we were thrown off the scent and might indeed have lost the
trail had it not been for Uncas we took the path however that led into the
wilderness for we judged and judged rightly that the savages would hold that
course with their prisoners But when we had followed it for many miles without
finding a single twig broken as I had advised my mind misgave me especially
as all the footsteps had the prints of moccasins«
»Our captors had the precaution to see us shod like themselves« said
Duncan raising a foot and exhibiting the buskin he wore
»Ay twas judgmatical and like themselves though we were too expart to be
thrown from a trail by so common an invention«
»To what then are we indebted for our safety«
»To what as a white man who has no taint of Indian blood I should be
ashamed to own to the judgment of the young Mohican in matters which I should
know better than he but which I can now hardly believe to be true though my
own eyes tell me it is so«
»Tis extraordinary will you not name the reason«
»Uncas was bold enough to say that the beasts ridden by the gentle ones«
continued Hawkeye glancing his eyes not without curious interest on the
fillies of the ladies »planted the legs of one side on the ground at the same
time which is contrary to the movements of all trotting fourfooted animals of
my knowledge except the bear And yet here are horses that always journey in
this manner as my own eyes have seen and as their trail has shown for twenty
long miles«
»Tis the merit of the animal They come from the shores of Narraganset Bay
in the small province of Providence Plantations and are celebrated for their
hardihood and the ease of this peculiar movement though other horses are not
unfrequently trained to the same«
»It may be it may be« said Hawkeye who had listened with singular
attention to this explanation »though I am a man who has the full blood of the
whites my judgment in deer and beaver is greater than in beasts of burthen
Major Effingham has many noble chargers but I have never seen one travel after
such a sideling gait«
»True for he would value the animals for very different properties Still
is this a breed highly esteemed and as you witness much honoured with the
burthens it is often destined to bear«
The Mohicans had suspended their operations about the glimmering fire to
listen and when Duncan had done they looked at each other significantly the
father uttering the neverfailing exclamation of surprise The scout ruminated
like a man digesting his newly acquired knowledge and once more stole a curious
glance at the horses
»I dare to say there are even stranger sights to be seen in the
settlements« he said at length »natur is sadly abused by man when he once
gets the mastery But go sideling or go straight Uncas had seen the movement
and their trail led us on to the broken bush The outer branch near the prints
of one of the horses was bent upward as a lady breaks a flower from its stem
but all the rest were ragged and broken down as if the strong hand of a man had
been tearing them So I concluded that the cunning varments had seen the twig
bent and had torn the rest to make us believe a buck had been feeling the
boughs with his antlers«
»I do believe your sagacity did not deceive you for some such thing
occurred«
»That was easy to see« added the scout in no degree conscious of having
exhibited any extraordinary sagacity »and a very different matter it was from a
waddling horse It then struck me the Mingoes would push for this spring for
the knaves well know the vartue of its waters«
»Is it then so famous« demanded Heyward examining with a more curious
eye the secluded dell with its bubbling fountain surrounded as it was by
earth of a deep dingy brown
»Few redskins who travel south and east of the great lakes but have heard
of its qualities Will you taste for yourself«
Heyward took the gourd and after swallowing a little of the water threw it
aside with grimaces of discontent The scout laughed in his silent but
heartfelt manner and shook his head with vast satisfaction
»Ah you want the flavour that one gets by habit the time was when I liked
it as little as yourself but I have come to my taste and I now crave it as a
deer does the licks17 Your high spiced wines are not better liked than a
redskin relishes this water especially when his natur is ailing But Uncas has
made his fire and it is time we think of eating for our journey is long and
all before us«
Interrupting the dialogue by this abrupt transition the scout had instant
recourse to the fragments of food which had escaped the voracity of the Hurons
A very summary process completed the simple cookery when he and the Mohicans
commenced their humble meal with the silence and characteristic diligence of
men who ate in order to enable themselves to endure great and unremitting toil
When this necessary and happily grateful duty had been performed each of
the foresters stooped and took a long and parting draught at that solitary and
silent spring18 around which and its sister fountains within fifty years the
wealth beauty and talents of a hemisphere were to assemble in throngs in
pursuit of health and pleasure Then Hawkeye announced his determination to
proceed The sisters resumed their saddles Duncan and David grasped their
rifles and followed on their footsteps the scout leading the advance and the
Mohicans bringing up the rear The whole party moved swiftly through the narrow
path towards the north leaving the healing waters to mingle unheeded with the
adjacent brook and the bodies of the dead to fester on the neighbouring mount
without the rites of sepulture a fate but too common to the warriors of the
woods to excite either commiseration or comment
Chapter XIII
»Ill seek a readier path«
Parnell »A NightPiece
on Death« l 7
The route taken by Hawkeye lay across those sandy plains relieved by
occasional valleys and swells of land which had been traversed by their party
on the morning of the same day with the baffled Magua for their guide The sun
had now fallen low towards the distant mountains and as their journey lay
through the interminable forest the heat was no longer oppressive Their
progress in consequence was proportionate and long before the twilight
gathered about them they had made good many toilsome miles on their return
The hunter like the savage whose place he filled seemed to select among
the blind signs of their wild route with a species of instinct seldom abating
his speed and never pausing to deliberate A rapid and oblique glance at the
moss on the trees with an occasional upward gaze towards the setting sun or a
steady but passing look at the direction of the numerous water courses through
which he waded were sufficient to determine his path and remove his greatest
difficulties In the mean time the forest began to change its hues losing that
lively green which had embellished its arches in the graver light which is the
usual precursor of the close of day
While the eyes of the sisters were endeavouring to catch glimpses through
the trees of the flood of golden glory which formed a glittering halo around
the sun tinging here and there with ruby streaks or bordering with narrow
edgings of shining yellow a mass of clouds that lay piled at no great distance
above the western hills Hawkeye turned suddenly and pointing upward towards
the gorgeous heavens he spoke
»Yonder is the signal given to man to seek his food and natural rest« he
said »better and wiser would it be if he could understand the signs of nature
and take a lesson from the fowls of the air and the beasts of the fields Our
night however will soon be over for with the moon we must be up and moving
again I remember to have fout the Maquas hereaways in the first war in which I
ever drew blood from man and we threw up a work of blocks to keep the ravenous
varments from handling our scalps If my marks do not fail me we shall find the
place a few rods further to our left«
Without waiting for an assent or indeed for any reply the sturdy hunter
moved boldly into a dense thicket of young chestnuts shoving aside the branches
of the exuberant shoots which nearly covered the ground like a man who
expected at each step to discover some object he had formerly known The
recollection of the scout did not deceive him After penetrating through the
brush matted as it was with briars for a few hundred feet he entered an open
space that surrounded a low green hillock which was crowned by the decayed
blockhouse in question This rude and neglected building was one of those
deserted works which having been thrown up on an emergency had been abandoned
with the disappearance of danger and was now quietly crumbling in the solitude
of the forest neglected and nearly forgotten like the circumstances which had
caused it to be reared Such memorials of the passage and struggles of man are
yet frequent throughout the broad barrier of wilderness which once separated
the hostile provinces and form a species of ruins that are intimately
associated with the recollections of colonial history and which are in
appropriate keeping with the gloomy character of the surrounding scenery19 The
roof of bark had long since fallen and mingled with the soil but the huge logs
of pine which had been hastily thrown together still preserved their relative
positions though one angle of the work had given way under the pressure and
threatened a speedy downfall to the remainder of the rustic edifice While
Heyward and his companions hesitated to approach a building so decayed Hawkeye
and the Indians entered within the low walls not only without fear but with
obvious interest While the former surveyed the ruins both internally and
externally with the curiosity of one whose recollections were reviving at each
moment Chingachgook related to his son in the language of the Delawares and
with the pride of a conqueror the brief history of the skirmish which had been
fought in his youth in that secluded spot A strain of melancholy however
blended with his triumph rendering his voice as usual soft and musical
In the mean time the sisters gladly dismounted and prepared to enjoy their
halt in the coolness of the evening and in a security which they believed
nothing but the beasts of the forest could invade
»Would not our restingplace have been more retired my worthy friend«
demanded the more vigilant Duncan perceiving that the scout had already
finished his short survey »had we chosen a spot less known and one more rarely
visited than this«
»Few live who know the blockhouse was ever raised« was the slow and musing
answer »tis not often that books are made and narratives written of such a
skrimmage as was here fout atween the Mohicans and the Mohawks in a war of
their own waging I was then a younker and went out with the Delawares because
I knowd they were a scandalized and wronged race Forty days and forty nights
did the imps crave our blood around this pile of logs which I designed and
partly reared being as youll remember no Indian myself but a man without a
cross The Delawares lent themselves to the work and we made it good ten to
twenty until our numbers were nearly equal and then we sallied out upon the
hounds and not a man of them ever got back to tell the fate of his party Yes
yes I was then young and new to the sight of blood and not relishing the
thought that creatures who had spirits like myself should lay on the naked
ground to be torn asunder by beasts or to bleach in the rains I buried the
dead with my own hands under that very little hillock where you have placed
yourselves and no bad seat does it make neither though it be raised by the
bones of mortal men«
Heyward and the sisters arose on the instant from the grassy sepulchre nor
could the two latter notwithstanding the terrific scenes they had so recently
passed through entirely suppress an emotion of natural horror when they found
themselves in such familiar contact with the grave of the dead Mohawks The gray
light the gloomy little area of dark grass surrounded by its border of brush
beyond which the pines rose in breathing silence apparently into the very
clouds and the deathlike stillness of the vast forest were all in unison to
deepen such a sensation
»They are gone and they are harmless« continued Hawkeye waving his hand
with a melancholy smile at their manifest alarm »theyll never shout the
warwhoop nor strike a blow with the tomahawk again And of all those who aided
in placing them where they lie Chingachgook and I only are living The brothers
and family of the Mohican formed our war party and you see before you all that
are now left of his race«
The eyes of the listeners involuntarily sought the forms of the Indians
with a compassionate interest in their desolate fortune Their dark persons were
still to be seen within the shadows of the blockhouse the son listening to the
relation of his father with that sort of intenseness which would be created by
a narrative that redounded so much to the honour of those whose names he had
long revered for their courage and savage virtues
»I had thought the Delawares a pacific people« said Duncan »and that they
never waged war in person trusting the defence of their lands to those very
Mohawks that you slew«
»Tis true in part« returned the scout »and yet at the bottom tis a
wicked lie Such a treaty was made in ages gone by through the deviltries of
the Dutchers who wished to disarm the natives that had the best right to the
country where they had settled themselves The Mohicans though a part of the
same nation having to deal with the English never entered into the silly
bargain but kept to their manhood as in truth did the Delawares when their
eyes were opened to their folly You see before you a chief of the great
Mohican Sagamores Once his family could chase their deer over tracts of country
wider than that which belongs to the Albany Patteroon without crossing brook or
hill that was not their own but what is left to their descendant He may find
his six feet of earth when God chooses and keep it in peace perhaps if he
has a friend who will take the pains to sink his head so low that the
ploughshares cannot reach it«
»Enough« said Heyward apprehensive that the subject might lead to a
discussion that would interrupt the harmony so necessary to the preservation of
his fair companions »we have journeyed far and few among us are blest with
forms like that of yours which seems to know neither fatigue nor weakness«
»The sinews and bones of a man carry me through it all« said the hunter
surveying his muscular limbs with a simplicity that betrayed the honest pleasure
the compliment afforded him »there are larger and heavier men to be found in
the settlements but you might travel many days in a city before you could meet
one able to walk fifty miles without stopping to take breath or who has kept
the hounds within hearing during a chase of hours However as flesh and blood
are not always the same it is quite reasonable to suppose that the gentle ones
are willing to rest after all they have seen and done this day Uncas clear
out the spring while your father and I make a cover for their tender heads of
these chestnut shoots and a bed of grass and leaves«
The dialogue ceased while the hunter and his companions busied themselves
in preparations for the comfort and protection of those they guided A spring
which many long years before had induced the natives to select the place for
their temporary fortification was soon cleared of leaves and a fountain of
crystal gushed from the bed diffusing its waters over the verdant hillock A
corner of the building was then roofed in such a manner as to exclude the heavy
dew of the climate and piles of sweet shrubs and dried leaves were laid beneath
it for the sisters to repose on
While the diligent woodsmen were employed in this manner Cora and Alice
partook of that refreshment which duty required much more than inclination
prompted them to accept They then retired within the walls and first offering
up their thanksgivings for past mercies and petitioning for a continuance of
the Divine favour throughout the coming night they laid their tender forms on
the fragrant couch and in spite of recollections and forebodings soon sunk
into those slumbers which nature so imperiously demanded and which were
sweetened by hopes for the morrow Duncan had prepared himself to pass the night
in watchfulness near them just without the ruin but the scout perceiving his
intention pointed towards Chingachgook as he coolly disposed his own person on
the grass and said
»The eyes of a white man are too heavy and too blind for such a watch as
this The Mohican will be our sentinel therefore let us sleep«
»I proved myself a sluggard on my post during the past night« said Heyward
»and have less need of repose than you who did more credit to the character of
a soldier Let all the party seek their rest then while I hold the guard«
»If we lay among the white tents of the 60th and in front of an enemy like
the French I could not ask for a better watchman« returned the scout »but in
the darkness and among the signs of the wilderness your judgment would be like
the folly of a child and your vigilance thrown away Do then like Uncas and
myself sleep and sleep in safety«
Heyward perceived in truth that the younger Indian had thrown his form on
the side of the hillock while they were talking like one who sought to make
the most of the time allotted to rest and that his example had been followed by
David whose voice literally clove to his jaws with the fever of his wound
heightened as it was by their toilsome march Unwilling to prolong a useless
discussion the young man affected to comply by posting his back against the
logs of the blockhouse in a halfrecumbent posture though resolutely
determined in his own mind not to close an eye until he had delivered his
precious charge into the arms of Munro himself Hawkeye believing he had
prevailed soon fell asleep and a silence as deep as the solitude in which they
had found it pervaded the retired spot
For many minutes Duncan succeeded in keeping his senses on the alert and
alive to every moaning sound that arose from the forest His vision became more
acute as the shades of evening settled on the place and even after the stars
were glimmering above his head he was able to distinguish the recumbent forms
of his companions as they lay stretched on the grass and to note the person of
Chingachgook who sat upright and motionless as one of the trees which formed
the dark barrier on every side of them He still heard the gentle breathings of
the sisters who lay within a few feet of him and not a leaf was ruffled by the
passing air of which his ear did not detect the whispering sound At length
however the mournful notes of a whippoorwill became blended with the
moanings of an owl his heavy eyes occasionally sought the bright rays of the
stars and then he fancied he saw them through the fallen lids At instants of
momentary wakefulness he mistook a bush for his associate sentinel his head
next sunk upon his shoulder which in its turn sought the support of the
ground and finally his whole person became relaxed and pliant and the young
man sunk into a deep sleep dreaming that he was a knight of ancient chivalry
holding his midnight vigils before the tent of a recaptured princess whose
favour he did not despair of gaining by such a proof of devotion and
watchfulness
How long the tired Duncan lay in this insensible state he never knew
himself but his slumbering visions had been long lost in total forgetfulness
when he was awakened by a light tap on the shoulder Aroused by this signal
slight as it was he sprang upon his feet with a confused recollection of the
self-imposed duty he had assumed with the commencement of the night
»Who comes« he demanded feeling for his sword at the place where it was
usually suspended »Speak friend or enemy«
»Friend« replied the low voice of Chingachgook who pointing upward at the
luminary which was shedding its mild light through the opening in the trees
directly on their bivouac immediately added in his rude English »moon comes
and white mans fort far far off time to move when sleep shuts both eyes of
the Frenchman«
»You say true call up your friends and bridle the horses while I prepare
my own companions for the march«
»We are awake Duncan« said the soft silvery tones of Alice within the
building »and ready to travel very fast after so refreshing a sleep but you
have watched through the tedious night in our behalf after having endured so
much fatigue the livelong day«
»Say rather I would have watched but my treacherous eyes betrayed me
twice have I proved myself unfit for the trust I bear«
»Nay Duncan deny it not« interrupted the smiling Alice issuing from the
shadows of the building into the light of the moon in all the loveliness of her
freshened beauty »I know you to be a heedless one when self is the object of
your care and but too vigilant in favour of others Can we not tarry here a
little longer while you find the rest you need Cheerfully most cheerfully
will Cora and I keep the vigils while you and all these brave men endeavour
to snatch a little sleep«
»If shame could cure me of my drowsiness I should never close an eye
again« said the uneasy youth gazing at the ingenuous countenance of Alice
where however in its sweet solicitude he read nothing to confirm his half
awakened suspicion »It is but too true that after leading you into danger by
my heedlessness I have not even the merit of guarding your pillows as should
become a soldier«
»No one but Duncan himself should accuse Duncan of such a weakness Go
then and sleep believe me neither of us weak girls as we are will betray
our watch«
The young man was relieved from the awkwardness of making any further
protestations of his own demerits by an exclamation from Chingachgook and the
attitude of riveted attention assumed by his son
»The Mohicans hear an enemy« whispered Hawkeye who by this time in
common with the whole party was awake and stirring »They scent danger in the
wind«
»God forbid« exclaimed Heyward »Surely we have had enough of bloodshed«
While he spoke however the young soldier seized his rifle and advancing
towards the front prepared to atone for his venial remissness by freely
exposing his life in defence of those he attended
»Tis some creature of the forest prowling around us in quest of food« he
said in a whisper as soon as the low and apparently distant sounds which
had startled the Mohicans reached his own ears
»Hist« returned the attentive scout »tis man even I can now tell his
tread poor as my senses are when compared to an Indians That scampering
Huron has fallen in with one of Montcalms outlying parties and they have
struck upon our trail I shouldnt like myself to spill more human blood in this
spot« he added looking around with anxiety in his features at the dim objects
by which he was surrounded »but what must be must Lead the horses into the
blockhouse Uncas and friends do you follow to the same shelter Poor and
old as it is it offers a cover and has rung with the crack of a rifle afore to
night«
He was instantly obeyed the Mohicans leading the Narragansets within the
ruin whither the whole party repaired with the most guarded silence
The sounds of approaching footsteps were now too distinctly audible to
leave any doubts as to the nature of the interruption They were soon mingled
with voices calling to each other in an Indian dialect which the hunter in a
whisper affirmed to Heyward was the language of the Hurons When the party
reached the point where the horses had entered the thicket which surrounded the
blockhouse they were evidently at fault having lost those marks which until
that moment had directed their pursuit
It would seem by the voices that twenty men were soon collected at that one
spot mingling their different opinions and advice in noisy clamour
»The knaves know our weakness« whispered Hawkeye who stood by the side of
Heyward in deep shade looking through an opening in the logs »or they
wouldnt indulge their idleness in such a squaws march Listen to the reptiles
each man among them seems to have two tongues and but a single leg«
Duncan brave as he was in the combat could not in such a moment of
painful suspense make any reply to the cool and characteristic remark of the
scout He only grasped his rifle more firmly and fastened his eyes upon the
narrow opening through which he gazed upon the moonlight view with increasing
anxiety The deeper tones of one who spoke as having authority were next heard
amid a silence that denoted the respect with which his orders or rather advice
was received After which by the rustling of leaves and cracking of dried
twigs it was apparent the savages were separating in pursuit of the lost trail
Fortunately for the pursued the light of the moon while it shed a flood of
mild lustre upon the little area around the ruin was not sufficiently strong
to penetrate the deep arches of the forest where the objects still lay in
deceptive shadow The search proved fruitless for so short and sudden had been
the passage from the faint path the travellers had journeyed into the thicket
that every trace of their footsteps was lost in the obscurity of the woods
It was not long however before the restless savages were heard beating the
brush and gradually approaching the inner edge of that dense border of young
chestnuts which encircled the little area
»They are coming« muttered Heyward endeavouring to thrust his rifle
through the chink in the logs »let us fire on their approach«
»Keep every thing in the shade« returned the scout »the snapping of a
flint or even the smell of a single karnel of the brimstone would bring the
hungry varlets upon us in a body Should it please God that we must give battle
for the scalps trust to the experience of men who know the ways of the savages
and who are not often backward when the warwhoop is howled«
Duncan cast his eyes behind him and saw that the trembling sisters were
cowering in the far corner of the building while the Mohicans stood in the
shadow like two upright posts ready and apparently willing to strike when
the blow should be needed Curbing his impatience he again looked out upon the
area and awaited the result in silence At that instant the thicket opened and
a tall and armed Huron advanced a few paces into the open space As he gazed
upon the silent blockhouse the moon fell full upon his swarthy countenance
and betrayed its surprise and curiosity He made the exclamation which usually
accompanies the former emotion in an Indian and calling in a low voice soon
drew a companion to his side
These children of the woods stood together for several moments pointing at
the crumbling edifice and conversing in the unintelligible language of their
tribe They then approached though with slow and cautious steps pausing every
instant to look at the building like startled deer whose curiosity struggled
powerfully with their awakened apprehensions for the mastery The foot of one of
them suddenly rested on the mound and he stooped to examine its nature At this
moment Heyward observed that the scout loosened his knife in its sheath and
lowered the muzzle of his rifle Imitating these movements the young man
prepared himself for the struggle which now seemed inevitable
The savages were so near that the least motion in one of the horses or
even a breath louder than common would have betrayed the fugitives But in
discovering the character of the mound the attention of the Hurons appeared
directed to a different object They spoke together and the sounds of their
