The Washington herald., 1919-09-10

tween France and England in North
America, news came to Fort Edward.
where lay Gen. Webb with 5000 men,
that MontcaIm was advancing on
Fort William Henry. held by the vet
eran Scotchman. Munro. Webb. in
stead Of going TO the assistance Of
Munro, sent him a scant handful Of
men
MuRro's daughters, Cora and Alice,
determined to visit their father des-
Do pi,e the danger Capt. Duncan Hey
ward, deeply in love with Alice, Of
fered to serve as their escort. The
party set out by little-frequented
paths, guided by an Indian. lie Re
nard Subtil, or Magua. as he was
known TO his tribe. An eccentric sing
inZ-master, David Gamut, attached
himself to the party, despite Hey
wards protests.
As the unsUspectIng travellers press
ed through the thick forests, a saw
age face glared at them from a thick
et. Magua was leading the party into
a trap.
Two men sat by the banks OF
ney from Fort Edward One a mag
- r.hcent specimen Of Indian manhood,
had terrifying emblem OF death
painted upon his NAKED breast. The
other. tall, with the 1.-the muscles Of
the woodsman. was white
Listen. Hawkeye." sad the Indian.
We Mohicans came and made this
land ours. Then came the Dutch,
and gave my people the frewater.
Then they parted with their land.
Now I. a chief and Sycamore. have
never seen the sun shine except
through 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
Eravely by the side Of his father.
Chingachgook.
Almost Immediately. the little cavar-
cade from Fort Edward came into
view. Hayward. addressing Hawkeye.
inquired as to their whereabouts, ex-
planning that their Indian guide had
lost his wsy
An Indian lost in the woods" said
the scout in Perplexity. Il should
like to look at the creature"
He crspt stealthily into the thick
ct. to return after a moment. mis-
suspicious fully confirmed. Explain
ing to Hayward that the Indian had
tried To trap the party. he outlined
plan for the capture Of the traitor.
But. as they stole upon him. Magua
OWNED their Plang and vanished in
the thick woods
Hawkeye realized the serious
plight OF the little party. and vol
unteered to help them. They set off
up the river in 4 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
island fortress when Ma Cua's band
appeared on their trail The scout
and his companions vaIiantIy de-
Tended their cave against a horde
Of Indians. inAicting heavy losses
until their ammunition gave out.
Then Cora, seeing that resistance
vas useless. begged the scout and
the two Indians to slip down the
river. and attempt to secure REIN
forcements at Fort William Henry.
But a short while after the scouts
set OF. Magua and his warriors ap-
peared. and made captive the whites
who remained IN the cave.
NaCua divided his band. and set
of with his captives. attended by
a handful Of braves. He offered to
send Alice to her father. il Cora
would 60 with him to his wigwam.
Alice Indignantly refused. and Ma
qua, enraged. prepared to torture
his captives.
Just as a brave rushed at Alice.
with tomahawk raised, a rifle crack
ed. and the Indian dropped. Hawk
eye, followed by Uncas and Chin
gachgook. rushed upon the bewild-
cred Indians; only Magua escaped
the fury of their attack. The cap
tives were freed. and, in a short
time. the party entered Fort Will
lam Henry. despite the fact that
Montcalm was attacking it.
Their stay in the fort was brief.
however. for Munro. his forces heav-
fly outnum bered by those Of Mont
calm, was forced to capitulate.
Montcalm promised that the defend
ers Of the fort should be permitted
to depart for Fort Edward, and
guaranteed that they should not be
raolestsd. Munro agreed, and the
English abandoned the stronghold.
As the women and children were
hlinE across the plain before the fort.
an Indian reached out for trinket
on the breast OF a woman who bore a
child in her arms. Affrghted, the
woman drew back. whereupon the In
dian seized the child. and dashed il
to the ground. then buried his tona-
hawk in the head OF the woman. In
an instant the Indians of Montcalm's
army fell upon the helpless women
and children Death was everywhere,
and IN horrible forms
Suddenly Magua caught sight of
Cora and Alice, who stood helpless
BY a pile Of slain. He seized the ter
rihed girls, and hurried them OF into
the woods. Gamut. whom the Indians
venerated as one insane, was permit
ted to accompany them.
A few days later. Hawkeye and his
Indian companions. with Hayward
and Munro. stood on the bloody plain
They had searched carefully for the
bodies OF the girls. but without sue
cess Havkeye, certain that Magua
had carried them OF, searched duI-
gently for the trail. Suddenly they
found II, and the little party set on
after the willy Msgua
The trail led to an Indian village,
where they came upon Garnut. ludicri-
ously attired as an Indian warrior
Heyward- disguised as a medicine
man, entsred the camp with Ganut. \
He had been in the encampment but \
short while when an old chief re-
qussted him to drive the evil spirit
from the wife of one Of hfs young |
men As Hayward was preparing for
the unvelcome task, an Indian wa,