The Mohegan Maiden — page 60: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

62 THE MOHEGAN MAIDEN. Looking upward, Archibald beheld the secret of the sudden descent in the remnant of the deerskin rope which dangled far above, while upon the shelf at his feet lay fully fifteen feet of the parted strand. Thus relieved from the danger of further immediate visita- tion, the young man scrutinized the cavern. A pitiful and memorable sight met his eyes. Sitting upright against the wall was the big warrior, holding in his arms the body of the young brave, gazing intently into the glassy eyes, while a low moan, like the sighing of winds through the forest, broke from his lips. The full light of the sun through the rift lit up the faces of the dying and the dead, and Archibald readily discovered, in the touching group, father and son— so much alike did they look when the sign of Death lay upon their foreheads. The moan soon changed to a wail, so wild and so filled with the pathos of grief as to cause tears to stream from the eyes of the solitary spectator. Oh, how he yearned, then, to bind up that ghastly wound, and to restore father and son again to the lodge whose door they never more would darken ! That more than human wail died away, and then there arose the solemn death-chant—the warrior still clasping his boy; but it suddenly ceased ; the singer’s head fell forward on his breast; the warrior was no more; he was alone with the dead. What should now be done? To emerge from his cave and expose his person was to incur great hazard from the now excited savages—three more of whose number had now perished in their hunt after the white. That they would en- deayor to gain the retreat in such combined numbers ag would overwhelm him, he clearly foresaw. Escape was imperative then, if he would be saved a most horrible death. But how to elude the lynx-eyed foe? was a question beyond his power to answer; and he could only hope that the Providence who had guided him thus far would still direct his steps to safety. Fearing an assault from the plateau, he proeeeded so to bar the narrow entrance with stones as to give him all the ad- vantage in event of an attack. This done, he began to ex- plore the chamber more fully, hoping to discover an opening, Which would again bring him out on the face of the cliff, comliclbooks.com