The Last of the Mohicans: A Narrative of 1757

by James Fenimore Cooper

  CHAPTER XXVIII

  "Brief, I pray you; for you see, 'tis a busy time with me."

  _Much Ado About Nothing._

  The tribe, or rather half tribe, of Delawares, which has been so oftenmentioned, and whose present place of encampment was so nigh thetemporary village of the Hurons, could assemble about an equal number ofwarriors with the latter people. Like their neighbors, they had followedMontcalm into the territories of the English crown, and were makingheavy and serious inroads on the hunting-grounds of the Mohawks; thoughthey had seen fit, with the mysterious reserve so common among thenatives, to withhold their assistance at the moment when it was mostrequired. The French had accounted for this unexpected defection on thepart of their ally in various ways. It was the prevalent opinion,however, that they had been influenced by veneration for the ancienttreaty, that had once made them dependent on the Six Nations formilitary protection, and now rendered them reluctant to encounter theirformer masters. As for the tribe itself, it had been content to announceto Montcalm, through his emissaries, with Indian brevity, that theirhatchets were dull, and time was necessary to sharpen them. The politiccaptain of the Canadas had deemed it wiser to submit to entertain apassive friend, than by any acts of ill-judged severity to convert himinto an open enemy.

  On that morning when Magua led his silent party from the settlement ofthe beavers into the forest, in the manner described, the sun rose uponthe Delaware encampment as if it had suddenly burst upon a busy people,actively employed in all the customary avocations of high noon. Thewomen ran from lodge to lodge, some engaged in preparing their morning'smeal, a few earnestly bent on seeking the comforts necessary to theirhabits, but more pausing to exchange hasty and whispered sentences withtheir friends. The warriors were lounging in groups, musing more thanthey conversed; and when a few words were uttered, speaking like men whodeeply weighed their opinions. The instruments of the chase were to beseen in abundance among the lodges; but none departed. Here and there awarrior was examining his arms, with an attention that is rarelybestowed on the implements, when no other enemy than the beasts of theforest is expected to be encountered. And, occasionally, the eyes of awhole group were turned simultaneously towards a large and silent lodgein the centre of the village, as if it contained the subject of theircommon thoughts.

  During the existence of this scene, a man suddenly appeared at thefarthest extremity of a platform of rock which formed the level of thevillage. He was without arms, and his paint tended rather to soften thanincrease the natural sternness of his austere countenance. When in fullview of the Delawares he stopped, and made a gesture of amity, bythrowing his arm upward towards heaven, and then letting it fallimpressively on his breast. The inhabitants of the village answered hissalute by a low murmur of welcome, and encouraged him to advance bysimilar indications of friendship. Fortified by these assurances, thedark figure left the brow of the natural rocky terrace, where it hadstood a moment, drawn in a strong outline against the blushing morningsky, and moved with dignity into the very centre of the huts. As heapproached, nothing was audible but the rattling of the light silverornaments that loaded his arms and neck, and the tinkling of the littlebells that fringed his deer-skin moccasins. He made, as he advanced,many courteous signs of greeting to the men he passed, neglecting tonotice the women, however, like one who deemed their favor, in thepresent enterprise, of no importance. When he had reached the group inwhich it was evident, by the haughtiness of their common mien, that theprincipal chiefs were collected, the stranger paused, and then theDelawares saw that the active and erect form that stood before them wasthat of the well-known Huron chief, Le Renard Subtil.

  His reception was grave, silent, and wary. The warriors in front steppedaside, opening the way to their most approved orator by the action; onewho spoke all those languages that were cultivated among the northernaborigines.

  "The wise Huron is welcome," said the Delaware, in the language of theMaquas; "he is come to eat his 'succotash,'[25] with his brothers of thelakes."

  "He is come," repeated Magua, bending his head with the dignity of anEastern prince.

  The chief extended his arm, and taking the other by the wrist, they oncemore exchanged friendly salutations. Then the Delaware invited his guestto enter his own lodge, and share his morning meal. The invitation wasaccepted; and the two warriors, attended by three or four of the oldmen, walked calmly away, leaving the rest of the tribe devoured by adesire to understand the reasons of so unusual a visit, and yet notbetraying the least impatience by sign or word.

  During the short and frugal repast that followed, the conversation wasextremely circumspect, and related entirely to the events of the hunt inwhich Magua had so lately been engaged. It would have been impossiblefor the most finished breeding to wear more of the appearance ofconsidering the visit as a matter of course, than did his hosts,notwithstanding every individual present was perfectly aware that itmust be connected with some secret object, and that probably ofimportance to themselves. When the appetites of the whole were appeased,the squaws removed the trenchers and gourd, and the two parties began toprepare themselves for a subtle trial of their wits.

