FADE IN

	The screen is a microcosm of leaf, crystal drops of precipitation, a stone, 
	emerald green moss. It's a landscape in miniature. We HEAR the forest. Some 
	distant birds. Their sound seems to reverberate as if in a cavern. A piece of 
	sunlight refracts within the drops of water, paints a patch of moss yellow. The 
	whisper of wind is joined by another sound that mixes with it. A distant 
	rustling. It gets closer and louder. It's shallow breathing. It gets ominous. 
	We're interlopers on the floor of the forest and something is coming. 

	SUDDENLY: A MOCCASINED FOOT
	
	rockets through the frame scaring us and ... 

	EXTREMELY CLOSE: PART OF AN INDIAN FACE
	running hard. His head shaved bald except for a scalp-lock. Tattoos. He's 
	twenty-five. He seems tall and muscled. Heavy, even breathing. We'll learn later 
	this man is UNCAS, the last of the Mohicans. 

	PROFILE: UNCAS' ARMS

	flash as he runs. One carries a flintlock musket. Sweat on the man's skin. A 
	calico shirt is gathered at the waist with a wampum belt of small white beads 
	over a breechcloth. He wears leggings to protect his legs. A long-handled 
	tomahawk is stuffed in his belt. 

	CUT TO ... 

	ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - MASSIVE WAR CLUB - DAY

	in the hand of another running man. He's heavier, older ... 
	
	CHEST

	A green bear claw is tattooed there. Silver armband. A snake is tattooed over 
	his left eyebrow. Silver rings in his ear. He's forty to forty-five. His head is 
	shaved into a scalp-lock. It says: "Come and lift this from me. Take it, if you 
	can ..." That prospect strikes us as extremely unlikely. This man is 

	CHINGACHGOOK.

	The French call him "Le Gros Serpent," the Great Snake, because 
	"he knows the winding ways of men's nature and he can strike a sudden, deathly 
	blow." 

	WIDE ANGLE: CHINGACHGOOK

	runs, disturbing no leaves, no branches; making no sound. He's running parallel 
	to Uncas through the cathedral of mature forest. It's heavily canopied. There's 
	very little brush. The girth of the trees is huge. Shafts of light illuminate 
	motes of dust and turn leaves emerald where the sun breaks through. Sometimes 
	there's ferns; rhododendron, sometimes pale grass and outcroppings of rock. 
	These men run the forest streams, over boulders, fallen trees and down into 
	ravines as if they own them. They do. 

	CUT TO ... 

	ANOTHER PART OF THE FOREST - LONG BLACK HAIR - DAY

	rocketing through trees. His torn buckskin shirt is tied at the waist with a 
	wampum belt holding a tomahawk and a large knife. A long rifle in which is 
	carved the name "Killdeer" is in his right fist. Indian tattooing on his chest. 
	His name is NATHANIEL POE. He's a few years older than Uncas. The French and 	the French-speaking tribes know him as La Longue Carabine (Long Rifle). Other 
	frontiersmen in New York colony and the Iroquois and Delaware-speaking tribes 
	know him as Hawkeye. Sweat stains his shirt. He flashes through the tree 
	branches disturbing nothing. Making no sound. 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: A PIECE OF TAN

	two hundred and fifty yards away, a few square inches buried in the foliage ... 

	SUDDENLY HE STOPS

	Killdeer's at his shoulder ... 

	HAWKEYE'S THUMB

	cocks the lock holding the piece of flint: click. 

	UNCAS

	stops dead, holding out his hand ... no sound. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	slips through young trees and stops, shouldering his smoothbore musket. Is this 
	an ambush? 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: RACK FOCUS THROUGH THE GUN SIGHT

	Five feet and fourteen pounds of rifle is elevated a half inch and shifted left, 
	off target. It's a precise, smooth movement. No human quiver. 

	KILLDEER'S TRIGGER

	tighter ... 

	THE COCK

	holding the flint hits the iron file of the frizzen, shooting sparks into the 
	pan of priming powder which flashes and ... 

	TAN
	is a huge elk that leaps at the sound. 

	KILLDEER'S MUZZLE

	CRACKS like lightning. 

	AN ELK

	leaps where the .59 caliber round was programmed to intercept him. On the moment 
	of impact ... 

	WIDE

	three men approach the fallen elk and each other. We realize they're hunting 
	together. Hawkeye steps aside for Chingachgook. His massive war club is flat and 
	angles to one side with a stabbing blade. Hawkeye is stepson and stepbrother. 
	The two younger men treat Chingachgook with an easy deference and affection. 
	Hawkeye's a dialectic of two cultures. In his coloration and worldliness he's 
	more the Anglo-Saxon frontiersman. In his independent views and candid manner 
	and in his combat skills and woodsmanship, he's more native American (Mohican). 
	As Chingachgook takes out his long knife and they approach the fallen elk ...] 
	
					CHINGACHGOOK 
				(low Mohican; sub-titled)
			We're sorry to kill you, Brother. 
			Forgive us. I do honor to your courage and 
			speed, your strength ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR - INTERIOR CAMERON CABIN - JOHN CAMERON - NIGHT

	roasts potatoes on a stick in the stone fireplace next to CAPTAIN JACK WINTHROP, 
	an American in very worn quasi-military gear. On a rough table in the tiny cabin 
	ALEXANDRIA, his wife, is kneading bread. Three children climb on their father. 
	He grabs their wild seven year old son, JAMES, who shrieks laughter and dodges 
	away. The cabin has two primitive rooms, waxed paper windows, log walls. O.S. a 
	dog barks. Others pick it up. Cameron & Jack are suddenly alert, reaching for 
	weapons ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR CAMERON CABIN, DOORWAY - CAMERON - NIGHT

	appears warily, musket in hand. 

	FENCE: CHINGACHGOOK

					CHINGACHGOOK
			Halloo! John Cameron! 

	Doorway: Cameron towards the interior ... 

					CAMERON
			Alexandria! Set three more places.
				(to the fence)
			How is Chingachgook, then? 

	Behind him, emerging from the dark trees are Hawkeye, Uncas, cradling flint 
	locks, blankets and packs over their shoulders, leading a mule laden with skins 
	and the elk carcass. Crossing the splitrail fence ... 

					CHINGACHGOOK
			The Master of Life is good. Another year pass ... 
			How is it with you, John? 

					CAMERON
			Gettin' along. Yes, it is. 
				(warm) 
			Nathaniel. 

					HAWKEYE
			Hello John. Cleared another quarter, I see. 

					CAMERON
				(shakes hands with Uncas)
			Yes, I did. 

	JAMES CAMERON

	tears past his father & runs full bore. Just before he's going to collide into 
	Uncas, he leaps into the air and Uncas snatches him with one hand and swings him 
	up onto his shoulders. The kid screams with delight and rides back towards the 
	cabin that way. Alexandria comes to the door. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR CABIN - CHINGACHGOOK - EVENING (LATER)

	lights & smokes a clay pipe. The scene says: this is a rustic, frontier home and 
	these people have known each other & live in dangerous circumstances. 

					ALEXANDRIA
			If Uncas is with you, that means he has not 
			found a woman and started a family yet. 

					CHINGACHGOOK
			Your eyes are too sharp, Alexandria Cameron. 
			They see into my heart. 

					UNCAS
			Your farm good to you this year, John? 

					CAMERON
			It was a good year for corn. 

					UNCAS
			Mohawk field we saw was 5 mile long on 
			the river. Chief Joseph Brandt's field. 

					CAMERON
			You take much fur? 

					HAWKEYE
			That we did. John. But the horicane 
				(sic)
			is near trapped out. 

					JACK
			Tradin' your skins in Castleton? 

					UNCAS
			No, Schylerville. With the Dutch for silver.
			French & English want to buy with wampum 
			& brandy. 

	Pause, then ... 

					HAWKEYE
			So what is it, Jack? What brings you up here? 

					JACK
			A French & Indian army out of Fort Carillon's 
			heading south to war against the English. I'm 
			here to raise this county's militia to aid the 
			British defense. 

					HAWKEYE
			Folks here goin' to join in that fight? 

					JACK
			We'll see in the morning ... 

					CHINGACHGOOK
			Fathers of England & France, both, take more 
			land, furs, than they need. They're cold & full 
			of greed ... 

					JACK
			Few'd deny that? Where you headin'? 

					HAWKEYE
			Trap over the fall and winter among the 
			Delawares in Can-tuck-ee. 

					UNCAS
			So I can find a woman and make Mohican 
			children so our father will leave my brother 
			& me in peace. 

	Alexandria laughs. So do Hawkeye & Chingachgook. 

					JAMES
			A son like me? 

	Uncas grabs James & suspends him upside down.

					UNCAS
			No. You are too strong. Turn me old 
			too fast! 

	Hawkeye grabs the kid from Uncas. The kid's laughing & can't stay still. 
	Chingachgook watches, content, smoking his clay pipe.

					ALEXANDRIA
			That's what he's doin' to his mama ... 

	She ruffles his hair and lifts the heavy iron pot off the tibbet. Uncas goes to 
	help her, she shrugs his hand away and carries it to the table herself. The men 
	gather around. There's pan-baked bread, a dish of salt, and the pot has venison 
	and yellow cornmeal in a kind of stew. Everyone waits.

					CAMERON
			Dear Father, thank you for rewardin' the fruits
			of our labor with plenty. Amen. 

	As they start to eat ... 

	CUT TO ...

	CAMERON'S CABIN - (DAY)

	EXTERIOR CAMERON CABIN - MOHAWK BOY & JAMES CAMERON - MORNING

	slam into other kids as they battle through a Lacrosse game. In the background are
	sixty men, women and children. It's a community gathering held out of doors. 
	We've entered mid-scene. Captain Jack is standing on a box. Some women and kids
	mill around some tables and boards laid over barrels. Cooking fires. Smoke. 
	Most but not all around Captain Jack are men, nine settlers, 3 hunter/trappers, 
	eight Mohawk farmers in mixed European and native clothing. Off to the side are 
	an English Lieutenant on horseback and a ten-man escort from whatever regiment's in
	Albany. A man named HENRI speaks in French. His son, MARTIN, translates. 

					HENRI
				(O.S. in French)

					MARTIN
				(translates) 
			My father says he was driven out of France by 
			the black robe priests and he would fight them 
			now but he lost his arm and so I will go in his 
			place. 

	Meanwhile ... 

	ONGEWASGONE

	is an unusually large Mohawk in a blue match coat with a little girl holding his hand. He
	says something to Chingachgook who nods. Hawkeye and Uncas are a little apart in an
	outer grouping of the men. Ongewasgone is a war chief and wears a white plume and is
	tattooed. As Martin finishes, he steps forward. 

					ONGEWASGONE
			John Cameron, thank you for your hospitality ... 
			Twin River Mohawk got no quarrel with Les 
			Francais. Trade furs with Les Francais. Now Les 
			Francais bring Huron onto Mohawk hunting grounds ... 

	These people are English, Scots-Irish and Dutch farmers; some French Huguenot
	"mechanics" (craftsmen). They're in shirt-sleeves and Indian moccasins & leggings. The
	Mohawks' vast lands and corn agriculture border the settlement. They 've been
	acculturated for over a hundred years. Some wear European calico hunting shirts.
	Their heads are shaved to scalping locks and many are tattooed. They've politically and
	commercially played France & England against each other very adroitly for over a
	hundred years because of their military power and geographic position. Their relations
	with working farmers and settlers and their families has been mostly one of 
	co-existence because there's always been more than enough for all. This is a WPA
	 mural of ethnic diversity and plurality of frontier America. The Europeans are former
	indentured laborers, farmers exiled by economics or religious persecution, frontier
	hunters and trappers ... working people.

					ONGEWASGONE
				(continues) 
			Now Mohawk will fight Huron and Les Francais. 
			My brothers have asked me to lead them in this 
			war so I speak for the Twin River Council. 

	The importance of this commitment is apparent to the lieutenant. 

					LIEUTENANT
			His Majesty King George II is very grateful for 
			your support. 

					IAN
			How far up the valley? 

					LIEUTENANT
			To Fort William Henry. 

					COLONIAL #1
			... two days from here. 

	Some don't like this.

					LIEUTENANT
			It should be enough to remind you France is 
			the enemy. 

					HAWKEYE
			Your enemy ... 

	Heads turn to Hawkeye at the periphery of the crowd.

					LIEUTENANT
			What did you say? 

					HAWKEYE
				(loud)
			I said ... France is your enemy. Not ours. 

					LIEUTENANT
			Really? Do you want them to overrun all 
			New York colony? 

					HAWKEYE
			First place, you started it with the French over 
			fur-trapping claims to the head waters of the Ohio. 
				(smiles) 
			Now you're sayin' these people have a fight on 
			their hands ... 

					LIEUTENANT
				(ignoring Hawkeye)
			Will you men help us stop the French? 

					HAWKEYE
			... and while they are cooped up in your fort, 
			what if the French send war parties to raid 
			their homes? 

					IAN
			What then, Lieutenant? 

					LIEUTENANT
			For your own homes, for king, for country, that's 
			why you men ought to join this fight! 

					HAWKEYE
			You do what you want with your own scalp.
			Do not be tellin' us what to do
			with ours. 

					LIEUTENANT
				(furious; to Hawkeye)
			You, sir! You call yourself a loyal subject? 

					HAWKEYE
			... No ... Do not call myself much of a subject 
			at all. 

	Light laughter.

					COLONIAL #2
			Nathaniel's right. But if I got to fight, figure I'll 
			try and do it fifty miles north of here instead of 
			my bean field. 

					AD LIBS
			Yes. Yeah. No ... 

					CAMERON
			I am stayin' on my farm. And any man who goes,
			his family is welcome to fort-up with us 'til he 
			comes back. 

					JACK
			Boys. My sense of it is enough of us will join-up to 
			fill the county's levy. But only if General Webb 
			accepts a few terms I got in mind ... 

	HAWKEYE & UNCAS

	cross through the people. A few men drift off to their women at the tables. 
	It is apparent two-thirds of the men will join. A couple of jokes, light banter,
	no hostility. 

					AD LIBS 
				(O.S.) 
			Webb? what's that, Jack ...? 

	As they cross through they start removing their shirts and weapons.

					IAN
			You boys marchin' with us? What do you say? 

					UNCAS
			We had our say, Ian. 

	They approach the Lacrosse field. Chingachgook stands with Cameron in the
	background, watching. 

	LACROSSE FIELD

	Uncas joins James. Hawkeye goes on the other side. A couple of young Mohawks and
	a young blonde farmer shout hallo's and as the bodies crash into each other ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR BRITISH ENCAMPMENT, PARADE GROUND - SIX HUNDRED
	62nd REGIMENT OF FOOT - DAY

	in two rows. At each command the crack troops respond en masse. Their hands slap
	the stocks of their brown bess muskets in unison. These men are drilling in preparation
	for war.
	We witness a state-of-the-art, 18th century, precision killing machine.

					REGIMENTAL SGT. MAJOR
				(shouts)
			Shoulder arms! 
				(slam) 
			Order arms! Handle cartridge! 
				(men bite the paper) 
			Prime! 
				(powder dropped in pan)
			Load! Draw ramrods! Ram cartridge! Return ramrod!
			Make ready!
				(muskets at chest height)
			Pre-sent! 
				(muskets shouldered)
			Make ready!
				(muskets returned to chests)
			Pre-sent! 
				(muskets returned to shoulder)
			Fire! 

	Like a single shot, two hundred fifty black powder muskets fire .65 caliber lead shot at
	chest height in a scythe of death. 

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Prime! Load! 

	The Dutch roof lines of Albany are in the distance. Nearer, a coach races past. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR ROAD - HORSES GALLOP - DAY

	Six horses, wide with dumb, mute strain. Foam, manes fly, their hooves pound the
	yellow road into dust. Military outriders are on the three left side horses. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR COACH - MAJOR DUNCAN HEYWARD - DAY

	sits erectly in the brilliant scarlet coat of the First Royal Regiment of Foot with gold
	braid, blue-black facing and blue-black breeches, cavalry boots, spurs, a tricorn, white
	wig (?) and a gorget (large medallion) around his neck. He's 28-30 and tough. He is
	self-sure, principled reactionary. He believes human society is static & layered into
	hierarchies of class and they are absolutely impermeable. He opens a simple gold-
	clasped case & contemplates its contents ... 

	HEYWARD'S POV: CASE

	an enameled portrait of a dark-haired young woman. 

	HEYWARD

	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. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR BRITISH HQ, ASSEMBLY ROOM - DOOR - DAY

	Four Grenadiers come to attention as Heyward enters mid-scene.

					JACK
				(O.S.)
			... if they are not allowed leave to defend their 
			families if the French or Hurons attack the 
			settlements, no colonial militia is goin' to Fort 
			William Henry.

					HEYWARD
				(low)
			You, there. Help my man outside with the baggage. 

	GENERAL JEROME WEBB sees Heyward and nods. Three of Webb's Adjutants are
	on either side. Three remaining Grenadiers in bearskin-covered mitred caps are at the
	door. Facing Webb are a half dozen colonial representatives, including Captain Jack
	Winthrop. Heyward watches Jack ... 

					LIEUTENANT
			They will report or be pressed into service! 

					LARGE COLONIAL REP
			Any of the boys worth havin' can disappear into 
			forest ... time it takes you to blink. Where's that 
			leave ya, then? 

	Heyward, preparing to hand over dispatches, is interrupted by the insubordinate tone.
	Equally wound tightly is the Lieutenant.

					LIEUTENANT
			They will be found! Arrested ... 

					WEBB
				(cuts in)
			I cannot imagine his Majesty, in his benevolence, 
			would ever object to his American subjects 
			defending their hearth & home, their women & children, 
			if threatened by the "scourge" of attack from savages, 
			aroused to such excess by our enemy, the 
			ever-perfidious French. 

					JACK
			Does that mean they will be granted leave to 
			defend their homes if the settlements are 
			attacked? 

					WEBB
			Of course. 

	Heyward's more amazed by what he's just heard from Webb. These Americans,
	including Jack, are streaming past him on their way out.

					JACK
			You got yourself a colonial militia, General. 

					HEYWARD
			Major Duncan Heyward reporting, Sir! 

	Webb's pouring gin.

					WEBB
			Duncan. How was your journey? 

	The door closes. Dispatches are passed. They are now alone except for the General's
	two Adjutants and a shadowy form waiting patiently in a corner. He's MAGUA. In the
	dim light, he's motionless. Webb slides a glass across to Heyward.

					HEYWARD
			I didn't experience anything so surprising from 
			Bristol to Albany as what I witnessed here today. 

					WEBB
			And what is that? 

					HEYWARD
			The Crown "negotiating" the terms of service? 

					WEBB
			I know.
				(assuming a co-commiserator)
			One has to give Americans "reasons" and make 
			agreements to get them to do anything at all. 
			Tiring, isn't it? 
				(throws up his hands)
			But that's the way of it here. 

					HEYWARD
				(tight)
			I thought British policy is 'Make the 
			World ... England', sir. 

	A chill. Majors don't upbraid Generals.

					WEBB
			You will take command of the 62nd Regiment 
			of Foot. At Fort William Henry under Colonel 
			Munro. I will march the 33rd to Fort Edward. 

					HEYWARD
			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. 

					WEBB
			Yes. You may.
				(to Magua, after a glance at Heyward)
			You there. What does Munro call you?
				(to Heyward) 
			The "Scotsman" has sent one of his Indian allies 
			to guide you. 

	MAGUA

	rises and slowly walks into the light. He is reserved and over six feet tall. His head is
	shaved into a mohawk. Rings, beads & feathers pierce his ears. A blanket is worn as a
	shawl over his left shoulder exposing his right arm and heavy tattooing. A long
	tomahawk is in the belt of his breechcloth.

					WEBB
			The Scotsman's daughters are at the Poltroon's 
			house. A company of the 33rd will accompany 
			you and Magua will show you the way. 