voices were low and solemn as if influenced by a reverence that was deeply
blended with awe Then they drew warily back keeping their eyes riveted on the
ruin as if they expected to see the apparitions of the dead issue from its
silent walls until having reached the boundary of the area they moved slowly
into the thicket and disappeared
Hawkeye dropped the breech of his rifle to the earth and drawing a long
free breath exclaimed in an audible whisper
»Ay they respect the dead and it has this time saved their own lives and
it may be the lives of better men too«
Heyward lent his attention for a single moment to his companion but
without replying he again turned towards those who just then interested him
more He heard the two Hurons leave the bushes and it was soon plain that all
the pursuers were gathered about them in deep attention to their report After
a few minutes of earnest and solemn dialogue altogether different from the
noisy clamour with which they had first collected about the spot the sounds
grew fainter and more distant and finally were lost in the depths of the
forest
Hawkeye waited until a signal from the listening Chingachgook assured him
that every sound from the retiring party was completely swallowed by the
distance when he motioned to Heyward to lead forth the horses and to assist
the sisters into their saddles The instant this was done they issued through
the broken gateway and stealing out by a direction opposite to the one by
which they had entered they quitted the spot the sisters casting furtive
glances at the silent grave and crumbling ruin as they left the soft light of
the moon to bury themselves in the gloom of the woods
Chapter XIV
»Guard Qui est là
Puc Paisans pauvres gens de France«
1 Henry VI IIIii1314
During the rapid movement from the blockhouse and until the party was deeply
buried in the forest each individual was too much interested in the escape to
hazard a word even in whispers The scout resumed his post in the advance
though his steps after he had thrown a safe distance between himself and his
enemies were more deliberate than in their previous march in consequence of
his utter ignorance of the localities of the surrounding woods More than once
he halted to consult with his confederates the Mohicans pointing upwards at
the moon and examining the barks of the trees with care In these brief pauses
Heyward and the sisters listened with senses rendered doubly acute by the
danger to detect any symptoms which might announce the proximity of their foes
At such moments it seemed as if a vast range of country lay buried in eternal
sleep not the least sound arising from the forest unless it was the distant
and scarcely audible rippling of a watercourse Birds beasts and man
appeared to slumber alike if indeed any of the latter were to be found in
that wide tract of wilderness But the sounds of the rivulet feeble and
murmuring as they were relieved the guides at once from no trifling
embarrassment and towards it they immediately held their way
When the banks of the little stream were gained Hawkeye made another halt
and taking the moccasins from his feet he invited Heyward and Gamut to follow
his example He then entered the water and for near an hour they travelled in
the bed of the brook leaving no trail The moon had already sunk into an
immense pile of black clouds which lay impending above the western horizon
when they issued from the low and devious watercourse to rise again to the
light and level of the sandy but wooded plain Here the scout seemed to be once
more at home for he held on his way with the certainty and diligence of a man
who moved in the security of his own knowledge The path soon became more
uneven and the travellers could plainly perceive that the mountains drew
nigher to them on each hand and that they were in truth about entering one of
their gorges Suddenly Hawkeye made a pause and waiting until he was joined
by the whole party he spoke though in tones so low and cautious that they
added to the solemnity of his words in the quiet and darkness of the place
»It is easy to know the pathways and to find the licks and watercourses
of the wilderness« he said »but who that saw this spot could venture to say
that a mighty army was at rest among yonder silent trees and barren mountains«
»We are then at no great distance from William Henry« said Heyward
advancing nigher to the scout
»It is yet a long and weary path and when and where to strike it is now
our greatest difficulty See« he said pointing through the trees towards a
spot where a little basin of water reflected the stars from its placid bosom
»here is the bloody pond and I am on ground that I have not only often
travelled but over which I have fout the enemy from the rising to the setting
sun«
»Ha that sheet of dull and dreary water then is the sepulchre of the
brave men who fell in the contest I have heard it named but never have I stood
on its banks before«
»Three battles did we make with the Dutch Frenchman20 in a day« continued
Hawkeye pursuing the train of his own thoughts rather than replying to the
remark of Duncan »He met us hard by in our outward march to ambush his
advance and scattered us like driven deer through the defile to the shores
of Horican Then we rallied behind our fallen trees and made head against him
under Sir William who was made Sir William for that very deed and well did we
pay him for the disgrace of the morning Hundreds of Frenchmen saw the sun that
day for the last time and even their leader Dieskau himself fell into our
hands so cut and torn with the lead that he has gone back to his own country
unfit for further acts in war«
»Twas a noble repulse« exclaimed Heyward in the heat of his youthful
ardour »the fame of it reached us early in our southern army«
»Ay but it did not end there I was sent by Major Effingham at Sir
Williams own bidding to outflank the French and carry the tidings of their
disaster across the portage to the fort on the Hudson Just hereaway where you
see the trees rise into a mountain swell I met a party coming down to our aid
and I led them where the enemy were taking their meal little dreaming that they
had not finished the bloody work of the day«
»And you surprised them«
»If death can be a surprise to men who are thinking only of the cravings of
their appetites we gave them but little breathing time for they had borne hard
upon us in the fight of the morning and there were few in our party who had not
lost friend or relative by their hands When all was over the dead and some
say the dying were cast into that little pond These eyes have seen its waters
coloured with blood as natural water never yet flowed from the bowels of the
arth«
»It was a convenient and I trust will prove a peaceful grave for a
soldier You have then seen much service on this frontier«
»I« said the scout erecting his tall person with an air of military pride
»there are not many echoes among these hills that havent rung with the crack of
my rifle nor is there the space of a square mile atwixt Horican and the river
that killdeer hasnt dropped a living body on be it an enemy or be it a brute
beast As for the grave there being as quiet as you mention it is another
matter There are them in the camp who say and think man to lie still should
not be buried while the breath is in the body and certain it is that in the
hurry of that evening the doctors had but little time to say who was living
and who was dead Hist see you nothing walking on the shore of the pond«
»Tis not probable that any are as houseless as ourselves in this dreary
forest«
»Such as he may care but little for house or shelter and night dew can
never wet a body that passes its days in the water« returned the scout
grasping the shoulder of Heyward with such convulsive strength as to make the
young soldier painfully sensible how much superstitious terror had gotten the
mastery of a man usually so dauntless
»By heaven there is a human form and it approaches stand to your arms my
friends for we know not whom we encounter«
»Qui vive« demanded a stern quick voice which sounded like a challenge
from another world issuing out of that solitary and solemn place
»What says it« whispered the scout »it speaks neither Indian nor English«
»Qui vive« repeated the same voice which was quickly followed by the
rattling of arms and a menacing attitude
»France« cried Heyward advancing from the shadow of the trees to the
shore of the pond within a few yards of the sentinel
»Doù venezvous où allezvous daussi bonne heure« demanded the
grenadier in the language and with the accent of a man from old France
»Je viens de la découverte et je vais me coucher«
»Etesvous officier du roi«
»Sans doute mon camarade me prendstu pour un provincial Je suis
capitaine de chasseurs Heyward well knew that the other was of a regiment in
the line jai ici avec moi les filles du commandant de la fortification
Aha tu en as entendu parler je les ai fait prisonnières près de lautre fort
et je les conduis au général«
»Ma foi mesdames jen suis fâché pour vous« exclaimed the young soldier
touching his cap with grace »mais fortune de guerre vous trouverez notre
général un brave homme et bien poli avec les dames«
»Cest le caractère des gens de guerre« said Cora with admirable
selfpossession »Adieu mon ami je vous souhaiterais un devoir plus agréable
à remplir«
The soldier made a low and humble acknowledgment for her civility and
Heyward adding a »bonne nuit mon camarade« they moved deliberately forward
leaving the sentinel pacing the banks of the silent pond little suspecting an
enemy of so much effrontery and humming to himself those words which were
recalled to his mind by the sight of women and perhaps by recollections of
his own distant and beautiful France
»Vive le vin vive lamour« etc etc
»Tis well you understood the knave« whispered the scout when they had gained
a little distance from the place and letting his rifle fall into the hollow of
his arm again »I soon saw that he was one of them uneasy Frenchers and well
for him it was that his speech was friendly and his wishes kind or a place
might have been found for his bones amongst those of his countrymen«
He was interrupted by a long and heavy groan which arose from the little
basin as though in truth the spirits of the departed lingered about their
watery sepulchre
»Surely it was of flesh« continued the scout »no spirit could handle its
arms so steadily«
»It was of flesh but whether the poor fellow still belongs to this world
may well be doubted« said Heyward glancing his eyes around him and missing
Chingachgook from their little band Another groan more faint than the former
was succeeded by a heavy and sullen plunge into the water and all was as still
again as if the borders of the dreary pool had never been awakened from the
silence of creation While they yet hesitated in uncertainty the form of the
Indian was seen gliding out of the thicket As the chief rejoined them with one
hand he attached the reeking scalp of the unfortunate young Frenchman to his
girdle and with the other he replaced the knife and tomahawk that had drunk his
blood He then took his wonted station with the air of a man who believed he
had done a deed of merit
The scout dropped one end of his rifle to the earth and leaning his hands
on the other he stood musing in profound silence Then shaking his head in a
mournful manner he muttered
»Twould have been a cruel and an unhuman act for a whiteskin but tis the
gift and natur of an Indian and I suppose it should not be denied I could
wish though it had befallen an accursed Mingo rather than that gay young
boy from the old countries«
»Enough« said Heyward apprehensive the unconscious sisters might
comprehend the nature of the detention and conquering his disgust by a train of
reflections very much like that of the hunter »tis done and though better it
were left undone cannot be amended You see we are too obviously within the
sentinels of the enemy what course do you propose to follow«
»Yes« said Hawkeye rousing himself again »tis as you say too late to
harbour further thoughts about it Ay the French have gathered around the fort
in good earnest and we have a delicate needle to thread in passing them«
»And but little time to do it in« added Heyward glancing his eyes upward
towards the bank of vapour that concealed the setting moon
»And little time to do it in« repeated the scout »The thing may be done in
two fashions by the help of Providence without which it may not be done at
all«
»Name them quickly for time presses«
»One would be to dismount the gentle ones and let their beasts range the
plain by sending the Mohicans in front we might then cut a lane through their
sentries and enter the fort over the dead bodies«
»It will not do it will not do« interrupted the generous Heyward »a
soldier might force his way in this manner but never with such a convoy«
»Twould be indeed a bloody path for such tender feet to wade in«
returned the equally reluctant scout »but I thought it befitting my manhood to
name it We must then turn on our trail and get without the line of their
lookouts when we will bend short to the west and enter the mountains where I
can hide you so that all the devils hounds in Montcalms pay would be thrown
off the scent for months to come«
»Let it be done and that instantly«
Further words were unnecessary for Hawkeye merely uttering the mandate to
follow moved along the route by which they had just entered their present
critical and even dangerous situation Their progress like their late
dialogue was guarded and without noise for none knew at what moment a passing
patrol or a crouching picquet of the enemy might rise upon their path As
they held their silent way along the margin of the pond again Heyward and the
scout stole furtive glances at its appalling dreariness They looked in vain for
the form they had so recently seen stalking along its silent shores while a low
and regular wash of the little waves by announcing that the waters were not yet
subsided furnished a frightful memorial of the deed of blood they had just
witnessed Like all that passing and gloomy scene the low basin however
quickly melted in the darkness and became blended with the mass of black
objects in the rear of the travellers
Hawkeye soon deviated from the line of their retreat and striking off
towards the mountains which form the western boundary of the narrow plain he
led his followers with swift steps deep within the shadows that were cast
from their high and broken summits The route was now painful lying over ground
ragged with rocks and intersected with ravines and their progress
proportionately slow Bleak and black hills lay on every side of them
compensating in some degree for the additional toil of the march by the sense
of security they imparted At length the party began slowly to rise a steep and
rugged ascent by a path that curiously wound among rocks and trees avoiding
the one and supported by the other in a manner that showed it had been devised
by men long practised in the arts of the wilderness As they gradually rose from
the level of the valleys the thick darkness which usually precedes the approach
of day began to disperse and objects were seen in the plain and palpable
colours with which they had been gifted by nature When they issued from the
stunted woods which clung to the barren sides of the mountain upon a flat and
mossy rock that formed its summit they met the morning as it came blushing
above the green pines of a hill that lay on the opposite side of the valley of
the Horican
The scout now told the sisters to dismount and taking the bridles from the
mouths and the saddles off the backs of the jaded beasts he turned them loose
to glean a scanty subsistence among the shrubs and meager herbage of that
elevated region
»Go« he said »and seek your food where natur gives it you and beware that
you become not food to ravenous wolves yourselves among these hills«
»Have we no further need of them« demanded Heyward
»See and judge with your own eyes« said the scout advancing towards the
eastern brow of the mountain whither he beckoned for the whole party to follow
»if it was as easy to look into the heart of man as it is to spy out the
nakedness of Montcalms camp from this spot hypocrites would grow scarce and
the cunning of a Mingo might prove a losing game compared to the honesty of a
Delaware«
When the travellers had reached the verge of the precipice they saw at a
glance the truth of the scouts declaration and the admirable foresight with
which he had led them to their commanding station
The mountain on which they stood elevated perhaps a thousand feet in the
air was a high cone that rose a little in advance of that range which
stretches for miles along the western shores of the lake until meeting its
sister piles beyond the water it ran off towards the Canadas in confused and
broken masses of rock thinly sprinkled with evergreens Immediately at the feet
of the party the southern shore of the Horican swept in a broad semicircle
from mountain to mountain marking a wide strand that soon rose into an uneven
and somewhat elevated plain To the north stretched the limpid and as it
appeared from that dizzy height the narrow sheet of the holy lake indented
with numberless bays embellished by fantastic headlands and dotted with
countless islands At the distance of a few leagues the bed of the waters
became lost among mountains or was wrapped in the masses of vapour that came
slowly rolling along their bosom before a light morning air But a narrow
opening between the crests of the hills pointed out the passage by which they
found their way still farther north to spread their pure and ample sheets
again before pouring out their tribute into the distant Champlain To the south
stretched the defile or rather broken plain so often mentioned For several
miles in this direction the mountains appeared reluctant to yield their
dominion but within reach of the eye they diverged and finally melted into the
level and sandy lands across which we have accompanied our adventurers in their
double journey Along both ranges of hills which bounded the opposite sides of
the lake and valley clouds of light vapour were rising in spiral wreaths from
the uninhabited woods looking like the smokes of hidden cottages or rolled
lazily down the declivities to mingle with the fogs of the lower land A
single solitary snowwhite cloud floated above the valley and marked the
spot beneath which lay the silent pool of the bloody pond
Directly on the shore of the lake and nearer to its western than to its
eastern margin lay the extensive earthen ramparts and low buildings of William
Henry Two of the sweeping bastions appeared to rest on the water which washed
their bases while a deep ditch and extensive morasses guarded its other sides
and angles The land had been cleared of wood for a reasonable distance around
the work but every other part of the scene lay in the green livery of nature
except where the limpid water mellowed the view or the bold rocks thrust their
black and naked heads above the undulating outlines of the mountain ranges In
its front might be seen the scattered sentinels who held a weary watch against
their numerous foes and within the walls themselves the travellers looked down
upon men still drowsy with a night of vigilance Towards the southeast but in
immediate contact with the fort was an entrenched camp posted on a rocky
eminence that would have been far more eligible for the work itself in which
Hawkeye pointed out the presence of those auxiliary regiments that had so
recently left the Hudson in their company From the woods a little farther to
the south rose numerous dark and lurid smokes that were easily to be
distinguished from the purer exhalations of the springs and which the scout
also showed to Heyward as evidences that the enemy lay in force in that
direction
But the spectacle which most concerned the young soldier was on the western
bank of the lake though quite near to its southern termination On a stripe of
land which appeared from his stand too narrow to contain such an army but
which in truth extended many hundreds of yards from the shores of the Horican
to the base of the mountain were to be seen the white tents and military
engines of an encampment of ten thousand men Batteries were already thrown up
in their front and even while the spectators above them were looking down with
such different emotions on a scene which lay like a map beneath their feet
the roar of artillery rose from the valley and passed off in thundering
echoes along the eastern hills
»Morning is just touching them below« said the deliberate and musing scout
»and the watchers have a mind to wake up the sleepers by the sound of cannon We
are a few hours too late Montcalm has already filled the woods with his
accursed Iroquois«
»The place is indeed invested« returned Duncan »but is there no
expedient by which we may enter capture in the works would be far preferable to
falling again into the hands of roving Indians«
»See« exclaimed the scout unconsciously directing the attention of Cora to
the quarters of her own father »how that shot has made the stones fly from the
side of the commandants house Ay these Frenchers will pull it to pieces
faster than it was put together solid and thick though it be«
»Heyward I sicken at the sight of danger that I cannot share« said the
undaunted but anxious daughter »Let us go to Montcalm and demand admission he
dare not deny a child the boon«
»You would scarce find the tent of the Frenchman with the hair on your
head« said the blunt scout »If I had but one of the thousand boats which lie
empty along that shore it might be done Ha here will soon be an end of the
firing for yonder comes a fog that will turn day to night and make an Indian
arrow more dangerous than a moulded cannon Now if you are equal to the work
and will follow I will make a push for I long to get down into that camp if
it be only to scatter some Mingo dogs that I see lurking in the skirts of
yonder thicket of birch«
»We are equal« said Cora firmly »on such an errand we will follow to any
danger«
The scout turned to her with a smile of honest and cordial approbation as
he answered
»I would I had a thousand men of brawny limbs and quick eyes that feared
death as little as you Id send them jabbering Frenchers back into their den
again afore the week was ended howling like so many fettered hounds or hungry
wolves But stir« he added turning from her to the rest of the party »the fog
comes rolling down so fast we shall have but just the time to meet it on the
plain and use it as a cover Remember if any accident should befall me to
keep the air blowing on your left cheeks or rather follow the Mohicans
theyd scent their way be it in day or be it at night«
He then waved his hand for them to follow and threw himself down the steep
declivity with free but careful footsteps Heyward assisted the sisters to
descend and in a few minutes they were all far down a mountain whose sides
they had climbed with so much toil and pain
The direction taken by Hawkeye soon brought the travellers to the level of
the plain nearly opposite to a sallyport in the western curtain of the fort
which lay itself at the distance of about half a mile from the point where he
halted to allow Duncan to come up with his charge In their eagerness and
favoured by the nature of the ground they had anticipated the fog which was
rolling heavily down the lake and it became necessary to pause until the mists
had wrapped the camp of the enemy in their fleecy mantle The Mohicans profited
by the delay to steal out of the woods and to make a survey of surrounding
objects They were followed at a little distance by the scout with a view to
profit early by their report and to obtain some faint knowledge for himself of
the more immediate localities
In a very few moments he returned his face reddened with vexation while he
muttered his disappointment in words of no very gentle import
»Here has the cunning Frenchman been posting a picquet directly in our
path« he said »redskins and whites and we shall be as likely to fall into
their midst as to pass them in the fog«
»Cannot we make a circuit to avoid the danger« asked Heyward »and come
into our path again when it is past«
»Who that once bends from the line of his march in a fog can tell when or
how to turn to find it again The mists of Horican are not like the curls from a
peacepipe or the smoke which settles above a mosquetoe fire«
He was yet speaking when a crashing sound was heard and a cannon ball
entered the thicket striking the body of a sapling and rebounding to the
earth its force being much expended by previous resistance The Indians
followed instantly like busy attendants on the terrible messenger and Uncas
commenced speaking earnestly and with much action in the Delaware tongue
»It may be so lad« muttered the scout when he had ended »for desperate
fevers are not to be treated like a toothache Come then the fog is shutting
in«
»Stop« cried Heyward »first explain your expectations«
»Tis soon done and a small hope it is but it is better than nothing This
shot that you see« added the scout kicking the harmless iron with his foot
»has ploughed the arth in its road from the fort and we shall hunt for the
furrow it has made when all other signs may fail No more words but follow or
the fog may leave us in the middle of our path a mark for both armies to shoot
at«
Heyward perceiving that in fact a crisis had arrived when acts were more
required than words placed himself between the sisters and drew them swiftly
forward keeping the dim figure of their leader in his eye It was soon apparent
that Hawkeye had not magnified the power of the fog for before they had
proceeded twenty yards it was difficult for the different individuals of the
party to distinguish each other in the vapour
They had made their little circuit to the left and were already inclining
again towards the right having as Heyward thought got over nearly half the
distance to the friendly works when his ears were saluted with the fierce
summons apparently within twenty feet of them of
»Qui va là«
»Push on« whispered the scout once more bending to the left
»Push on« repeated Heyward when the summons was renewed by a dozen voices
each of which seemed charged with menace
»Cest moi« cried Duncan dragging rather than leading those he
supported swiftly onward
»Bête qui moi«
»Ami de la France«
»Tu mas plus lair dun ennemi de la France arrete ou pardieu je te ferai
ami du diable Non feu camarades feu«
The order was instantly obeyed and the fog was stirred by the explosion of
fifty muskets Happily the aim was bad and the bullets cut the air in a
direction a little different from that taken by the fugitives though still so
nigh them that to the unpractised ears of David and the two females it
appeared as if they whistled within a few inches of the organs The outcry was
renewed and the order not only to fire again but to pursue was too plainly
audible When Heyward briefly explained the meaning of the words they heard
Hawkeye halted and spoke with quick decision and great firmness
»Let us deliver our fire« he said »they will believe it a sortie and give
way or they will wait for reinforcements«
The scheme was well conceived but failed in its effect The instant the
French heard the pieces it seemed as if the plain was alive with men muskets
rattling along its whole extent from the shores of the lake to the farthest
boundary of the woods
