Chapter 4 - Page 2

prejudices, by confounding men with things, as to have
left its traces strong enough on the moral feeling of the community
to be discovered even at the present hour; "no Indian who had not
been parvarted by the cunning priests of the Canadas would dream
of carving a thing like that on his pipe. I'll warrant ye, the
knave prays to the image every time he wishes to sarcumvent the
innocent, and work his fearful wickedness. It looks fresh, too,
Chingachgook?"

"The tobacco was burning when I found it."

"That is close work, chief. Where was the trail?"

The Mohican pointed to a spot not a hundred yards from that where
they stood.

The matter now began to look very serious, and the two principal
guides conferred apart for several minutes, when both ascended the
bank, approached the indicated spot, and examined the trail with
the utmost care. After this investigation had lasted a quarter
of an hour, the white man returned alone, his red friend having
disappeared in the forest.

The ordinary expression of the countenance of the Pathfinder was
that of simplicity, integrity, and sincerity, blended in an air
of self-reliance which usually gave great confidence to those who
found themselves under his care; but now a look of concern cast a
shade over his honest face, that struck the whole party.

"What cheer, Master Pathfinder?" demanded Cap, permitting a voice
that was usually deep, loud, and confident to sink into the cautious
tones that better suited the dangers of the wilderness. "Has the
enemy got between us and our port?"

"Anan?"

"Have any of these painted scaramouches anchored off the harbor
towards which we are running, with the hope of cutting us off in
entering?"

"It may be all as you say, friend Cap, but I am none the wiser
for your words; and in ticklish times the plainer a man makes his
English the easier he is understood. I know nothing of ports and
anchors; but there is a direful Mingo trail within a hundred yards
of this very spot, and as fresh as venison without salt. If one of
the fiery devils has passed, so have a dozen; and, what is worse,
they have gone down towards the garrison, and not a soul crosses
the clearing around it that some of their piercing eyes will not
discover, when sartain bullets will follow."

"Cannot this said fort deliver a broadside, and clear everything
within the sweep of its hawse?"

"Nay, the forts this-a-way are not like forts in the settlements,
and two or three light cannon are all they have down at the mouth
of the river; and then, broadsides fired at a dozen outlying Mingoes,
lying behind logs and in a forest,