CHAPTER 25
"Snug.--Have you the lion's part written? Pray you, if it be, give it to me, for I am slow of study.
Quince.--You may do it extempore, for it is nothing but roaring." --Midsummer Night's Dream.
There was a strange blending of the ridiculous with that which wassolemn in this scene. The beast still continued its rolling, andapparently untiring movements, though its ludicrous attempt to imitatethe melody of David ceased the instant the latter abandoned the field.The words of Gamut were, as has been seen, in his native tongue; andto Duncan they seem pregnant with some hidden meaning, though nothingpresent assisted him in discovering the object of their allusion. Aspeedy end was, however, put to every conjecture on the subject, by themanner of the chief, who advanced to the bedside of the invalid, andbeckoned away the whole group of female attendants that had clusteredthere to witness the skill of the stranger. He was implicitly, thoughreluctantly, obeyed; and when the low echo which rang along the hollow,natural gallery, from the distant closing door, had ceased, pointingtoward his insensible daughter, he said:
"Now let my brother show his power."
Thus unequivocally called on to exercise the functions of his assumedcharacter, Heyward was apprehensive that the smallest delay might provedangerous. Endeavoring, then, to collect his ideas, he prepared toperform that species of incantation, and those uncouth rites, underwhich the Indian conjurers are accustomed to conceal their ignorance andimpotency. It is more than probable that, in the disordered state of histhoughts, he would soon have fallen into some suspicious, if not fatal,error had not his incipient attempts been interrupted by a fierce growlfrom the quadruped. Three several times did he renew his efforts toproceed, and as often was he met by the same unaccountable opposition,each interruption seeming more savage and threatening than thepreceding.
"The cunning ones are jealous," said the Huron; "I go. Brother, thewoman is the wife of one of my bravest young men; deal justly by her.Peace!" he added, beckoning to the discontented beast to be quiet; "Igo."
The chief was as good as his word, and Duncan now found himself alonein that wild and desolate abode with the helpless invalid and the fierceand dangerous brute. The latter listened to the movements of the Indianwith that air of sagacity that a bear is known to possess, until anotherecho announced that he had also left the cavern, when it turned andcame waddling up to Duncan before whom it seated itself in its naturalattitude, erect like a man. The youth looked anxiously about him forsome weapon, with which he might make a resistance against the attack henow seriously expected.
It seemed, however, as if the humor of the animal had suddenly changed.Instead of continuing its discontented growls, or manifesting anyfurther signs of anger, the whole of its shaggy body shook violently, asif agitated by some strange internal convulsion. The huge and unwieldytalons pawed stupidly about the grinning muzzle, and while Heyward kepthis eyes riveted on its movements with jealous watchfulness, the grimhead fell on one side and in its place appeared the honest sturdycountenance of the scout, who was indulging from the bottom of his soulin his own peculiar expression of merriment.
"Hist!" said the wary woodsman, interrupting Heyward's exclamation ofsurprise; "the varlets are about the place, and any sounds that are notnatural to witchcraft would bring them back upon us in a body."
"Tell me the meaning of this masquerade; and why you have attempted sodesperate an adventure?"
"Ah, reason and calculation are often outdone by accident," returned thescout. "But, as a story should always commence at the beginning, I willtell you the whole in order. After we parted I placed the commandantand the Sagamore in an old beaver lodge, where they are safer fromthe Hurons than they would be in the garrison of Edward; for yourhigh north-west Indians, not having as yet got the traders among them,continued to venerate the beaver. After which Uncas and I pushed for theother encampment as was agreed. Have you seen the lad?"
"To my great grief! He is captive, and condemned to die at the rising ofthe sun."
"I had misgivings that such would be his fate," resumed the scout, ina less confident and joyous tone. But soon regaining his naturally firmvoice, he continued: "His bad fortune is the true reason of my beinghere, for it would never do to abandon such a boy to the Hurons. A raretime the knaves would have of it, could they tie 'The Bounding Elk' and'The Long Carabine', as they call me, to the same stake! Though why theyhave given me such a name I never knew, there being as little likenessbetween the gifts of 'killdeer' and the performance of one of your realCanada carabynes, as there is between the natur' of a pipe-stone and aflint."
