Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1883-10-13
THE
LAST OF THE MOHICANS.
BY
j. Fenim0re Cooper.
CONTINUED from last week. |

CONTINUED from last week.
"You have the story told you by
your fathers" returned the other,
coldly waving his hand. "What say
your old men do they tell the young
warriors that the palsfaces met the
red men, painted for war and armed
with the stone hatchet and the wood
en- gun?"
81 am not prejudiced man,. nor
one who vaunts himself on his natu-
raj privileges, though the worst
enemy l have on earth, and he is an
Iroquois, daren't deny that am
genuine white" the scout replied,
surveying with secret satisfaction
the faded color of his bony and sim
envy hand; "and l am willing to own
that my people have many ways, of
which, as an honest man, / can't
approve. 1t is one of their customs
to write in books what they have
done and seen, instead of telling
them in their villages, where the lie
can be given to the face of the
cowardly boaster, and the brave SOL
dier can call on his comrades to wit
ness for the truth of his words. In
consequence of this bad fashion a
man who is too conscientious to
misspend his days among the women
in learning the names of black marks
may never hear of the deeds of his
fathers, nor feel a pride in striving
to outdo them: For myself, ] con-
clude that the Bumppos could shoot;
for | have a natural turn with u rifle,
which must have been handed down
from generation to generation, as our
holy commandments tell us all good
and evil gifts are bestowed; though |
should be 10th to answer for other
people in such a matter. But every
story has its two sides; so | ask of
you, Chingachgook, what passed, ac-
cording to the traditions of the red
men, when our fathers first metz"
A silence of minute succeeded,
during which the Indian sat mute; !;
then full of the dignity Of his office
he commenced his brief tale, with a
solemnity that served to heighten its
appearance of truth.
"Listen, Hawkeye, and your ear
shall drink no lie. 'Tis what my
fathers have said, and and what the
Mohicans have DONE" He hesitated
single instant, and bending a
cautious glance towards his compan-
ion, he continued, in q manner that
was divided between interrogation
and assertion. "Does not this stream
at our feet run towards the summer,
until its waters grow salt, and the
current flows upward ?"
"It can't be denied that your ira
ditions tell you true in both these
matters" said the white man; for /
have been there and have seen them I;
though why water, which is so sweet
in the shade, should become SO bitter
in the sun, is an alteration for which
have never been able to account"
"And the current!" demanded the
Indian, who expected his reply with
that sort of interest that man feels
in the confirmation of testimony, at
which he marvels even while he re-
spects it; "the fathers of Chingach-
cook have not lied"
"The holy Bible is not more true,
and that is the truest thing in nature.
They call this upstream current the
tide, which is a thing soon explained,
and clear enough. Six hours the
waters run in, and six they run out
and the reason is this: when there is
higher water in the sea than in the
river, they run in until the river gets
to be highest, then it runs out
again"
"The waters in the woods and on
the great lakes run downward until
they lie like my hand" said the
Indian, stretching the limb horizont-
ally before him, "and then they run
no more"
"No honest man will deny it!' said
the scout, a little nettled at the i'm
piled distrust of his explanation Of
the mystery of the tides; "and |
grant that it is true ON the small
scale, and where the land is level.
But everything depends on what
scale you look at things. Now, on
the small scale, the earth is level; on
the large scale, it is round. In this
manner pools and ponds, and even
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