They talked for a long time, but neither would give way, and at last Duncan stood up to leave. Then Montcalm showed him a letter captured from a messenger. It was written by General Webb who was expected to bring the relief force from Fort Edward. Montcalm showed it to Duncan who exclaimed in amazement, "That is Webb's signature!"

The letter was addressed to Munro and stated that it was impossible to send any more men to help him. It advised him to surrender Fort William Henry immediately. Duncan was downcast, but General Montcalm was generous. "I shall allow you all to leave with your weapons intact, and the King's colours, in an honourable and soldierly manner. Then I shall destroy the fort. You will not be harmed."

When Duncan reported to Munro, the general accepted Montcalm's conditions. He signed a treaty agreeing to leave the fort next morning.

One who was not pleased was Magua, the Huron chief. "Now the English are leaving," he muttered, "the French no longer call them enemies. But they are still my enemies, and I will be revenged on them."

The next day the English soldiers marched in formation to the French lines, to make their official surrender. Some time later, the women and the wounded moved out, accompanied by a handful of soldiers.

When they had walked a short distance from the fort, Cora noticed that Magua and the Hurons were watching a group of women who were beginning to fall behind the rest of the party. The French, under Montcalm, were a good distance away.

Suddenly a Huron ran and pulled a baby from its mother's arms, beat the child's head against a rock, threw the body down, and drove a tomahawk into the mother's brain. At this Magua gave a signal, and from the forest came more than two thousand Huron warriors, who rushed to the attack. While the cruel slaying of the defenceless went on, the sights and sounds of death were everywhere.

Magua himself took Alice and Cora as his prisoners. "Come," he said to Cora, "my wigwam is still open to you." She stood silent, sickened by the blood which covered his hands and arms. He dragged them to the trees, put them both on the same horse (for Alice had fainted) and led them along a trail through the forest. They stopped at the same high place where Hawk-eye had taken them, several days before.

From here they looked down at the killing on the plain below, for the Hurons did not cease until the slaughter was complete. After a long time, the cries of the wounded, the shrieks of horror and the yells of the murderers grew less and less until at last all was quiet.

Later still Hawk-eye, Chingachgook, Uncas Munro and Heyward searched for the bodies of Alice and Cora. Controlling their feelings of horror, they looked closely at all the dead women, one by one. It was a sickening task. Then on a bush Uncas found a piece of the green veil that Cora had been wearing.

"She is alive!" said the General joyfully.

"Yes," replied Hawk-eye," and with care, and if we go softly, we shall be able to follow her trail. But we must be patient."

Chingachgook, examining the spot closely, added, "Magua is with her."

Progress was slow and painstaking but soon they found part of a necklace, and were encouraged. Heyward recognised it at once. It belonged to Alice. Her father's eyes filled with tears when he saw it.

As darkness came they had a meal of dried bear's meat, and rested, not far from the ruined fort. When Hawk-eye woke duncan Heyward and Munro next morning he said, "We must take great care, for we now have enemies both in front of us and behind us."

Uncas and Chingachgook had gone to fetch a canoe from the edge of the lake near the fort. When they returned, the party got into the canoe and paddled out over the calm waters of the Horican Lake. They kept close to the banks and little wooded islands for cover, and by late afternoon they had reached the northern end of the lake. The canoe was lifted form the water and the men carried it into the trees. Then they left a false trail, for when they came to a stream they walked back in the water to the lake before launching the canoe again, and paddling towards the western shore. Here the canoe was taken ashore and carefully hidden under a pile of branches before the party made camp.

In the morning, Hawk-eye led the way towards a forest. It was a wild region, but he and the two Indians knew it well.

They walked several miles without finding any trace of the girls, then Uncas pointed to the side of the trail. "See," he said, "they have taken them further into the forest."

Slowly they went on. Magua and his men had also left some false trails and turnings, but the three trackers were not fooled. By early afternoon they came to a large stream and the party walked along, in the water, until the evening.

As night came on, they reached a clearing in the trees where there stood about a hundred earth lodges, with several Indians moving around. The little party stayed out of sight, and after some talk it was decided that Chingachgook should take Munro to a small hiding-place he knew of nearby and guard him there. Hawk-eye and Uncas were to separate to spy out as much as they could about what the Hurons were doing.

