The ladies' garland. [volume], February 11, 1826, Image 1

About The ladies' garland. [volume] (Harpers-Ferry, Va. [W. Va.]) 1824-1828

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HASPESS.FBRRY, VIRGINIA, rEBfiVASY 11, 1826.
VOL. 3
NO. 1
PUBLISHER EVF.K1 SATI IUIAT EVENING,
BY JOHN S. GALL A HER,
At the Office nf the Firginta Free Peers.
TERMS.—One dollar and fifty cents per annum,
payable quarterly in advance ; or one dollar and
twenty-five cents, to be paid at the time of sub
scribing-. Payment in advance, from distant sub
scribers, who are not known to the publisher, will
invariahh be expected. Should payment be defer
red to the end of the year, £2 will be required.
The postage on all letters and communications
must be paid, or it will be charged with the sub
scription.
THE B?0VEZ«EST,
THE LAST OP TH3 MOHICANS.
“ They linger yet,
Avengers of their native land.”—[Gray.
The warning call of the scout was not uttered
without occasion. During the occurence of the
deadly encounter just related, the roar of the falls
was unbroken hv any human sound whatever. It
would seem, that interest in the result had kept the
natives, on the opposite shores, in breathless sus
pense, while the quick evolutions anil swift changes
in the positions of the combatants effectually pre
vented a lire, that might prove dangerous alike to
friend and enemy, lint the moment the struggle
was decided, a yell arose, as tierce and savage as
wild and revengeful passions could throw into the
air. It was followed by the swift Hashes of the ri
flts, which sent their leaden messengers across the
rock in voilies, as though the ussadunts would pouf
out their impotent fury on the insensible scene of
the fatal contest.
A steady, tho’ deliberate, return was made from I
the ritte of Chingachgook, who had maintain 1 If, j
post throughout the tray with unmoved resolution.
When the triumphant shout of l.'ncas was borne to 1
his cars, tiie gratified father had raised his voice in
a single responsive cry, after w inch liis bus-, piece
alone proved that he stdl guarded Ins puss wiln un
wearied ddigenee. In ttu, manner man v mi mite, 111 w
by with the swiftness of thought ; the idles of the 1
assailants speak tig, attunes, in raiding vollics, and 1
at others, m occasional scatteimg shots. I iioug'h I
the rock, the trt i -, and the shrub--, w ere cut and i
torn ill a bundl ed places around tile besieged, their j
Cover was so close, and so rgullv maintained, that, j
as yet, David had been the only sufferer in their lit- !
tie hand.
I,ct them burn their powder,” suid the delibe
rate Scout, while bullet after btd! -t whizzed by the
place where he so securely lav ; ‘‘there will be a
h'it- fathering ot lead when it is over, and 1 fancy
the imps will tire of the sport, afore these old stom s
cry out for mercy ! Lucas, hoy, you waste the ker
nels by overcharging; and a kicking rifle never
carries a true bullet. I told y ou to take that loping
miscreant under the line of white paint; mnv, if
your bullet went a hair’s breadth, it went two inches
above it. 1 he life lies low in a Mingo, and humani
ty teaches us to make a quick end of the serpents.”
A quiet smile lighted the haughty features of the
young Mohican, betraying his knowledge of the
Lnglish language, as well as of the other's meaning,
out he suffered it to pass away without vindication
or reply.
“ I cannot permit you to accuse Lucas of want of
judgment or ot skill,” said Duncan ; “he saved my
etc in the coolest and readiest manner, and he has
made a friend who never will require to be remind
ed of the debt be owes.”
L'ncas partly raised bis body, and offered bis hand
to the grasp of Heyward. During’ this act of friend
ship, the two young men exchanged looks of intel
ligence, which Caused Duncan to forget the charac
ter and condition of his wild associates. In the mean
while, Hawk-eye, who looked on this burst of youth
ful feeling with a cool but kind regard, made the
following reply :
“ Life is an obligation which friends often owe to
each other in the wilderness. 1 dare say l may
have served L'ncas some such turn myself before
now ; and I very well remember, that he has stood
between me and death five different times ; three
times from the Mingoes, once in crossing Ilorican,
and—”
“ 1 hat bullet was better aimed than common !” j
exclaimed Duncan, involuntarily shrinking from a
shot which struck on the rock at his side with a
smart rebound.
Hawk-eye laid his hand on the shapeless metal,
and shook his head, and he examined it, saving—
“ Falfing lead is never flattened ! had it conic from
the clouds this might have happened !”
Hut the rifle of l ncas was deliberately raised to
wards heaven, directing the t y es of his companions
to a point, where the mystery was immediately ex
plained. A ragged oak grew on the right bank of
the river, nearly opposite to their position, which
seeking the freedom of the open space, had inclined
so far torwaid, that its upper branches overhung the
arm of the stream which flowed nearest to its own
shore. Among the topmost leave.-, which scantily
concealed the knurled and stinted limbs, a daik
looking savage was nestled, partly concealed by
the trunk ot the tree, and part 1 \ exposed, as though
lookingdm\ o upon them, to ascertain toe effect pio
ducedtiy Ills treacherous aim.
“ I iicse dev,Is nil! scale heaven to circumvent
US to our ruin,” said Hawk-eye; “keep hint in ‘
play, noy, mild I can bring ‘kill deer’ to hear, '
wlku we a ill try ms tiietal on each sale of the tree !
at once.”
