Последний из Могикан
Chapter 25
"Willthewhitemanspeakthesewordsatthestake?"askedMagua;manifesting,atthesametime,howlittlefaithhehadintheother’sresolutionbythesneerthataccompaniedhiswords.
"Here;singlytoyourface,orinthepresenceofyournation."
"LeRenardSubtilisagreatchief!"returnedtheIndian;"hewillgoandbringhisyoungmentoseehowbravelyapale-facecanlaughatthetortures."
Heturnedawaywhilespeaking,andwasabouttoleavetheplacethroughtheavenuebywhichDuncanhadapproached,whenagrowlcaughthisear,andcausedhimtohesitate.Thefigureofthebearappearedinthedoor,whereitsat,rollingfromsidetosideinitscustomaryrestlessness.Magua,likethefatherofthesickwoman,eyeditkeenlyforamoment,asiftoascertainitscharacter.Hewasfarabovethemorevulgarsuperstitionsofhistribe,andsosoonasherecognizedthewell-knownattireoftheconjurer,hepreparedtopassitincoolcontempt.Butalouderandmorethreateninggrowlcausedhimagaintopause.Thenheseemedasifsuddenlyresolvedtotriflenolonger,andmovedresolutelyforward.Themimicanimal,whichhadadvancedalittle,retiredslowlyinhisfront,untilitarrivedagainatthepass,whenrearingonitshinderlegsitbeattheairwithitspaws,inthemannerpractisedbyitsbrutalprototype.
"Fool!"exclaimedthechief,inHuron,"goplaywiththechildrenandsquaws;leavementotheirwisdom.