"Keep to your tale," said the impatient Heyward; "we know not at whatmoment the Hurons may return."
"No fear of them. A conjurer must have his time, like a stragglingpriest in the settlements. We are as safe from interruption as amissionary would be at the beginning of a two hours' discourse. Well,Uncas and I fell in with a return party of the varlets; the lad was muchtoo forward for a scout; nay, for that matter, being of hot blood, hewas not so much to blame; and, after all, one of the Hurons proved acoward, and in fleeing led him into an ambushment."
"And dearly has he paid for the weakness."
The scout significantly passed his hand across his own throat, andnodded, as if he said, "I comprehend your meaning." After which hecontinued, in a more audible though scarcely more intelligible language:
"After the loss of the boy I turned upon the Hurons, as you may judge.There have been scrimmages atween one or two of their outlyers andmyself; but that is neither here nor there. So, after I had shot theimps, I got in pretty nigh to the lodges without further commotion. Thenwhat should luck do in my favor but lead me to the very spot where oneof the most famous conjurers of the tribe was dressing himself, as Iwell knew, for some great battle with Satan--though why should I callthat luck, which it now seems was an especial ordering of Providence. Soa judgmatical rap over the head stiffened the lying impostor for a time,and leaving him a bit of walnut for his supper, to prevent an uproar,and stringing him up atween two saplings, I made free with his finery,and took the part of the bear on myself, in order that the operationsmight proceed."
"And admirably did you enact the character; the animal itself might havebeen shamed by the representation."
"Lord, major," returned the flattered woodsman, "I should be but a poorscholar for one who has studied so long in the wilderness, did I notknow how to set forth the movements or natur' of such a beast. Hadit been now a catamount, or even a full-size panther, I would haveembellished a performance for you worth regarding. But it is no suchmarvelous feat to exhibit the feats of so dull a beast; though, for thatmatter, too, a bear may be overacted. Yes, yes; it is not every imitatorthat knows natur' may be outdone easier than she is equaled. But all ourwork is yet before us. Where is the gentle one?"
"Heaven knows. I have examined every lodge in the village, withoutdiscovering the slightest trace of her presence in the tribe."
"You heard what the singer said, as he left us: 'She is at hand, andexpects you'?"
"I have been compelled to believe he alluded to this unhappy woman."
"The simpleton was frightened, and blundered through his message; buthe had a deeper meaning. Here are walls enough to separate the wholesettlement. A bear ought to climb; therefore will I take a look abovethem. There may be honey-pots hid in these rocks, and I am a beast, youknow, that has a hankering for the sweets."
The scout looked behind him, laughing at his own conceit, while heclambered up the partition, imitating, as he went, the clumsy motions ofthe beast he represented; but the instant the summit was gained he madea gesture for silence, and slid down with the utmost precipitation.
"She is here," he whispered, "and by that door you will find her. Iwould have spoken a word of comfort to the afflicted soul; but the sightof such a monster might upset her reason. Though for that matter, major,you are none of the most inviting yourself in your paint."
Duncan, who had already swu
ng eagerly forward, drew instantly back onhearing these discouraging words.
"Am I, then, so very revolting?" he demanded, with an air of chagrin.
"You might not startle a wolf, or turn the Royal Americans from adischarge; but I have seen the time when you had a better favored look;your streaked countenances are not ill-judged of by the squaws, butyoung women of white blood give the preference to their own color. See,"he added, pointing to a place where the water trickled from a rock,forming a little crystal spring, before it found an issue through theadjacent crevices; "you may easily get rid of the Sagamore's daub, andwhen you come back I will try my hand at a new embellishment. It'sas common for a conjurer to alter his paint as for a buck in thesettlements to change his finery."
