Chapter 27 Chapter Twenty Six

Burton: Let's play lion too. ——Shakespeare① ① A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act I, Scene 2. Hawkeye was determined, but he was fully aware of all the difficulties and dangers before him.On the way back to camp, he concentrated on using his sharp and experienced mind to find ways to deal with the vigilant and suspicious enemies, because he knew that they were by no means inferior to him.Originally, for his own safety, he could have killed Magua and the priest first, and it was only because he was a white man that he saved their two lives; How logical it is for people, but a descendant who claims to be a pure-blooded white man must never do that.Now, still relying on the ropes that bound the captives, he walked straight to the center of the camp with confidence.

He slowed down as he approached the sheds.His alert eyes scanned everything, not letting go of any sign, be it benign or malicious.Not far in front of those huts, there is an inconspicuous hut, which seems to have been abandoned when it was half built—probably because of the lack of food and water, and the lack of important necessities of life.But now there is a faint light leaking from its gap, which shows that although it is not completely built, people still live in it.The scout, therefore, advances towards it first, like a prudent general who scouts out the enemy's outposts before he ventures into a general attack.

He tried his best to pretend to be a bear again, and climbed closer to a gap, from where he could see the people inside.It turned out that this was the residence of David Garmud.The pious singer, now filled with sorrow and anxiety, meekly prayed for the blessing of heaven.While the scout disguised as a bear was spying on his clumsy companion, the solitary man inside was also thinking deeply about his forest dweller. Although David believed in miracles that occurred in ancient times, he did not believe in any magical power that could directly interfere with moral behavior in this world.In other words, although he had no doubt that Balaam's donkey could indeed speak, he somewhat doubted that a bear could sing; however, this was a fact he had witnessed with his own eyes.His demeanor and demeanor let the scouts see that he was in a state of great confusion at the moment.He sat on a pile of dry branches, with his head resting on his arms, and there he brooded, breaking off a twig now and then to add to the dim fire.The attire of this music believer is not different from what was described last time, except that on his bald head, there is the triangular beaver fur hat again. Obviously this hat is not attractive enough, so Not aroused the greed of any conqueror.

① Balaam’s donkey could speak human words, and the incident comes from Chapter 22 of the Bible Old Testament Numbers; Balaam’s donkey saved Balaam three times, but Balaam beat it three times instead, so “the LORD told the donkey to open its mouth , and said to Balaam, what have I done to you that you have struck me three times. . . . " The clever Hawkeye still remembered David's flustered look when he left the woman's hospital bed, so he guessed what he was thinking about now.Hawkeye first walked round the shed, finding out that it was a lonely place, and deciding that, as it was inhabited by such a person, it was unlikely that anyone would come, he ventured through the low road. door, and went straight to David.Now, the only thing between them was the bonfire.Hawkeye sat upright, and the two of them just looked at me and I looked at you in silence for about a minute.The sudden appearance of this beast almost made David lose his confidence and firmness-let's not call this philosophy.Fumbling hastily for the school flute, he rose to his feet, anxiously trying to use the power of music to exorcise evil spirits.

"You mysterious black monster!" he cried, putting on his spectacles with trembling hands, and scrambling again to find the hymn that had magic powers in times of trouble. "I know neither your nature nor your intentions; and if you wish to attack the humblest servant of the Temple and his rights, listen to the inspired words of the youth of Israel, and thus Please repent!" ① Refers to King David of Israel, the author of the Psalms in the Old Testament of the Bible. The black bear shook its furry body, and then replied in a very familiar voice: "Throw away your beeping thing, and let your mouth learn to be a little more humble. Right now, five simple and clear English words are more effective than you screaming for an hour."

"What are you?" David asked, almost out of breath, unable to sing as he had intended. "A man like you, who shed blood like you, neither mixed with bear's blood, nor contaminated with Indian blood. Don't you forget so quickly, this stupid thing in your hand Who gave it to you?" "Is there such a thing?" David replied, and when he understood the truth of the matter, he breathed more freely. "I have seen many strange things since I stayed with these heretics, but I have never seen anything more strange than this!" "All right, all right," replied Hawkeye, revealing his true colors, so as to better reassure his partner and increase his confidence. "Now you can see clearly that although my skin is not as white as the two girls', I have no redness on my body that is not caused by the wind and the sun. Now let's get serious."

