Latest / Adventure Books Collection / 21 - The Last Of The Mohicans - James Cooper
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- Chapter twenty one. Quote if you find a man there, he shall die a fleas death. Unquote from the merryland wives of Windsor. The party had landed on the border of a region that is even to this day less known to the inhabitants of the States than the deserts of Arabia or the steps of Tartary. It was the sterile and rugged district which separates the tributaries of Champlain from those of the Hudson, the Mohawk, and the Saint Lawrence. Since the period of our tale, the active spirit of the country has surrounded it with a belt of rich and thriving settlements, though none but the Hunter or the Savage is ever known even now to penetrate its wild recesses. As Hawkeye and the Mohicans had, however, often traversed the mountains and valleys of this vast wilderness, they did not hesitate to plunge into its depth with the freedom of men, accustomed to its privations and defaceiculties. For many hours, the travelers 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 night, where they then were imitating the example and emulating the confidence of their more experienced associates, Monroe and Duncan slept without fear, if not without uneasiness. The dews were suffered to exhale, and the sun had dispersed the mist and was shedding a strong and clear light in the forest when the travelers resumed their journey. After proceeding a few miles, the progress of Hawkeye, who led the advance, became more deliberate and watchful. He often stopped to examine the trees, nor did he cross a rivulet without attentively considering the quantity, the velocity, and the color of its waters. Distrusting his own judgment, his appeals to the opinion of Chinegotchkok were frequent and earnest. During one of these conferences, Heyward observed that Uncas stood a patient, silent, though as he imagined an interested listener. He was strongly tempted to address the young chief and demand his opinion of their progress. But the calm and dignified demeanor of the native induced him to believe that, like himself, the other was wholly dependent on the sagacity and intelligence of the seniors of the party. At last, the scout spoke in English and at once explained the embarrassment of their situation. When I found that the home path of the Hurons run north, he said, it did not need the judgment of many long years to tell that they would follow the valleys and keep between the waters the Hudson and the Horican, until they might strike the springs of the Canadian streams, which would lead them into the heart of the country of the Frenchers. Yet here are we within a short range of the Sakkaroons, and not a sign of a trail have we crossed. Human nature is weak, and it is possible we may have not taken the proper scent. Heaven protect us from such an air, 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. Chinchkotchkok 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 ecclivat 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 for 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's. But where experience is the master, the scholar is made to know the value of years, and respects them accordingly. See said uncas, pointing north and south at the evident marks of the broad trail on either side of him. The dark hair has gone toward the forest. How never ran on a more beautiful scent, responded the scout, dashing forward at once on the indicated route. We are favored, greatly favored, and can follow with high noses. I here are both your waddling beast. 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 full journeying in a coach, and that with three of the best pair of eyes on the borders in his rear. The spirits of the scout and the astonishing success of the chase, in which a circuitous distance of more than forty miles had been passed, did not fail to impart a portion of hope to the whole party. Their advance was rapid and made with as much confidence as a traveler would proceed along a wide highway if a rock or a rivulet or a bit of earth harder than common severed the links of the 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 shore. Nor had the Huron entirely neglected the arch uniformly practiced 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 air before they had lost either time or distance on them the deceptive track. By the middle of the afternoon, they had passed the sakaroons 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 Renaud had made a halt. Extinguished brands were laying 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, Hayward 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 beast were so plainly visible around the place, the trail appeared to have suddenly ended. It was easy to follow the tracks of the Narragansetts, but they seemed only to have wandered without guides or any other object than the pursuit of food. At length, Uncas, who with his father had endeavored to trace the route of the horses, came upon a sign of their presence that was quite recent before following the cue, he communicated his success to his companions, and while the latter were consulting on the circumstances, the youth reappeared, leading the two fillies, with their saddles broken and the housing soiled, as if they had been permitted to run at will for several days. What would this prove? Said Duncan, turning pale and glancing his eyes around him as if he feared the brush and leaves were about to give him some horrid secret, that our march is come to a quick end, and that we are in an enemy's country, returned the scout. Had the knave been pressed and the gentle ones wanted horses to keep up with the party, he might have taken their scalps. But without an enemy at his heels, and with such rugged beast as these, he would not hurt a hair on their heads. I know your thoughts, and shame be it to our color that you have reason for