نبرد در آبشار گلن

CHAPTER THREE

The Fight at Glenn’s Falls

Hawk-eye woke Duncan early the next morning.

‘We must go,’ he said. ‘I will get the canoe. Wake Miss Cora and Miss Alice. But do not make any noise.’

Duncan went to the back of the cave. ‘Cora.Alice,’ he said quietly. ‘Wake up.’

Suddenly there were shouts and cries outside. Duncan ran to the front of the cave. The sound of guns came from the forest. There were many Indians on the other side of the river.

‘Hurons’ thought Duncan.

Then Duncan saw Hawk-eye. The scout was shooting from the flat rock. Duncan saw a Huron fall into the rushing water. Then the other Hurons ran back into the forest.

Hawk-eye came back into the cave. ‘They have gone,’ he said.

‘Will they come back’ asked Duncan.

‘Yes, they will come back,’ replied Hawk-eye. ‘Miss Cora and Miss Alice must stay here in the cave. We will go to the rocks and wait for the Hurons.’

Duncan, Hawk-eye, Uncas and Chingachgook sat with their guns. They sat behind some rocks near the waterfall. They waited. Minutes passed. Then an hour passed.

Suddenly they heard the wild cries of the Hurons again. Four Indians ran across the flat rock towards the cave. Chingachgook and Uncas fired their guns. The first two Hurons fell to the ground. The third Huron jumped on Hawk-eye. Each man had a knife. But Hawk-eye was stronger than the Huron. He killed the Huron with his knife.

The fourth Huron fought with Duncan. Uncas ran to help the officer. The young Mohican killed the Huron. Then Uncas and Duncan ran back to the rocks.

The Hurons on the other side of the river started to shoot again. And Chingachgook shot at them.

The shooting went on and on. Rocks and trees near the cave were broken in a hundred places. But Hawk- eye and his friends were not hurt. And Cora and Alice were safe in the cave.

Hawk-eye saw a Huron in a tree on the other side of the river. The scout lifted his long gun and fired. There was a cry and the Indian fell from the tree.

‘I have no more bullets,’ said Hawk-eye. ‘Uncas! Go to the canoe. There are some bullets in the canoe.’

Uncas ran quickly across the flat rock. But he was too late. A Huron was pushing the canoe across the river!

Duncan, Hawk-eye and the two Mohicans went back to the cave.

‘What can we do now’ asked Duncan.

Hawk-eye thought for a few minutes. ‘There will be guards on the paths,’ he said. ‘The Hurons will watch every path. We must swim. We must jump into the river. The rushing water will take us past the Hurons.’

The scout looked at Cora and Alice.

‘We cannot swim,’ said Cora. ‘Alice and I will stay here. Go to General Munro at Fort William Henry. General Munro must send soldiers.’

Chingachgook, Uncas and Hawk-eye talked quietly together. Then Chingachgook ran out of the cave and jumped into the river. A moment later, Hawk-eye put down his long gun and followed Chingachgook. The rushing water took them away.

Cora looked at Uncas. ‘Go with them,’ she said.

‘I will stay,’ said the young Mohican.

‘No’ said Cora. ‘Please, Uncas. Go with them!’ Uncas was unhappy. But he jumped into the water too.

Cora looked at Duncan.

‘I am going to stay,’ said Duncan. He looked at Alice. ‘I cannot leave you.’

There were shouts and cries from the Hurons on the flat rock. Duncan looked out of the cave.

The Hurons were looking behind the rocks near the waterfall.

‘They are looking for us,’ thought Duncan. He went quickly back into the cave.

‘Our friends will bring help soon,’ he said to Cora and Alice.

Cora was afraid. Her face was white. She cried out.

Duncan turned - and he saw the terrible face of Magua!

‘Where are the Mohicans’ asked Magua. ‘Where is the scout, Hawk-eye -The Long Gun?’

Suddenly, the cave was full of Hurons. One of them picked up Hawk-eye’s gun.

‘They have gone,’ said Duncan. ‘They will bring help soon.’

The Hurons were angry. They were going to kill their prisoners. But Magua spoke to them, quickly and quietly. Then the Hurons took Duncan, Cora and Alice to the flat rock. One of the Hurons brought the canoe.

‘Get into the canoe’ Magua said. Duncan and the sisters got into the canoe. Magua and the Hurons took them across the river.

The prisoners got out of the canoe on the other side of the river. Magua and five Hurons stayed with them. The other Hurons walked away into the forest.