  "Is the face of my great Canada father turned again towards his Huronchildren?" demanded the orator of the Delawares.

  "When was it ever otherwise?" returned Magua. "He calls my people 'mostbeloved.'"

  The Delaware gravely bowed his acquiescence to what he knew to be false,and continued,--

  "The tomahawks of your young men have been very red."

  "It is so; but they are now bright and dull; for the Yengeese are dead,and the Delawares are our neighbors."

  The other acknowledged the pacific compliment by a gesture of the hand,and remained silent. Then Magua, as if recalled to such a recollection,by the allusion to the massacre, demanded,--

  "Does my prisoner give trouble to my brothers?"

  "She is welcome."

  "The path between the Hurons and the Delawares is short, and it is open;let her be sent to my squaws, if she gives trouble to my brother."

  "She is welcome," returned the chief of the latter nation, still moreemphatically.

  The baffled Magua continued silent several minutes, apparentlyindifferent, however, to the repulse he had received in this his openeffort to gain possession of Cora.

  "Do my young men leave the Delawares room on the mountains for theirhunts?" he at length continued.

  "The Lenape are rulers of their own hills," returned the other, a littlehaughtily.

  "It is well. Justice is the master of a redskin! Why should theybrighten their tomahawks, and sharpen their knives against each other?Are not the pale-faces thicker than the swallows in the season offlowers?"

  "Good!" exclaimed two or three of his auditors at the same time.

  Magua waited a little, to permit his words to soften the feelings of theDelawares, before he added,--

  "Have there not been strange moccasins in the woods? Have not mybrothers scented the feet of white men?"

  "Let my Canada father come," returned the other evasively; "his childrenare ready to see him."

  "When the great chief comes, it is to smoke with the Indians in theirwigwams. The Hurons say, too, he is welcome. But the Yengeese have longarms, and legs that never tire! My young men dreamed they had seen thetrail of the Yengeese nigh the village of the Delawares?"

  "They will not find the Lenape asleep."

  "It is well. The warrior whose eye is open can see his enemy," saidMagua, once more shifting his ground, when he found himself unable topenetrate the caution of his companion. "I have brought gifts to mybrother. His nation would not go on the war-path because they did notthink it well; but their friends have remembered where they lived."

  When he had thus announced his liberal intention, the crafty chiefarose, and gravely spread his presents before the dazzled eyes of hishosts. They consisted principally of trinkets of little value, plunderedfrom the slaughtered females of William Henry. In the division of thebaubles the cunn
ing Huron discovered no less art than in theirselection. While he bestowed those of greater value on the two mostdistinguished warriors, one of whom was his host, he seasoned hisofferings to their inferiors with such well-timed and appositecompliments, as left them no grounds of complaint. In short, the wholeceremony contained such a happy blending of the profitable with theflattering, that it was not difficult for the donor immediately to readthe effect of a generosity so aptly mingled with praise, in the eyes ofthose he addressed.

  This well-judged and politic stroke on the part of Magua was not withoutinstantaneous results. The Delawares lost their gravity in a much morecordial expression; and the host, in particular, after contemplating hisown liberal share of the spoil for some moments with peculiargratification, repeated with strong emphasis, the words,--

  "My brother is a wise chief. He is welcome!"

  "The Hurons love their friends the Delawares," returned Magua. "Whyshould they not? they are colored by the same sun, and their just menwill hunt in the same grounds after death. The redskins should befriends, and look with open eyes on the white men. Has not my brotherscented spies in the woods?"

  The Delaware, whose name in English signified "Hard Heart," anappellation that the French had translated into "Le Coeur-dur," forgotthe obduracy of purpose, which had probably obtained him so significanta title. His countenance grew very sensibly less stern, and now deignedto answer more directly.

  "There have been strange moccasins about my camp. They have been trackedinto my lodges."

  "Did my brother beat out the dogs?" asked Magua, without adverting inany manner to the former equivocation of the chief.

  "It would not do. The stranger is always welcome to the children of theLenape."

  "The stranger, but not the spy."

  "Would the Yengeese send their women as spies? Did not the Huron chiefsay he took women in the battle?"

  "He told no lie. The Yengeese have sent out their scouts. They have beenin my wigwams, but they found there no one to say welcome. Then theyfled to the Delawares--for, say they, the Delawares are our friends;their minds are turned from their Canada father!"

