the pathfinder-第32章

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whooping　and　yelling　convert　a　pale…face　into　a　red…skin。
That　is　the　gift　of　a　young　woman　born　of　Christian
parents；　and　it　ought　to　be　maintained。〃

〃You　are　right；　Pathfinder；　and　so　far　as　Mabel　Dun…
ham　is　concerned；　it　_shall_　be　maintained。　　But　it　is　time
to　break　your　fasts；　and　if　you　will　follow　me；　brother
Cap；　I　will　show　you　how　we　poor　soldiers　live　here　on　a
distant　frontier。〃



CHAPTER　IX。

Now；　my　co…mates　and　partners　in　exile；
Hath　not　old　custom　made　this　life　more　sweet
Than　that　of　painted　pomp？　　Are　not　these　woods
More　free　from　peril　than　the　envious　court？
Here　feel　we　but　the　penalty　of　Adam。
_As　You　Like　It。_


Sergeant　Dunham　made　no　empty　vaunt　when　he
gave　the　promise　conveyed　in　the　closing　words　of　the　last
chapter。　　Notwithstandrng　the　remote　frontier　postion
of　the　post　they　who　lived　at　it　enjoyed　a　table　that；　in
many　respects；　kings　and　princes　might　have　envied。　　At
the　Period　of　our　tale；　and；　indeed；　for　half　a　century　later；
the　whole　of　that　vast　region　which　has　been　called　the
West；　or　the　new　countries　since　the　war　of　the　revolution；
lay　a　comparatively　unpeoped　desert；　teeming　with　all　the
living　productions　of　nature　that　properly　belonged　to　the
climate；　man　and　the　domestic　animals　excepted。　　The　few
Indians　that　roamed　its　forests　then　could　produce　no
visible　effects　on　the　abundance　of　the　game；　and　the
scattered　garrisons；　or　occasional　hunters；　that　here　and
there　were　to　be　met　with　on　that　vast　surface；　had　no
other　influence　than　the　bee　on　the　buckwheat　field；　or　the
humming…bird　on　the　flower。

The　marvels　that　have　descended　to　our　own　times；　in
the　way　of　tradition；　concerning　the　quantities　of　beasts；
birds；　and　fishes　that　were　then　to　be　met　with；　on　the
shores　of　the　great　lakes　in　particular；　are　known　to　be
sustained　by　the　experience　of　living　men；　else　might　we
hesitate　about　relating　them；　but　having　been　eye…
witnesses　of　some　of　these　prodigies；　our　office　shall　be
discharged　with　the　confidence　that　certainty　can　impart。
Oswego　was　particularly　well　placed　to　keep　the　larder　of
an　epicure　amply　supplied。　　Fish　of　various　sorts　abounded
in　its　river；　and　the　sportsman　had　only　to　cast　his　line　to
haul　in　a　bass　or　some　other　member　of　the　finny　tribe；
which　then　peopled　the　waters；　as　the　air　above　the　swamps
of　this　fruitful　latitude　are　known　to　be　filled　with　insects。
Among　others　was　the　salmon　of　the　lakes；　a　variety　of
that　well…known　species；　that　is　scarcely　inferior　to　the
delicious　salmon　of　northern　Europe。　　Of　the　different
migratory　birds　that　frequent　forests　and　waters；　there
was　the　same　affluence；　hundreds　of　acres　of　geese　and
ducks　being　often　seen　at　a　time　in　the　great　bays　that
indent　the　shores　of　the　lake。　　Deer；　bears；　rabbits；　and
squirrels；　with　divers　other　quadrupeds；　among　which　was
sometimes　included　the　elk；　or　moose；　helped　to　complete
the　sum　of　the　natural　supplies　on　which　all　the　posts　de…
pended；　more　or　less；　to　relieve　the　unavoidable　privations
of　their　remote　frontier　positions。

In　a　place　where　viands　that　would　elsewhere　be　deemed
great　luxuries　were　so　abundant；　no　one　was　excluded
from　their　enjoyment。　　The　meanest　individual　at　Oswego
habitually　feasted　on　game　that　would　have　formed　the
boast　of　a　Parisian　table；　and　it　was　no　more　than　a
healthful　commentary　on　the　caprices　of　taste；　and　of　the
waywardness　of　human　desires；　that　the　very　diet　which
in　other　scenes　would　have　been　deemed　the　subject　of
envy　and　repinings　got　to　pall　on　the　appetite。　　The
coarse　and　regular　food　of　the　army；　which　it　became
necessary　to　husband　on　account　of　the　difficulty　of　trans…
portation；　rose　in　the　estimation　of　the　common　soldier；
and　at　any　time　he　would　cheerfully　desert　his　venison；
and　ducks；　and　pigeons；　and　salmon；　to　banquet　on　the
sweets　of　pickled　pork；　stringy　turnips；　and　half…cooked
cabbage。

The　table　of　Sergeant　Dunham；　as　a　matter　of　course；
partook　of　the　abundance　and　luxuries　of　the　frontier；　as
well　as　of　its　privations。　　A　delicious　broiled　salmon
smoked　on　a　homely　platter；　hot　venison　steaks　sent　up
their　appetizing　odors；　and　several　dishes　of　cold　meats；
all　of　which　were　composed　of　game；　had　been　set　before
the　guests；　in　honor　of　the　newly　arrived　visitors；　and　in
vindication　of　the　old　soldier's　hospitality。

