The Last of the Mohicans; A narrative of 1757 Read online

  CHAPTER 4

  "Well go thy way: thou shalt not from this grove Till I torment thee for this injury."--Midsummer Night's Dream.

  The words were still in the mouth of the scout, when the leader of theparty, whose approaching footsteps had caught the vigilant ear of theIndian, came openly into view. A beaten path, such as those made by theperiodical passage of the deer, wound through a little glen at no greatdistance, and struck the river at the point where the white man and hisred companions had posted themselves. Along this track the travelers,who had produced a surprise so unusual in the depths of the forest,advanced slowly toward the hunter, who was in front of his associates,in readiness to receive them.

  "Who comes?" demanded the scout, throwing his rifle carelessly acrosshis left arm, and keeping the forefinger of his right hand on thetrigger, though he avoided all appearance of menace in the act. "Whocomes 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 risingsun, in the shades of this forest, without nourishment, and are sadlytired of their wayfaring."

  "You are, then, lost," interrupted the hunter, "and have found howhelpless '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 themthan we who are of larger growth, and who may now be said to possess thestature without the knowledge of men. Know you the distance to a post ofthe crown called William Henry?"

  "Hoot!" shouted the scout, who did not spare his open laughter, thoughinstantly checking the dangerous sounds he indulged his merriment atless risk of being overheard by any lurking enemies. "You are as muchoff 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 businesswith the army, your way would be to follow the river down to Edward, andlay the matter before Webb, who tarries there, instead of pushing intothe 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 intothe pathway, in front of his companion.

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

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

  "We will not dispute concerning the excellence of the passage," returnedHeyward, smiling; for, as the reader has anticipated, it was he. "It isenough, for the present, that we trusted to an Indian guide to takeus by a nearer, though blinder path, and that we are deceived in hisknowledge. In plain words, we know not where we are."

  "An Indian lost in the woods!" said the scout, shaking his headdoubtingly; "When the sun is scorching the tree tops, and the watercourses are full; when the moss on every beech he sees will tell him inwhat quarter the north star will shine at night. The woods are fullof deer-paths which run to the streams and licks, places well known toeverybody; nor have the geese done their flight to the Canada watersaltogether! 'Tis strange that an Indian should be lost atwixt Horicanand the bend in the river! Is he a Mohawk?"

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

  "Hugh!" exclaimed the two companions of the scout, who had continueduntil this part of the dialogue, seated immovable, and apparentlyindifferent to what passed, but who now sprang to their feet with anactivity and interest that had evidently got the better of their reserveby surprise.

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

  "Of that there is little danger, since William Henry is so many milesin 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," returnedthe other positively. "A Mohawk! No, give me a Delaware or a Mohicanfor honesty; and when they will fight, which they won't all do, havingsuffered their cunning enemies, the Maquas, to make them women--butwhen they will fight at all, look to a Delaware, or a Mohican, for awarrior!"

  "Enough of this," said Heyward, impatiently; "I wish not to inquire intothe 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 themain army at Edward?"

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

  "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 methither, your labor shall not go without its reward."

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

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

  "The Sixtieth! you can tell me little of the Royal Americans thatI don't know, though I do wear a hunting-shirt instead of a scarletjacket."

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

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

  "It is a corps which has many majors; the gentleman you name is thesenior, but I speak of the junior of them all; he who commands thecompanies in garrison at William Henry."

  "Yes, yes, I have heard that a young gentleman of vast riches, from oneof 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 tobleach; and yet they say he is a soldier in his knowledge, and a gallantgentleman!"

  "Whatever he may be, or however he may be qualified for his rank, he nowspeaks to you and, of course, can be no enemy to dread."

  The scout regarded Heyward in surprise, and then lifting his cap, heanswered, in a tone less confident than before--though still expressingdoubt.

  "I have heard a party was to leave the encampment this morning for thelake shore?"

  "You have heard the truth; but I preferred a nearer route, trusting tothe 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 foundin the rear."

