Останній з Могікан
Chapter 20
"Whatnow,lad?"demandedHawkeye;"yousavedaHuronfromthedeath-shriekbythatword;haveyoureasonforwhatyoudo?"
Uncaspointedtowardstherockyshorealittleintheirfront,whenceanotherwarcanoewasdartingdirectlyacrosstheircourse.Itwastooobviousnowthattheirsituationwasimminentlyperiloustoneedtheaidoflanguagetoconfirmit.Thescoutlaidasidehisrifle,andresumedthepaddle,whileChingachgookinclinedthebowsofthecanoealittletowardsthewesternshore,inordertoincreasethedistancebetweenthemandthisnewenemy.Inthemeantimetheywereremindedofthepresenceofthosewhopressedupontheirrear,bywildandexultingshouts.ThestirringsceneawakenedevenMunrofromhisapathy.
"Letusmakefortherocksonthemain,"hesaid,withthemienofatiredsoldier,"andgivebattletothesavages.GodforbidthatI,orthoseattachedtomeandmine,shouldevertrustagaintothefaithofanyservantoftheLouis’s!"
"HewhowishestoprosperinIndianwarfare,"returnedthescout,"mustnotbetooproudtolearnfromthewitofanative.Layhermorealongtheland,Sagamore;wearedoublingonthevarlets,andperhapstheymaytrytostrikeourtrailonthelongcalculation."
Hawkeyewasnotmistaken;forwhentheHuronsfoundtheircoursewaslikelytothrowthembehindtheirchase,theyrendereditlessdirect,until,bygraduallybearingmoreandmoreobliquely,thetwocanoeswereerelong,glidingonparallellines,withintwohundredyardsofeachother.
