Останній з Могікан
Chapter 10
HethensignedtoHeywardtoassistthesistersintothesaddles,forheseldomdeignedtousetheEnglishtongue,unlessurgedbysomemotiveofmorethanusualmoment.
Therewasnolongeranyplausiblepretextfordelay;andDuncanwasobliged,howeverreluctantly,tocomply.Asheperformedthisoffice,hewhisperedhisrevivinghopesintheearsofthetremblingfemales,who,throughdreadofencounteringthesavagecountenancesoftheircaptors,seldomraisedtheireyesfromtheground.ThemareofDavidhadbeentakenwiththefollowersofthelargechief;inconsequence,itsowner,aswellasDuncan,wascompelledtojourneyonfoot.Thelatterdidnot,however,somuchregretthiscircumstance,asitmightenablehimtoretardthespeedoftheparty;forhestillturnedhislonginglooksinthedirectionofFortEdward,inthevainexpectationofcatchingsomesoundfromthatquarteroftheforest,whichmightdenotetheapproachofsuccor.
Whenallwereprepared,Maguamadethesignaltoproceed,advancinginfronttoleadthepartyinperson.NextfollowedDavid,whowasgraduallycomingtoatruesenseofhiscondition,astheeffectsofthewoundbecamelessandlessapparent.Thesistersrodeinhisrear,withHeywardattheirside,whiletheIndiansflankedtheparty,andbroughtupthecloseofthemarch,withacautionthatseemednevertotire.
