Последний из Могикан
Chapter 31
Someboretheirchoicestarticles,otherstheiryoung,andsometheiragedandinfirm,intotheforest,whichspreaditselflikeaverdantcarpetofbrightgreenagainstthesideofthemountain.ThitherTamenundalsoretired,withcalmcomposure,afterashortandtouchinginterviewwithUncas;fromwhomthesageseparatedwiththereluctancethataparentwouldquitalonglostandjustrecoveredchild.Inthemeantime,DuncansawAlicetoaplaceofsafety,andthensoughtthescout,withacountenancethatdenotedhoweagerlyhealsopantedfortheapproachingcontest.
ButHawkeyewastoomuchaccustomedtothewar-songandtheenlistmentsofthenatives,tobetrayanyinterestinthepassingscene.Hemerelycastanoccasionallookatthenumberandqualityofthewarriors,who,fromtimetotime,signifiedtheirreadinesstoaccompanyUncastothefield.Inthisparticularhewassoonsatisfied;for,ashasbeenalreadyseen,thepoweroftheyoungchiefquicklyembracedeveryfightingmaninthenation.Afterthismaterialpointwassosatisfactorilydecided,hedespatchedanIndianboyinquestof"Killdeer"andtherifleofUncas,totheplacewheretheyhaddepositedtheweaponsonapproachingthecampoftheDelawares;ameasureofdoublepolicy,inasmuchasitprotectedthearmsfromtheirownfate,ifdetainedasprisoners,andgavethemtheadvantageofappearingamongthestrangersratherassufferersthanasmenprovidedwiththemeansofdefenceandsubsistence.
