Hawk-eye ran from the forest. Chingachgook and Uncas followed
him. There was a fight. Hawk-eye, Uncas and Duncan killed
four Hurons. Chingachgook jumped on Magna. The Mohican stabbed
Magua with his knife. Magua fell to the ground. Hawk-eye and
Duncan went and helped the two women. But Magua was not dead.
He got up and ran away. Chingachgook and Uncas ran after him.
'Stop!' shouted Hawk-eye. 'You cannot catch him.'
'Hawk-eye, how did you find us?' Duncan asked.
'We waited at the side of the river,' said Hawk-eye.
'We saw the Hurons take you across the river. Then we followed
you.'
'You saved my life,' said Duncan.
Hawk-eye smiled.
'I found a Huron's gun,' he said. 'The Hurons were stupid.
They left their guns under the trees.'
Hawk-eye went hack to the trees. He picked up the other guns.
He found his own long gun.
'Now we have guns and bullets,' he said. 'We will stay here
tonight. Tomorrow we will go to Fort William Henry.'
Very early the next morning, Hawk-eye woke his friends. He
led them across the valley and along a path through the forest.
They stopped near a small river.
'We will walk in the water,' said Hawk-eye. 'Then Magua will
not see our footprints on the ground.'
They walked in the river for an hour. Then they came to some
mountains.
'Walk quietly now!' said Hawk-eye. 'There are French soldiers
here.'
They walked to the top of a mountain and looked down. There
was Lake Horican! And there was Fort William Henry! Smoke
came from fires in the forest.
'Look at the fires,' said Hawk-eye. 'There are many Hurons
in the forest. They are fighting for the French.'
'And look to the west,' said Duncan. 'Look at those tents.
That is General Montcalm's camp. There are thousands of French
soldiers.'
Suddenly they heard the sound of guns.
'The French are shooting at Fort William Henry,' said Duncan.
'But we must get into the fort.'
'We are lucky,' said Hawk-eye. 'Thick fog is coming along
the valley. The fog will hide us from the French. Follow me!'
Hawk-eye and the Mohicans started to walk down the mountain.
Duncan and the two sisters followed them. At the bottom of
the mountain, the fog was very thick.
'Be careful!' said Hawk-eye. 'There are many French soldiers
along this path. Walk quietly!'
They followed him through the fog. Suddenly, they heard voices.
'Who is there?' said a soldier in French.
Duncan replied in French. 'A friend of France!' he said.
'Who are you?' shouted the Frenchman.
But Duncan and his friends walked away quickly. They went
on through the fog. At last, they arrived at the walls of
the fort. An English voice shouted from the top of the wall.
'The French are here. Shoot! Shoot!'
'Father, Father!' Alice shouted. 'It is us! Save your daughters!'
'Don't shoot, men!' said the voice of General Munro. 'My daughters
are here! Open the gates!'
The gates opened. Soldiers came out of the fort. They took
everybody inside ... Duncan, the young women, Hawk-eye and
the Mohicans. But everybody in Fort William Henry was in danger.
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