Frostburg mining journal., 1883-10-27
THE LAST OF THE MOHTCANS.
[Continued from first page. |


their conductors, however, soon recall
ed them from contemplation of the
wild charms that night had assisted to
end the place, to painful sense OF
their real peril.
The horses had been secured to some
scattering shrubs that grew in the
fssure of the rocks, where, standing
in the water, they were left to pass
the night. The scout directed Hey
ward and his disconsolate fellow trav-
elers to seat themselves in the forward
end of the canoe, and took possession
of the other himself, as erect and
steady as if he foated in vessel of
much firmer materials. The Indians
warily retraced their steps towards
the place they had left, when the
scout, placing his pole against rock,
by q powerful shove, sent his frail
bark directly in the centre of the tur-
bulent stream. For many minutes the
struggle between the light bubbles in
which they foated, and the swift cur
rent was severe and doubtful. For
hidden to stir even hand, and almost
afraid to breathe, lest they should ex-
pose the frail fabric to the fury of
the stream, the passengers watched
the glancing waters in feverish sus-
pense. Twenty times they thought
the whirling Seddies were sweeping
them to destruction, when the master
hand of their pilot would bring the
bows of the canoe to stem the rapid.
A long, vigorous, and, as it appear
ed to the females, a desperate effort
closed the struggle. Just as Alice
yelled her eyes in horror, under the
impression that they we're about to be
swept within the vortex at the foot of
the cataract, the canoe foated sta
tionary, at the side of fiat rock, that
lay on level with the water.
"Where are we? and what is next
to be done 7" demanded Hayward, per-
ceiving that the exertions Of the scout
had ceased.
"You are at the foot of Glenn's,"
returned the other, speaking aloud,
without fear of consequences within
the sound of the cataract; ''and the
next thing is to make steady land
ing, lest the canoe upset, and you
should go down again the hard road
we have travelled faster than you
came up; it's hard rift to stem,
when the river is little swelled; and
five is an unnatural number to keep
dry in a hurry-skurry, with little
birchen bark and gum. There, go
you all on the rock, and / will bring
up the Mohicans with the venison. A
man had better sleep without his
scalp, than famish in the midst of
plenty"
His passengers gladly complied with
these directions. AS the last foot
touched the rock, the canoe whirled
from its station, when the tall form of
the scout was seen, for an instant,
gliding above the waters, before it
disappeared in the impenetrable dark
ness that rested on the bed of the
river. Left by their guide, the trav-
elers remained few minutes in help
less ignorance, afraid to move along
the broken rocks, lest q false step
should preeipitate them down some
one of the deep and roaring caverns
into which the water seemed to tumble
on every side of them. Their sus-
pense, however, was soon relieved ;
for, aided by the skill of the natives,
the canoe shot back into the eddy,
and foated again at the side of the
low rock, before they thought the
scout had even time to rejoin his COM
panions.
"We are now fortified, garrisoned
and proviSioned," cried Hayward,
cheerfully, "and may set Montcalm
and his allies at defiance. How, now,
my vigilant sentinel, can you see any
thing of those you call the Iroquois on
the main land 7"
81 call them Iroquois, because to
me every native, who speaks foreign
tongue, is accounted an enemy, though
he may pretend to serve the king If
Webb wants faith and honesty in an
Indian, let him bring out the tribes of
the Delawares, and send these greedy
and lying Mohawks and Oneidas,
with their six nations of varlets,
where in nature they belong, with the
French !"
"We should then exchange war
like for useless friend have heard
that the Delawares have laid aside the
hatchet and are content to be called
women!"
aye! Shame to the Hollanders*
and lroquois who circumvented them
by their deviltries into such treaty !
But | have known them for twenty
years, and | call him liar who saws
cowardly blood runs iu the veins of a
Delaware. You have driven them
from the spa-shora and would NON,