Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-01-05
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.
!Coutinie' from first rage !

iclf,nGe'f rom hrSt rage
this peculiar movement though 9TH
horses are not unfrequently trained t.
the same"
at may bet may be-" said Hawk
eye who had listened with singular
attention to this explanation "thougl
I am man who has the full blood O
the whites, my judgment in deer ant
beaver is greater than in beasts o.
burden. Major bingham has man,
noble chargers, but 1 have never seer
one travel after such sidelong gait"
"True! for he would value the ami
mails for very different properties
Still this is breed highly esteemed
IS you witness, much honored with
the burdens it is often destined to
bear"
The Mohicans had suspended thei,
operations about the glimmering fire
to listen and when Duncan had done
they looked at each other significantly
the father uttering the never-failine
exclamation Of surprise. The scout
ruminated like a man digesting his
newly-acquired knowledge, and once
more stole a curious glance at the
horses.
81 dare say there are even stranger
sights to be seen in the settlements
he said, at length ''natur' is sadly
abused by man, when he once gets
the mastery. But 60 sidelong, or &c
straight, Uncas had seen the move
I ment, and their trail led us on to the
broken bush. The outer branch, neal
the prints Of one of the horses, was
bent upwards, as q lady breaks a
flower from it's stem, but all the rest
were ragged and broken down, as il
the strong hand of man had been
tearing them! So I concluded that
the cunning verments had seen the
twig bent, and had torn the rest, to
make US believe buck had been feel,
ing the boughs with his antlers."
81 do believe your sagacity did not
deceive you; for some such thing
occurred"
"That was easy to see," added the
scout, in no degree conscious of having
exhibited any extraordinary sagacity
land 9 very different manner it was
from . waddling horse. 1t Their
struck me the Mingoes would push fol
this spring, for the knaves well know
the vartue of its waters"
as it then so famous9" demanded
Hayward.
''Few redskins, who travel soutl
and east of the great lakes, but have
heard of its qualities. Will you taste
for yourselff"
Hayward took the gourd, and aftel
swallowing little of the water, threw
it aside with grimaces of discomfort
The scout laughed in his silent, bu
heartfelt manner, and shook his heat
with vast satisfaction.
"Ah! you want the flavor that on,
gets by habit the time was when
liked it as little as yourself +; but l have
come to my taste, and l now crave it
q the deer does the lick.* Your high
spiced wines are not better liked thar
the redskin relishes this water; es
pecially when his nature is ailing
But Uncas has made his fire, and it il
time we think of eating, for our jour
nsy is long and all before u.s."
Interrupting the dialogue by thi
abrupt transition, the scout had in
slant recourse to the fragments of foot
which had escaped the voracity of thu
Hurons. A very summary process
completed the simple cookery whe1
he and the Mohicans commenced thei
humble meal.
When this necessary, and happily
grateful duty had been performed
each of the foresters stopped and tool
q long and parting draught at tina
solitary and silent spring,t arount
which and its sister fountains, within
Atty years, the wealth, beauty an'
talents Of hemisphere were to assem-
BILE in throngs, in pursuit of health an'
pleasure, Then Hawk-eye announce'
his determination 10 proceed, Th'
sisters. resumed their saddles: Duncan
and David grasped their rifles, an'
followed on their footsteps the scou
leading the advance, and the Mohican
bringing up the rear. The whole
party moved swiftly through the mar
row path, towards the north.
CHAPTER XIII.