Frostburg mining journal., 1883-10-27
resolutions to throw away"
"How can such wish be doubted!
have | not already offered"

nave nOI already OlleTeu-
softer your prayers to Him, who
can give us wisdom to circumvent
the cunning of the devils who fill
these woods" calmly interrupted the
scout, "but spare your offers ofmoney,
which neither you may live to realize,
nor | to profit by. These Mohigans
and | will do what mans thoughts
can invent, to keep such flowers,
which, though SO sweet, were never
made for the wilderness, for harm,
and that without hope of any recon-
pense but such as God always gives
to upright dealings. First, you must
promise two things, both in your own
name and for your own friends
or without servingyou, we shall only
injure ourselves"
"Name them"
THE one is, to be still as the sleep
ing woods, let what will happen !;
and the other is, to keep the place
whore we shall take you forever q
secret from all mortal men,"
81 will do my utmost to see these
conditions fulfilled"
"Then follow, for we are losing
moments that are as precious as the
hearts blood to stricken deer"
Hayward 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 con-
ditions of their new guide, and with
the necessity that existed for their
using every apprehension in in
slant and serious exertion. Although
his alarming communication was not
received without much secret terror
by the listeners, his earnest and i'm
pressive 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 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 expressive gestures than by
any use of words.
"What to do with these dumb
creatures uttered the white man,
on whom the sole control of their
further movements seemed 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" J"
"Then give them their brides, and
let them range the woods" Hey
ward 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. Aye, aye,
that will blind their fire balls of eyes
Chingach-Hist! What stirs the
bush? ?"
"The colt"
.'That colt, at least, must die"
muttered the scout, grasping at the
name of the nimble beast, which
easily eluded his hand; "Uucas, your
arrowsw
"Holdw exclaimed the proprie-
tor of the condemned animal aloud,
without regard to the whispering
tones used by the others; "spare the
foal of Miriam! it is the comely off
spring of faithful dam, and would
willingly injure naughtv
"When men struggle for the single
life God has given them," said the
scout sternly, seven their own kind
seem no more than the beasts Of the
wood. If you speak again | 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. 1t was met by Chin
gachgook, whose knife passed across
its throat quicker than thought, and
then precipitating the motions of the
struggling victim, he dashed it into
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