His  keen  eye  took  a  single  look  at  the  victims,  and  then
shot  its  glances  over  the  difficulties  of  the  ascent  in  his
front. A  form  stood  at  the  brow  of  the  mountain,  on
the  very  edge  of  the  giddy  height,  with  uplifted  arms,  in
an  awful  attitude  of  menace. Without  stopping  to  con-
sider his  person,  the  rifle  of  Hawkeye  was  raised;  but
a  rock,  which  fell  on  the  head  of  one  of  the  fugitives
below,  exposed  the  indignant  and  glowing  countenance
of  the  honest  Gamut. Then  Magua  issued  from  a  crev-
ice, and  stepping  with  calm  indifference  over  the  body
of  the  last  of  his  associates,  he  leaped  a  wide  fissure,  and
ascended  the  rocks  at  a  point  where  the  arm  of  David
could  not  reach  him. A  single  bound  would  carry  him
to  the  brow  of  the  precipice,  and  assure  his  safety. Be-
fore taking  the  leap,  however,  the  Huron  paused,  and
shaking  his  hand  at  the  scout,  he  shouted, —

'  The    pale-faces    are    dogs !    the    Delawares    women !
Magua  leaves  them  on  the  rocks,  for  the  crows !  "

Laughing  hoarsely,  he  made  a  desperate  leap,  and  fell
short  of  his  mark;  though  his  hand  grasped  a  shrub  on
the  verge  of  the  height. The  form  of  Hawkeye  had
crouched  like  a  beast  about  to  take  its  spring,  and  his
frame  trembled  so  violently  with  eagerness,  that  the  muz-
zle of  the  half-raised  rifle  played  like  a  leaf  fluttering  in
the  wind. Without  exhausting  himself  with  fruitless
efforts,  the  cunning  Magua  suffered  his  body  to  drop  to
the  length  of  his  arms,  and  found  a  fragment  for  his


The  Last  of  the  Mohicans  505

feet  to  rest  on. Then  summoning  all  his  powers,  he
renewed  the  attempt,  and  so  far  succeeded,  as  to  draw
his  knees  on  the  edge  of  the  mountain. It  was  now,
when  the  body  of  his  enemy  was  most  collected  together,
that  the  agitated  weapon  of  the  scout  was  drawn  to  his
shoulder. The  surrounding  rocks  themselves  were  not
steadier  than  the  piece  became,  for  the  single  instant  that
it  poured  out  its  contents. The  arms  of  the  Huron  re-
laxed, and  his  body  fell  back  a  little,  while  his  knees  still
kept  their  position. Turning  a  relentless  look  on  his
enemy,  he  shook  a  hand  in  grim  defiance. 