Останній з Могікан
Chapter 32
Awarriorrathercrawledthanwalkedoneachflank,soastocatchoccasionalglimpsesintotheforest;andeveryfewminutesthebandcametoahalt,andlistenedforhostilesounds,withanacutenessoforgansthatwouldbescarcelyconceivabletoamaninalessnaturalstate.Theirmarchwas,however,unmolested,andtheyreachedthepointwherethelesserstreamwaslostinthegreater,withoutthesmallestevidencethattheirprogresshadbeennoted.Herethescoutagainhalted,toconsultthesignsoftheforest.
"Wearelikelytohaveagooddayforafight,"hesaid,inEnglish,addressingHeyward,andglancinghiseyeupwardsattheclouds,whichbegantomoveinbroadsheetsacrossthefirmament;"abrightsunandaglitteringbarrelarenofriendstotruesight.Everythingisfavorable;theyhavethewind,whichwillbringdowntheirnoisesandtheirsmoketoo,nolittlematterinitself;whereas,withusitwillbefirstashot,andthenaclearview.Buthereisanendofourcover;thebeavershavehadtherangeofthisstreamforhundredsofyears,andwhatatweentheirfoodandtheirdams,thereis,asyousee,manyagirdledstub,butfewlivingtrees."
Hawkeyehad,intruth,inthesefewwords,givennobaddescriptionoftheprospectthatnowlayintheirfront.Thebrookwasirregularinitswidth,sometimesshootingthroughnarrowfissuresintherocks,andatothersspreadingoveracresofbottomland,forminglittleareasthatmightbetermedponds.