»We shall draw their entire army upon us and bring on a general assault«
said Duncan »Lead on my friend for your own life and ours«
The scout seemed willing to comply but in the hurry of the moment and in
the change of position he had lost the direction In vain he turned either
cheek towards the light air they felt equally cool In this dilemma Uncas
lighted on the furrow of the cannon ball where it had cut the ground in three
adjacent anthills
»Give me the range« said Hawkeye bending to catch a glimpse of the
direction and then instantly moving onward
Cries oaths voices calling to each other and the reports of muskets were
now quick and incessant and apparently on every side of them Suddenly a
strong glare of light flashed across the scene the fog rolled upward in thick
wreaths and several cannon belched across the plain and the roar was thrown
heavily back from the bellowing echoes of the mountain
»Tis from the fort« exclaimed Hawkeye turning short on his tracks »and
we like stricken fools were rushing to the woods under the very knives of the
Maquas«
The instant their mistake was rectified the whole party retraced the error
with the utmost diligence Duncan willingly relinquished the support of Cora to
the arm of Uncas and Cora as readily accepted the welcome assistance Men hot
and angry in pursuit were evidently on their footsteps and each instant
threatened their capture if not their destruction
»Point de quartier aux coquins« cried an eager pursuer who seemed to
direct the operations of the enemy
»Stand firm and be ready my gallant 6oths« suddenly exclaimed a voice
above them »wait to see the enemy fire low and sweep the glacis«
»Father father« exclaimed a piercing cry from out the mist »it is I
Alice thy own Elsie spare oh save your daughters«
»Hold« shouted the former speaker in the awful tones of parental agony
the sound reaching even to the woods and rolling back in solemn echo »Tis
she God has restored me my children Throw open the sallyport to the field
6oths to the field pull not a trigger lest ye kill my lambs Drive off these
dogs of France with your steel«
Duncan heard the grating of the rusty hinges and darting to the spot
directed by the sound he met a long line of darkred warriors passing swiftly
towards the glacis He knew them for his own battalion of the Royal Americans
and flying to their head soon swept every trace of his pursuers from before the
works
For an instant Cora and Alice had stood trembling and bewildered by this
unexpected desertion but before either had leisure for speech or even
thought an officer of gigantic frame whose locks were bleached with years and
service but whose air of military grandeur had been rather softened than
destroyed by time rushed out of the body of the mist and folded them to his
bosom while large scalding tears rolled down his pale and wrinkled cheeks and
he exclaimed in the peculiar accent of Scotland
»For this I thank thee Lord Let danger come as it will thy servant is now
prepared«
Chapter XV
»Then go we in to know his embassy
Which I could with a ready guess declare
Before the Frenchman speak a word of it«
Henry V Ii9597
A few succeeding days were passed amid the privations the uproar and the
dangers of the siege which was vigorously pressed by a power against whose
approaches Munro possessed no competent means of resistance It appeared as if
Webb with his army which lay slumbering on the banks of the Hudson had
utterly forgotten the strait to which his countrymen were reduced Montcalm had
filled the woods of the portage with his savages every yell and whoop from whom
rang through the British encampment chilling the hearts of men who were
already but too much disposed to magnify the danger
Not so however with the besieged Animated by the words and stimulated by
the examples of their leaders they had found their courage and maintained
their ancient reputation with a zeal that did justice to the stern character of
their commander As if satisfied with the toil of marching through the
wilderness to encounter his enemy the French general though of approved skill
had neglected to seize the adjacent mountains whence the besieged might have
been exterminated with impunity and which in the more modern warfare of the
country would not have been neglected for a single hour This sort of contempt
for eminences or rather dread of the labour of ascending them might have been
termed the besetting weakness of the warfare of the period It originated in the
simplicity of the Indian contests in which from the nature of the combats and
the density of the forests fortresses were rare and artillery next to useless
The carelessness engendered by these usages descended even to the war of the
revolution and lost the states the important fortress of Ticonderoga opening a
way for the army of Burgoyne into what was then the bosom of the country We
look back at this ignorance or infatuation which ever it may be called with
wonder knowing that the neglect of an eminence whose difficulties like those
of Mount Defiance had been so greatly exaggerated would at the present time
prove fatal to the reputation of the engineer who had planned the works at their
base or to that of the general whose lot it was to defend them
The tourist the valetudinarian or the amateur of the beauties of nature
who in the train of his fourinhand now rolls through the scenes we have
attempted to describe in quest of information health or pleasure or floats
steadily towards his object on those artificial waters which have sprung up
under the administration of a statesman21 who has dared to stake his political
character on the hazardous issue is not to suppose that his ancestors traversed
those hills or struggled with the same currents with equal facility The
transportation of a single heavy gun was often considered equal to a victory
gained if happily the difficulties of the passage had not so far separated it
from its necessary concomitants the ammunition as to render it no more than an
useless tube of unwieldy iron
The evils of this state of things pressed heavily on the fortunes of the
resolute Scotsman who now defended William Henry Though his adversary
neglected the hills he had planted his batteries with judgment on the plain
and caused them to be served with vigour and skill Against this assault the
besieged could only oppose the imperfect and hasty preparations of a fortress in
the wilderness
It was in the afternoon of the fifth day of the siege and the fourth of his
own service in it that Major Heyward profited by a parley that had just been
beaten by repairing to the ramparts of one of the water bastions to breathe
the cool air from the lake and to take a survey of the progress of the siege
He was alone if the solitary sentinel who paced the mound be excepted for the
artillerists had hastened also to profit by the temporary suspension of their
arduous duties The evening was delightfully calm and the light air from the
limpid water fresh and soothing It seemed as if with the termination to the
roar of artillery and the plunging of shot nature had also seized the moment
to assume her mildest and most captivating form The sun poured down his parting
glory on the scene without the oppression of those fierce rays that belong to
the climate and the season The mountains looked green and fresh and lovely
tempered with the milder light or softened in shadow as thin vapours floated
between them and the sun The numerous islands rested on the bosom of the
Horican some low and sunken as if imbedded in the waters and others appearing
to hover above the element in little hillocks of green velvet among which the
fishermen of the beleaguering army peacefully rowed their skiffs or floated at
rest on the glassy mirror in quiet pursuit of their employment
The scene was at once animated and still All that pertained to nature was
sweet or simply grand while those parts which depended on the temper and
movements of man were lively and playful
Two little spotless flags were abroad the one on a salient angle of the
fort and the other on the advanced battery of the besiegers emblems of the
truce which existed not only to the acts but it would seem also to the
enmity of the combatants Behind these again swung heavily opening and
closing in silken folds the rival standards of England and France
A hundred gay and thoughtless young Frenchmen were drawing a net to the
pebbly beach within dangerous proximity to the sullen but silent cannon of the
fort while the eastern mountain was sending back the loud shouts and gay
merriment that attended their sport Some were rushing eagerly to enjoy the
aquatic games of the lake and others were already toiling their way up the
neighbouring hills with the restless curiosity of their nation To all these
sports and pursuits those of the enemy who watched the besieged and the
besieged themselves were however merely the idle though sympathizing
spectators Here and there a picquet had indeed raised a song or mingled in a
dance which had drawn the dusky savages around them from their lairs in the
forest In short every thing wore rather the appearance of a day of pleasure
than of an hour stolen from the dangers and toil of a bloody and vindictive
warfare
Duncan had stood in a musing attitude contemplating this scene a few
minutes when his eyes were directed to the glacis in front of the sallyport
already mentioned by the sounds of approaching footsteps He walked to an angle
of the bastion and beheld the scout advancing under the custody of a French
officer to the body of the fort The countenance of Hawkeye was haggard and
careworn and his air dejected as though he felt the deepest degradation at
having fallen into the power of his enemies He was without his favourite
weapon and his arms were even bound behind him with thongs made of the skin of
a deer The arrival of flags to cover the messengers of summons had occurred
so often of late that when Heyward first threw his careless glance on this
groupe he expected to see another of the officers of the enemy charged with a
similar office but the instant he recognised the tall person and still sturdy
though downcast features of his friend the woodsman he started with surprise
and turned to descend from the bastion into the bosom of the work
The sounds of other voices however caught his attention and for a moment
caused him to forget his purpose At the inner angle of the mound he met the
sisters walking along the parapet in search like himself of air and relief
from confinement They had not met since that painful moment when he deserted
them on the plain only to assure their safety He had parted from them worn
with care and jaded with fatigue he now saw them refreshed and blooming
though timid and anxious Under such an inducement it will cause no surprise
that the young man lost sight for a time of other objects in order to address
them He was however anticipated by the voice of the ingenuous and youthful
Alice
»Ah thou truant thou recreant knight he who abandons his damsels in the
very lists« she cried »here have we been days nay ages expecting you at our
feet imploring mercy and forgetfulness of your craven backsliding or I should
rather say backrunning for verily you fled in a manner that no stricken
deer as our worthy friend the scout would say could equal«
»You know that Alice means our thanks and our blessings« added the graver
and more thoughtful Cora »In truth we have a little wondered why you should so
rigidly absent yourself from a place where the gratitude of the daughters might
receive the support of a parents thanks«
»Your father himself could tell you that though absent from your presence
I have not been altogether forgetful of your safety« returned the young man
»the mastery of yonder village of huts« pointing to the neighbouring entrenched
camp »has been keenly disputed and he who holds it is sure to be possessed of
this fort and that which it contains My days and my nights have all been
passed there since we separated because I thought that duty called me thither
But« he added with an air of chagrin which he endeavoured though
unsuccessfully to conceal »had I been aware that what I then believed a
soldiers conduct could be so construed shame would have been added to the
list of reasons«
»Heyward Duncan« exclaimed Alice bending forward to read his
halfaverted countenance until a lock of her golden hair rested on her flushed
cheek and nearly concealed the tear that had started to her eye »did I think
this idle tongue of mine had pained you I would silence it for ever Cora can
say if Cora would how justly we have prized your services and how deep I
had almost said how fervent is our gratitude«
»And will Cora attest the truth of this« cried Duncan suffering the cloud
to be chased from his countenance by a smile of open pleasure »What says our
graver sister Will she find an excuse for the neglect of the knight in the
duty of a soldier«
Cora made no immediate answer but turned her face toward the water as if
looking on the sheet of the Horican When she did bend her dark eyes on the
young man they were yet filled with an expression of anguish that at once drove
every thought but that of kind solicitude from his mind
»You are not well dearest Miss Munro« he exclaimed »we have trifled
while you are in suffering«
»Tis nothing« she answered refusing his offered support with feminine
reserve »That I cannot see the sunny side of the picture of life like this
artless but ardent enthusiast« she added laying her hand lightly but
affectionately on the arm of her sister »is the penalty of experience and
perhaps the misfortune of my nature See« she continued as if determined to
shake off infirmity in a sense of duty »look around you Major Heyward and
tell me what a prospect is this for the daughter of a soldier whose greatest
happiness is his honour and his military renown«
»Neither ought nor shall be tarnished by circumstances over which he has
had no control« Duncan warmly replied »But your words recall me to my own
duty I go now to your gallant father to hear his determination in matters of
the last moment to the defence God bless you in every fortune noble Cora I
may and must call you« She frankly gave him her hand though her lip quivered
and her cheeks gradually became of an ashy paleness »In every fortune I know
you will be an ornament and honour to your sex Alice adieu« his tone changed
from admiration to tenderness »adieu Alice we shall soon meet again as
conquerors I trust and amid rejoicings«
Without waiting for an answer from either the young man threw himself down
the grassy steps of the bastion and moving rapidly across the parade he was
quickly in the presence of their father Munro has pacing his narrow apartment
with a disturbed air and gigantic strides as Duncan entered
»You have anticipated my wishes Major Heyward« he said »I was about to
request this favour«
»I am sorry to see sir that the messenger I so warmly recommended has
returned in custody of the French I hope there is no reason to distrust his
fidelity«
»The fidelity of the Long Rifle is well known to me« returned Munro »and
is above suspicion though his usual good fortune seems at last to have
failed Montcalm has got him and with the accursed politeness of his nation he
has sent him in with a doleful tale of knowing how I valued the fellow he
could not think of retaining him A jesuitical way that Major Duncan Heyward
of telling a man of his misfortunes«
»But the general and his succour «
»Did ye look to the south as ye entered and could ye not see them« said
the old soldier laughing bitterly »Hoot hoot youre an impatient boy sir
and cannot give the gentlemen leisure for their march«
»They are coming then The scout has said as much«
»When and by what path for the dunce has omitted to tell me this There is
a letter it would seem too and that is the only agreeable part of the matter
For the customary attentions of your Marquis of Montcalm I warrant me Duncan
that he of Lothian would buy a dozen such marquessates but if the news of the
letter were bad the gentility of this French monsieur would certainly compel
him to let us know it«
»He keeps the letter then while he releases the messenger«
»Ay that does he and all for the sake of what you call your bonhommie I
would venture if the truth was known the fellows grandfather taught the noble
science of dancing«
»But what says the scout he has eyes and ears and a tongue what verbal
report does he make«
»Oh sir he is not wanting in natural organs and he is free to tell all
that he has seen and heard The whole amount is this there is a fort of his
majestys on the banks of the Hudson called Edward in honour of his gracious
highness of York youll know and it is well filled with armed men as such a
work should be«
»But was there no movement no signs of any intention to advance to our
relief«
»There were the morning and evening parades and when one of the provincial
loons youll know Duncan yourre half a Scotsman yourself when one of them
dropped his powder over his porretch if it touched the coals it just burnt«
Then suddenly changing his bitter ironical manner to one more grave and
thoughtful he continued »and yet there might and must be something in that
letter which it would be well to know«
»Our decision should be speedy« said Duncan gladly availing himself of
this change of humour to press the more important objects of their interview
»I cannot conceal from you sir that the camp will not be much longer tenable
and I am sorry to add that things appear no better in the fort more than
half the guns are bursted«
»And how should it be otherwise some were fished from the bottom of the
lake some have been rusting in the woods since the discovery of the country
and some were never guns at all mere privateersmens playthings Do you think
sir you can have Woolwich Warren in the midst of a wilderness three thousand
miles from Great Britain«
»The walls are crumbling about our ears and provisions begin to fail us«
continued Heyward without regarding this new burst of indignation »even the
men show signs of discontent and alarm«
»Major Heyward« said Munro turning to his youthful associate with the
dignity of his years and superior rank »I should have served his majesty for
half a century and earned these gray hairs in vain were I ignorant of all you
say and of the pressing nature of our circumstances still there is every
thing due to the honour of the kings arms and something to ourselves While
there is hope of succour this fortress will I defend though it be to be done
with pebbles gathered on the lake shore It is a sight of the letter therefore
that we want that we may know the intentions of the man the Earl of Loudon has
left among us as his substitute«
»And can I be of service in the matter«
»Sir you can the Marquis of Montcalm has in addition to his other
civilities invited me to a personal interview between the works and his own
camp in order as he says to impart some additional information Now I think
it would not be wise to show any undue solicitude to meet him and I would
employ you an officer of rank as my substitute for it would but ill comport
with the honour of Scotland to let it be said one of her gentlemen was outdone
in civility by a native of any other country on earth«
Without assuming the supererogatory task of entering into a discussion of
the comparative merits of national courtesy Duncan cheerfully assented to
supply the place of the veteran in the approaching interview A long and
confidential communication now succeeded during which the young man received
some additional insight into his duty from the experience and native acuteness
of his commander and then the former took his leave
As Duncan could only act as the representative of the commandant of the
fort the ceremonies which should have accompanied a meeting between the heads
of the adverse forces were of course dispensed with The truce still existed
and with a roll and beat of the drum and covered by a little white flag Duncan
left the sallyport within ten minutes after his instructions were ended He
was received by the French officer in advance with the usual formalities and
immediately accompanied to the distant marquee of the renowned soldier who led
the forces of France
The general of the enemy received the youthful messenger surrounded by his
principal officers and by a swarthy band of the native chiefs who had followed
him to the field with the warriors of their several tribes Heyward paused
short when in glancing his eyes rapidly over the dark groupe of the latter he
beheld the malignant countenance of Magua regarding him with the calm but
sullen attention which marked the expression of that subtle savage A slight
exclamation of surprise even burst from the lips of the young man but
instantly recollecting his errand and the presence in which he stood he
suppressed every appearance of emotion and turned to the hostile leader who
had already advanced a step to receive him
The Marquis of Montcalm was at the period of which we write in the flower
of his age and it may be added in the zenith of his fortunes But even in that
enviable situation he was affable and distinguished as much for his attention
to the forms of courtesy as for that chivalrous courage which only two short
years afterwards induced him to throw away his life on the plains of Abraham
Duncan in turning his eyes from the malign expression of Magua suffered them
to rest with pleasure on the smiling and polished features and the noble
military air of the French general
»Monsieur« said the latter »Jai beaucoup de plaisir à bah où est cet
interprête«
»Je crois monsieur quil ne sera pas nécessaire« Heyward modestly
replied »je parle un peu Français«
»Ah jen suis bien aise« said Montcalm taking Duncan familiarly by the
arm and leading him deep into the marquee a little out of earshot »je déteste
ces friponslà on ne sait jamais sur quel piè on est avec eux Eh bien
monsieur« he continued still speaking in French »though I should have been
proud of receiving your commandant I am very happy that he has seen proper to
employ an officer so distinguished and who I am sure is so amiable as
yourself«
Duncan bowed low pleased with the compliment in spite of a most heroic
determination to suffer no artifice to lure him into forgetfulness of the
interests 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 assaults
Mais monsieur is it not time to begin to take more counsel of humanity and
less of your own 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 vigour 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
defence 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 defence so feeble as to believe the measure
necessary«
»I should be sorry to have the defence protracted in such a manner as to
irritate my red friends there« continued Montcalm glancing his eyes at the
groupe of grave and attentive Indians without attending to the others
question »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
defenceless beings who had shared in all his sufferings
»Ces messieurslà« 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 set down before Quebec but an earthen work that is defended by
twentythree hundred gallant men« was the laconic reply
»Our mounds are earthen certainly nor are they seated on the rocks of
Cape Diamond but they stand on that shore which proved so destructive to
Dieskau and his army There is also a powerful force within a few hours march
of us which we account upon as part of our means«
»Some six or eight thousand men« returned Montcalm with much apparent
indifference »whom their leader wisely judges to be safer in their works
than in the field«
It was now Heywards 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 favourably impressed
with an opinion of the courtesy and talents of the enemys 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
Chapter XVI
»Edg Before you fight the battle ope this letter«
King Lear Vi40
Major Heyward found Munro attended only by his daughters Alice sate 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 lookeron regarding the wayward movements
of her more youthful sister with that species of maternal fondness which
characterised 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 affections the daughters forgetting their fears and the veteran his
cares in the security of the moment Of this scene Duncan who in his
eagerness to report his arrival had entered unannounced stood many moments an
unobserved and a delighted spectator But the quick and dancing eyes of Alice
soon caught a glimpse of his figure reflected from a glass and she sprang
blushing from her fathers 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 yourre 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 mans mission paced the room for a
few moments with his hands behind his back and his head inclined towards the
floor like a man lost in thought At length he raised his eyes glistening
with a fathers 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 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 Ill just give you a hearing though all
the knights of St Louis were in a body at the sallyport with the French saint
at their head craving to speak a word under favour A pretty degree of
knighthood sir is that which can be bought with sugarhogsheads and then your
twopenny marquessates 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
humour 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 honour 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 honour 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 others 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 youre 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
»Youll know already Major Heyward that my family was both ancient and
honourable« commenced the Scotsman »though it might not altogether be endowed
with that amount of wealth that should correspond with its degree I was may
be such an one as yourself when I plighted my faith to Alice Graham the only
child of a neighbouring laird of some estate But the connexion 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 connexion 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 fathers 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 engrafted 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 than at present
»She did indeed« said the old man »and dearly did she pay for the
blessing she bestowed But she is a saint in heaven sir and it ill becomes one
whose foot rests on the grave to mourn a lot so blessed I had her but a 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 others presence his features exposed and working with the
anguish of his regrets while heavy tears fell from his eyes and rolled
unheeded from his cheeks to the floor At length he moved as if suddenly
recovering his 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 halfforgotten 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 yere
all that Duncan though your years are but few he answers me with a riddle«
»He may have thought less favourably of the substitute my dear sir and you
will remember that the invitation which he now repeats was to the commandant
of the works and not to his second«
»Well sir is not a substitute clothed with all the power and dignity of
him who grants the commission He wishes to confer with Munro Faith sir I
have much inclination to indulge the man if it should only be to let him behold
the firm countenance we maintain in spite of his numbers and his summons There
might be no bad policy in such a stroke young man«
