While Irving is the first American author to make his living solely by writing, Cooper is the first American novelist to earn a living as a novelist. Although he wrote in numerous genres, Cooper saw his five-part Leatherstocking Tales as the works for which he would be remembered. As the second novel in the series, The Last of the Mohicans blends frontier romance with history while focusing (in part) on the interracial friendship between Natty Bumppo and Chingachgook. The passage in our text focuses on these friends and ignores the romance. Based on the passage from the text, characterize Natty Bumppo and Chingachgook. How important is each man to the other?