the pathfinder-第50章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


and　I　think　it　will　be　well　done。　　I　know　that　the　Path…
finder　will　not　be　wanting。〃

〃On　that；　indeed；　it　will　be　safe　to　rely。　　He　is　a　most
extraordinary　man；　Dunham　　one　who　long　puzzled　me；
but　who；　now　that　I　understand　him；　commands　as　much
of　my　respect　as　any　general　in　his　majesty's　service。〃

〃I　was　in　hopes；　sir；　that　you　would　come　to　look　at　the
proposed　marriage　with　Mabel　as　a　thing　I　ought　to　wish
and　forward。〃

〃As　for　that；　Sergeant；　time　will　show；〃　returned
Lundie；　smiling；　though　here；　too；　the　obscurity　concealed
tbe　nicer　shades　of　expression；　〃one　woman　is　sometimes
more　difficult　to　manage　than　a　whole　regiment　of　men。
By　the　way；　you　know　that　your　would…be　son…in…law；　the
Quartermaster；　will　be　of　the　party；　and　I　trust　you　will
at　least　give　him　an　equal　chance　in　the　trial　for　your
daughter's　smiles。〃

〃If　respect　for　his　rank；　sir；　did　not　cause　me　to　do
this；　your　honor's　wish　would　be　sufficient。〃

〃I　thank　you；　Sergeant。　　We　have　served　much　together；
and　ought　to　value　each　other　in　our　several　stations。
Understand　me；　however；　I　ask　no　more　for　Davy　Muir
than　a　clear　field　and　no　favor。　　In　love；　as　in　war；　each
man　must　gain　his　own　victories。　　Are　you　certain　that
the　rations　have　been　properly　calculated？〃

〃I'll　answer　for　it；　Major　Duncan；　but　if　they　were　not；
we　cannot　suffer　with　two　such　hunters　as　Pathfinder　and
the　Serpent　in　company。〃

〃That　will　never　do；　Dunham；〃　interrupted　Lundie
sharply；　〃and　it　comes　of　your　American　birth　and
American　training。　　No　thorough　soldier　ever　relies　on
anything　but　his　commissary　for　supplies；　and　I　beg　that
no　part　of　my　regiment　may　be　the　first　to　set　an　example
to　the　contrary。〃

〃You　have　only　to　command；　Major　Duncan；　to　be
obeyed；　and　yet；　if　I　might　presume；　sir　　〃

〃Speak　freely；　Sergeant；　you　are　talking　with　a　friend。〃

〃I　was　merely　about　to　say　that　I　find　even　the　Scotch
soldiers　like　venison　and　birds　quite　as　well　as　pork；　when
they　are　difficult　to　be　had。〃

〃That　may　be　very　true；　but　likes　and　dislikes　have
nothing　to　do　with　system。　　An　army　can　rely　on　nothing
but　its　commissaries。　　The　irregularity　of　the　provincials
has　played　the　devil　with　the　king's　service　too　often　to　be
winked　at　any　longer。〃

〃General　Braddock；　your　honor；　might　have　been　ad…
vised　by　Colonel　Washington。〃

〃Out　upon　your　Washington！　　You're　all　provincials
together；　man；　and　uphold　each　other　as　if　you　were　of　a
sworn　confederacy。〃

〃I　believe　his　majesty　has　no　more　loyal　subjects　than
the　Americans；　your　honor。〃

〃In　that；　Dunham；　I'm　thinking　you're　right；　and　I
have　been　a　little　too　warm；　perhaps。　　I　do　not　consider
_you_　a　provincial；　however；　Sergeant；　for　though　born　in
America；　a　better　soldier　never　shouldered　a　musket。〃

〃And　Colonel　Washington；　your　honor？〃

〃Well！　　and　Colonel　Washington　may　be　a　useful　subject
too。　　He　is　the　American　prodigy；　and　I　suppose　I　may　as
well　give　him　all　the　credit　you　ask。　　You　have　no　doubt
of　the　skill　of　this　Jasper　Eau…douce？〃

〃The　boy　has　been　tried；　sir；　and　found　equal　to　all　that
can　be　required　of　him。〃

〃He　has　a　French　name；　and　has　passed　much　of　his
boyhood　in　the　French　colonies；　has　he　French　blood　in
his　veins；　Sergeant？〃

〃Not　a　drop；　your　honor。　　Jasper's　father　was　an　old
comrade　of　my　own；　and　his　mother　came　of　an　honest
and　loyal　family　in　this　very　province。〃

〃How　came　he　then　so　much　among　the　French；　and
whence　his　name？　　He　speaks　the　language　of　the　Canadas；
too；　I　find。〃

