Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-01-19
CONTINUED STORY.
>~7-7-,'-'--N--~@-~~~~~7
THE
LAST OF THE MOHICANs.
u. FenimOre Cooper.
CONTINUED from last week.

cu ne MdTd 'tHe lame OF IL reached
us early. in our southern army"
"Ay. but it did not end there. |
was sent by Major Efiingham, at Sir
Williams own bidding. to outflank
the French, and carry the tidings of
their disaster across the portage to
the fort on the Hudson. just here
away where you see the trees rise
into a mountain swell, | met party
coming down to our aid, and | led
them where the enemy were taking
their meal, little draining that they
had not finished the bloody work
of the day."
"And you surprised them:"
''lf death can be a surprise to men
who are thinking only of the cravings
OF their appetites. We gave them
but little breathing time, for they
had borne hard upon us in the fight
OF the morning, and there were few
IN our party who had not lost friend
or relative by their hands. When
all was over, the dead, and some say
the dying, were cast into that little
pond. These eyes have seen its
waters colored with blood, as natural
water never yet flowed from the
bowels of the 'arth."
''lt was a convenient, and. | trust,
will prove a peaceful grave for a SOL
dier. You have, then, seen much
service on this frontier:'
~" said the scout, erecting his
tall person with an air Of military
pride: there are not many echoes
among these hills that have not rung
with the crack Of my rifle, nor is
there the space Of a square mile
atWiXt Horican and the river, that
Kill Deer hasn't dropped a living
body on, be it an enemy, or be it a
brute beast. AS for the grave, there,
being as quiet as you mention, it is
another matter. There are them in
the camp who say and think, man, to
lie still, should not be buried while
the breath is in the body; and GER
tain it is that in the hurry Of that
evening, the doctors had but little
time to say who was living and who
was dead. Hist. see You nothing
walking on the shore of the pond:"
Ills not probable that any are as
houseless as ourselves in this drearv
forest"
"Such as he may care but little
for house or shelter, and night dew
can never wet Il body that passes its
days in the water" returned the scout,
grasping the shoulder of Hevward
with such convulsive strength as to
make the young soldier painfully
sensible how much superstitious ter
ror had got the mastery of Il man
usually so dauntless.
"By heaven. there is human
form, and it approaches. Stand to
your arms, my friends; for we know
not who we encounter"
"Qui vive:' demanded stern,
quick voice, which sounded like a
challenge from another world, is
suing out Of that solitary and solemn
place"
"What says it, answered the
scout; sit speaks neither Indian nor
English
-"Qui vive::' repeated the same
voice, which WAS quickly followed by
the rattIing Of arms. and menacing
attitude.
"France" cried Hayward, advanc-
ing from the shadow of the trees to
the shore Of the pond, within few
yards of the sentinel.
"D'ou yeneZ-yOuz-ou allez-vouz,
d'auss bonnc heure:" demanded the
grenadicr, in the language and with
the accent Of i, man from old France.
''Je yicns de la decouvertc, ct je
vais me couchcr.'
"Etcs-yous officer du roi -
"Sans doute, mon camarade; me
pretends-tu pour on provincial. Je
suis capitaine de chasseurs (Heyward
well knew that the other was of
regiment in the line)-,i'ai lei, avec
moi, les files du commandment de la
fertilization. Aha! tn en- us entendu
parler! ie les III iait prisonieres pres
de l'autre fort, ct je les conduis All
general
Ma fol! mesdames; fen suis fache
pour vous," exclaimed the young SOL
der, touching his cap with grace;