the pathfinder-第14章

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Mabel　looked　from　one　of　her　protectors　to　the　other；
and　her　fine　eyes　swam　in　tears。　　Frankly　placing　a　hand
in　that　of　each；　she　answered　them；　though　at　first　her
voice　was　choked；　〃I　have　no　right　to　expose　you　on　my
account。　　My　dear　father　will　thank　you；　I　thank　you；　God
will　reward　you；　but　let　there　be　no　unnecessary　risk。　　I
can　walk　far；　and　have　often　gone　miles　on　some　girlish
fancy；　why　not　now　exert　myself　for　my　life？　　nay；　for
your　precious　lives？〃

〃She　is　a　true　dove；　Jasper〃　said　the　Pathfinder；　neither
relinquishing　the　hand　he　held　until　the　girl　herself；　in
native　modesty；　saw　fit　to　withdraw　it；　〃and　wonderfully
winning！　　We　get　to　be　rough；　and　sometimes　even　hard…
hearted；　in　the　woods；　Mabel；　but　the　sight　of　one　like
you　brings　us　back　again　to　our　young　feelings；　and　does
us　good　for　the　remainder　of　our　days。　　I　daresay　Jasper
here　will　tell　you　the　same；　for；　like　me　in　the　forest；　the
lad　sees　but　few　such　as　yourself　on　Ontario；　to　soften　his
heart　and　remind　him　of　love　for　his　kind。　　Speak　out
now；　Jasper；　and　say　if　it　is　not　so？〃

〃I　question　if　many　like　Mabel　Dunham　are　to　be　found
anywhere；〃　returned　the　young　man　gallantly；　an　honest
sincerity　glowing　in　his　face　that　spoke　more　eloquently
than　his　tongue；　〃you　need　not　mention　the　woods　and　lakes
to　challenge　her　equals；　but　I　would　go　into　settle…
ments　and　towns。〃

〃We　had　better　leave　the　canoes；〃　Mabel　hurriedly　re…
joined；　〃for　I　feel　it　is　no　longer　safe　to　be　here。〃

〃You　can　never　do　it；　you　can　never　do　it。　　It　would
be　a　march　of　more　than　twenty　miles；　and　that；　too；　of
tramping　over　brush　and　roots；　and　through　swamps；　in
the　dark；　the　trail　of　such　a　party　would　be　wide；　and　we
might　have　to　fight　our　way　into　the　garrison　after　all。
We　will　wait　for　the　Mohican。〃

Such　appearing　to　be　the　decision　of　him　to　whom　all；
in　their　present　strait；　looked　up　for　counsel；　no　more　was
said　on　tbe　subject。　　The　whole　party　now　broke　up　into
groups：　Arrowhead　and　his　wife　sitting　apart　under　the
bushes；　conversing　in　a　low　tone；　though　the　man　spoke
sternly；　and　the　woman　answered　with　the　subdued　mild…
ness　that　marks　the　degraded　condition　of　a　savage's　wife。
Pathfinder　and　Cap　occupied　one　canoe；　chatting　of　their
different　adventures　by　sea　and　land；　while　Jasper　and
Mabel　sat　in　the　other；　making　greater　progress　in　in…
timacy　in　a　single　hour　than　might　have　been　effected
under　other　circumstances　in　a　twelvemonth。　　Notwith…
standing　their　situation　as　regards　the　enemy；　the　time
flew　by　swiftly；　and　the　young　people；　in　particular；　were
astonished　when　Cap　informed　them　how　long　they　had
been　thus　occupied。

〃If　one　could　smoke；　Master　Pathfinder；〃　observed　the
old　sailor；　〃this　berth　would　be　snug　enough；　for；　to　give
the　devil　his　due；　you　have　got　the　canoes　handsomely　land…
locked；　and　into　moorings　that　would　defy　a　monsoon。
The　only　hardship　is　the　denial　of　the　pipe。〃

〃The　scent　of　the　tobacco　would　betray　us；　and　where
is　the　use　of　taking　all　these　precautions　against　the
Mingo's　eyes；　if　we　are　to　tell　him　where　the　cover　is　to　be
found　through　the　nose？　　No；　no；　deny　your　appetites；
and　learn　one　virtue　from　a　red…skin；　who　will　pass　a　week
without　eating　even；　to　get　a　single　scalp。　　Did　you　hear
nothing；　Jasper？〃

〃The　Serpent　is　coming。〃

〃Then　let　us　see　if　Mohican　eyes　are　better　than　them
of　a　lad　who　follows　the　water。〃

The　Mohican　had　indeed　made　his　appearance　in　the
same　direction　as　that　by　which　Jasper　had　rejoined　his
friends。　　Instead　of　coming　directly　on；　however；　no　sooner
did　he　pass　the　bend；　where　he　was　concealed　from　any
who　might　be　higher　up　stream；　than　he　moved　close
under　the　bank；　and；　using　the　utmost　caution；　got　a
position　where　he　could　look　back；　with　his　person　suffi…
ciently　concealed　by　the　bushes　to　prevent　its　being　seen
by　any　in　that　quarter。

〃The　Sarpent　sees　the　knaves！〃　whispered　Pathfinder。
〃As　I'm　a　Christian　white　man；　they　have　bit　at　the　bait；
and　have　ambushed　the　smoke！〃