					HEYWARD
			By your leave, sir. 

	Webb holds Heyward a moment

					WEBB
				(to Adjutants)
			Explain to the Major we care little about toying 
			with colonial militia because we have little to 
			fear from the French. They have not the nature 
			for war. Their Latinate voluptuousness combines with 
			their Gallic laziness and the result is: they would
			rather make love with their faces than fight. 

	Webb's Adjutants laugh uproariously at his wit. Heyward's stiff, perfunctory smile. He's
	been made the butt of the joke. He does not share Webb's derisive view of the French.
	Webb doesn't like Heyward's manner. We don't like Webb. Then:

					WEBB
				(continuing) 
			Dismissed. 

	Heyward stiffly salutes. Webb casually, perfunctorily salutes the younger man in
	return.

					HEYWARD
				(to Magua)
			Dawn. At the encampment. Six a.m. sharp. See 
			to it you're there.

	Beneath Magua's barely deferential manner we sense intelligence & menace. None of 	these Brits see it. We do. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR POLTROON'S HOUSE - DUNCAN HEYWARD - DAY

	brushed clean, his wig freshly powdered, his tricorn in his hand with a crimson sash and
	sword and his cavalry boots, walks through the gate after knocking. He enters a small
	courtyard. Suddenly he hears ... 

					CORA
				(O.S.)
			Heyward! Duncan Heyward. 

	Heyward looks to the side. An inner light turns on. In this mode, this is a man we could
	like. 

	REVERSE: CORA MUNRO

	enters from the garden. She's vivacious, dark-haired, unconventional in that she's
	educated, but with conventional values and attitudes. She hugs Duncan to her and 
	then pushes him away to look at him.

					HEYWARD
			My God it's good to see you. 

	He takes her hand in both of his and kisses it. He is open and lit up. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR POLTROON'S HOUSE, BACK YARD - CORA & HEYWARD - DAY

	A vegetable plot behind the Poltroon's house is a provincial substitute for a formal
	garden setting. Heyward and Cora sit on rough wooden chairs. Wind blows. In the
	background a servant hangs laundry. The white sheets billow. A table holds a tea
	setting. They're sitting close to each other, talking seriously and quietly. Duncan's
	jacket is removed. Time's passed. Long pause. Then:

					CORA
			I'm embarrassed to be so indecisive ... after so 
			long apart and after you've traveled so far ... 

					HEYWARD
			And by sea! 

					CORA
			You still have an aversion to the water? 

					HEYWARD
			Aversion? No. ... "Hatred" ... "Loathing" ... 

	Cora laughs.

					HEYWARD
			But it was worth it all to end in a garden by 
			your side.

	She looks askance at him. Then the banter drops.

					CORA
				(difficult)
			Dear Duncan, my affection is as towards a closest 
			friend. Alice and I depend on you and respect 
			you immensely ... I wish they did, but my feelings 
			don't go beyond that. Do you see? 

					HEYWARD
			Isn't respect and friendship, a reasonable basis 
			for a man and woman to be joined? And all 
			else may grow in time ...? 

					CORA
			Some say that's the way of it. 

					HEYWARD
			"Some"? 

					CORA
			Cousin Eugenie, my father, but ... 

					HEYWARD
				(interrupts)
			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? 

	Cora stares directly at Heyward. Then she looks away. She has no answer. Something
	subterranean disturbs her about delegating judgment over the fate of her life.


					HEYWARD
			Will you consider that? 

					CORA
				(pause; smiles)
			Yes. Yes, I will. 

	She's still unsettled.

					ALICE
				(O.S.)
			Duncan! 

	REVERSE: ALICE MUNRO

	eighteen years old, white-blonde hair, wide blue eyes. She's effervescent and runs 
	to hug him. Heyward is taken aback by her enthusiasm and laughs.

					HEYWARD
			My God, you've grown up. 

					ALICE
			We leave in the morning?! 

					HEYWARD
				(rises)
			Yes, miss. 

					ALICE
			I won't sleep tonight. What an adventure! 
			I absolutely cannot wait to return to Portman 
			Square, having laid eyes upon the full-blooded, 
			red men in the wild! 

					CORA
			My God, Alice. 

					HEYWARD
				(smiles)
			It can be dangerous ... 

					ALICE
			Nonsense. Papa wouldn't have sent for us 
			if it were dangerous. 

	Alice takes Hewyward's hand. Cora pours Heyward more tea. The white sheets billow. 

					AMBROSE
				(O.S. - barks)
			Atten-shun! 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR BRITISH ARMY HQ - TWENTY BRITISH REGULARS - DAY

	jolt upright as if electrified.

					AMBROSE
				(entering) 
			Shoulder arms! 

	AMBROSE

	a sergeant major of forty-one is wide and deep and built like a fullback. You do not 	mess with Sgt. Major Ambrose.

					AMBROSE
				(barks) 
			Form two companies of nine ... MARCH!! 

	THE MEN

	march in perfect drill into two groups, each three across and three deep. 

	MILITARY HQ, ENTRANCE - MAJOR DUNCAN HEYWARD

	steps out. Rigid salutes. 

	HEYWARD

	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. 

	MAGUA

	cradling his musket. 

	REAR SHOT: THE COLUMN

	down the path that leads into the wall of forest looks impressive. 

	WIDER: THE COLUMN

	marching. Now they look brave but smaller. The forest - with all its mysteries and
	dangers - now impresses us as a towering dark, sinister, and it's immensity swallows up
	the living mass which slowly enters its bosom.

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR FOREST

	TRACKING the Redcoats, their faces now filmed with dust, cut with lines of
	perspiration. They march in perfect formation. 

	We TRACK PAST the pack horses, the first company, Sgt. Major Ambrose and on to
	Cora & Alice. Alice seems fatigued. Cora's turned, looking up into the forest canopy,
	astonished at the deep beauty of the place. 

	CORA'S POV: FOREST CANOPY

	of trees is dark, except for spots where leaves are sparse, and there the light is golden.
	It's the forest of childhood. 

	In a ravine a buck disappears into a deeper stand of trees.

					CORA
				(O.S.)
			Alice, did you see that ...? 

	CORA'S

	reverie's broken by Heyward entering the frame. 

					CORA
			Alice? 

	Alice rouses from fatigue.

					HEYWARD
			Are you alright? 

					ALICE
			Can we rest soon? 

					HEYWARD
			Absolutely. 

	Heyward rides to the front of the column to Magua, who's twenty to thirty yards ahead
	of everybody else.

					HEYWARD
			You there, Scout! 

	Magua slowly turns towards Heyward.

					HEYWARD
				(overly articulated) 
			We must ... stop ... soon. Women are ... tired. 
			You ... understand? 

					MAGUA
				(perfect English)
			I understand. This is not good place to stop. 
			Two leagues from here. No water 'til then. 
			That where we stop. Better place. 

					HEYWARD
			No. Stop in the glade just ahead! When the 
			ladies are rested, we will proceed. Do you 
			understand? 

					MAGUA
				(in Huron: English subtitle)
			"Magua understand paleface is a dog to his women.
			When his women want to eat, he lay aside his 
			tomahawk to feed their laziness." 

					HEYWARD
			Excuse me. What did you say? 

					MAGUA
			Magua say: "Yes. Good idea." 

	As they begin to stop ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR MOUNTAINS & FOREST - WIDE - DAY

	Silently entering on either side of us come Chingachgook, followed by Hawkeye and
	Uncas. Even relaxed, they carry themselves with a degree of alertness. They're
	eighteenth century Viet Cong moving through the rain forest. The Maxfield
	Parrish/Hudson Valley of tall trees, ravines and streams is idyllic in front of them. All
	three cradle their long guns and move silently on moccasined feet. 

	FRONTAL: CHINGACHGOOK

	- in a stream - relaxed but attentive, abruptly stops. The others freeze in their tracks.
	Chingachgook sees and then stoops to examine ... 

	ROCK

	under the water in the stream. It's been turned from its bed. Chingachgook finds
	another. Uncas, moving up on his flank, climbs the bank and moves off into the trees,
	searches and then he gestures ... he's found another sign of something. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	has headed off further down the stream and discovers nothing. Rapidly he rejoins Uncas
	and Hawkeye who've become extremely alert. They move up the bank into the forest
	ninety degrees from their previous path. 

	TRACKING: HAWKEYE, UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK

	moving. Fast. Nearly soundless. They hardly disturb a blade of grass. The impression:
	expertise, deadliness and an impression something's wrong. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FOREST, TRAIL - MAGUA - DAY 

	on point. The trail cuts the side of a hill. The ground on one side rises into a forest
	acclivity and on the other falls off into a forested ravine. Magua walking towards
	camera. 

	CLOSER - MAGUA'S

	slid his tomahawk out from the front of his belt that girdles his waist. He lets the shaft
	drop into his hand. He shrugs off his blanket. There is a solidity to his dark, tall figure
	we didn't see before. Magua turns about face and advances on the column. 
	TRACK WITH Magua.
	Heyward and the Munro girls pass the camera as does Sgt. Major Ambrose, marching
	in advance of the men. Magua is approaching the soldier on the left in the first row. 
	We see Magua has caught the Redcoat's eye.

	REDCOAT

	is curious, starts to smile. What does the Huron want to say to him? When Magua is
	two steps away he caves in the side of the infantryman's head at the temple with the
	spike end of his tomahawk and, backhanded, hacks the blade through the side of the
	neck of the center man in the first row. 

	SIMULTANEOUSLY

	thirteen muskets EXPLODE from the wooded rise. 

	FIVE REDCOATS

	are blown off the path, two others are wounded ... 

	AMBROSE

					AMBROSE
			Form company! Left face! March! 

	ALICE

	shrieks. Cora grabs Alice's reins and her own. 

	HEYWARD

	pulling his fusil (short musket), seeing, firing, reaching for the women ... 

	CORA'S HORSE

	bucking. 

	ALICE'S HORSE

	bolting, dodging sideways, spilling Alice to the earth. 

	AMBROSE

					AMBROSE
			Company make ready! 

	The regulars slam into a firing line, stepping over the bodies of their comrades. All
	thirteen face the incline. 

	FORESTED RISE - HURONS

	flash downhill through the trees. Partnered in two-man teams, one loads and prepares
	and fires while the other advances to the next cover. He, then, prepares and fires
	covering his partner's advance. Leaping fallen trees and boulders, they're athletic, fast
	and rapidly closing.
	Even though the disciplined English regulars are a killing machine, we now see their
	tactics in the dense forest are grossly inferior to the Hurons' ... 

					AMBROSE
			Present!! 

	CORA

	covers Alice with her body, holding the reins of their bolting horses. 

	HEYWARD

	from horseback aims his horse pistol, FIRES ... 

	AN ATTACKING HURON

	leaping at him past Alice & Cora drops. 

	MULE

	with baggage crashes off, down the ravine. Another two Redcoats drop. Nine left.
	Then eight. 

	AMBROSE

					AMBROSE
			Fire!! 

	A musket volley as eight muskets go off as one shot, sending a lead scythe through
	leaves. But ... 

	REVERSE:

	Hurons were behind cover. Only one was exposed and hit. 

					AMBROSE
				(continuing)
			Load! Prime! 

	The English rush to complete the reload. Will they do it in time? 

					AMBROSE
				(continuing)
			Present! Present! 

	Suddenly, Hurons - en masse - CRASH down onto the Redcoats line with tomahawks,
	war clubs and point-blank musket fire. 

	ALICE

	on the ground, screaming insanely, covered by Cora who's protecting her little sister,
	and ... 

	HEYWARD'S

	horse shot from beneath him, the animal folding, falling straight to the earth, and ... 

	MAGUA

	shoots Ambrose in the chest, and ... 

 	HEYWARD

	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. 

	BRITISH

	dead and dying. 

	AMBROSE

	blood gushing from his chest wound, fires his pistol, dropping a Huron; slashes a
	second with his sword. Then he's chopped down. Hurons begin scalping the British
	while four race towards Heyward and the two women. 

	HEYWARD & CORA & ALICE

	ready to die. Heyward has only his fusil as a bludgeon. He readies ... 

	THREE LOUD SHOTS

	BLOW three of the Hurons sideways, head over heels down the rise. 

	REVERSE: THREE MEN

	barely seen, running diagonally across the fall line of the ravine. In parts, we recognize
	Nathaniel, recharging Killdeer on full run, and Uncas. 

	HURON'S

	not sure where the shots came from. Suddenly Chingachgook slams him, head first into
	the ravine with the war club. He didn't even slow down. 

	HURON

	warrior spins. Uncas tomahawks his shoulder. The Huron swings downwards. Uncas
	ducks beneath the swing and slashes his throat, sending him downhill into CAMERA 
	as ... 

	HAWKEYE'S

	momentum and thrown tomahawk spread-eagles one Huron, near a couple of wounded
	Redcoats who fight on ... 

	MAGUA

	calmly sees the odds have changed. His attention becomes focused. He commits a very
	revealing act seen through the blurred foreground action of struggling bodies. We will
	remember it. He raises his musket and aims at ... 

	CORA MUNRO

	who's unaware she's a target. Why is he singling out a Munro girl to kill? 

	HAWKEYE

	sees. Killdeer's at his shoulder ... 

	TIME SLOWS: MAGUA

	senses Hawkeye. Moving through liquid, his eyes drift left. The moment is frozen.
 	Their eyes lock, each to the other's. Then ... 

	TIME UNFREEZES

	Magua swings at Hawkeye and FIRES ... 

	HAWKEYE

	shifts. The .65 caliber musket ball rockets past his ear and he's already squeezing
	Killdeer's trigger as ... 

	HAWKEYE'S POV OVER BARREL: SMOKE

	from Magua's musket blast clears. Magua's gone. He almost shape-shifted, it happened
	so quickly. It's nearly mystical. 

	HAWKEYE

	lowers Killdeer, impressed. 

	CORA

	glances back at Hawkeye. She doesn't know why he's looking at her. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	pursues two fleeing Hurons up the incline. Two strides gain him the first man, who he
	hamstrings and runs over to pursue the second up the hill ... as ... 

	HEYWARD

	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 ... 

					CORA
			No, Duncan! 

	Duncan ignores her. 

	HEYWARD'S MUSKET

	is jerked from his hands.

					HAWKEYE
			 ... case your aim is any better'n your judgment. 

	He's drawn his sword, reflexively. Hawkeye flips the musket around one-handed. It's
	pointed at Heyward's chest. And Hawkeye FIRES, killing an attacking Huron behind
	Heyward. As Heyward spins ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK'S WAR CLUB

	flashes up the hill. It cleaves the second man's back and bowls him over. Chingachgook
	retrieves his club as his scalping knife slashes down ... 

	UNCAS

	scalps the man he killed. Chingachgook dispatches the Huron he hamstrung. 

	WIDE

	Sudden silence. Heyward's motionless. The women are frozen, as terrified of the
	savages and apparent half-breed rescuers as they were of those who attacked them. 

	ALICE

	Cora, holding her, is stunned but functioning. Moments ago both women were clean
	and demure. Now their riding dresses are torn, mud-stained, blood-spattered and their
	baggage is gone. 

	HEYWARD'S

	crossed to his slaughtered soldiers. Moments ago they were a testament to British
	military power. Now they're dead meat. Ambrose's body is against a tree. In the B.G. 	two of the wounded start to rise ... 

					ALICE
				(O.S.)
			Stop it! 

	Heyward spins. 

 	UNCAS

	just cut the throat of the second Narraganset. It drops into the brush. Alice attacks
	him.

					ALICE
			We need them to get out of here! 

	Uncas gently restrains her. Cora reaches Alice and grabs her away from the "savage".
	Heyward runs in to protect the women ...

					HEYWARD
				(to Nathaniel)
			... why the bloody hell he do that to the horses?! 

	Uncas, all business, is now reloading, lifting powder horns, scanning the trees.

					UNCAS
				(matter of fact) 
			... too easy to track ... they can be heard for 
			miles ... find yourself a musket ... 

	Cora's surprised by Uncas' easy English. Hawkeye's scanning the forest.

					HAWKEYE
				(to Heyward)
			Your wounded should try walkin' back to Albany. 
			They'll never make a passage north. 

					HEYWARD
				(breathless)
			We were headed ... 

					HAWKEYE
				(appropriating a knife)
			... Fort William Henry. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	to Hawkeye: let's go ... Then a fast exchange of Delaware. Cora's surprised to see it's
	Chingachgook's decision. Chingachgook looks at the survivors, gives his assent, starts
	off.

					HAWKEYE
			... take you as far as the fort. 

	Hawkeye throws Heyward a musket. Cora & Alice look towards Heyward. He looks at
	them: the women are totally terrified and do not move.

					HAWKEYE
			If we are goin' to take you, we need to move. 
			Fast ... And the fort is well off our course. 
			So if you all rather wait for the next Huron 
			war party to come by, we'll be on our way. 

	Heyward quickly decides to go. The women follow. Hawkeye starts off after Uncas and
	Chingachgook. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FOREST - HAWKEYE - DAY

	moves through the trackless forest. Uncas is far out on the left flank. Cora, Alice &
	Duncan Heyward follow in Hawkeye's and Chingachgook's steps ... 

	HAWKEYE'S FEET

	walking through a creek, stepping in the stream bed instead of on stones. The others
	follow. Hawkeye looks at Heyward. 

	HEYWARD

	conforms. He's ill at ease not being in command, following the lead of some half-Indian
	frontiersman through a foreign wilderness.] 

					HEYWARD
			How far is it, scout? 

					HAWKEYE
			Day and a half 
				(pause) 
			Where did you get ... the guide? 

					HEYWARD
			Colonel Munro sent him. He was one of our 
			Mohawk allies. 

					HAWKEYE
			He is Huron and nothing else. 
				(checking the Munro girls are 
				not too close)
			Why would he want to murder the girl? 

					HEYWARD
			What?! 

					HAWKEYE
			Dark haired ... 

					HEYWARD
			Miss Cora Munro. He never set eyes on 
			her before today. 

					HAWKEYE
			No blood vengeance? No re-proach or insult? 

					HEYWARD
			Of course not! 
				(pause) 
			And how is it you were nearby? 

					HAWKEYE
			Came across the war party, tracked 'em. 

					HEYWARD
			Then you're assigned to Fort William Henry? 

					HAWKEYE
			No. 

					HEYWARD
			Fort Edward, then? 

					HAWKEYE
			No. Headin' west. To Can-tuck-ee. 

					HEYWARD
			I thought all our colonial scouts were in 
			the militia? 

	Off to the side, Uncas smiles at the idea.

					HAWKEYE
			I ain't your "scout". And I am in no damn 
			militia. 

					HEYWARD
				(stops) 
			Then you are one of those who would allow 
			England to fight alone while she protects 
			you from France? 

					HAWKEYE
			England does not protect me and does not 
			war against France on our account. She uses 
			us to war against France on her own account ... 
			of greed for land and furs. 

	CORA'S

	appalled.

					HAWKEYE
				(turns) 
			Clear it up any? 

					HEYWARD
				(loud) 
			I owe you gratitude or I'd call you out! 

					HAWKEYE
				(low)
			Do not let gratitude get in the way ... 

	Cora's hand holds back Heyward's sword arm because suddenly Chingachgook looms
	over him.

					CHINGACHGOOK
				(to Hawkeye) 
			Yengeese no good in woods. Make more 
			noise, I kill him. 

	Heyward spins. Hawkeye coolly watches Cora. Her attitude is hostile; aligned with
	Heyward. He turns away. Meanwhile ... 

	UNCAS

	stops, alarmed. Something in the air bothers him. Hawkeye smells it, too. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	is already moving out front, low and fast ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FOREST, TREE LINE - GREEN BRANCHES - DAY

	After we HOLD, we realize Chingachgook's been there all along. Hawkeye and Uncas
	join him where the branches meet the ground. Smoke drifts through the trees. 
	Hawkeye sees and dips his head, then looks again ... 

