Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-01-19
THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS.
fContinued from first page. |


but one Of the thousand boats which
lie empty along that shore, it might
be done. Ha! here will soon be an
end of the firing, for yonder comes
fog that will turn day into night, and
make an Indian arrow more dangerous
than a moulded cannon. Now, if you
are equal to the work. and will follow,
will make push for / long to get
down into that camp, if it be only to
scatter some Mingo dogs that l see
lurking in the skirts of yonder thicket
of birch"
"We are equal" aaid Cora firmly;
''on such an errand we will follow to
any danger"
The scout turned to her with a smile
of honest and cordial appreciation, as
he answered.
81 would l had thousand men, of
brawny limbs and quick eyes, that
feared death as little as you I'd send
them jabbering Frenchers back into
their den again afore the week was
ended, bowling like SO many fettered
hounds or hungry wolves. But STIR"
he added, turning from her to the rest
of the party, ''the fog comes rolling
down SO fast, we shall have but ust
the time to meet it on the plain, and
use it as cover. Remember, if any
accident should befall me, to keep the
air blowing on your left cheeks--or
rather, follow the Mohicans; they'd
scent their way, be it in day, or be it
at night"
He then waved his hand for them to
follow, and threw himself down the
declivity, with careful footsteps. Hey
wand assisted the sisters to descend,
and in few minutes, they were all far
down a mountain whose sides they
had climbed with so much toll and
pain.
The direction taken by Hawk eye
soon brought the travellers to the
level of the plain, nearly opposite to a
sally-port in the western curtain of
the fort, which lay, itself, at the dis
lance of about half mile from the
point where he halted to allow Duncan
to come up with his charge. In their
eagerness, and favored by the nature
of the ground, they had anticipated
the fog, which was rolling heavily
down to the lake, and it became nee
essary to pause until the mists had
wrapped the camp of the enemy in
their fleecy mantle. The Mohcans
profted by the delay, to steal out of
the woods, and to make survey of
surrounding objects. They were fol-
lowed at distance by the scout, with
view to profit early by their report,
and to obtain some faint knowledge
for himself of the more immediate
localities.
Ina very few moments he returned.
his face REDEEMED with veXation. while
he muttered his disappointment in
words of no very gentle import.
''Here has the cunning Frenchman
been posting picket directly in our
path" he said, ''red-skins and whites ;
and we shall be as likely to fall into
their midst as to pass them in the
fog!"
"Cannot we make circuit to avoid
the danger" asked Hayward, land
come into our path again when it is
passed ?"
"Who that once bends from the line
Of his march in fog can tell when or
how to turn to find it again The
mists of Horican are not like the curls
from peace-pipe, or the smoke which
settles above a mosquito fire."
He was yet speaking, when crash
ing sound was heard, and a cannon
ball entered the thickct, striking the
body of a sapling, and rebounding to
the earth, its force being much ex-
pended by previous resistance. The
Indians followed instantly Ike busy
attendants on the terrible messenger,
and CncaS commenced speaking
earnestly, and with much action, IN
the Delaware tongue.
at may be so, lad muttcrcd the
scout, when he had ended; for
desperate fevers are not to he treated
like toothache. Come. then. the foe
is shutting in
"Stop.' cried Hayward first cx-
plain your expectations"
Its soon done, and small hope it
is; but it is better than nothing. This
shot that you see" added the scout,
kicking the Harmless iron with his foot,
''has ploughed the 'arth in its road
from the fort, and we shall hunt for
the furrow it has made, when all
other signs may fail. No more words,
but follow, or the fog may leave Us in
the middle of our path, mark for
both armies to shoot at"
Hayward pereeiving that, in fact, Il
crisis had arrived, when acts were
more required than words, placed him
self between the sisters and drn,y tbn,n