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

  CHAPTER 6

  "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

  Heyward and his female companions witnessed this mysterious movementwith secret uneasiness; for, though the conduct of the white man hadhitherto been above reproach, his rude equipments, blunt address,and strong antipathies, together with the character of his silentassociates, were all causes for exciting distrust in minds that had beenso recently alarmed by Indian treachery.

  The stranger alone disregarded the passing incidents. He seatedhimself on a projection of the rocks, whence he gave no other signsof consciousness than by the struggles of his spirit, as manifested infrequent and heavy sighs. Smothered voices were next heard, as thoughmen called to each other in the bowels of the earth, when a sudden lightflashed upon those without, and laid bare the much-prized secret of theplace.

  At the further extremity of a narrow, deep cavern in the rock, whoselength appeared much extended by the perspective and the nature of thelight by which it was seen, was seated the scout, holding a blazingknot of pine. The strong glare of the fire fell full upon his sturdy,weather-beaten countenance and forest attire, lending an air of romanticwildness to the aspect of an individual, who, seen by the sober light ofday, would have exhibited the peculiarities of a man remarkable for thestrangeness of his dress, the iron-like inflexibility of his frame,and the singular compound of quick, vigilant sagacity, and of exquisitesimplicity, that by turns usurped the possession of his muscularfeatures. At a little distance in advance stood Uncas, his whole personthrown powerfully into view. The travelers anxiously regarded theupright, flexible figure of the young Mohican, graceful and unrestrainedin the attitudes and movements of nature. Though his person was morethan usually screened by a green and fringed hunting-shirt, like that ofthe white man, there was no concealment to his dark, glancing, fearlesseye, alike terrible and calm; the bold outline of his high, haughtyfeatures, pure in their native red; or to the dignified elevation of hisreceding forehead, together with all the finest proportions of a noblehead, bared to the generous scalping tuft. It was the first opportunitypossessed by Duncan and his companions to view the marked lineaments ofeither of their Indian attendants, and each individual of the party feltrelieved from a burden of doubt, as the proud and determined, thoughwild expression of the features of the young warrior forced itself ontheir notice. They felt it might be a being partially benighted in thevale of ignorance, but it could not be one who would willingly devotehis rich natural gifts to the purposes of wanton treachery. Theingenuous Alice gazed at his free air and proud carriage, as she wouldhave looked upon some precious relic of the Grecian chisel, to whichlife had been imparted by the intervention of a miracle; while Heyward,though accustomed to see the perfection of form which abounds amongthe uncorrupted natives, openly expressed his admiration at such anunblemished specimen of the noblest proportions of man.

  "I could sleep in peace," whispered Alice, in reply, "with such afearless and generous-looking youth for my sentinel. Surely, Duncan,those cruel murders, those terrific scenes of torture, of which we readand hear so much, are never acted in the presence of such as he!"

  "This certainly is a rare and brilliant instance of those naturalqualities in which these peculiar people are said to excel," heanswered. "I agree with you, Alice, in thinking that such a front andeye were formed rather to intimidate than to deceive; but let us notpractice a deception upon ourselves, by expecting any other exhibitionof what we esteem virtue than according to the fashion of the savage.As bright examples of great qualities are but too uncommon amongChristians, so are they singular and solitary with the Indians; though,for the honor of our common nature, neither are incapable of producingthem. 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 thatlooks at this creature of nature, remembers the shade 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 theycomplied, "and might light the Mingoes to our undoing. Uncas, drop theblanket, and show the knaves its dark side. This is not such a supperas a major of the Royal Americans has a right to expect, but I'veknown stout detachments of the corps glad to eat their venison raw, andwithout a relish, too*. Here, you see, we have plenty of salt, and canmake a quick broil. There's fresh sassafras boughs for the ladies to siton, which may not be as proud as their my-hog-guinea chairs, but whichsends up a sweeter flavor, than the skin of any hog can do, be it ofGuinea, or be it of any other land. Come, friend, don't be mournful forthe colt; 'twas an innocent thing, and had not seen much hardship. Itsdeath will save the creature many a sore back and weary foot!"

  * 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.

  Uncas did as the other had directed, and when the voice of Hawkeyeceased, the roar of the cataract sounded like the rumbling of distantthunder.

  "Are we quite safe in this cavern?" demanded Heyward. "Is there nodanger of surprise? A single armed man, at its entrance, would hold usat his mercy."

