Останній з Могікан
Chapter 7
Mychargeriseitherapreytothebeastsoftheforest,orheseeshisdanger,withoutthepowertoavoidit.Thesoundmightdeceivemeinthecavern,butintheopenairIknowittoowelltobewrong."
Thescoutandhiscompanionslistenedtothissimpleexplanationwiththeinterestofmenwhoimbibenewideas,atthesametimethattheygetridofoldones,whichhadproveddisagreeableinmates.Thetwolatterutteredtheirusualandexpressiveexclamation,"Hugh!"asthetruthfirstglancedupontheirminds,whiletheformer,afterashortmusingpause,tookuponhimselftoreply.
"Icannotdenyyourwords,"hesaid;"forIamlittleskilledinhorses,thoughbornwheretheyabound.Thewolvesmustbehoveringabovetheirheadsonthebank,andthetimorsomecreaturesarecallingonmanforhelp,inthebestmannertheyareable.Uncas,"—hespokeinDelaware—"Uncas,dropdowninthecanoe,andwhirlabrandamongthepack;orfearmaydowhatthewolvescan’tgetattoperform,andleaveuswithouthorsesinthemorning,whenweshallhavesomuchneedtojourneyswiftly!"
Theyoungnativehadalreadydescendedtothewater,tocomply,whenalonghowlwasraisedontheedgeoftheriver,andwasborneswiftlyoffintothedepthsoftheforest,asthoughthebeasts,oftheirownaccord,wereabandoningtheirpreyinsuddenterror.Uncas,withinstinctivequickness,receded,andthethreeforestersheldanotheroftheirlow,earnestconferences.
