the pathfinder-第115章

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for　it。　　I　remember　once　that　I　thought　my　own　time　had
come；　and　the　log　was　overhauled　with　a　diligence　I　did
not　think　myself　capable　of　until　that　moment。　　I've　not
been　a　very　great　sinner；　friend　Pathfinder；　that　is　to　say；
never　on　a　large　scale；　though　I　daresay；　if　the　truth　were
spoken；　a　considerable　amount　of　small　matters　might　be
raked　up　against　me；　as　well　as　against　another　man；　but
then；　I've　never　committed　piracy；　nor　high　treason；　nor
arson；　nor　any　of　them　sort　of　things。　　As　to　smuggling；
and　the　like　of　that；　why；　I'm　a　seafaring　man；　and　I　sup…
pose　all　callings　have　their　weak　spots。　　I　daresay　your
trade　is　not　altogether　without　blemish；　honorable　and　use…
ful　as　it　seems　to　be？〃

〃Many　of　the　scouts　and　guides　are　desperate　knaves；
and；　like　the　Quartermaster　here；　some　of　them　take　pay
of　both　sides。　　I　hope　I'm　not　one　of　them；　though　all　oc…
cupations　lead　to　temptations。　　Thrice　have　I　been　sorely
tried　in　my　life；　and　once　I　yielded　a　little；　though　I　hope
it　was　not　in　a　matter　to　disturb　a　man's　conscience　in　his
last　moments。　　The　first　time　was　when　I　found　in　the
woods　a　pack　of　skins　that　I　knowed　belonged　to　a　Frencher
who　was　hunting　on　our　side　of　the　lines；　where　he　had
no　business　to　be；　twenty…six　as　handsome　beavers　as　ever
gladdened　human　eyes。　　Well；　that　was　a　sore　tempta…
tion；　for　I　thought　the　law　would　have　been　almost　with
me；　although　it　was　in　peace　times。　　But　then；　I　remem…
bered　that　such　laws　wasn't　made　for　us　hunters；　and　be…
thought　me　that　the　poor　man　might　have　built　great
expectations　for　the　next　winter　on　the　sale　of　his　skins；
and　I　left　them　where　they　lay。　　Most　of　our　people　said
I　did　wrong；　but　the　manner　in　which　I　slept　that　night
convinced　me　that　I　had　done　right。　　The　next　trial　was
when　I　found　the　rifle　that　is　sartainly　the　only　one　in　this
part　of　the　world　that　can　be　calculated　on　as　surely　as
Killdeer；　and　knowed　that　by　taking　it；　or　even　hiding　it；
I　might　at　once　rise　to　be　the　first　shot　in　all　these　parts。
I　was　then　young；　and　by　no　means　so　expart　as　I　have
since　got　to　be；　and　youth　is　ambitious　and　striving；　but；
God　be　praised！　　I　mastered　that　feeling；　and；　friend　Cap；
what　is　almost　as　good；　I　mastered　my　rival　in　as　fair　a
shooting…match　as　was　ever　witnessed　in　a　garrison；　he
with　his　piece；　and　I　with　Killdeer；　and　before　the　Gene…
ral　in　person　too！〃　　Here　Pathfinder　stopped　to　laugh；　his
triumph　still　glittering　in　his　eyes　and　glowing　on　his　sun…
burnt　and　browned　cheek。　　〃Well；　the　next　conflict　with
the　devil　was　the　hardest　of　them　all；　and　that　was　when
I　came　suddenly　upon　a　camp　of　six　Mingos　asleep　in　the
woods；　with　their　guns　and　horns　piled　in　away　that　en…
abled　me　to　get　possession　of　them　without　waking　a　mis…
creant　of　them　all。　　What　an　opportunity　that　would　have
been　for　the　Sarpent；　who　would　have　despatched　them；
one　after　another；　with　his　knife；　and　had　their　six　scalps
at　his　girdle；　in　about　the　time　it　takes　me　to　tell　you　the
story。　　Oh；　he's　a　valiant　warrior；　that　Chingachgook；　and
as　honest　as　he's　brave；　and　as　good　as　he's　honest！〃

〃And　what　may　_you_　have　done　in　this　matter；　Master
Pathfinder？〃　demanded　Cap；　who　began　to　be　interested
in　the　result；　〃it　seems　to　me　you　had　made　either　a　very
lucky；　or　a　very　unlucky　landfall。〃

〃'Twas　lucky；　and　'twas　unlucky；　if　you　can　understand
that。　　'Twas　unlucky；　for　it　proved　a　desperate　trial；　and
yet　'twas　lucky；　all　things　considered；　in　the　ind。　　I　did
not　touch　a　hair　of　their　heads；　for　a　white　man　has　no
nat'ral　gifts　to　take　scalps；　nor　did　I　even　make　sure　of
one　of　their　rifles。　　I　distrusted　myself；　knowing　that　a
Mingo　is　no　favorite　in　my　own　eyes。〃

〃As　for　the　scalps；　I　think　you　were　right　enough；　my
worthy　friend；　but　as　for　the　armament　and　the　stores；
they　would　have　been　condemned　by　any　prize…court　in
Christendom。〃