Duncan who believed it of the last importance that they should speedily
come at the contents of the letter borne by the scout gladly encouraged this
idea
»Without doubt he could gather no confidence by 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
honour of his king in keeping and harkee Duncan« he added in a half
whisper though they were alone »it may be prudent to have some aid at hand in
case there should 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 despatch 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
sallyport 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 enemies his air had been grand and his step and
countenance highly military The instant he caught a glimpse of the white plume
that waved in the hat of Montcalm his eye lighted and age no longer appeared
to possess any influence over his vast and still muscular person
»Speak to the boys to be watchful sir« he said in an under tone to
Duncan »and to look well to their flints and steel for one is never safe with
a servant of these Louis at the same time we will show them the front of men
in deep security Yell understand me Major Heyward«
He was interrupted by the clamour 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 towards them
with a quick but graceful step baring his head to the veteran and dropping his
spotless plume nearly to the earth in courtesy If the air of Munro was more
commanding and manly it wanted both the ease and insinuating polish of that of
the 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 arrière mes enfans il fait chaud retirezvous 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 groupes
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
towards 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 Français 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 no 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 honour«
»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 demivoice 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 every thing which is necessary for the honour 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 ardour 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 byplay with Munro
»Your pardon monsieur« rejoined the Frenchman suffering a slight colour
to appear on his dark cheek »There is a vast difference between understanding
and speaking a foreign tongue you will therefore please to assist me still«
Then after a short pause he added »These hills afford us every opportunity of
reconnoitring your works messieurs and I am possibly as well 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 général Webb be his own interpreter« returned the politic Montcalm
suddenly extending an open letter towards Munro as he spoke »you will there
learn monsieur that his movements are not likely to prove embarrassing to my
army«
The veteran seized the offered paper without waiting for Duncan to translate
the speech and with an eagerness that 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 dishonour 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
honour Let us then sell our lives at such a rate as shall make our enemies
believe the purchase too dear«
»Boy I thank thee« exclaimed the old man rousing himself from his stupor
»you have for once reminded Munro of his duty We will go back and dig our
graves behind those ramparts«
»Messieurs« said Montcalm advancing towards them a step in generous
interest »you little know Louis de St Véran 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 others 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 colours« 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 honourable 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 towards the fort exhibiting by the dejection of his air to the anxious
garrison a harbinger of evil tidings
From the shock of this unexpected 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 reenter 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 their
colours and their baggage and consequently according to military opinion
their honour
Chapter XVII
»Weave we the woof The thread is spun
The web is wove The work is done«
Gray »The Bard« IIIi
Strophe 3 ll 98 100
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 piquets 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 canvass 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 centre of the camp to its most advanced outposts when he
drew nigh the soldier who held his watch nearest to the works of the enemy As
he approached he was received with the usual challenge
»Qui vive«
»France« was the reply
»Le mot dordre«
»La victoire« said the other drawing so nigh as to be heard in a loud
whisper
»Cest bien« returned the sentinel throwing his musket from the charge to
his shoulder »vous vous promenez bien matin monsieur«
»Il est necessaire dêtre 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 towards the British fortification The man
started his arms rattled heavily as he threw them forward in the lowest and
most respectful salute and when he had again recovered his piece he turned to
walk his post muttering between his teeth
»Il faut être vigilant en vérité je crois que nous avons là 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 obscured 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 towards the summit of the eastern mountain as if
anticipating the approach of the morning he was in the act of turning on his
footsteps when a light sound on the nearest angle of the bastion caught his
ear and induced him to remain
Just then a figure was seen to approach the edge of the rampart where it
stood apparently contemplating in its turn the distant tents of the French
encampment Its head was then turned towards the east as though equally anxious
for the appearance of light when the form leaned against the mound and seemed
to gaze upon the glassy expanse of the waters which like a submarine
firmament glittered with its thousand mimic stars The melancholy air the
hour together with the vast frame of the man who thus leaned in musing
against the English ramparts left no doubt as to his person in the mind of the
observant spectator Delicacy no less than prudence now urged him to retire
and he had movd 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 farther 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 today they hear him at the council
fire«
»Magua is a great chief«
»Let him prove it by teaching his nation how to conduct towards our new
friends«
»Why did the chief of the Canadas bring his young men into the woods and
fire his cannon at the earthen house« demanded the subtle 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 colour 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 others request The savage placed the finger 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 lIe
Renard Subtil knows how to speak to a Huron warrior«
Without deigning to bestow farther words or to wait for any answer the
savage cast his rifle into the hollow of his arm and moved silently through
the encampment towards the woods where his own tribe was known to lie Every
few yards as he proceeded he was challenged by the sentinels but he stalked
sullenly onward utterly 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 their 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 towards 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 mean time the day had dawned and when the line
of the French army was ready to receive its general the rays of a brilliant sun
were glancing along the glittering array Then that success which was already
so well known was officially announced the favoured 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
AngloAmerican 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
all 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«
»Today 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 towards the quarters of Munro in quest of the
sisters He found them on the threshold of the low edifice already prepared to
depart and surrounded by a clamorous and weeping assemblage of their own sex
that had gathered about the place with a sort of instinctive consciousness
that it was the point most likely to be protected Though the cheeks of Cora
were pale and her countenance anxious she had lost none of her firmness but
the eyes of Alice were inflamed and betrayed how long and bitterly she had
wept They both however received the young man with undisguised pleasure the
former for a novelty 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 metre 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«
»Even so«
»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 towards the Hudson and immediately took his leave
By this time the signal of 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 burthen 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
honours and offering no taunt or insult in their success to their less
fortunate foes Living masses of the English to the amount in the whole of
near three thousand were moving slowly across the plain towards the common
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 stooping on their prey by the presence
and restraint of a superior army A few had straggled among the conquered
columns where they stalked in sullen discontent attentive though as yet
passive observers of the moving multitude
The advance with Heyward at its head had already reached the defile and
was slowly disappearing when the attention of Cora was drawn to a collection of
stragglers by the sounds of contention A truant provincial was paying the
forfeit of his disobedience by being plundered of those very effects which had
caused him to desert his place in the ranks The man was of powerful frame and
too avaricious to part with his goods without a struggle Individuals from
either party interfered the one side to prevent and the other to aid in the
robbery Voices grew loud and angry and a hundred savages appeared as it were
by magic where a dozen only had been seen a minute before It was then that
Cora saw the form of 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
colours 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
every thing 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 above his head holding it by the feet as if to enhance
the value of the ransom
»Here here there all any every thing« exclaimed the breathless
woman tearing the lighter articles of dress from her person with illdirected
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 towards heaven as if calling on God to curse the perpetrator of
the foul deed She was spared the sin of such a prayer for maddened at his
disappointment and excited by the sight of blood the Huron mercifully drove
his tomahawk into her own brain The mother sunk 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
bursted 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 raging 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 every where 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 endeavouring 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 rivetted
to one spot horrorstricken 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
sounds 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 evil spirit of Saul by the sound of his
harp and the words of sacred song it may not be amiss« he said »to try the
potency of music here«
Then raising his voice to its highest tones he poured out a strain so
powerful as to be heard even amid the din of that bloody field More than one
savage rushed towards them thinking to rifle the unprotected sisters of their
attire and bear away their scalps but when they found this strange and unmoved
figure rivetted 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 sung
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 groupe to groupe
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 hand 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 darkhair
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 ist 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 travellers had abandoned so shortly before awaiting
his appearance in custody of a savage as fierce and as malign in his expression
as himself Laying Alice on one of the horses he made a sign for 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 recognised 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 immoveable 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 savages22
Chapter XVIII
»Why any thing
An honourable murderer if you will
For nought I did in hate but all in honour«
Othello Vii294295
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 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 Véran
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 humbler 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 bloodstained
conquerors had departed and their camp which had so lately rung with the merry
rejoicings of a victorious army lay a silent and deserted city of huts The
fortress was a smouldering ruin charred rafters fragments of exploded
artillery and rent masonwork 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 vapour 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 towards 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 sombre 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 and 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
favouring 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 colours 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 vapour
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 stooped
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 spot or dreaded the
renewal of its frightful incidents A light figure preceded the rest of the
party with the caution and activity of a native ascending every hillock to
reconnoitre and 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 and 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 colour 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 groupes of dead with a steadiness of
purpose and an eye so calm that nothing but long and inveterate practice could
enable him to maintain The sensations produced in the minds of even the white
men were different though uniformly sorrowful One whose gray locks and
furrowed lineaments blending with a martial air and tread betrayed in spite
of the disguise of a woodsmans 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 centre of the plain he
raised a cry that drew his companions in a body to the spot The young warrior
had halted over a groupe of females who lay in a cluster a confused mass of
dead Notwithstanding the revolting horror of the exhibition Munro and Heyward
flew towards the festering heap endeavouring 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 manycoloured 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 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 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 never knew the
instigation of passion
»Montcalm Montcalm« continued the deeply resentful and less
selfrestrained 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 Wo betide the wretch who is born to behold this plain with the
judgment hanging above his soul Ha as I am a man of white blood yonder lies
a redskin 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 onlimited power should dare to sweep off men in
multitudes« he added »for it is only the one that can know the necessity of
the judgment and what is there short of the other that can replace the
creatures of the Lord I hold it a sin to kill the second buck afore the first
is eaten unless a march in the front or an ambushment be contemplated It is
a different matter with a few warriors in open and rugged fight for tis their
gift to die with the rifle or the tomahawk in hand according as their natures
may happen to be white or red Uncas come this way lad and let the raven
settle upon the Mingo I know from often seeing it that they have a craving
for the flesh of an Oneida and it is as well to let the bird follow the gift of
its natural appetite«
»Hugh« exclaimed the young Mohican rising on the extremities of his feet
and gazing intently in his front frightening the raven to some other prey by
the sound and the action
»What is it boy« whispered the scout lowering his tall form into a
crouching attitude like a panther about to take his leap »God send it be a
tardy Frencher skulking for plunder I do believe killdeer would take an
oncommon 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 quick and wildly »give me my child«
»Uncas will try« was the short and touching answer
The simple but meaning assurance was lost on the father who seized the
piece of gauze and crushed it in his hand while his eyes roamed fearfully
among the bushes as if he equally dreaded and hoped for the secrets they might
reveal
»Here are no dead« said Heyward »the storm seems not to have passed this
way«
»Thats 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 darkhair has been here and she
has fled like a frighted fawn to the wood none who could fly would remain to
be murdered Let us search for the marks she left for to Indian eyes I
sometimes think even a hummingbird 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 probable 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 well 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 downwards 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 that 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
moneydealer in these days of pecuniary doubts would bestow on a suspected
duebill 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
any thing of the telltale«
»Le Renard Subtil«
»Ha that rampaging devil again there never will be an end of his loping
till killdeer has said a friendly word to him«
Heyward reluctantly admitted the truth of this 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 varments from Glenns to the healthsprings«
Chingachgook complied and after finishing his short examination he arose
and with a quite demeanour 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 thornbush«
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 wepon 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 catbird23 he meets is the cleverest fellow of the two Well
boy any signs of such a foundation«
»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 youll disconsart the formation That that
is the print of a foot but tis the dark hairs and small it is too for one
of such a noble heighth 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 his stooping posture until Heyward saw that he had
watered the trace of his daughters 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 footstep would be«
Heyward drew back all his ardour to proceed seeming to vanish on the
instant Without attending to this sudden change in the others humour the
scout after musing a moment continued
»There is no woman in this wilderness could leave such a print as that but
the darkhair 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 onesided 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 atwixt 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 honour 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
Chapter XIX
Salar »Why I am sure if he forfeit thou wilt not take his flesh
whats that good for«
Shy »To bait fish withal if it will feed nothing else it will
feed my revenge«
The Merchant of Venice IIIi5154
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 demeanour 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 labour was
ended and Heyward who understood the meaning of the silent gesture gently
urged Munro to enter Leaving the bereaved old man alone with his sorrows
Duncan immediately returned into the open air too much excited himself to seek
the repose he had recommended to his veteran friend
While Hawkeye and the Indians lighted their fire and took their evenings
repast a frugal meal of dried bears 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 vapour 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
charnelhouse without omen or whisper to disturb the slumbers of its numerous
and hapless tenants
Of this scene so chillingly in accordance with the past Duncan stood for
many minutes a rapt observer His eyes wandered from the bosom of the mound
where the foresters were seated around their glimmering fire to the fainter
light which still lingered in the skies and then rested long and anxiously on
the embodied gloom which lay like a dreary void on that side of him where the
dead reposed He soon fancied that inexplicable sounds arose from the place
though so indistinct and stolen as to render not only their nature but even
their existence uncertain Ashamed of his apprehensions the young man turned
towards the water and strove to divert his 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 accounted on the security of their position
»Listen« said Duncan when the other had placed himself deliberately at his
elbow »there are suppressed noises on the plain which may show that 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 merrymaking 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 the spirit is once fairly gone he
forgets his enmity and is willing to let the dead find their natural rest
Speaking of spirits major are you of opinion that the heaven of a redskin
and of us whites will be 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
redskin 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 mens 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 noises he had
heard answered with more attention to the subject which the humour 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 singleminded 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 may hear what
is hid from us for being a whiteskin 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 eyes riveted Then it was he
discovered that the form of Uncas had 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 I could have sworn that here he
yet remained«
»Hist speak lower for we know not what ears are open and the Mingoes are
a quickwitted 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 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 in his manner 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 heard the warning of the animal whose name he bore it arose to an
upright position and his dark eyes glanced swiftly and keenly on every side of
him With this 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 mean time 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 works »How is it
Sagamore Are the Mingoes upon us in earnest or is it only one of those
reptyles 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 palefaces«
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
»One«
»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 skrimmage Well let him let
him There are always some honest men in every nation though heaven knows too
that they are scarce among the Maquas to look down an upstart when he brags
agin the face of reason The varlet sent his lead within whistle of your ears
Sagamore«
Chingachgook turned a calm and incurious eye towards the place where the
ball had struck and then resumed his former attitude with a composure that
could not be disturbed by so trifling an incident Just then 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 movements 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
endeavoured to communicate and perhaps exaggerate that which had passed out in
the darkness of the plain the young warrior was seemingly content to let his
deeds speak for themselves It was in fact neither the moment nor the occasion
for an Indian to boast of his exploits and it is probable that had 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 shirt and quietly exposed the
fatal tuft of hair which he bore as the symbol of victory Chingachgook laid
his hand on the scalp and considered it for a moment with deep 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 with uncommon earnestness to regard the bloody badge »By the Lord if
the Oneidas are outlying upon our trail we shall be flanked by devils on every
side of us Now to white eyes there is no difference between this bit of skin
and that of any other Indian and yet the Sagamore 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 them 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 own 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 consorts much with a people« continued Hawkeye »if they are
honest and he no knave love will grow up atwixt them It is true that white
cunning has managed to throw the tribes into great confusion as 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 others 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 every thing 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 ones 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 colour 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
from this narrative that the Delaware or Lenape claimed to be the progenitors
of that numerous people who once were masters of most of the eastern and
northern states of America of whom the community of the Mohicans was an ancient
and highly honoured 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 others 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 within while he kept a
watchful eye against any danger from without he awaited the result with as
much patience as he could summon
After a short and impressive pause Chingachgook lighted a pipe whose bowl
was curiously carved in one of the soft stones of the country and whose stem
was a tube of wood and commenced smoking When he had inhaled enough of the
fragrance of the soothing 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 colour he rather affected the cold and inartificial manner which
characterizes all classes of AngloAmericans when unexcited By the frequency
with which the Indians described the marks of a forest trail it was evident
they urged a pursuit by land while the repeated sweep of Hawkeyes 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
object 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 the 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
towards the close of Hawkeyes 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 candour that had they been the representatives
of some great and civilized people would have infallibly worked their political
ruin by destroying for ever their reputation for consistency
The instant the matter in discussion was decided the debate and every
thing 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 demeanour
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 others 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 and desolation in his footsteps
After an hour 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 fathers 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
Chapter XX
»Land of Albania let me bend mine eyes
On thee thou rugged nurse of savage men«
Byron Childe Harolds Pilgrimage
Canto II Stanza xxxii 56
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 towards a curtain of the works
»let us get into the ditch on this side and be regardful to step on the stones
and fragments of wood 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 of its sides they found the passage
nearly choked by the ruins With care and patience however they succeeded in
clambering after the scout until they reached the sandy shore of the Horican
»Thats 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 deerskin 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 every thing was studiously restored to its former disorder and then
