Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-01-05
WHOLE NO. 500.

my steel, and kindle fire; q mouth
full of tender broil will give natur' .
helping hand, after so long trail"
Hayward assisted the ladies to
alight, and placed himself at their
side, not unwilling to enjoy a few
moments of grateful rest, after the
bloody scene he had just gone
through. While the culinary pro-
cess was in hand, curiosity induced
him to inquire into the circumstances
which had led to their timely and
unexpected rescue.
"How is it that we see you 80 soon,
my generous FRIEND" he ssked, "snd
without aid from the garrison of
Edward ?"
Glad we gone to the bend in the
river, We might have been in time to
rake the leaves over your bodies, but
too late to have saved your scalps,"
coolly answered the scout. "No, no;
instead of throwing away strength and
opportunity by crossing to the fort,
We lay by, under the bank Of the
Hudson, waiting, to watch the move
ments of Hurons."
"You were, then, witnesses of all
that passed ?'
"Not of all; for Indian sight is too
keen to be easily cheated, and We
kept close. A difficult matter it
was, too, to keep this Mohican boy
snug in the adjustment. All!
Uncas, Uncas, your behavior was
more like that of = curious woman
than of a warrior on his SCENT"
Uneas permitted his eyes to turn
for an instant on the sturdy counte-
nance Of the speaker, but he neither
spoke nor gave any indication of re-
pentance.
"You saw our capture?' Hayward
next demanded.
owe heard it," was the significant
answer. can Indian yell is plain
language to men who have passed
their days in the woods. But when
you landed, we were driven to crawl
like sarpents, beneath the leaves and
then we lost sight of you entirely,
until weplaced oure eyes on you again,
tussed to the trees, and ready bound
for an Indian massacre"
"Our resue was the deed of Provi-
dence. 1t was nearly miracle that
you did not mistake tho path for the
Hurons divided, and each band had
its horses"
cay! there we were thrown off tho
scent, and might indeed have lost tho
trail, had it not been for Uncas; we
took the path, however, that led to
the wilderness; for We judged, and
judged rightly, that the savages would
hold that course with their prisoners
But when we had followed it for many
miles, without finding a single twig
broken. as l had advised, my mind
misgave me especially as all the foot
steps had the prints of moccasins."
"Our captors had tho precsution
to see us shod like Themselves" said
Duncan, raising a foot, and exhibiting
the buckskins he wore.
cay! twas judgmatical, and like
themselves; though We were too
expart to be thrown from Q trail by
so common an invention"
"To what, then, are we indebted
for our safety:
"To what, as the white man who
has no taint of Indian blood, / should
be ashamed to own to the judgement
of the young Mohican, in matters
which l should know better than he,
but which l can now hardly believe
to be true, through my own eyes tell
me it is So"
"Tis extraordinary! will you not
name the reason?
"Uncas was bold enough to say,
that the beasts ridden by the gentle
ones," continued Hawk-eye, glancing
his eyes, not without curious interest,
on the fillies of the ladies, "planted
the legs of one side on the ground at
the same time. which is contrary to
the movements of all trotting four
footed animals of my knowledge, ex-
cept the bear. And yet here are
horses that always journey in this
manner as my own eyes have seen,
and as their trail has shown for TWEEN.
ty long miles,"
"'Tis the merit of the animal
They come from the shores of Nara.
gansett Bay, in the province of Provi.
dence plantations, and are celebrated
g., A.; Lor1;hoo1 ,rI a. -. -