  This insinuation was a home thrust, and one that in a more advancedstate of society, would have entitled Magua to the reputation of askilful diplomatist. The recent defection of the tribe had, as they wellknew themselves, subjected the Delawares to much reproach among theirFrench allies; and they were now made to feel that their future actionswere to be regarded with jealousy and distrust. There was no deepinsight into causes and effects necessary to foresee that such asituation of things was likely to prove highly prejudicial to theirfuture movements. Their distant villages, their hunting-grounds, andhundreds of their women and children, together with a material part oftheir physical force, were actually within the limits of the Frenchterritory. Accordingly, this alarming annunciation was received, asMagua intended, with manifest disapprobation, if not with alarm.

  "Let my father look in my face," said Le Coeur-dur; "he will see nochange. It is true, my young men did not go out on the war-path; theyhad dreams for not doing so. But they love and venerate the great whitechief."

  "Will he think so when he hears that his greatest enemy is fed in thecamp of his children? When he is told a bloody Yengee smokes at yourfire? That the pale-face who has slain so many of his friends goes inand out among the Delawares? Go! my great Canada father is not a fool!"

  "Where is the Yengee that the Delawares fear?" returned the other; "whohas slain my young men? who is the mortal enemy of my Great Father!"

  "La Longue Carabine."

  The Delaware warriors started at the well-known name, betraying, bytheir amazement, that they now learnt, for the first time, one so famousamong the Indian allies of France was within their power.

  "What does my brother mean?" demanded Le Coeur-dur, in a tone that, byits wonder, far exceeded the usual apathy of his race.

  "A Huron never lies!" returned Magua coldly, leaning his head againstthe side of the lodge, and drawing his slight robe across his tawnybreast. "Let the Delawares count their prisoners; they will find onewhose skin is neither red nor pale."

  A long and musing pause succeeded. The chief consulted apart with hiscompanions, and messengers were despatched to collect certain others ofthe most distinguished men of the tribe.

  As warrior after warrior dropped in, they were each made acquainted, inturn, with the important intelligence that Magua had just communicated.The air of surprise, and the usual low, deep, guttural exclamation, werecommon to them all. The news spread from mouth to mouth, until the wholeencampment became powerfully agitated. The women suspended theirlabors, to catch such syllables as unguardedly fell from the lips of theconsulting warriors. The boys deserted their sports, and walkingfearlessly among their fathers, looked up in curious admiration, as theyheard the brief exclamations of wonder they so freely expressed at thetemerity of their hated foe. In short, every occupation was abandonedfor the time, and all other pursuits seemed discarded, in order that thetribe might freely indulge, after their own peculiar manner, in an openexpression of feeling.

  When the excitement had a little abated, the old men disposed themselvesseriously to consider that which it became the honor and safety of theirtribe to perform, under circumstances of so much delicacy andembarrassment. During all these movements, and in the midst of thegeneral commotion, Magua had not only maintained his seat, but the veryattitude he had originally taken, against the side of the lodge, wherehe continued as immovable, and, apparently, as unconcerned, as if he hadno interest in the result. Not a single indication of the futureintentions of his hosts, however, escaped his vigilant eyes. With hisconsummate knowledge of the nature of the people with whom he had todeal, he anticipated every measure on which they decided; and it mightalmost be said, that, in many instances, he knew their intentions, evenbefore they became known to themselves.

  The council of the Delawares was short. When it was ended, a generalbustle announced that it was to be immediately succeeded by a solemn andformal assemblage of the nation. As such meetings were rare, and onlycalled on occasions of the last importance, the subtle Huron, who stillsat apart, a wily and dark observer of the proceedings, now knew thatall his projects must be brought to their final issue. He therefore leftthe lodge, and walked silently forth to the place in front of theencampment whither the warriors were already beginning to collect.

  It might have been half an hour before each individual, including eventhe women and children, was in his place. The delay had been created bythe grave preparations that were deemed necessary to so solemn andunusual a conference. But when the sun was seen climbing above the topsof that mountain against whose bosom the Delawares had constructed theirencampment, most were seated; and as his bright rays darted from behindthe outline of trees that fringed the eminence, they fell upon as grave,as attentive, and as deeply interested a multitude, as was probablyever before lighted by his morning beams. Its number somewhat exceeded athousand souls.

  In a collection of such serious savages, there is never to be found anyimpatient aspirant after premature distinction, standing ready to movehis auditors to some hasty, and, perhaps, injudicious discussion, inorder that his own reputation may be the gainer. An act of so muchprecipitancy and presumption would seal the downfall of precociousintellect forever. It rested solely with the oldest and most experiencedof the men to lay the subject of the conference before the people. Untilsuch a one chose to make some movement, no deeds in arms, no naturalgifts, nor any renown as an orator, would have justified the slightestinterruption. On the present occasion, the aged warrior whose privilegeit was to speak, was silent, seemingly oppressed with the magnitude ofhis subject. The delay had already continued long beyond the usualdeliberative pause that always precedes a conference; but no sign ofimpatience or surprise escaped even the youngest boy. Occasionally, aneye was raised from the earth, where the looks of most were riveted, andstrayed towards a particular lodge, that was, however, in no mannerdistinguished from those arou
nd it, except in the peculiar care that hadbeen taken to protect it against the assaults of the weather.