Hawkeye succeeded in reaching his little birchen vessel without leaving behind
him any of those marks which he appeared so much to dread Heyward was silent
until the Indians had cautiously paddled the canoe some distance from the fort
and within the broad and dark shadow that fell from the eastern mountain on the
glassy surface of the lake then he demanded
»What need have we for this stolen and hurried 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 reptyle that 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 deathshriek coming
speedily from some of his enemies«
»But our presence the authority of Colonel Munro would prove a 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 varlets 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 a 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 skrimmage or some such divarsion but always where covers
are good and ammunition abundant«
It is possible that Heywards 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 lake24 and stole swiftly and cautiously among their
numberless little islands It was by this road that Montcalm had retired with
his army and the adventurers knew not but he had left some of his Indians in
ambush to protect the rear of his forces and collect the stragglers They
therefore approached the passage with the customary silence of their guarded
habits
Chingachgook laid aside his paddle while Uncas and the scout urged the
light vessel through crooked and 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 paddles 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 Duncans eyes followed the motion A few rods
in their front lay another of the low wooded islets but it appeared as calm and
peaceful as if its solitude had never been 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 cant call it a fog for it is more
like a streak of thin cloud«
»It is vapour 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
hazle 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 topping 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 havent 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 the canoes which were soon dancing over
the water in pursuit These fearful precursors of a coming struggle produced
no change in the countenances and movements of his three guides so far as
Duncan could discover except that the strokes of their paddles were longer and
more in unison and caused the little bark to spring forward like a creature
possessing life and volition
»Hold them there Sagamore« said Hawkeye looking coolly backward over his
left shoulder while he still plied his paddle »keep them just there Them
Hurons have never a piece in their nation that will execute at this 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 saved a Huron from the deathshriek
by that word have you reason for what you do«
Uncas pointed towards the rocky shore a little in their front whence
another war canoe was darting directly across their course It was too obvious
now that their situation was imminently perilous to need the aid of language
to confirm it The scout laid aside his rifle and resumed the paddle while
Chingachgook inclined the bows of the canoe a little towards the western shore
in order to increase the distance between them and this new enemy In the mean
time they were reminded of the presence of those who pressed upon their rear
by wild and exulting shouts The stirring scene awakened even Munro from his
apathy
»Let us make for the rocks on the main« he said with the mien of a tried
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
Louises«
»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 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 mans courage« exclaimed the scout »and
like too 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 a skrimmage when an open body would do no good For
what have the Frenchers reared up their Quebec if fighting is always to be done
in the clearings«
»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 warwhoop 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 above
his head he shook it in triumph at his enemies The savages answered the insult
with a yell and immediately another volley succeeded The bullets pattered
along the lake and one even pierced the 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 Hawkeyes 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 Ill 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 Gods 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
fathers 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 labour after the close and deadly
chase from which they had just relieved themselves with as much coolness as
though their speed had been tried in sport rather than under such pressing
nay almost desperate circumstances
Instead of following the western shore whither their errand led them the
wary Mohican inclined his course more towards those hills behind which
Montcalm was known to have led his army into the formidable fortress of
Ticonderoga As the Hurons to every appearance 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 sundown
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 takes the
water« continued the scout gazing about him with a countenance of concern
»but they give no cover except it be to the fishes God knows what the country
would be if the settlements should ever spread far from the two rivers Both
hunting and 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 look out and descended musing profoundly to
the shore He communicated the result of his observations to his companions in
Delaware and a short and earnest consultation succeeded When it terminated
the three instantly set about executing their new resolutions
The canoe was lifted from the water and borne on the shoulders of the
party They proceeded into the wood making as broad and obvious a trail as
possible They soon reached a watercourse which they crossed and continued
onward until they came to an extensive and naked rock At this point where
their footsteps might be expected to be no longer visible they retraced their
route to the brook walking backwards with the utmost care They now followed
the bed of the little stream to the lake into which they immediately launched
their canoe again A low point concealed them from the head land 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 favoured 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
Chapter XXI
»If you find a man there he shall die a fleas death«
The Merry Wives of Windsor IVii150151
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 of 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
depths with the freedom of men accustomed to its privations and difficulties
For many hours the travellers toiled on their laborious way guided by a star
or following the direction of some watercourse 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
travellers 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 colour 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 demeanour 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 Scaroon 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 father but where experience is the master the scholar is made to know
the value of years and respects them accordingly«
»See« said Uncas pointing north and south at the evident marks of the
broad trail on either side of him »the darkhair has gone towards the frost«
»Hound never ran on a more beautiful scent« responded the scout dashing
forward at once on the indicated route »we are favoured greatly favoured
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 traveller would proceed along a wide highway If a
rock or a rivulet or a bit of earth harder than common severed the links of
the clue they followed the true eye of the scout recovered them at a distance
and seldom rendered the delay of a single moment necessary Their progress was
much facilitated by the certainty that 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 Scaroon and were
following the route of the declining sun After descending an eminence to a low
bottom through which a swift stream glided they suddenly came to a place where
the party of le Renard had made a halt Extinguished brands were lying around a
spring the 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 endeavoured to trace the route of the
horses came upon a sign of their presence that was quite recent Before
following the clue 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 enemys
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
colour 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 departed«
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 haltingplace
each slowly following the other until they assembled in the centre once more
no wiser than when they started
»Such cunning is not without its deviltry« exclaimed Hawkeye when he met
the disappointed looks of his assistants »We must get down to it Sagamore
beginning at the spring and going over the ground by inches The Huron shall
never brag in his tribe that he has a foot which leaves no print«
Setting the example himself the scout engaged in the scrutiny with renewed
zeal Not a leaf was left unturned The sticks were removed and the stones
lifted for Indian cunning was known frequently to adopt these objects as
covers labouring 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
»The lad will be an honour 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
pigeonwinging his tribe Run back Uncas and bring me the size of the singers
foot You will find a beautiful print of it just opposite yon rock agin the
hill side«
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 neighbouring 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 hand 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
towards 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 Ive known them 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 childs 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 parents 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 darkhair 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
legweary as is plain by his trail There you see he slipped here he has
travelled 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 awaited 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 hill side to the right Uncas will bend along the
brook to the left while I will try the trail If any thing 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 touching 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 summers
evening had fallen on the clearing in beautiful contrast to the gray light of
the forest A short distance from the place where Duncan stood the stream had
seemingly expanded into a little lake covering most of the low land from
mountain to mountain The water fell out of this wide basin in a cataract so
regular and gentle that it appeared rather to be the work of human hands than
fashioned by nature A hundred earthen dwellings stood on the margin of the
lake and even in its water as though the latter had overflowed its usual
banks Their rounded roofs admirably moulded for defence 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 which ever 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 towards him on all fours and apparently dragging in their 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 humours 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 others 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
masque 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 hawks wing
were loosely dangling A ragged calico mantle half encircled his body while his
nether garment was composed of an ordinary shirt the sleeves of which were made
to perform the office that is usually executed by a much more commodious
arrangement His legs were bare and sadly cut and torn by briars The feet
were however covered with a pair of good deerskin moccasins Altogether the
appearance of the individual was forlorn and miserable
Duncan was still curiously observing the person of his neighbour 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 an 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 mean time 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«
Chapter XXII
Bot »Are we all met«
Qui »Patpat and heres a marvellous
Convenient place for our rehearsal«
A Midsummer Nights Dream IIIi13
The reader may better imagine than we describe the surprise of Heyward His
lurking Indians were suddenly converted into fourfooted 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 moments hesitation the young
man broke out of his ambush and sprang forward to join the two principal actors
in the scene
The merriment of Hawkeye was not easily appeased Without ceremony and
with a rough hand he twirled the supple Gamut around on his heel and more than
once affirmed that the Hurons had done themselves great credit in the fashion of
his costume Then seizing the hand of the other he squeezed it with a gripe
that brought the tears into the eyes of the placid David and wished him joy of
his new condition
»You were about opening your throatpractysings 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 towards the remainder of
the party who in obedience to the signal were already approaching »this is
music which has its natural virtues it brings two good rifles to my elbow to
say nothing of the knives and tomahawks But we see that you are safe now tell
us what has become of the maidens«
»They are captives to the heathen« said David »and though greatly troubled
in spirit enjoying comfort and safety in the body«
»Both« demanded the breathless 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 these forests and nigher to the borders of Canada The
elder maiden is conveyed to a neighbouring people whose lodges are situate
beyond yonder black pinnacle of rock while the younger is detained among the
women of the Hurons whose dwellings are but two short miles hence on a table
land where the fire has done the office of the ax and prepared the place for
their reception«
»Alice my gentle Alice« murmured Heyward »she has lost the consolation of
her sisters 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 endeavours 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
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 noncomposser 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 on 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 endeavours 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 and 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 pitchpipe 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 towards
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 the 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 has 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 any
thing 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
despisable vanity« returned the scout with a strong expression of contempt for
the others dulness »Had they held their cornfeast or can you say any thing
of the totems of their tribe«
»Of corn we had many and plentiful feasts for the grain being in the
milk is both sweet to the mouth and comfortable to the stomach Of totem I
know not the meaning but if it appertaineth in any wise to the art of Indian
music it need not be inquired after at their hands They never join their
voices in praise and it would seem that they are among the profanest of the
idolatrous«
»Therein you belie the nature of an Indian Even the Mingo adores but the
true and living God Tis a wicked fabrication of the whites and I say it to
the shame of my colour that would make the warrior bow down before images of
his own creation It is true they endeavour to make truces with the wicked one
as who would not with an enemy he cannot conquer but they look up for favour
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 savoured 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 Duncans eyes
followed the movement and he perceived that the animal just mentioned was
beautifully though faintly worked in a blue tint on the swarthy breast of the
chief All that he had ever heard of the violent separation of the vast tribes
of the Delawares rushed across his mind and he awaited the proper moment to
speak with a suspense that was rendered nearly intolerable by his interest in
the stake His wish however was anticipated by the 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 is a long and melancholy tradition and one I little like to think of
for it is not to be denied that the evil has been mainly done by men with white
skins But it has ended in turning the tomahawk of brother against brother and
brought the Mingo and the Delaware to travel in the same path«
»You then suspect it is a portion of that people among whom Cora resides«
The scout nodded his head in assent though he seemed anxious to waive the
further discussion of a subject that 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 ardour of the lover to expend
itself a little found means to convince him of the folly of precipitation in a
matter 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 whippoorwill«
»Tis a pleasing bird« returned David »and has a soft and melancholy note
though the time is rather quick and illmeasured«
»He speaks of the wishtonwish« said the scout »well since you like his
whistle it shall be your signal Remember then when you hear the
whippoorwills 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 every
thing 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 others 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 any thing 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
darkhair 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 humour suddenly altered and he lent himself
to its execution
»Come« he said with a good humoured smile »the buck that will take to the
water must be headed and not followed Chingachgook has as many different
paints as the engineer officers 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 inquiries 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 highspirited 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
watercourse 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 than the former This
expectation was in no degree diminished when by the doubtful twilight he
beheld twenty or thirty forms rising alternately from the cover of the tall
coarse grass in front of the lodges and then sinking again from the sight as
it were to burrow in the earth By the sudden and hasty glimpses that he caught
of these figures they seemed more like dark glancing spectres 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 selfcommendation 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 labour«
returned the unconscious Duncan still gazing at the objects of his wonder
»It is rather joy than labour 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 selfabandoned 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 yells 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 from his ears the master of song complied
and together they pursued their way towards what David was sometimes wont to
call the tents of the Philistines
Chapter XXIII
»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«
Scott The Lady of the Lake
Canto IV xxx1419
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 centre of the
children who played the antics already mentioned it was without the least
previous intimation of their approach But so soon as they were observed the
whole of the juvenile pack raised by common consent a shrill and warning
whoop and then sunk as it were by magic from before the sight of their
visiters 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 had permitted
Duncan to bend his look more curiously about the spot he found it every where
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 groupe 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 endeavouring as he proceeded to rally his
thoughts for the occasion His blood curdled when he found himself in absolute
contact with such fierce and implacable enemies but he so far mastered his
feelings as to pursue his way into the centre of the lodge with an exterior
that did not betray the weakness Imitating the example of the deliberate Gamut
he drew a bundle of fragrant brush from beneath a pile that filled a corner of
the hut and seated himself in silence
So soon as their visiter 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 sent 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 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 head 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 impression produced by his remark
Duncan who knew that silence was a virtue amongst his hosts gladly had
recourse to the custom in order to arrange his ideas At length the same
warrior who had before addressed him replied by dryly demanding in the
language of the 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 colour 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 to the tribe was
favourably 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 guest had just given another
warrior arose and placed himself in an attitude to speak While his lips were
yet in the act of parting a low but fearful sound arose from the forest and
was immediately succeeded by a high shrill yell that was drawn out until it
equalled the longest and most plaintive howl of the wolf The sudden and
terrible interruption caused Duncan to start from his seat unconscious of every
thing 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 centre of a disorderly throng that
included nearly every thing having life within the limits of the encampment
Men women and children the aged the infirm the active and the strong were
alike abroad some exclaiming aloud others clapping their hands with a joy that
seemed frantic and all expressing their savage pleasure in some unexpected
event Though astounded at first by the uproar 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 treetops where different paths left the clearing to enter
the depths of the wilderness Beneath one of them a line of warriors issued
from the woods and advanced slowly towards the dwellings One in front bore a
short pole on which as it afterwards appeared were suspended several human
scalps The startling sounds that Duncan had heard were what the whites have
not inappropriately called the deathhalloo 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 unlookedfor return of a successful warparty
every disagreeable sensation was quieted in inward congratulations 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 of 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 ecstacy 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
warparty to the lodges The squaws seized clubs axes or whatever weapon of
offence 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 towards the former though no
opportunity could offer to exhibit his generous emotions He watched his
slightest movement however with eager eyes and as he traced the fine outline
of his admirably proportioned and active frame he endeavoured 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 most abject of the two
victims continued motionless but the other bounded from the place at the cry
with the activity and swiftness of a deer Instead of rushing through the
hostile lines as had been expected he just entered the dangerous defile and
before time was given for a single blow turned short and leaping the heads of
a row of children he gained at once the exterior and safer side of the
formidable array The artifice was answered by a hundred voices raised in
imprecations and the whole of the excited multitude broke from their order and
spread themselves about the place in wild confusion
A dozen blazing piles now shed their lurid brightness on the place which
resembled some unhallowed and supernatural arena in which malicious demons had
assembled to act their bloody and lawless rites The forms in the back ground
looked like unearthly beings gliding before the eye and cleaving the air with
frantic and unmeaning gestures while the savage passions of such as passed the
flames were rendered fearfully distinct by the gleams that shot athwart their
inflamed visages
It will easily be understood that amid such a concourse of vindictive
enemies no breathing time was allowed the fugitive There was a single moment
when it seemed as if he would have reached the forest but the whole body of his
captors threw themselves before him and drove him back into the centre of his
relentless persecutors 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 wild cat or a
serpent were born among you ye would flee The Huron girls shall make you
petticoats and we will find you a husband«
A burst of savage laughter succeeded this attack during which the soft and
musical merriment of the younger females strangely chimed with the cracked
voice of their 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 towards
the dusky forms of the warriors who stalked in the back ground silent and
sullen observers of the scene
Infuriated at the selfcommand 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 woman Then indeed the captive
turned his face towards 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 prisoners 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 towards 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 back
ground presenting a dark outline of swarthy and marked visages In the very
centre of the lodge immediately under an opening that admitted the twinkling
light of one or two stars stood Uncas calm elevated and collected His high
and haughty carriage was not lost on his captors who often bent their looks on
his person with eyes which while they lost none of their inflexibility of
purpose plainly betrayed their admiration of the strangers 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
grayhaired 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 men say to you live or die«
»Has a Huron no ears« scornfully exclaimed Uncas »twice since he has been
your prisoner has the Delaware heard a gun that he knows Your young men will
never come back«
A short and sullen pause succeeded this bold assertion Duncan who
understood the Mohican to allude to the fatal rifle of the scout bent forward
in earnest observation of the effect it might produce on the conquerors but the
chief was content with simply retorting
»If the Lenape are so skilful 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 towards 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 mean time the more aged chiefs in the centre communed with each
other in short and broken sentences Not a word was uttered that did not
convey the meaning of the speaker in the simplest and most energetic form
Again a long and deeply solemn pause took place It was known by all present
to be the grave precursor of a weighty and important judgment They who composed
the outer circle of faces were on tiptoe to gaze and even the culprit for an
instant forgot his shame in a deeper emotion and exposed his abject features
in order to cast 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 sideling
sort of a dance holding the torch and muttering the indistinct words of what
might have been a species of incantation Though her presence was altogether an
intrusion it was unheeded
Approaching Uncas she held the blazing brand in such a manner as to cast
its red glare on his person and to expose the slightest emotion of his