The deliberate woodsman had little occasion to hunt for arguments toenforce his advice. He was yet speaking when Duncan availed himselfof the water. In a moment every frightful or offensive mark wasobliterated, and the youth appeared again in the lineaments with whichhe had been gifted by nature. Thus prepared for an interview withhis mistress, he took a hasty leave of his companion, and disappearedthrough the indicated passage. The scout witnessed his departure withcomplacency, nodding his head after him, and muttering his good wishes;after which he very coolly set about an examination of the state of thelarder, among the Hurons, the cavern, among other purposes, being usedas a receptacle for the fruits of their hunts.
Duncan had no other guide than a distant glimmering light, which served,however, the office of a polar star to the lover. By its aid he wasenabled to enter the haven of his hopes, which was merely anotherapartment of the cavern, that had been solely appropriated to thesafekeeping of so important a prisoner as a daughter of the commandantof William Henry. It was profusely strewed with the plunder of thatunlucky fortress. In the midst of this confusion he found her he sought,pale, anxious and terrified, but lovely. David had prepared her for sucha visit.
"Duncan!" she exclaimed, in a voice that seemed to tremble at the soundscreated by itself.
"Alice!" he answered, leaping carelessly among trunks, boxes, arms, andfurniture, until he stood at her side.
"I knew that you would never desert me," she said, looking up witha momentary glow on her otherwise dejected countenance. "But you arealone! Grateful as it is to be thus remembered, I could wish to thinkyou are not entirely alone."
Duncan, observing that she trembled in a manner which betrayed herinability to stand, gently induced her to be seated, while he recountedthose leading incidents which it has been our task to accord. Alicelistened with breathless interest; and though the young man touchedlightly on the sorrows of the stricken father; taking care, however, notto wound the self-love of his auditor, the tears ran as freely down thecheeks of the daughter as though she had never wept before. The soothingtenderness of Duncan, however, soon quieted the first burst of heremotions, and she then heard him to the close with undivided attention,if not with composure.
"And now, Alice," he added, "you will see how much is still expectedof you. By the assistance of our experienced and invaluable friend, thescout, we may find our way from this savage people, but you will have toexert your utmost fortitude. Remember that you fly to the arms of yourvenerable parent, and how much his happiness, as well as your own,depends on those exertions."
"Can I do otherwise for a father who has done so much for me?"
"And for me, too," continued the youth, gently pressing the hand he heldin both his own.
The look of innocence and surprise which he received in return convincedDuncan of the necessity of being more explicit.
"This is neither the place nor the occasion to detain you with selfishwishes," he added; "but what heart loaded like mine would not wish tocast its burden? They say misery is the closest of all ties; our commonsuffering in your behalf left but little to be explained between yourfather and myself."
"And, dearest Cora, Duncan; surely Cora was not forgotten?"
"Not forgotten! no; regretted, as woman was seldom mourned before. Yourvenerable father knew no difference between his children; but I--Alice,you will not be offended when I say, that to me her worth was in adegree obscured--"
"Then you knew not the merit of my sister," said Alice, withdrawing herhand; "of you she ever speaks as of one who is her dearest friend."
"I would gladly believe her such," returned Duncan, hastily; "I couldwish her to be even more; but with you, Alice, I have the permission ofyour father to aspire to a still nearer and dearer tie."
Alice trembled violently, and there was an instant during which she benther face aside, yielding to the emotions common to her sex; but theyquickly passed away, leaving her mistress of her deportment, if not ofher affections.
"Heyward," she said, looking him full in the face with a touchingexpression of innocence and dependency, "give me the sacred presence andthe holy sanction of that parent before you urge me further."
"Though more I should not, less I could not say," the youth was about toanswer, when he was interrupted by a light tap on his shoulder. Startingto his feet, he turned, and, confronting the intruder, his looks fell onthe dark form and malignant visage of Magua. The deep guttural laugh ofthe savage sounded, at such a moment, to Duncan, like the hellish tauntof a demon. Had he pursued the sudden and fierce impulse of the instant,he would have cast himself on the Huron, and committed their fortunesto the issue of a deadly struggle. But, without arms of any description,ignorant of what succor his subtle enemy could command, and charged withthe safety of one who was just then dearer than ever to his heart, he nosooner entertained than he abandoned the desperate intention.
