Последний из Могикан
Chapter 24
Severalpipes,thathadbeenextinguished,werelightedagain;whilethenewcomer,withoutspeakingaword,drewhistomahawkfromhisgirdle,andfillingthebowlonitshead,begantoinhalethevaporsoftheweedthroughthehollowhandle,withasmuchindifferenceasifhehadnotbeenabsenttwowearydaysonalongandtoilsomehunt.Tenminutes,whichappearedsomanyagestoDuncan,mighthavepassedinthismanner;andthewarriorswerefairlyenvelopedinacloudofwhitesmokebeforeanyofthemspoke.
"Welcome!"oneatlengthuttered;"hasmyfriendfoundthemoose?"
"Theyoungmenstaggerundertheirburdens,"returnedMagua."Let‘Reed-that-bends’goonthehunting-path;hewillmeetthem."
Adeepandawfulsilencesucceededtheutteranceoftheforbiddenname.Eachpipedroppedfromthelipsofitsownerasthoughallhadinhaledanimpurityatthesameinstant.Thesmokewreathedabovetheirheadsinlittleeddies,andcurlinginaspiralform,itascendedswiftlythroughtheopeningintheroofofthelodge,leavingtheplacebeneathclearofitsfumes,andeachdarkvisagedistinctlyvisible.Thelooksofmostofthewarriorswererivetedontheearth;thoughafewoftheyoungerandlessgiftedofthepartysufferedtheirwildandglaringeyeballstorollinthedirectionofawhite-headedsavage,whosatbetweentwoofthemostveneratedchiefsofthetribe.TherewasnothingintheairorattireofthisIndianthatwouldseemtoentitlehimtosuchadistinction.