countenance The Mohican maintained his firm and haughty attitude and his eye
so far from deigning to meet her inquisitive look dwelt steadily on the
distance as though it penetrated the obstacles which impeded the view and
looked into 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 moulded
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
»Reedthatbends« 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 warpost none of them so lightly on the Yengeese The enemy
know the shape of your back but they have never seen the colour 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 others rank and
years Shame horror and pride struggled in its lineaments His eye which was
contracted with inward anguish gleamed around 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 every thing in darkness The whole shuddering groupe 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
Chapter XXIV
»Thus spoke the sage the kings without delay
Dissolve the council and their chief obey«
Pope The Iliad Book II ll 107108
A single moment served to convince the youth that he was mistaken A hand was
laid with a powerful pressure on his arm and the low voice of Uncas muttered
in his ears
»The Hurons are dogs The sight of a cowards 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
endeavouring 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 neverceasing 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 favourable
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 moulded statue
than of 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 vistations 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 a sacrifice to appearances 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 groupe he seated himself on one end of the low
pile of brush which sustained Duncan The latter cast an impatient look at his
neighbour 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 new comer without speaking a word drew his tomahawk from his
girdle and filling the bowl on its head began to inhale the vapours 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 staggered under their burthens« returned Magua »Let
Reedthatbends 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
sate 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
Wissentush 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 his
auditors But the stern customs of his people had made too severe an exaction of
the feeble old man The expression of his eye contradicted his figurative and
boastful language while every muscle in his wrinkled visage was working with
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 and sought 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 honeypots 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 wellknown
appellation and there was a short period during which the stoical constancy of
the natives was completely conquered by surprise The hated and yet respected
name was repeated as by one voice carrying the sound even beyond the limits of
the lodge The women and children who lingered around the entrance took up the
words in an echo which was succeeded by another shrill and plaintive howl The
latter was not yet ended when the sensation among the men had entirely abated
Each one in presence seated himself as though ashamed of his precipitation but
it was many minutes before their meaning eyes ceased to roll towards their
captive in 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 Glenns 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 towards
the maidens and of his baffled malice he made no mention but passed rapidly
on to the surprise by the party of 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 towards the setting sun
and are already crossing the great waters to the happy hunting grounds But
they departed without food without guns or knives without moccasins naked and
poor as they were 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 despatch 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 burthen they will know we are of that
mind Then will they go on happy and our children will say so did our fathers
to their friends so must we do to them What is a Yengee we have slain many
but the earth is still pale A stain on the name of a Huron can only be hid by
blood that comes from the veins of an Indian Let this Delaware die«
The effect of such an harangue delivered in the nervous language and with
the emphatic manner of a Huron 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 torch light as he whirled it
above his head The motion and the cry were too sudden for words to interrupt
his bloody intention It appeared as if a bright gleam shot from his hand which
was crossed at the same moment by a dark and powerful line The former was the
tomahawk in its passage the latter the arm that 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 warplume 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 that might
have proved so fatal to the individual at his elbow Notwithstanding his rising
resentment his natural firmness and his anxiety in 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 in the ordinary succession to every scene of violence
and commotion amongst those beings who were alike so impetuous and yet so
selfrestrained
When the chief who had solicited the aid of Duncan had finished his pipe he
made a final and successful movement towards departing A motion of a finger was
the intimation he gave the supposed physician to follow and passing through the
clouds of smoke Duncan was glad on more accounts than one to be able at
last to breathe the pure air of a cool and refreshing summer evening
Instead of pursuing his way among those lodges where Heyward had already
made his unsuccessful search his companion turned aside and proceeded directly
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 treetops 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 sideling attitudes which kept the
upper part of its form in constant motion while the animal itself appeared
seated to be a bear Though it growled loudly and fiercely and there were
instants when its glistening eyeballs might be seen it gave no other
indication 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 favourite 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 centre 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
visiters 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
Chapter XXV
Snug »Have you the lions part written Pray you if it be give it
me for I am slow of study
Quince You may do it extempore for it is nothing but roaring«
A Midsummer Nights Dream Iii6669
There was a strange blending of the ridiculous with that which was solemn in
this scene The beast still continued its rolling and apparently untiring
movements though its ludicrous attempt to imitate the melody of David ceased
the instant the latter abandoned the field The words of Gamut were as has been
seen in his native tongue and to Duncan they seemed pregnant with some hidden
meaning though nothing present assisted him in discovering the object of their
allusion A speedy end was however put to every conjecture on the subject by
the manner of the chief who advanced to the bedside of the invalid and
beckoned away the whole groupe of female attendants that had clustered there to
witness the skill of the stranger He was implicitly though reluctantly
obeyed and when the low echo which rang along the hollow natural gallery from
the distant closing door had ceased pointing towards his insensible daughter
he said
»Now let my brother show his power«
Thus unequivocally called on to exercise the functions of his assumed
character Heyward was apprehensive that the smallest delay might prove
dangerous Endeavouring then to collect his ideas he prepared to commence 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 humour 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 Heywards 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 norwest Indians not having as yet got
the traders much among them continue 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 longue 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 pipestone 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 conjuror 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 skrimmages atween one or two of their outlyers and myself but
that is neither here nor there So after I had shot the imps I got in pretty
nigh to the lodges without further commotion Then what should luck do in my
favour but lead me to the very spot where one of the most famous conjurors 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 judgematical rap over the head stiffened the
lying impostor for a time and leaving him a bit of walnut for his supper to
prevent any uproar and stringing him up atween two saplings I made free with
his finery and took the part of a 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 and natur of such a beast Had it been now a
catamount or even a full sized painter I would have embellished a performance
for you worth regarding But it is no such marvellous feat to exhibit the feats
of so dull a beast though for that matter too a bear may be over acted Yes
yes it is not every imitator that knows natur may be outdone easier than she is
equalled 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 honeypots
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 sprung eagerly forward drew instantly back on
hearing these discouraging words
»Am I then so very revolting« he demanded with an air of chagrin
»You might not startle a wolf or turn the Royal Americans from a charge
but I have seen the time when you had a better favoured look your streaked
countenances are not ill judged of by the squaws but young women of white blood
give the preference to their own colour 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
Sagamores daub and when you come back I will try my hand at a new
embellishment Its as common for a conjuror 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 safe keeping 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 record 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 selflove 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
burthen 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 farther«
»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 succours 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 mans 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 centre 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 favour of an enemy so often foiled When Magua had
effected his object he approached his prisoners and said in English
»The palefaces trap the cunning beavers but the redskins known 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 others
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 paleface can laugh at the tortures«
He turned away while speaking and was about to leave the place through the
avenue by which Duncan had approached when a growl caught his ear and caused
him to hesitate The figure of the bear appeared in the door where it sate
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 recognised the well known attire of the conjuror he prepared to pass
it in cool contempt But a louder and more threatening growl caused him again to
pause Then he seemed as if suddenly resolved to trifle no longer and moved
resolutely forward The mimic animal which had advanced a little retired
slowly in his front until it arrived again at the pass when rearing on its
hinder legs it beat the air with its paws in the manner 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 endeavoured to pass the supposed empyric scorning even the
parade of threatening to use the knife or tomahawk that was pendant from his
belt Suddenly the beast extended its arms or rather legs and enclosed him in
a grasp that might have vied with the farfamed power of the bears 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 neverfailing
»Hugh«
»Ay youve 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 on the footsteps of the scout They found the sick
woman as they had left her still alone and passed swiftly on by the natural
gallery to the place of entrance As they approached the little door of bark a
murmur of voices without announced that the friends and relatives of the invalid
were gathered about the place patiently awaiting a summons to reenter
»If I open my lips to speak« Hawkeye whispered »my English which is the
genuine tongue of a whiteskin 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 Practyse all your cunning for it is a lawful undertaking«
The door opened a little as if one without was listening to the proceedings
within and compelled the scout to cease his directions A fierce growl repelled
the eavesdropper and then the scout boldly threw open the covering of bark
and left the place enacting the character of the bear as he proceeded Duncan
kept close at his heels and soon found himself in the centre 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 shall be in the wigwam of the young man
when the sun comes again«
When the father had translated the meaning of the strangers 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 groupe 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 favourable moment the
counterfeit conjurors 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 burthen 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 favour 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 such little hopes 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 colour dwell but such may be the gifts of natur 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 fout at his side in many a bloody skrimmage and so long
as I could hear the crack of his piece in one ear and that of the Sagamore in
the other I knew no enemy was on my back Winters and summers nights and days
have we roved the wilderness in company eating of the same dish one sleeping
while the other watched and afore it shall be said that Uncas was taken to the
torment and I at hand There is but a single Ruler of us all whatever may be
the colour 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 wepon of the singer«
Duncan released his hold on the arm of the scout who turned and steadily
retraced his steps towards the lodges After pausing a moment to gaze at his
retiring form the sucessful and yet sorrowful Heyward and Alice took their
way together towards the distant village of the Delawares
Chapter XXVI
Bot »Let me play the lion too«
A Midsummer Nights Dream Iii70
Notwithstanding the high resolution of Hawkeye he fully comprehended all the
difficulties and dangers 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 colour of his skin had
saved the lives of Magua and the conjuror 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 towards the centre of the lodges
As he approached the buildings his steps became more deliberate and his
vigilant eye suffered no sign whether friendly or hostile to escape him A
neglected hut was a little in advance of the others and appeared as if it had
been deserted when half completed most probably on 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 abidingplace of David Gamut Hither the faithful
singingmaster 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 beings profoundest 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 Balaams ass to speak he was somewhat sceptical on the subject
of a bears 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 its 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 visiters 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 faith and
resolution of David He fumbled for his pitchpipe 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 neverfailing 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 wellknown voice replied
»Put up the tooting wepon 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 favour 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 instructions he delivered when completely master of all the
necessary facts as the whole will be sufficiently explained to the reader in
the course of the narrative
The lodge in which Uncas was confined was in the very centre of the
village and in a situation perhaps more difficult than any other to approach
or leave without observation But it was not the policy of Hawkeye to affect
the least concealment Presuming on his disguise and his ability to sustain the
character he had assumed he took the most plain and direct route to the place
The hour however afforded him some little of that protection 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 conjuror 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 conjuror 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 purposes 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 more skilful Uncas
held his representations he would probably have prolonged the entertainment a
little in pique But the scornful expression of the young mans 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 their
former restingplace 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
»Whither«
»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 colour 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 leap while I will put on
the skin again and trust to cunning for want of speed«
The young Mohican made no reply but quietly folded his arms and leaned his
body against one of the upright posts that supported the wall of the hut
»Well« said the scout looking up at him »why do you tarry there will be
time enough for me as the knaves will give chase to you at first«
»Uncas will stay« was the calm reply
»For what«
»To fight with his fathers 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 cant 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 own 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 makeshifts 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 in 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 in the head your being a
noncompossur will protect you and youll then have good reason to expect to
die in your bed If you stay it must be to sit down here in the shadow and
take the part of Uncas until such time as the cunning of the Indians discover
the cheat when as I have already said your time of trial will come So choose
for yourself to make a rush or tarry here«
»Even so« said David firmly »I will abide in the place of the Delaware
bravely and generously has he battled 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 the condition he had so
long abandoned he added »It is what I would wish to practyse 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 groupe of 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 singingmaster
»The Delaware dog« he said leaning forward and peering through the dim
light to catch the expression of the others 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 conjuror and his
inspired assistant to proceed
It required no common exercise of fortitude in Uncas and the scout to
continue the dignified and deliberate pace they had assumed in passing the
lodges especially 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 they passed and once or twice a dark looking warrior stepped across
their path led to the act by superstition or watchfulness They were not
however interrupted the darkness of the hour and the boldness of the attempt
proving their principal friends
The adventurers had got clear of the village and were now swiftly
approaching the shelter of the woods when a loud and long cry arose from the
lodge where Uncas had been confined The Mohican started on his feet and shook
his shaggy covering as though the animal he 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 accoutrements from beneath a bush and flourishing
killdeer as he handed Uncas a 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 sombre darkness of
the forest
Chapter XXVII
Ant »I shall remember
When Cæsar says do this it is performed«
Julius Cæsar Iii910
The impatience of the savages who lingered about the prison of Uncas as has
been seen had overcome their dread of the conjurors 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 their 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 endeavoured 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 any thing
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 mean time 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 neighbours 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 clamour 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 conjuror who had been left so long by the
scout in duresse
Notwithstanding this man was held in very unequal estimation among the
Hurons some believing implicitly in his power and others deeming him an
impostor he was now listened to by all with the deepest attention When his
brief story was ended the father of the sick woman stepped forth and in a few
pithy expressions related in his turn what he knew These two narratives gave
a proper direction to the subsequent inquiries which were now made with the
characteristic cunning of savages
Instead of rushing in a confused and disorderly throng to the cavern ten of
the wisest and firmest among the 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 selfpossession he faced his
companions and pointing towards the corpse he said in the language of his
people
»The wife of my young man has left us the Great Spirit is angry with his
children«
The mournful intelligence was received in solemn 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 centre of the room
where they stood Ignorant of the nature of the beings they had to deal with
the whole party drew back a little and gazed in admiration until the object
fronted the light and rising on end exhibited the 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
ready 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 every where 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 may
take revenge«
»Let the Delaware die« exclaimed Magua in a voice of thunder
Another long and expressive silence was observed and was broken as before
with due precaution by the same individual
»The Mohican is swift of foot and leaps far« he said »but my young men
are on his trail«
»Is he gone« demanded Magua in tones so deep and guttural that they
seemed to proceed from his inmost chest
»An evil spirit has been among us and the Delaware has blinded our eyes«
»An evil spirit« repeated the other mockingly »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 was 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 sate 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 selfcommand and now proceeded towards his object
with his customary caution and skill It was only when each one disposed to
speak had uttered his sentiments that he 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 neighbouring
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 neighbours as in obedience to
the invariable rule of Indian policy
While goaded incessantly by those revengeful impulses that in a savage
seldom slumber the chief was still 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 favour of their powerful and dangerous neighbours 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 unlookedfor events which had placed all his prisoners beyond his
control and he now found himself reduced to the necessity of suing for favours
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 honour 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 risque 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 selflove of his auditors a neverfailing
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 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
pretence 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 favour 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 labours of policy were ended While
others slept however he neither knew nor sought repose Had there been one
sufficiently curious to have watched the movements of the newly elected chief
he would have seen him seated in a corner of his lodge musing on the subject of
his future 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 flames that fluttered about the embers of the
fire threw their wavering light on the person of the sullen recluse At such
moments it would not have been difficult to have fancied the dusky savage the
Prince of Darkness brooding on his own fancied wrongs and plotting evil
Long before the day dawned however warrior after warrior entered the
solitary hut of Magua until they had collected to the number of twenty Each
bore his rifle and all the other accoutrements of war though the paint was
uniformly peaceful The entrance of these fierce looking beings was unnoticed
some seating themselves in the shadows of the place and others standing like
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 spiritstirring business of war they stole from their camp
unostentatiously and unobserved resembling a band of gliding spectres more
than warriors seeking the bubble reputation by deeds of desperate daring
Instead of taking the path which led directly towards 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 so many avaricious traders were prompting the Indians
to take their lives He promised a continuance of his favours 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 renowned25
During the utterance of this extraordinary address the companions of the
speaker were as grave and as attentive to his language as though they were all
equally impressed with its propriety Once or twice black objects were seen
rising to the surface of the water and the Huron expressed pleasure conceiving
that his words were not bestowed in vain Just as he had ended his address the
head of a large beaver was thrust from the door of a lodge whose earthen walls
had been much injured and which the party had believed from its situation to
be uninhabited Such an extraordinary sign of confidence was received by the
orator as a highly favourable 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
Chapter XXVIII
»Brief I pray you for you see tis a busy time with me«
Much Ado about Nothing IIIv45
The tribe or rather halftribe 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 neighbours 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
illjudged 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 forest 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 mornings 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 groupes
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 groupe were turned
simultaneously towards a large and silent lodge in the centre of the village as
if it contained the subject of their common thoughts
During the existence of this scene a man suddenly appeared at the farthest
extremity of a platform of rock which formed the level of the village He was
without arms and his paint tended rather to soften than increase the natural
sternness of his austere countenance When in full view of the Delawares he
stopped and made a gesture of amity by throwing his arm upward towards heaven
and then letting it fall impressively on his breast The inhabitants of the
village answered his salute by a low murmur of welcome and encouraged him to
advance by similar indications of friendship Fortified by these assurances the
dark figure left the brow of the natural rocky terrace where it had stood a
moment drawn in a strong outline against the blushing morning sky and moved
with dignity into the very centre of the huts As he approached nothing was
audible but the rattling of the light silver ornaments that loaded his arms and