  "I should like to look at the creature; if it is a true Iroquois Ican tell him by his knavish look, and by his paint," said the scout;stepping past the charger of Heyward, and entering the path behind themare of the singing master, whose foal had taken advantage of the haltto exact the maternal contribution. After shoving aside the bushes,and proceeding a few paces, he encountered the females, who awaitedthe result of the conference with anxiety, and not entirely withoutapprehension. Behind these, the runner leaned against a tree, where hestood the close examination of the scout with an air unmoved, thoughwith a look so dark and savage, that it might in itself excite fear.Satisfied with his scrutiny, the hunter soon left him. As he repassedthe females, he paused a moment to gaze upon their beauty, answering tothe smile and nod of Alice with a look of open pleasure. Thence he wentto the side of the motherly animal, and spending a minute in a fruitlessinquiry into the character of her rider, he shook his head and ret
urnedto Heyward.

  "A Mingo is a Mingo, and God having made him so, neither the Mohawks norany other tribe can alter him," he said, when he had regained his formerposition. "If we were alone, and you would leave that noble horse at themercy of the wolves to-night, I could show you the way to Edward myself,within an hour, for it lies only about an hour's journey hence; but withsuch ladies in your company 'tis impossible!"

  "And why? They are fatigued, but they are quite equal to a ride of a fewmore miles."

  "'Tis a natural impossibility!" repeated the scout; "I wouldn't walka mile in these woods after night gets into them, in company with thatrunner, for the best rifle in the colonies. They are full of outlyingIroquois, and your mongrel Mohawk knows where to find them too well tobe my companion."

  "Think you so?" said Heyward, leaning forward in the saddle, anddropping his voice nearly to a whisper; "I confess I have not beenwithout my own suspicions, though I have endeavored to conceal them,and affected a confidence I have not always felt, on account of mycompanions. It was because I suspected him that I would follow nolonger; 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 youcan see over them bushes; his right leg is in a line with the bark ofthe tree, and," tapping his rifle, "I can take him from where I stand,between the angle and the knee, with a single shot, putting an endto his tramping through the woods, for at least a month to come. If Ishould go back to him, the cunning varmint would suspect something, andbe dodging through the trees like a frightened deer."

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

  "'Tis a safe thing to calculate on the knavery of an Iroquois," said thescout, throwing his rifle forward, by a sort of instinctive movement.

  "Hold!" interrupted Heyward, "it will not do--we must think of someother scheme--and yet, I have much reason to believe the rascal hasdeceived me."

  The hunter, who had already abandoned his intention of maiming therunner, mused a moment, and then made a gesture, which instantly broughthis two red companions to his side. They spoke together earnestly in theDelaware language, though in an undertone; and by the gestures ofthe white man, which were frequently directed towards the top of thesapling, it was evident he pointed out the situation of their hiddenenemy. His companions were not long in comprehending his wishes, andlaying aside their firearms, they parted, taking opposite sides ofthe path, and burying themselves in the thicket, with such cautiousmovements, that their steps were inaudible.

  "Now, go you back," said the hunter, speaking again to Heyward, "andhold the imp in talk; these Mohicans here will take him without breakinghis 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, hewould wait for the other to be free? Whoever comes into the woods todeal with the natives, must use Indian fashions, if he would wish toprosper in his undertakings. Go, then; talk openly to the miscreant, andseem to believe him the truest friend you have on 'arth."

  Heyward prepared to comply, though with strong disgust at the nature ofthe office he was compelled to execute. Each moment, however, pressedupon him a conviction of the critical situation in which he had sufferedhis invaluable trust to be involved through his own confidence. The sunhad already disappeared, and the woods, suddenly deprived of his light*,were assuming a dusky hue, which keenly reminded him that the hour thesavage usually chose for his most barbarous and remorseless actsof vengeance or hostility, was speedily drawing near. Stimulated byapprehension, he left the scout, who immediately entered into a loudconversation with the stranger that had so unceremoniously enlistedhimself in the party of travelers that morning. In passing his gentlercompanions Heyward uttered a few words of encouragement, and waspleased to find that, though fatigued with the exercise of the day, theyappeared to entertain no suspicion that their present embarrassment wasother than the result of accident. Giving them reason to believe hewas merely employed in a consultation concerning the future route,he spurred his charger, and drew the reins again when the animal hadcarried him within a few yards of the place where the sullen runnerstill stood, leaning against the tree.