	EXTERIOR CAMERON CABIN - WIDE - DAY

	Burned, smoldering, having fallen in on itself. TRACK LEFT past what was the
	doorway. A dead child's hand protruding from the ruin. A fragment of a dress. Charred
	and smoldering wood. John Cameron's body in the wreckage. And then, through the
	collapsed posts and timbers, Hawkeye, Chingachgook and Uncas have advanced and
	are seeing what we've just seen; and then Cora and Alice. 

	ALICE

	approaches and is frozen in horror. Cora shields her from the sight. Cora is affected but
	confronts it directly.

					HEYWARD
				(O.S.) 
			Anything to be done? 

	UNCAS

	returns from under one part of the wreckage, ashen, stoic, as they all are. We know the
	degree of their inner pain.

					UNCAS
			All dead ... 

	HAWKEYE

	bends over a moccasin print that Chingachgook's examining. They look at each other
	grimly. Heyward joins them.

					HEYWARD
			Who were these people? 

					HAWKEYE
				(re: print) 
			Ottawa! 

					HEYWARD
			Excuse me ... 

					CHINGACHGOOK
				(to Hawkeye) 
			Ottawa. 

	UNCAS

	enters, very careful where he places his feet ... Hawkeye gestures to Heyward to stay
	where he is: on the periphery with the women.

					UNCAS
			Mirrors ... tools ... clothes ... all inside. 

					HAWKEYE
				(to Chingachgook)
			Movin' fast, not able to carry much ... 
			this was a war party? 

	Chingachgook nods confirmation and indicates a direction in Mohican. The significance
	is very ominous to them. We don't know why yet. Chingachgook starts away ... 

					HEYWARD
			Let us look after them ... 

	He starts approaching the bodies.

					CHINGACHGOOK
			Leave them. 

	Heyward stops. Hawkeye and Uncas follow Chingachgook, leaving the cabin.

					CORA
				(hasn't moved)
			Though they are strangers, they are at 
			least entitled to a Christian burial! 

					HAWKEYE
				(shaking his head) 
			Let us go, miss. 

					CORA
			I will not. I have seen the face of war 
			before, Mr. Poe, but never war made on
			women and children. And almost as 
			cruel is your indifference. 

	Hawkeye turns back and rapidly approaches her. She takes a step back, fearful.

					HAWKEYE
				(contained)
			Miss Munro.
				(pause)
			They are not strangers .... 
			And they stay as they lay ...! 

	CORA

	realizes Hawkeye knew these people and is deeply affected. She also realizes for the
	first time this is a whole new world with dynamics and complexities, behavior and
	rhythms she doesn't understand. He turns away from her and walks on. She hesitates a
	moment. 

	WIDE ON THE SMALL CLEARING IN FRONT OF THE FARMHOUSE

	as Chingachgook and Hawkeye, extremely alert and cradling their cocked flintlocks,
	walk to camera, eyes sweeping the forest perimeter; they're followed by Cora, Heyward
	helping Alice and Uncas as rearguard.

	The ruined cabin and the dead dream of a family smolders behind them. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR GLADE - PROFILE: HAWKEYE - NIGHT

	moves through to where the trees seem sparse and are unnaturally white birch and
	some thin grass grows. The land rises into a mound. Chingachgook and the others
	avoid stepping on the grass and cross to the other side of it. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	mutters something to Uncas. He nods and disappears amongst the white birch,
	soundlessly. 

	HAWKEYE

	throws Heyward a blanket. Heyward spreads the blanket below the top of the mound
	and - maintaining silence - he gestures for Cora & Alice to rest there. 

	ALICE'S HEAD

	hits the blanket. She curls into a fetal position and she's out. Heyward is nearby on
	watch.
	Hawkeye has taken a position two-thirds of the way around the crescent shaped
	mound.
	Cora has sought him out. 

	HAWKEYE

	doesn't react as Cora enters. He's scanning the trees; not looking at her. 
	They whisper ... 

					CORA
			Why didn't you bury those people? 

					HAWKEYE
			Anyone lookin' to pick up our trail, would 
			see it as a sign of our passing ... 

					CORA
			You knew them. 

	Hawkeye looks at her and nods.

					CORA
				(stiffly)
			You were acting for our benefit. And I 
			apologize. I misunderstood you. 

					HAWKEYE
			Well that is to be expected. My father ... 

					CORA
			Your "father"? 

					HAWKEYE
			Chingachgook. He warned me about 
			people like you. 

					CORA
			He did? 

					HAWKEYE
			Yes. He said ... "do not try to make them 
			understand you." 

					CORA
			What?! 

					HAWKEYE
			Yes. And "do not try to understand them. 
			That is because they are a breed apart and 
			they make no sense ..." 

	Cora's indignation is cut off because ... 

	UNCAS

	moving fast. He gestures back the way he came and it means they're in jeopardy. Uncas
	disappears around the mound. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR BIRCH FOREST - TREES - NIGHT

	Nothing. Imperceptibly we move closer and start to see shapes blocking out part of the
	white birch. 

	RED-PAINTED FACE

	white eyes. A ruff of red hair stands straight up at the back of the large man's head. 
	Slit and monstrously elongated earlobes are weighted with silver. He's followed by
	others. Wary, silently, they hunt. 

	DEEPER: MORE OTTAWA

	Towards the rear are two French Rangers ("Coureurs des Bois") from Le Regiment de
	la Sarre. They're bearded, dirty, dressed Indian-style in moccasins, leggings and
	breechcloths with hooded hunting shirts. There's nothing clumsy about them. They're
	the 18th century version of Special Forces who've gone indigenous. If they and the
	Ottawa find our people, it's all over. 

	ALICE

	seeing the red-painted Ottawa approach, starts to panic. Her hyperventilating and
	involuntary small sounds of fear will reveal their position. A hand covers her mouth and
	silences her struggling. WIDEN. It's Uncas. His other arm is around her, holding her,
	looking towards the advancing Ottawa. 

	HAWKEYE

	on his back, his tomahawk within reach on the ground. 

	OTTAWA & FRENCH

	are fifty yards away from the crescent mound behind which lie our people. Mist
	envelops them ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	His massive arms spread revealing his war club in his left fist; his fusil in his right hand. 

	HAWKEYE

	waiting for the attack. Cora's eyes are anxious, but there's no terror there. Nathaniel's
	impressed with her cool. He hands her a pistol. She takes it. He listens for the soft drop
	of moccasined feet ... 

	OTTAWA

	through the grass. Thirty feet away they stop. They're motionless. Then their leader
	gestures and they start backing out. The French Rangers continue towards the crescent.
	The Ottawa chief takes one's arm and stops him. The French Ranger whispers
	something inaudible. The Ottawa chief shakes his head, "Non. Pas possible ..." 
	And means it. They retreat. 

	SEPERATE SHOTS: HAWKEYE, UNCAS, CHINGACHGOOK, CORA

	tensely monitor the Ottawa retreat. 

	UNCAS & ALICE

	He slowly removes his hand from her mouth. She's a little shy, then she looks up,
	catches his eyes. Then she averts her face. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	sees all of it; doesn't like it. 

	HAWKEYE

	The Ottawa are gone.

					CORA
				(quietly)
			Why did they turn back? 

	In answer Hawkeye looks behind & above her head.

	CORA

	turns and makes out stilt platforms of skeletons and torn strips of buckskin silhouetted
	against the night sky in the distance. They have camped on sanctified ground, a burial
	place. 

	CORA & HAWKEYE

	She thinks it would be a mistake to ever underestimate the skill of these men or the
	danger & complexity of this place. She hands the pistol back to him. Their hands almost
	touch.

					CORA
				(still pissed off)
			"We're a breed apart and we make no 
			sense" ...? 

					HAWKEYE
				(smiles) 
			In your particular case, miss, I would 
			make some allowance ... 

					CORA
				(sarcastic)
			Thank you so much. 

	Cora is angry. Hawkeye, staring at the trees, glances at her. She settles, looking at him.
	Her mood changes. Then ... 

					CORA
			You called Chingachgook your "father"?
			Where is your real family? 

	Hawkeye's surprised by her question.

					HAWKEYE
			They buried my ma & pa and my sisters.
			And Chingachgook - who found me with 
			two French trappers - raised me up as his 
			own. 

					CORA
			I'm sorry. 

					HAWKEYE
			I do not remember them. I was one or two. 

					CORA
			How did you learn English? 

					HAWKEYE
			My father sent Uncas & I to Reverend 
			Wheelock's school when I was ten. So
			we would know both worlds ... though 
			we were told only bother learning readin' &
			arithmetic from yous. 

					CORA
			And what were the consequentialities of 
			European culture you didn't bother with? 

					HAWKEYE
			The Bible. Monarchy. Many wrong ideas 
			about the government of men. My father's 
			people already know each man is his own 
			nation. And only he can have dominion 
			over himself. Not kings. No man is better 
			than any other man. 

					CORA
			In London those radical ideas could land 
			you in Newgate prison. 
				(changing the subject)
			Why were those people living in this 
			defenseless place ...? 

					HAWKEYE
			'Cos frontier land's the only land affordable
			to poor people. So after seven years 
			indentured service in Virginia, they headed
			out here where they are beholden to none
			and not livin' by another's leave ... 
			Their name was Cameron. John & Alexandria.

	Cora sees the slate grey clouds and, in between, the fields of stars. She looks at 	Hawkeye; then again up at the night sky. 

					HAWKEYE
				(continuing; looking up)
			My father's people say ... at the birth of the 
			sun and of his brother, the moon, their 
			mother died ... so the sun gave to the earth 
			her body, from which was to spring all life.
			And he drew forth from her breast the stars.
			The stars he threw into the night sky to 
			remind him of her soul. 
				(the sky)
			So there is the Camerons' monument ... 
			my folks', too, I guess. 

	CORA'S

	pensive. Hawkeye's watching her. Her reaction is enigmatic. After a pause ... 

					CORA
				(low)
			You are right, Mr. Poe. We do not 
			understand what is happening here.
			And it is not as I imagined it would be, 
			thinking of it in Boston and London ... 

					HAWKEYE
			Sorry to disappoint you ... 

					CORA
				(eyes downcast)
			On the contrary. It is more deeply stirring ... 
			to my blood ...
				(then up into his eyes)
			... than any imagining could possibly have 
			been ... 

	She closes her eyes, turns slightly and prepares to sleep. Hawkeye is the one left staring
	into the birch forest, a little surprised. Some of his assumptions about her were 
	wrong ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FOREST - WIDE - LATE AFTERNOON

	Deep fog has set in. A hand entering the frame scares the hell out of us. It moves a
	branch aside. It's Uncas. Spread to the right is Chingachgook, far to the left is
	Hawkeye. They hike up a steep forested slope in the heart of the Adirondacks.

					CORA
			Much further? 

					HAWKEYE
			Top of this ridge. Fort and Lake George are 
			downhill of it. 

	ALICE

	Re-energized, her spirits pick up.

					ALICE
			Will we be able to bathe? 

	Before Cora can answer they hear a deep, rolling roar. Alice is alarmed.

					CORA
			Thunder ... Papa will arrange something. 

	UNCAS

	looks over his shoulder, sees something in the far distance, gestures to Hawkeye and
	Chingachgook. 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: DISTANT HILLS

	and the band of red-painted Ottawa and Coureurs des Bois, who have now split into
	two groups, are still on their trail. Meanwhile, oblivious ...

					HEYWARD
			The men of the regiment will fetch water from 
			the lake, build fires and provide every comfort 
			you desire, Alice ... 

					ALICE
			Duncan, you are absolutely gallant. If Cora 
			doesn't marry you, I shall. 

					CORA
			Alice! 

	Heyward laughs. Hawkeye sees them. It bothers us: will these Europeans, including
	Cora, shed their frontier experience?

					ALICE
			I can't wait to see Papa ... 

					CORA
			And you, Duncan? What are you looking 
			forward to? 

					HEYWARD
			Posting to a different continent. 

	He and Alice laugh. Cora does not.

					CORA
			I think it's very important and exciting. 

	Heyward looks at her. She's not kidding. 

	ANOTHER ANGLE: HEYWARD

	helps Alice. As he does, he stares at Cora's seperation and now her proximity to
	Hawkeye, who's walking on ahead, is something Heyward doesn't like. His dark
	thoughts are distracted by a FLASH of light and more ROLLING THUNDER. 

	WIDE FROM THE FRONT - HAWKEYE

	drops and pulls Cora to the ground.

					CORA
			Lightning? 

	Hawkeye doesn't answer as he, Chingachgook, Uncas and Heyward make their way to
	the top of the ridge. 

	CLOSER ANGLES: CORA & ALICE

	join them and look down upon their expectation of a secure piece of England in the
	wilderness, a safe harbor, a father's warm welcome. 

	THEIR POV: FORT WILLIAM HENRY

	is none of those things. The thunder is the roar of French siege cannon clouded in dense
	smoke. The flashes of light are mortar bombs exploding and illumination rockets' red
	glare. Fort William Henry is under a massive siege by a French and Huron army. 

	UNCAS

	looks over his shoulder. 

	HIS POV: OTTAWA

	pursuing them. There's no way back. They're propelled forward. 

	DISSOLVE TO ...

	EXTERIOR BATTLEFIELD, FRENCH BATTERY #1 - CLOSE SHOTS - DUSK

	French cannons roar black smoke and gouts of red flame. 

	TRENCH

	dug by sappeurs behind the cover of a huge gambio pushed toward the fort by two
	poles and fascis on the sides. 

	ENGLISH GUN CREW

	searching the night. 

	POV: BATTLEFIELD

	is black. 

	ENGLISH ROCKETS

	light the battlefield revealing the French trenches. 

	ENGLISH GUN CREW

	excited. Colonial militia and Mohawk snipers fire their rifles. The British gun crew
	scrambles to adjust their 18 pounders. 

	FRENCH BATTERY #1 

	FIRES. 

	FRENCH BATTERY #2

	FIRES. 

	EXTERIOR FORT, WEST BATTERY

	TRACKING. French cannon FIRE rips into the fortifications, exploding wood and
	earth, shredding the English gun crew with cannister. The English fight stubbornly, but
	we feel they're outgunned. Meanwhile ... 

	WIDE ANGLE FROM THE WATER

	A new artillery duel erupts. The action is to the west side of the fort. On the north, the
	fire fight is reflected on the black water of Lake George in our foreground. Then a dark
	shape wiping to the right cuts off those reflections. We see in silhouette the outline of a
	birch canoe moving silently, barely rippling the mirrored surface of the lake. 

	EXTERIOR LAKE GEORGE BANK - DEBRIS

	Behind it, two Canadiens and a Huron alternately snipe at the ramparts. 

	LOW & WIDE: SNIPERS

	Behind them is black water. Its surface is broken by the rising mass of Chingachgook,
	followed by Uncas and Hawkeye. Muzzle flashes from the cannon reveal the canoe and
	the forms of the girls further out. Chingachgook's war club is held low. The Huron
	senses and turns and Hawkeye's thrown tomahawk knocks him back. Hawkeye's knife
	flashes in the night. Chingachgook drives the war club up, smashing a Canadien onto
	the debris. The second Canadien jabs bayonet at Uncas, slashing his side. Uncas jerks
	him forward by the musket, folds him over and tomahawks him. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY, NORTH WALL - SALLY-PORT TUNNEL
	- NIGHT

	Amidst the cannonade roar, ad-libbed shouts from Hawkeye and Heyward convince
	battle begrimed soldiers to open the sally-port. Our people rush in. 

	TORCH LIGHT

	the group moves through the long, dank, tunnel. Enlisted men escorting them. Another
	torch from the other direction: CAPTAIN BEAMS is revealed.

					HEYWARD
			I'm Major Duncan Heyward! 

					BEAMS
			Captain Jeffrey Beams. We didn't think 
			you'd make it through! 

					HEYWARD
			Where's Colonel Munro? His daughters are 
			here, too. 

	Beams raises his torch, sees the muddied, soaked women. He is shocked that they
	traveled with Heyward. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY, PARADE GROUND - GROUP - NIGHT

	emerges from a sally-port tunnel. It's smokey. NOISE is deafening. The group has
	traveled through a nightmare, only to arrive in hell. 

	HEYWARD WITH BEAMS, CORA & HAWKEYE, ALICE, UNCAS &
	CHINGACHGOOK

	run diagonally past pyramidal stacks of cannon ball, smoldering beams and shrapnel,
	wounded men. Just then a mortar is fired and explodes, killing the gun crew. On the
	ramparts Mohawks and Colonial Militia, sniping at the French. Women huddle in 
	corners next to the sick and dying. 

	UNDER RAMPARTS: MILITIA

					AD LIBS
				(shouts over roar)
			Uncas! Nathaniel ... 

	HAWKEYE

	waves. One wounded man, IAN, intercepts Uncas.

					IAN
			Thought you and Nathaniel weren't 
			joinin'-up. 

					UNCAS
				(on the run) 
			Didn't! 

					HAWKEYE
			Dropped in to see how you boys is doin'. 

	COLONEL MUNRO

	running from his quarters is shocked to see them.

					ALICE
				(hysterical) 
			Papa, Papa!! 

					MUNRO
				(enraged) 
			Why are you here?! 

	Cora is stunned. Alice is decimated by her father's anger. Munro sees and whips off his
	coat to cover them and takes Alice under his arm. Bombardment resumes. Alice clings
	while they race for the cover of his quarters:] 

					MUNRO
				(to Heyward; re: Alice & Cora) 
			Why did you allow them to come? ... And
			where the bloody hell are my reinforcements!! 

	They race into the yellow lantern light of Munro's quarters and slam and bolt the heavy
	door. Heyward's confused ... 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR MUNRO'S QUARTERS - NIGHT

					MUNRO
				(embracing his daughters; softer) 
			Told you to stay away from this hell hole!
			Why did you disobey me? 

					CORA
			When? How? 

					MUNRO
			My letter ... 

					CORA
			There was none! 

					MUNRO
			What? 

					CORA
			There was no letter. 

					MUNRO
			I sent three men to Webb! 

					HEYWARD
			One called Magua arrived. 

					CORA
			He delivered no such message. 

	Munro's stunned.

					MUNRO
			Does Webb not even know we are besieged? 

					HEYWARD
			Sir. Webb has no idea. And he certainly does 
			not know to send reinforcements! 

	Munro has nowhere for his rage to go. Meanwhile, Alice clings to her father. At 45-55,
	the British Army has been his life. He blindly believes in its institutions, though officers
	like Webb would disdain his Scots origins. 
	From under his fury: 

					MUNRO
				(flat)
			What happened to you? 

					HEYWARD
				(suddenly tired) 
			Ambush ... on the George Road. This
			Magua led us into it.
				(pause)
			... eighteen killed. It's these men who 
			saved us. They guided us here ... 

					MUNRO
			Thank you. How can I reward you? 

	No answer. Then ...

					HAWKEYE
			Help ourselves to a few horns from your 
			powder stores. 

					MUNRO
			What else? 

					UNCAS
			Some food. 

					MUNRO
				(to Uncas)
			I'm indebted to you. And get your side sewn up, 
			young man. 

	MUNRO

	sees his exhausted and bloodstained surgeon in the doorway that leads to the next
	rooms. 

					MUNRO
				(bellows) 
			Mr. Phelps! 

	PHELPS' face lights up when he sees Cora Munro.

					PHELPS
			Miss Cora! How are you? 

					CORA
				(smiles) 
			Fine, Mr. Phelps. Have you cat gut and a 
			suturing needle? 
				(for Uncas)
			And we could use some rum, clothes, and 
			a place to wash ... 

	Cora tries to remove Alice from her father, but she clings to him. Munro holds her
	tighter. Then he whispers something to her. She nods her head. And Cora takes her.
	They exit. 

	MUNRO

	is moved beyond words by his daughters' presence. There's a break, a pause ...

					MUNRO
				(to Heyward over table map)
			What a place for them ... 


