The first of James Fenimore Cooper's "Leatherstocking Tales", "The Pioneers" tells the story of the elderly Natty Bumppo and his ongoing friendship with the Mohican, Chingachgook.
James Fenimore Cooper (15 September 1789 - 14 September 1851) was a prolific American writer of tales of the frontier well remembered for his "Leatherstocking" tales, including "The Last of the Mohicans", "The Pathfinder" and "The Deerslayer".