The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-11-03

VAHB6Q away ana the Ftlldk6B VA tbO aborigines might stiii be found in the '.Greaf North Woods' of New York He wrote at a time, too, when veterans or the Revolutionary War were numerous ties over again. Even of those early events of which he wrote, such as the massacre of Fort William Henry. Coop second hand. In short. he was near enough to the times and the people of wirom he wrote to get the atmosphere. him s to si isei f' his psrspective.
 This siyes peculiar charm to Coop: CTS novel;. His Last of the Mohfcans" was the sscond of his Leather Stock known. Cyoper,s Indians have been much criticised; but the red men of whom he wrote were not the red men Of the plaint, and perhaps he knew more of their tharacteristics than modern critics can expect to know. At all events tiey are wonderfully interests them subjected to the higher criti- cism" of the iconociast
 In the hreathing silence that marks the northasn American wilderness in July, threemen were lying quietly by the side of|a swift. torrent. The dull roar of nearby waterfall told whence the black sfeam's deadly velocity came.
 Two of tie three showed the red skin and wild afcoutrements of a native of thetwoods. pn the naked chess of the eiesr was tainted a frightful emblem of death inlwhite and black. His close III shaven head presented only the s&alping tuft in which was thrust a sol- 3tary eagIes plume. The younger was < that beautiful perfect type of being that had come down to new generations as the ideal American Indians figure.
 The third member of the little party was a white man. though his skin was burned by exposure to the color of an Indians. He wore a hunting shirt of green and held an extraordinarily long rifle on his lap.
 Though they were conversing sedate- ly and evidently at ease, the eyes of all roved ceaseiessly, scrutinizing every aspect of the wilderness around them; and they kept themselves so disposed that no eye from without their covert could sight them.
 These were not precautions due to any specific danger. or, rather, to any unusual danger. The wilderness ''por- tage" between Lake George and the headwaters of the Hudson River was a. stalk with painted death. Every bush might hide an Iroquois. and at any mo- ment the war-whoop might ring out; for the French General Montcafm was advancing through the woods with his Canadian-French and savage allies to invest the British Fort William Henry on Lake George only few leagues away.
 Of all a-roam in the wilderness that day. perhaps no three men were more famous from the Canadas to Pennsyl- vania; and certainly no mans scalp lock was more nercely desired for trophy to hang in Iroquois wigwams. The white man was Nathaniel Bumppo known to the Indians as Hawk Eye and to the French enemies as Long Rifle. The elder Indian was Chingach- rook, the Great Serpent, Sagamorc of the great Mohicans, an almost extinct tribe of the Delawares. The younger was h-l son pncas, the Bounding Elk. %he last of his race.
 Suddenly the Sagamore bent his body tril his ear touched the ground. 'The horses of white men are coming" said he quietly.
 eGod keep them from the Iroquois," said the white hunter, slipping into the cover with his rife cooked.
 It was a strange cavalcade for that wild place that came into view. Fore most rode a British officer wearing the uniform of major in the Royal Americans" who formed part of the garrison at Fort William Henry. Be- hind him rode two girls-one fair-hair- ed, blue-eyed, seeming too exquisitely tender to move in any except the most sheltered care; the other dark beauty with coal-black hair, her skin charged with ricn warm blood that seemed ready to burst it's bounds.
 T am Major Duncan Hayward" said the officer, answering Hawk Eyes chal- Ienge in voice vibrant with joyful re- lief. These ladies are the daughters of Colonel Munro. the commandant at Fort William Henry, whither We are bound. But our Indian guide has lost his way"
 .'An Indian lose his wayT' said the hunter scornfully,He peered at the Indian who stood a little way with the Mingos." said he. using the con- temptuous term applied to those Indians not allied to the great race of the pel- awares. "Yon mongrel Huron Magua has taken you far out of your course. We must capture him to prevent him from fulfilling his purpose"
 He gave an almost imperceptible signal and Chingachgook and Uncas slipped like serpents into the bushes to cut off the traitor. Magua straighteRed out gradually. Suddenly he uttereT a piercing cry and disappeared with a single bound into the bushes.
 We cannot hope to make the fort to- night" said Hawk Eye, when it became evident that the Mingo had made good
 
 us within a few hours at the most. You must abandon the horses and follow me. Whom have you here?" looking at the fourth member of the party, strange, gaunt, ungainly creature of a man.
 David Gamut, singing master to the Connecticut contingent" replied this in- dividual, who was regarded by both whites and Indians as having "a screw loose," and who had attached himself to the party despite all remonstrances.
 In the darkness which had now fallen Hawk Eye and the Indians took the party aboard a birch bark canoe and forced their passage up the wild river till they reached a rocky, cavernous island that lay under the waterfall It. self, in a very riot of hurtling waters.
 All remained quiet in the strange re- treat till the light of dawn came. Then suddenly the Iroquois, stealing from all sides, attacked furiously. But the superb craftsmanship of the scout and the Mohicans kept the hostile sayages at bay until nightfall. Then all the powder was exhausted. Bumppo drew the Sagamore aside and spoke long and earnestly with him. Cora Munro, the dark beauty, interrupted their confer ence by saying: You, brave men, know the forest and the paths thereof. You can reach my fathers command more quickly than others. If possible there fore, go you while 1t is still dark Steal through the lines of the enemy and come back to our rescue with such aid as my father will send"
 "The young as we'll as the old some- times speak wisdom" replied the scout. 'Chingachgook has advised the same. The Mingos will take you away cap-