					HEYWARD
			Might I enquire after the situation, sir, given 
			that I've seen of the French engineering from 
			the ridge above? 

					MUNRO
				(perfunctory)
			 Logistics are his guns are bigger than mine 
			and he has more of them. They keep our heads 
			down while his sappers make thirty yards of 
			trench a day. His thirteen inch mortars have a 
			two hundred yard range, so when they're close 
			enough, they'll move them in, lob explosive 
			rounds over our walls and pound us to dust. 

					HEYWARD
			They look to be three hundred yards out. 
			You have three days. 

					MUNRO
			Bloody murderers. 

					HAWKEYE
			A man, here, can make a run straight through 
			to Webb. 

					MUNRO
			... not enough time to get to Albany and back 
			with reinforcements ... 

	A Sergeant enters, snaps to attention, says something to Beams, exits.

					HEYWARD
			Webb's not in Albany. He marched the 33rd to 
			Fort Edward two days ago. 

					MUNRO
			Webb's at Edward? 

					HEYWARD
			Yes, sir. 

					MUNRO
			Only twelve miles away! He could be here day 
			after tomorrow. 
				(to Hawkeye)
			Find your man, sir! Captain Beams will give you 
			the message. 

	Beams nods. Munro turns back to the map. Hawkeye has something else to say.

					HAWKEYE
			John Cameron's cabin. We come upon it last 
			night. Burned out. Everyone murdered. And 
			it was Ottawa. They're allied to the French. 

	Munro looks at him.

					MUNRO
			Yes, Mr. Poe? So? 

					HAWKEYE
			It was a war party. It means they're on the 
			attack up and down the frontier. 

	Munro turns to look at him for a long beat. Munro doesn't like what his response must
	be to this news. He turns to Heyward and the map.

					MUNRO
				(cold)
			Thank you. 

	Hawkeye's dismissed, frozen out.

					HAWKEYE
			Many men here, their homes are in the path. 

					MUNRO
			That's all, sir. 

	Hawkeye is furious. Chingachgook gestures Hawkeye out. He leaves Munro's quarters
	almost knocking over an entering Adjutant who backs way up to let Chingachgook
	pass.

					HEYWARD
			Things were done. Nobody was spared ... 

					MUNRO
			Terrible feature of war in the Americas. 
				(beat; a mantra)
			Best to keep your sight fixed on our duty. 
			Our duty is to defeat France. That hangs 
			on a courier to Webb. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR MONTCALM'S MARQUEE - CHORAL GROUP - NIGHT

	of three Seneca women and five boys, led by a Jesuit, sing the Te Deum in the Iroquois
	language. This is a large tent that could sleep twenty. Montcalm's four personal guards
	are at the entrance as well as COMTE DE LEVIS in dirty lace, a facial wound and a
	braceful of pistols on a sash. Inside is simple campaign furniture and a six by eight foot
	battle standard and flag of France. 

	MONTCALM

	stands with a huge and fearsome elaborately tattooed and robed Seneca chief in a silk
	turban ...

					SENECA CHIEF
				(low)
			... and the Black Robes of Michilimackinac left 
			us no time to put our cabins in order before telling 
			us our French father had need of our aid. We rolled 
			our blankets and were the first to be here. Yet we 
			are not the first and closest to my father's campfire. 

	The Marquis de Montcalm is forty-five, wears a large wampum belt as a sash over his
	waistcoat. He has an acute intellect, an elegant manner. He is more aristocratic than
	Munro, but a consummate professional soldier. Over the Seneca's shoulder, Montcalm
	sees and nods to ... 

	MAGUA

	entering with four Huron braves. This is not the Magua we saw on the trail. In his scalp
	lock, now red-stained and cut to a Huron roach, are three blacl plumes. A match-coat
	blanket drapes his left shoulder. 

					MONTCALM
				(to Seneca Chief)
			For my children and the children of the true 
			faith, my friendship and esteem is boundless ... 
			I will give you three oxen for a feast and tomorrow 
			I, myself, will sing the war song with you in the 
			great council house. 

	The Seneca Chief is satisfied and his people, plus the Jesuit, exit. The look on Magua's
	face and the wry expression on Montcalm's allows us to understand their relationship is
	based on realpolitik.

					MONTCALM
			Le Renard Subtil, how are things with your 
			English friends? 

	Magua exhales in derision as he brings a chair to face Montcalm and sits, European
	style ...

					MONTCALM
				(over his shoulder)
			Louis Antoine, join us. 

	LOUIS ANTOINE DE BOUGAINVILLE enters. He wears a functional melange of
	Indian moccasins over white linen breeches and an officer's waistcoat. 

					MONTCALM
			Hear what le Subtil has to tell us ... 

	Bougainville published a book on integral calculus at twenty-five, at twenty-six was a
	secretary to the French Ambassador in London, in January 1756 at twenty-seven he
	was elected a member of the British Royal Academy of Science and at age twenty-eight
	he's aide de camp to the Marquis de Montcalm with the rank of captain. Later in life, he
	brought "bougainvillea" from Tahiti to Europe to America.

					MAGUA
			English war chief, Webb goes to Fort Edward 
			with 33rd Regiment. He does not know my 
			father's army attacks Fort William Henry. 

					BOUGAINVILLE
			But by now Munro knows his couriers didn't 
			get through. He'll send another. 

					MAGUA
			The Grey Hair will try. 

					BOUGAINVILLE
			Four or five, including two women entered the 
			fort ... 

					MAGUA
			The Grey Hair's children were under Magua's 
			knife but escaped. They'll be under it again. 

					MONTCALM
			Why do hate the Grey Hair, Magua? 

					MAGUA
			When the Grey Hair is dead, Magua will eat 
			his heart. Before he dies Magua will put his 
			children under the knife so the Grey Hair will 
			see his seed is wiped out forever. 

	Montcalm won't get a direct answer.

					MONTCALM
			My sappeurs are advancing the trenches through 
			the night, now. You may have your opportunity 
			soon. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR SURGERY, ENTRANCE - PHELPS - NIGHT

	exhausted, sitting on a low stool, taking a breath.

					HAWKEYE (O.S.)
				She know what she's doin'? 

	Phelps looks up, then he looks over his shoulder at Cora. She's in a borrowed
 	launderess dress/blouse ... She looks different. He's a little indignant.

					PHELPS
			First assisted me in Austria when she was 
			fourteen. I would say she does ... 

	Her apron is stained. Hawkeye sees this may be her first time in the New World, but it's
	not her first military campaign. Still angered at Munro's dismissive response, he's
	nevertheless falling for Cora.

					HAWKEYE
			She does not shy away from much ... 

					PHELPS
				(elsewhere) 
			What's that? 

					HAWKEYE
			Nothin'. 

	Alice Munro has caught Hawkeye's attention. Outside the surgery where a casement
	meets a wall, she sits, withdrawn. A catatonic older woman in a fine dress sits next to
	her.

					PHELPS (O.S.)
			Miss Cora? Gentleman looking for you. 

	HAWKEYE

	enters. Cora's sewing up Uncas.

					CORA
				(looks up) 
			Mr Poe? 

					HAWKEYE
			Miss. 
				(re: cotton) 
			May I? 

	Cora, curious, nods. Hawkeye cuts some pieces from her ruined and discarded dress
	that she now uses to bandage Uncas. We don't know why; neither does Cora.

					HAWKEYE
				(to Uncas) 
			You 'bout done holdin' hands with Miss Munro? 

	Uncas laughs, looking from her to Hawkeye. Then he's up and he hurts. Cora starts to
	tend another wounded man. As they start out, Hawkeye hesitates. Sensing it, Cora
	turns.

					CORA
			What are you looking at, Mr. Poe? 

					HAWKEYE
			Why, I am looking at you, Miss. 

	Cora measures the directness of Hawkeye's manner. It's not insolent, only unsettling.
	Feeling foolish; she turns. He leaves. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FRENCH TRENCHES - SAPPEURS & ENGINEERS - 	NIGHT

	having worked through the night, are still digging the diagonally-advancing trench. We
	note it's closer than it was. 

	EXTERIOR FRENCH TRENCHES - FRENCH PICKETTS

	at their posts guard the sappeurs. Meanwhile ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY, WEST SIDE - SALLY-PORT - NIGHT

	opens. Ten Mohawks and Rangers crawl towards the French lines. Meanwhile ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY, PARAPET - HAWKEYE & UNCAS -
	NIGHT

	are low and out of French sight in the northeast battery. Four others are with them,
	including Captain Jack. Stacked rifles are against the casement. We don't know why.
	Each rifle is within reach of Hawkeye's hand. Hawkeye is taking extra care loading
 	Killdeer. He charges it once, then overloads the powder by a quarter charge.

					UNCAS
			You told him about the raid? 

					HAWKEYE
				(nods) 
			He does not want to hear it. 
				(pause) 
			But he is gonna have to. 

					JACK
				(to one man) 
			Get together by the West Battery James & Ian, 
			Sharitarish & William. 

	Hawkeye uses the fine cotton he took from Cora. Uncas sees it.

					UNCAS
			Tight weave. 

					HAWKEYE
			Another forty yards? 


	Uncas nods. Hawkeye wets it to make a tighter gas seal and rams it home. The tighter
	fit requires more effort. 

	HAWKEYE

	looks below to ground level ... 

	A FRONTIERSMAN - COURIER

	Two pistols are holstered in a sash around his chest. He wears no hat and carries no
	pack. He waits by the sally-port door. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FRENCH TRENCH - THREE PICKETS - NIGHT

	are suddenly tomahawked and knifed by stripped down 42nd Highlanders and
	Mohawks. Alarm is raised. French and some Huron run to advance. Shots are fired.
	The Rangers & Mohawks fall back. 

	FRENCH

	emboldened, pursue ... 

	TRENCH IN FRONT OF WEST WALL

	suddenly Heyward and three companies of the 62nd regiment of Foot (60 men) are
	over the top in perfect formation ...

					HEYWARD
			Sergeant! Form three ranks! 

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Sir! 
				(bellows to troops)
			Upon the center, wheel to the left-about!
			March! 
				(three motions; drums) 
			Rear ranks, proper distance! 
				(the rear ranks back up six paces)
			Front ranks, take your distance! March! 
				(everybody moves)
			Halt! 
				(in unison they slam to a stop)
			Make ready! 
				(muskets snap to port arms) 

	MOHAWKS & HIGHLANDERS

	dodge right & left of the 62nd's line of fire. 

	FRENCH

	are coming forward. Their sergeants trying to stop and form their men in ad-libbed
	French. 

	62ND REGIMENT OF FOOT

					SERGEANT MAJOR
				(dead cool)
			First rank! Second rank! Present arms! 
				(muskets shouldered)

					HEYWARD
			Fire!!! 

	Like one shot, lightening, smoke and .65 caliber death screams from the first two ranks
	like a scythe, cutting down ... 

	REVERSE: FRENCH

	Fourteen wounded or killed ... 

	62ND REGIMENT OF FOOT - HEYWARD

	exposed. He's oblivious to incoming rounds. A piece of hat is blown off, epaulet is shot
	off. The man next to him is killed and bloodies Heyward's coat. 

					HEYWARD
			Advance, Sergeant Major! 

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Sir!!! 
				(to soldiers)
			Third rank! Twelve paces! Forward march!

	Drums. The rear rank walks through the first two ranks, who are priming and loading
	in perfect order to their Sergeant Major's commands. As the third rank becomes the
	first rank ...

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Shoulder arms! 
				(slam)
			Present! 
				(slam)

					HEYWARD
			Fire!!! 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY - COURIER - NIGHT

	sprints for the trees during the diversion of Heyward's sally. 

	TWO HURONS

	materialize from nowhere and charge at him ... both are BLOWN off their feet by ... 

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY, CASEMENT - UNCAS & HAWKEYE

	now handed already-loaded, primed and cocked rifles while the four men behind them
	reload the two just fired. Hawkeye gestures ... 

	EXTERIOR HILLSIDE - THREE HALF-SAVAGE CANADIENS

	are running down the hill to intercept the courier. One fires ... 

	COURIER

	a near miss. 

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY - HAWKEYE

	FIRES. A half second later, Uncas FIRES. 

	EXTERIOR HILLSIDE

	One Canadien's falling through the trees as the second one's hit by Uncas' shot. 

	HAWKEYE

	reaches out his hand. Killdeer with the heavier load is slapped into it. Hawkeye aims.
	Looks away a second and comes back to the sight in deep concentration. The world
	goes silent ... 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: COURIER & CANADIEN

	pursuer are barely visible. Only patches appear momentarily between the trees. They're
	three hundred yards away: an impossible shot in 1757. 

	EXTERIOR FOREST - THE CANADIEN

	will intersect the courier. His arm is back with his tomahawk to throw ... 

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY - HAWKEYE

	judges wind, elevates the long rifle ... and FIRES at us. 

	JUMP CUT BACK: 

	TREES

	Hawkeye's heavy round rips through. We HEAR the ball cut air. A few leaves flutter ... 

	EXTERIOR FOREST - CANADIEN

	whacked head over heels by the impact. 

	COURIER

	looks over his shoulder. He didn't know the Canadien was there. He stumbles in the
	half light. Then he runs on ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY - WEST SALLY-PORT

	The three companies of the 62nd Regiment of Foot file back into the fort in perfect
	order. The sally-port is closed. Three men are wounded. The diversion worked
	perfectly. 

					HEYWARD
			Sergeant Major! 

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Sir! 

					HEYWARD
			Thank you, Sergeant Major. Thank the men. 

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Atten-hut! 

	TROOPERS & MILITIA

	have seen no action for three days & nights. Heyward got their blood running and won
	their respect. They step aside and nod to him. Heyward keeps walking. He is home. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR MUNRO'S BEDCHAMBER - DOOR - NIGHT

	a knock and Heyward enters. 

	CORA & ALICE

	Alice is in her father's bed. Cora is collecting and tearing linen into strips for bandaging.

					HEYWARD
			Cora ... I wanted to talk to you, but I'll 
			come back another time ... 

	Alice looks at the two of them and rises out of the bed.

					CORA
			Alice ... 

					ALICE
			Talk to Duncan, Cora ... I must manage ... 
			I cannot be an invalid schoolgirl. 
				(starts
				for door)
			I'll see if Mr. Phelps needs anything ... 

	She leaves.

					HEYWARD
			I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ... 

					CORA
			Her nerves are shattered. She's trying 
			to be brave. 

	There's a lot going on under Cora's surface. We don't know what it is, but it's
	disconcerting.

					HEYWARD
			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. 
				(softens)
			I believe you must trust the judgment of others 
			who hold your welfare so close to their hearts ... 

					CORA
			Duncan ... 
				(pause)
			Duncan, I promised you an answer. You 
			have complimented me with your persistence 
			and patience ... But the decision I've come 
			to is I'd rather make the gravest of mistakes 
			than surrender my own judgment. 

	Heyward is stunned.

					CORA
			And it's been unfair to you, while I search 
			myself for feelings, which, if they were
			there and as strong as they ought to be, 
			would've made themselves known long ago ...
				(pause)
			Take my admiration and friendship, Duncan. 
			And please take this as my final answer. 
			It must be no. 

	Heyward' shattered inside.

					HEYWARD
			I see ... 

					CORA
			I am sorry, Duncan ... 

	Heyward nods. He's speechless. He's errect as he leaves the room. 

	CLOSE: CORA

	The tension rushes out of her and she shudders and leans against the quarter-timbered
	walls for support. Then she collects the linen and starts out. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR FORT, INNER CORRIDOR - CORA

	moving through the corridor past wounded. Two French mortar bombs explode above
	one of the casements. We hear shrill screams in the distance and ...  

					HAWKEYE (O.S.)
			... it was no raidin' party out for pillage. The 
			cabin was attacked by a war party. They are 
			sweeping south down the frontier spreading 
			terror among farms and Mohawk villages 'cos 
			all the men are here. 

					IAN (O.S.)
			And my cabin's not thirteen miles south of 
			Cameron's! 

	Cora, passing the open door to Munro's crowded office, now hesitates. 

	CORA'S POV: THE ROOM

	Hawkeye, Captain Jack Winthrop, Ian, seven or eight other militia spokesmen, Munro,
	Heyward, two adjutants, one lieutenant of Rangers.

					MUNRO
				(to Jack)
			I must receive proof more conclusive than 
			Mr. Poe's opinion before I weaken our 
			defenses by allowing militia to withdraw. 

					JACK
			Chingachgook's of the same opinion. Taken 
			together, that's gospel. Your fort will	 stand 
			or fall depending on Webb and reinforcements, 
			not these colonials' presence. 

					MUNRO
			I judge military matters, Captain Winthrop, not 
			you. 

					HAWKEYE
			That judgment is not more important than their 
			right under agreement with Webb to defend their 
			farms & families ... Major Heyward was at John 
			Cameron's. He saw what it was. 

					MUNRO
				(looking to Heyward for 
				confirmation of his point of view) 
			What did you see, Major? 

	Heyward looks around the room. And he catches the doorway ... 

	CORA

	beyond the periphery of men, staring at him. 

	HEYWARD

	Munro is expecting him to be the good soldier in defense of British military interests.
	At the same time ... 

	CORA

	examines him with a cool, level stare. 

	HEYWARD

	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 ...  

					HEYWARD
				(to Munro)
			I saw nothing that would lead me to the 
			conclusion it was other than a raid by savages 
			bent on thievery. 

	Jack Winthrop grabs Nathaniel.

					HAWKEYE
			You're a liar! 

	CORA'S

	saddened. Heyward's stature has fallen irrevocably in her eyes. 

	HEYWARD

	can't help it. He turns to look at Cora ... 

	HEYWARD'S POV: DOORWAY

	She's gone. 

	HEYWARD

	suffused with an inner sadness, turns to Hawkeye.

					HAWKEYE
			And the blood is on your hands! 

	Heyward reaches for his sword. 

					MUNRO
				(to Heyward) 
			I'll have none of that! 
				(to colonials) 
			Montcalm is a soldier and a gentleman. 
			Not a butcher. 

					HAWKEYE
			Easy for you to suppose. While it is their 
			women and children, not yours, alone in 
			their farms! 

					MUNRO
				(exploding)
			You forget yourself! 

					JACK
			We are not forgettin' Webb's promise! 

					MUNRO
			British promises are honored. And the militia 
			will not be released. Because I need more 
			definite proof than this man's word! 

					JACK
			Nathaniel's word been good on the frontier a 
			long time before you got here! 

					MUNRO
			This interview's over! The militia stays! 

					JACK
				(to Munro) 
			Does the rule of English law no longer govern? 
			Has it been replaced by absolutism? 

	This is very dangerous talk.

					HAWKEYE
			And if English law cannot be trusted, maybe 
			these people would do better makin' a peace 
			with the French! 

					HEYWARD
			That is sedition! Treason! 

					HAWKEYE
			That is the truth! 

					HEYWARD
				(restaining himself) 
			I ought to have you whipped from this fort! 

					HAWKEYE
			Major! 
				(changes down)
			Some day I think you and I are gonna have 
			a serious disagreement. 

					MUNRO
				(steel) 
			Anyone fomenting or advocating leaving 
			Fort William Henry will be hung for sedition. 
			Anyone leaving will be shot for desertion. 
				(pause)
			 My decision is final. Get out. 

	Hawkeye and the others are not intimidated. Their rage smolders. The look on
	Hawkeye's face says this is not over. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR FORT, PARADE GROUND - BONFIRE - NIGHT

	Sparks shower skyward. Impromptu music. Some Celtic proto-bluegrass played on
	fiddle & drums. It's stirring. 

	ANOTHER ANGLE: SOME WOMEN

	laundresses, dance from soldier to soldier - English foot and American Rangers. A few
	people lit by the firelight are solemn. Most are stirred to lift their morale for a while. 