〃You　do　not　seem　to　be　on　short　allowance　in　this
quarter　of　the　world；　Sergeant；〃　said　Cap；　after　he　had　got
fairly　initiated　into　the　mysteries　of　the　different　dishes；
〃your　salmon　might　satisfy　a　Scotsman。〃

〃It　fails　to　do　it；　notwithstanding；　brother　Cap；　for
among　two　or　three　hundred　of　the　fellows　that　we　have
in　this　garrison　there　are　not　half　a　dozen　who　will　not
swear　that　the　fish　is　unfit　to　be　eaten。　　Even　some　of　the
lads；　who　never　tasted　venison　except　as　poachers　at　home；
turn　up　their　noses　at　the　fattest　haunches　that　we　get
here。〃

〃Ay；　that　is　Christian　natur'；〃　put　in　Pathfinder；　〃and
I　must　say　it　is　none　to　its　credit。　　Now；　a　red…skin　never
repines；　but　is　always　thankful　for　the　food　he　gets；
whether　it　be　fat　or　lean；　venison　or　bear；　wild　turkey's
breast　or　wild　goose's　wing。　　To　the　shame　of　us　white
men　be　it　said；　that　we　look　upon　blessings　without　satis…
faction；　and　consider　trifling　evils　as　matters　of　great　ac…
count。〃

〃It　is　so　with　the　55th；　as　I　can　answer；　though　I　cannot
say　as　much　for　their　Christianity；〃　returned　the　Sergeant。
〃Even　the　major　himself；　old　Duncan　of　Lundie；　will
sometimes　swear　that　an　oatmeal　cake　is　better　fare　than
the　Oswego　bass；　and　sigh　for　a　swallow　of　Highland　water；
when；　if　so　minded；　he　has　the　whole　of　Ontario　to　quench
his　thirst　in。〃

〃Has　Major　Duncan　a　wife　and　children？〃　asked　Mabel；
whose　thoughts　naturally　turned　towards　her　own　sex　in
her　new　situation。

〃Not　he；　girl；　though　they　do　say　that　he　has　a　be…
trothed　at　home。　　The　lady；　it　seems；　is　willing　to　wait；
rather　than　suffer　the　hardships　of　service　in　this　wild
region；　all　of　which；　brother　Cap；　is　not　according　to　my
notions　of　a　woman's　duties。　　Your　sister　thought　differ…
ently。〃

〃I　hope；　Sergeant；　you　do　not　think　of　Mabel　for　a　sol…
dier's　wife；〃　returned　Cap　gravely。　　〃Our　family　has　done
its　share　in　that　way　already；　and　it's　high　time　that　the
sea　was　again　remembered。〃

〃I　do　not　think　of　finding　a　husband　for　the　girl　in　the
55th；　or　any　other　regiment；　I　can　promise　you；　brother；
though　I　do　think　it　getting　to　be　time　that　the　child　were
respectably　married。〃

〃Father！〃

〃'Tis　not　their　gifts；　Sergeant；　to　talk　of　these　matters
in　so　open　a　manner；〃　said　the　guide；　〃for　I've　seen　it
verified　by　experience；　that　he　who　would　follow　the　trail
of　a　virgin's　good…will　must　not　go　shouting　out　his
thoughts　behind　her。　　So；　if　you　please；　we　will　talk　of
something　else。〃

〃Well；　then；　brother　Cap；　I　hope　that　bit　of　a　cold
roasted　pig　is　to　your　mind；　you　seem　to　fancy　the　food。〃

〃Ay；　ay；　give　me　civilized　grub　if　I　must　eat；〃　returned
the　pertinacious　seaman。　　〃Venison　is　well　enough　for
your　inland　sailors；　but　we　of　the　ocean　like　a　little　of　that
which　we　understand。〃

Here　Pathfinder　laid　down　his　knife　and　fork；　and　in…
dulged　in　a　hearty　laugh；　though　in　his　always　silent　man…
ner；　then　he　asked；　with　a　little　curiosity　in　his　manner；　

〃Don't；　you　miss　the　skin；　Master　Cap？　don't　you　miss
the　skin？

〃It　would　have　been　better　for　its　jacket；　I　think　my…
self；　Pathfinder；　but　I　suppose　it　is　a　fashion　of　the　woods
to　serve　up　shoats　in　this　style。〃

〃Well；　well；　a　man　may　go　round　the　'arth　and　not
know　everything。　　If　you　had　had　the　skinning　of　that
pig；　Master　Cap；　it　would　have　left　you　sore　hands。　　The
cratur'　is　a　hedgehog！〃

〃Blast　me；　if　I　thought　it　wholesome　natural　pork
either！〃　returned　Cap。　　〃But　then　I　believed　even　a　pig
might　lose　some　of　its　good　qualities　up　hereaway　in　the
woods。〃

〃If　the　skinning　of　it；　brother；　does　not　fall　to　my
duty。　　Pathfinder；　I　hope　you　didn't　find　Mabel　disobedi…
ent　on　the　march？〃

〃Not　she；　not　she。　　If　Mabel　is　only　half　as　well　satisfied
with　Jasper　and　Pathfinder　as　the　Pathfinder　and　Jasper
are　s