Frostburg mining journal., 1883-11-10
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.
rContinued from first page.

alone knows our danger. | should
think myself wicked, unto rebellion
against his will, was ! to burrow with
such warnings in the air. Even the
weak soul who passes his days in sing
ing, is stirred by the cry, and as he
says, is ready to go forth to the battle
If 'twere only a battle, it would be a
thing understood by us all, and easily
managed but have heard that when
such shrieks are atween heaven and
'arth, it betokens another sort of war
fare"
'If all our reasons for fear, my
friend, are confined to such as proceed
from supernatural causes, we have but
little cause to be alarmed" continued
the undisturbed Cora; "are you cer-
tain that our enemies have not invent
ed some new and ingenious method to
strike us with terror, that their conquest
may become more easy "
"Lady," returned the scout, solemn
ly, ~ have listened to all the sounds
of the woods for thirty years, as a man
will listen, whose life and death de-
pend on the quickness of his ears.
There is no whine of the panther, no
whistle of the cat-bird, nor any inven-
ton of the devilish Mingoes, that can
cheat me. I have heard the forest
moan like mortal men in their affiiction;
often, and again, have | listened to
the wind playing its music in the
branches of the girdled trees; and |
have heard the lightning cracking in
the air, like the swapping of blazing
brush, as it spitted forth sparks and
folked fame but never have |
thought that heard more than the
pleasure of him who sported with the
things of his hand. But neither the
Mohicans, nor l, who am white man
without cross, can explain the cry
just heard. We, therefore, believe it
sign given for our good"
at is extraordinary" said Hayward,
taking his pistols from the place where
he had laid them on entering "be it
sign of peace or a signal of war, it
must be looked to. Lead the way, my
friend follow"
On issuing from their place of con
finement, the whole party instantly ex-
perienced a grateful renovation of
spirits, by exchanging the pent air of
the hiding-place for the cool and in
vigorating atmosphere which played
around the whirlpools and pitches of
the cataract. A heavy evening breeze
swept along the surface of the river,
and seemed to drive the roar of the falls
into the recesses of their own caverns,
whence it issued heavily and constant,
like thunder rumbling beyond the dis
tant hills. The moon had risen, and
its light was already glancing here and
there on the waters above them but
the extremity of the rock where they
stood, still lay in shadow. With the
the exception of the sound produced by
the rushing waters, and the occasional
breathing of the air, as it murmured
past them in ftful currents, the scene
was as still as night and solitude. could
make it. In vain were the eyes of
each individual bent along the oppo-
site shores in quest of some signs of
life, that might explain the nature of
the interruption they had heard.
Their anxious and eager looks were
baffied by the deceptive light, or rested
only on naked rocks, and straight,
and immovable trees.
"Here is nothing to be seen but the
gloom and quiet of lovely evening""
whispered Duncan. "How much should
we prize such scene, and all this
breathing solitude, at any other mo-
ment, Cora. Fancy yourself in secu-
rity, and what now, perhaps, increases
your terror, may be conducive to en-
joyment."
Listen !" interrupted Alice.
The caution was unnecessary.
Once more the same sound arose, as if
from the bed of the river, and having
broken out of the narrow bounds of
the cliffs, was heard undulating
through the forest, in distant and
dying cadenccs.
'Can any one here give a name to
such cry2" demanded Hawk-eye,
when the last echo was lost in the
woods "if 50 let him speak; for my
self, | judge it not to belong to
'arth."
''Here, then, is one who can unde-
ceive you," said Duncan Il know tie
sound full well, for often have heard
it on the field of battle, and in situa-
tions which are frequent in a soldiers
life. Tis the horrid Shrek that "a
horse will give in his agony; oftener
drawn from him in pain, though some
times in terror. Ny charger is either
a prey to the beasts of the forest, or
he sees his danger, without the power
to avoid it. The sound might deceive
me in the cavern, but in the open air
/ know it too well to be wrong"