Останній з Могікан

           Thesechildrenofthewoodsstoodtogetherforseveralmomentspointingatthecrumblingedifice,andconversingintheunintelligiblelanguageoftheirtribe.Theythenapproached,thoughwithslowandcautioussteps,pausingeveryinstanttolookatthebuilding,likestartleddeer,whosecuriositystruggledpowerfullywiththeirawakenedapprehensionsforthemastery.Thefootofoneofthemsuddenlyrestedonthemound,andhestoopedtoexamineitsnature.Atthismoment,Heywardobservedthatthescoutloosenedhisknifeinhissheath,andloweredthemuzzleofhisrifle.Imitatingthesemovements,theyoungmanpreparedhimselfforthestruggle,whichnowseemedinevitable.

           Thesavagesweresonear,thattheleastmotioninoneofthehorses,orevenabreathlouderthancommon,wouldhavebetrayedthefugitives.But,indiscoveringthecharacterofthemound,theattentionoftheHuronsappeareddirectedtoadifferentobject.Theyspoketogether,andthesoundsoftheirvoiceswerelowandsolemn,asifinfluencedbyareverencethatwasdeeplyblendedwithawe.Thentheydrewwarilyback,keepingtheireyesrivetedontheruin,asiftheyexpectedtoseetheapparitionsofthedeadissuefromitssilentwalls,untilhavingreachedtheboundaryofthearea,theymovedslowlyintothethicket,anddisappeared.

           Hawkeyedroppedthebreechofhisrifletotheearth,anddrawingalong,freebreath,exclaimed,inanaudiblewhisper—

           "Ay!theyrespectthedead,andithasthistimesavedtheirownlives,and,itmaybe,thelivesofbettermentoo"