4 A Secret Hideaway

CHAPTER 4 A Secret Hideaway Duncan stayed behind with the girls and David for a moment, but then decided that he should help chase down the missing scout. "Cora, Alice," he said, "You'll be safe here with David. I'm going to find Hawkeye and see what's going on." "Oh, Duncan," Alice said, "Do you really think Magua has abandoned us?" "Everything will be fine, my dear. You know I would never let anything happen to you or your

sister." Alice smiled, and Cora said, "We'll be fine. We're strong. We're Munros! Good luck!" Duncan had gone only a hundred yards when he found Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas. They were standing with their heads together. "What happened?" Duncan asked. "He slipped away from us," Hawkeye replied. "Well, let's go! We can find him. There are four of us now and only one of him." "Ah," Hawkeye said, "but he could just as easily call others to fight with him. We need to get moving so he doesn't find us so easily." Duncan looked up and saw the clouds thinning. Day was beginning to turn into night. He wanted to get Hawkeye's attention, but the scout was speaking to Chingachgook and Uncas in Delaware, the language of their people. The three men started to walk away. "Wait!" Duncan said. "Where are you going?" The men stopped and spoke to one another

again. After a few minutes, Hawkeye turned to Duncan and said, "Uncas is right. We cannot leave you lost in the forest and at the mercy of your guide." "I've already told you—we'll pay anything," Duncan said. Hawkeye looked at him. "We don't want your money. We'll help you because it is the right thing to do. But you must promise two things." "Yes," Duncan said. "Of course we will." "One, you must be as still as the woods and let what is going to happen, happen. Two, you must keep the place we are going to take you a secret." Duncan nodded. "Fine, let's go—we have little time to spare before the sun sets completely." The four men walked back to where David was waiting with Alice and Cora. Duncan quickly told them what had happened to the guide, and then helped the women down off their horses. He explained to them that Magua had

betrayed them and might be trying to hurt them. They had to go with these men, the Mohicans and Hawkeye. Cora and Alice trusted Duncan's word and went with him. David followed along behind them. They met Hawkeye and the Mohicans down by the water's edge. "We must let the horses go," Hawkeye said. "If Magua and his men see them grazing by the riverbanks, they will assume you have made your camp nearby. Our only chance to escape is to go on foot." The sisters held each other's hands to hide their fear, while Duncan carefully searched the surrounding woods. Hawkeye took the bridles off the horses and set the animals free. Then he started to walk away. The small group followed. A short distance from the glen, they walked under a waterfall and came out the other side. Hawkeye uncovered two canoes from the brush. He signaled for Cora and Alice to step into one,

and then joined them. Duncan, David, Chingachgook, and Uncas stepped into the other canoe. As they paddled along, Hawkeye listened to every sound the forest made. The river started to move quickly. Alice and Cora were afraid they would be dashed against the rocks, but Hawkeye and the Mohicans were good paddlers. The group soon came to a rocky section of the river and Hawkeye stopped the canoe. "Stay here," Hawkeye told the travelers. "We will go and make sure we're safe." Hawkeye, Chingachgook, and Uncas left the party standing on the rocks. They didn't have long to wait before the men returned. "Quickly now," Hawkeye said. He hid the canoes under some brush, and then disappeared into the face of a rock.