Last of the Mohicans Chapter 25 Summary

  • Epigraph from A Midsummer Night's Dream.
  • The narrator notes this is an oddly ridiculous yet solemn scene. The bear continues its weird dance.
  • The chief dismisses all the women surrounding his sick wife, telling them to allow Heyward to work.
  • Heyward tries some hocus-pocus. He is interrupted three times by successively savage growls from the bear.
  • The Huron chief prepares to leave. He tells Heyward the woman is the wife of a brave young man.
  • Heyward is left alone with the sick woman and the bear, who comes over and sits down next to him.
  • Heyward looks around for a weapon, but he's out of luck. Instead of continuing to twitch in a weird dance, however, the bear actually turns into a grinning Hawkeye.
  • Whaaaaaat.
  • Heyward is surprised. (Understatement of the year.) He asks Hawkeye for an update.
  • We'll give you the update from Hawkeye's point of view to save us from constantly typing "he said."
  • Chingachgook and Munro are hiding out in an old beaver lodge, which is super-safe because the Hurons still respect the beaver as a sacred animal.
  • Uncas and Hawkeye went to the other encampment.
  • Heyward interjects at this point and tells Hawkeye that Uncas is held captive and scheduled to die in the morning.
  • This turns out to be the reason that Hawkeye returned.
  • Hawkeye and Uncas had fallen in with a return party of Hurons, one of whom proved to be cowardly (that would be Reed-that-bends) and ran away, leading them straight into an ambush.
  • Heyward interjects to tell him that the young man was killed.
  • Hawkeye resumes his story.
  • He shot the other Hurons, then got closer to the lodges and found a conjurer preparing to get dressed. Hawkeye tied the man up and took his bearskin.
  • Heyward compliments Hawkeye on his bear imitation.
  • (We're just disappointed that you can't actually domesticate bears.)
  • Hawkeye asks after Alice. Heyward tells him she is nowhere to be found.
  • Hawkeye points out that David said Alice is nearby. He scouts around and finds her hidden behind a door.
  • Heyward is all excited to rescue her, but Hawkeye points out that Heyward is not exactly looking his best.
  • Heyward washes off his disguise in a stream, then goes off to free Alice.
  • Hawkeye busies himself with checking out the cavern's supplies.
  • Heyward finds Alice and they have a happy reunion. He warns her that their journey is far from over, then confesses his love for her.
  • He is interrupted by a tap on his shoulder.
  • It's Magua. Aah!
  • Heyward is ready to duke it out man-to-man, but concern for Alice prevents him from doing so.
  • It looks like gloom n' doom for our happy couple, until the bear shows up.
  • Magua is taken aback for a moment, but then recognizes the bearskin as the one used often by the local conjurer. He tells the bear to get lost.
  • Hawkeye takes this opportunity to pin Magua down. Together the men tie him up and gag him.
  • Score 1 for the bear.
  • Hawkeye tells Heyward that they better get going.
  • Heyward replies that Alice is incapacitated with fear.
  • Hawkeye suggests bundling her up and carrying her. Heyward acquiesces.
  • On their way out, they pass the sick woman. All of her friends and relatives have congregated outside.
  • Hawkeye whispers to Heyward that he must pretend they are taking the sick woman to the woods.
  • Hawkeye continues pretending to be a bear, and Heyward speaks to the crowd.
  • The woman's father and husband try to enter the cavern, but Heyward cautions them that they may catch the disease.
  • In the cooler air, Alice starts struggling to free herself from the blankets, even though she loves the opportunity to be snuggled by Heyward.
  • Hawkeye directs the couple down a path that leads to a brook that should lead them to a group of Delawares. They can demand protection from this group of Indians.
  • Hawkeye goes to rescue Uncas: "The Hurons hold the pride of the Delawares; the last of the high blood of the Mohicans is in their power."
  • Heyward and Alice try to dissuade Hawkeye from this rescue attempt.
  • Hawkeye notes that Heyward risked everything to rescue the woman he loves (Alice), and that Uncas is like a son to him.
  • The three part ways.