"What is your purpose?" said Alice, meekly folding her arms on herbosom, and struggling to conceal an agony of apprehension in behalf ofHeyward, in the usual cold and distant manner with which she receivedthe visits of her captor.
The exulting Indian had resumed his austere countenance, though he drewwarily back before the menacing glance of the young man's fiery eye. Heregarded both his captives for a moment with a steady look, and then,stepping aside, he dropped a log of wood across a door different fromthat by which Duncan had entered. The latter now comprehended the mannerof his surprise, and, believing himself irretrievably lost, he drewAlice to his bosom, and stood prepared to meet a fate which he hardlyregretted, since it was to be suffered in such company. But Maguameditated no immediate violence. His first measures were very evidentlytaken to secure his new captive; nor did he even bestow a second glanceat the motionless forms in the center of the cavern, until he hadcompletely cut off every hope of retreat through the private outlet hehad himself used. He was watched in all his movements by Heyward, who,however, remained firm, still folding the fragile form of Alice to hisheart, at once too proud and too hopeless to ask favor of an enemyso often foiled. When Magua had effected his object he approached hisprisoners, and said in English:
"The pale faces trap the cunning beavers; but the red-skins know how totake the Yengeese."
"Huron, do your worst!" exclaimed the excited Heyward, forgetful that adouble stake was involved in his life; "you and your vengeance are alikedespised."
"Will the white man speak these words at the stake?" asked Magua;manifesting, at the same time, how little faith he had in the other'sresolution by the sneer that accompanied his words.
"Here; singly to your face, or in the presence of your nation."
"Le Renard Subtil is a great chief!" returned the Indian; "he will goand bring his young men, to see how bravely a pale face can laugh attortures."
He turned away while speaking, and was about to leave the place throughthe avenue by which Duncan had approached, when a growl caught his ear,and caused him to hesitate. The figure of the bear appeared in the door,where it sat, rolling from side to side in its customary restlessness.Magua, like the father of the sick woman, eyed it keenly for a moment,as if to ascertain its character. He was far above the more vulgarsuperstitions of his tribe, and so soon as he recognized the well-knownattire of the conjurer, he prepare
d to pass it in cool contempt. Buta louder and more threatening growl caused him again to pause. Then heseemed as if suddenly resolved to trifle no longer, and moved resolutelyforward.
The mimic animal, which had advanced a little, retired slowly in hisfront, until it arrived again at the pass, when, rearing on his hinderlegs, it beat the air with its paws, in the manner practised by itsbrutal prototype.
"Fool!" exclaimed the chief, in Huron, "go play with the children andsquaws; leave men to their wisdom."
He once more endeavored to pass the supposed empiric, scorning even theparade of threatening to use the knife, or tomahawk, that was pendentfrom his belt. Suddenly the beast extended its arms, or rather legs, andinclosed him in a grasp that might have vied with the far-famed power ofthe "bear's hug" itself. Heyward had watched the whole procedure, on thepart of Hawkeye, with breathless interest. At first he relinquished hishold of Alice; then he caught up a thong of buckskin, which had beenused around some bundle, and when he beheld his enemy with his two armspinned to his side by the iron muscles of the scout, he rushed upon him,and effectually secured them there. Arms, legs, and feet were encircledin twenty folds of the thong, in less time than we have taken to recordthe circumstance. When the formidable Huron was completely pinioned, thescout released his hold, and Duncan laid his enemy on his back, utterlyhelpless.
Throughout the whole of this sudden and extraordinary operation, Magua,though he had struggled violently, until assured he was in the hands ofone whose nerves were far better strung than his own, had not utteredthe slightest exclamation. But when Hawkeye, by way of making a summaryexplanation of his conduct, removed the shaggy jaws of the beast, andexposed his own rugged and earnest countenance to the gaze of the Huron,the philosophy of the latter was so far mastered as to permit him toutter the never failing:
"Hugh!"
