Part I

THE DECEIT

When Duncan came in with Gamut he brought with him more branches and he piled them over the crack and he took the sassafras from the pallets and laid them against the crack as well. He even took the blankets and spread them over to keep out the light.

He approached them in the darkness after he had finished. "While life remains there is hope. Come, Alice, dry your tears."

"I am calmer now, Duncan," Alice said, raising herself from Cora's arms. For a time they sat in silence, but after a while Gamut began to sing. Cora listened to the gentle tune with eyes closed against the dark. It grew warmer and stuffier as the minutes passed and the sun climbed in the sky. Sweat dripped down her neck.

"Where is Uncas?" she asked.

Duncan shifted uncontrollably in the dark. "He left."

Cora frowned. "Where is he then?"

"Gone."

"I do not understand."

Duncan did not answer.

Then from outside the first war-cry was heard. Duncan rose and stood beside the entrance, his empty pistol in his hand. Cora could only guess that he intended to pummel any who entered with it until he was subdued. She considered giving him her own pistol which was still hidden in her skirt but decided against it. Their enemies would be less likely to search her for a weapon.

The shouts rose again, closer now. They came from the outer cave. For many minutes the Indians continued to shout to one another as they searched the cave. Then silence. Then, along with the Indian dialects, she heard French.

She strained her ears to make out the words.

…"not here."

"The long carbine."

…"not gone far"…

"The long carbine was here. He has killed"…

… "where… now"…

…"The big snake … the nimble stag"…

"Now," Duncan whispered from his place at the entrance, "now is the moment of uncertainty. If our place of retreat escapes this scrutiny, we are safe."

For a long while they sat in stillness while all around them their enemies searched the large cave. Then there was silence. Duncan returned to them.

"They are gone and we are saved," Duncan said. "To heaven, that has alone delivered us from the grasp of so merciless an enemy, be all the praise!"

"Then to Heaven I will return my thanks," Alice cried, flinging herself at him. "To God who has spared the tears of our father; has saved the lives of those I so much love; has brought you to Himself in—"

And there she stopped. Cora and Duncan turned to look at what her eye was fixed upon and their hearts chilled. Magua stood at the entrance framed by the daylight. The branches had been torn down and their hideaway revealed.

Cora fingered her pistol through her skirt, but she was too slow. Duncan sprang forward and struck the man. Magua stumbled back and let out a yell of anger. He swung at Heyward and threw him backward. Then he sprang after him and his comrades followed on his heels, so many men piling in until the little room was filled.

Within seconds two pairs of hands had grasped Cora and, try as she might, she could not loosen them. She was dragged roughly out of the cave and up onto the island which split the fall in two. It happened almost too quickly for her fear of heights to manifest itself. The upper half of the island was bare rock save for a few scattered logs of driftwood and the lower part was wet with the spray from the falls.

It was now midmorning. The sun beat down on Cora's face. As she looked about her at the undulating, yelling throng of men, she thanked the Lord that she had sent her brother away. Her gratitude was soon swallowed by very real fear for herself and her sister such as she had never before felt.

The sparsely attired French-Canadian Indians tore at Duncan's scarlet coat and brass buttons and the medals hung on his shoulders and breast. Some approached Gamut and tore off his pale blue coat. The older man, who had seemed so simple before, wisely took no affront and patiently bore all that was done to him. Cora noted in the frenzy that Duncan's empty pistol had also been taken.

A thin youth with a long grey feather dangling from his hair approached Alice, who shrank back against the tall man who held her wrists. Cora attempted to pull away from her own captor and to approach her sister but was yanked back roughly.

She cried out angrily, but was ignored. Though it was not as though she had expected any different.

Duncan heard the cry and saw the hand outstretched to take Alice's scalp. He gave a great yell and threw himself forward. But his thick-set guards dragged him back, and when he continued to struggle, they threw him to the ground and pinned him there on his face.

Alice screamed as the youth grabbed her braided hair and Cora screamed with her. Cora threw herself forward again and stomped on the bare foot of the warrior who held her. He wrestled her back and yelled something in his own language. She threw her skull back into his face.

He cried out and wrestled her back more tightly against his chest. Something hot trickled down her neck. Then to her great surprise, the leader of the band, a large burly man with a handsome face, yelled something to his men and gestured to the youth to release Alice. The tall Indian scowled at him but he stepped away. With a pounding heart, Cora hit out at her captor and he released her too. He pushed her toward her sister angrily. She stumbled, but spared no time in rushing forward and drawing Alice into her embrace.

Alice sobbed into her shoulder and Cora couldn't keep back the two tears that rolled down her own cheeks and disappeared into her sister's golden hair. All about them she vaguely heard the yells exchanged between their captors as they once more searched the cave and returned and then went back to search it again.

Around the time Alice finally composed herself, Cora heard Duncan's voice. He was speaking calmly for a change and it intrigued her. He was a good friend and a good man, but he was also prone to a savage and unreasoning temper in the defence of Alice's honour and safety. When he was in that mood it was impossible to reason with him and he could not curb his tongue.

…"an unarmed man what his captors say," he was saying over the roar of the cataract.

The response came, to her surprise, from Magua, who stood beside Duncan. "They ask for the hunter who knows the paths through the woods," he said. "La Longue Carabine!— His rifle is good, and his eye is never shut; but like your short gun it is nothing against the life of Le Renard Subtil."

"Le Renard is too brave to remember the hurts received in war," Duncan returned, "or the hands that gave them."

