"Those strains that once did sweet in Zion glide; He wales a portion with judicious

care; And 'Let us worship God', he says, with solemn air."

--Burns

Heyward and his female companions witnessed this mysterious movement with secret

uneasiness; for, though the conduct of the white man had hitherto been above reproach,

his rude equipments, blunt address, and

strong antipathies, together with the character of his silent associates, were

all causes for exciting distrust in minds that had been so recently alarmed by Indian

treachery.

The stranger alone disregarded the passing incidents.

He seated himself on a projection of the rocks, whence he gave no other signs of

consciousness than by the struggles of his spirit, as manifested in frequent and heavy

sighs.

Smothered voices were next heard, as though men called to each other in the bowels of

the earth, when a sudden light flashed upon those without, and laid bare the much-

prized secret of the place.

At the further extremity of a narrow, deep cavern in the rock, whose length appeared

much extended by the perspective and the nature of the light by which it was seen,

was seated the scout, holding a blazing knot of pine.

The strong glare of the fire fell full upon his sturdy, weather-beaten countenance and

forest attire, lending an air of romantic wildness to the aspect of an individual,

who, seen by the sober light of day, would

have exhibited the peculiarities of a man remarkable for the strangeness of his

dress, the iron-like inflexibility of his frame, and the singular compound of quick,

vigilant sagacity, and of exquisite

simplicity, that by turns usurped the possession of his muscular features.

At a little distance in advance stood Uncas, his whole person thrown powerfully

into view.

The travelers anxiously regarded the upright, flexible figure of the young

Mohican, graceful and unrestrained in the attitudes and movements of nature.

Though his person was more than usually screened by a green and fringed hunting-

shirt, like that of the white man, there was no concealment to his dark, glancing,

fearless eye, alike terrible and calm; the

bold outline of his high, haughty features, pure in their native red; or to the

dignified elevation of his receding forehead, together with all the finest

proportions of a noble head, bared to the generous scalping tuft.

It was the first opportunity possessed by Duncan and his companions to view the

marked lineaments of either of their Indian attendants, and each individual of the

party felt relieved from a burden of doubt,

as the proud and determined, though wild expression of the features of the young

warrior forced itself on their notice.

They felt it might be a being partially benighted in the vale of ignorance, but it

could not be one who would willingly devote his rich natural gifts to the purposes of

wanton treachery.

The ingenuous Alice gazed at his free air and proud carriage, as she would have

looked upon some precious relic of the Grecian chisel, to which life had been

imparted by the intervention of a miracle;

while Heyward, though accustomed to see the perfection of form which abounds among the

uncorrupted natives, openly expressed his admiration at such an unblemished specimen

of the noblest proportions of man.

"I could sleep in peace," whispered Alice, in reply, "with such a fearless and

generous-looking youth for my sentinel.

Surely, Duncan, those cruel murders, those terrific scenes of torture, of which we

read and hear so much, are never acted in the presence of such as he!"

"This certainly is a rare and brilliant instance of those natural qualities in

which these peculiar people are said to excel," he answered.

"I agree with you, Alice, in thinking that such a front and eye were formed rather to

intimidate than to deceive; but let us not practice a deception upon ourselves, by

expecting any other exhibition of what we

esteem virtue than according to the fashion of the savage.

As bright examples of great qualities are but too uncommon among Christians, so are

they singular and solitary with the Indians; though, for the honor of our

common nature, neither are incapable of producing them.

Let us then hope that this Mohican may not disappoint our wishes, but prove what his

looks assert him to be, a brave and constant friend."

"Now Major Heyward speaks as Major Heyward should," said Cora; "who that looks at this

creature of nature, remembers the shade of his skin?"

A short and apparently an embarrassed silence succeeded this remark, which was

interrupted by the scout calling to them, aloud, to enter.

"This fire begins to show too bright a flame," he continued, as they complied,

"and might light the Mingoes to our undoing.

Uncas, drop the blanket, and show the knaves its dark side.

This is not such a supper as a major of the Royal Americans has a right to expect, but

I've known stout detachments of the corps glad to eat their venison raw, and without

a relish, too.

(FOOTNOTE: In vulgar parlance the condiments of a repast are called by the

American "a relish," substituting the thing for its effect.

These provincial terms are frequently put in the mouths of the speakers, according to

their several conditions in life.

Most of them are of local use, and others quite peculiar to the particular class of

men to which the character belongs.

In the present instance, the scout uses the word with immediate reference to the

"salt," with which his own party was so fortunate as to be provided.)

Here, you see, we have plenty of salt, and can make a quick broil.

There's fresh sassafras boughs for the ladies to sit on, which may not be as proud

as their my-hog-guinea chairs, but which sends up a sweeter flavor, than the skin of

any hog can do, be it of Guinea, or be it of any other land.

Come, friend, don't be mournful for the colt; 'twas an innocent thing, and had not

seen much hardship.

Its death will save the creature many a sore back and weary foot!"

Uncas did as the other had directed, and when the voice of Hawkeye ceased, the roar

of the cataract sounded like the rumbling of distant thunder.

"Are we quite safe in this cavern?" demanded Heyward.

"Is there no danger of surprise? A single armed man, at its entrance, would

hold us at his mercy."

A spectral-looking figure stalked from out of the darkness behind the scout, and

seizing a blazing brand, held it toward the further extremity of their place of

retreat.