them. But he who thinks that even a Mingo would ill treat a woman unless it be to tomahawk her knows nothing of Indian nature 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 with incent of their camp. Why should they not. The morning and evening guns of tie may be heard any day among these mountains, for the Frenchers are running a new line between the provinces of the King and the Canadas. It is true that the horses are here, but the hurons are gone. Let us then hunt for the path by which they parted. Hawkeye and the Mohicans now applied themselves to their task. In good earnest, a circle of a few hundred feet in circumference was drawn, and each of the party took a segment for his portion. The examination, however, resulted in no discovery. The impressions of footsteps were numerous, but they all appeared like those of men who had wondered about the spout. Without any design to quit it again, the scout and his companions made the circuit of the halting place, each slowly following the other, until they assembled in the center once more, no wiser than when they had started. Such cunning is not without its deviltry, exclaimed Hawkeye when he met the disappointed looks of his assistance. 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 cuts, laving with the utmost patience and industry to conceal such footstep as they proceed. 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 riel, which ran from the spring, and diverted its course into another channel. As soon as its narrow bed below the dam was dry, he stooped over it with a keen and curious eye. 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 of Luvian. This lad will be an honor to his people, said Hawkeye, regarding the trail with as much admiration as a naturalist would expend on the tusk of a mammoth, or the rib of a mastodon eye, and a thorn in the side of the hurons. Yet that is not the footstep of an inn. The weight is too much on the heel, and the toes are squared, as though one of the French dancers had been in pigeon winging his tribe. Run back, Uncas, and bring me the size of the singer's foot. You will find a beautiful print of it, just opposite Yon Rock again the hillside. While the youth was engaged in this commission, the scout and chinchotchcook 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 moccasin. I can now read the whole of it as plainly as if I had seen the arts of lips of teel. 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 out. 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 ril, 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 in knowing that the trail lay beneath. More than half a mile was passed before the real 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 quickened act of uncas soon found the impression of a foot on a bunch of moss where it would seem an Indian had inadvertently trodden. Pursuing the direction given by this discovery, he entered the neighboring thicket and struck the trail as fresh and obvious as it had been before they reached the spring. Another shout announced the good fortune of the youth to his companions, and at once terminated the search. Aye it has been planned with Indian judgments, said the scout, when the party was assembled around the place, and would have blinded white eyes. Shall we proceed, demanded Heyward. Softly, softly, We know our path, but it is good to examine the formation of things. This is my schooling major, and if one neglects the book, there is little chance of learning from the open land of Providence. All is plain but one thing, which is the manner that the knave contrived to get the gentle ones along the blind trail. Even a huron would be too proud to let their tender feet touch the water. Will this is this? In explaining the difficulty, said Heyward, pointing toward the fragments of a sort of handbarrow that had been rudely constructed of bowels and bound together with wives, and which now seem 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 fabricating a lying end to their trail. Well, I've known them to waste the day in the same manner. To his little purpose. Here we have three pair of moccasins, and two of little feet. It is amazing that any mortal beings can journey on limbs so small. Pass me the thong of buckskin, uncas, and let me take the length of this foot. By the Lord, it is no longer than a child's. And yet the maidens are tall and comely, that Providence is partial in its gifts for its own wise reasons. The best and most contented of us must allow. The tender limbs of my daughters are unequal to these hardships, said Monroe, looking at the light footsteps of his children with a parent's love. We shall behind their fainting forms in this desert. Of that there is little cause for fear, returned the scout, slowly shaking his head. This is a firm and straight, though a light step, and not over long. See the heel has hardly touched the ground, and there the dark hairt has made a little jump from rout root. No, no, my knowledge of it. Neither of them was nigh fainting here away. Now the singer was beginning to be footstore and leg weary, as is plain by his trail. There you see he slipped. Here, he has traveled wide and tottered. And there again it looks as though he journeyed on snowshoes. Aye. Aye. A man who uses his throat altogether can hardly give his legs a proper training. From such undeniable testimony, did the practiced woodsman arrive at the truth with nearly as much certainty and precision as if he had been a witness of all those events which his ingenuity so easy, 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 Monroe to exert all of 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 delaid by uncertainty. Before an hour had elapsed, however, the speed of Hawkeye sensibly abated, and his head, instead of maintaining its former direct and forward look, began to turn suspiciously from side to side, as if he were conscious of approaching danger. He soon