  At length, one of those low murmurs that are so apt to disturb amultitude, was heard, and the whole nation arose to their feet by acommon impulse. At that the door of the lodge in question opened, andthree men, issuing from it, slowly approached the place of consultation.They were all aged, even beyond that period to which the oldest presenthad reached; but one in the centre, who leaned on his companions forsupport, had numbered an amount of years to which the human race isseldom permitted to attain. His frame, which had once been tall anderect, like the cedar, was now bending under the pressure of more than acentury. The elastic, light step of an Indian was gone, and in its placehe was compelled to toil his tardy way over the ground, inch by inch.His dark, wrinkled countenance was in singular and wild contrast withthe long white locks which floated on his shoulders in such thickness asto announce that generations had probably passed away since they hadlast been shorn.

  The dress of this patriarch--for such, considering his vast age, inconjunction with his affinity and influence with his people, he mightvery properly be termed--was rich and imposing, though strictly afterthe simple fashions of the tribe. His robe was of the finest skins,which had been deprived of their fur, in order to admit of ahieroglyphical representation of various deeds in arms, done in formerages. His bosom was loaded with medals, some in massive silver, and oneor two even in gold, the gifts of various Christian potentates duringthe long period of his life. He also wore armlets, and cinctures abovethe ankles, of the latter precious metal. His head, on the whole ofwhich the hair had been permitted to grow, the pursuits of war having solong been abandoned, was encircled by a sort of plated diadem, which, inits turn, bore lesser and more glittering ornaments, that sparkled amidthe glossy hues of three drooping ostrich feathers, dyed a deep black,in touching contrast to the color of his snow-white locks. His tomahawkwas nearly hid in silver, and the handle of his knife shone like a hornof solid gold.

  So soon as the first hum of emotion and pleasure, which the suddenappearance of this venerated individual created, had a little subsided,the name of "Tamenund" was whispered from mouth to mouth. Magua hadoften heard the fame of this wise and just Delaware; a reputation thateven proceeded so far as to bestow on him the rare gift of holdingsecret communion with the Great Spirit, and which has since transmittedhis name, with some slight alteration, to the white usurpers of hisancient territory, as the imaginary tutelar saint of a vast empire. TheHuron chief, therefore, stepped eagerly out a little from the throng, toa spot whence he might catch a nearer glimpse of the features of theman, whose decision was likely to produce so deep an influence on hisown fortunes.

  The eyes of the old man were closed, as though the organs were weariedwith having so long witnessed the selfish workings of the humanpassions. The color of his skin differed from that of most around him,being richer and darker, the latter hue having been produced by certaindelicate and mazy lines of complicated and yet beautiful figures, whichhad been traced over most of his person by the operation of tattooing.Notwithstanding the position of the Huron, he passed the observant andsilent Magua without notice, and leaning on his two venerable supportersproceeded to the high place of the multitude, where he seated himself inthe centre of his nation, with the dignity of a monarch and the air of afather.

  Nothing could surpass the reverence and affection with which thisunexpected visit from one who belonged rather to another world than tothis, was received by his people. After a suitable and decent pause, theprincipal chiefs arose; and approaching the patriarch, they placed hishands reverently on their heads, seeming to entreat a blessing. Theyounger men were content with touching his robe, or even drawing nighhis person, in order to breathe in the atmosphere of one so aged, sojust, and so valiant. None but the most distinguished among the youthfulwarriors even presumed so far as to perform the latter ceremony; thegreat mass of the multitude deeming it a sufficient happiness to lookupon a form so deeply venerated, and so well beloved. When these acts ofaffection and respect were performed, the chiefs drew back again totheir several places, and silence reigned in the whole encampment.

  After a short delay, a few of the young men, to whom instructions hadbeen whispered by one of the aged attendants of Tamenund, arose, leftthe crowd, and entered the lodge which has already been noted as theobject of so much attention throughout that morning. In a few minutesthey reappeared, escorting the individuals who had caused all thesesolemn preparations towards the seat of judgment. The crowd opened in alane; and when the party had re-entered, it closed in again, forming alarge and dense belt of human bodies, arranged in an open circle.