  A spectral-looking figure stalked from out of the darkness behind thescout, and seizing a blazing brand, held it toward the further extremityof their place of retreat. Alice uttered a faint shriek, and even Corarose to her feet, as this appalling object moved into the light; buta single word from Heyward calmed them, with the assurance it was onlytheir attendant, Chingachgook, who, lifting another blanket, discoveredthat the cavern had two outlets. Then, holding the brand, he crosseda deep, narrow chasm in the rocks which ran at right angles with thepassage they were in, but which, unlike that, was open to the heavens,and entered another cave, answering to the description of the first, inevery essential particular.

  "Such old foxes as Chingachgook and myself are not often caught in abarrow with one hole," said Hawkeye, laughing; "you can easily see thecunning of the place--the rock is black limestone, which everybody knowsis soft; it makes no uncomfortable pillow, where brush and pine wood isscarce; well, the fall was once a few yards below us, and I dare to saywas, in its time, as regular and as handsome a sheet of water as anyalong the Hudson. But old age is a great injury to good looks, as thesesweet young ladies have yet to l'arn! The place is sadly changed! Theserocks are full of cracks, and in some places they are softer than atothersome, and the water has worked out deep hollows for itself, untilit has fallen back, ay, some hundred feet, breaking here and wearingthere, until the falls have neither shape nor consistency."

  "In what part of them are we?" asked Heyward.

  "Why, we are nigh the spot that Providence first placed them at, butwhere, it seems, they were too rebellious to stay. The rock provedsofter on each side of us, and so they left the center of the river bareand 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 andbelow. If you had daylight, it would be worth the trouble to step upon the height of this rock, and look at the perversity of the water. Itfalls 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 inanother 'tis green as grass; hereabouts, it pitches into deep hollows,that rumble and crush the 'arth; and thereaways, it ripples and singslike a brook, fashioning whirlpools
and gullies in the old stone, as if'twas no harder than trodden clay. The whole design of the river seemsdisconcerted. First it runs smoothly, as if meaning to go down thedescent as things were ordered; then it angles about and faces theshores; nor are there places wanting where it looks backward, as ifunwilling to leave the wilderness, to mingle with the salt. Ay, lady,the fine cobweb-looking cloth you wear at your throat is coarse,and like a fishnet, to little spots I can show you, where the riverfabricates all sorts of images, as if having broke loose from order, itwould try its hand at everything. And yet what does it amount to! Afterthe water has been suffered so to have its will, for a time, like aheadstrong man, it is gathered together by the hand that made it, and afew rods below you may see it all, flowing on steadily toward the sea,as was foreordained from the first foundation of the 'arth!"

  While his auditors received a cheering assurance of the security oftheir place of concealment from this untutored description of Glenn's,*they were much inclined to judge differently from Hawkeye, of its wildbeauties. But they were not in a situation to suffer their thoughts todwell on the charms of natural objects; and, as the scout had not foundit necessary to cease his culinary labors while he spoke, unless topoint out, with a broken fork, the direction of some particularlyobnoxious point in the rebellious stream, they now suffered theirattention to be drawn to the necessary though more vulgar considerationof their supper.

  * Glenn's Falls are on the Hudson, some forty or fifty miles above the head of tide, or that place where the 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 uses of civilized life has materially injured its beauties. The rocky island and the two caverns are known to every traveler, since the former sustains the 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 got rid of, simply with a view of "improving" as it is called.

  The repast, which was greatly aided by the addition of a few delicaciesthat Heyward had the precaution to bring with him when they left theirhorses, was exceedingly refreshing to the weary party. Uncas acted asattendant to the females, performing all the little offices within hispower, with a mixture of dignity and anxious grace, that served to amuseHeyward, who well knew that it was an utter innovation on theIndian customs, which forbid their warriors to descend to any menialemployment, especially in favor of their women. As the rights ofhospitality were, however, considered sacred among them, this littledeparture from the dignity of manhood excited no audible comment. Hadthere been one there sufficiently disengaged to become a close observer,he might have fancied that the services of the young chief were notentirely impartial. That while he tendered to Alice the gourd of sweetwater, and the venison in a trencher, neatly carved from the knot of thepepperidge, with sufficient courtesy, in performing the same officesto her sister, his dark eye lingered on her rich, speaking countenance.Once or twice he was compelled to speak, to command her attentionof those he served. In such cases he made use of English, broken andimperfect, but sufficiently intelligible, and which he rendered so mildand musical, by his deep, guttural voice, that it never failed to causeboth ladies to look up in admiration and astonishment. In the courseof these civilities, a few sentences were exchanged, that served toestablish the appearance of an amicable intercourse between the parties.

