The ladies' garland. [volume], February 11, 1826, Page 2, Image 2

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

Image provided by: West Virginia University

                
started to hi-, feet, totally regardless of the hazard
to which he w*as exposed. .V-.it actuated by a com
mon impulse, his movement was imitated by his
c nnpanions, and together they rushed down the
l>ass to the friendly chasm, with a rapidity that ren
dered the scattered fire of their enemies perfectly
harmless. The unwonted cry hail brought the sis
ters, together with the wounded David, front their
place of refuge, and the whole parly, at a single
gl .nce, was made acquainted with the nature of the
disastct, that had disturbed even the practised stoi
cism of ill ir youthful Indian protector.
At a short distance from the rock, their little bark
was to he seen floating across the ed.lv, towards the
switi current of the river, in a manner which proved
that its course was directed b\ some in Idem agent.
I be instant tins unwelcome sight caught the eve
of the scout, bis r.fle was levelled, as by instinct,
hut the barrel gave no answer to the blight sparks
of the flint.
’ 1 is too late, ’tis too late !** 1 lawk-eye exclaim
ed, dropping die useless piece, in hitter disappoint
ment, the “ miscreant has struck the rapid, and had
w e powder it cool 1 hardly send the lead swifter
than he now goes
\i‘t*in leu, 11ie ;uh enturous Huron raised his
head above the shelter of the canoe, and while it
glided swiftly down the stream, waved his hand,
and gave forth the shout, which was the known sig
nal ol success 11 is cry was answered bv a yell, and
a laugh from the woods, as tauutingh exulting as
if fifty demons were uttering their blasphemies at
the fall of some Christian soul.
“ Well may y on laugh, ye children of the devil;”
said tile scout, seating himself on the projection of
the rock, and suffering his gun to fall neglected at
his feet, “for the three quickest and truest rifles
in these woods, are no better than so many stalks of
iimlleii, or the last year’s horns of a buck !”
“ What, then, is to be done >” demanded Dun
own, losing the first feeling ol disappointment, in a
more ntanlj desire for exertion ; “ what will be
come of us
llawk-eye made no other reply than by passing
bis finger around the crown of his head, lii a man
ner so significant, that none who witnessed the ac
tion could mistake its meaning-,
“ Surely, surely , our case is not so desperate !”—
exclaimed the youth'; “the Ilurons are not here ;
we may make good the caverns ; we may oppose
their landing.”
“With what'” coolly demanded the scout.—
“ 1 he arrows of Lucas, or such tears as women
shed ’ No, no, you are young, and rich, and have
friends, and at sui h an age l know it is hard to die !
but,” glancing his eyes at the Mohicans, “let us
remember, we are men w ithout a cross, and let us
teach these natives of the forest, that w hite blood
can run as freely as red, when the appointed hour
is come.”
Duncan turned quickly iji the direction indicat
ed by tile other’s eyes, and read a conlirmation of
his worst apprehensions in the conduct of the In
dians. ('hiugjchgook, placing himself in a digni
fied posture on another fragment of the rock, had
already laid aside his knife anil tomahaw k, and was
m the act u( takmg the eagk's plume from his head
and smoothing the solitary tuft of hair, in readiness
to perform its last and revolting oliiee. Ills conn
tenance was composed, though thoughtful, while
his dark gleaming ey es were gradually losing the
fierceness nl the combat in an expression better
suited to the change he expected, momentarily, to
undergo.
Our case is not, Cannot, be so hopeless !” said
Duncan ; ‘‘even at tins very moment succour mav
be at hand, i see no enemies ! they have sickened
ot a struggle, in w hich they risk so much with so
little prospect of gain.”
