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- Джеймс Купер
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- Стр. 207/257
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Instead
of
taking
the
path
which
led
directly
towards
the
camp
of
the
Delawares
,
Magua
led
his
party
for
some
distance
down
the
windings
of
the
stream
,
and
along
the
little
artificial
lake
of
the
beavers
.
The
day
began
to
dawn
as
they
entered
the
clearing
which
had
been
formed
by
those
sagacious
and
industrious
animals
.
Though
Magua
,
who
had
resumed
his
ancient
garb
,
bore
the
outline
of
a
fox
on
the
dressed
skin
which
formed
his
robe
,
there
was
one
chief
of
his
party
who
carried
the
beaver
as
his
peculiar
symbol
,
or
"
totem
.
"
There
would
have
been
a
species
of
profanity
in
the
omission
,
had
this
man
passed
so
powerful
a
community
of
his
fancied
kindred
,
without
bestowing
some
evidence
of
his
regard
.
Accordingly
,
he
paused
,
and
spoke
in
words
as
kind
and
friendly
as
if
he
were
addressing
more
intelligent
beings
.
He
called
the
animals
his
cousins
,
and
reminded
them
that
his
protecting
influence
was
the
reason
they
remained
unharmed
,
while
so
many
avaricious
traders
were
prompting
the
Indians
to
take
their
lives
.
He
promised
a
continuance
of
his
favors
,
and
admonished
them
to
be
grateful
.
After
which
,
he
spoke
of
the
expedition
in
which
he
was
himself
engaged
,
and
intimated
,
though
with
sufficient
delicacy
and
circumlocution
,
the
expediency
of
bestowing
on
their
relative
a
portion
of
that
wisdom
for
which
they
were
so
renowned
.
During
the
utterance
of
this
extraordinary
address
,
the
companions
of
the
speaker
were
as
grave
and
as
attentive
to
his
language
as
though
they
were
all
equally
impressed
with
its
propriety
Once
or
twice
black
objects
were
seen
rising
to
the
surface
of
the
water
,
and
the
Huron
expressed
pleasure
,
conceiving
that
his
words
were
not
bestowed
in
vain
.
Just
as
he
had
ended
his
address
,
the
head
of
a
large
beaver
was
thrust
from
the
door
of
a
lodge
,
whose
earthen
walls
had
been
much
injured
,
and
which
the
party
had
believed
,
from
its
situation
,
to
be
uninhabited
.
Such
an
extraordinary
sign
of
confidence
was
received
by
the
orator
as
a
highly
favorable
omen
;
and
though
the
animal
retreated
a
little
precipitately
,
he
was
lavish
of
his
thanks
and
commendations
.
When
Magua
thought
sufficient
time
had
been
lost
in
gratifying
the
family
affection
of
the
warrior
,
he
again
made
the
signal
to
proceed
.
As
the
Indians
moved
away
in
a
body
,
and
with
a
step
that
would
have
been
inaudible
to
the
ears
of
any
common
man
,
the
same
venerable-looking
beaver
once
more
ventured
his
head
from
its
cover
.
Had
any
of
the
Hurons
turned
to
look
behind
them
,
they
would
have
seen
the
animal
watching
their
movements
with
an
interest
and
sagacity
that
might
easily
have
been
mistaken
for
reason
.
Indeed
,
so
very
distinct
and
intelligible
were
the
devices
of
the
quadruped
,
that
even
the
most
experienced
observer
would
have
been
at
a
loss
to
account
for
its
actions
,
until
the
moment
when
the
party
entered
the
forest
,
when
the
whole
would
have
been
explained
,
by
seeing
the
entire
animal
issue
from
the
lodge
,
uncasing
,
by
the
act
,
the
grave
features
of
Chingachgook
from
his
mask
of
fur
.
"
Brief
,
I
pray
you
;
for
you
see
,
'
tis
a
busy
time
with
me
.
"
Much
Ado
About
Nothing
.
The
tribe
,
or
rather
half
tribe
,
of
Delawares
,
which
has
been
so
often
mentioned
,
and
whose
present
place
of
encampment
was
so
nigh
the
temporary
village
of
the
Hurons
,
could
assemble
about
an
equal
number
of
warriors
with
the
latter
people
.