〃That　they　would；　that　they　would；　but　then　the　Mingos
would　have　gone　clear；　seeing　that　a　white　man　can　no
more　attack　an　unarmed　than　a　sleeping　inimy。　　No；　no；
I　did　myself；　and　my　color；　and　my　religion　too；　greater
justice。　　I　waited　till　their　nap　was　over；　and　they　well　on
their　war…path　again；　and；　by　ambushing　them　here　and
flanking　them　there；　I　peppered　the　blackguards　intrinsi…
cally　like〃　（Pathfinder　occasionally　caught　a　fine　word
from　his　associates；　and　used　it　a　little　vaguely）；　〃that　only
one　ever　got　back　to　his　village；　and　he　came　into　his　wig…
wam　limping。　　Luckily；　as　it　turned　out；　the　great　Dela…
ware　had　only　halted　to　jerk　some　venison；　and　was　follow…
ing　on　my　trail；　and　when　he　got　up　he　had　five　of　the
scoundrels'　scalps　hanging　where　they　ought　to　be；　so；　you
see；　nothing　was　lost　by　doing　right；　either　in　the　way　of
honor　or　in　that　of　profit。〃

Cap　grunted　an　assent；　though　the　distinctions　in　his
companion's　morality；　it　must　be　owned；　were　not　exactly
clear　to　his　understanding。　　The　two　had　occasionally
moved　towards　the　block　as　they　conversed；　and　then
stopped　again　as　some　matter　of　more　interest　than　com…
mon　brought　them　to　a　halt。　　They　were　now　so　near　the
building；　however；　that　neither　thought　of　pursuing　the
subject　any　further；　but　each　prepared　himself　for　the　final
scene　with　Sergeant　Dunham。



CHAPTER　XXVIII。

Thou　barraine　ground；　whom　winter's　wrath　hath　wasted；
　　　Art　made　a　mirror　to　behold　my　plight：
Whilome　thy　fresh　spring　flower'd：　and　after　hasted
　　　Thy　summer　proude；　with　daffodillies　dight；
And　now　is　come　thy　winter's　stormy　state；
Thy　mantle　mar'd　wherein　thou　maskedst　late。
SPENSER。


Although　the　soldier　may　regard　danger　and　even
death　with　indifference　in　the　tumult　of　battle；　when　the
passage　of　the　soul　is　delayed　to　moments　of　tranquillity
and　reflection　the　change　commonly　brings　with　it　the
usual　train　of　solemn　reflections；　of　regrets　for　the　past；
and　of　doubts　and　anticipations　for　the　future。　　Many　a
man　has　died　with　a　heroic　expression　on　his　lips；　but　with
heaviness　and　distrust　at　his　heart；　for；　whatever　may　be
the　varieties　of　our　religious　creeds；　let　us　depend　on　the
mediation　of　Christ；　the　dogmas　of　Mahomet；　or　the　elab…
orated　allegories　of　the　East；　there　is　a　conviction；　common
to　all　men；　that　death　is　but　the　stepping…stone　between
this　and　a　more　elevated　state　of　being。　　Sergeant　Dun…
ham　was　a　brave　man；　but　he　was　departing　for　a　country
in　which　resolution　could　avail　him　nothing；　and　as　he
felt　himself　gradually　loosened　from　the　grasp　of　the　world；
his　thoughts　and　feelings　took　the　natural　direction；　for
if　it　be　true　that　death　is　the　great　leveller；　in　nothing　is
it　more　true　than　that　it　reduces　all　to　the　same　views　of
the　vanity　of　life。

Pathfinder；　though　a　man　of　peculiar　habits　and　opin…
ions；　was　always　thoughtful；　and　disposed　to　view　the
things　around　him　with　a　shade　of　philosophy；　as　well　as
with　seriousness。　　In　him；　therefore；　the　scene　in　the
blockhouse　awakened　no　very　novel　feelings。　　But　the
case　was　different　with　Cap：　rude；　opinionated；　dogmati…
cal；　and　boisterous；　the　old　sailor　was　little　accustomed　to
view　even　death　with　any　approach　to　the　gravity　which
its　importance　demands；　and　notwithstanding　all　that　had
passed；　and　his　real　regard　for　his　brother…in…law；　he　now
entered　the　room　of　the　dying　man　with　much　of　that
callous　unconcern　which　was　the　fruit　of　long　training　in
a　school　that；　while　it　gives　so　many　lessons　in　the　sublim…
est　truths；　generally　wastes　its　admonitions　on　scholars
who　are　little　disposed　to　profit　by　them。

The　first　proof　that　Cap　gave　of　his　not　entering　so　fully
as　those　around　him　into　the　solemnity　of　the　moment；
was　by　commencing　a　narration　of　the　events　which　had
just　led　to　the　deaths　of　Muir　and　Arrowhead。　　〃Both
tripped　their　anchors　in　a　hurry；　brother　Dunham；〃　he
concluded；　〃and　you　have　the　consolation　of　knowing
that　others　have　gone　before　you　in　the　great　journey；　and
they；　too；　men　whom　you've　no　particular　reason　to　love；
which　to　me；　were　I　placed　in　your　situation；　would　be　a
source　of　very　great　satisfaction。　　My　mother　always　said；
Master　Pathfinder；　that　dying　people's　spirits　should　not