neck and the tinkling of the little bells that fringed his 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 favour in
the present enterprise of no importance When he had reached the groupe 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 succatush26 with his brothers of the lakes«
»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 towards 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 neighbours«
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 redskin Why should they brighten
their tomahawks and sharpen their knives against each other Are not the
palefaces thicker than the swallows in the season of flowers«
»Good« exclaimed two or three of his auditors at the same time
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 welltimed and
apposite compliments as left them no grounds of complaint In short the whole
ceremony contained such a happy blending of the profitable with the flattering
that it was not difficult for the donor 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 coloured by the same sun and their just men will hunt in the
same grounds after death The redskins 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 Hardheart an appellation
that the French had translated into Lecoeurdur 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 skilful
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 Lecoeurdur »he will see no change
It is true my young men did not go out on the warpath 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
paleface 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 learnt for the first time one so famous among the
Indian allies of France was within their power
»What does my brother mean« demanded Lecoeurdur 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 were 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 labours 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 at the temerity of their hated foe In short every occupation was
abandoned for the time and all other pursuits seemed discarded in order that
the tribe might freely indulge after their own peculiar manner in an open
expression of feeling
When the excitement had a little abated the old men disposed themselves
seriously to consider that which it became the honour 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 sate 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 for ever 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 precedes 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 towards
a particular lodge that was however in no manner distinguished from those
around it except in the peculiar care that had been taken to protect it against
the assaults of the weather
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 centre 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 ancles 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
colour of his snowwhite 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 saint27 of a
vast empire The Huron chief therefore stepped eagerly out a little from the
throng to a spot whence he might catch a nearer glimpse of the features of the
man whose decision was likely to produce so deep an influence on his own
fortunes
The eyes of the old man were closed as though the organs were wearied with
having so long witnessed the selfish workings of human passions The colour of
his skin differed from that of most around him being richer and darker the
latter hue having been produced by certain delicate and mazy lines of
complicated and yet beautiful figures which had been traced over most of his
person by the operation of tattooing Notwithstanding the position of the Huron
he passed the observant and silent Magua without notice and leaning on his two
venerable supporters proceeded to the high place of the multitude where he
seated himself in the centre of his nation with the dignity of a monarch and
the air of a father
Nothing could surpass the reverence and affection with which this unexpected
visit from one who belonged rather to another world than to this was received
by his people After a suitable and decent pause the principal chiefs arose
and approaching the patriarch they placed his hands reverently on their heads
seeming to intreat a blessing The younger men were content with touching his
robe or even with 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 me 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 towards the seat
of judgment The crowd opened in a lane and when the party had reentered it
closed in again forming a large and dense belt of human bodies arranged in an
open circle
Chapter XXIX
»The assembly seated rising oer the rest
Achilles thus the king of men addressd«
Pope The Iliad Book II ll 7778
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 nobleminded 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 favour 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 sate 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 towards 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
honour for impostors though rare were not unknown amongst 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 visiter 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 skilful 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 the weapon Even Hawkeye
nodded his head as if he would say it was better than he had 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 paleface 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 of arth 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 colour 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 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 favourable 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 colour
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 movement of the marksman with jealous eyes any further cause for
apprehension
»Now let it be proved in the face of this tribe of Delawares who is the
better man« cried the scout tapping the butt of his piece with that finger
which had pulled so many fatal triggers »You see the gourd hanging against
yonder tree major if you are a marksman fit for the borders let me see you
break its shell«
Duncan noted the object and prepared himself to renew the trial The gourd
was one of the usual little vessels used by the Indians and it was suspended
from a dead branch of a small pine by a thong of deerskin at the full
distance of a hundred yards So strangely compounded is the feeling of
selflove 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 has 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 martin whose skin is now in a ladys 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 others manner »Fools if you would find
the bullet of a sharpshooter of these woods you must look in the object and
not around it«
The Indian youths instantly comprehended his meaning for this time he
spoke in the Delaware tongue and tearing the gourd from the tree they held it
on high 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 centre 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 weatherbeaten 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 singingbird« said Duncan endeavouring 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 centre
of the circle where he stood confronted to 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 coloured 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 for ever 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 enclose 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 palefaces
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
rains ripened their fruits and the snows came to tell them to be thankful What
need had they of roads to journey by They saw through the 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 every where 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 favoured 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 towards 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 had sate 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 sounds of Maguas voice however he had
betrayed some evidence of consciousness and once or twice he had 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 spectre 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 Manitto 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 here«
»Justice His prisoners are with his brothers and he comes for his own«
Tamenund turned his head towards 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 Manitto 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 burthen 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 supplicant swelled on his ears they
moved slowly in the direction of her person and finally settled there in a
steady gaze Cora had cast herself to her knees and with hands clenched in each
other and pressed upon her bosom she remained like a beauteous and breathing
model of her sex looking up in his faded but majestic countenance with a
species of holy reverence Gradually the expression of Tamenunds 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
»What art thou«
»A woman One of a hated race if thou wilt a Yengee But one who has
never harmed thee and who cannot harm thy people if she would who asks for
succour«
»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 waters of my own river The children of Miquon28 are the justest
white men but they were thirsty and they took it to themselves Do they follow
us so far«
»We follow none we covet nothing« answered Cora »Captives against our
wills have we been brought amongst you and we ask but permission to depart to
our own in peace Art thou not Tamenund the father the judge I had almost
said the prophet of this people«
»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 parents 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 seashore and
saw a big canoe with wings whiter than the swans and wider than many eagles
come from the rising sun «
»Nay nay I speak not of a time so very distant but of favour shown to thy
kindred by one of mine within the memory of thy youngest warrior«
»Was it when the Yengeese and the Dutchemanne fought for the hunting grounds
of the Delawares Then Tamenund was a chief and first laid aside the bow for
the lightning of the palefaces «
»Nor yet then« interrupted Cora »by many ages I speak of a thing of
yesterday Surely surely you forget it not«
»It was but yesterday« rejoined the aged man with touching pathos »that
the children of the Lenape were masters of the world The fishes of the
saltlake the birds the beasts and the Mengwe 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 Heavens displeasure until now She is the daughter of an
old and failing man whose days are near their close She has many very many
to love her and delight in her and she is too good much too precious to
become the victim of that villain«
»I know that the palefaces are a proud and hungry race I know that they
claim not only to have the earth but that the meanest of their colour 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 colour of snow But let them not boast before the face of
the Manitto too loud They entered the land at the rising and may yet go off at
the setting sun I have often seen the locust 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 deathlike 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 redskin in the pay of the Yengeese We keep him for the
torture«
»Let him come« returned the sage
Then Tamenund once more sunk into his seat and a silence so deep prevailed
while the young men 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
Chapter XXX
»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«
The Merchant of Venice IVi101103
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 selfpossession 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 his 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 Manitto« 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 strange people sweep woods from the
valleys that the winds of Heaven had 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 singingbirds 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 construed his unintelligible
language into one of those mysterious conferences he was believed to hold so
frequently with a superior intelligence and they awaited the issue of the
revelation in awe After a patient pause however one of the aged men
perceiving that the sage had lost the recollection of the subject before them
ventured to remind him again of the presence of the prisoner
»The false Delaware trembles lest he should hear the words of Tamenund« he
said »Tis a hound that howls when the Yengeese show him a trail«
»And ye« returned Uncas looking sternly around him »are dogs that whine
when the Frenchman casts ye the offals of his deer«
Twenty knives gleamed in the air and as many 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 Manitto 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
eyes of Hawkeye began to look around him with an expression of peculiar
earnestness and Cora again threw herself at the feet of the patriarch once
more a supplicant 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 others character and
years »a son of the Great Unâmis«29
»The hour of Tamenund is nigh« exclaimed the sage »the day is come at
last to the night I thank the Manitto that one is here to fill my place at
the councilfire 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 the days of happiness
»Is Tamenund a boy« at length the bewildered prophet exclaimed »Have I
dreamt of so many snows that my people were scattered like floating sands of
Yengeese more plenty than the leaves on the trees The arrow of Tamenund would
not frighten the fawn his arm is withered like the branch of a dead oak the
snail would be swifter in the race yet is Uncas before him as they went to
battle against the palefaces Uncas the panther of his tribe the eldest son
of the Lenape the wisest 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 favoured 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 for ever the policy of his family he
said aloud
»Once we slept where we could hear the salt lake speak in its anger Then we
were rulers and Sagamores over the land But when a paleface was seen on every
brook we followed the deer back to the river of our nation The Delawares were
gone 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 towards the setting sun we shall find streams that run into the
great lakes of sweet water there would a Mohican die like fishes of the sea
in the clear springs When the Manitto is ready and shall say »come« we will
follow the river to the sea and take our own again Such Delawares is the
belief of the children of the Turtle Our eyes are on the rising and not
towards the setting sun We know whence he comes but we know not whither he
goes It is enough«
The men of the Lenape listened to his words with all the respect that
superstition could lend finding a secret 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 a way for himself to the side of his
friend and cutting his thongs with a quick and angry stroke of his own knife
he motioned to the crowd to divide The Indians silently obeyed and once more
they stood ranged in their circle as before his appearance among them Uncas
took the scout by the hand and led him to the feet of the patriarch
»Father« he said »look at this paleface a just man and the friend of
the Delawares«
»Is he a son of Miquon«
»Not so a warrior known to the Yengeese and feared by the Maquas«
»What name has he gained by his deeds«
»We call him Hawkeye« Uncas replied 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 paleface 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 singingbird« said the scout who now believed it was time
to vindicate himself from such offensive charges and who spoke in the tongue of
the man he addressed modifying his Indian figures however with his own
peculiar 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 ever 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 conquerors 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 colour of a bear«
»The stranger and the white maiden that came into my camp together«
»Should journey on an open path«
»And the woman that the 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 endeavouring 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 Mingos 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
towards one of his venerable companions he asked
»Are my ears open«
»It is true«
»Is this Mingo a chief«
»The first in his nation«
»Girl what wouldst thou A great warrior takes thee to wife Go thy race
will not end«
»Better a thousand times it should« exclaimed the horrorstruck 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 Manitto 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 redskin he wants not the beads of the palefaces«
»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 favour 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 lady 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 towards quitting the place with
his victim
»No no I have not said so much as that« returned Hawkeye drawing back
with suitable discretion when he noted the eagerness with which 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 wepon it would smooth
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 deathhowl 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 towards the youth »I loved both you and your father Uncas though
our skins are not altogether of a colour 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 Youll find the rifle in the place we hid
it take it and keep it for my sake and harkee lad as your natural gifts
dont deny you the use of vengeance use it a little freely on the Mingoes it
may unburthen your grief at my loss and ease your mind Huron I accept your
offer release the woman I am your prisoner«
A suppressed but still distinct murmur of approbation ran through the
crowd at this generous proposition even the fiercest among the Delaware
warriors manifesting 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 for ever
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 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 woods 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 Manitto 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
Chapter XXXI
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«
Henry V IVvii14
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 colours 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 towards a dwarf pine that grew in the
crevices of the rocky terrace he tore the bark from its body and then returned
whence he came without speaking He was soon followed by another who stripped
the sapling of its branches leaving it a naked and blazed30 trunk A third
coloured 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
devested of all his attire except his girdle and leggings and with one half of
his fine features hid under a cloud of threatening black
Uncas moved with a slow and dignified tread towards the post which he
immediately commenced encircling with a measured step not unlike an ancient
dance raising his voice at the same time in the wild and irregular chant of
his warsong The notes were in the extremes of human sounds being sometimes
melancholy and exquisitely plaintive even rivalling 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 warriors 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
Manitto Manitto Manitto
Thou art great thou art good thou art wise
Manitto Manitto
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
Manitto Manitto Manitto
I am weak thou art strong I am slow
Manitto Manitto
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 wellknown and terrific warwhoop 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 at 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 mingled
that it might have been difficult to have said which passion preponderated
None however were idle Some bore their choicest articles others their young
and some their aged and infirm into the forest which spread itself like a
verdant carpet of bright green against the side of the mountain Thither
Tamenund also retired with calm composure after a short and touching interview
with Uncas from whom the sage separated with the reluctance that a parent would
quit a long lost and just recovered child In the mean time Duncan saw Alice
to a place of safety and then sought the scout with a countenance that denoted
how eagerly he also panted for the approaching contest
But Hawkeye was too much accustomed to the warsong 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
the weapons on approaching the camp of the Delawares a measure of double
policy inasmuch as it protected the arms from their own fate if detained as
prisoners and gave them the advantage of appearing among the strangers rather
as sufferers than as men provided with the means of defence 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 towards
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 towards the
renowned hunter who had honoured 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
»Ay I see lad the knaves have barked your arm« added the scout taking
up the limb of the patient sufferer across which a deep flesh wound had been
made by one of the bullets »but a little bruised alder will act like a charm
In the mean time I will wrap it in a badge of wampum You have commenced the
business of a warrior early my brave boy and are likely to bear a plenty of
honourable 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 riband 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 favourable
reception he bestowed on him the command of twenty men like himself active
skilful 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 moments 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 practices and opinions of his countrymen He was therefore fain to
adopt a caution that in the present temper of his mind he execrated and to
listen to advice at which his fiery spirit chafed under the vivid recollection
of Coras danger and Maguas 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 now turned on Uncas as if seeking directions
how to proceed
»Hawkeye« said the young chief in a low voice »he must never speak to
the Hurons again«
»His time has come« said the laconic scout thrusting the long barrel of
his rifle through the leaves and taking his deliberate and fatal aim But
instead of pulling the trigger he lowered the muzzle again and indulged
himself in a fit of his peculiar mirth »I took the imp for a Mingo as Im 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 musicianers
blower and so after all it is the man they call Gamut whose death can profit
no one and whose life if his tongue can do any thing but sing may be made
serviceable to our own ends If sounds have not lost their virtue Ill soon
have a discourse with the honest fellow and that in a voice hell 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 than it would have been to have gone
up in 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 towards the rear »If the knaves
lie within earshot they will say there are two noncompossurs 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
upsanddowns 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 drily »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 my twenty rifles and I will turn to the right along the stream
and passing by the huts of the beaver will join the Sagamore and the Colonel
You shall then hear the whoop from that quarter with this wind one may easily
send it a mile Then Uncas do you drive in their front when they come within
range of our pieces we will give them a blow that I pledge the good name of an
old frontiersman shall make their line bend like an ashen bow After which we
will carry their village and take the woman from the cave when the affair may
be finished with the tribe according to a white mans battle by a blow and a
victory or in the Indian fashion with dodge and cover There may be no great
learning major in this plan but with courage and patience it can all be
done«
»I like it much« cried Duncan who saw that the release of Cora was the
primary object in the mind of the scout »I like it much Let it be instantly
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
Chapter XXXII
»But plagues shall spread and funeral fires increase
Till the great King without a ransom paid
To her own Chrysa send the blackeyed maid«
Pope The Iliad Book I ll 122124
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 no where 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 towards the rear into the bed of a little brook which they had
crossed in advancing Here he halted and after waiting for the whole of his
grave and attentive warriors to close about him he spoke in Delaware demanding
»Do any of my young men know whither this run will lead us«
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 treetops »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
singingmaster
»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 favoured 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 wepon You carry no rifle and believe me
what the Mingoes take they will freely give again«
»Though not a vaunting and bloodily disposed Goliah« returned David
drawing a sling from beneath his particoloured 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 deerskin 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 favoured 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 as to signify his acquiescence with the terms and
then Hawkeye casting another observant glance over his followers made the
signal to proceed
Their route lay for the distance of a mile along the bed of the water
course Though protected from any great danger of observation by the precipitous
banks and the thick shrubbery which skirted the stream no 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 eye upwards 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 Every thing is favourable they have the wind
which will bring down their noises and their smoke too no little matter in
itself whereas with us it will be first a shot and then a clear view But
here is an end of our cover the beaver 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 Every where along its banks were the mouldering relics of dead trees in
all the stages of decay from those that groaned on their tottering trunks to
such as had recently been robbed of those rugged coats that so mysteriously
contain their principle of life A few long low and moss covered piles were
scattered among them like the memorials of a former and long departed
generation
All these minute particulars were noted by the scout with a gravity and
interest that they probably had never before attracted He knew that the Huron
encampment lay a short half mile up the brook and with the 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 spectres and silently arranged
themselves around him Pointing in the direction he wished to proceed Hawkeye
advanced the band breaking off in single files and following so accurately in
his footsteps as to leave if we except Heyward and David the trail of but a
single man
The party was however scarcely uncovered before a volley from a dozen
rifles was heard in their rear and a Delaware leaping high into the air like a
wounded deer fell at his whole length perfectly dead
»Ah I feared some deviltry like this« exclaimed the scout in English
adding with the quickness of thought in his adopted tongue »to cover men and
charge«
The band dispersed at the word and before Heyward had well recovered from
