the pathfinder-第42章

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the　bullet　driving　down　those　of　the　Quartermaster　and
Jasper；　else　is　not　my　name　Pathfinder。〃

A　shout　from　the　target　announced　the　truth　of　this
assertion。

〃That's　not　all；　that's　not　all；　boys；〃　called　out　the
guide；　who　was　now　slowly　advancing　towards　the　stage
occupied　by　the　females；　〃if　you　find　the　target　touched
at　all；　I'll　own　to　a　miss。　　The　Quartermaster　cut　the　wood；
but　you'll　find　no　wood　cut　by　that　last　messenger。〃

〃Very　true；　Pathfinder；　very　true；〃　answered　Muir；　who
was　lingering　near　Mabel；　though　ashamed　to　address　her
particularly　in　the　presence　of　the　officers'　wives。　　〃The
Quartermaster　did　cut　the　wood；　and　by　that　means　he
opened　a　passage　for　your　bullet；　which　went　through　the
hole　he　had　made。〃

〃Well；　Quartermaster；　there　goes　the　nail　and　we'll　see
who　can　drive　it　closer；　you　or　I；　for；　though　I　did　not
think　of　showing　what　a　rifle　can　do　to…day；　now　my　hand
is　in；　I'll　turn　my　back　to　no　man　that　carries　King
George's　commission。　　Chingachgook　is　outlying；　or　he
might　force　me　into　some　of　the　niceties　of　the　art；　but；
as　for　you；　Quartermaster；　if　the　nail　don't　stop　you；　the
potato　will。〃

〃You're　over　boastful　this　morning；　Pathfinder；　but
you'll　find　you've　no　green　boy　fresh　from　the　settlements
and　the　towns　to　deal　with；　I　will　assure　ye！〃

〃I　know　that　well；　Quartermaster；　I　know　that　well；
and　shall　not　deny　your　experience。　　You've　lived　many
years　on　the　frontiers；　and　I've　heard　of　you　in　the　col…
onies；　and　among　the　Indians；　too；　quite　a　human　life　ago。〃

〃Na；　na；〃　interrupted　Muir　in　his　broadest　Scotch；
〃this　is　injustice；　man。　　I've　no'　lived　so　very　long；
neither。〃

〃I'll　do　you　justice；　Lieutenant；　even　if　you　get　the　best
in　the　potato　trial。　　I　say　you've　passed　a　good　human　life；
for　a　soldier；　in　places　where　the　rifle　is　daily　used；　and　I
know　you　are　a　creditable　and　ingenious　marksman；　but
then　you　are　not　a　true　rifle…shooter。　　As　for　boasting；　I
hope　I'm　not　a　vain　talker　about　my　own　exploits；　but　a
man's　gifts　are　his　gifts；　and　it's　flying　in　the　face　of　Prov…
idence　to　deny　them。　　The　Sergeant's　daughter；　here；
shall　judge　between　us；　if　you　have　the　stomach　to　submit
to　so　pretty　a　judge。〃

The　Pathfinder　had　named　Mabel　as　the　arbiter　because
he　admired　her；　and　because；　in　his　eyes；　rank　had　little　or
no　value；　but　Lieutenant　Muir　shrank　at　such　a　reference
in　the　presence　of　the　wives　of　the　officers。　　He　would
gladly　keep　himself　constantly　before　the　eyes　and　the
imagination　of　the　object　of　his　wishes；　but　he　was　still
too　much　under　the　influence　of　old　prejudices；　and　per…
haps　too　wary；　to　appear　openly　as　her　suitor；　unless　he
saw　something　very　like　a　certainty　of　success。　　On　the
discretion　of　Major　Duncan　he　had　a　full　reliance；　and　he
apprehended　no　betrayal　from　that　quarter；　but　he　was
quite　aware；　should　it　ever　get　abroad　that　he　had　been
refused　by　the　child　of　a　non…commissioned　officer；　he
would　find　great　difficulty　in　making　his　approaches　to　any
other　woman　of　a　condition　to　which　he　might　reasonably
aspire。　　Notwithstanding　these　doubts　and　misgivings；
Mabel　looked　so　prettily；　blushed　so　charmingly；　smiled　so
sweetly；　and　altogether　presented　so　winning　a　picture　of
youth；　spirit；　modesty；　and　beauty；　that　he　found　it　ex…
ceedingly　tempting　to　be　kept　so　prominently　before　her
imagination；　and　to　be　able　to　address　her　freely。

〃You　shall　have　it　your　own　way；　Pathfinder；〃　he　an…
swered；　as　soon　as　his　doubts　had　settled　down　into　de…
termination；　〃let　the；　Sergeant's　daughter　　his　charming
daughter；　I　should　have　termed　her　　be　the　umpire　then；
and　to　her　we　will　both　dedicate　the　prize；　that　one　or　the
other　must　certainly　win。　　Pathfinder　must　be　humored；
ladies；　as　you　perceive；　else；　no　doubt；　we　should　have　had
the　honor　to　submit　ourselves　to　one　of　your　charming
society。〃

A　call　for　the　competitors　now　drew　the　Quartermaster
and　his　adversary　away；　and　in　a　few　moments　the　second
trial　of　skill　commenced。　　A　common　wrought　nail　was
driven　lightly　into　the　target；　its　head　having　been　first
touched　with　paint；　and　the　marksman　was　required　to　hit
it；　or　he　lost　his　chances　in　the　succeeding　trials。　　No　one
was　permitted　to　enter；　on　this　occasion；　who　had　already
failed　in　the　essay　against　the　bull's…eye。

