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The Last of the Mohicans: Delawares

Magua, although keeping Alice with his own tribe, had intrusted the care of Cora to a friendly tribe of Delawares. Immediately after the escape of Alice he hurried to the encampment of the Delawares to claim Cora. By Indian law, the girl was his captive, and he bore her away, despite the intervention of Uncas, a hereditary chief of the tribe.

As soon as he had vanished in the forest, the tribe, under the leadership of Uncas, prepared to follow him and war against his people. In their hideous war panoply they hurried on Magua's trail.

A bloody battle was fought between the two Indian tribes, and the forces of Le Renard Subtil crushingly defeated. Seeing that the day was lost, the wily savage seized Cora in his arms and hurried toward the mountains, Uncas, Heyward, and Hawkeye in hot pursuit.

Cora, knowing the fate that lay before her, suddenly refused to move from the ledge on which she stood. "Woman!" cried Magua, raising his knife, "choose--the wigwam or the knife of Le Subtil?"

As he spoke, Uncas thudded down beside him, having jumped from a fearful height to the ledge. Magua, a ferocious smile on his dusky face, plunged his knife into the body of his prostrate enemy. While Magua gloated over the dying Uncas one of his companions sheathed his knife in Cora's bosom. With a wild cry of triumph, Magua, after leaping a wide fissure, made for the summit of the mountain. A single bound would carry him to the brink of the precipice and assure his safety.

He shouted, defiantly: "The palefaces are dogs! The Delawares, women! Magua leaves them on the rocks for the crows!"

He turned and leaped for the height, but fell short, and only saved himself by grasping a bush that grew from the side of the mountain. As he slowly pulled himself up, Hawkeye's rifle cracked from below. Magua, shaking his hand in defiance of his enemy, shot downward to destruction.