Останній з Могікан
Chapter 8
Inthemeanwhile,Hawkeye,wholookedonthisburstofyouthfulfeelingwithacoolbutkindregard,madethefollowingreply:—
"Lifeisanobligationwhichfriendsoftenoweeachotherinthewilderness.IdaresayImayhaveservedUncassomesuchturnmyselfbeforenow;andIverywellrememberthathehasstoodbetweenmeanddeathfivedifferenttimes:threetimesfromtheMingos,onceincrossingHorican,and—"
"Thatbulletwasbetteraimedthancommon!"exclaimedDuncan,involuntarilyshrinkingfromashotwhichstrucktherockathissidewithasmartrebound.
Hawkeyelaidhishandontheshapelessmetal,andshookhishead,asheexaminedit,saying,"Fallingleadisneverflattened!haditcomefromthecloudsthismighthavehappened!"
ButtherifleofUncaswasdeliberatelyraisedtowardstheheavens,directinghiscompanionstoapoint,wherethemysterywasimmediatelyexplained.Araggedoakgrewontherightbankoftheriver,nearlyoppositetotheirposition,which,seekingthefreedomoftheopenspace,hadinclinedsofarforward,thatitsupperbranchesoverhungthatarmofthestreamwhichflowednearesttoitsownshore.Amongthetopmostleaves,whichscantilyconcealedthegnarledandstuntedlimbs,asavagewasnestled,partlyconcealedbythetrunkofthetree,andpartlyexposed,asthoughlookingdownuponthemtoascertaintheeffectproducedbyhistreacherousaim.