Like
their
neighbors
,
they
had
followed
Montcalm
into
the
territories
of
the
English
crown
,
and
were
making
heavy
and
serious
inroads
on
the
hunting-grounds
of
the
Mohawks
;
though
they
had
seen
fit
,
with
the
mysterious
reserve
so
common
among
the
natives
,
to
withhold
their
assistance
at
the
moment
when
it
was
most
required
.
The
French
had
accounted
for
this
unexpected
defection
on
the
part
of
their
ally
in
various
ways
.
It
was
the
prevalent
opinion
,
however
,
that
they
had
been
influenced
by
veneration
for
the
ancient
treaty
,
that
had
once
made
them
dependent
on
the
Six
Nations
for
military
protection
,
and
now
rendered
them
reluctant
to
encounter
their
former
masters
.
As
for
the
tribe
itself
,
it
had
been
content
to
announce
to
Montcalm
,
through
his
emissaries
,
with
Indian
brevity
,
that
their
hatchets
were
dull
,
and
time
was
necessary
to
sharpen
them
.
The
politic
captain
of
the
Canadas
had
deemed
it
wiser
to
submit
to
entertain
a
passive
friend
,
than
by
any
acts
of
ill-judged
severity
to
convert
him
into
an
open
enemy
.
On
that
morning
when
Magua
led
his
silent
party
from
the
settlement
of
the
beavers
into
the
forest
,
in
the
manner
described
,
the
sun
rose
upon
the
Delaware
encampment
as
if
it
had
suddenly
burst
upon
a
busy
people
,
actively
employed
in
all
the
customary
avocations
of
high
noon
.
The
women
ran
from
lodge
to
lodge
,
some
engaged
in
preparing
their
morning
's
meal
,
a
few
earnestly
bent
on
seeking
the
comforts
necessary
to
their
habits
,
but
more
pausing
to
exchange
hasty
and
whispered
sentences
with
their
friends
.
The
warriors
were
lounging
in
groups
,
musing
more
than
they
conversed
;
and
when
a
few
words
were
uttered
,
speaking
like
men
who
deeply
weighed
their
opinions
.
The
instruments
of
the
chase
were
to
be
seen
in
abundance
among
the
lodges
;
but
none
departed
.
Here
and
there
a
warrior
was
examining
his
arms
,
with
an
attention
that
is
rarely
bestowed
on
the
implements
,
when
no
other
enemy
than
the
beasts
of
the
forest
is
expected
to
be
encountered
.
And
,
occasionally
,
the
eyes
of
a
whole
group
were
turned
simultaneously
towards
a
large
and
silent
lodge
in
the
centre
of
the
village
,
as
if
it
contained
the
subject
of
their
common
thoughts
.
During
the
existence
of
this
scene
,
a
man
suddenly
appeared
at
the
farthest
extremity
of
a
platform
of
rock
which
formed
the
level
of
the
village
.
He
was
without
arms
,
and
his
paint
tended
rather
to
soften
than
increase
the
natural
sternness
of
his
austere
countenance
.
When
in
full
view
of
the
Delawares
he
stopped
,
and
made
a
gesture
of
amity
,
by
throwing
his
arm
upward
towards
heaven
,
and
then
letting
it
fall
impressively
on
his
breast
.
The
inhabitants
of
the
village
answered
his
salute
by
a
low
murmur
of
welcome
,
and
encouraged
him
to
advance
by
similar
indications
of
friendship
.
Fortified
by
these
assurances
,
the
dark
figure
left
the
brow
of
the
natural
rocky
terrace
,
where
it
had
stood
a
moment
,
drawn
in
a
strong
outline
against
the
blushing
morning
sky
,
and
moved
with
dignity
into
the
very
centre
of
the
huts
.
As
he
approached
,
nothing
was
audible
but
the
rattling
of
the
light
silver
ornaments
that
loaded
his
arms
and
neck
,
and
the
tinkling
of
the
little
bells
that
fringed
his
deer-skin
moccasins
.
He
made
,
as
he
advanced
,
many
courteous
signs
of
greeting
to
the
men
he
passed
,
neglecting
to
notice
the
women
,
however
,
like
one
who
deemed
their
favor
,
in
the
present
enterprise
,
of
no
importance
.
When
he
had
reached
the
group
in
which
it
was
evident
,
by
the
haughtiness
of
their
common
mien
,
that
the
principal
chiefs
were
collected
,
the
stranger
paused
,
and
then
the
Delawares
saw
that
the
active
and
erect
form
that
stood
before
them
was
that
of
the
well-known
Huron
chief
,
Le
Renard
Subtil
.