“ It may be a minute, or it may be an hour, be
fore tbe wily sarpents steal upon us, and its cptite
m uatur for them to tie K ing within hearing at this
very moment,” said Hawk-eye; “ but come they
Will, and 111 such a fashion as will leave Us nothing
t» hone ' Chitigachgook ”—he spoke in Delaware
—“my biotlier, we have fought our last battle to
gether, and the Maijuas will triumph in the death of
the sage man of the MbfigaVs, and of the paleface,
whose eyes can make night as day, and level he
clouds to the mists of springs 1”
“ Let the Mingo women go weep over their slain!”
returned the Indian, with characteristic pride, and
unmoved firmness, “the great snake of the .Mohicans
has coiled himself in their wigwams, and has poison
ed their triumph with the wailings of children,
whose fathers have not returned ! Kleven warriors
lie hid from the graves of their tribes, since the
snows have melted ; and none w ill tell where to find
them, when the tongue of Chingachgook shall be si
lent ’ l.et them draw the sharpest knife, and whirl
the swiftest tomahawk, for their bitterest cneim is
in their hands. L'ucas, nn boy, topmost branch of
a noble trunk, call on the cowards to hasten, or
their hearts will soften, and they will change to
women !”
“ I’hcy will look among the fishes for their dead!”
returned the low, soft voice of the youthful chief
tain ; “ the Hurons float with the slinn eels! They
drop from the oaks like fruit that is ready to he
eaten ! and the Delawares laugh !”
“ Ay, ay,” muttered the scout, who iiad listened
to this peculiar hurst of the natives w ith deep atten
tion ; “ they have warmed their Indian feelings and
they’ll soon provoke the Maquas to give them a
speedy end. As for me, who am of the whole blood
ot the whites, it is befitting that I should die as be
comes my colour, with no words of scoifing in my
mouth, and without bitterness at the heart !”
“ \\ liy die at all said Cora, advancing from
the place where natural horror had, until this mo
ment, held her rivetted to the rock : “ the path is
open on every side, fiv, then* to the woods, and
c.ill on (.oil tor succour ! (.<>, brave men, we owe
you too much already ; let us no longer involve y uu
in our liu|>less fortunes !”
‘You know but little of the craft of the Iroquois,
lady, if you judge they have Icft the |)utii open to
the woods!” returned llawk-eyr, who, however,
immediately added in his siniphoitv ; “the down
stream Current, it is certain, might soon sweep us
beyond the reach of their rules or the sounds of
their voices.’
‘ I lieu try the river. Why linger, to add to the
number of the victims of our merciless enemies ”
‘ \ by,’repeated the scout, looking about him
proudly, ‘because it is better for a man to die at
peace with himself, than to live haunted by an c\ 1
conscience ! Wliat answer could we give to .Minim,
when lie asked us where and how w e left his chil
dren ”
‘ (.->, to him, and say, that you left them with a
message to hasten to their aid,’ returned Cora, ad
vancing Higher to the scout, in her generous ardor ;
‘ that 1110 I lurons bear them into the northern wilds;
but that by vigilance and speed they may be res
cued; and it, after all, it should please Heaven,
that Ins assistance came too late, bear to him,’ she
continued, the linn tones ol her voice gradually
lowering, until they seemed nearly choked, ‘the
love, the blessings, the final prayers of his daugh
ters, and bid bun not lu mourn their early fate, Out
to look forward with humble confidence to the
Christian’s goal to meet hisclnldn n.’
4 I'he hard, weather-beaten features of the scout
began sensibly to work, as lie listened, and when
she hail ended, lie dropped his chin to his hand, iuce
a man musing profoundly on the nature of her pro
posal.
‘ l’liere is reason in lier words !’ at lengtii broke
from his compressed and trembling h|)s, “ a\, and
they beat tile spirit ut Christianity ; what might be
sinful in a man who has not even a cross m oiood to
plead for Ins ignorance: Ctlingachgook ! t ncas !
hear you the talk of the dark-eyed woman !’
lie now spoke in Delaware to his companions,
and his address, though calm and deliberate, seena d
Very decided. The elder Mohican heard Inm with
deep gravity, and appeared to ponder on liiswuwls,
as though he tell the importance ot their import.—
Alter a moment of hesitation, no waved his hand in
assent, and uttered the English word “good,” with
the peculiar emphasis of his people. Then, replac
ing liis knife and tomahawk in his girdle, the war
rior moved silently to the edge of the rock most con
cealed from the hostile banks of the river. Here he
paused a moment, pointed significantly to the woods
below, and saying in a few words in his own lan
guage, as if indicating his intended route, he drop
I*fd into the water, and sunk before the ey es of
the anxious witnesses ot Ins movements.