	THEIR FACES

	underlit by the red firelight. They are a disposable people, a diverse plurality stuck in a
	postage stamp-size fort in an ocean of forest, locked into mortal deadly conflict
	 because of the policies of cold and distant European monarchs. 

	A PLACE A LITTLE DISTANT FROM THE FIRE

	We can barely make out the eyes and faces of a number of men behind logs, crates and
	new wreckage from the day's bombardment. 

					HAWKEYE
				(low)
			... got no kin in the settlements. If I did, 
			I'd be long gone. 

					IAN
			You didn't think it right to be here in the 
			first place. 

					HAWKEYE
			By my light that's how I saw it then and I 
			see it that way now ... 

					IAN
				(low)
			But we are under English military authority. 

					JACK
				(low) 
			I believe if they set aside their law as and when 
			they wish, their law no longer has rightful 
			authority over us. All they have over us is 
			tyranny, then. And I'll stay here no longer. 
			No force on earth will keep me here ... Anyone 
			caught leavin' the fort could be shot. So each 
			man make your own decision ... Those who 
			are goin', be back here in an hour. 

					HAWKEYE
			Out the northern sally-port. Strike for the east 
			side of the swamp until you clear the French 
			picket line. Head north over the ridge, then 
			come about southeast and fork left in Little 
			Meadow and you're free of the outpost and 
			skirmishers ... 

					A COLONIAL
				(grumbles)
			 Should've skinned outta this long ago. 

					COLONIAL #2
			Got no families, Captain. Figured we'd stay 
			and give 'em a hand even though ... 

					HAWKEYE
				(to Colonial #2)
			I'll cover them from the top of the casement. 

					JACK
				(in amazement)
			You're not coming with us? 

	Hawkeye shakes his head. 

					HAWKEYE
			Got a reason to stay. 

					JACK
			That reason wear a blue dress and work 
			in the surgery? 

	Low laughter

					HAWKEYE
				(dry)
			 It does and it is a better lookin' reason 
			than you, Jack Winthrop. 
				(more laughs) 
			Push hard, 'cos you got to clear the French 
			outpost by dawn. 
				(sticks out his hand and
				grasps Winthrop's) 
			Good luck, Jack. 

	The men split up ... 

	CUT TO ... 

	FIRE - HAWKEYE

	wanders among the dancers and musicians clustered in groups, lit by the firelight.
	 Someone catches his eye and he moves in that direction ... 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: CORA

	in the shadows, leaning against the wall, searching ... we sense she's been looking
	for him. He comes up to her. She turns in surprise. 

	CLOSER

	Somehow she breathes easier because he's there. She's in a white shirt with the sleeves
	rolled up. Hawkeye leads her away from some of the people. 

	CORA & HAWKEYE

	Hawkeye takes Cora's hand. Cora is awakening to a new spirit, a new wind blowing
	through a new land, a new self-determination ... She's drawn to this rough yet graceful
	man with his direct manner. Hawkeye settles against a wall. She leans next to him.
	Their shoulders touch. 

	CORA

	To her everything about him seems to be somehow right. She's discovered that the
	passions and outrage that move him, move her ... And her readiness to give herself to
	what stirs the deepest resonances of her soul is the same as his. 

	HAWKEYE

	looks at her. She's beautiful in the firelight. Cora's eyes find his and she folds into his
	arms. His lips find hers and tears stream down her face. She's suffused with an elation
	she can't explain. In the night before doomsday a romance is born in rebellion amid the
	huddled people in this small stockade ripped from the black earth of the forests of a
	wild continent. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR BARRACKS - LOW & WIDE - DAY

	door CRASHES inwards. Twelve British sentries storm in. Four bear torches. 

	REVERSE: HAWKEYE, UNCAS, CHINGACHGOOK, TWO COLONIALS &
	SOME MOHAWKS

	are out of the bunks and moving with them with tomahawks, knives, a flintlock ... 

					SERGEANT (O.S.)
			You! Halt! 

	BRITISH SENTRIES

	their muskets aimed mostly at Hawkeye.

					SERGEANT
			As you were!! 

	Hawkeye freezes. The others slow down, indecisive ... Hawkeye drops his tomahawk
	and says something in Mohican to restrain Chingachgook and Uncas. The British in the
	torchlight with the long muskets and bayonets are an image out of Goya. 

					SERGEANT
			Take him! 

	Hawkeye's spun around and while his hands are bound. 

					CHINGACHGOOK
				(Mohican; subtitled)
			Why do they make my son prisoner? 

					HAWKEYE
				(Mohican; subtitled)
			I helped Winthrop and the others leave ... 
			This fight is not yours, father. I love 
			you and my brother. And you should leave 
			this place now and go to Can-tuck-ee ... 

					CHINGACHGOOK
				(Mohican; subtitled)
			What will they do with my white son? 

	One of the guards - scared to death by Chingachgook - nervously fingers his musket. 

					GUARD
			Get back from him! 

	HEYWARD

	enters. 

	HAWKEYE

	shrugs in answer to Chingachgook's question. 

	HAWKEYE'S

	moved out. As he passes Heyward, his eyes lock on his. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR MUNRO'S QUARTERS - CORA - DAY

					CORA
			He saved us! We are alive only because 
			of him ... 

	WIDEN:

	Heyward, Munro, Cora. We've entered mid-argument. An adjutant comes and goes.
	Heyward and Munro are sensitive to appearances in front of the adjutant. Cora couldn't
	give a damn. 

					MUNRO
			The man encouraged the colonials to desert 
			in this very room, in my presence. He is 
			guilty of sedition and must be tried and hanged 
			like any other criminal, regardless of what he 
			did for my children. 

					CORA
			He knew the consequences. And he stayed. 
			Are those the actions of a criminal? 
			... Duncan, do something. 

					HEYWARD
			He knew the penalty for breaking regulations. 
			He ought to pay without sending you to beg. 

					CORA
			You know he wouldn't send me ...! You 
			misrepresented what you saw and caused
			this. 
				(frustrated)
			I, too, was at that farm. It was as he said ... 

					MUNRO
			Not with enough certainty to outweigh British 
			interests in this fort. 

					HEYWARD
			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." 

					CORA
			They do not live their lives "by your leave." 
			... They hack it out of the wilderness with 
			their own two hands, burying their dead and 
			their children along the way. 

					HEYWARD
				(distant)
			 You are defending him because you've become 
			infatuated with him.

	Cora is having her intelligence written off as a hormone attack. She contains her fury. 

					CORA
			Duncan, you are a man with a few admirable 
			qualities. But taken as a whole, I was wrong 
			to have thought so highly of you. 

	Heyward's shot through the heart.

					MUNRO
			But the man is guilty of sedition and subject 
			to military justice and beyond pardon. 

					CORA
			"Justice"? If that's "justice" ..., then the 
			sooner French guns blow the English army
			out of America, the better it will be for 
			these people. 

					MUNRO
			You do not know what you are saying! 

					CORA
				(explodes)
			Yes I do! I know exactly what I am saying. 
			And if it is sedition, then I am guilty of 
			sedition, too! 

	She exits, leaving them there. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR FORT, STOCKADE - NIGHT

	Heavy timbered door. A sentry. They stand at attention when Cora passes as opposed
	to barring her entry. 

	INTERIOR CELL - HAWKEYE

	comes to the door, grips the bars with his hands and looks at Cora. 

	THROUGH THE BARS TO CORA

	They are silent for a moment, then ... 

					HAWKEYE
			Sorry ... can't ask you in. 

	Cora's pale smile. 

					CORA
			They're going to hang you. 
				(pause; soft)
			Why didn't you leave when you had the
			chance? 

					HAWKEYE
			Because what I am interested in is right 
			here ... 

					CORA
			What would you have me do? 

	He touches her hand. 

					HAWKEYE
			Webb's reinforcements will arrive or not. 
			If they do not arrive, the fort will fall. If 
			that happens, stay close to your father. 
			The French will protect the officer class 
			among the English. 

					CORA
			No. I will find you. 

					HAWKEYE
			Do not. 
				(pause)
			Promise me. 

	Cora drops her forehead to Hawkeye's hands wrapped around the bars. She acquiesces,
	nods. Then HEAVY SHELLING commences. Cora & Hawkeye look up. Mortar
	bombs begin striking the fortress. Still dark. The final French bombardment has
	started. 

					CORA
			The whole world's on fire, isn't it? 

	A pause.

					HAWKEYE
			This part of it sure is ... 

	Reaching through the bars set in the thick door, their hands clasp each others. On that
	image ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY - VARIOUS CUTS - DAWN (2ND UNIT)

	French cannoneers in Batteries #1 and #2 fire again and again. They work like precision
	drill teams. 

	FRENCH TRENCH

	ending in Battery #3 is complete and surprisingly close to William Henry's walls. Crews
	reload the squat and massive newly arrived thirteen inch mortars. 

	MORTAR ONE

	The flash-hole is primed. The burning fuse is jammed into the bomb. The primer charge
	is lit off and the crew ducks as the crude iron belches red flame and black smoke into
	the lightening sky. The second mortar ROARS. Then a THIRD. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR FORT WILLIAM HENRY - ENGLISH CANNON CREW - NIGHT

	tries to return fire but can't under the heavy French bombardment. The French mortar
	bomb arcs in and EXPLODES smoke, flame and shrapnel, wiping out most of the
	crew. The fortress is under the heaviest attack we've seen. Wounded are in shock or
	terrorized. Another mortar bomb arcs in and explodes part of a building and casement,
	starting a fire.
	Another lands in the grounds. People scatter. It doesn't explode. One soldier dashes to
	rip out the fuse. As his hand is inches away ... EXPLOSION. 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR STOCKADE - HAWKEYE - DAWN - LATER

	protects Cora through the bars as she half sleeps through the muffled roar. Then the
	thundering stops. Hawkeye seperates himself from her and crosses to the window. 

	EXTERIOR FORT, MAIN GATE - HAWKEYES POV: CHEVALIER DE LEVIS

	bows deeply to Major Beams. A French honor guard of five men is behind him. A white
	scarf is on his sword tip. The fresh destruction of the fort is apparent. Debris smolders. 

	INTERIOR FORT - STOCKADE - HAWKEYE

	crosses to an awakened Cora. He touches her face. He's desperate to drill these next
	words into her brain. 

					CORA
			What is it? 

					HAWKEYE
			I don't know. Whatever happens you stay 
			with your father. You stay among the officers. 

	Cora looks up at Hawkeye. We feel forboding. O.S. are heard drums ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FRENCH LINES - MUNRO, HEYWARD, BEAMS - DAY

	The drums are from Munro's honor guard. They stop. 

	REVERSE: FRENCH SOLDIERS

	Marquis de Montcalm, immaculate, backed by his guard of honor in white, grey and
	medium blue with six foot by eight foot regimental colors and the French flag (gold
	fleur-de-lis on a field of blue). 

	FACES

	They carried two hundred and forty-five bateaux across a ten mile portage, all their
	supplies and artillery, and then rowed down the length of Lake George to get here. To 	them, assaulting this fort is the easy part. The drummers of the honor guard play a
	tattoo behind them. 

	INDIAN FACES

	Huron, Ottawa, Osage, Choctaw, Fox ... hear the drum of the honor guard and wait.
	They're in war paint. Many tattoos. Split ears. The Osage scalping locks are hennaed
	red. Canadiens among them are bearded, dirty, half savage ... At their head ... 

	MAGUA

	in full war paint, with a coterie of Huron warriors, silent, waiting. Drums. 

	INTERIOR FORT - ENGLISH TROOPS (TABLEAUX)

	grim, silent, watchful. 

	COLONIAL MILITIA & MOHAWK INDIANS IN WAR PAINT (TABLEAUX)

	watching the parlay from a blown apart battery. Silent. 

	WIDE: FRENCH & ENGLISH

	and their honor guards. Montcalm steps forward and sweeps his plumed hat to the
	ground in a courtly bow. Munro bows coldly. 

					MONTCALM
			Colonel Munro, I have known you as a gallant 
			antagonist. I am happy to make your 
			acquaintance as a friend. 

					MUNRO
			And I to make yours, Monsieur le Marquis. 

					MONTCALM
			Please accept my compliments for the strong 
			and skillful defense of your fortress. Under 
			the command of a lesser man it would have 
			fallen long ago given the superior numbers and 
			material ... mere chance has allowed me to 
			array against you ... 

					MUNRO
			Monsieur le Marquis, I am a soldier, not a 
			diplomat. You called this parlay for a reason. 

					MONTCALM
			You have already done everything which is 
			necessary for the honor of your Prince. I 
			will forever bear testimony that your resistance 
			has been gallant and was continued as long as 
			there was hope. But now, I beg you to listen 
			to the admonitions of humanity. I beg you to 
			consider my terms for your surrender. 

					MUNRO
			However I may apprise such testimony from 
			Monsieur Montcalm, Fort William Henry is 
			strong and stands. 

					MONTCALM
			Honor that is freely accorded to courage, may 
			be refused obstinacy ... These hills afford to 
			us every opportunity to reconnoiter your 
			works and I am possibly as well acquainted 
			with your weak condition as you are yourselves. 

	Is Webb really en route and Montcalm hopes to take the fort by duplicity before British
	reinforcements arrive? 

					MUNRO
			Perhaps the General's glasses can reach to the 
			Hudson and he knows the size and imminence 
			of the army of Webb ...? 

	Montcalm takes a moment to reply and appears genuinely sympathetic to Munro. 

					MONTCALM
				(quietly)
			My scouts intercepted this dispatch intended 
			for you. 

	Munro is puzzled, suspicious. 

					MONTCALM
				(to Bougainville)
			Read the dispatch. 

	HEYWARD & MUNRO]

					BOUGAINVILLE 
				(O.S. - reading)
			"Colonel Munro - Fort William Henry. I have 
			no men available to send to your rescue. It is 
			impossible. I  advise you to seek terms for 
			surrender. Signed Webb." 

	Munro is rocked, as if struck by a blow. Bougainville hands Heyward the letter. 

					HEYWARD
				(confirming)
			This is the signature of Webb. 
				(to Munro)
			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. 

					MUNRO
				(to Montcalm)
			 You have heard your answer, Monsieur le 
			Marquis. 
				(salutes) 

	Munro starts off. Montcalm stops him. 

					MONTCALM
			Sir. 
				(challengingly)
			I am incapable of mistreating brave men. 
			I beg you not to sign the death warrant 
			of so many until you have listened to my 
			terms. 

	Munro turns. 

					MUNRO
			Such as ...? 

					MONTCALM
			My master requires the fort be destroyed. 
			But, for you and your comrades, there is 
			no privilege that will be denied. None of 
			your men will see the inside of a prison
			barge. They're free to go so long as they 
			return to England and fight no more on this
			continent, and the civilian militia return to 
			their farms. 

					MUNRO
			Their arms? 

					MONTCALM
			They may leave the fortress fully armed, but 
			with no ammunition ... Other than that, ask 
			what you wish. 

	Munro's impressed with Montcalm's generosity. 

					MUNRO
			The honors of war? 

					MONTCALM
			Granted. 

					MUNRO
			My colors? 

					MONTCALM
			Carry them to England to your King with pride. 

					MUNRO
			Allow me to consult with my officers. 

	As he turns away something's been disconnected inside Munro that can never get put
	back together. As the men move away from the French ... 

					MUNRO
			I have lived to see two things I never expected. 
			An Englishman afraid to support a friend. And 
			a Frenchman too honest to profit by that advantage. 

					HEYWARD
			General Webb can burn in hell. We'll go back 
			and dig our graves behind the ramparts! Our 
			mission is to fight. 

					MUNRO
				(flares)
			Death and honor are sometimes thought to be 
			the same. Today I have learned that they are not. 

	Munro looks at the fortress behind him. 

					HEYWARD
			Sir! 

					MUNRO
				(stops him with his eyes)
			The decision is final. 

	A beat. Then Munro turns toward Montcalm. Their eyes meet across the churned,
	scarred earth of the battlefield. 

					MUNRO
			I am deeply touched by such unusual and 
			unexpected generosity ... The fort is yours 
			under the condition that we be given until 
			dawn to bury our dead, prepare our men and 
			women for their march and turn our wounded 
			over to your surgeon. 

					MONTCALM
			Granted, Monsieur. 

	And Montcalm bows deeply and as he does so ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FRENCH LINES - CLOAKED MAN - NIGHT

	passes away from the little city of tents in the direction of the beach and towards
	William Henry. He seems to head towards a vantage point from which to observe the
	fort. As he approaches a sentry: 

					SENTRY
			Qui vive? 

					MONTCALM
			France. 

					SENTRY
			Le mot d'ordre? 

					MONTCALM
			La victoire. 

					SENTRY
			C'est bien, vous vous promenez bien matin, 
			monsieur! 

					MONTCALM
			Il est necessaire d'etre vigilant, mon enfant. 

	The cloak parts. By the light of the moon the man's face is dimly perceived by us and
	the soldier as General Montcalm. The soldier snaps erect as Montcalm continues
	walking out beyond the line to a small stand of trees. 

	ANOTHER ANGLE: MONTCALM

	The moon is broken into pieces of light on the water and behind Montcalm; from the
	front of the stand of trees emerges a tall figure.

					MAGUA
			Is the hatchet buried between the English 
			and my French father? 

					MONTCALM
			Yes. 

					MAGUA
			Not a warrior has a scalp and the white men 
			become friends. 

					MONTCALM
			My master owns these lands and your father 
			has been ordered to drive off the English 
			squatters. They have consented to go. So 
			now he calls them enemies no longer. 

					MAGUA
			Magua took the hatchet to color it with blood. 
			It is still bright. Only when it is red, then it will 
			be buried. 

					MONTCALM
			But so many suns have set since Le Renard 
			struck the war post. Is he not tired? 

					MAGUA
			Where is that sun?! It has gone behind the hill. 
			It is dark and cold. It has set on his people, 
			they are fooled and kill all the animals and sell 
			all of their lands to enrich the European masters 
			who are always greedy for more than they need. 
				(threatening)
			And Le Subtil is the son of his tribe. There have 
			been many clouds and many mountains. But now
			he has come to lead his nation. 

					MONTCALM
			That Le Renard has the power to lead his people 
			into the light, I know well. 

	Magua grabs the hand of the French commander. Imperceptible surprise in Montcalm's
	eyes. Magua jams Montcalm's fingers to his chest. 

					MAGUA
			Does my father know that? 

	MAGUA'S CHEST

	A deep indentation and scar. 

					MONTCALM
			That's where a lead bullet has torn you. 

					MAGUA
			And this? 

	Magua turns his naked back to Montcalm and puts Montcalm's hand on his back ... 	deep ridges of a scar a half inch wide.] 

					MONTCALM
			My son has been sadly injured. Who did 
			this? 

					MAGUA
				(laughs; sardonic)
			Magua slept hard in the English wigwams. 
			And the sticks left their mark ... 
				(pause; for real)
			Magua's village and lodges were burnt. 
			Magua's children were killed by the English. 
			Magua was taken as a slave by the Mohawks 
			who fought for the Grey Hair. Magua's wife 
			believed he was dead and became the wife of 
			another. The Grey Hair was the father of all 
			this. 
				(pause)
			In time Magua became blood-brother to Mohawk 
			to become free. In his heart he always was Huron. 
			And his heart will be whole again on the day 
			when the Grey Hair and all his seed are dead! 

					MONTCALM
			My son Magua's pain is my pain. 

					MAGUA
			Does the chief of the Canadas believe the 
			English will keep the terms? 

					MONTCALM
			Munro would. But General Webb will not
			send their soldiers across the salt lake. 
			Having let them go, I fear I will only fight 
			the same men again when I move south.
				(pause; shrugs)
			And yet, I cannot break the terms of the 
			capitulation and sully the lilies of France ... 

	Long pause, wheels turn. Then: 

					MAGUA
			Many things my French father cannot do, 
			Magua can. 

	Montcalm reacts as if he hadn't thought of that. 