  In the meanwhile, the gravity of Chingcachgook remained immovable. Hehad seated himself more within the circle of light, where the frequent,uneasy glances of his guests were better enabled to separate the naturalexpression of his face from the artificial terrors of the war paint.They found a strong resemblance between father and son, with thedifference that might be expected from age and hardships. The fiercenessof his countenance now seemed to slumber, and in its place was to beseen the quiet, vacant composure which distinguishes an Indian warrior,when his faculties are not required for any of the greater purposesof his existence. It was, however, easy to be seen, by the occasionalgleams that shot across his swarthy visage, that it was only necessaryto arouse his passions, in order to give full effect to the terrificdevice which he had adopted to intimidate his enemies. On the otherhand, the quick, roving eye of the scout seldom rested. He ate anddrank with an appetite that no sense of danger could disturb, but hisvigilance seemed never to desert him. Twenty times the gourd or thevenison was suspended before his lips, while his head was turned aside,as though he listened to some distant and distrusted sounds--a movementthat never failed to recall his guests from regarding the noveltiesof their situation, to a recollection of the alarming reasons that haddriven them to seek it. As these frequent pauses were never followed byany 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 ofleaves, toward the close of the repast, and addressing the strangerwho sat at his elbow, doing great justice to his culinary skill, "trya little spruce; 'twill wash away all thoughts of the colt, and quickenthe life in your bosom. I drink to our better friendship, hoping thata little horse-flesh may leave no heart-burnings atween us. How do youname yourself?"

  "Gamut--David Gamut," returned the singing master, preparing to washdown his sorrows in a powerful draught of the woodsman's high-flavoredand well-laced compound.

  "A very good name, and, I dare say, handed down from honest forefathers.I'm an admirator of names, though the Christian fashions fall far belowsavage customs in this particular. The biggest coward I ever knew ascalled Lyon; and his wife, Patience, would scold you out of hearingin less time than a hunted deer would run a rod. With an Indian 'tis amatter of conscience; what he calls himself, he generally is--not thatChingachgook, which signifies Big Sarpent, is really a snake, big orlittle; but that he understands the windings and turnings of humannatur', and is silent, and strikes his enemies when they least expecthim. 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 singingtoo much already through the woods, when they ought not to breathelouder than a fox in his cover. Can you use the smoothbore, or handlethe rifle?"

  "Praised be God, I have never had occasion to meddle with murderousimplements!"

  "Perhaps you understand the compass, and lay down the watercourses andmountains of the wilderness on paper, in order that they who follow mayfind places by their given names?"

  "I practice no such employment."

  "You have a pair of legs that might make a long path seem short! youjourney sometimes, I fancy, with tidings for the general."

  "Never; I follow no other than my own high vocation, which isinstruction in sacred music!"

  "'Tis a strange calling!" muttered Hawkeye, with an inward laugh, "togo through life, like a catbird, mocking all the ups and downs that mayhappen to come out of other men's throats. Well, friend, I suppose itis your gift, and mustn't be denied any more than if 'twas shooting, orsome 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 thatthese ladies should be getting strength for a hard and a long push, inthe pride of the morning, afore the Maquas are stirring."

  "With joyful pleasure do I consent", said David, adjusting hisiron-rimmed spectacles, and producing his beloved little volume,which he immediately tendered to Alice. "What can be more fittingand consolatory, than to offer up evening praise, after a day of suchexceeding jeopardy!"

  Alice smiled; but, regarding Heyward, she blushed and hesitated.

  "Indulge yourself," he whispered; "ought not the su
ggestion of theworthy namesake of the Psalmist to have its weight at such a moment?"

  Encouraged by his opinion, Alice did what her pious inclinations, andher keen relish for gentle sounds, had before so strongly urged. Thebook was open at a hymn not ill adapted to their situation, and in whichthe poet, no longer goaded by his desire to excel the inspired Kingof Israel, had discovered some chastened and respectable powers. Corabetrayed a disposition to support her sister, and the sacred songproceeded, after the indispensable preliminaries of the pitchpipe, andthe tune had been duly attended to by the methodical David.

  The air was solemn and slow. At times it rose to the fullest compass ofthe rich voices of the females, who hung over their little book in holyexcitement, and again it sank so low, that the rushing of the waters ranthrough their melody, like a hollow accompaniment. The natural taste andtrue ear of David governed and modified the sounds to suit the confinedcavern, every crevice and cranny of which was filled with the thrillingnotes of their flexible voices. The Indians riveted their eyes on therocks, and listened with an attention that seemed to turn them intostone. But the scout, who had placed his chin in his hand, with anexpression of cold indifference, gradually suffered his rigid featuresto relax, until, as verse succeeded verse, he felt his iron naturesubdued, while his recollection was carried back to boyhood, when hisears had been accustomed to listen to similar sounds of praise, in thesettlements of the colony. His roving eyes began to moisten, and beforethe hymn was ended scalding tears rolled out of fountains that had longseemed dry, and followed each other down those cheeks, that had oftenerfelt the storms of heaven than any testimonials of weakness. The singerswere dwelling on one of those low, dying chords, which the ear devourswith 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 outwardair, penetrating not only the recesses of the cavern, but to the inmosthearts of all who heard it. It was followed by a stillness apparentlyas deep as if the waters had been checked in their furious progress, atsuch a horrid and unusual interruption.