L ocas delay*. d Ins fire until the scout uttered the '
'vot'd. I he rifles flashed, toe l aws ami bark of
the oak,fie" into the air, and wi ie scattered (>\ t:.e
" old, but the to.fan answered then assault Ov a
taunting *a&gli, - ding down upon them another '
11ulh't in r<. turii, ■ iat sti no g tile t ap ni t i t a k e\ i
tiolli Ills nt ait. OnCe ill*II e the s.tV.ig, t i i.s OUVst
out of the void-, and tie kulen'luii vvmsiied
atiove the leads ot tile bes.i ged, ^,'if to coutnio i
them to a place where tint .mgiit be* oie east
victims to tile enterprise ot tne warrior who uad I
mounted tile tie.-.
“ Plus must lie looked to !” said tie scout, glanc
ing ..uoiit him with an anxious et c. ‘ I mas, call
up y our father ; we nave need of all ■ or Weapons
to Liang the cunning varment from tos m, si.”
i he signal Was instantly given ; and, before
Ha a k-ey e uad re loaded ms rifle, tin . were joined
by 1 nii-M ngouk. When Ins sou p-imted out to
tne experienced warrior the situation of their dan
gerous enemy, the usual exclamatory ” Imgli ” burst
tio.n lus lips ; after winch no further expression of
or alarm was suikreu to escape from him.
Il.twk-i.ye :liid the Mohicans conversed eariiesth to
gether in Delaware for a few moments, when each
(juicily took ins pout in older to execute the [il..n
they had specdiU devised.
1 lie warrior in the oak had maintain* d a quick,
though ineflectual, tire, from the moment of his
discovery, iiul his aim was interrupted bv the vi
gilance of his enemies, whose rifles instantaneously
bore on any part of his person that was left exposed.
Still his bullets tell in the centre of the crouch
ing party. The clothes of Heyward,which rendered
him peculiarly conspicuous, were repeatedly cut,
and once blood was drawn from a slight wound in
his arms.
At length, emboldened by the long and patient
watchfulness of his enemies, the Huron attempted
a more fatal aim. The quick eyes of the Mohicans
caught the dark line of his lower limbs incautious])
exposed through the thin foliage, a few inches frpm
the trunk of the tree. Their rides made a common
report, when, sinking on his wounded limb, part of
the body of the savage came into view. Swift as
thought, Hawk-eye seized the advantage, and dis
charged his fatal weapon into the top of the oak.—
The leaves were unusually agitated ; the dangerous
ride fell from its commanding elevation, and afu r a
few moments of vain struggling, the form of the s i
vage was seen swinging in the wind, while lie grasp
ed a ragged and naked branch of the tree with his
hands clenched in desperation.
“ (five him, in pity give him, the contents of aim
ther ride !” cried Duucan, turning away his etas
in horror from the spectacle of a fellow creature in
such awful jeopardy.
-Vita karnel exclaimed the obdurate IIawk
eye ; “ his death is certain, and we have no powdei
to spare, for Indian fights, sometimes, last for days
’tis their scalps, or ours—and God, who made us, *
has put into our natures the craving after life !”
Against this stern and unyielding morality, sup
ported, as it was, by such visible policy, there was
no appeal. From that moment the tells in the fo
rest once more ceased, the fire was suffered to de
cline, and all eyes, those of friends, as well as ene
mies, became fixed on the hopeless condition of the
wretch, who was dangling between heaven and
earth. The body yielded to the currents of air,
and though no murmur or groan escaped the vie
tim, there were instants when he grimly faced his
foes, and the anguish of cold despair might be trac
ed, through the intervening distance, in pose ssion
of ins swarthy lineaments. Three several times the
scout raised his piece in mercy, and often prudence
getting the better of his intention, it Has again si
h nth lowered. At length, one hand of the Huron
lost ns hold, and dropped exhausted to his side.—
A desperate struggle to recover the branch sue
ceeded, and then the savage was seen fora fleeting
instant, grasping widely at the empty air. Tic
lightning is not quicker than v,as th • flame firt i
the rifle of Haw k-eye ; the limbs of the yiciii.i
trembled and contracted, the head fell to the boson .
and the body parted the foaming waters, like lc e
when the element closed above it, in its ceusoh
v> lnc.lv, and every vtsi gc < t the unhappy 1 In:
w as lost forever.
No shout ot trii;n*■>11 sui'ceeded 111.mipt-rta::‘
advantage, b-'t 11. ■ Mohicans gazed at each oil i ;■
in s lout honor. A -ingle j cl! burst from 11 it- u nods,
ami all was again still. Ilawkfvc, who alone ap
pealed to reason on the occasion, shui k los lieu.:,
a' his own nto.i entary weakness, even uttering I. s
self-disapprobation aloud.
“’T»as the last chiirgo in m\ horn, and the 1 '
buiict in tin pot a, and ’t was tic act i l a hov i "
lie said, “ what i ite: i d it win thcr he strn ' t
rock living t>t 1 id - i.-cling would soon be .os
L ucas, lac!, go be n to t be c.»uoc, and : : b.g up :
log horn : it - a non : r we have I- it. and v.
shall need it to tin 1 ■ gra n, or 1 am ignorant 11
the- Mingo uatni ’’
1 lie voting M .idea: i-.stanth coupled, h-asiig
the scout turning over the useless contents of Ins
pouch, and slinking tiie empty j,orn \v ith renew t .1
d..-cor,lent. from tins ur.sa'Mi e'en examination,
lion vs -r, he was - cut) c.dlcd in a ! m i .aid piercing
c\ lainution from t .en, that - ;..,!cd csell to the
Unpractised cars of‘Duncan a- tiw s gstul of some
new and unexpected calmin'v. i.w:v' thought
tilled With apprehension f:.; ' , p;a mis '.! istire
he had concealed in tin- iv.ai., the sotiug in.ui