as a soldier is militarily first-rate in his milieu: the open battlefields of europe. right now, however, he is about to enter the forests of north america. he closes his clasp and glances out the window as we enter albany and as a facade of buildings & people pass.
you, there. help my man outside with the baggage.
major duncan heyward reporting, sir!
i didn't experience anything so surprising from bristol to albany as what i witnessed here today.
the crown "negotiating" the terms of service?
i thought british policy is 'make the world .  england', sir.
sir! .  might i enquire if general webb has heard from colonel munro's daughters? i was to rendezvous with them in albany and escort them to the fort.
by your leave, sir.
dawn. at the encampment. six a.m. sharp. see to it you're there.
my god it's good to see you.
and by sea!
aversion? no. .  "hatred" .  "loathing" .
but it was worth it all to end in a garden by your side.
isn't respect and friendship, a reasonable basis for a man and woman to be joined? and all else may grow in time ?
"some"?
cora, in my heart, i know once we're joined, we'll be the happiest couple in england. let those whom you trust, your father, help settle what's best for you. in view of your indecision, why not rely on their advice and judgment as well as mine?
will you consider that?
my god, you've grown up.
yes, miss.
it can be dangerous .
climbs onto his white military charger. it's spirited. cora & alice are in riding dresses and veils. the veil doesn't completely cover alice's golden hair and blue eyes and the flush of her complexion. they're riding two sidesaddled narragansetts. the tight traveling dress reveals that cora, two or three years older than alice, is fuller and more mature. all three ride to the front of the column. the baggage horses and mule are in the gap between the two companies.
are you alright?
absolutely.
you there, scout!
we must .  stop .  soon. women are .  tired. you .  understand?
no. stop in the glade just ahead! when the ladies are rested, we will proceed. do you understand?
excuse me. what did you say?
pulling his fusil , seeing, firing, reaching for the women .
from horseback aims his horse pistol, fires .
by the munro daughters spins, swinging his fusil like a ball-bat, upending one huron and lunges with his bayonet in his left towards another. but this huron easily slips the thrust and slams heyward with his rifle butt.
in the confused melee, grabs a found musket and aims it at an indian. we recognize that he's aiming at chingachgook pursuing the second huron up the hill .
 why the bloody hell he do that to the horses?!
we were headed .
conforms. he's ill at ease not being in command, following the lead of some half-indian frontiersman through a foreign wilderness.]
how far is it, scout?
colonel munro sent him. he was one of our mohawk allies.
what?!
miss cora munro. he never set eyes on her before today.
of course not! and how is it you were nearby?
then you're assigned to fort william henry?
fort edward, then?
i thought all our colonial scouts were in the militia?
then you are one of those who would allow england to fight alone while she protects you from france?
i owe you gratitude or i'd call you out!
who were these people?
excuse me .
let us look after them .
the men of the regiment will fetch water from the lake, build fires and provide every comfort you desire, alice .
posting to a different continent.
i'm major duncan heyward!
where's colonel munro? his daughters are here, too.
one called magua arrived.
sir. webb has no idea. and he certainly does not know to send reinforcements!
ambush .  on the george road. this magua led us into it. .  eighteen killed. it's these men who saved us. they guided us here .
might i enquire after the situation, sir, given that i've seen of the french engineering from the ridge above?
they look to be three hundred yards out. you have three days.
webb's not in albany. he marched the 33rd to fort edward two days ago.
yes, sir.
things were done. nobody was spared .
sergeant! form three ranks!
fire!!!
advance, sergeant major!
fire!!!
sergeant major!
thank you, sergeant major. thank the men.
cora .  i wanted to talk to you, but i'll come back another time .
i'm sorry, i didn't mean to .
cora, i adore you and, when we come together, we will be the happiest couple in england .  i am certain of that. more than ever before. i believe you must trust the judgment of others who hold your welfare so close to their hearts .
i see .
munro is expecting him to be the good soldier in defense of british military interests. at the same time .
looks at munro. more french rounds detonate o.s. what if webb gets here and they need to launch a counter-attack? they need every man they have. it's his moment of decision .
i saw nothing that would lead me to the conclusion it was other than a raid by savages bent on thievery.
can't help it. he turns to look at cora .
suffused with an inner sadness, turns to hawkeye.
that is sedition! treason!
i ought to have you whipped from this fort!
enters.
he knew the penalty for breaking regulations. he ought to pay without sending you to beg.
and who empowered these provincials to pass judgment upon england's policies in her own colonies? to come and go without so much as a "by your leave."
you are defending him because you've become infatuated with him.
this is the signature of webb. and i know the temper of our men. rather than spend the war in a french prison hulk in hudson bay, they'd fight to the end.
general webb can burn in hell. we'll go back and dig our graves behind the ramparts! our mission is to fight.
sir!
scanning them.
men are to stay in file, sergeant major!
draws his sword and is passing orders to his sergeant major, scanning the hills .
shouting orders.
fire!
fire!
shouting orders over the deafening noise.
second rank fire! six paces back! prime! load! third rank! present!
six paces back! prime! load! rank two, present! rank two, hold!
rank two, six paces back! rank one, present!
is indifferent to huron musket balls. hawkeye hasn't stopped paddling and pays heyward no heed.
when you fall into british hands again, nathaniel poe, i will have you hanged.
how long?
do you hear me, sir! if you ever fall .  into british hands .  what white water?
grabs a rock to anchor the bow of the canoe. he loses his grip. the canoe rockets for the edge.
crawls forward and makes the island. then the two redcoats. finally uncas. the canoe rockets over the falls. meanwhile .
where do we go from here?
i don't understand!
then what?
and if we're unlucky?
any powder?
sees cora & hawkeye together and turns away.
what the bloody hell plan is this?
coward! coward back at the fort. coward here.
puts alice, who's entered, behind him as .  uncas hits the floor of the cave. now the first glow from huron torches starts to light the walls. they're coming .
badly beaten, bound, staggers ahead to get behind maqua. then:
if magua give women to yengeese soldiers .  will receive many gifts.
three, four oxen .  much wampum.
yes.
yes.
gold could be arranged.
yes.
the king? the king has mountains of gold!
what is enough?
is shoved forward.
is immediately hamstrung and his legs collapse. he gasps. he's caught under the arms and dragged forward.
 compliments, mr. poe. take her and get out.
among the hollering hurons, is shot dead. it goes unnoticed.