itself, when he had descended, and taken the route along the western
side of the Horican in direction of the Canadas. As the subtle Huron was
familiar with the paths, and well knew there was no immediate danger of
pursuit, their progress had been moderate, and far from fatiguing.
It appeared from the unembellished statement of David, that his own
presence had been rather endured than desired; though even Magua had not
been entirely exempt from that veneration with which the Indians regard
those whom the Great Spirit had visited in their intellects. At night,
the utmost care had been taken of the captives, both to prevent injury
from the damps of the woods and to guard against an escape. At
the spring, the horses were turned loose, as has been seen; and,
notwithstanding the remoteness and length of their trail, the artifices
already named were resorted to, in order to cut off every clue to their
place of retreat. On their arrival at the encampment of his people,
Magua, in obedience to a policy seldom departed from, separated his
prisoners. Cora had been sent to a tribe that temporarily occupied an
adjacent valley, though David was far too ignorant of the customs and
history of the natives, to be able to declare anything satisfactory
concerning their name or character. He only knew that they had not
engaged in the late expedition against William Henry; that, like the
Hurons themselves they were allies of Montcalm; and that they maintained
an amicable, though a watchful intercourse with the warlike and
savage people whom chance had, for a time, brought in such close and
disagreeable contact with themselves.

The Mohicans and the scout listened to his interrupted and imperfect
narrative, with an interest that obviously increased as he proceeded;
and it was while attempting to explain the pursuits of the community in
which Cora was detained, that the latter abruptly demanded:

"Did you see the fashion of their knives? were they of English or French
formation?"

"My thoughts were bent on no such vanities, but rather mingled in
consolation with those of the maidens."

"The time may come when you will not consider the knife of a savage such
a despicable vanity," returned the scout, with a strong expression of
contempt for the other's dullness. "Had they held their corn feast--or
can you say anything of the totems of the tribe?"

"Of corn, we had many and plentiful feasts; for the grain, being in
the milk is both sweet to