Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1884-02-16
CONTINUED STORY.
THE
LAST OF THE MOHICANs.
BY
u. Feni,n0re Cooper.
[Continued from last week.l

head, had already reached the defle,
and was slowly disappearing, when
the attention of Cora was drawn to q
collection Of stragglers, by the sounds
of contention. A truant provincial
was paying the forfeit of his dis
obedience, by being plundered ofthose
very effects which had caused him
to desert his place in the ranks. The
man was of powerful frame, and too
avaricious to part with his goods
without struggle. Individuals
from either party interfered the one
side to prevent, and the other to aid
in the robbery. Voices grew loud
and angry, and a hundred savages
appeared, as it were by magic, where
dozen only had been seen a minute
before. 1t was then that Cora saw
the form of Magua gliding among
his countrymen, and speaking with
his fatal and artful eloquence.
The savages now fell back, and
seemed content to let their enemies
advance without further molestation.
But as the female crowd approached
them, the gaudy colors of a shawl at
tracted the eyes of wild and un-
tutored Huron. He advanced to
seize it, without the least hesitation.
The woman, more in terror, than
through love of the ornament, wrap
ped her child in the coveted article,
and folded both more closely to her
bosom. Cora was in the act of speak
ing, with an intent to advise the
woman to abandon the trifle, when
the savage relinquished his hold of
the shawl, and tore the screaming
infant from her arms. Abandoning
everything to the greedy grasp of those
around her, the mother darted, with
distraction in her mien, to reclaim
her child. The Indian smiled GRIM
ly, and extended one hand, in sign
of willingness to exchange, while
with the other he hourished the babe
over his head, holding it by the feet as
if to enhance the value of the ran
som.
"Here here -- there-all-any-
everything!" exclaimed the breathless
woman, tearing the lighter articles
of dress from her person, with Ill
directed and trembling fingers
''take all but give me my babe"
The savage spurned the worthless
rags and perceiving that the shawl
had already become prize to another
his bantering but sullen smile chang
ing to a CLEAN of ferocity, he dashed
the head of the infant against rock,
and cast its quivering remains to her
very feet. For an instant, the
mother stood, like statue of despair,
looking wildly down at the unseemly
object, which had so lately nestled in
her bosom and smiled in her face
and then she raised her eyes and
countenance towards heaven, as if
calling on God to curse the per-
petrator of the foul deed. She was
spared the sin of such prayer; for,
maddened at his disappointment, and
excited at the sight of blood, the HUI
ron mercifully drove his tomshawk
into her own brain. The mother sank
under the blow, and fell, grasping at
her child, III death, with that same
engrossing love that had caused her
to cherish it when living.
At that dangerous moment, Magua
placed his hands to his mouth, and
raised the fatal and appalling whoop.
The scattered Indians started at the
well-known cry, as coursers bound at
the signal to quit the goal and,
directly there arose such yell along
the plain, and through the arches of
the wood, as seldom burst from human
lips before.
More than two thousand raving
savages broke from the forest at
the signal, and threw themselves
across the fatal plain with instructive
alacrity. We shall not dwell on the
revolving horrors that succeeded.
Death was everywhere, and in his
most terrific and disgusting aspects.
Resistance only served to inflame the
murderers. who inflicted their furious
blows long after their victims were
beyond the power of their resent
ment.
The trained bodies of the troops
| threw themselves quickly into solid