"Ay, you've found your tongue," said his undisturbed conqueror; "now,in order that you shall not use it to our ruin, I must make free to stopyour mouth."
As there was no time to be lost, the scout immediately set abouteffecting so necessary a precaution; and when he had gagged the Indian,his enemy might safely have been considered as "hors de combat."
"By what place did the imp enter?" asked the industrious scout, when hiswork was ended. "Not a soul has passed my way since you left me."
Duncan pointed out the door by which Magua had come, and which nowpresented too many obstacles to a quick retreat.
"Bring on the gentle one, then," continued his friend; "we must make apush for the woods by the other outlet."
"'Tis impossible!" said Duncan; "fear has overcome her, and she ishelpless. Alice! my sweet, my own Alice, arouse yourself; now is themoment to fly. 'Tis in vain! she hears, but is unable to follow. Go,noble and worthy friend; save yourself, and leave me to my fate."
"Every trail has its end, and every calamity brings its lesson!"returned the scout. "There, wrap her in them Indian cloths. Conceal allof her little form. Nay, that foot has no fellow in the wilderness; itwill betray her. All, every part. Now take her in your arms, and follow.Leave the rest to me."
Duncan, as may be gathered from the words of his companion, was eagerlyobeying; and, as the other finished speaking, he took the light personof Alice in his arms, and followed in the footsteps of the scout. Theyfound the sick woman as they had left her, still alone, and passedswiftly on, by the natural gallery, to the place of entrance. As theyapproached the little door of bark, a murmur of voices without announcedthat the friends and relatives of the invalid were gathered about theplace, patiently awaiting a summons to re-enter.
"If I open my lips to speak," Hawkeye whispered, "my English, which isthe genuine tongue of a white-skin, will tell the varlets that an enemyis among them. You must give 'em your jargon, major; and say that wehave shut the evil spirit in the cave, and are taking the woman to thewoods in order to find strengthening roots. Practise all your cunning,for it is a lawful undertaking."
The door opened a little, as if one without was listening to theproceedings within, and compelled the scout to cease his directions. Afierce growl repelled the eavesdropper, and then the scout boldly threwopen the covering of bark, and left the place, enacting the character ofa bear as he proceeded. Duncan kept close at his heels, and soon foundhimself in the center of a cluster of twenty anxious relatives andfriends.
The crowd fell back a little, and permitted the father, and one whoappeared to be the husband of the woman, to approach.
"Has my brother driven away the evil spirit?" demanded the former. "Whathas he in his arms?"
"Thy child," returned Duncan, gravely; "the disease has gone out of her;it is shut up in the rocks. I take the woman to a distance, where I willstrengthen her against any further attacks. She will be in the wigwam ofthe young man when the sun comes again."
When the father had translated the meaning of the stranger's words intothe Huron language, a suppressed murmur announced the satisfaction withwhich this intelligence was received. The chief himself waved his handfor Duncan to proceed, saying aloud, in a firm voice, and with a loftymanner:
"Go; I am a man, and I will enter the rock and fight the wicked one."
Heyward had gladly obeyed, and was already past the little group, whenthese startling words arrested him.
"Is my brother mad?" he exclaimed; "is he cruel? He will meet thedisease, and it will enter him; or he will drive out the disease, andit will chase his daughter into the woods. No; let my children waitwithout, and if the spirit appears beat him down with clubs. He iscunning, and will bury himself in the mountain, when he sees how manyare ready to fight him."
This singular warning had the desired effect. Instead of enteringthe cavern, the father and husband drew their tomahawks, and postedthemselves in readiness to deal their vengeance on the imaginarytormentor of their sick relative, while the women and children brokebranches from the bushes, or seized fragments of the rock, with asimilar intention. At this favorable moment the counterfeit conjurersdisappeared.
