The Pathfinder: Or the Inland Sea

change, Almight

the va

OM

lly, “to ambush a dozen Mingos alone? Killdeer seldom fails me, it is true; but the Oswego makes a distant mark, and that miscreant showed little more than his h

enemies when he is on the war-path, and his fathers have st

in obsarved red-skin natur’. But prudence as much becomes a warrior as valor; and had not the Iroquois d

enly left the Pathfinder and advanced to the water’s edge, apparently with an intention of again entering

ohican chief, who has his gifts and traditions to tell him what he ought to do; and he who consorts with them that are not strictly and altogether of his own kind had better leave natur’ and use to govern his comrades. A king’s soldier will swear and he will drink, and it is of little use to try to preve

is swimming towards the body that is lod

— where, as they tell me, heart has nothing left to wish for; that is, such hearts as c

your friend has gone

honor in the eyes of a red-skin to do so. It may seem singular to you, Eau-douce, but I’ve known w

ge, Pathfinder, let him

e will of God. I have passed days thinking of these matters, out in the silent woods, and I have come to the

lf to the enemy, in order to get h

, there was the fine young captain of the 60th that threw away his life in trying to bring off a three-pounder from among the Frenchers in the last skrimmage we had; he thought he w

rstand the merit of not

oly, and slowly added, “Ah’s me! no shoot of the old Mohican stem remains! He has no children to delight with his trophies; no tribe to honor by his deeds; he

into the foaming current, as if they actually meditated a serious sortie. But Chingachgook continued unmoved, as he remained unhurt by the missiles, accomplishing his task with the dexterity of long habit. Flourishing his reeking trophy, he gave the war-whoop in its mo

e wretches,” Jasper exclaimed, stopping

hey have become like the whistle of the whippoorwill or the song of the cat-bird in my ear now. All the screeching reptyles that could stand between the falls and the garrison would have no effect on my narves at this time of day. I say it not in boasting, Jasper; for the man

erence of one who had made up his mind to be indifferent to things he deemed immaterial. As the Delaware passed deeper into the bushes with a view to wring his trifling

im to join us: we have little time for a council, and yet our plans must be lai

completely concealed from the view of their enemies, while they kept a vigilant watch

had already set and the twilight of a low latitude would soon pass into the darkness of deep night. Most of the hopes of the party rested on this favorable circumsta

d gifts. In an hour’s time these woods will be as dark as midnight; and if we are ever to gain the garrison, it must be done under favor of this advantage. What say you,

e canoe when it gets to be so dark the enemy’s lookouts can’t

n by following the woods; and then there is the Oswego rift below us, and I am far from sartain that Jasper h

ugh swamps and among roots of trees in such a night as this promises to be, and then

e and so little in the woods. Ah’s me! The Ontario has no trees, or it would be a plain to delight a hunter’s heart!

e?” interrupted the perti

na

r Cap thinks he is on the oc

’s daughter will be favored by its motion. But, on the other hand, the river will have no cover but the clouds in the heavens; the rift is a ticklish thing for boats to venture into, even by daylight; and

ring off the other canoe,” the young sailor replied, “it w

y a party of men, it would be like a hunt to the lusty and brave to play at hide-and-seek with yonder miscreants on the other shore, Jasper,” continued t

ng that will serve and p

pent, who is nearly naked already, can help you; and this will b

e. Time now pressed; for Indian cunning could devise so many expedients for passing so narrow a stream, that the Pathfinder was getting impatient to quit the spot. While Jasper and his companion entered the river, armed with nothing but their knives and the Delaware’s tomahawk, obs

le the Pathfinder, erect in the stern, held by a bush, in order to prevent the swift stream from sweeping them down its current. Se

and all would seem chaos to one less accustomed to the mazes of the forest. Under these circumstances, Jasper submitted to be guided by the Delaware, whose habits best fitted him to take the lead. Still it was no easy matter to wade amid the roaring element at that hour, and retain a clear recollection of the localities. By the time they believed themselves to be in the centre of the stream, the two shores were discernible merely by masses of obscurity denser than common, the outlines against the clouds being barely distinguishable by the ragged tops of the trees. Once or twice the wanderers altered their course, in consequence of unexpectedly stepping into deep water; for they knew that the boat had lodged

s ear. “The Serpent will show

he kept back, while his friend moved cautiously in the direction in which the strange form had vanished. In another moment it was seen again, evidently moving towards themselves. T

nguage of his people, “The canoe is found, but there we

hgook, who understood the dia

three speedily reached the canoe. The Iroquois laid hold of one end, Chingachgook placed himself in the centre, and Jasper went to the opposite extremity, as it was important that the s

hen placed carefully on the water in its proper position. All three held it firmly, lest it should escape from their hands under the pressure of the violent current, whi

great a risk by thus venturing into the midst of their enemies; but these hardy borderers were unacquainted with fear, were accustomed to hazards, and so well understood the necessity of at least preventing their foes from getting the boat, that they would have cheerfully encountered even greater risks to secure their o

k raised his tomahawk, and was about to bury it in the brain of his confiding and unsuspicious neighbor; but the probability that the death-cry or the floating body might give the alarm induced that wary chief t

the party, however, was so unlooked-for, and so completely gave the enemy the superiority, that for a few moments the ingenuity and address of even the Delaware were at fault. The five Iroquois, who seemed perfectly to understand their errand, pressed forward towards their own shore, wi

ded. Here a short pause succeeded, it being necessary to determine the manner in which the canoe was to be carried across. One of the four who had just reached the

ition, too, at the stern of the canoe a little favored his concealment, the Iroquois naturally keeping their looks directed the other way. Not so with Chingachgook. This warrior was literally in the midst of his most deadly foes, and he could scarcely move without touching one of them. Yet he was apparently unmoved

f the canoe, cross and get their arms,” said the

river as to be passed by the others without detection. The splashing in the water, the tossing arms, and the calls of one to another, soon announced that the four who had la

owever, of helping the canoe across the swift current, no sooner did the Delaware and Jasper find themselves within the influence of its greatest force than both began to swim in a way to check their farther progress across the stream. Nor was this done suddenly, or in the incautious manner in which a civilized man would have been apt to attempt the artifice, but warily, and so gradually that the Iroquois at the bow fancied

Chingachgook, and the two Indians, relinquishing their hold of the canoe, seized each other like tigers. In the midst of the darkness of that gloomy night, and floa

e importance of securing the boat presented itself with tenfold force, while he listened to the heavy breathings of the warriors as they throttled each other, and he proceeded as fast as possible towards the western shore. This he soon reached

pe of catching some clue to the result of the fearful struggle that had just taken place, if it were not still going on in the water. Nothing was audible

eners thought his voice sounded more melancholy than usual, “and fo

he Ser

he intentions of Providence. We can do him no good, and may risk too much by remaining he

came from the shore, and cut

nded Cap. “It sounds more like the outcries of devils than an

em devils you have scarcely misnamed them. That yell is one of rejoicing, and it is as conqu

ret, as the idea that he might have averted the calamity pr

od, lad, and must quit thi

e him? — without even knowing

ice sounded huskily and smothered; “I have no fears, uncle, a

seaman cannot well desert a messmate; and I am glad to find

d ye fear nothing. If ye value your lives, think of reaching the garrison, and leave the Delaware in the han