  "What is it?" murmured Alice, after a few moments of terrible suspense.

  "What is it?" repeated Hewyard aloud.

  Neither Hawkeye nor the Indians made any reply. They listened, as ifexpecting the sound would be repeated, with a manner that expressedtheir own astonishment. At length they spoke together, earnestly, in theDelaware language, when Uncas, passing by the inner and most concealedaperture, cautiously left the cavern. When he had gone, the scout firstspoke in English.

  "What it is, or what it is not, none here can tell, though two of ushave ranged the woods for more than thirty years. I did believe therewas 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 tointimidate their enemies?" asked Cora who stood drawing her veil abouther 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 war-whoop, you will never mistake it foranything else. Well, Uncas!" speaking in Delaware to the young chief ashe re-entered, "what see you? do our lights shine through the blankets?"

  The answer was short, and apparently decided, being given in the sametongue.

  "There is nothing to be seen without," continued Hawkeye, shaking hishead in discontent; "and our hiding-place is still in darkness. Passinto the other cave, you that need it, and seek for sleep; we mustbe afoot long before the sun, and make the most of our time to get toEdward, while the Mingoes are taking their morning nap."

  Cora set the example of compliance, with a steadiness that taught themore timid Alice the necessity of obedience. Before leaving the place,however, she whispered a request to Duncan, that he would follow. Uncasraised the blanket for their passage, and as the sisters turned to thankhim for this act of attention, they saw the scout seated again beforethe dying embers, with his face resting on his hands, in a manner whichshowed how deeply he brooded on the unaccountable interruption which hadbroken up their evening devotions.

  Heyward took with him a blazing knot, which threw a dim light throughthe narrow vista of their new apartment. Placing it in a favorableposition, he joined the females, who now found themselves alone withhim for the first time since they had left the friendly ramparts of FortEdward.

  "Leave us not, Duncan," said Alice: "we cannot sleep in such a place asthis, 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 further end of the cavern, to an outlet, which, likethe others, was concealed by blankets; and removing the thick screen,breathed the fresh and reviving air from the cataract. One arm of theriver flowed through a deep, narrow ravine, which its current hadworn in the soft rock, directly beneath his feet, forming an effectualdefense, as he believed, against any danger from that quarter; thewater, a few rods above them, plunging, glancing, and sweeping along inits 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 beforehe dropped the blanket; "and as you know that good men and true are onguard in front I see no reason why the advice of our honest host shouldbe disregarded. I am certain Cora will join me in saying that sleep isnecessary to you both."

  "Cora may submit to the justice of your opinion though she cannot put itin practice," returned the elder sister, who had placed herself by theside of Alice, on a couch of sassafras; "there would be other causes tochase away sleep, though we had been spared the shock of this mysteriousnoise. Ask yourself, Heyward, can daughters forget the anxiety a fathermust endure, whose children lodge he knows not where or how, in such awilderness, 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 indulgentto all my wishes!" sobbed Alice. "We have been selfish, sister, inurging our visit at such hazard."

  "I may have been rash in pressing his consent in a moment of muchembarrassment, but I would have proved to him, that however others mightneglect him in his strait his children at least were faithful."

  "When he heard of your arrival at Edward," said Heyward, kindly, "therewas a powerful struggle in his bosom between fear and love; thoughthe latter, heightened, if possible, by so long a separation, quicklyprevailed. '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 whoholds the honor of our royal master in his guardianship, would show buthalf her firmness!'"

  "And did he not speak of me, Heyward?" demanded Alice, with jealousaffection; "surely, he forgot not altogether his little Elsie?"

  "That were impossible," returned the young man; "he called you by athousand endearing epithets, that I may not presume to use, but to thejustice of which, I can warmly testify. Once, indeed, he said--"

  Duncan ceased speaking; for while his eyes were riveted on those ofAlice, who had turned toward him with the eagerness of filial affection,to catch his words, the same strong, horrid cry, as before, filled theair, and rendered him mute. A long, breathless silence succeeded, duringwhich each looked at the others in fearful expectation of hearing thesound repeated. At length, the blanket was slowly raised, and the scoutstood in the aperture with a countenance whose firmness evidentlybegan to give way before a mystery that seemed to threaten some danger,against which all his cunning and experience might prove of no avail.