  * The scene of this tale was in the 42d degree of latitude, where the twilight is never of long continuation.

  "You may see, Magua," he said, endeavoring to assume an air of freedomand confidence, "that the night is closing around us, and yet we are nonearer to William Henry than when we left the encampment of Webb withthe 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 by-ways of the woods, andwho promises to lead us to a place where we may rest securely till themorning."

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

  "Alone!" hesitatingly answered Heyward, to whom deception was too new tobe assumed without embarrassment. "Oh! not alone, surely, Magua, for youknow that we are with him."

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

  "Go! Whom call you Le Renard?"

  "'Tis the name his Canada fathers have given to Magua," returned therunner, with an air that manifested his pride at the distinction. "Nightis the same as day to Le Subtil, when Munro waits for him."

  "And what account will Le Renard give the chief of William Henryconcerning his daughters? Will he dare to tell the hot-blooded Scotsmanthat his children are left without a guide, though Magua promised to beone?"

  "Though the gray head has a loud voice, and a long arm, Le Renard willnot hear him, nor feel him, in the woods."

  "But what will the Mohawks say? They will make him petticoats, and bidhim stay in the wigwam with the women, for he is no longer to be trustedwith the business of a man."

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

  "Enough, Magua," said Heyward; "are we not friends? Why should there bebitter words between us? Munro has promised you a gift for your serviceswhen performed, and I shall be your debtor for another. Rest your wearylimbs, then, and open your wallet to eat. We have a few moments tospare; let us not waste them in talk like wrangling women. When theladies are refreshed we will proceed."

  "The pale faces make themselves dogs to their women," muttered theIndian, in his native language, "and when they want to eat, theirwarriors 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 ofHeyward, but meeting his glance, he turned them quickly away, andseating himself deliberately on the ground, he drew forth the remnant ofsome former repast, and began to eat, though not without first bendinghis looks slowly and cautiously around him.

  "This is well," continued Heyward; "and Le Renard will have strength andsight to find the path in the morning"; he paused, for sounds like thesnapping of a dried stick, and the rustling of leaves, rose from theadjacent bushes, but recollecting himself instantly, he continued, "wemust 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 thoughhis eyes were fastened on the ground, his head was turned aside, hisnostrils expanded, and his ears seemed even to stand more erect thanusual, giving to him the appearance of a statue that was made torepresent intense attention.

  He
yward, who watched his movements with a vigilant eye, carelesslyextricated one of his feet from the stirrup, while he passed a handtoward the bear-skin covering of his holsters.

  Every effort to detect the point most regarded by the runner wascompletely frustrated by the tremulous glances of his organs, whichseemed 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 howto proceed, Le Subtil cautiously raised himself to his feet, though witha motion so slow and guarded, that not the slightest noise was producedby the change. Heyward felt it had now become incumbent on him to act.Throwing his leg over the saddle, he dismounted, with a determination toadvance and seize his treacherous companion, trusting the result to hisown manhood. In order, however, to prevent unnecessary alarm, he stillpreserved an air of calmness and friendship.

  "Le Renard Subtil does not eat," he said, using the appellation he hadfound most flattering to the vanity of the Indian. "His corn is notwell parched, and it seems dry. Let me examine; perhaps something may befound among my own provisions that will help his appetite."

  Magua held out the wallet to the proffer of the other. He even sufferedtheir hands to meet, without betraying the least emotion, or varying hisriveted attitude of attention. But when he felt the fingers of Heywardmoving gently along his own naked arm, he struck up the limb of theyoung man, and, uttering a piercing cry, he darted beneath it, andplunged, at a single bound, into the opposite thicket. At the nextinstant the form of Chingachgook appeared from the bushes, looking likea specter in its paint, and glided across the path in swift pursuit.Next followed the shout of Uncas, when the woods were lighted by asudden flash, that was accompanied by the sharp report of the hunter'srifle.