Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-05-03
THE LAST OF THE MoHIGANS.
fContinued from first page.]

" in front. and beneath their eyes
stretched, for several miles, narrow,
dark, and wooded vale. 1t was
through this dense and dark forest
that Uncas was still contending with
the main body of the Hurons.
The Mohicans and his friends ad-
vanced to the brow of the hill, and
listened, with practised ears, to the
sounds Of the combat. A few birds
lowered over the leafy bosom of the
valley, frightened from their secluded
nests; and here and there light va
pory cloud, which seemed already
blending with the atmosphere, arose
above the trees, and indicated some
spot where the struggle had been fierce
and stationary.
"The fight is coming up the ascent
said Duncan, pointing in the direction
of new explosion of firearms 1--WE
are too much in the centre of their line
to be effective"
"They will incline into the hollow,
where the cover is thicker" said the
scout, land that will leave us we'll on
their flank. Go, Sycamore you will
hardly be in time to give the whoop,
and lead on the young men. l will
fight the skrimmage with warriors of
my own color. You know me, Mo-
hican not Huron of them all shall
cross the swell into your rear, without
the notice of 'Kill-deer.'
The Indian chief paused another
moment to consider the signs of the
contest, which was now rolling rapid
ly up the ascent, certain evidence
that the Delaware triumphed; nor
did he actually quit the place until
admonished of the proximity Of his
friends, as we'll as enemies, by the bull
lets of the former, which began to
patter among the dried leaves on the
ground, like bits of falling hail.
Hawk-eye and his three companions
withdrew pace to shelter, and await
ed the issue with calmness, that nothing
but great practice could impart in such
q scene.
1t was not long before the reports of
the rifles began to lose the echoes of
the woods and to sound like weapons
discharged in the open air. Then a
warrior appeared, here and there,
90 &Lo ,1~ of <lo I'd
rallying as he entered the clearing, as
at the place where the final stand was
to be made. These We're soon Joined
by others, until a long line of swattly
figdres Was to be seen clinging to the
cover with the obstinacy of deportation.
Hayward began to grow impatient,
and turned his eyes anxiously in the
direction of Chingachgook. The chief
was seated on rock, with nothing Wis
ible but his calm visage, considering
the spectacle with an eye as deliberate
if he were posted there merely to view
the struggle.
"The time has come for the Della
ware W otdlh. Sdlu buuCttu.
"Not so, not SO" returned the scout !;
"when he scents his friends, he will
let them know that he is here. See,
see; the knaves are getting in that
clump of pines, like bees settling after
their flight. By the Lord, a squaw
might put a bullet into the centre of
e,,nl 1,oo{ ,,e 10,
At that instant the whoop was given,
and a dozen Hurons fell by discharge
from Chingachgook and his band.
The shout that followed was answered
by a single war-cry from the forest,
and a yell passed through the air that
sounded as if thousand threats were
united in a common effort. The HUI
rons staggered, deserted the center OF
their line, and Uncas issued from the
forest through the opening they left,
at the head of hundred warriors.
Waving his hands right and left, the
young chief pointed ont the enemy to
his followers, who separated in pursuit.
Liz Val uON ulN ltlett, UotH Wigs u
the broken Hurons seeking the protec-
ton in the woods again, holly pressed
by the victorious warriors of the Lee
nape. A minute might have passed,
but the sounds were already receding
in different directions, and gradually
losing their dlstinctness beneath the
echoing arches of the woods. One
little knot of Hurons, however, had
disdained to seek a cover, and were
. retiring, like lions at bay, slowly and
sullenly up the ACTIVITY, which Ching
achgook and his band had just desert
ed to mlng.e more closely in the fray.
Magua was conspicuous in this party,
both by his fierce and savage mien,
and by the air of naughty authority he
yet maintained.
In his eagerness to expedite the pur-
suit, Uncas had left himself nearly
alone but the moment his eye caught
the figure of LIE Subtil, every other
consideration was forgotten. Raising
his cry of battle, which recalled some