					MONTCALM
			As the English march away, our soldiers 
			and the Canadiens will be drawn to the 
			looting of the fort ... except for a small 
			guard ... 

	Magua abruptly leaves Montcalm. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR WOODS - MAGUA - NIGHT

	walking back to the Huron camp. Reveal a Huron sub-chief has been in the woods,
	waiting for Magua. Now he joins him. They walk in silence. Then ...

					MAGUA
				(in Iroquois; re: Montcalm)
			I wonder at the blindness and pride of the 
			white man. He believes only he knows 
			how to speak falsely to make other men do 
			his bidding. 

	Magua exhales in derision. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FORT, MAIN GATE - MUNRO - DAY

	at the end of the column, rides out on his horse. Both sides of the gate are jammed with
	armed French troops standing at attention. The French colors and honor guard are just
	outside the gate along with Bougainville, Chevalier de Levis, both on horseback as 
	is - at the head - Montcalm. 

	CLOSER: MUNRO

	trots past his walking column out the gate. He does not look at the French. 

	MONTCALM

	salutes Munro and bows gravely from the saddle. 

	CLOSER: MUNRO

	salutes Montcalm.

					MUNRO
				(eyes forward)
			Monsieur, the fort is yours. 

	MID-COLUMN - ON HEYWARD

	marching with his 33rd Regiment of Foot well beyond the fort. The French troops have
	thinned out. Repressing shame, his backbone is rigid, his face is straight ahead. The
	33rd marches in perfect cadence to the drum. In the B.G. Munro on his horse passes
	Heyward as he rides towards the front of his column. Heyward does not look at him. 

	FRONT OF COLUMN - CORA WITH ALICE

	on the back of a mare. Alice, living through a wide-awake nightmare, is huddled under
	the arm of her sister. They ride behind the standard bearers. In the B.G. her father is
	seen approaching and takes his position at their side. Cora looks down the column,
	sheilding her eyes against the sun. We know who she's looking for ... Hawkeye. 

	CORA'S POV: THE COLUMN

	The 62nd and 42nd Highlanders including Heyward ... thirty to forty women and a
	number of children - for safety - in the middle, some frontiersmen, Ongewasgone and
	many Mohawk, walking wounded. The column is still snaking its way out of the fort.
	No Hawkeye. 

	CORA

	straining to see. 

	EXTERIOR FORT - PRISONERS

	being assembled, their hands shackled. Hawkeye is among twelve or thirteen. He stands
	erect, walking out of the gate. The French are starting to pour in to loot the interior.
	Hawkeye looks to his left about twenty paces in front of him and sees ... 

	UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK

	on the other side of the column. Chingachgook cradles Killdeer as well as his own
	musket. They fall back to walk beside the prisoners on the other side of Hawkeye.
	Their eyes connect... We don't expect Hawkeye to stay shackled for the duration. 

	RANK AND FILE FRENCH

	A few insults. The British soldiers answer. Nobody breaks rank. It's just talk. 

	EXTERIOR ROAD - HAWKEYE

	His eyes sweep the column snaking its way into the v-shaped valley. The path cuts
	through the forested hills ahead. He sees ... 

	HAWKEYE'S DISTANT POV: CORA

	riding near the front where there are no more French soldiers. Only a few scattered and
	curious Huron and Ottawa. She does not see him. 

	PROFILE OF COLUMN - HIGH & WIDE

	as it passes left to right below like a long snake through the narrow valley. We're
	shooting from inside the dark woods. Lower, in the light, we see a scattering on both
	slopes of a couple of hundred Ottawa and Huron. They are in no order, are spread out
	and don't constitute a threat. They watch the column. 
	SLOWLY THE CAMERA ... slides across the shoulders and back of a large man
	wearing black plumes in his scalp-lock and other than a breechcloth is almost naked. He
	is heavily war-painted ... 

	FRONTAL - MAGUA

	and the left two-thirds of his face is painted red. The right third is painted black. Much
	silver is in his ears. His tomahawk is in his left hand. His cut-down musket in his right
	fist. Magua's attention is all focused to one point. 

	MAGUA'S LONG & TIGHT POV: MUNRO & CORA & ALICE

	at the head of the column. This is the focus of Magua's attention. 

	WIDE FRONTAL: COLUMN, STANDARD BEARERS & MUNROS

	Cora turns again to look for Hawkeye. 

	CLOSER: CORA

	doesn't see him, but something else has caught her eye. 

	YOUNG HURON

	running toward the column. Just one man. No musket. He's running and whooping like
	a dog charging from his master's front yard. Why? 

	CLOSER

	the Huron arrives at the column, his tomahawk swings into his hand and he brains a
	British trooper who falls dead. The single Huron never breaks stride. He simply runs off
	again ... 

	CORA

	horrified, holds Alice tighter. 

	MUNRO

	has seen it too. And now he sees ... 

	62ND REGIMENT OF FOOT

	fixing bayonets. A large sergeant unsheathes a two-handed claymore, facing the Hurons
	and other Indians ... 

	TROOPERS

	of the 33rd present arms. Did they violate the surrender by carrying ammunition? Locks
	are cocked. There's the answer. 

					MUNRO
			Steady! No one fires! 

	EXTERIOR FORESTED HILLSIDES - OTHER TRIBES

	are watching what happens. 

	HEYWARD

	scanning them. 

					HEYWARD
				(to Sergeant Major)
			Men are to stay in file, Sergeant Major! 

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Yes sir! 

	Drums beat the cadence.

	TROOPERS

	step over the fallen soldier. Heads turn, they're on edge ... 

	END OF COLUMN - HAWKEYE, UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK

	watching. They exchange looks. This is not good. Chingachgook cocks both Killdeer
	and his own musket. 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: FORESTED SLOPES

	Hold. We start to make out details in the shadow. Tree trunks. We become accustomed
	to the dimness. Now in the lower light we see deeper in the forest. 

	CLOSER

	Many Huron and Ottawa are hidden in the shadows. They're moving along parallel to
	the column, stalking it. Waiting ... 

	ANOTHER BRAVE

	racing down the hill from the opposite flank towards the 62nd. 

	TWO SOLDIERS

	look at their sergeant. He nods. They wait until he's within ten feet of the column. Both
	bayonet the Indian. He's dead. 

	EXTERIOR HILLSIDES - HURON & OTTAWA

	saw what happened. But, they hold their ranks. 

	MOHAWKS

	among the British are slipping tomahawks into their hands, surreptitiously. Some are
	cocking flintlocks. 

	MUNRO

	gallops his horse away from Cora and Alice towards the scene of the last attack. We
	hear him from the distance ordering ...

					MUNRO
			Do not break ranks! I want these ranks 
			to hold ...! 

	Cora's frightened.

	HAWKEYE'S

	frustrated. He saw Munro leave Cora. He knows events have a momentum and it's
	accelerating. 

	CHINGACHGOOK & UNCAS

	move next to the sergeant with the shackle keys who looks at them curiously as ... 

	WOMEN

	with children nervously search the threatening trees, hoping against hope these are
	isolated incidents. 

	HEYWARD

	draws his sword and is passing orders to his sergeant major, scanning the hills ... 

	EXTERIOR FORESTED SLOPE - MAGUA

	His eyes see Munro. 

	WIDER & LOWER: MAGUA

	raises his musket in his fist and emits a war whoop. WE NOW SEE ... hundreds have
	been stalking the column, hidden in the trees, maybe thousands. Then ... 

	WIDE: ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

	FIRE from the trees crescendos within seconds revealing a spontaneous and massive
	ambush of mostly Hurons. They appear from behind every tree and it turns to a ROAR
	of musket fire, war whoops and screams as ... 

	SOLDIERS & CIVILIANS

	dropping like flies and seemingly thousands of Hurons attack down both slopes. 

	HAWKEYE

	is being unshackled by Uncas. The sergeant is rising from the ground where
	Chingachgook knocked him. Chingachgook throws Hawkeye Killdeer and Hawkeye
	shrugs into his pouch and powder horn as he races with Uncas for the head of the
	column ... 

	EXTERIOR FORESTED SLOPE - MAGUA

	charging down the hill ... with his coterie of twenty Huron warriors, heading for the
	area in which he saw Munro. 

	CORA & ALICE

	at the head of the disintegrating column. Cora's holding Alice's head to her bosom,
	covering her ears as if to protect her from the sounds. 

	HEYWARD

	shouting orders. 

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Right - about face! March! First rank present! 

					HEYWARD
			Fire! 

	REVERSE:

	The volley knocks down fifteen of a horde of attacking Hurons. 

					SERGEANT MAJOR
			Prime! Load! Second rank six paces forward! 
			Present! 

	Hurons are twenty yards away and closing.

					HEYWARD
			Fire! 

	As the line of muskets belch smoke and fire ... 

	WIDE: THE HILLS & PATH

	We're shooting into the "v" of the valley with Hurons and other tribes pouring down
	from both sides. (IMPORTANT: the combined musket fire of Hurons, English and
	Mohawks generates tremendous clouds of smoke which obscure action, close off
	views, isolate pockets of combat into surreal tableaux that we'll move in and out of.

	BRITISH TROOPERS

	using their useless muskets as clubs or with fixed bayonets - as the smoke and fog
	swirls among the men - fighting for their lives ... 

	MAGUA

	glides through the scenes, striking and hunting. Some of his coterie of braves near him.
	He sees ... 

	BLONDE WOMAN

	hugging the ground in fear. Magua throws her over. It's not Alice Munro. It's a woman
	protecting her baby. Magua walks on. One of the braves behind Magua raise his
	tomahawk. On his downswing ... 

	HAWKEYE

	running through surreal patches, thinks he glimpses Cora two hundred yards away. 

					HAWKEYE
			Cora! 

	Chingachgook, on Hawkeye's left, slams down two Hurons with his war club. 

	CORA & ALICE

	running through the chaos and murder and British troopers and Mohawks locked in
	struggle with Hurons. Cora's dress is torn. She holds Alice to her. There's a pistol in
	Cora's hand. 

	ONE HURON

	scalping a prone soldier, rips the trophy from his head, turns and faces us. 

	CORA

	shoots him in the face. 

	EXTREMELY CLOSE: ALICE

	and her eyes take it all in. And her affect starts to flatten. A blankness suffuses her
	expression and the girl withdraws from this reality into a deep dark cave inside her
	head. 

	HAWKEYE

	locked in combat. He tomahawks one Huron's arm with a slashing downstroke and
	comes right back into the face of the second with his backswing while his right hand
	fires Killdeer at ... 

	HURON

	six feet from Uncas and about to shoot him in the back. 

	HAWKEYE

	free for a moment, spins. He has no idea of direction any more. Everything is death in
	strange tableaux. Meanwhile: 

	MUNRO

	hollering

					MUNRO
			Cora! Alice! 

	He cuts down a Huron with his sword who is trying to leap at him from the right. An
	Osage warrior with red scalp-lock leaps on the back of Munro's horse, reaching over to
	stab down into Munro's neck. The old man's left hand grabs the warrior's knife hand in
	an iron grip. His right hand pulls his horse pistol and under his upraised arm fires
	backward, point blank, blowing the Osage off the back of his horse. 

	WIDER

	Just then Munro's mount is shot. His horse rears up, throws Munro and falls on him. 

	HEYWARD

	shouting orders over the deafening noise.

					HEYWARD
			Second rank fire! Six paces back! Prime! 
			Load! Third rank! Present! 

	A well-oiled, well-drilled fighting machine, but there are fewer of them. They're getting
	cut off. They close ranks automatically as a man drops. They're retreating in perfect
	order. 

	HURON WARRIOR

	about to strike a downwards blow is pushed aside by Magua. 

	CLOSER: MAGUA

	His eyes drop to what's in front of him. The field goes quiet. 

	OVER MAGUA'S SHOULDER: MUNRO

	his lower body is trapped under his dead horse. Magua leans in towards him. 

					MAGUA
			Grey Hair. I will cut your heart from your 
			living chest in front of your eyes. As you die, 
			know that I will put under the knife your 
			children and wipe your seed from this earth 
			forever ... 

	Magua pulls his knife and as he leans down towards Munro ... 

	MOHAWK & HURON

	spin and flail furiously at each other with tomahawks and knives. The Huron goes down
	and then the Mohawk is shot. The Huron who shot him is cut down by a Ranger with
	tomahawk in one hand and bayonet in the other. Two Mohawks and three Rangers
	fighting back to back. They become an island swamped by Huron and Ottawa: amidst
	bodies and ground slippery with blood. As smoke obscures their image. 

	CORA & ALICE

	in a group of civilian militia. Two of the militiamen are shot down. The third engages a
	Fox warrior. Cora & Alice run. 

	MUNRO'S FACE

	frozen in agony by shock. 

	MAGUA

	reaching down and up into something, emerges and jams an object we barely see into
	the air. But his arm and shoulder and half his chest are splashed red with blood. 

	LONG SHOT: MAGUA

	seen from far away, holding aloft the heart of Munro. 

	REVERSE: HAWKEYE

	saw him and fights his way to attack when ... 

	WHITE HORSE

	crazed, CRASHES through men, knocking Hawkeye over ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	protecting Hawkeye, slams his war club into one Huron, breaking his attack, his arm
	and his skull and swings the other way burying the bladed end into the chest of an
	Ottawa who's behind him. Then ... 

	HAWKEYE'S

	up, looking wildly ... 

	CAMERA JAMS INTO CLEARING SMOKE:

	33rd Regiment of Foot and Heyward. They FIRE into our face. 

	CLOSER: HEYWARD

					HEYWARD
			Six paces back! Prime! Load! Rank two, 
			present! Rank two, hold! 

	He grabs a partially loaded musket, the ramrod still in the barrel. They're taking fire.
	Men are dying. They're being pushed back. 

	AN ABNAKI

	wearing a large cross, attacks Heyward from the side. One-handed, Heyward fires the
	musket into the man's chest, sending the ramrod through him. Then Heyward's shot in
	the thigh and a thrown tomahawk hits him in the head and knocks him sideways.
	Dazed. Barely able to stand. He uses the musket as a cane and ...

					HEYWARD
			Rank two, six paces back! Rank one, 
			present! 

	Rank two did not retreat six paces. They stand in confusion. Heyward looks to see
	what's wrong. 

	HEYWARD'S POV: THE REMNANTS OF THE 33RD REGIMENT OF FOOT

	are standing in water. They're up against Lake George. Their backs are to the wall. Last
	stand. Heyward straightens. 

	TWO FRENCH OFFICERS

	on horseback try to intercede in the slaughter of five women. One French officer is shot
	by a Huron. The other French officer runs through that Huron and shoots the second.
	Then his horse is shot out from under him and he goes down ... 

	JESUIT

	pleads with an Abnaki to give up a child he's holding by the legs in one hand. He offers
	his cross. The Abnaki throws the baby to the Jesuit, Pere Roubaud. 

	UNCAS

	sees a flash of something yellow. So does Hawkeye. They charge into the swirling
	chaos of attacking bodies. As we lose sight of them ... 

	ALICE

	on her hands and knees. A massive Ottawa pulls her upright by her hair about to take
	her life and her scalp. He's struck by a rock in the hands of Cora which barely phases
	him. He bats her aside and returns to Alice, when suddenly ... 

	OTTAWA WARRIOR

	is spun, punched and tomahawked into the ground by Hawkeye. Uncas has Alice and
	Cora ... 

	TWO RANGERS AND A MOHAWK WARRIOR

	from the earlier group are nearby. They combine with Hawkeye to fight their way out
	 with bayonets and tomahawks. 

	HAWKEYE, UNCAS, CHINGACHGOOK, TWO RANGERS, A MOHAWK &
	MUNRO'S DAUGHTERS

	back through the swirling smoke. There seems to be a lull. Then they're hit from the
	side by musket fire. One of the Rangers is shot, the other wounded. Hurons attack. The
	Mohawk supports the wounded Ranger. 

	HAWKEYE

	shields Cora as they back up. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	smashing his war club straight down on a Huron, reaches for the man's musket and
	shoots another. Then he sees ... 

	SMOKE DRIFTING OVER WATER

	It's glass-smooth. And the bows are barely visible of three or four Huron war canoes. 

	THE SHALLOWS - HAWKEYE, CHINGACHGOOK, UNCAS, CORA, ALICE,
	THE RANGER & THE MOHAWK

	back into the water. They're pursued by Ottawa and Hurons as they fight their way to
	the canoes. 

	CORA

	held up by Hawkeye, suddenly screams. 

	ANGLE

	something underwater is pulling her down. An Ottawa brave rockets out of the
	shallows. Before he's erect, Hawkeye slams him back into the water and FIRES. 

	WOUNDED RANGER

	has shoved a large birch canoe at them. 

	HAWKEYE

	Suddenly, the Mohawk fighting with them is shot and spins to face Hawkeye. His hands
	rest on Hawkeye's shoulders. Hawkeye looks into his face. Tries to hold him up, tries
	to rescue him. A frozen moment. Hawkeye's staring into his eyes and the man is staring
	into Hawkeye's as the light goes out ... Hawkeye lets him slide into the water and float
	away. He moves Cora and Alice towards the canoe ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR LAKE GEORGE - WATER & SWIRLING SMOKE - DAY

	The bottom of the frame is water like glass. Smoke obscures the background. Fingers
	tendril towards us. Out of the mist we HEAR small splashing and then the high bow of
	a war canoe defines itself. It's paddled towards us. 

	HAWKEYE, CHINGACHGOOK & UNCAS

	Cora's behind Hawkeye. Alice and the wounded Ranger are near Uncas. 

	CLOSER: HAWKEYE & CORA

	Cora looks left. Her eyes go wide. 

					CORA
			No! 

	HAWKEYE

	spins. 

	HEYWARD & TWO TROOPERS OF THE 33RD IN A SECOND CANOE

	have emerged from the smoke ten feet from them. Heyward's aiming a horse pistol at
	Hawkeye. 

	HAWKEYE

	is non-plussed. He doesn't stop paddling. 

					HAWKEYE
			You got nothin' better to do today on 
			Lake George than shoot me, Major,
			then go ahead ... 

	Heyward's a hair's breadth from firing. Suddenly they hear the boom of muskets and
	rounds come in. 

	WIDE

	They're being pursued by three boatloads - and then a fourth and fifth - of Huron. 

	HEYWARD

	is indifferent to Huron musket balls. Hawkeye hasn't stopped paddling and pays
	Heyward no heed.

					CORA
			Stop it!! 

	Heyward comes to his senses. His head is gashed. A scarf, as a tourniquet, is tied
	around his leg. He lowers the gun. 

					HEYWARD
			When you fall into British hands again, 
			Nathaniel Poe, I will have you hanged. 

	HURON CANOES

	paddle hard and deep and the canoes power across the lake. 

	HAWKEYE & HEYWARD'S CANOES

	with less paddlers, plus wounded, are slower and will be overtaken. 

	HAWKEYE

	looks to Uncas. They both realize the same thing. Hawkeye nods and he, Uncas &
	Chingachgook begin to paddle furiously. The others match the doubled pace. They're
	sprinting ahead but the effort is exhausting. 

	HURON CANOES

	maintain their steady pace. Three or four Hurons fire. 

	HAWKEYE'S CANOE

	Musket balls ricochet on the water's surface. One rips a hole through the bow.
	Hawkeye sees one of the Redcoats in Heyward's canoe is giving out ... 

					REDCOAT #1
			Can't ... keep it up ... 

					HAWKEYE
			Pull! 

	He renews the attack on the water with the paddle.

					HEYWARD
				(shouts)
			How long? 

					HAWKEYE
				(shouts)
			Only chance we got is ... 
				(breathless)
			 ... to get more distance on 'em and go 
			to ground! 

	Heyward digs in. Like firecrackers in the distance, Huron muskets sound. A new hail
	of musket balls cut the fabric of the canoes. One Redcoat is shot in the back. He falls
	overboard.

					HAWKEYE
				(shouts)
			Pull!!

	HAWKEYE CANOE

	sprints forward. 