The band streamed out of the cave and came back speaking amongst themselves too loudly for Cora to hear the rest of the exchange. Little good it would have done me, she thought. Duncan has good intentions but even he can not deny that the desire for revenge is human nature and to forget or forgive a hurt is a challenge for even a Christian who has the strength and grace of God to draw from. Oh, please do not stumble through ill thought words to your death.

She stood with Alice a long time before anything else caught her attention. Once more it was Heyward's words. "If you mean the younger Delaware," he said, "he too is gone down with the water."

Cora's hands that had been hitherto rubbing soothing circles on Alice's back stilled. He has abandoned us, she wondered. It cannot be. No.

Their captors held a conference amongst themselves and when they were done they dispersed. A dozen or so ran down to the water's edge and disappeared. The tall Indian took Alice's arm and the same warrior from before laid a heavy hand on Cora's shoulder. They silently directed the two women to a place at the top of the island and then stopped.

In the beating sun, Cora stood and watched the rushing water fearfully. It did not foam white at that place and was indeed almost calm. Her captor's hand remained securely on her shoulder even when she attempted to shrug it off. Staring down into the deep river Cora wondered what was in store for herself and her companions.

A canoe—the birchbark, she realised—appeared around the bend of the island. There were two men sitting in it and steering it while a dozen more clung to its sides in the water. When the canoe touched the island, Alice' captor began to push her down the steep slope. Without a thought, Cora slid frantically down after her. It was obvious that it was into the canoe that they were going and Alice was in no condition to enter it on her own. Cora had no intention of allowing anyone else to help her sister into the narrow boat. Someone shouted at her but she paid them no mind.

The water was cold and her skirts swirled about her waist the moment she plunged into the current. The cold drove the air from her lungs and for a single terrible instant she watched the water and wondered whether it would carry her away. But a spirit of bravery entered her heart and she forgot about herself and instead focused on her sister. When she was in reach, Cora took her and drew her alongside the canoe. The men who had come along with it and who were now holding it in place by the rock parted for her to help her shuddering sister into the canoe. There were several great splashes from behind which caused such a wave that the canoe rose up higher in the water than before and Cora and several of their Indians captors lost their hold on it.

She shrieked. The water closed over her head and flooded into her mouth. Hands grabbed her and pulled her up. She hung from her saviour's grip, shivering, while water streamed from her face. Looking over her shoulder she saw that the causes of the wave were none other than Duncan, Mr. Gamut and three of their captors. Both Alice and Cora's particular guards were among them. None of the five men looked particularly pleased by the arrangement, Mr. Gamut least so. At another time Cora might have smiled at the picture he created drenched and floundering in the river. Instead she called to the scarred warrior who was the closest of the five.

"Tu viens m'aider à monter dans le pirogue." A few heads turned and the man she addressed scowled at her but he did swing her up into the boat as she had ordered.

Duncan and Mr. Gamut followed quickly after. As soon as all were seated the men who clung to the canoe pushed off the rock and floated alongside the swiftly moving bark. Their captors brought the canoe to shore almost exactly opposite the place where they had entered the water the evening before. There they were pulled from the canoe and left to stand in the midst of the circle of men as they spoke in their own language with various French words interspersed throughout their dialogue.

Cora and Alice's skirts clung to their legs and for the first time that summer Cora was glad to be wearing her petticoats, they preserved her modesty. Their skirts streamed cold water onto the sand and it pooled beneath them. Alice clung to her crying once more. Cora rocked her to and fro, murmuring nonsense words under her breath.

Four Indians stepped out of the tree line and slid down the steep bank. The circle welcomed them and a few minutes after another group of men broke off from the circle and disappeared into the woods. Those who remained dispersed along the water line except for the tall one and the three thick-set warriors who held Duncan in place. Cora thought that they were overly cautious, for she knew that Duncan would do nothing to endanger Alice or herself and to continue to struggle might lead them to unknown harm. The men who had gone returned quickly.

Soon they were directed up the steep bank. Cora thought that the Indians were unnecessarily rough with Duncan as they walked. When they reached the top she saw their horses. Duncan's charger and Mr. Gamut's mare were jerking at their bridles and swishing their tails irritably. Several times Duncan's black tried to rear up and once the mare bit the man who was holding her reins. He yelled in anger and hit the mare across the nose lightly with his bloody hand. The horse drew back, shocked. The other two horses, the sister's mounts, stood docilely.

The next few minutes passed in a flurry of movement too quick for Cora to fully comprehend what was happening until she was no longer in sight of the river.

Their captors had first hurriedly made them all remove their boots and put on leather slippers. Then they had ordered the women to mount two of the horses, Cora's mare and Alice's Narragansett gelding.

There was great urgency in their voices and movements. Alice was weak with shock and she clung to Cora. When they pulled her away she fainted. This caused a greater commotion and Mr. Gamut began railing at the warrior holding him in place for not allowing him to "assist the lady in her plight."

The warriors crowded around Alice as she lay on the bank. Cora tried to approach but she was held back. A few seconds later the tall Indian boosted Alice, who was now aware, into her saddle.

The scarred warrior ordered Cora to mount the other horse. Having no saddle and stirrups—she had removed them the evening before—she required a helping hand to mount and Magua performed the service, much to her distaste. Still, she had been made to admit to herself that, if she could forget his betrayal and unknown intentions, he had behaved in an utterly respectful manner to both herself and Alice.

The group of French Indians split. Fourteen, including their leader who was mounted on Duncan's black charger, took the canoe and Mr. Gamut's mare and crossed the river to the north bank. The remaining seven warriors, which included Magua, Cora's and Alice's guards, and Duncan and Mr. Gamut's captors moved off to the south.