The Last of the Mohicans / Ostatni Mohikanin

JamesFenimore CooperThe Last of the Mohicans Ostatni MohikaninCzytamy w oryginale

The Last of the Mohicans / Ostatni Mohikanin

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The Last of the MohicansI. SILENT DANGERS

[ 1 ] It is a strange characteristic of the
French English war of North America that the dangers of the natural
world had to be defeated before any fighting could be done between the
two countries. The land was covered in mountains, lakes and forests,
which, although the French and British fought over for three years,
neither would eventually possess. We start our story in a large forest,
where Fort Edward stands. At the time an enormous French army, commanded
by General Montcalm, was in the region and the British were worried
about an attack.

[ 2 ] A group of people are travelling from
Fort Edward to Fort William. Two of them are daughters of the British
general, a man called Munro. Instead of going on the normal road between
the forts, a journey of two days, they had decided to journey through
the forest. The party also included an English officer, a religious man
and a native Indian.

[ 3 ] Duncan, the officer, had fair golden
hair and bright blue eyes. The younger of the sisters, Alice, was also
blonde and fair, and she was very beautiful. The other, Cora, was also
beautiful, but had black hair, darker skin and was perhaps five years
older. The fourth white man, David, was a strange looking man. His head
was large, his shoulders narrow, his arms and legs long and thin. He
was a pilgrim who had come to America to tell the natives about the word
of God. As for the Indian who was guiding the group, he was silent and
angry-looking.

[ 4 ] While the Indian was walking ahead,
Alice asked Duncan about their guide.

[ 5 ] “I don’t like him. Can we trust
him?”

[ 6 ] “I would not let any man guide us who
I do not know. I met him by accident. He once had some trouble with your
father, but he has been punished for that.”

[ 7 ] “If he has been my father’s enemy,
I like him even less,” said Alice.

[ 8 ] “Should we distrust a man because
his skin is darker than ours?” asked Cora coldly, and the conversation
stopped.

[ 9 ] After a time, David began singing
a religious song and Alice joined in. The group relaxed as they continued
through the narrow forest path. However, after one song the Indian came
to the group and spoke quickly to Duncan.

[ 10 ] “Though we are not in danger, our
guide suggests that we should avoid attention while on these paths,”
Duncan told them.

[ 11 ] Their journey continued in silence,
and none noticed when an Indian face looked out from behind a tree,
viewing his potential victims.

[ 12 ] Later in the day, and only a few miles
to the west, we can find two men standing together by a small river. One
of the men was a redskin while the other, although dark, was a white man
– a strange couple. One carried the tomahawk of a native; the other
had a long hunting rifle. The native was almost naked, whereas the white
man wore a green hunting shirt. They called each other by their Indian
names, Chingachgook and Hawkeye, and spoke in the Indian language. The
Indian was telling Hawkeye about the history of his people.

[ 13 ] “The first whitefaces were Dutch. In
those times we, the Delawares, were a happy people. The lakes gave us
fish; the wood, animals; and the air, its birds. We took wives, who
gave us children. Then the Dutch came and gave my people firewater,
and we drank until the heaven and earth seemed to meet. Then they gave
away their land. My whole family departed to the next world, and when
Uncas follows me to that land, there will be no more of us, for my son
is the last of the Mohicans.”

[ 14 ] In the next instant a youthful warrior
passed between them.

[ 15 ] “Uncas is here!” he said.

[ 16 ] “Do the Huron walk in these woods?”
Chingachgook asked seriously.

[ 17 ] “I have been following them. They
number as many as the fingers on my two hands.”

[ 18 ] Suddenly the older Indian bent down
and put his ear to the ground.

[ 19 ] “I hear the sound of feet!” said
Hawkeye.

[ 20 ] “No. The horses of white men,”
said Chingachgook. “Hawkeye, they are your brothers; speak to them.”

[ 21 ] In a few moments a man on a horse rode
into the area.

Hawkeye and the rider quickly spoke to
each other.

[ 22 ] “Who comes?” asked Hawkeye.

[ 23 ] “An officer of the king. Do you know
the distance to Fort William?”

[ 24 ] “You must be lost. It is many miles.
I suggest you go to Fort Edward.”

[ 25 ] “But that is where we started
our journey this morning. We trusted our Indian guide to lead us the
way.”

[ 26 ] “An Indian lost in the woods! It is
very strange. Is this man a Delaware?”

[ 27 ] “No, I think he is a Huron. But he
has worked for me before and I trust him.”

[ 28 ] “A Huron! They
are thieves. I would only trust a Mohican or a Delaware. We should try
to take this Indian prisoner. Then I will take us to a safe place to
sleep.”

[ 29 ] The other three riders then appeared with
their Indian guide, Magua. The two Indian friends of Hawkeye disappeared
without being seen.

[ 30 ] “I see the ladies are tired. Let’s
rest a moment,” said Duncan.

[ 31 ] “The whitefaces are slaves to their
women,” said Magua in his own language.

[ 32 ] “What does Magua say?” asked
Duncan.

[ 33 ] “He says it is good,” said
Magua.

[ 34 ] “It will soon be night, Magua, and
we are no closer Fort William than when we started. Luckily we have met
a hunter who can lead us to a safe place to stay the night.”

[ 35 ] “Then I will go, and the whitefaces
can be together.”

[ 36 ] “No, Magua, are we not friends? Stop
and eat with us.”

[ 37 ] Magua went to sit down, but stopped
when he heard quiet sounds from the forest near him.

[ 38 ] “Magua doesn’t eat,” he told
Duncan.

[ 39 ] Duncan decided to get off his
horse and offer Magua some of his food. He hoped to capture him as
Hawkeye had advised. As he got close to the Indian, he tried to hold
his arm. Magua, feeling the danger, ran into the forest. In the next
instant Chingachgook and Uncas jumped out of their hiding places and
chased after the Indian. Hawkeye fired his rifle, but missed, which was
unusual for him.

II. HUNTED

[ 40 ] Duncan followed the three men in the
hunt for Magua, but he didn’t get more than a hundred metres when he
saw the three men returning.

[ 41 ] “Why have you given up?” Duncan
asked.

[ 42 ] “It would be stupid. All he would
have done is take us to the tomahawks of his comrades, then all of us
would have been killed.”

[ 43 ] “What is to be done? Don’t leave
us here for God’s sake!” Duncan cried.

[ 44 ] “I will take you to safety, but first
you must promise two things.”

[ 45 ] “Name them.”

[ 46 ] “Firstly, you must be as quiet as
mice in these sleeping woods. Secondly, you must never tell anyone of
the place where you will be taken.”

[ 47 ] “I will do everything I can to keep
this promise,” said Duncan, thankful that he had a new guide.

[ 48 ] “Then let