his surprise he found himself standing alone with David Luckily the Hurons
had already fallen back and he was safe from their fire But this state of
things was evidently to be of short 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 unfavourable 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 towards the
village and by an instant falling off in the number of their assailants who
rushed to assist in maintaining the front and as it now proved to be the
principal point of defence
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 manoeuvre 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 agin
these imps the Mingoes You may here see the philosophy of an Indian fight It
consists mainly in a ready hand a quick eye and a good cover Now if you
had a company of the Royal Americans here in what manner would you set them to
work in this business«
»Thy 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«31 continued the
scout shaking his head like one who mused »horse I am ashamed to say must
sooner or later decide these skrimmages The brutes are better than men and to
horse must we come at last Put a shodden hoof on the moccasin of a redskin
and if his rifle be once emptied he will never stop to load it again«
»This is a subject that might better be discussed 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 a 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 gotten rid of«
Then turning with a prompt and decided air he called aloud to his Indians
in their own language His words were answered by a shout and at a given
signal each warrior made a swift movement around his particular tree The sight
of so many dark bodies glancing before their eyes at the same instant drew a
hasty and consequently an ineffectual fire from the Hurons Without stopping
to breathe the Delawares leaped in long bounds towards the wood like so many
panthers springing upon their prey Hawkeye was in front brandishing his
terrible rifle and animating his followers by his example A few of the older
and more cunning Hurons who had not been deceived by the artifice which had
been practised 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 warwhoop
»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 their 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 precipitously 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 vapoury 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 centre 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 skrimmage with warriors of my own colour 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 practice could impart in such a scene
It was not long before the reports of the rifles began to lose the echoes of
the woods and to sound like weapons discharged in the open air Then a warrior
appeared here and there driven to the skirts of the forest and rallying as he
entered the clearing as at the place where the final stand was to be made
These were soon joined by others until a long line of swarthy figures was to be
seen clinging to the cover with the obstinacy of 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 is come for the Delaware to strike« said Duncan
»Not so not so« returned the scout »when he scents his friends he will
let them know that he is here See see the knaves are getting in that clump of
pines like bees settling after their flight By the Lord a squaw might put a
bullet into the centre of such a knot of darkskins«
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 warcry from the forest and a yell passed through the air that sounded
as if a thousand throats were united in a common effort The Hurons staggered
deserting the centre of their line and Uncas issued from the forest through the
opening they left at the head of a hundred warriors
Waving his hands right and left the young chief pointed out the enemy to
his followers who separated in pursuit The war now divided both wings of the
broken Hurons seeking protection in the woods again hotly pressed by the
victorious warriors of the Lenape A minute might have passed but the sounds
were already receding in different directions and gradually losing their
distinctness beneath the echoing arches of the woods One little knot of Hurons
however had disdained to seek a cover and were retiring like lions at bay
slowly and sullenly up the acclivity which 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 in 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 favoured 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 favoured 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 mêlée 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 intentions 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 farther 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
afterwards admonished of its madness by hearing the bellowing of a piece that
the Hurons found time to discharge down the passage in the rocks the bullet
from which even gave the young 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 farther« cried Cora stopping unexpectedly on a ledge of
rocks that overhung a deep precipice at no great distance from the summit of
the mountain »Kill me if thou wilt detestable Huron I will go no farther«
The supporters of the maiden raised their ready tomahawks with the impious
joy that fiends are thought to take in mischief but Magua suddenly stayed the
uplifted arms The Huron chief after casting the weapons he had wrested from
his companions over the rock drew his knife and turned to his captive with a
look in which conflicting passions fiercely contended
»Woman« he said »choose the wigwam or the knife of le Subtil«
Cora regarded him not but dropping on her knees she raised her eyes and
stretched her arms towards Heaven saying in a meek and yet confiding voice
»I am thine do with me as thou seest best«
»Woman« repeated Magua hoarsely and endeavouring 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
countryman but the falling form of Uncas separated the unnatural combatants
Diverted from his object by this interruption and maddened by the murder he had
just witnessed 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 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 towards him along those
dangerous crags with steps as bold and reckless as if he possessed the power
to move in air But when the hunter reached the scene of the ruthless massacre
the ledge was tenanted only by the dead
His keen eye took a single look at the victims and then shot its glances
over the difficulties of the ascent in his front A form stood at the brow of
the mountain on the very edge of the giddy height with uplifted arms in an
awful attitude of menace Without stopping to consider his person the rifle of
Hawkeye was raised but a rock which fell on the head of one of the fugitives
below 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 palefaces 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 upon 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 his hand in grim
defiance But his hold loosened and his dark person was seen cutting the air
with its head downwards for a fleeting instant until it glided past the fringe
of shrubbery which clung to the mountain in its rapid flight to destruction
Chapter XXXIII
»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 proud hurrah
And the red field was won
Then saw in death his eyelids close
Calmly as to a nights repose
Like flowers at set of sun«
Halleck »Marco Bozzaris« ll 3746
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 bleak
summits of the mountains or swept in noisy flocks across the wide ranges of
the woods furnished a frightful direction to the scene of the combat In short
any eye at all 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 every thing 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 centre 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 proofs of their existence as
they occasionally strewed sweet scented herbs and forest flowers on a litter of
fragrant plants that under a pall of Indian robes 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 for ever
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
endeavouring to keep down those sudden risings of sorrow that it required his
utmost manhood to subdue
But sad and melancholy as this groupe 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 been thus 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 for ever 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 centre 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 hollow tones that sounded like a voice
charged with some prophetic mission »the face of the Manitto 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 Manitto 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 worshipped 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
honour 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 which ever 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 the young fawn
whose eye was brighter than a star in the dark night and whose voice in
battle was loud as the thunder of the Manitto 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 dwelt upon her matchless beauty and on her noble
resolution without the taint of envy and as angels may be thought to delight
in a superior excellence adding that these endowments should prove more than
equivalent for any little imperfections in her education
After which others again in due succession spoke to the maiden herself
in the low soft language of tenderness and love They exhorted her to be of
cheerful mind and to fear nothing for her future welfare A hunter would be her
companion who knew how to provide for her smallest wants and a warrior was at
her side who was able to protect her against every danger They promised that
her path should be pleasant and her burthen light They cautioned her against
unavailing regrets for the friends of her youth and the scenes where her
fathers had dwelt assuring her that the »blessed hunting grounds of the Lenape«
contained vales as pleasant streams as pure and flowers as sweet as the
»Heaven of the palefaces« They advised her to be attentive to the wants of her
companion and never to forget the distinction which the Manitto had so wisely
established between them Then in a wild burst of their chant they sung with
united voices the temper of the Mohicans 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 favour 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 for ever 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
meed her rare charms might properly claim Her ringlets were compared to the
exuberant tendrils of the vine her eye to the blue vault of the heavens and
the most spotless cloud with its glowing flush of the sun was admitted to be
less attractive than her bloom
During these and similar songs nothing was audible but the murmurs of the
music relieved as it was or rather rendered terrible by those occasional
bursts of grief which might be called its choruses The Delawares 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 selfcommand 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 for ever from his view
In this stage of the funeral obsequies a warrior much renowned for deeds
in arms and more especially for services in the recent combat a man of stern
and grave demeanour 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 briars from thy path to the world of
spirits Who that saw thee in battle would believe that thou couldst die Who
before thee hast 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 Manitto 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 towards him nor the smallest sign of impatience
exhibited it was apparent by the manner in which the multitude elevated their
heads to listen that they drunk 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 sunk 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 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 burthen of a parents
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 burthen 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 favour 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 labours 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 farther they might proceed It was
in this stage of the rites that the scout again addressed them
»My young women have done enough« he said »the spirit of a paleface has
no need of food or raiment their gifts being according to the heaven of their
colour 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 was occupied in pouring out the pious feelings
of his spirit in this manner not a sign of surprise nor a look of impatience
escaped them They listened like those who knew the meaning of the strange
words and appeared as if they felt the mingled emotions of sorrow hope and
resignation they were intended to convey
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 heartbroken 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 colour«
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 others
gratitude as he deemed most suited to the capacities of his listeners The head
of Munro had already sunken 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 towards a groupe of young Indians who approached with a light but
closely covered litter and then pointed upward towards the sun
»I understand you sir« returned Munro with a voice of forced firmness »I
understand you It is the will of Heaven and I submit Cora my child if the
prayers of a heartbroken father could avail thee now how blessed shouldst thou
be Come gentlemen« he added looking about him with an air of lofty
composure though the 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 selfcontrol 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
dropping on his bosom with Heyward and David following in sorrowing silence
and attended by the Aide of Montcalm with his guard all the white men with the
exception of Hawkeye passed from before the eyes of the Delawares and were
soon buried in the vast forests of that region
But the tie which through their common calamity had united the feelings of
these simple dwellers in the woods with the strangers who had thus transiently
visited them was not so easily broken Years passed away 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 afterwards as a link between them and civilized life they
learned in answer to their inquiries that the »grayhead« was speedily
gathered to his fathers borne down as was erroneously believed by his
military misfortunes and that the »open hand« had conveyed his surviving
daughter far into the settlements of the »palefaces« where her tears had at
last ceased to flow and had been succeeded by the bright smiles which were
better suited to her joyous nature
But these were events of a time later than that which concerns our tale
Deserted by all of his colour Hawkeye returned to the spot where his own
sympathies led him with a force that no ideal bond of union could bestow He
was just in time to catch a parting look of the features of Uncas whom the
Delawares were already enclosing in his last vestments of skins They paused to
permit the longing and lingering gaze of the sturdy woodsman and when it was
ended the body was enveloped never to be unclosed again Then came a
procession like the other and the whole nation was collected about the
temporary grave of the chief temporary because it was proper that at some
future day his bones should rest among those of his own people
The movement like the feeling had been simultaneous and general The same
grave expression of grief the same rigid silence and the same deference to the
principal mourner were observed around the place of interment as have been
already described The body was deposited in an attitude of repose facing the
rising sun with the 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 selfrestrained 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
honour He was good He was dutiful He was brave Who can deny it The Manitto
had need of such a warrior and he has called him away As for me the son and
the father of Uncas I am a blazed pine in a clearing of the palefaces My
race has gone from the shores of the salt lake and the hills of the Delawares
But who can say that the serpent of his tribe has 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 selfcommand but
whose philosophy could endure no longer »no Sagamore not alone The gifts of
our colours 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 redskin by nature and it may be that your blood was nearer but if
ever I forget the lad who has so often fout at my side in war and slept at my
side in peace may He who made us all whatever may be our colour or our gifts
forget me The boy has left us for a time but Sagamore you are not alone«
Chingachgook grasped the hand that in the warmth of feeling the scout had
stretched across the fresh earth and in that attitude of friendship these two
sturdy and intrepid woodsmen bowed their heads together while scalding tears
fell to their feet watering the grave of Uncas like drops of falling rain
In the midst of the awful stillness with which such a 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
Manitto is not done Why should Tamenund stay The palefaces are masters of the
earth and the time of the redmen has not yet come again My day has been too
long In the morning I saw the sons of Unâmis 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«
Notes
1 As each nation of the Indians had either its language or its dialect they
usually gave different names to the same places though nearly all of their
appellations were descriptive of the object. Thus a literal translation of the
name of this beautiful sheet of water used by the tribe that dwelt on its
banks would be The tail of the Lake Lake George as it is vulgarly and now
indeed legally called forms a sort of tail to Lake Champlain when viewed on
the map Hence the name
2 Washington who after uselessly admonishing the European general of the
danger into which he was heedlessly running saved the remnants of the British
army on this occasion by his decision and courage The reputation earned by
Washington in this battle was the principal cause of his being selected to
command the American armies at a later day It is a circumstance worthy of
observation that while all America rang with his well merited reputation his
name does not occur in any European account of the battle at least the author
has searched for it without success In this manner does the mother country
absorb even the fame under that system of rule
3 There existed for a long time a confederation among the Indian tribes which
occupied the northwestern part of the colony of New York which was at first
known as the Five Nations At a later day it admitted another tribe when the
appellation was changed to that of the Six Nations The original confederation
consisted of the Mohawks the Oneidas the Senecas the Cayugas and the
Onondagoes The sixth tribe was the Tuscaroras There are remnants of all these
people still living on lands secured to them by the state but they are daily
disappearing either by deaths or by removals to scenes more congenial to their
habits In a short time there will be no remains of these extraordinary people
in those regions in which they dwelt for centuries but their names The state
of New York has counties named after all of them but the Mohawks and the
Tuscaroras The second river of that state is called the Mohawk
4 In the state of Rhode Island there is a bay called Narraganset so named
after a powerful tribe of Indians which formerly dwelt on its banks Accident
or one of those unaccountable freaks which nature sometimes plays in the animal
world gave rise to a breed of horses which were once well known in America by
the name of the Narragansets They were small commonly of the colour called
sorrel in America and distinguished by their habit of pacing Horses of this
race were and are still in much request as saddle horses on account of their
hardiness and the ease of their movements As they were also sure of foot the
Narragansets were greatly sought for by females who were obliged to travel over
the roots and holes in the new countries
5 The North American warrior caused the hair to be plucked from his whole body
a small tuft only was left on the crown of his head in order that his enemy
might avail himself of it in wrenching off the scalp in the event of his fall
The scalp was the only admissible trophy of victory Thus it was deemed more
important to obtain the scalp than to kill the man Some tribes lay great stress
on the honour of striking a dead body These practices have nearly disappeared
among the Indians of the Atlantic states
6 The huntingshirt is a picturesque smockfrock being shorter and ornamented
with fringes and tassels The colours are intended to imitate the hues of the
wood with a view to concealment Many corps of American riflemen have been thus
attired and the dress is one of the most striking of modern times The hunting
shirt is frequently white
7 The rifle of the army is short that of the hunter is always long
8 The Mississippi The scout alludes to a tradition which is very popular among
the tribes of the Atlantic states Evidence of their Asiatic origin is deduced
from the circumstance though great uncertainty hangs over the whole history of
the Indians
9 The scene of this tale was in the 42d degree of latitude where the twilight
is never of long continuance
10 The reader will remember that New York was originally a colony of the Dutch
11 The principal villages of the Indian are still called castles by the whites
of New York Oneida castle is no more than a scattered hamlet but the name is
in general use
12 In vulgar parlance the condiments of a repast are called by the American a
relish substituting the thing for its effect These provincial terms are
frequently put in the mouths of the speakers according to their several
conditions in life Most of them are of local use and others quite peculiar to
the particular class of men to which the character belongs In the present
instance the scout uses the word with immediate reference to the salt with
which his own party was so fortunate as to be provided
13 Glenns Falls are on the Hudson some forty or fifty miles above the head of
tide or the place where that river becomes navigable for sloops The
description of this picturesque and remarkable little cataract as given by the
scout is sufficiently correct though the application of the water to the uses
of civilised life has materially injured its beauties The rocky island and the
two caverns are well known to every traveller since the former sustains a pier
of a bridge which is now thrown across the river immediately above the fall
In explanation of the taste of Hawkeye it should be remembered that men always
prize that most which is least enjoyed Thus in a new country the woods and
other objects which in an old country would be maintained at great cost are
gotten rid of simply with a view of improving as it is called
14 The meaning of Indian words is much governed by the emphasis and tones
15 It will be observed that Hawkeye applies different names to his enemies
Mingo and Maqua are terms of contempt and Iroquois is a name given by the
French The Indians rarely use the same name when different tribes speak of each
other
16 It has long been a practice with the whites to conciliate the important men
of the Indians by presenting medals which are worn in the place of their own
rude ornaments Those given by the English generally bear the impression of the
reigning king and those given by the Americans that of the president
17 Many of the animals of the American forests resort to those spots where salt
springs are found These are called licks or salt licks in the language of the
country from the circumstance that the quadruped is often obliged to lick the
earth in order to obtain the saline particles These licks are great places of
resort with the hunters who waylay their game near the paths that lead to
them
18 The scene of the foregoing incidents is on the spot where the village of
Ballston now stands one of the two principal watering places of America
19
Some years since the writer was shooting in the vicinity of the ruins of Fort
Oswego which stands on the shores of Lake Ontario His game was deer and his
chase a forest that stretched with little interruption fifty miles inland
Unexpectedly he came upon six or eight ladders lying in the woods within a short
distance of each other They were rudely made and much decayed Wondering what
could have assembled so many of these instruments in such a place he sought an
old man who resided near for the explanation
During the war of 1776 Fort Oswego was held by the British An expedition
had been sent two hundred miles through the wilderness to surprise the fort It
appears that the Americans on reaching the spot named which was within a mile
or two of the fort first learned that they were expected and in great danger
of being cut off They threw away their scaling ladders and made a rapid
retreat These ladders had lain unmolested thirty years in the spot where they
had thus been cast
20 Baron Dieskau a German in the service of France A few years previously to
the period of the tale this officer was defeated by Sir William Johnson of
Johnstown New York on the shores of Lake George
21 Evidently the late De Witt Clinton who died governor of New York in 1828
22 The accounts of the number who fell in this unhappy affair vary between five
and fifteen hundred
23 The powers of the American mockingbird are generally known But the true
mockingbird is not found so far north as the state of NewYork where it has
however two substitutes of inferior excellence the catbird so often named by
the scout and the bird vulgarly called groundthresher Either of these two
last birds is superior to the nightingale or the lark though in general the
American birds are less musical than those of Europe
24
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
The state of NewYork is remarkable for the number and beauty of its lakes
One of its frontiers lies on the vast sheet of Ontario while Champlain
stretches nearly a hundred miles along another Oneida Cayuga Canandaigua
Seneca and George are all lakes of thirty miles in length while those of a
size smaller are without number On most of these lakes there are now beautiful
villages and on many of them steamboats
25 These harangues of the beasts are frequent among the Indians They often
address their victims in this way reproaching them for cowardice or commending
their resolution as they may happen to exhibit fortitude or the reverse in
suffering
26 A dish composed of cracked corn and beans It is much used also by the
whites By corn is meant maize
27 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
28 William Penn was termed Miquon 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 unequalled 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
soil
29 Turtle
30 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
31 The American forest admits of the passage of horse there being little
underbrush and few tangled brakes The plan of Hawkeye is the one which has
always proved the most successful in the battles between the whites and the
Indians Wayne in his celebrated campaign on the Miami received the fire of
his enemies in line and then causing his 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 redmen could not fight the warriors with long knives and
leatherstockings meaning the dragoons with their sabres and boots