Calico Illustrated Classics: The Last of the Mohicans
chapter 2 The Meeting A few miles west two men rested on the banks of a fast-moving stream The older man’s face and chest were marked with streaks of black and white paint His head was closely shaved Only a single tuft of hair and a single eagle’s feather hung over his left shoulder A short military rifle lay across his bare knees The other man wore a forest green shirt with faded yellow fringe and a summer cap of skins His buckskin leggings were laced at the sides and he wore moccasins A rifle of great length leaned against a tree beside him As the younger man spoke his watchful eyes wandered Both our people came to this place and fought to stay Chingachgook he said 10
Yours came from the setting sun and mine from the red sky of morning It is not the same Hawkeye Chingachgook said Do you approve the deeds of the white man I am white Hawkeye replied My people have many ways I can’t approve What do your people say happened when our fathers met Chingachgook sat silent for a full minute before beginning his brief tale Listen and your ear shall drink no lie The Mohicans came from the place where the sun sleeps and traveled to the big river We fought the Alligewi The Maquas followed and we drove them into the woods with the bears Hawkeye nodded All this I have heard and believe But it was long before the English came The whites gave my people drink that made them foolish Chingachgook continued They drove us from the land Now Uncas is the last of the Mohicans 11
Did someone speak to Uncas a soft voice spoke from nearby A young man stepped soundlessly from the shadows and seated himself on the stream bank What of the Maquas his father asked Uncas replied A small party creeps hidden Hawkeye frowned They may be spies of the busy Frenchman Montcalm The older man glanced toward the setting sun Tomorrow we will drive the Maquas like deer from their bushes Speaking of deer Hawkeye stood and raised his long rifle Chingachgook struck the rifle away with his hand Would you call the Maquas from the bushes now With a sigh Hawkeye glanced at Uncas The young man crept after the deer and brought it down with an arrow Suddenly he turned his head I hear horses The men froze their eyes searching in the direction of the sounds 12
Finally the gawky clergyman stepped from the woods Hawkeye raised his rifle and asked Who are you Friends to the king Gamut said We’ve traveled long and we are tired hungry and lost Do you know the way to Fort William Henry Hawkeye laughed You do not want to be in so dangerous a place As he spoke a second horse burst from the brush Heyward brought his charger in front of Gamut We left Fort Edward this morning but are turned about Lost from Edward to William Henry At this Hawkeye laughed harder With a military highway between the two Our Indian guide brought us on a more direct path the major said But we lost our way An Indian lost in the woods Hawkeye said with disbelief He must want to be lost Where is this guide 13
