Последний из Могикан
Chapter 21
Theirroundedroofs,admirablymouldedfordefenceagainsttheweather,denotedmoreofindustryandforesightthanthenativeswerewonttobestowontheirregularhabitations,muchlessonthosetheyoccupiedforthetemporarypurposesofhuntingandwar.Inshort,thewholevillageortown,whicheveritmightbetermed,possessedmoreofmethodandneatnessofexecution,thanthewhitemenhadbeenaccustomedtobelievebelonged,ordinarily,totheIndianhabits.Itappeared,however,tobedeserted.Atleast,sothoughtDuncanformanyminutes;but,atlength,hefanciedhediscoveredseveralhumanformsadvancingtowardshimonallfours,andapparentlydraggingintheirtrainsomeheavy,andashewasquicktoapprehend,someformidableengine.Justthenafewdarklookingheadsgleamedoutofthedwellings,andtheplaceseemedsuddenlyalivewithbeings,which,however,glidedfromcovertocoversoswiftly,astoallownoopportunityofexaminingtheirhumorsorpursuits.Alarmedatthesesuspiciousandinexplicablemovements,hewasabouttoattemptthesignalofthecrows,whentherustlingofleavesathanddrewhiseyesinanotherdirection.
Theyoungmanstarted,andrecoiledafewpacesinstinctively,whenhefoundhimselfwithinahundredyardsofastrangerIndian.Recoveringhisrecollectionontheinstant,insteadofsoundinganalarm,whichmightprovefataltohimself,heremainedstationary,anattentiveobserveroftheother’smotions.
AninstantofcalmobservationservedtoassureDuncanthathewasundiscovered.
