Hawkeye and his Mohawk friends, along with Heyward and Munro, have settled for the night at Fort William Henry. The mood among the men is somber considering the disasters of the massacre just a couple of days before. Munro in particular is very quiet and withdrawn. Not only has he been forced to surrender and then watch his troops be slaughtered, he also has lost his daughters. 

Heyward and Hawkeye have moved outside the walls of the fort and are sitting in the shadows of the night eating bear meat when Heyward hears a sound near the woods. Although Heyward is agitated by this noise, Hawkeye pays little attention to it as he does not feel threatened.

Rather than discuss the possible sources of the sound, Hawkeye becomes philosophical, continuing a previous topic about heaven. The two men had been contemplating what the afterlife might be like, wondering if both Indians and white men would end up in the same heaven.

Hawkeye furthers this discussion as he ponders the various aspects of heaven, stating that what one person might find as the perfect heaven might not suit someone else. Hawkeye, for instance, is not comfortable with the idea that heaven is a place for rest. He says that for him to find pleasure, he must be allowed to be almost constantly in motion.

As Hawkeye continues to speak about heaven, he finally concedes that the noise Heyward is hearing comes from the stealth movements of wolves. It is time for them to hunt. This relaxes Heyward to a certain degree; he had thought it might be the sounds of Indians returning to the fields. Hawkeye tells him that typically after a battle, Indians do not linger around the dead.

There is another sound, but this one is different from the previous ones. This time it is Hawkeye who becomes perturbed: the sound is from a man.

Hawkeye decides to call to Uncas. He knows that Uncas' hearing is much more acute than his own. Hawkeye makes the sound of an owl, which Uncas, in the near distance, interprets as a signal that danger is close at hand. Heyward sees Uncas quickly lie down on the ground, but when Heyward walks over to get a better look, Uncas is not where Heyward thought he should be. He snuck away without Heyward seeing him.

Heyward then turns his attention to Chingachgook, who is sitting near the fire; the older Indian looks as if he is about to fall asleep. Hawkeye makes the sound of a hissing snake to warn Chingachgook. Although Chingachgook reads the signal properly, he does not react in any physical way.

Shortly afterward, Heyward hears a gunshot and can see by the gunpowder sparks that the bullet was aimed at Chingachgook. Then there is a second shot, and suddenly Uncas reappears with the scalp of an Oneida Indian. It was this Indian who tried to kill Chingachgook.

The narrator provides historical information about the various New England Indian tribes, explaining that most of the Indians in this area all had common ancestors and many shared the same language. However, with the introduction of white men in the country, the tribes became very confused, with some of them choosing to serve the French and others working with the British. Because of the war, Indians who were once friends had become enemies.

Before falling asleep, Hawkeye and his Mohawk friends make plans for the next day. Chingachgook and Uncas argue for traveling by foot to Canada in pursuit of Magua and the Munro sisters. Hawkeye, however, says they can travel more quickly and without leaving a trail if they travel by canoe. In the end, they choose Hawkeye's suggestion.