Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-04-12
THE LAST OF THE MOHlCANS.
| Continued from first page. ]

lOoitiHueu iToiu HrSt page
''My necessities. l come for food,
shelter. and friends"
sit cannot be. The woods are full
of game. The head of warrior needs
no other shelter than a sky without
clouds and the Delawares are the en-
emies, and not the friends of the YEN
geese. Go the month has spoken,
while the heart said nothing"
Duncan, a little at loss in what
manner to proceed, remained silent
but the scout, who had listened to all
that passed, now advanced to the
front.
"That / did not answer to the call
for La Tongue Carabine, was not ow-
ing either to shame nor fear" he said;
"for neither one nor the other is the
gift of an honest man. But do not
admit the right of the Mingoes to be-
stow name on one whose friends
have been mindful of his gifts, in this
particular; especially as their title is
lie, 'kill-deer' being grooved barrel
and no carabyne. am the man, how
ever, that got the name of Nathaniel
from my kin; the compliment of
Hawk-eye from the Delawares, who
live on their own river and whom the
Iroquois have presumed to style the
Long Rife without any warranty
from him who is most concerned in
the matter"
The eyes of all present, which had
hitherto been gravely scanning the
person Of Duncan, were now turned,
on the instant, towards the upright,
iron frame of this new pretender to the
distinguished appellation.
NMy brother has said that snake
crept into my camp" said the chief to
Magua; (which is he ?"
The Huron pointed to the scout.
"Will wise Delaware believe the
barking of wolf"
"The eyes of Magua flashed fire
but suddenly recollecting the necessity
of maintaining his presence of mind,
he turned away in silent disdain.
"My brother has been called liar"
he said, land his friends are angry.
They will show that he has spoken the
truth. Give my prisoners guns, and
let them prove which is the man."
Magua affected to consider the ex-
pedient, which he well knew proceed
ed from distrust of himself, as com
pliment, and made gesture Of ac-
quiescense, well content that his We
racity should be supported by so skilful
o marksman as the scout. The weap-
ons were placed in the hands of the
friendly opponents, and they were bid
to fire, over the heads of the seated
multitude. at an earthen vessel, which
lay by accident on stump, some fifty
yards from the place where they
stood.
Hayward smiled to himself at the
idea of a competition with the scout,
though he determined to persevere in
the deception, until apprised of the
real designs Of Magua. Raising his
rifle with the utmost care, three sever
al times, he fired. The bullet cut the
wood within a few inches of the vessel;
and a general exclamation announced
that the shot was considered a proof
ofgreat skill. Even Hawk-eye nodded
his head, as if he would say it was bet
ter than he had expected. But instead
of manifesting an intention to contend
with the successful marksman, he
stood leaning on his rifle for more
than a minute. From this reverie he
was, however, awakened by one of the
young Indians who touched his should
er, saying in exceedingly broken
English
"Can the pale-face beat ii p
eyes, Huron" exclaimed the scout,
raising the short rifle in his right hand,
and shaking it at Magua, with as
much apparent ease as if it were a
reed; Eyes, Huron, could strike you
now. and no power of earth could pre-
vent the deed! The soaring hawk is
not more certain of the dove than | am
this moment of you. did ! choose to
send a bullet to your heart Why
should | not : Why-because the gift
OF my color forbid it, and / might
draw down evil on tender and innocent
heads If you know such being as
God, thank him, therefore, in your in
ward soul-for you have reason.''
The flushed countenance, angry eye
and swelling figure of the scout. pro-
duced sensation of secret awe in all
that heard him.
BEAT it," repeated the young Della
ware at the elbow of the scout. t...
"Beat what ! fool--what .''--exclaim-
ed Hawk-eye, still fourishing the
weapon angrily above his head, though
his eye no longer sought the person of
Magua.
''If the white man is the warrior he
pretends," said the aged chief, 'let
him strike niphar tn tba n,arl, E.