"Tell me first, what is the matter with the girl and the young man who was so bravely seeking her?" interposed David. "Well, they are lucky to have escaped the tomahawks of these scoundrels. Now, can you tell me how Uncas is doing?" "The boy was tied up by them. His death seemed to be sealed. I am very sad that such a good young man should die in a daze. I have found a hymn..." "Can you lead me to him?" "It's not difficult," replied David hesitantly, "but I'm afraid that your presence will only add to his misfortune, not lessen it."

"Stop talking, and lead me," Hawkeye replied, covering his face, resuming his bear form, and walking out of the house at once, leading by example. Along the way, the scouts found out that David had met Uncas; this was achieved by taking advantage of the advantage of being regarded as a madman by David, and at the same time with the help of a watchman.Because the watchman knew a little English, he was chosen by David as the object of his mission.It is doubtful how much the Huron knew the intentions of his new friend; but special attentions are always a pleasure to a savage as to a more civilized one, and the great Wei's efforts also received the effect we just mentioned.There is no need to go into detail here as to the clever method by which the scout obtained these facts from the simple-minded David, and what instructions he gave him after he had fully grasped the necessary facts.The whole situation will be explained clearly to the readers in the following text.

The house in which Uncas was imprisoned was in the very middle of the village, and from this position it seemed more difficult for anyone going there or coming from it to avoid being noticed than elsewhere. .But Hawkeye didn't intend to dodge it.Relying on the fact that he has a disguise and can pretend to be very similar, he chose the straightest and smoothest road to walk there.The timing was also perfect, and though he seemed indifferent to it, it actually had a somewhat protective effect on him.The children were already fast asleep, and all the women and most of the warriors had gone to their huts for the night.Now, only four or five warriors hovered before the door of Uncas' cell, guarding their captives with vigilance.

When the warriors saw David approaching with their most famous priest in the guise of a bear, they gladly made way for them both to pass.But they showed no intention of leaving.On the contrary, they expected that the visit of these two men must be to perform some mysterious spell, and they were obviously interested in it, and they were willing to stay here to see what happened. The scouts, who knew nothing of the native language of the Hurons, had no choice but to trust David to talk to them.Although David is simple-minded, he can carry out the instructions given to him very well, and even greatly exceeds the expectations of his teachers.

