Cooper_Last_of_the_Mohicans.txt topic ['13', '324', '378', '393']
contracted
their circle, and formed again around the person of , as
silent, as grave, and as motionless as before.
place which had been chosen for the grave of was
a little knoll, where a cluster of young and healthful pines had
2f
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taken root, forming of themselves a melancholy and appropriate
shade over the spot. reaching it the girls deposited their
burden, and continued for many minutes waiting, with charac-
teristic patience, and native timidity, for some evidence that
they whose feelings were most concerned were content with the
arrangement. length the scout, who alone understood their
habits, said, in their own language :
" daughters have done well; the white men thank
them."
with this testimony in their favor, the girls pro-
ceeded to deposit the body in a shell, ingeniously, and not in-
elegantly, fabricated of the bark of the birch ,- after which they
lowered it into its dark and final abode. ceremony of cover-
ing 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. when the labors
of the kind beings who had performed these sad and friendly
offices were so far completed, they hesitated, in a way to show
that they knew not how much further they might proceed.
was in this stage of the rites that the scout again addressed
them :
" young women have done enough," he said. " spirit
of a pale face has no need of food or raiment, their gifts being
according to the heaven of their color. see," he added, glan-
cing an eye at , 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 fashions is about to speak."
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. the time
was occupied in pouring out the pious feelings of his
spirit in this manner, not a sign of surprise, nor a look of im-
patience, escaped them. listened like those who knew
the meaning of the strange words, and appeared as if they felt
436
the mingled emotions of sorrow, hope, and resignation, they were
intended to convey.
by the scene he had just witnessed, and perhaps in-
fluenced by his own secret emotions, the master of song exceeded
his usual efforts. full rich voice was not found to suffer by
a comparison with the soft tones of the girls ; and his more modu-
lated strains possessed, at least for the ears of those to whom they
were peculiarly addressed, the additional power of intelligence.
ended the anthem, as he had commenced it, in the midst of
a grave and solemn stillness. ,
, 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.
seemed sensible that the time was come for him to exert
what is, perhaps, the greatest effort of which human nature is
capable. bared his gray locks, and looked around the timid
and quiet throng by which he was encircled, with a firm and col-
lected countenance. motioning with his hand for the scout
to listen, he said :
" to these kind and gentle females, that a heart-broken
and failing man returns them his thanks. them, that the
we all worship, under different names, will be mindful of
their charity ; and that the time shall not be distant when we
may assemble around his throne without distinction of sex, or
rank, or color."
scout listened to the tremulous voice in which the vet-
eran delivered these words, and shook his head slowly when
they were ended, as one who doubted their efficacy.
" tell them this," he said, (i 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."
turning to the women, he made such a communication
of the other's gratitude as he deemed most suited to the capac-
436
ities of his listeners. head of had already sunk
upon his chest, and he was again fast relapsing into melancholy,
when the young before named ventured to touch
him lightly on the elbow. soon as he had gained the atten-
tion of the mourning old man, he pointed toward a group of
young , who approached with a light but closely covered
litter, and then pointed upward toward the sun.
" understand you, sir," returned , with a voice of
forced firmness : " understand you. is the will of ,
and submit. , my child ! if the prayers of a heart-
broken father could avail thee now, bow blessed shouldst thou
be ! , 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."
gladly obeyed a summons that took them from a
spot where, each instant, he felt his self-control was about to
desert him. 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 army. gladly throwing himself
into the saddle, he spurred his charger to the side of the litter,
whence low an4 stifled sobs alone announced the presence of
. this manner, the, head of again dropping on
his bosom, with and following in sorrowing
silence, and attended by the aid of with his guard,
all the white men, with the exception of , passed from
before the eyes of the wares, and were soon buried in the
vast forests of that region.
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. passed away before the traditionary
tale of the white maiden, and of the young warrior of the
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, ceased to beguile the long nights and tedious
marches, or to animate their youthful and brave with a desire
for vengeance. were the secondary actors in these
momentous incidents forgotten. the medium of the
scout, who served for years afterward as a link between them
and civilized life, they learned, in answer to their inquiries, that
the " " was speedily gathered to his fathers borne
down, as was erroneously believed, by his military misfortunes ;
and that the " " had conveyed his surviving
daughter far into the settlements of the "pale faces," where
her tears had at last ceased to flow, and had been succeeded
by the bright smiles which were better suited to her joyous
nature.
these were events of a time later than that which con-
cerns our tale. by all of his color, re-
turned to the spot where his own sympathies led him, with a
force that no ideal bond of union could bestow. was just
in time to catch a parting look of the features of , whom
the were already inclosing in his last vestments of
skins. 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. came a proces-
sion 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.
movement, like the feeling, had been simultaneous and
general. 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. 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. opening
was left in the shell, by which it was protected from the soil,
438
for the spirit to communicate with its earthly tenement, when
necessary ; and the whole was concealed from the instinct, and
protected frota the ravages of the beasts of prey, with an in-
genuity peculiar to the natives. manual rites then ceased,
and all present reverted to the more spiritual part of the
ceremonies.
became once more the object of the common
attention. had not yet spoken, and something consolatory
and instructive was expected from so renowned a chief on an
occasion of such interest. of the wishes of the
people, the stern and self-restrained warrior raised his face,
which had latterly been buried in his robe, and looked about
him with a steady eye. firmly compressed and expressive
lips then severed, and for the first time during the long. cere-
monies his voice was distinctly audible.
" do my brothers mourn ? " he said, regarding the dark
race of dejected warriors by whom he was environed j " why do
my daughters weep ? that a young man has gone to the happy
hunting grounds ; that a chief has filled his time with honor ?
was good ; he was dutiful ; he was brave. can deny
it? had need of such a warrior, and has
called him away. for me, the son and the father of ,
am a blazed pine, in a clearing of the pale faces. race
has gone from the shores of the salt lake and the hills of the
. who can say that the serpent of his tribe has
forgotten his wisdom ? am alone "
", no," cried , who had been gazing with a
yearning look at the rigid features of his friend, with something
like his own self-command, but whose philosophy could endure
no longer ; " no, , not alone. gifts of our colors
may be different, but has so placed us as to journey in the
same path. have no kin, and may also say, like you, no
people. was your sou, and a red-skin by nature ; and it
may be that your blood was nearer but if ever forget the
439
lad who has so often fou't at my side in war, and slept at my
side in peace, may who made us all, whatever may be our
color or our gifts, forget me ! boy has left us for a time ;
but, , you are not alone."
grasped the hand that, in the warmth of feel-
ing, 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 like drops of falling rain.
the midst of the awful stillness with which such a-tfurst
of feeling, coming, as it did, from the two most renowned war-
riors of that region, was received, lifted his voice to
disperse the multitude.
" is enough," he said. " , children of the , the
anger of the is not done. should
stay ? pale faces are masters of the earth, and the time
of the red men has not yet come again. day has been too
long. the morning saw the sons of happy and
strong ; and yet, before the night has come, have lived to see
the last warrior of the wise race of the ."