	CLOSE: HAWKEYE

	looks over his shoulder. 

	THE HURON CANOES

	They're pulling away from them.

					HAWKEYE
			Pull ...! 

	More Huron musket balls hit water nearby. 

	REDCOAT

	in Heyward's boat is shot. BUT ... the .65 caliber ball didn't penetrate his skin. The
	Redcoat - amazed - picks it off the floor of the canoe. 

					REDCOAT #2
			Spent. 

	Distance caught up with eighteenth century ballistics. They're out of smoothbore
	musket range. 

	HAWKEYE CANOE]

					HAWKEYE
				(to Heyward)
			Head for ... for the white water. 

					HEYWARD
			Do you hear me, sir! 
				(exhausted)
			If you ever fall ... into British hands ...
				(breathes)
			What white water? 

	HEYWARD & REDCOAT'S POV: LAKE

	divided by a spit of land. The right fork becomes a river with white water rapids. 

	HAWKEYE CANOE - HAWKEYE

	paddling now, too, as they furiously jam for the white water that will shoot them way
	ahead of the Hurons. 

	UNCAS

	leaps off the stern of Hawkeye's canoe and climbs up the stern of Heyward's and takes
	control. He roughly gestures to the Redcoat and the Major to stop paddling. He and
	Hawkeye will pilot the two canoes. 

	EXTERIOR WHITE WATER - WIDE - DAY

	The canoes enter the white water and they're so light, they're jet-propelled. 

	CANOE POV: EIGHT FOOT WAVE

	racing in the same direction they are. They hit it straight on and it shoots over them and
	they're drenched by two waves coming from the sides. 

	HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK

	paddle like fiends to get momentum and control. 

	UNCAS' CANOE

	Same thing. When they crested the wave Uncas hollers at them to "pull" and they do.
	As soon as they're through it, Uncas slams the paddle in the water and makes the canoe
	revolve a hundred and eighty degrees in a vortex so that now it's going through 
	stern-first or the stern becomes the bow, so that Uncas could pilot it a different way
	through a hazard of ... 

	EXPOSED ROCKS

	jutting out of the water. 

	WIDE - BOTH CANOES

	Hawkeye didn't have to turn because Chingachgook, at the bow, uses his paddle to
	shove the canoe away from jutting rocks. Uncas does the same. Past the jutting rocks,
	Uncas swings it back around while ... 

	WHITE WATER

	smashes into the camera. 

	ALICE & CORA

	as the canoe roller-coasters and water bursts the bow. Then suddenly it's through and
	the water is miraculously smooth. 

	CANOES

	The Ranger, the Redcoats and even Heyward feel the exhilaration of the ride. That's
	because they think they're home free.

					HAWKEYE
			Here's where it gets tricky ... 

	Heyward turns to look in front of him. He doesn't know what the hell Hawkeye's
	talking about. 

	HEYWARD'S POV: THE RIVER AHEAD

	looks glass-smoth. Although there is a distant ROAR of sorts. Then Heyward realizes:
	something's wrong with this picture. 

	CLOSER: HEYWARD

	The look on his face starts to change. 

	HEYWARD'S POV: TIGHTER

	The glass surface of the river continues to a line then falls off the end of the world. The
	river just ends ... 

	BOTH CANOES: HEYWARD, REDCOATS, THE RANGER

	realize they're heading for the lip of a waterfall. There's a couple of outcroppings of
	rock in the center at the very edge. We are at Glen Falls.

					HAWKEYE
			Don't move ... 

	AERIAL SHOT

	from the other side of the falls. It's a two hundred foot high, death-defying cataract.
	The canoes - slightly above us - will go right over. 

	TWO CANOES

	At the last moment, Hawkeye & Uncas land both on either side of the larger rock
	outcropping. It is literally at the lip of the falls. 

	HEYWARD

	grabs a rock to anchor the bow of the canoe. He loses his grip. The canoe rockets for
	the edge. 

	UNCAS

	lurches sideways, grabs a tree root. He is the only link of the canoe to earth. The bow,
	with Heyward, is literally hanging over the edge. Uncas strains and pulls the canoe to
	the rock. He gestures to Heyward. 

	HEYWARD

	crawls forward and makes the island. Then the two Redcoats. Finally Uncas. The canoe
	rockets over the falls. Meanwhile ... 

	THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND

	Hawkeye has beached his canoe and is camouflaging it with driftwood and brush. As
	they clamber over the high pieces of broken limestone, we see Hawkeye is slipping into
	a crevice. He motions to Cora. Uncas carries the wounded Ranger. Heyward helps
	Alice ... 

	CUT TO ...

	INTERIOR GLEN FALLS CAVES - FISSURE - TWILIGHT

	The irregular opening of medium blue sky is obscured by the black silhouetted forms of
	Hawkeye, Cora and then the others entering.

					HEYWARD
			Where do we go from here? 

					HAWKEYE
			We don't. 

					HEYWARD
			I don't understand! 

					HAWKEYE
			This is it, as far as we can go ... If we're 
			lucky, they'll be figurin' we can't have 
			come this way and must've beached our 
			canoes and headed cross land. If we're 
			very lucky, they'll figure we went over 
			the falls. 

					HEYWARD
			Then what? 

					HAWKEYE
			Then we take the south rim down the 
			mountain and it's 12 miles cross country 
			to Fort Edward. 

					HEYWARD
			And if we're unlucky? 

					HAWKEYE
			You will have to forego the pleasure of 
			hangin' me. 

	REVERSE: WIDE

	Hawkeye helps Cora; Heyward, the Ranger. Chingachgook carries Alice, down the
	rockface into a cave. We hear a distant ROAR reverberating off the walls. 

	ANOTHER ANGLE: THE WALLS

	are scooped out, bone-like hollows eroded by tumbling water. At an earlier time the
	formation was part of the falls. 

	HAWKEYE & CORA

	reach the irregular floor of the chamber. The ROAR is louder. 

	WIDEN TO REVEAL

	a curtain of falling water. They're behind the cataract, probably a third of the way down
	its height. Light through the water stikes them with a silver luminescence. They're
	exhausted. The others join them. They almost have to shout to be heard. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	followed by Uncas, takes stock of their supplies. They check their powder. They have
	almost none. Uncas shares his with Hawkeye. The Redcoat's cartridge case is soaked,
	the paper cartridges a soggy mess. Heyward has none. The Ranger has two left. In
	Mohican, Chingachgook decides some things. Hawkeye and Uncas nod. Heyward
	approaches Hawkeye.

					HEYWARD
			Any powder? 

					HAWKEYE:
				(crossing to Cora)
			Only one or two loads. 

	CORA

	is soaked to the bones. Hawkeye strips off his buckskin hunting shirt and wrings it out.
	Cora turns her back, strips off her white blouse and puts on the faster-drying chamois. 

					CORA
			Are we safe? 

					HAWKEYE
			Maybe ... 

					CORA
			Our father? Did you see my father? 

	EXTREME CLOSE UP: HAWKEYE

	The look on his face tells it all 

					CORA
			Tell me! 

	TWO SHOT

	Hawkeye takes Cora away from the group and turns her by her shoulders and whispers
	to her. We don't hear what he says. Cora drops to her knees and places her hands over
	her eyes and face like a little girl trying to make something bad go away. 

	HAWKEYE

	Leads her to a depression, his arm around her shoulders, her face covered and she cries
	softly into his shoulder. 

	EXTREME CLOSE UP: CORA

	says into Hawkeye's ear, after she looks O.S. ...

					CORA
			Say nothing to Alice ...! 

	Hawkeye nods.

	ALICE

	stands in the chamber not far from the wall of water, fascinated with its shimmer. She's
	oblivious to all the events and everything going on around her ... 

	HEYWARD

	sees Cora & Hawkeye together and turns away. 

	GROUP

	Uncas watches Alice. The wounded Ranger has fallen asleep. The Redcoat is
	exhausted. Hawkeye & Cora against the wall. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR RIVER BANK - RIVER FALLS ARE IN MIST & RED SKY -
	TWILIGHT

	A landscape with mist rearlit by the red light of the sun that's already behind the
	mountains. The blues are turning purple and the greens are turning black and the white
	highlights of the foaming water are going rose. Reflecting the darkening sky, where the
	surface isn't broken, the water is fast-moving metal ... SUDDENLY: a shaved head and
	muscled back stands into the foreground. It moves down the shore away from camera.
	He's followed by other Huron warriors. They're two hundred yards away from Glen
	Falls island. 

	HURON

	looks at the island of rock & trees and tilts his head curiously ... 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR FOREST ABOVE CANYON & FALLS - GREY WOLF - TWILIGHT

	watches the Hurons below make their way towards the edge of the falls. 

	OVER HIS SHOULDER: THREE MORE WOLVES

	join him, moving frenetically, uneasily ... The leader of the pack looks up & howls as
	his eyes go white reflecting the new moon. 

	INTERIOR GLEN FALLS CAVE - HAWKEYE -NIGHT

	hears the distant howl. He's now lit silver blue by the moonlight through the falling
	water. Hawkeye knows it means Hurons are out there. He exchanges worried glances
	with Uncas & Chingachgook. 

	UNCAS

	immediately starts up the right acclivity to one fissure, and Chingachgook moves
	carefully to the first fissure. Hawkeye follows. 

	HAWKEYE

	His countenance gives way momentarily. All his experience seems of no avail. He
	touches the side of Cora's face. Grabs Killdeer and follows Chingachgook. 

	ALICE

	sensing new danger, slips away on her own. 

	CORA

	crosses to the Ranger who's semi-conscious, feverish and getting delirious. She can't do
	a thing except hold his hand and think of her father. 

	CUT TO ... 

	INTERIOR SOUTH FISSURE - HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK

	below the edge, listen & wait, testing the environment with all their senses ... 

	NORTH FISSURE - UNCAS

	against one wall, has his ear cocked, monitoring, facing away from the sky ... 

	ALICE

	looks at the sky through the fissure. She sees the starfields and feels silver moonlight
	pull her forward. She starts out onto the island, oblivious, unaware she'll expose them.
	Suddenly ... 

	UNCAS

	yanks her down next to him. He pulls her head into his chest, looking out over the
	edge, his tomahawk in front of him, his musket near his right hand. There is no sign she
	was seen. 

	UNCAS & ALICE

	He relaxes, looks at her and puts his finger to his lips telling her to be silent.
	Languorously, she lies back, closes her eyes and lays a hand on his shoulder, palm up,
	as if he were a prince in a romantic fantasy. Uncas tries to restrain her. 

	ALICE'S

	eyes slowly open. Oblivion disappears. It's replaced with escalating fear. She holds onto
	Uncas with desperation. Her fingers claw his shoulders. She buries her face in his
	chest. 

					ALICE
			Uncas ... 

	Her body shudders. Her terror's total. He tries to restrain and calm her. She won't let
	him. Then her mouth seeks his and in the passion of despair and fear and wanting life,
	she holds him between her thighs. And Uncas is confused, but Alice whispers his name
	and he responds. He loves her in the half-light. 

	UNCAS

	his hand buried in her hair irradiated by the moon, then she seems to reach some
	emotional climax and begins to cry softly, and Uncas stops making love to her and
	holds her. Then she's flooded with shame. He reaches for her. She jerks away. He
	reaches for her again and clutches her to him. And she breaks down. Then he turns her
	face to him, but her expression has completely flattened. 

	WIDER ANGLE

	She's not a lover to Uncas now. She's pitiful & stricken and he comforts her. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR RIVER - MAGUA - NIGHT

	beaches a canoe on the bank. He and eight braves ease out. His war paint is fresh:
	green handprints on his chest and black and green on his face. Black plumes are affixed
	to his scalp-lock and his shawl is over his left shoulder. The right arm carrying his
	musket is exposed. Many scalps are tied to his tomahawk. He walks towards us
	approaching the island, two hundred yards away ... 

	CUT TO ... 

	INTERIOR SOUTH FISSURE - HAWKEYE - NIGHT

	checks his powder horn. Nearly empty. He looks at Chingachgook. 

	CUT TO ... 

	INTERIOR GLEN FALLS ISLAND, CAVE - CORA - NIGHT

	with the Ranger, looks up. Hawkeye enters. The look on his face. Then hers. They've
	been discovered. Now they're backed into a hole in the ground with no powder and no
	way out.

	CUT TO ... 

	INTERIOR GLEN FALLS, CAVE - HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK - NIGHT

	Chingachgook talks to him in Mohican. Momentarily the anger and frustration is seen
	on Hawkeye's face. All his experience & craft has been to no avail. He looks at Cora.
	Back to Chingachgook. Chingachgook states something terse in Mohican. Hawkeye
	agrees. Heyward's confused. He doesn't know what they're talking about. Cora has
	understood Chingachgook's intent perfectly.

					CORA
			Yes. Go ahead. 

					HEYWARD
				(explodes)
			What the bloody hell plan is this? 

					HAWKEYE
				(to Cora)
			In this there is a chance. If I live, I can 
			try to free you. If we don't go, there is 
			no powder, there's too many of them. 
			Though my heart would keep me here, 
			in that there is no chance. None. I can do 
			nothing. Do you understand? 

					CORA
			Yes. I want you to go. 

					HEYWARD
			Coward! Coward back at the fort. 
			Coward here. 

	Hawkeye uses discipline not to kill the man. 

					CORA
			You try. With all you have. To save 
			yourself. If the worst happens, and 
			only one of us survives, something of 
			the other does, too ... 

	CUT TO ... 

	INTERIOR NORTH FISSURE - UNCAS - NIGHT

	Listens. Hears. Then he inches above cover to see ... 

	UNCAS' POV: THE RIVER & SIX WAR CANOES

	of Hurons approach to assault the island carrying torches. 

	CUT TO ... 

	INTERIOR GLEN FALLS CAVE - CORA & HAWKEYE - NIGHT

	She's holding him. In the rigid language of her body is the struggle to contain her fear. 

					HAWKEYE
				(very close)
			 If they don't kill you, they may take you 
			north up into Canada. A warrior may take 
			you for a wife. 

	CORA

	turns aside. Hawkeye insists. 

					HAWKEYE
				(continues)
			Listen. Submit. You hear me? You're 
			strong. You stay alive. I will find you ... 
			no matter how far, how long it takes ... 

					CORA
				(nods, low)
			 ... never doubt what you are doing. 

	RANGER

	conscious now, arranges his crushed body to face the direction from which will come
	the attack as ... 

	HEYWARD

	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 ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	has their weapons slung over his back. He says something in Mohican. Uncas spins
	looks at Alice: her expression's vacant. 

	HAWKEYE'S KNIFE

	cuts a lock of Cora's hair. He folds it into his shirt. The orange light from Huron
	torches, now closer, plays on the wall behind her. We hear many Huron approach. 

	CHINGACHGOOK & UNCAS

	now run out of the cave and throw themselves into the curtain of water. This is their
	exit. 

	HAWKEYE

	engraves her image in his memory one last time and then sprints across the floor
	towards the water ... 

	WHAT HAWKEYE SEES: JAMMING AT THE WATERFALL

	and then through it into ... 

	SUBJECTIVE CAMERA: UP

	An awful crushing roar. We explode out the front of a white cataract a third of the way
	from the top and we fall down away from the world. 

	EXTERIOR GLEN FALLS - HAWKEYE - NIGHT

	tumbles down the falls; rolling, tumbling through the white water; then through air;
	then back into cascading white water again, disappearing ... 

	THE RIVER BELOW - UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK'S

	bodies hit, disappear and don't surface. It looks unsurviveable. 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: FALLING

	Sheets of water fall with us. The bottom races towards us at a hundred miles an hour ...
	Just before we hit ... 

	CUT TO ... 

	INTERIOR GLEN FALLS, CAVE - FLAMING TORCH - NIGHT

	WIDEN. The cave is filled with Hurons. The Redcoat is dead in the corner. A group of
	braves moves away from the body of the Ranger. 

	HEYWARD'S

	surrounded. The women are behind him. He slashes at one Huron with his sword and is
	clubbed down by a giant. 

	MAGUA

	enters. His blanket, like a shawl, over his left shoulder, black plumes in his hair. He's
	imperturbable. 

	MAGUA'S HAND

	reaches out and touches Cora's hair. Cora is frozen to the spot. His hand drops away
	from the hated Munros and as Magua turns to go, he says something low in Huron and
	the two women are jerked towards the fissures. Heyward is dragged by the arms. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR RIVER - WHITE WATER - NIGHT

	miles from the falls. We see a figure. It's Chingachgook, nearly spent, rolling and
	tumbling through the fast-moving white water. He submerges, then surfaces again. He
	appears exhausted by the fall and ride. 

	CHINGACHGOOK'S POV: WATER

	rocketing at us, battering and drowning us. We glimpse something downstream ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	tries to focus, slammed against rocks, he's striking out towards the right, swimming
	against the current. He's grabbing for something. 

	KILLDEER'S MUZZLE

	and leather shoulder-strap. Chingachgook's hand grabs it. The current rushing past tries
	to steal him from Uncas and Hawkeye, who're also beaten, bloodied, exhausted. They
	pull the older, larger man from the water and ... 

	ON THE ROCK

	all three lie there, almost devoid of energy. Then Hawkeye rises, looks at the others.
	Chingachgook nods. He's up. Then Uncas, and they're moving off into the calm eddy
	between the rock they landed on and the shoreline. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FOREST - HURONS - DAY

	move along animal paths. 

	CORA & ALICE

	struggle through the branches of trees. No one helps them. When they fall behind, they
	are pushed forward. 

	HEYWARD

	badly beaten, bound, staggers ahead to get behind Maqua. Then:

					HEYWARD
			If Magua give women to Yengeese soldiers 
			... will receive many gifts. 

					MAGUA
				(as if considering)
			Gifts? 

					HEYWARD
			Three, four oxen ... much wampum. 

					MAGUA
			Wampum? 

					HEYWARD
			Yes. 

					MAGUA
			Does Yengeese Major have property 
			across salt sea? 

					HEYWARD
			Yes. 

					MAGUA
			Yengeese Major give all property to Magua. 
			Magua give Yengeese Major much wampum, 
			many gifts, maybe three, four oxen. 

	Magua looks at Heyward derisively. Does this white man think he's an idiot?

					HEYWARD
			Gold could be arranged. 

					MAGUA
			For Munro children? 

					HEYWARD
			Yes. 

					MAGUA
			How much gold has the master of the 
			Yengeese? 

					HEYWARD
			The King? The King has mountains of 
			gold! 

	Long pause as if Magua and King George II were seriously considering this 	transaction.

					MAGUA
			Not enough. 

	Heyward is first realizing with whom he's playing.

					HEYWARD
			What is enough? 

					MAGUA
			Heart. Give Magua new heart. 

	Magua totally disdains the Englishman and walks away from him, starting up a steeper
	forested hill. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FOREST - HAWKEYE, UNCAS & CHINGACHGOOK - TWILIGHT

	running cross-country after the Huron column. They leap over fallen logs and keep
	going. 

	FRONTAL: HAWKEYE

	breathing hard, his lips are drawn back, sweat stains his buckskins. 

	PROFILE: UNCAS

	runs. Then sees something. 

	BENT BRANCH

	where Cora & Alice were struggling up the animal path. 

	REAR SHOT

	as they race across a stream away from us after the war party and into the night ... 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FOREST - CORA - NIGHT

	supporting Alice, is dragged forward by a Huron warrior by a woven rawhide thong
	tied to her neck. 

	MAGUA

	is imperturbable. 

	HURONS

	move quickly down into a ravine. 

	HEYWARD

	is shoved forward. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR FOREST - RUNNING FEET - DAY

	Long, loping strides. 

	HAWKEYE & UNCAS

	cover ground like long-distance runners. No noise except their hard, even breathing.
	They're moving down a clear trail. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	out on the flank. Running hard. 