"The Delawares are full of women!" cried David to a native who knew a little of his words, "the Brits--my foolish countrymen--told them take up their tomahawks and strike at their Canadian fathers, They forget whether they are male or female. My brethren, will you see the deer bound to the posts, asking to put on women's skirts and cry before the Hurons?" "Ho!" a cry of approbation showed that the native was very happy to see the public cowardice of an enemy whom they hated and feared. "Then let them go away a little bit, so that the mage can do magic to the dog! Tell this to the brothers!" The Huron explained David's words to his companions, and the savages were greatly pleased, for they were to be expected to take an interest in such a most insidious and vicious cruelty.So they backed away a little from the door, gesturing for the believed-true shrine to enter.But the bear didn't listen to them, and still sat there and roared. "The mage is afraid that his brothers will be affected by his practice, and they will be frightened." David followed the hint of Hawkeye and said further, "They have to stand farther away." The Hurons, thinking that it would be the greatest misfortune that could befall them if such a misfortune should happen, withdrew together to a place from which, though the door of the house was still visible, there was no sound from within. Can't hear it either.The scout pretended to be satisfied with the safety of the Hurons before he got up and walked slowly into the house.The room was cold and dark, and Uncas was alone in it, and only faintly glowed by the embers of the bonfire in which the meal was cooked. Uncas sat far away in a corner, his hands and feet were tightly bound by tough and thorny branches.When this terrifying beast appeared in front of him, the Mohican youth didn't even bother to look at it.The scout left David at the door, to see if anyone had seen him, and he thought it best to keep his disguise until it was clear that no one else was there.So he said nothing, trying to look as ridiculous as possible.The young Mohican thought at first that the enemy had put in a real bear to torture him and test his courage.However, in those movements that seemed to Heyward to be very realistic, he quickly saw the flaw, and found that it was a fake.If Hawkeye had known that the shrewd Uncas underestimated his performance, he might have continued to act a little longer.But the contemptuous expression in the young man's eyes can be interpreted in many ways, which makes it impossible for the venerable scout to know what Uncas is thinking, and thus avoids some troubles.So when David gave the agreed-upon signal, instead of the loud roar of the bear, the low hiss of the snake resounded in the house. Uncas, who had been sitting with his back against the wall, with his eyes closed, as if he did not want to see this despicable figure, got up immediately at the sound of the snake, looked around, and looked around in all directions with his head bowed. Finally, his sharp eyes still stayed on the furry beast, as if possessed, staring at it motionless.The same hiss sounded again, apparently from the bear's mouth.The young man looked around the room for a while, then looked back at the bear, and cried out in a low voice: "Hawkeye!" "Untie him!" Hawkeye said to David, who just came up. The Chantmaster did as he was told, and Uncas' limbs were set free.At the same moment, the dry piggie on the bear's body rattled, and the scout stood up quickly, showing his true colors.The Mohican seemed to have intuitively grasped his friend's intentions, so there was no longer any surprise in his words or face.Hawkeye simply loosened a few straps, and the furry hide came off his body.Then he drew out a long, shiny hunting knife, and put it in the hands of Uncas. "The red-skinned Hurons are out there," said he. "We must get ready." At the same time, he pressed his hand significantly to another identical hunting knife, which he had obtained from the enemy by his own valor that night. "Let us go!" said Uncas. "where to?" "Go to the turtle clan, they are descendants of my ancestors." "Well, boy," said the scout in English--as he often did when he was a little absent-minded. "I believe that the same blood is flowing in your veins; but the age and the different regions have caused some changes in the color of the blood. How are we going to deal with those Minguo people at the door? There are six of them, and Our singer is almost as if there is no such person." "The Hurons are only braggarts," said Uncas contemptuously. "Their totem is a moose, but they run like snails. The Delawares are descended from tortoises, but they run faster than a stag." "Yes, boy, what you say is all the truth. And, I believe, none of their whole tribe can outrun you; and if you run a two-mile race, and when you've reached the finish line and catch your breath, These rascals ain't even within earshot of the finish line. But white man's genius is in the hands, not the legs. For me, I can break Hugh as easily as a good man. Ren's head, but in a race, these rascals will beat me by a large margin." Uncas, who had reached the door and was about to lead the way out, suddenly drew back and stood again at the far end of the room.Hawkeye, on the other hand, didn't notice these actions, he was only thinking about it, and he was still talking to himself. "In short," he said, "it is unreasonable to try to bind another man by his natural abilities. So, Uncas, you had better run away. Since I cannot run fast, I put on my clothes again. Zhang Xiongpi, use cunning to deceive them." The Mohican youth did not answer, but silently folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against a pillar of the house. "What?" the scout looked up at him and asked, "Why are you still here? I still have time, and those scoundrels will definitely go after you first." "Uncas is not going!" he answered calmly. "why?" "He will fight with his father's brethren, live and die with his friends from the Delawares." "Ah, boy," replied Hawkeye, squeezing Uncas's hand in a pair of iron-like hands, "you'd be really not like a Mohican if you'd leave me alone. I got a Mingo man. Because I know that young people usually cherish their lives, so I came up with this proposal. Well, in battle, when you can't win by fighting hard, you have to rely on cunning. You put this bear skin on; I believe that you can pretend to be a bear as well as me." As for which of the two of them is more capable in this matter, no matter what Uncas thought in his heart, there was no expression of self-esteem on his serious face.He simply slipped the bearskin on quickly in silence, and waited to hear what his elder companion thought fit to do next. "My friend," Hawkeye said to David, "it will be much more convenient for you to change our clothes now, for you are so lacking in the ability to adapt in this wilderness. Here, take my hunting shirt and Take the cap, and give me your blanket and hat. You must also give me your book, your spectacles, and your little seedling; and if we