Останній з Могікан

           Thegreattieoflanguage,and,ofcourse,ofacommonorigin,wasseveredinmanyplaces;anditwasoneofitsconsequences,thattheDelawareandtheMingo(asthepeopleoftheSixNationswerecalled)werefoundfightinginthesameranks,whilethelattersoughtthescalpoftheHuron,thoughbelievedtobetherootofhisownstock.TheDelawareswereevendividedamongthemselves.ThoughloveforthesoilwhichhadbelongedtohisancestorskepttheSagamoreoftheMohicanswithasmallbandoffollowerswhowereservingatEdward,underthebannersoftheEnglishking,byfarthelargestportionofhisnationwereknowntobeinthefieldasalliesofMontcalm.Thereaderprobablyknows,ifenoughhasnotalreadybeengleanedfromthisnarrative,thattheDelaware,orLenape,claimedtobetheprogenitorsofthatnumerouspeople,whoonceweremastersofmostoftheEasternandNorthernStatesofAmerica,ofwhomthecommunityoftheMohicanswasanancientandhighlyhonoredmember.

           Itwas,ofcourse,withaperfectunderstandingoftheminuteandintricateinterestwhichhadarmedfriendagainstfriend,andbroughtnaturalenemiestocombatbyeachother’sside,thatthescoutandhiscompanionsnowdisposedthemselvestodeliberateonthemeasuresthatweretogoverntheirfuturemovements,amidsomanyjarringandsavageracesofmen.DuncanknewenoughofIndiancustomstounderstandthereasonthatthefirewasreplenished,andwhythewarriors,notexceptingHawkeye,tooktheirseatswithinthecurlofitssmokewithsomuchgravityanddecorum.