Alice uttered a faint shriek, and even Cora rose to her feet, as this appalling object

moved into the light; but a single word from Heyward calmed them, with the

assurance it was only their attendant,

Chingachgook, who, lifting another blanket, discovered that the cavern had two outlets.

Then, holding the brand, he crossed a deep, narrow chasm in the rocks which ran at

right angles with the passage they were in, but which, unlike that, was open to the

heavens, and entered another cave,

answering to the description of the first, in every essential particular.

"Such old foxes as Chingachgook and myself are not often caught in a barrow with one

hole," said Hawkeye, laughing; "you can easily see the cunning of the place--the

rock is black limestone, which everybody

knows is soft; it makes no uncomfortable pillow, where brush and pine wood is

scarce; well, the fall was once a few yards below us, and I dare to say was, in its

time, as regular and as handsome a sheet of water as any along the Hudson.

But old age is a great injury to good looks, as these sweet young ladies have yet

to l'arn!

The place is sadly changed!

These rocks are full of cracks, and in some places they are softer than at othersome,

and the water has worked out deep hollows for itself, until it has fallen back, ay,

some hundred feet, breaking here and

wearing there, until the falls have neither shape nor consistency."

"In what part of them are we?" asked Heyward.

"Why, we are nigh the spot that Providence first placed them at, but where, it seems,

they were too rebellious to stay.

The rock proved softer on each side of us, and so they left the center of the river

bare and dry, first working out these two little holes for us to hide in."

"We are then on an island!"

"Ay! there are the falls on two sides of us, and the river above and below.

If you had daylight, it would be worth the trouble to step up on the height of this

rock, and look at the perversity of the water.

It falls by no rule at all; sometimes it leaps, sometimes it tumbles; there it

skips; here it shoots; in one place 'tis white as snow, and in another 'tis green as

grass; hereabouts, it pitches into deep

hollows, that rumble and crush the 'arth; and thereaways, it ripples and sings like a

brook, fashioning whirlpools and gullies in the old stone, as if 'twas no harder than

trodden clay.

The whole design of the river seems disconcerted.

First it runs smoothly, as if meaning to go down the descent as things were ordered;

then it angles about and faces the shores; nor are there places wanting where it looks

backward, as if unwilling to leave the wilderness, to mingle with the salt.

Ay, lady, the fine cobweb-looking cloth you wear at your throat is coarse, and like a

fishnet, to little spots I can show you, where the river fabricates all sorts of

images, as if having broke loose from order, it would try its hand at everything.

And yet what does it amount to!

After the water has been suffered so to have its will, for a time, like a

headstrong man, it is gathered together by the hand that made it, and a few rods below

you may see it all, flowing on steadily

toward the sea, as was foreordained from the first foundation of the 'arth!"

While his auditors received a cheering assurance of the security of their place of

concealment from this untutored description of Glenn's, (FOOTNOTE: Glenn's Falls are

on the Hudson, some forty or fifty miles

above the head of tide, or that place where the river becomes navigable for sloops.

The description of this picturesque and remarkable little cataract, as given by the

scout, is sufficiently correct, though the application of the water to uses of

civilized life has materially injured its beauties.

The rocky island and the two caverns are known to every traveler, since the former

sustains the pier of a bridge, which is now thrown across the river, immediately above

the fall.

In explanation of the taste of Hawkeye, it should be remembered that men always prize

that most which is least enjoyed.

Thus, in a new country, the woods and other objects, which in an old country would be

maintained at great cost, are got rid of, simply with a view of "improving" as it is

called.)

-they were much inclined to judge differently from Hawkeye, of its wild

beauties.

But they were not in a situation to suffer their thoughts to dwell on the charms of

natural objects; and, as the scout had not found it necessary to cease his culinary

labors while he spoke, unless to point out,

with a broken fork, the direction of some particularly obnoxious point in the

rebellious stream, they now suffered their attention to be drawn to the necessary

though more vulgar consideration of their supper.

The repast, which was greatly aided by the addition of a few delicacies that Heyward

had the precaution to bring with him when they left their horses, was exceedingly

refreshing to the weary party.

Uncas acted as attendant to the females, performing all the little offices within

his power, with a mixture of dignity and anxious grace, that served to amuse

Heyward, who well knew that it was an utter

innovation on the Indian customs, which forbid their warriors to descend to any

menial employment, especially in favor of their women.

As the rights of hospitality were, however, considered sacred among them, this little

departure from the dignity of manhood excited no audible comment.

Had there been one there sufficiently disengaged to become a close observer, he

might have fancied that the services of the young chief were not entirely impartial.

That while he tendered to Alice the gourd of sweet water, and the venison in a

trencher, neatly carved from the knot of the pepperidge, with sufficient courtesy,

in performing the same offices to her

sister, his dark eye lingered on her rich, speaking countenance.

Once or twice he was compelled to speak, to command her attention of those he served.

In such cases he made use of English, broken and imperfect, but sufficiently

intelligible, and which he rendered so mild and musical, by his deep, guttural voice,

that it never failed to cause both ladies to look up in admiration and astonishment.

In the course of these civilities, a few sentences were exchanged, that served to

establish the appearance of an amicable intercourse between the parties.

In the meanwhile, the gravity of Chingcachgook remained immovable.

He had seated himself more within the circle of light, where the frequent, uneasy

glances of his guests were better enabled to separate the natural expression of his

face from the artificial terrors of the war paint.

They found a strong resemblance between father and son, with the difference that

might be expected from age and hardships.