Duncan Heyward then offered to do a very dangerous thing. He suggested that he be painted up, by Chingachgook, to look like one of the many entertainers who moved from camp to camp. His knowledge of French would help to convince the Hurons of his friendliness. Once in the camp he could search for Cora and Alice. His friends were not convinced, but Duncan was stubborn and insisted, "If they are somewhere in that village, I must try to free them, whatever the danger."

So Chingachgook painted Duncan's face with great skill, and soon the young major looked the part of a juggler. Hawk-eye told him what signals they would use, and where they would meet later. Once they were all clear as to their tasks, Uncas disappeared into the trees in search of Magua. Hawk-eye went off in a different direction.

As he walked into the camp, Duncan felt more keenly the dangers of his mission. It was by then quite dark. When he reached the earth lodges, he was met by children who peered at him but said nothing. In the centre of the village, some of the elders were sitting near a flaming torch. One of them looked like a chief. He spoke in Huron; Duncan replied in French. The chief then asked Duncan, in French, why he had entered the camp with his face painted.

"When an Indian chief visits his white friends, he takes off his buffalo robe and wears the shirt given him," said Duncan. "My Indian friends gave me paint to wear, when I visit their tribes."

The elders were very pleased with this compliment and Duncan was invited to sit with them and chat. Half an hour passed and Duncan began to feel the strain. While they were speaking there arose a yelling in the forest, and a line of warriors came from the trees carrying scalps on a long pole. All the men in the village drew their knives and the squaws and children seized clubs and axes, before forming two lines. The war party marched between these lines into the middle of the camp, bringing two prisoners. The two men were mocked, tormented and struck as they were pushed towards one of the earth lodges. There they were both tied to posts.

As the torches flickered in the darkness, Duncan found the scene hideous and frightening. He worked his way near to the two captives and one of them turned his head and looked at duncan with firm piercing eyes. It was Uncas!

The other captive was a Huron who had turned coward in the previous fight. After being insulted and shamed by words, he was stabbed in the heart with a hunting-knife. Immediately all the torches in the lodge were dashed into the earth, burying everything in darkness. In the few seconds before he was jostled away, Duncan heard Uncas whisper that Hawk-eye was still free.

Outside the lodge a warrior approached Duncan with a strange request.

"There is an evil spirit in my wife," he said. "Can you use your medicine to frighten it away?"

Now Duncan knew a little about Indian customs and he felt it would be a good excuse to move around the camp, so he agreed. The Huron walked towards the edge of the village. "Come, follow me," he said. Then he pointed at Uncas.

"The Mohican will die in the morning," he said. "The sun will shine on his shame and the squaws will see his flesh tremble."

On their way to the Huron's sick wife, they went by a bear which was at the side of the path.Indians often kept tamed bears near the camp so Duncan was not afraid. It seemed to take little notice of them, but as soon as they had gone by, it followed them at a distance.

The Huron stopped near some openings in the rocks. Through one of these was the sick woman. She had been put there by the Indians who thought that the spirit would have more difficulty getting through stone walls to torment her.

Duncan insisted that the Indian left him along with the woman, who seemed to be in a deep sleep. Once he had gone Duncan began to look about him.

Suddenly the bear appeared in the stone doorway. It lifted its head to one side—it was Hawk-eye inside the skin! When duncan had recovered from the shock, Hawk-eye explained that he had seen one of the Indian conjurors in the woods, preparing to get into the bearskin. He had overpowered the man and tied him to a tree. Then he had put on the bearskin himself.

"After spending years in the wild, I know the nature and movements of animals very well," he added.

"What have you found out?" asked Duncan.

"The fair one, Alice, is on the other side of this wall. You must go to her, for the sight of me as a bear would frighten her. You had better rub off some of your paint first."

After he had done this, Duncan went in to Alice. Although she was very relieved to be rescued, she was very pale and nervous. He told her that her father was safe, and then he asked where Cora was.

"She has been taken to another place by Magua."

Duncan picked up some Indian blankets. "I will wrap you in these and carry you outside. The Hurons will think you are the sick woman."

Outside in the Darkness, some of the Hurons were still waiting. "Where are you taking her?" asked the husband.