There　might　have　been　half　a　dozen　aspirants　for　the
honors　of　this　trial；　one　or　two；　who　had　barely　succeeded
in　touching　the　spot　of　paint　in　the　previous　strife；　pre…
ferring　to　rest　their　reputations　there；　feeling　certain　that
they　could　not　succeed　in　the　greater　effort　that　was　now
exacted　of　them。　　The　first　three　adventurers　failed；　all
coming　very　near　the　mark；　but　neither　touching　it。
The　fourth　person　whb　presented　himself　was　the　Quarter…
master；　who；　after　going　through　his　usual　attitudes；　so　far
succeeded　as　to　carry　away　a　small　portion　of　the　head　of
the　nail；　planting　his　bullet　by　the　side　of　its　point。　　This
was　not　considered　an　extraordinary　shot；　though　it
brought　the　adventurer　within　the　category。

〃You've　saved　your　bacon；　Quartermaster；　as　they　say
in　the　settlements　of　their　creaturs；〃　cried　Pathfinder；
laughing；　〃but　it　would　take　a　long　time　to　build　a　house
with　a　hammer　no　better　than　yours。　　Jasper；　here；　will
show　you　how　a　nail　is　to　be　started；　or　the　lad　has　lost
some　of　his　steadiness　of　hand　and　sartainty　of　eye。　　You
would　have　done　better　yourself；　Lieutenant；　had　you　not
been　so　much　bent　on　soldierizing　your　figure。　　Shooting
is　a　natural　gift；　and　is　to　be　exercised　in　a　natural　way。〃

〃We　shall　see；　Pathfinder；　I　call　that　a　pretty　attempt
at　a　nail；　and　I　doubt　if　the　55th　has　another　hammer；　as
you　call　it；　that　can　do　just　the　same　thing　over　again。〃

〃Jasper　is　not　in　the　55th；　but　there　goes　his　rap。〃

As　the　Pathfinder　spoke；　the　bullet　of　Eau…douce　hit　the
nail　square；　and　drove　it　into　the　target；　within　an　inch　of
the　head。

〃Be　all　ready　to　clench　it；　boys！〃　cried　out　Pathfinder；
stepping　into　his　friend's　tracks　the　instant　they　were
vacant。　　〃Never　mind　a　new　nail；　I　can　see　that；　though
the　paint　is　gone；　and　what　I　can　see　I　can　hit；　at　a　hun…
dred　yards；　though　it　were　only　a　mosquito's　eye。　　Be
ready　to　clench！〃

The　rifle　cracked；　the　bullet　sped　its　way；　and　the　head
of　the　nail　was　buried　in　the　wood；　covered　by　the　piece
of　flattened　lead。

〃Well；　Jasper；　lad；〃　continued　Pathfinder；　dropping　the
butt…end　of　his　rifle　to　the　ground；　and　resuming　the　dis…
course；　as　if　he　thought　nothing　of　his　own　exploit；　〃you
improve　daily。　　A　few　more　tramps　on　land　in　my　com…
pany；　and　the　best　marksman　on　the　frontiers　will　have
occasion　to　look　keenly　when　he　takes　his　stand　ag'in　you。
The　Quartermaster　is　respectable；　but　he　will　never　get　any
farther；　whereas　you；　Jasper；　have　the　gift；　and　may　one
day　defy　any　who　pull　trigger。〃

〃Hoot；　hoot！〃　exclaimed　Muir；　〃do　you　call　hitting
the　head　of　the　nail　respectable　only；　when　it's　the　per…
fection　of　the　art？　　Any　one　the　least　refined　and　elevated
in　sentiment　knows　that　the　delicate　touches　denote　the
master；　whereas　your　sledge…hammer　blows　come　from　the
rude　and　uninstructed。　　If　'a　miss　is　as　good　as　a　mile；'　a
hit　ought　to　be　better；　Pathfinder；　whether　it　wound　or
kill。〃

〃The　surest　way　of　settling　this　rivalry　will　be　to　make
another　trial；〃　observed　Lundie；　〃and　that　will　be　of　the
potato。　　You're　Scotch；　Mr。　Muir；　and　might　fare　better
were　it　a　cake　or　a　thistle；　but　frontier　law　has　declared
for　the　American　fruit；　and　the　potato　it　shall　be。〃

As　Major　Duncan　manifested　some　impatience　of　man…
ner；　Muir　had　too　much　tact　to　delay　the　sports　any　longer
with　his　discursive　remarks；　but　judiciously　prepared　him…
self　for　the　next　appeal。　　To　say　the　truth；　the　Quarter…
master　had　little　or　no　faith　in　his　own　success　in　the
trial　of　skill　that　was　to　follow；　nor　would　he　have　been　so
free　in　presenting　himself　as　a　competitor　at　all　had　he　an…
ticipated　it　would　have　been　made；　but　Major　Duncan；
who　was　somewhat　of　a　humorist　in　his　own　quiet　Scotch
way；　had　secretly　ordered　it　to　be　introduced　expressly　to
mortify　him；　for；　a　laird　himsel