The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-09-11
S'LAST OF THE MOHICANS''
BY Kenmore COOPER
Condensation by Thomas o. Connolly

Condensation by T
In the third year of the war between
France and England in North America,
news came to Fort Edward, where lay
! General Webb with five thousand men,
that Montcalm was advancing on Fort
William Henry, held by the veteran
Scotchman, Munro. Webb, instead of
going to the assistance of Munro, sent
him scant handful of men.
Munro's daughters, Cora and Alice,
determined to visit their father despite
the dangen Captain Duncan Hayward,
deeply in love with Alice, offered to
serve as their escort. The party set
cut by little-frequented paths, guided
ty an Indian, lie Renard Subtil, or
Magua, as he was known to his tribe.
An eccentric singing-master, David
Camut, attached himself to the party,
despite Heyward's protests.
AS the unsuspecting travellers
pressed through the thick forests,
savage face glared at them from
thicket Magua was leading the party
into a trap.
Two men sat by the banks of small
stream about an hours journey from
Fort Edward. One, magnificent
specimen of Indian manhood, had a
terrifying emblem of death painted up
on his named breast. The other, tall,
with the 1.-the muscles of the woods
man, was white.
Listen, Hawkeye," said the Indian.
We Nohicans came and made this
land OURS. Then came the Dutch, and
gave my people the fire-water. Then
they parted with their land. Now I,
a chief and a Sycamore, have never
le.~ IL, 1rrl,
the trees, and have never visited the
graves Of my fathers. And my son,
Uncas, the last of the tribe, is the last
of the Mohicans.'
AS his name was mentioned Uncas
slipped into view, and seated himself
gravely by the side, Of his father,
Chingachgook
Almost Immediately, the little caval-
cade from Fort Edward came into
view. Hayward. addressing Hawkeye,
inquired as to their whereabouts, eX-
planning that their Indian guide had
lost his way
AN Indian lost in the woods?" said
the scout in perplexity.- Il should like
10 look at the creature"
He crept stealthily into the thicket,
10 return after a moment, his suspic-
ions fully confirmed Explaining to
Hayward that the Indian had tried to
trap the party, he outlined a plan for
the capture of the trailer. But. as they
stole upon him, Magua OWNED their
plan, and vanished in the thick woods.
| HaWkeye realized the serious plight
of the little party, and volunteered to
: help them. They set off up the river
in a canoe, bound for a cave, where
none but the scout and his Indian
companions had ever set foot. This
? haven they reached in safety, although
pursued by a band of Indians, as they
crossed the lake.
They had barely reached their is
land fortress when Magua's band ap-
, peared on their trail The scout and
: his companions valiantly defended
their cave against horde Of Indians,
inflicting heavy losses until their am
n:unition gavesout. Then Cora, seeing
! that resistance was useless, begged
the scout and the two Indians to slip
! down the river, and attempt to secure
, reinforc ements at Fort William Hen
! ~ But a short while after the
scouts set off, Magua and his warriors
5 2pepared, and made captive the whites
. Who remained in the cave.
? Magua divided his band. and set off
with his captives, attended by hand
. full of braves. He offered to send
Alice to her father, if Cora would &C
with him to his Wigwam. Alice in
dignantly refused, and Magua, enraged
| prepared to torture his captives.
u. Just as a brave rushed at Alice
, With tomahawk raised, a rifle cracked
and the Indian dropped. Hawkeye, fol
> lowed by Uncas and Chingachgook
, rushed upon the bewldered Indians;
, only Magua escaped the fury of theil
attack. The captives were freed, and
in a short time, the party entered Fort
William Henry, despite the fact that
Montcalm was attacking it.
Their stay in the fort was brief how
ever, for Munro, his forces heavily
outnumbered by those of Montcalm
! was forced to capitulate Montcaln
v promised that the defenders of the
fort should be permitted to depart fol
Fort Edward, and guaranteed that they
4 should not be molested. Munro agreed
l. and the English abandoned the strong
2 hold.
=. ! AS the women and children were
l filing across the plain before the fort
an Indian reached out for trinket or
f the breast of woman who bore {
, child in her arms. Affrighted, the
Il woman drew back, whereupon the
d Indian seized the child, and dashed i
n tG the ground, then buried his toma
hawk in the head of the woman. II
an instant the Indians of Montcalm'
q army fell upon the helpless womeI
= and children. Death was everywhere
a and in horrible forms.
y Suddenly Magua caught sight o
L Cora and Alice, who stood helpless b!
s a pile of slain. He seized the terrified
. girls. and hurried them off into thu
woods. Gamut, whom the Indian!
venerated as one insane, was permit
S ted to accompany them.
O A few days later, Hawkeye and hi
Indian companions, with Hayward ant
Munro, stood on the bloody plain. The!
L had searched carefully for the bodies
e of the girls. but without success
- Hawkeye, certain that Magua had car
ried them off, searched. diligently 70
The trail Suddenly thau found M