The Cliff above the cavern is the ledge near the mountain summit where the pursuit of Magua and Cora culminates in the deaths of Cora and Uncas and Magua’s fall. The steep, hazardous ascent makes the cliff both a physical barrier and the setting for the story’s final reversal: the rescuers arrive, but too late to save Cora or Uncas.

Position in the Pursuit

After escaping from the cavern, Magua and two companions carry Cora up the mountainside. Uncas and Duncan Heyward follow, with Hawkeye close behind; the route is so rugged that the pursuers abandon their usual caution and press forward despite gunfire from the fugitives. As the Hurons lose ground under the burden of carrying Cora, Uncas calls on Magua to stop.

Cora halts on a rock ledge not far from the summit and refuses to go farther. Magua gives her a choice between accompanying him and death, but before the confrontation is resolved, Uncas reaches the ledge. In the confusion, one of Magua’s companions kills Cora. Uncas attacks the killer, then Magua strikes Uncas; though badly weakened, Uncas manages to knock Cora’s killer down before Magua fatally wounds him.

The Final Confrontation

By the time Hawkeye and Heyward reach the scene, Cora and Uncas lie dead. Magua’s remaining companion has also been killed, leaving Magua to escape alone. Hawkeye pursues him up the rocks, while David Gamut appears on the heights above and briefly complicates Hawkeye’s view of the fugitives.

Magua crosses a fissure and attempts to reach the mountain’s brow. His first leap falls short, but he catches hold near the edge and tries again. Hawkeye steadies his rifle and fires as Magua draws himself onto the ledge; Magua’s grip gives way, and he falls down the mountainside. The pursuit therefore ends with Magua’s death, but only after the loss of Cora and Uncas.

Narrative Significance

The cliff compresses the rescue plot into a starkly irreversible ending. The pursuers overcome the terrain and reach the captives, yet their arrival cannot prevent the killings. The ledge’s height and narrow passages shape every movement: Cora’s refusal stops the flight, Uncas’s leap brings him into the confrontation, and Magua’s attempted escape leaves him exposed to Hawkeye’s shot.

The scene also brings the conflict between Magua and his pursuers to its conclusion without undoing its costs. Magua falls, but his death follows rather than prevents the deaths of Cora and Uncas. The cliff thus marks both the end of the chase and the point at which rescue gives way to mourning.