ever meet again at a luckier time than All these things are returned to you, and I thank you very much for this." David's willingness to surrender these few things would have been all the more magnanimous, had it not been for the fact that the exchange was beneficial to him in many ways.It didn't take long for Hawkeye to put the borrowed hat on properly.When he had the spectacles over his bony eyes and the three-cornered hat on his head, as they were about the same size, he could pass himself off as the chanter under the stars at night.No sooner had this been done than the scout turned to David, giving him parting instructions. "Aren't you born to be so timid!" he asked bluntly, intending to get a proper understanding of the whole situation before making up his mind to make arrangements. "My occupation is peaceful, and my nature, I despise, is very benevolent," replied David, who was a little annoyed at this direct attack on his character. "However, even in the most difficult moments, no one can say that I have forgotten my faith in God." "Your greatest danger is when the savages find out they've been duped. If they don't knock your heads off then, they'll think you're a madman, and that protects you and keeps you safe." Reason enough to hope for a good death. If you decide to stay, you'll have to sit here in the dark, pretending to be Uncas, until the cunning Indian finds out you've been duped. Till then, I just now I have already said that it is time for you to be tested. Therefore, it is up to you to choose, rush out, or stay here." "Even so," said David firmly, "I will stay here to take the place of this Delaware. He fought so valiantly and generously for me, so this, even harder than this, I Dare to do it for him.” "You really deserve to be a man when you say that, like someone who could have made a career out of a smart education. You have to keep your head down and your legs back, or you will be spotted by them prematurely." Try not to make a sound. When you have to speak, the smart way is to suddenly make your usual scream, so that you can remind the Indians that your brain is wrong, and you should not ask for normal people. , the matter is entirely your responsibility. But in case they scalp you--I trust they won't--undoubtedly, Uncas and I will never forget this blood debt, and will, like the real Avenge you as a warrior and as a faithful friend." "Wait a minute," said David hastily, seeing that they were going away immediately after this assurance, "I am a lowly follower of God, who never taught me such a humble principle of vengeance. Therefore, should I fall, do not seek a victim for my soul, but forgive those who killed me. Now that you remember them, ask them in your prayers for spiritual enlightenment and eternal peace. Be at peace." The scout hesitated for a while, apparently thinking. "There is another principle here," he said, "which is different from the law of the jungle in the forest; but when you think about it, it is reasonable and noble." So he sighed deeply—probably he will never Again, he often sighed at the sad memory of how long he had left that living environment, and went on to say, "As a pure-blooded white man, I would have liked to do so, but dealing with Indians is not always the same as dealing with Christians." It is so easy to deal with. God bless you, friend; if you can fully realize this, and always remember the truth of eternal life, I am convinced that your way will not be terribly wrong, though it is in a large degree. It depends on the talent of the natural talent and the power of temptation." The scout said so, and returned to shake hands with David cordially.After this gesture of friendliness, he immediately left the house, followed by Uncas, newly disguised as a bear. As soon as he found himself seen by the Hurons, Hawkeye straightened up tall, assumed David's seriousness, and beating time with one hand, began to sing his false hymn.Happily, none of the people he had to deal with in this successful and ingenious venture understood the harmony of this beautiful voice, or his pathetic efforts would have been discovered.The scouts sang louder as they approached the dangerous terrain they had to pass near the Indians.Coming up to them, the English-speaking Huron held out an arm, barring the way of the false singer. "How about that Delaware dog?" he asked, leaning forward, watching the expression on his face in the dim light. "Is he frightened? Can the Huron hear him humming? " The bear gave a sudden and ferocious growl, and the young Indian withdrew his hand hastily, and jumped aside, as if to make sure that the wobbling bear before him was real and not a fake.Hawkeye, fearing that his voice would be heard by a cunning enemy, gladly took advantage of this pause, and resumed his singing, which in a more civilized society might be called "noise." ", but among the audience in front of him, this actually brought him greater respect, because they have always respected this kind of patient who they think is abnormal.Thereupon the little band of Indians withdrew, as they expected, to let the priest and his inspired assistant pass by. Uncas and the scouts required a great deal of perseverance to continue to assume an air of dignity and composure as they passed the huts; especially when they soon discovered that the curiosity of the watchmen had When fear had been overcome, and had driven them to the shed to spy on the effects of the magic.At this time, as long as David's actions are slightly inappropriate or hasty, it will reveal their true colors.In order to ensure the safety of scouts, gaining time has become extremely necessary.The scouts thought it necessary to continue singing loudly, and along the way attracted many curious people to watch at the door; once or twice, a warrior with a menacing face was driven by superstition, or out of vigilance, and even went to the middle of the road to watch. them.They were not deterred, however, and were greatly helped by the darkness of the night and their cool demeanor. The two adventurers came out of the camp and were rushing toward the forest when they heard a loud and long cry from the hut where Uncas had been imprisoned.Startled, the Mohican shook his shaggy bearskin as if the beast he was pretending to be was about to take some desperate action. "Wait a minute," said the scout, grabbing his friend by the shoulder, "wait for them to shout! This is only a cry of surprise." He had no time to delay, for, immediately afterwards, the whole camp was filled with shouts.Uncas took off the bearskin on his body and restored his original handsome face. Hawkeye patted him on the shoulder lightly and ran forward. "Now, let those devils chase us!" said the scout, and pulled out two schools of rifles and ammunition from under the bushes.He handed a branch to Uncas, and waved the branch himself, saying, "At least it will kill them both." So, holding their guns low in their hands, they ran forward like two hunters preparing to chase their prey, and in a short while they all disappeared into the dark forest.