	CLOSER: HAWKEYE

	lips are drawn back, determined, flashing through the hard verticals of the forest, now
	leaps down an embankment into the soft loam and keeps going. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXT. HURON VILLAGE - ORNATE CHAIR - DAY

	on a rude platform. The entire village is crowded in a large circle. They all wait for
	someone. They've been waiting a long time. In the perimeter warriors keep Huron at
	bay for some reason. We see Magua. He stands apart. They wait. Then ... 

	ANCIENT SACHEM

	is led to the dais by three women down the main street between the neat rows of birch
	bark lodges. Many scalps and trophies from the massacre are in evidence. He sits on the
	raised platform. He looks to be in his nineties. His dark wrinkled face is contrasted by
	his long white hair. His robe is painted in hieroglyphical representation of combat. He
	wears numerous silver & gold medals, gifts of French, English and Dutch governors.
	Most startling is his face. His dark & lined skin is enhanced by delicate lines of
	tatooing. He looks up to Magua. 

					SACHEM
				(in Huron; subtitled)
			The tomahawks of your young men have 
			been very red. 

					MAGUA
				(in Huron; subtitled)
			Many of the Yengeese are dead, great 
			Sachem. 
				(sound dissolve to English)
			I have brought three of my prisoners, 
			to honor you. Two are the children
			of Munro. Whose scalp hangs on my 
			lodge pole. And whose heart I cut from 
			his chest. 

	Now we see Cora on the ground. Defeat & fear are held in place by her determination.
	Alice looks around, in another place. Heyward's hands are bound between his back with
	a piece of wood wedged through his elbows. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR DIFFERENT FOREST - WIDE FRONTAL: UNCAS, HAWKEYE &
	CHINGACHGOOK - DAY

	running. Then Uncas drops and the other two follow. 

	WIDE OVER THEIR SHOULDERS: THE HURON "CASTLE"

	seen in the distance through the sparse trees. They have dropped at the very periphery
	of the forest where the woods end. (The lay of the land is important for action that
	follows: the village is built in a meadow. To the left is a cliff face that rises to a rocky
	promontory. On the right is a path that winds up to the promontory and beyond, across
	the mountains.)
	Hawkeye sees ... 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: THE VILLAGE, CAPTIVES & HURON CROWD

	in the center, outside the largest lodge. 

	HAWKEYE

	slams the earth with his fists. They didn't intercept them in time. Difficult odds just
	became impossible. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR HURON VILLAGE - MAGUA - DAY

					MAGUA
			... the earth was pale. Our tomahawks 
			were bright. Now they are dull from war. 
			And the Huron rich with the trophies of 
			honor ... Magua will sell the English 
			officer to Les Francais and the reward is 
			my gift to you, wise one ... The women - 
			children of the white war chief - will burn 
			in our fires so all can share in this. 

	The sachem considers this. Then he looks up and sees something beyond Magua. 

	MAGUA

	senses the sachem's eye line ... 

	HAWKEYE

	unarmed, walking through the Hurons. A young boy rushes at him. Hawkeye, at the
	last possible second, dodges. Others catch and restrain the boy. The Hurons are
	astounded a European would simply walk into their camp. 

	CORA

	sees him enter, doesn't believe he's there. 

					CORA
			Nathaniel! 

	Hawkeye glances at her, doesn't respond. The situation is a stick of dynamite ready to
	go off.
					HAWKEYE
				(to Heyward; low)
			Translate for me, Major. Into French. 
			Every word ... as I say it. 

	Magua starts towards Hawkeye, his tomahawk slipping into his hand.

					HAWKEYE
				(to Sachem)
			I come to you unarmed and in peace to 
			unstop your ears, wise one. Because the 
			Hurons are mislead by the words of the 
			wolf who's never spoken the truth.

	Sachem gestures with his hand to Magua. Magua reluctantly stops advancing on
	Hawkeye. Heyward's French translation has faded to a murmur. We hear Hawkeye's
	English.

					HAWKEYE
			Let the children of the dead Colonel Munro 
			go free and take the fire out of the English 
			anger over the murder of their helpless ones. 

					MAGUA
				(to Sachem)
			Our father, Montcalm, is greater than the 
			Yengeese in the arts of war. The Huron 
			do not fear English anger. 

					HAWKEYE
				(to Sachem)
			Wise one, the French fathers made peace 
			and swore to their honor not to break the 
			friendship. Magua broke it. It is false that 
			the French would not be friends, still, to 
			the Huron. 

	Sachem reacts.

					MAGUA
				(laughs)
			It made our French father happy to never 
			have to fight the same Yengeese again. 
			He told me this without telling me this. 

	Hawkeye realizes this is true.

					HAWKEYE
			So the Huron are the servants of the French? 
			To do what the French are shamed to do? 

					MAGUA
			No. 
				(to Sachem)
			Huron serve no one. The French father 
			believes he fooled Magua because he is so 
			proud of his cleverness, he is blind. But it 
			is the Huron path that Magua walks down, 
			not the French one ... Now, Les Francais, 
			also, fear Huron. That is good. When the 
			Huron is strong from their fear, we will make 
			the terms of trade with Les Francais. And we 
			will trade as the white man trades. Take land 
			from the Abnakes; fur from the Osage, Sauk 
			& Fox. And make the Huron great. Over 
			other tribes. No less than the whites, as strong 
			as the whites. 

	Hawkeye appears to be losing his debate with Magua.

					HAWKEYE
				(to Sachem)
			Magua would use the ways of Les Francais 
			and the Yengeese ... 

					MAGUA
				(to Sachem)
			The red man put down the bow, picked up 
			the fire stick and became the best warrior 
			in the forest. Yes. It is the only way. 

					HAWKEYE
			Would the Huron make his Algonquin brothers 
			foolish with brandy and steal his lands to sell 
			them for gold to the white man? Would the 
			Huron have greed for more land than a man 
			can use? Like Francais Black Robes do? 
			Would Huron kill tribes with disease? Would 
			the Huron fool Seneca into taking all the 
			animals in the forest for beads & brandy? But 
			sell the fur to the white man for gold? ... 
				(to Sachem)
			 Those are the ways of Yengeese and Les 
			Francais masters. Are they the ways of Huron 
			men who hunt & work the land? Or of dogs? 
			... Magua's heart is twisted. He would make 
			himself into what twisted him. A Dog, become 
			Master of Dogs. But are Hurons dogs? 
			... Magua's way is false. It is like the white 
			sickness. Magua's way will bring only sadness 
			and shame. Is there another way? I don't know. 
				(pauses)
			I am Nathaniel of the Yengeese; Hawkeye, 
			adopted son of Chingachgook, of the Mohican 
			people ... Let the children of the dead Munro go 
			free ... I speak the truth. 

	Magua starts to rebut. Sachem holds up his hand and stops him. Nobody talks. Sachem
	whispers to the older men on either side of him. 

	MAGUA

	waits for the decision. 

	CORA

	looks to Alice, then to Hawkeye. 

	HAWKEYE

	exchanges a desperate look with Cora and then senses the Sachem is staring at him
	from the perspective of nearly a century of laws & judgments. Then ... to every word. 

					SACHEM
			The white man comes like a day that has 
			passed. And night enters our future with 
			him ... 
				(pause)
			Our council talks since I was a boy: 
			What is the Huron to do? 
				(pause)
			But Magua would lead Huron down paths 
			that make us not Hurons. 
				(the judgment)
			Dark girl burn in fire to heal the twisted 
			heart of Magua. 

	Cora, hearing the sentence ... Hawkeye's losing her.

					SACHEM
				(continuing)
			Munro daughter with moon in her hair 
			must be Magua's wife so Munro's seed 
			doesn't die. 

	Alice is gone, living in some dark recess of her mind.

					SACHEM
				(continuing; dissolves 
				back to French)
			 ... and Yengeese officer not go to Les
			Francais, but back to Yengeese so their 
			hatred burns less bright. La Longue Carabine, 
			go in peace. 

	People move, start to implement the sentence. Hawkeye's panicked. Cora is jerked
	upright. She looks at Hawkeye in terror: Sachem is starting to depart.

					HAWKEYE
			No! listen. 
				(to Heyward)
			Tell him I'll trade him! Me for her! Tell him!! 

	Heyward translates into rapid-fire French. 

					HAWKEYE
				(shouts)
			I am La Longue Carabine! My death is a 
			great honor to the Huron. Take me! 

	Cora is jerked forward by three Hurons. Magua grabs Alice. Cora strikes at Magua. He
	knocks her aside. Chaos & confusion. Meanwhile: 

					MAGUA
				(French; subtitled)
			This is not the voice of wisdom. I go to 
			the Hurons of the Lakes! You are women. 
			Send your arrows and guns to the Seneca, 
			beg from them venison to eat, corn to grind. 
			Slaves, dogs, rabbits, thieves ... I spit on you! 

	Those Hurons who hear, do so in deadly, boding silence. Magua and his fourteen hard
	core braves start out as ... 

	SACHEM

	heard Heyward's translation. He looks at Heyward, then looks at Hawkeye and he nods
	his head. 

	HAWKEYE

	sees this. His eyes go to Cora. They've stopped dragging her towards the fire pit.
	Hawkeye steps forward to surrender. Cora is thrown at him. Cora looks around wildly.
	Instead of taking Hawkeye, two warriors grab Heyward. 

	HEYWARD

	is immediately hamstrung and his legs collapse. He gasps. He's caught under the arms
	and dragged forward.

					HAWKEYE
			I said to trade me! 

	Hawkeye's holding Cora. Heyward struggles to be seen.

					HEYWARD
			... compliments, Mr. Poe. 
				(pause)
			Take her and get out. 

					CORA
				(standing)
			What are they doing to Duncan? 
			Duncan! 

	He's gone. They start to ease away from the mass of Hurons.

					HAWKEYE 
				(low to himself)
			And my compliments to you ... 

					CORA
			Alice? 

	Hawkeye's concentration is on backing out of the Huron mob. Will the Sachem's
	judgment be honored? Will some warriors hack down Hawkeye & Cora? As they go ... 

	CORA

	moves towards her sister. But Hawkeye holds her tightly as they retreat. 

	CORA'S POV: ALICE

	with Magua's group crosses the path. He drags Alice behind him like baggage. She
	regains her feet. Magua is oblivious to her. He's heading towards the plateau. 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR FOREST, TREE LINE - CHINGACHGOOK & UNCAS - DAY

	Uncas sees Magua's direction. Uncas touches his father, grabs his musket and races off.
	Chingachgook reaches to stop him, but he's too late. Chingachgook's hand in the air ... 

	TWO-SHOT: HAWKEYE & CORA

	near the tree line. Hawkeye has eyes only for ... 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: HURONS

	moving towards fire pit. One turns to watch Hawkeye & Cora depart. Will he arouse
	others to attack? Behind him, others are doing something to Heyward and flames leap
	up. 

	CORA'S EYES

	are on Alice, off to the right in the meadow. 

	HAWKEYE

	tense. They're almost there. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	holding Killdeer. 

	CHINGACHGOOK'S POV: MASSED HURON

	Sky & flames. Suddenly, Heyward's stood upright into the fire, bound to a bracket by
	his arms. As the flames start devouring him ... 

	HAWKEYE & CORA

	close to Chingachgook and the tree line ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	tosses Hawkeye Killdeer. As fast as he jams it into his shoulder he FIRES. 

	HEYWARD

	among the hollering Hurons, is shot dead. It goes unnoticed. 

	CUT TO ...

	EXTERIOR PROMONTORY - UNCAS - DAY

	half-way up the rock face. He's approaching an overhang. He climbs with a reckless
	desperation ... 

	EXTERIOR STREAM - HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK

	pound across the (sic) to the meadow towards Magua's path ... 

	CORA

	trying to stay with them, scrambles up ... 

	EXTERIOR PROMONTORY - UNCAS

	reaches the overhang. It juts away from the face six feet. 

	THE CEILING OF THE OVERHANG

	Uncas' hand jams into a crack in the granite, forms a fist and twists, making a wedge.
	He swings out, dangling in space by the hand wedged into the rock. His right hand
	reaches out and up, searching the vertical face for ... 

	UNCAS' HAND

	... a rock flake. An indentation. Anything ... His fingers find a diagonal crevice and ... 

	UNCAS

	swings out, now hanging by the vertical face above the overhang. His features are
	distorted with determination. Nothing will stop him. His right hand grabs another rock.
	His arms snap him up. Then push. He's on the ledge. Moving fast ... 

	CUT TO ... 

	EXTERIOR PROMONTORY - HURONS - DAY

	on point are approaching the path above the promontory. Five warriors are ahead of
	Magua. One behind him drags Alice. 

	FIRST

	Huron starts up the narrow path. Suddenly ... 

	UNCAS

	slams him off the rock with the butt of his musket. 

	WIDE ANGLE

	Two's musket coming up. Uncas swings. FIRES. Before he's fallen, Uncas bayonets
	Three. 

	FOURTH

	FIRES, misses, swings. Uncas slips the swung musket, but it catches his elbow. Uncas'
	musket falls. Before it hits the ground his tomahawk is out and hacks Four over the
	edge ... 

	MAGUA

	running forward past Five, confronts Uncas head on. It's incredibly fast. 

	UNCAS'

	three tomahawk swings are dodged by Magua whose own knife streaks like silver
	flashes. Uncas, gashed on arms and chest, feints right and slams Magua with an open
	hand, closes and the men are intertwined steel and muscle ... and Magua throws Uncas.
	Going with him and rolling off Uncas, Magua's knife flashes into his armpit. Uncas'
	right arm is useless. He scrambles up. Next to the expertise of a mature warrior like
	Magua, Uncas' raw, young determination may not be enough. 

	EXTERIOR - MEADOW - CHINGACHGOOK

	freezes. 

	EXTERIOR PROMONTORY - UNCAS

	closing, swings. Magua moves inside, stabs Uncas twice, turns him to face the edge,
	ripping his head left to expose the right underside of his throat. 

	CLOSE: MAGUA'S

	knife arm punches forward. 

	WIDE: PROMONTORY

	Uncas falls down the face onto to the rocks. 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	seeing his boy killed, CRIES out and is charging up the path, Hawkeye following. 

	EXTERIOR PROMONTORY - ALICE

	backs to the edge. 

	MAGUA

	moves on Alice. His knife is low, about to strike. She stares at him. Her eyes are like
	pools of deep water, calm, open, almost beatific. It stops Magua ... 

	MAGUA

	inexplicably, drops his knife hand. He's riveted by her. About him, there's a glimmer of
	something else. He wears a human face for this one moment. He reaches out with his
	other hand to offer her safety. To bring her back from the edge ... 

	ALICE

	looks down at Uncas, her lover, dead on the rocks below. She turns to Magua with
	enigmatic calm. Her eyes seem to see into him. She steps off the edge. She falls to her
	death next to Uncas ... 

	EXTERIOR MEADOW - CORA

	collapses to her knees on the ground and her face falls forward into her hands ... 

	HURON WARRIORS

	are running down the path to intercept Chingachgook, charging uphill, fueled by a
	father's rage, and Hawkeye. One Huron aims at the center of Chingachgook's chest ... 

	HAWKEYE

	FIRES past his father's side. The Huron's blown off the path. Hawkeye races to reload
	on the run ... 

	EXTERIOR PROMONTORY - MAGUA

	sees the approach of Chingachgook. 

	TO CHINGACHGOOK

	Huron warriors are an irrelevance. He slams one aside with his musket. 

	HAWKEYE FIRES. 

	HURON

	with tomahawk, about to blindside Chingachgook, is SHOT DOWN. 

	MAGUA

	charging Chingachgook. 

	VERY WIDE

	Two men, like dots, race to collide at the center of the promontory. Now the others fall
	back... It's one-on-one. Hawkeye slows ... 

	COMBATANTS

	Magua - confident, pumped up - feints with his left, his tomahawk appearing in his
	right, sweeping backhand, while his left, magically holding his blade, is jamming up to
	gut Chingachgook. Chingachgook's dead. Except ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	isn't there. He rolled and, on one knee with his back to Magua, his arm slams rearward.
	The massive war club crashes into Magua's back. 

	MAGUA

	stunned, turns to hatchet Chingachgook ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	now up and towering - slams his club right into Magua's assault ... destroying it,
	 breaking Magua's right arm. And ... 

	CHINGACHGOOK

	... with his momentum, spins like a shot-putter and the next blow cripples Magua's left
	side and crushes part of his chest. 

	ANOTHER BLOW

	destroys Magua's collar and shoulder. 

	MAGUA

	amazed. His body is broken and crippled, but he still stands. He looks into the eyes of
	the last warrior of the Mohicans. 

					CHINGACHGOOK
			UNCAS!!! 

	And he spins and swings. The blade side of the war club punches into Magua's chest,
	caving him in two. 

	WIDE

	Magua dies in the dust. 

	HAWKEYE

	watching Chingachgook's heaving back. It's over. 

	CORA

	alone, kneeling in the meadow. Her eyes downcast ... 

	FADE OUT ...

	FADE IN 

	EXTERIOR - MOUNTAIN TOP - WIDE REAR SHOT - NEXT DAY

	Chingachgook's at the edge, facing the endless rolling forests to the west. A haze of
	sunlight illuminates silver and lead clouds. Hawkeye is a little apart, watching his father. 

	HAWKEYE'S POV: CHINGACHGOOK

	speaks to the sky.

					CHINGACHGOOK
				(Mohican)
			Great Spirit and the Maker of all Life ... 

	ON HAWKEYE & CHINGACHGOOK

	We HEAR Hawkeye's English translation in VOICE OVER: 

					CHINGACHGOOK/
					HAWKEYE (V.O.): 
				(in English)
			... a warrior goes to you swift and straight 
			as an arrow shot into the sun. Welcome him 
			and let him take his place at the council fire 
			of my people. 
				(pause)
			He is Uncas, my son. 
				(pause)
			Bid them patience and ask death for speed; 
			for they are all there but one
			- I, Chingachgook - Last of the Mohicans. 

	Chingachgook's hands drop to his sides. He lets out his breath with a weariness. His
	eyes seek Hawkeye's. They hold ... 

	CORA

	is standing, her back to us, in front of a rock-covered grave with a wooden cross. Next
	to it is Uncas' burial platform. Cora [says a] silent prayer. Then she pauses, crosses
	herself. Her emotions are spent. She moves next to Hawkeye. He takes her hand. 

	HAWKEYE & CORA]

					HAWKEYE
			Will you go back to England? 

					CORA
			I have nothing to go back for. 

	Long pause. 

					HAWKEYE
			Then will you stay in America? 

	She turns to face him.

					HAWKEYE
			And will you be my wife? 

	Pause. 

					CORA
			Yes. 

	They hold each other's eyes. She searches his face.

					CORA
			Where will we go? 

					HAWKEYE
			Winter with the Delaware, my father's 
			cousins. And in the spring, cross the 
			Ohio and look for land to settle with my 
			father in a new place called Can-tuck-ee. 

	They move next to Chingachgook. He senses they're beside him. Hawkeye's arm is
	around her shoulders.

					CHINGACHGOOK
			The frontier moves with the sun and pushes 
			the red man of the wilderness forests in front 
			of it. Until one day there will be nowhere left. 
			Then our race will be no more, or be not us ... 
			The frontier place is for people like my white 
			son and his woman and their children. 

					HAWKEYE
			That's my father's sadness talking. 

	Hawkeye puts a hand on his shoulder.

					CHINGACHGOOK
			No. It is true ... One day ... there will be no 
			more frontier. Then men like you will go, too. 
			Like the Mohicans. 
				(pause)
			And new people will come. Work. Struggle 
			to make their light ... One mystery remains. 

					HAWKEYE
			What is that? 

	Cora, listening to Chingachgook, takes Hawkeye's hand. 

					CHINGACHGOOK
			Will there be anything left to show the world 
			that we ever did exist? 

	REAR SHOT

	Cora stands next to her man. Hawkeye puts his arm around his father. They stare out
	over the wilderness. 




					THE END