The Last of The Mohicans comes out with both novel and movie. The action takes place around Glens Falls in upstate New York. Cora and Alice Munro, daughters of Lieutenant Colonel Munro, are traveling with a column of reinforcements from Fort Edward to Fort William Henry. In the party are David Gamut, the singing teacher and Major Duncan Heyward, the group's military leader.
The Huron scout, Magua, offers to take the Munro party by a shorter route than that which the column must take. Unknown to them, Magua - who they believe to have been expelled from his tribe in disgrace - has been reinstead as chief and is a supporter of the French cause. Magua intends to lead the party into an ambush but is foiled when they meet Natty Bumppo also referred to in this novel as Hawkeye and the two Mohicans, Chingachgook and his son Uncas, on the road.
Magua flees and escapes the battle. Later, he returns with more Hurons and captures Cora, Alice and the two men. After a short chase, Natty Bumppo rescues them and Magua escapes once more. Heyward and Bumppo lead the Munro women to Fort William Henry, which is by now surrounded by the French.
Munro sends Bumppo to Fort Edward to request reinforcements but bearing General Webb's reply, he is captured by the French, who deliver him to Fort William Henry without the letter. Heyward attempts to parley with the French but learns nothing. He then returns to Colonel Munro and announces his love for Alice. Munro reveals Cora'a heritage - the Colonel's first wife was of mixed race - then gives his permission for Heyward to pay court to Alice.
The French general, Montcalm, invites Munro to a parley. He shows him Webb's letter : the English general has refused to send further reinforcements. Realizing that his cause is lost, Munro reluctantly agrees to Montcalm's terms. The British soldiers, together with their wounded and women and children are allowed to leave the fort and withdraw. Outside the fort, the column is set upon by 2000 French allied Indian warriors. In the chaos of the massacre, Magua finds Cora and Alice, and leads them away towards the Huron village. David Gamut follows at a distance.
Three days later, Natty Bumppo and the Mohicans, Heyward and Colonel Munro follow Magua's trail. Outside the Huron village, they come across David Gamut, teaching beavers to sing psalms. The Huron have not killed him as they will not harm a madman. Gamut tells them that Alice is in the village, Cora is in another village belonging to the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) tribe, and Magua has gone moose hunting. Heyward disguises himself as a French medicine man and enters the village with Gamut, intending to rescue Alice. Hawkeye and Uncas set out to rescue Cora. Chingachgook remains with Colonel Munro, who has become somewhat deranged as a result of event.
Heyward's disguises is successful but before he can find Alice, Uncas is led into the village, having been captured by the Hurons. Magus returns and demands that Uncas be put to death but does not recognize Heyward in his guise as a medicine man. Natty Bumppo steals a bearskin from a village shaman and uses it to disguise himself while he follows Heyward. They rescue Alice and tell the Hurons that she is sick and must be removed from the village. David Gamut switches places with Uncas, allowing Uncas to escape. The group flees to the Delaware village.
The Hurons discover Gamut and realize that Uncas has escaped. Magua tells them everything about Hawkeye's and Heyward's deception, enraging the other Hurons who vow revenge against Hawkeye and his companions and quickly reaffirm Magua as their chief.
Magua then makes his way to the Delaware village and demands his prisoners. At the council of chiefs, the venerable sage Tamenund is called on to make the final judgement. He asks which of the prisoners is La Longue Carabine and Heyward claims that it is he, so a shooting match is organized at which Hawkeye outshoots the Major.
Uncas offends the Huron, who tear off his clothing. They discover he has tattoos marking him as a great chief. Realizing this, Tamenund accedes to all that Uncas asks, except that he says he cannot free Cora as it was Magua who bought her to the village. Magua reluctantly agrees to Uncas's demands but announces his intention to keep Cora as his wife, and leaves the village. According to custom, Tamenund has agreed to give Magua a three-hour head start. David Gamut finds his way to the Delaware Village and tells the group that he saw Magua and Cora return to the Huron village.
A battle breaks out between the Hurons and the Delaware, who are in three parties : one led by Hawkeye and Heyward, one by Uncas and one by Chingachgook and Munro. Magua escapes with Cora and two of his warriors and they seek to flee by a mountain path which has a precipitous drop on one side but Cora stops on a rocky ledge and refuses to go further. Uncas attacks the Huron but both he and Cora are killed in the fight. Natty Bumppo arrives too late and shoots Magua.
The novel concludes with a lengthy account of the funerals of Uncas and Cora. The Lenni Lenape sing that Uncas and Cora will marry in the afterlife. Hawkeye does not believe this but he renews his friendship with Chingachgook. Tamenund foresees that "The pale-faces are masters of the earth and the time of the red-men has not yet come again..."
P/S : What I like most is the soundtrack. ^^
