The story has now reached the end of the first long chase, during which one pattern of pursuit-capture-escape-and-pursuit is completed. But Cooper has made sure that the present safety for the main characters is only relative. He has made the reader aware that the defending English are far outnumbered and contained by the ten thousand French and their Indian allies; even the sentimental reader who may feel relief and a gush of emotional release at the reunion of the father and daughters knows that the protagonists now face the double danger of foes and can no longer maneuver as they did in the forests. If any lull is to come, it will be in terms of action, not suspense.
The action here is so intense that little individual characterization is presented. Gamut is barely present, and Uncas apparently has no chance to show his interest in Cora. At one point Hawkeye relates some of the history of the tribe of Mohicans, and his reference to his two companions keeps alive the background theme of tribal demise. But rather than its setting him apart as an individual, Chingachgook's taking of scalps merely shows how much he still has in common with all other Indians, though his actions do stand in contrast to Uncas' behavior in the preceding chapter. Hawkeye, who sees Chingachgook's actions as part of his Indian "gift," evinces one new character element with his superstition at the "bloody pond." However, since Cooper is busy rounding out his action, he does not dwell on theme or characterization in these moments.