Hawkeye, at the same time that he had presumed so far on the natureof the Indian superstitions, was not ignorant that they were rathertolerated than relied on by the wisest of the chiefs. He well knew thevalue of time in the present emergency. Whatever might be the extent ofthe self-delusion of his enemies, and however it had tended to assisthis schemes, the slightest cause of suspicion, acting on the subtlenature of an Indian, would be likely to prove fatal. Taking the path,therefore, that was most likely to avoid observation, he rather skirtedthan entered the village. The warriors were still to be seen in thedistance, by the fading light of the fires, stalking from lodge tolodge. But the children had abandoned their sports for their beds ofskins, and the quiet of night was already beginning to prevail over theturbulence and excitement of so busy and important an evening.
Alice revived under the renovating influence of the open air, and,as her physical rather than her mental powers had been the subject ofweakness, she stood in no need of any explanation of that which hadoccurred.
"Now let me make an effort to walk," she said, when they had entered theforest, blushing, though unseen, that she had not been sooner able toquit the arms of Duncan; "I am indeed restored."
"Nay, Alice, you are yet too weak."
The maiden struggled gently to release herself, and Heyward wascompelled to part with his precious burden. The representative of thebear had certainly been an entire stranger to the delicious emotions ofthe lover while his arms encircled his mistress; and he was, perhaps,a stranger also to the nature of that feeling of ingenuous shame thatoppressed the trembling Alice. But when he found himself at a suitabledistance from the lodges he made a halt, and spoke on a subject of whichhe was thoroughly the master.
"This path will lead you to the brook," he said; "follow its northernbank until you come to a fall; mount the hill on your right, and youwill see the fires of the other people. There you must go and demandprotection; if they are true Delawares you will be safe. A distantflight with that gentle one, just no
w, is impossible. The Hurons wouldfollow up our trail, and master our scalps before we had got a dozenmiles. Go, and Providence be with you."
"And you!" demanded Heyward, in surprise; "surely we part not here?"
"The Hurons hold the pride of the Delawares; the last of the high bloodof the Mohicans is in their power," returned the scout; "I go to seewhat can be done in his favor. Had they mastered your scalp, major, aknave should have fallen for every hair it held, as I promised; but ifthe young Sagamore is to be led to the stake, the Indians shall see alsohow a man without a cross can die."
Not in the least offended with the decided preference that the sturdywoodsman gave to one who might, in some degree, be called the child ofhis adoption, Duncan still continued to urge such reasons against sodesperate an effort as presented themselves. He was aided by Alice, whomingled her entreaties with those of Heyward that he would abandon aresolution that promised so much danger, with so little hope of success.Their eloquence and ingenuity were expended in vain. The scout heardthem attentively, but impatiently, and finally closed the discussion,by answering, in a tone that instantly silenced Alice, while it toldHeyward how fruitless any further remonstrances would be.
"I have heard," he said, "that there is a feeling in youth which bindsman to woman closer than the father is tied to the son. It may be so.I have seldom been where women of my color dwell; but such may be thegifts of nature in the settlements. You have risked life, and all thatis dear to you, to bring off this gentle one, and I suppose that somesuch disposition is at the bottom of it all. As for me, I taught the ladthe real character of a rifle; and well has he paid me for it. I havefou't at his side in many a bloody scrimmage; and so long as I couldhear the crack of his piece in one ear, and that of the Sagamore in theother, I knew no enemy was on my back. Winters and summer, nights anddays, have we roved the wilderness in company, eating of the same dish,one sleeping while the other watched; and afore it shall be said thatUncas was taken to the torment, and I at hand--There is but a singleRuler of us all, whatever may the color of the skin; and Him I callto witness, that before the Mohican boy shall perish for the want ofa friend, good faith shall depart the 'arth, and 'killdeer' become asharmless as the tooting we'pon of the singer!"
Duncan released his hold on the arm of the scout, who turned, andsteadily retraced his steps toward the lodges. After pausing a moment togaze at his retiring form, the successful and yet sorrowful Heywardand Alice took their way together toward the distant village of theDelawares.