Останній з Могікан
Chapter 23
Duncan,whounderstoodtheMohicantoalludetothefatalrifleofthescout,bentforwardinearnestobservationoftheeffectitmightproduceontheconquerors;butthechiefwascontentwithsimplyretorting—
"IftheLenapearesoskilful,whyisoneoftheirbravestwarriorshere?"
"Hefollowedinthestepsofaflyingcoward,andfellintoasnare.Thecunningbeavermaybecaught."
AsUncasthusreplied,hepointedwithhisfingertowardthesolitaryHuron,butwithoutdeigningtobestowanyothernoticeonsounworthyanobject.Thewordsoftheanswerandtheairofthespeakerproducedastrongsensationamonghisauditors.Everyeyerolledsullenlytowardstheindividualindicatedbythesimplegesture,andalow,threateningmurmurpassedthroughthecrowd.Theominoussoundsreachedtheouterdoor,andthewomenandchildrenpressingintothethrong,nogaphadbeenleft,betweenshoulderandshoulder,thatwasnotnowfilledwiththedarklineamentsofsomeeagerandcurioushumancountenance.
Inthemeantime,themoreagedchiefs,inthecentre,communedwitheachotherinshortandbrokensentences.Notawordwasutteredthatdidnotconveythemeaningofthespeaker,inthesimplestandmostenergeticform.Again,alonganddeeplysolemnpausetookplace.Itwasknown,byallpresent,tobethegraveprecursorofaweightyandimportantjudgment.