stopped again and waited for the whole party to come up. I sent the Hurons, he said, speaking to the Mohicans. Yonder is open sky through the tree tops, and we are getting too nigh their encampment. Sagamore, you will take the hillside to the right, Uncas will bend along the brook to the left, while I will try the trail. If anything should happen, the call will be three croaks of a crow. I saw one of the birds fanning himself in the air just beyond the dead oak, another sign that we are approaching an encampment. The Indians departed their several ways without reply, while Hawkeye cautiously proceeded with the two gentlemen. Heyward soon pressed to the side of their guide, eager to catch any 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 waited 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 have been felled, and the glow of a mild summer's evening had fallen on the clearing in beautiful contrast to the gray light of the forest. A short distance from the place where Duncan stood, the stream had seemingly expanded into a little lake, covering most of the lowland from mountain to mountain. The water fell out of this wide basin in a cataract so regular and gentle that it appeared rather to be the work of human hands than fashioned by nature. A hundred earthen dwellings stood on the margin of the lake and even in its waters, as though the latter had overflowed its usual banks. Their rounded roofs, admirably wolded for defense against the weather, denoted more of industry and foresight than natives were wont to bestow on their regular habitations, much less on those occupied for the temporary purposes of hunting and war. In short, the whole village or town, whichever it might be termed, possessed more of method and needless of execution than the white men had been accustomed to believe belonged ordinarily to the Indian habits. It appeared, however, to be deserted, at least, so thought Duncan for many minutes. But at length he fancied he discovered several human forms advancing toward him on all fours and apparently dragging in the train some heavy and 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 for examining their humors or pursuits. Alarmed at these suspicious and inexplicable movements, he was about to attempt the signal of the crows when the rustling of leaves at hand drew his eyes in another direction. The young man started and recoiled a few paces instinctively when he found himself within a hundred yards of a stranger Indian, recovering his recollection of the instant. Instead of sounding alarm, which might prove fatal to himself, he remained stationary, an attentive observer of the other's motions, an instant of calm observation served to assure Duncan that he was undiscovered. The native, like himself, seemed occupied in considering the low dwellings of the village and the stolen movements of its inhabitants. It was impossible to discover the expression of his features through the grotesque mask of paint under which they were concealed, though Duncan fancied it was rather melancholy than savage. His head was shaved, as usual, with the exception of the crown, from whose tough three or four faded feathers from a hawk's wing were loosely dangling. A ragged calico mantle half encircled his body, while his nether garment was composed of an ordinary shirt, the sleeves of which were made to perform the office that is usually expected by a much more commodious arrangement. His legs 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 neighbor when the scout stole silently and cautiously to his side. You see we have reached their settlement or encampment, whispered the young man. 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 Uran, he said, nor of any of the Canada tribes. And yet you see by his clothes the knave has been plundering the White i Montcalm has raked the woods for his inroad, and a whooping, murdering set of varrets 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, or dodge about the water, we have but little to fear from him. The scout turned to Hayward and regarded him a moment with unconcealed amazement. Then opening his mouth, he indulged in unrestrained and heartfelt laughter, though in that silent and peculiar manner which Danger had so long taught him to practice. Repeating the words fellows who are deluging 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. Hayward had already permitted his companion to bury part of his person in the thicket. When stretching forth his arm, he arrested him in order to ask, if I see you in danger, may I not risk a shot? Hawkeye regarded him a moment like one who knew not how to take the question. Then, nodding his head, he answered, still laughing, though inaudibly, fire Old 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 scalp. Then he reappeared, creeping along the earth, from which his dress was hardly distinguishable, directly in the rear of his intended captive. Having reached within a few yards of the latter, he arose to his feet silently and slowly. At that instant, several loud blows were struck on the water and Duncan turned his eyes just in time to perceive that a hundred dark forms were plunging in a body into the troubled little sheet. Grasping his rifle, his looks were again bent on the Indian near him. Instead of taking the alarm, the unconscious Savage stretched forward his neck as if he also watched the movements about the gloomy lake with a sort of silly curiosity. In the meantime, the uplifted hand of Hawkeye was above him, but without any apparent reason, it was withdrawn, and its owner indulged another long the 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 on the shoulder and exclaimed, aloud, how now, friend, have you mind to teach the beavers to sing? Being so was the ready answer, it would seem that the being that gave them the power to improve his gifts so well would not deny them voices to proclaim his praise. End of Chapter twenty one