Останній з Могікан
Chapter 28
Assuchmeetingswererare,andonlycalledonoccasionsofthelastimportance,thesubtleHuron,whostillsatapart,awilyanddarkobserveroftheproceedings,nowknewthatallhisprojectsmustbebroughttotheirfinalissue.Hethereforeleftthelodge,andwalkedsilentlyforthtotheplaceinfrontoftheencampmentwhitherthewarriorswerealreadybeginningtocollect.
Itmighthavebeenhalfanhourbeforeeachindividual,includingeventhewomenandchildren,wasinhisplace.Thedelayhadbeencreatedbythegravepreparationsthatweredeemednecessarytososolemnandunusualaconference.ButwhenthesunwasseenclimbingabovethetopsofthatmountainagainstwhosebosomtheDelawareshadconstructedtheirencampment,mostwereseated;andashisbrightraysdartedfrombehindtheoutlineoftreesthatfringedtheeminence,theyfelluponasgrave,asattentive,andasdeeplyinterestedamultitude,aswasprobablyeverbeforelightedbyhismorningbeams.Itsnumbersomewhatexceededathousandsouls.
Inacollectionofsuchserioussavages,thereisnevertobefoundanyimpatientaspirantafterprematuredistinction,standingreadytomovehisauditorstosomehasty,and,perhaps,injudiciousdiscussion,inorderthathisownreputationmaybethegainer.Anactofsomuchprecipitancyandpresumptionwouldsealthedownfallofprecociousintellectforever.Itrestedsolelywiththeoldestandmostexperiencedofthementolaythesubjectoftheconferencebeforethepeople.
