Останній з Могікан
Chapter 32
ItwouldseemthattheassaulthadbeenmadebyaverysmallpartyoftheHurons,which,however,continuedtoincreaseinnumbers,asitretiredonitsfriends,untilthereturnfirewasverynearly,ifnotquite,equaltothatmaintainedbytheadvancingDelawares.Heywardthrewhimselfamongthecombatants,andimitatingthenecessarycautionofhiscompanions,hemadequickdischargeswithhisownrifle.Thecontestnowgrewwarmandstationary.Fewwereinjured,asbothpartieskepttheirbodiesasmuchprotectedaspossiblebythetrees;never,indeed,exposinganypartoftheirpersonsexceptintheactoftakingaim.ButthechancesweregraduallygrowingunfavorabletoHawkeyeandhisband.Thequick-sightedscoutperceivedhisdanger,withoutknowinghowtoremedyit.Hesawitwasmoredangeroustoretreatthantomaintainhisground;whilehefoundhisenemythrowingoutmenonhisflank,whichrenderedthetaskofkeepingthemselvescoveredsoverydifficulttotheDelawares,asnearlytosilencetheirfire.Atthisembarrassingmoment,whentheybegantothinkthewholeofthehostiletribewasgraduallyencirclingthem,theyheardtheyellofcombatants,andtherattlingofarms,echoingunderthearchesofthewood,attheplacewhereUncaswasposted;abottomwhich,inamanner,laybeneaththegroundonwhichHawkeyeandhispartywerecontending.
Theeffectsofthisattackwereinstantaneous,andtothescoutandhisfriendsgreatlyrelieving.
