Chapter 14

           "Guard.—Quiestlà?

           Puc.—Paisans,pauvresgensdeFrance."

           KingHenryVI.

           Duringtherapidmovementfromtheblock-house,anduntilthepartywasdeeplyburiedintheforest,eachindividualwastoomuchinterestedintheescapetohazardawordeveninwhispers.Thescoutresumedhispostintheadvance,thoughhissteps,afterhehadthrownasafedistancebetweenhimselfandhisenemies,weremoredeliberatethanintheirpreviousmarch,inconsequenceofhisutterignoranceofthelocalitiesofthesurroundingwoods.Morethanoncehehaltedtoconsultwithhisconfederates,theMohicans,pointingupwardsatthemoon,andexaminingthebarksofthetreeswithcare.Inthesebriefpauses,Heywardandthesisterslistened,withsensesrendereddoublyacutebythedanger,todetectanysymptomswhichmightannouncetheproximityoftheirfoes.Atsuchmoments,itseemedasifavastrangeofcountrylayburiedineternalsleep;nottheleastsoundarisingfromtheforest,unlessitwasthedistantandscarcelyaudibleripplingofawater-course.Birds,beasts,andman,appearedtoslumberalike,if,indeed,anyofthelatterweretobefoundinthatwidetractofwilderness.Butthesoundsoftherivulet,feebleandmurmuringastheywere,relievedtheguidesatoncefromnotriflingembarrassment,andtowardsittheyimmediatelyheldtheirway.

           Whenthebanksofthelittlestreamweregained,Hawkeyemadeanotherhalt;and,takingthemoccasinsfromhisfeet,heinvitedHeywardandGamuttofollowhisexample.