Here　a　hearty　but　silent　laugh　interrupted　his　words；
and　nudging　Cap　with　his　elbow；　they　all　continued　to
watch　the　movements　of　Chingachgook　in　profound　still…
ness。　　The　Mohican　remained　stationary　as　the　rock　on
which　he　stood　full　ten　minutes；　and　then　it　was　apparent
that　something　of　interest　had　occurred　within　his　view；
for　he　drew　back　with　a　hurried　manner；　looked　anxiously
and　keenly　along　the　margin　of　the　stream；　and　moved
quickly　down　it；　taking　care　to　lose　his　trail　in　the　shallow
water。　　He　was　evidently　in　a　hurry　and　concerned；　now
looking　behind　him；　and　then　casting　eager　glances　towards
every　spot　on　the　shore　where　he　thought　a　canoe　might
be　concealed。

〃Call　him　in；〃　whispered　Jasper；　scarcely　able　to　re…
strain　his　impatience；　　〃call　him　in；　or　it　will　be　too　late！
See！　he　is　actually　passing　us。〃

〃Not　so；　not　so；　lad；　nothing　presses；　depend　on　it；〃
returned　his　companion；　〃or　the　Sarpent　would　begin　to
creep。　　The　Lord　help　us　and　teach　us　wisdom！　　I　_do_　be…
lieve　even　Chingachgook；　whose　sight　is　as　faithful　as　the
hound's　scent；　overlooks　us；　and　will　not　find　out　the　am…
bushment　we　have　made！〃

This　exultation　was　untimely；　for　the　words　were　no
sooner　spoken　than　the　Indian；　who　had　actually　got　sev…
eral　feet　lower　down　the　stream　than　the　artificial　cover；
suddenly　stopped；　fastened　a　keen…riveted　glance　among
the　transplanted　bushes；　made　a　few　hasty　steps　back…
ward；　and；　bending　his　body　and　carefully　separating　the
branches；　he　appeared　among　them。

〃The　accursed　Mingos！〃　said　Pathfinder；　as　soon　as　his
friend　was　near　enough　to　be　addressed　with　prudence。

〃Iroquois；〃　returned　the　sententious　Indian。

〃No　matter；　no　matter；　Iroquois；　devil；　Mingo；　Meng…
wes；　or　furies　　all　are　pretty　much　the　same。　　I　call　all
rascals　Mingos。　　Come　hither；　chief；　and　let　us　convarse
rationally。〃

When　their　private　communication　was　over；　Pathfinder
rejoined　the　rest；　and　made　them　acquainted　with　all　he
had　learned。

The　Mohican　had　followed　the　trail　of　their　enemies
some　distance　towards　the　fort；　until　the　latter　caught　a
sight　of　the　smoke　of　Jasper's　fire；　when　they　instantly
retraced　their　steps。　　It　now　became　necessary　for　Chin…
gachgook；　who　ran　the　greatest　risk　of　detection；　to　find　a
cover　where　he　could　secrete　bimself　until　the　party　might
pass。　　It　was　perhaps　fortunate　for　him　that　the　savages
were　so　intent　on　this　recent　discovery；　that　they　did　not
bestow　the　ordinary　attention　on　the　signs　of　the　forest。
At　all　events；　they　passed　him　swiftly；　fifteen　in　number；
treading　lightly　in　each　other's　footsteps；　and　he　was　en…
abled　again　to　get　into　their　rear。　　After　proceeding　to
the　place　where　the　footsteps　of　Pathfinder　and　the　Mohi…
can　had　joined　the　principal　trail；　the　Iroquois　had　struck
off　to　the　river；　which　they　reached　just　as　Jasper　had　dis…
appeared　behind　the　bend　below。　　The　smoke　being　now
in　plain　view；　the　savages　plunged　into　the　woods　and
endeavored　to　approach　the　fire　unseen。　　Chingachgook
profited　by　this　occasion　to　descend　to　the　water；　and　to
gain　the　bend　in　the　river　also；　which　he　thought　had　been
effected　undiscovered。　　Here　he　paused；　as　has　been　stated；
until　he　saw　his　enemies　at　the　fire；　where　their　stay；　how…
ever；　was　very　short。

Of　the　motives　of　the　Iroquois　the　Mohican　could　judge
only　by　their　acts。　　He　thought　they　had　detected　the
artifice　of　the　fire；　and　were　aware　that　it　had　been　kindled
with　a　view　to　mislead　them；　for；　after　a　hasty　examina…
tion　of　the　spot；　they　had　separated；　some　plunging　again
into　the　woods；　while　six　or　eight　had　followed　the　foot…
steps　of　Jasper　along　the　shore；　and　come　down　the　stream
towards　the　place　where　the　canoes　had　landed。　　What
course　they　might　take　on　reaching　that　spot　was　only　to
be　conjectured；　for　the　Serpent　had　felt　the　emergency
to　be　too　pressing　to　delay　looking　for　his　friends　any
longer。　　From　some　indications　that　were　to　be　gathered
from　their　gestures；　however；　he　thought　it　probable　that
their　enemies　might　follow　down　in　the　margin　of　the
stream；　but　could　not　be　certain。

As　the