Chapter V
Magua escapes the chase; he is only slightly wounded by Hawkeye’s
rifle shot. Now Heyward, Hawkeye, Uncas and Chingachgook know
they are in great danger from Indians who wait in the forest
until nightfall when they can strike. Uncas and Chingachgook
kill a foal and hide the remainder of the horses, while Hawkeye,
Heyward, David and the two women take a canoe down river, since
water leaves no tracks. The two Indians then rejoin them, and
they all arrive at a secluded rock, level with the water, at
Glenn’s Falls. They hope that they will not be detected
by the Indians Hawkeye calls Iroquois (he also refers to them
as Mingo). Hawkeye and the two Mohicans disappear into a crack
in the rock that leads to a cavern.
Chapter VI
The whole party takes refuge in the narrow, deep cavern, which
has two openings, one of which leads into another cave. The
location is secure because they are on an island, surrounded
by waterfalls and rivers. They eat supper of venison, and Uncas
waits on the two women with great courtesy. Hawkeye strikes
up a conversation with David, who explains that he is a singing
teacher to youths in Connecticut. Hawkeye is unimpressed, thinking
that this is an impractical vacation. But he asks David for
a demonstration. David sings a sacred song, and Cora and Alice
join him. Hawkeye is moved to tears by the performance. But
then a strange, unearthly cry is heard from outside. No one
knows what it is, but it is not the Indian war-whoop. The cry
is heard again, and they are all fearful, not knowing what danger
may be upon them.
Analysis
The beginning of Chapter V shows the inexperience of Heyward
in coping with an environment with which he is obviously unfamiliar.
While Hawkeye and the Mohicans start immediately on the pursuit
of the fleeing Magua, Heyward remains “fixed, for a few
moments, in inactive surprise.” He simply does not know
what to do. It is as well that he is willing to listen to the
greater experience of Hawkeye, otherwise it is clear that Heyward
would not have lasted long in this hostile terrain. (His naivete
was also apparent in Chapter IV, when he clumsily tried to apprehend
Magua, discounting the cunning of the other.)
The different names
used for the Indians can be confusing for the reader. The principle
villains of the book are the Hurons. Magua is a Huron. Hawkeye
also dislikes the Mohawks and Oneidas. These are two of the
tribes that made up the confederation known to the English as
the “Six Nations.” These tribes are also known collectively
as the Mengwe, the Maquas (the name given to them by the Dutch),
or the Mingoes (a contemptuous term often used by Hawkeye).
The French gave them the name of Iroquois.
Hawkeye admires the
tribe of the Delawares, even though the common wisdom, as Heyward
states it in Chapter V, is that they have given up arms and
“are content to be called women.” This refers to
the historical fact that the Delawares were persuaded by the
Dutch and the Mengwe to trust their defense entirely to the
Mengwe.
The Delawares, whose original name for themselves was “Lenni
Lenape,” are descended from the same people as the Mohicans,
a fact that will become extremely important in the closing chapters
of the novel. |