I'ite scout delay ed his departure to speak to the
generous maiden, whose breathing became lighter
as she saw the success of her remonstrance.
‘ " isdoin is sometimes given to the young as well
as to the old,’ he said ; ‘and what you have spoken
is wise, not to call it by a better word. If von are
led into the woods, that is, such of \ ou as may he
spared for a while, break the twigs on the bushes
as you pass, and make the marks of your trail as
broad as you can, when, if mortal eyes can see
them, depend on having a friend who will follow
to the etuis .of the ’.nth afore he desarts you.’
He gave t'ora an affectionate shake of the hand,
lifted his rifle, and alter regarding it a moment with
melancholy solicitude, laid it carefully aside, and
descended to the place where Oliingachgook had
just disappeared. For an instant he hung suspend
ed by the rock, and looking about him, with a
countenance of peculiar care, he added, bittcrlv.—
‘ I i id the powder held out, this disgrace could ne
'er have befallen I’ then, loosening his hold, the
water closed above his head, and he also became
lost to view .
All eyts were now turned on Lucas, who stood
leaning' against the ragged rock, in immoveable
composure. Atier waiting1 a short time, Cora point
ed u n the river, and said—
‘Your li lends, as you perceive, have not feta
seen, and arc now, most probably, in safety ; is i;
not time for vou to follow
* Cue is will stay,’ the young Mohican calmly an
swered, in h.s imperfect Klighsh.
‘ To increase the horror of our capture, and to
diminish the chances of our release 1 (!o gent-rotr
young man,’ < !ura continued, low cling her i x i- ui
der the ardent ga/e ol the Mohican, and, pc haps,
with an intuitive consciousness of hel' power, ‘go
to 111\ hither, as I hale said, and he the- most con
fidential of my messengers. Tell him to trust \ uu
with the means to buy the freedom ot Ins daughters.
Clo ; ’tis mi \x .ii, ’tisuix prayer, that you w ill go !’
file settled, calm look of the \ oung cnici eli.mg
ecl to an expression ol gloom, but he on lnnget be
sit ited. V. ill) a noiseh ss step he crossed the i> - k,
and dropped into the troubled stream. Ilardlv a
breath was drawn by those he left behind, until
thex caught a glimpse ol his head cine: g;ng lor air,
tar dow u the current, u hen he again sunk, and was
seen no more.
These sudden and apparently successful experi
ments had all taken place in a tew minutes ot nat
tone, which had now become so precious. After
Hie last look at t nc.is, (ana turned, and w.tii a ;u,
veriug lip, addressed heiself to Ilex ward :
I haw heard ut sour boasted >k.ll in the wattr,
too, i)uiicau ;’ sue said ; tollosv, then, the wise e.\
ample set ) on Os these simple and faithful beings.*
‘ I'’ such the t nth that Cora Monro would exact
from her protector ?* said the young1 man smiling
mournfully, but svith bitterness.
4 l ins is not a time tor idle subtleties and false
opinions,’ sue ausss ered ; * but a moment when eve
ry duty should be equally considered. To ns soil
Ca t he of no further service here, but your precious
life mas be saved tor other and nearei friends.*
lie made no lapis, though Ins eyc.*> fell wistfully
on the beautiful form of Alice, ss ho svas clinging to
ins arm ssith the dependency of an infant.
‘Consider, aftei all,’ continued Cora, after a pause
of a moment, during winch she seemed to struggle
ss ith a pang, esen mote acute than any that her
fears h.d excited, *lhe worst to mean be hut death;
a tribute that ail must pay at the good time of Cod’s
appointment.*
‘ There are evils even worse than death,’ said