Last Of The Mohicans Essay -- essays research papers

The book begins in the middle of the French and Indian War in upper New York State near the Hudson River and Lake Chaplain. General Webb has just gotten word from an Indian that Moncalm and the French are going to attack Fort William Henry and that Colonel Munro will not be ale to keep the fort because he only has one thousand men and that he (Webb) needs to send reinforcements immediately. Upon hearing this, he ordered fifteen hundred men to be ready to march at dawn and has Cora and Alice Munro sent to their father at Fort William Henry accompanied by Major Duncan Heyward on horseback. They went along an Indian path which was to get them to Fort William Henry faster and they were lead by an Indian runner, from the time they left Fort Edward the two sisters were suspicious of their Indian Guide, Le Renard Subtil. A little while into their trip, they meet the singing master David Gamut who asked to accompany them to Fort William Henry. Not to far away in the same forest, were an Indian and a White man talking about their race’s existence in the "New World." The Indian was Chingachgook, the chief of the Mohicans, and the White man, Hawkeye; this was the name given to him by the Indians. They talk for a while and then decide to eat. Uncas kills them something for dinner and shortly after, The Party on it’s way to Fort William Henry runs into them along the path. They stop for a while and talk and then ask for directions to Fort William Henry. Hawkeye is suspicious of their guide and ask to see him to find out if he is an Iroquois, Hawkeye looks and discovers he is. Learning this, Duncan goes to keep their guide there so that Chingachgook and Uncas can do something about him. As Duncan was staling, Chingachgook and Uncas jumped out of the foliage and accidentally chased him away. They chase after him for a while and wound him but in the end, he is to fast for them and they return to Duncan and his party. Feeling that they were still not safe, Hawkeye offers to help them at no cost. They boarded Hawkeye’s canoe and they head for safety. Chingachgook and Uncas offered to lead the horses up stream to where the others were going by canoe. They go to and island at the foot of Glenn’s Falls for safety. Once everyone was one the island torches were lit and they went down into a cavern. At the break of dawn, the Iroquois began their attack. The attack laste... ...uois and when that time came, they went to rescue Cora. They find out that Cora has been hidden in a cave on the side of a mountain so that’s where they go. The Iroquois chief and two of his braves try to fight off Hawkeye, Duncan, and Uncas. The chief uses Cora as a shield. The chief then pulled out a knife and asked Cora if she wanted to die or be his wife. She didn’t answer so he killed her. Uncas froze in horror and the chief took this opportunity and killed him too. The chief then ran up the mountain. Hawkeye stopped and aimed his rifle at the murderer. Having gotten a good deal above Hawkeye and Heyward now the chief pushed a large rock down towards them from above and then attempted to jump to a ledge where he could not be reached. As he jumped, he fell short of his target and just managed to grab hold of a bush growing from the side of the mountain. Seeing this opportunity Hawkeye shot him and the chief fell to his death. There was a lot of mourning over Cor a’s and Uncas’ death and there were funerals for both of them. For many years afterward, Hawkeye and Chingachgook prowled the forest together and never forgot the ties of brotherhood that had taken root on Uncas’ grave.