There is a lull in the battle. Hawkeye warns everyone to be cautious with their shots as their ammunition is running low. Again Heyward believes the Iroquois have left, but Hawkeye is sure that their enemies are only waiting for an advantage. Hawkeye tells everyone to keep their voices quiet or, better, remain silent.

As they hide behind rocks, suddenly bullets whiz by. Although the bullets come close, no one is wounded. This situation changes abruptly when one shot feels as if it were aimed from the skies. The men look up but do not see anyone until Heyward notices movement in a large tree leaning over the river. High on one of the large branches is a young Iroquois man. He aims his gun and shoots again, laughing when Heyward jumps because the bullet nipped his clothing.

In a cool, controlled manner, Hawkeye returns the shot and knocks the Iroquois man back into the tree. As they watch, the Iroquois warrior loses his balance and falls forward, saving himself at the last minute by grabbing onto a smaller branch. The warrior is bleeding and struggles to keep from falling into the river.

Heyward's natural inclination is to put the man out of pain by inflicting another shot to kill him. However, Hawkeye reminds Heyward that they must save their bullets for their own good. They watch the suffering warrior for a little while longer. Hawkeye finally raises his gun and kills the man, who then falls into the river and disappears. Hawkeye could no longer allow the man to suffer.

Since there is a lull, Hawkeye tells Uncas to run down to the river's edge where they have anchored their canoe and retrieve the ammunition stored inside the boat. Uncas obeys and quietly steals off for the shore.

Shortly after Uncas leaves, they hear him cry out. Hawkeye knows that Uncas would not make any unnecessary noise with so many Iroquois hiding in the woods and senses that something terrible has happened.

Heyward goes with Hawkeye as they follow in Uncas' footsteps to find out what has happened. In the middle of the river, they see their canoe making its way down the shore. They know that someone must be steering the boat, even though it looks empty. When the boat is out of gunshot range, a head pops up and an Iroquois raises his arm in victory. 

Without the boat and ammunition, Hawkeye resigns himself to his death. There is no way they will be able to escape or defend themselves if they should stay.

Uncas and Chingachgook prepare to die. Upon sensing the men's resignation to death, Cora and Alice run out of the cave and plead with the men to jump into the river and swim away. In this way, they could sneak out of the forest without the Iroquois seeing them. They could then run to the fort and ask for soldiers to come and save them.

The men are reluctant to leave the women, but eventually they realize that this is the only way they might save the sisters.