سنگر ویلیام هنری

CHAPTER FIVE

Fort William Henry

Hawk-eye ran from the forest. Chingachgook and Uncas followed him. There was a fight. Hawk-eye, Uncas and Duncan killed four Hurons. Chingachgook jumped on Magua. The Mohican stabbed Magna with his knife. Magua fell to the ground.

Hawk-eye and Duncan went and helped the two women. But Magua was not dead. He got up and ran away. Chingachgook and Uncas ran after him.

‘Stop’ shouted Hawk-eye. ‘You cannot catch him.’

‘Hawk-eye, how did you find us’ Duncan asked.

‘We waited at the side of the river,’ said Hawk-eye. ‘We saw the Hurons take you across the river. Then we followed you.’

‘You saved my life,’ said Duncan.

Hawk-eye smiled. ‘I found a Huron’s gun,’ he said. The Hurons were stupid. They left their guns under the trees.’

Hawk-eye went back to the trees. He picked up the other guns. He found his own long gun.

‘Now we have guns and bullets,’ he said. ‘We will stay here tonight. Tomorrow we will go to Fort William Henry.’

Very early the next morning, Hawk-eye woke his friends. He led them across the valley and along a path through the forest. They stopped near a small river.

‘We will walk in the water,’ said Hawk-eye. ‘Then Magua will not see our footprints on the ground.’

They walked in the river for an hour. Then they came to some mountains.

‘Walk quietly now’ said Hawk-eye. ‘There are French soldiers here.’

They walked to the top of a mountain and looked down. There was Lake Horican; And there was Fort William Henry! Smoke came from fires in the forest.

‘Look at the fires,’ said Hawk-eye. ‘There are many Hurons in the forest. They are fighting for the French.’

‘And look to the west,’ said Duncan. ‘Look at those tents. That is General Montcalm’s camp. There are thousands of French soldiers.’

Suddenly they heard the sound of guns.

‘The French are shooting at Fort William Henry,’ said Duncan. ‘But we must get into the fort.’

‘We are lucky,’ said Hawk-eye. Thick fog is coming along the valley. The fog will hide us from the French. Follow me!’

Hawk-eye and the Mohicans started to walk down the mountain. Duncan and the two sisters followed them. At the bottom of the mountain, the fog was very thick.

‘Be careful’ said Hawk-eye. ‘There are many French soldiers along this path. Walk quietly!’

They followed him through the fog. Suddenly, they heard voices.

‘Who is there’ said a soldier in French.

Duncan replied in French. ‘A friend of France’ he said.

‘Who are you’ shouted the Frenchman.

But Duncan and his friends walked away quickly. They went on through the fog. At last, they arrived at the walls of the fort.

An English voice shouted from the top of the wall. The French are here. Shoot! Shoot!’

‘Father, Father’ Alice shouted. ‘It is us! Save your daughters!’

‘Don’t shoot, men’ said the voice of General Munro. ‘My daughters are here! Open the gates!’

The gates opened. Soldiers came out of the fort. They took everybody inside - Duncan, the young women, Hawk-eye and the Mohicans.

But everybody in Fort William Henry was in danger.