"I have shut the evil spirit in the rocks," replied Duncan. "Now I am taking her into the woods to give her some strengthening roots to eat. I will return her to your wigwam when the sun comes again." With that he left them. When he was some distance from the village, Duncan put Alice down. Hawk-eye joined them and pointed out the path to safety.

"If you meet any of the Delawares, they will help you, for their tribe and the Mohicans are the same people and the same stock. They are all children of the tortoise."

"What about you?" asked Alice.

"I shall go back and free Uncas," said Hawk-eye.

They parted, and Hawk-eye, still in the bear costume, made his way back to the village. Although the Hurons had gone into their lodges for the night there was, nevertheless, great danger. There were two warriors near the lodge where Uncas was captive, and Hawk-eye waited in hiding for many long minutes until they had moved away and all was quiet.

At first Uncas thought his enemies had sent a beast to torment him, until he realised it was Hawk-eye. As soon as he had been cut loose, he whispered to Hawk-eye, "We must make for the Delawares, for they are the children of my grandfathers and will help us."

Stealthily they moved through the camp and into the trees, moving towards the distant fires of the Delaware tribe. They walked all through the night. As day began to dawn they came up with Alice and Duncan Heyward—together they moved on, until they reached the children of the tortoise.

Later that morning when Tamenund, the wise man of the Delawares, saw Uncas for the first time, his eyes opened wide. He pointed to the beautifully tattooed blue tortoise on the young Mohican's chest and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Uncas, the son of Chingachgook, son of the great turtle, Unamis. The blood of the turtle has been in many chiefs, but all are dead, except my father and myself."

"Then you are the last of the Mohicans?" said Tamenund.

"I am," said Uncas proudly.

Tamenund was so happy to hear this that he offered the best of the Delaware warriors to track down Magua and rescue Cora.

"Our spies say he is not far from here, with some of the Hurons. They have put the maiden into one of the caves, under guard."

so it was decided that Uncas, because he was the last of his tribe, should attack the main force of the Hurons with the Delawares, while Hawk-eye, with twenty men and rifles, should go by another route to pick up Munro and Chingachgook. They would join Uncas near the cave where Cora was being held.

When he was fully prepared, Hawk-eye led his small band of braves out of the camp and along a stream. All seemed quiet and peaceful in the trees, and at the beaver lodges they met Munro and Chingachgook. By this time they could hear the sounds of battle in the distance. Slowly and quietly they moved towards the denser and darker part of the forest where the heavy fighting was taking place, and where they knew Cora was held captive.

When the party came within sight of the caves, they saw that Uncas and his followers had burst through the Huron lines, forcing them to retreat. At the thought of Cora, Duncan Heyward pushed past Hawk-eye and rushed towards the caves. Once inside, he searched desperately for the girl.

Then in one of the gloomy passages he found himself side by side with the fighting Uncas. Several paces away they caught sight of Cora's white robe, for Magua and another Huron were pulling her along with them.

Uncas threw down his rifle and leapt towards her. As he reached Magua, the other Huron pushed his knife into Cora's heart. At the moment she fell, Uncas stumbled and Magua buried his tomahawk in the Mohican's body. Uncas turned to strike down Cora's murderer, but the effort was his last. Now he faced Magua, who drove his knife three times into the Mohican's heart.

These deaths happened with such speed that Duncan had barely reached the bodies of Cora and Uncas when Magua ran out to the edge of the rock. There he made an enormous leap over a wide drop to reach the safety of the other side. He fell short, but grasped a shrub in an attempt to lift himself. Hawk-eye aimed his rifle and fired. The body of Magua fell to its destruction, and soon afterwards the sounds of the fighting came to an end.

As the sun rose next day, with the battle over and the Hurons beaten, many wept for those who had died. The bodies of Cora and Uncas were on the ground. They had been prepared for burial and were covered in flowers, ornaments, bracelets and medals.

But Chingachgook said, "Why do you mourn and weep? They died bravely! My boy is dead. All my race have gone now. I am alone."

"No," said Hawk-eye. "You are not alone."

He stretched out his hand, and Chingachgook grasped it firmly in deep friendship. Their heads bowed, while burning tears fell on the body of Uncas, the last of the Mohicans.

Munro never recovered from the shock of his daughter's death. Alice returned to England with Duncan Heyward, and Chingachgook lived on many years, with his friend Hawk-eye never far away.

(The End)