〃That　is　easily　explained；　Major　Duncan。　　The　boy　was
left　under　the　care　of　one　of　our　mariners　in　the　old　war；
and　he　took　to　the　water　like　a　duck。　　Your　honor　knows
that　we　have　no　ports　on　Ontario　that　can　be　named　as
such；　and　he　naturally　passed　most　of　his　time　on　the
other　side　of　the　lake；　where　the　French　have　had　a　few
vessels　these　fifty　years。　　He　learned　to　speak　their　lan…
guage；　as　a　matter　of　course；　and　got　his　name　from　the
Indians　and　Canadians；　who　are　fond　of　calling　men　by
their　qualities；　as　it　might　be。〃

〃A　French　master　is　but　a　poor　instructor　for　a　British
sailor；　notwithstanding。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sir：　Jasper　Eau…douce　was　brought
up　under　a　real　English　seaman；　one　that　had　sailed　under
the　king's　pennant；　and　may　be　called　a　thorough…bred；
that　is　to　say；　a　subject　born　in　the　colonies；　but　none　the
worse　at　his　trade；　I　hope；　Major　Duncan；　for　that。〃

〃Perhaps　not；　Sergeant；　perhaps　not；　nor　any　better。
This　Jasper　behaved　well；　too；　when　I　gave　him　the　com…
mand　of　the　_Scud_；　no　lad　could　have　conducted　himself
more　loyally　or　better。〃

〃Or　more　bravely；　Major　Duncan。　　I　am　sorry　to　see；
sir；　that　you　have　doubts　as　to　the　fidelity　of　Jasper。〃

〃It　is　the　duty　of　the　soldier　who　is　entrusted　with　the
care　of　a　distant　and　important　post　like　this；　Dunham；
never　to　relax　in　his　vigilance。　　We　have　two　of　the　most
artful　enemies　that　the　world　has　ever　produced；　in　their
several　ways；　to　contend　with；　　the　Indians　and　the
French；　　and　nothing　should　be　overlooked　that　can　lead
to　injury。〃

〃I　hope　your　honor　considers　me　fit　to　be　entrusted
with　any　particular　reason　that　may　exist　for　doubting
Jasper；　since　you　have　seen　fit　to　entrust　me　with　this
command。〃

〃It　is　not　that　I　doubt　you；　Dunham；　that　I　hesitate　to
reveal　all　I　may　happen　to　know；　but　from　a　strong　re…
luctance　to　circulate　an　evil　report　concerning　one　of
whom　I　have　hitherto　thought　well。　　You　must　think
well　of　the　Pathfinder；　or　you　would　not　wish　to　give　him
your　daughter？〃

〃For　the　Pathfinder's　honesty　I　will　answer　with　my
life；　sir；〃　returned　the　Sergeant　firmly；　and　not　without　a
dignity　of　manner　that　struck　his　superior。　　〃Such　a　man
doesn't　know　how　to　be　false。〃

〃I　believe　you　are　right；　Dunham；　and　yet　this　last　in…
formation　has　unsettled　all　my　old　opinions。　　I　have　re…
ceived　an　anonymous　communication；　Sergeant；　advising
me　to　be　on　my　guard　against　Jasper　Western；　or　Jasper
Eau…douce；　as　he　is　called；　who；　it　alleges；　has　been　bought
by　the　enemy；　and　giving　me　reason　to　expect　that　further
and　more　precise　information　will　soon　be　sent。〃

〃Letters　without　signatures　to　them；　sir；　are　scarcely　to
be　regarded　in　war。〃

〃Or　in　peace；　Dunham。　　No　one　can　entertain　a　lower
opinion　of　the　writer　of　an　anonymous　letter；　in　ordinary
matters；　than　myself；　the　very　act　denotes　cowardice；
meanness；　and　baseness；　and　it　usually　is　a　token　of　false…
hood；　as　well　as　of　other　vices。　　But　in　matters　of　war　it
is　not　exactly　the　same　thing。　　Besides；　several　suspicious
circumstances　have　been　pointed　out　to　me。〃

〃Such　as　is　fit　for　an　orderly　to　hear；　your　honor？〃

〃Certainly；　one　in　whom　I　confide　as　much　as　in　your…
self　Dunham。　　It　is　said；　for　instance；　that　your　daughter
and　her　party　were　permitted　to　escape　the　Iroquois；　when
they　came　in；　merely　to　give　Jasper　credit　with　me。　　I　am
told　that　the　gentry　at　Frontenac　will　care　more　for　the
capture　of　the　_Scud_；　with　Sergeant　Dunham　and　a　party
of　men；　together　with　the　defeat　of　our　favorite　plan；　than
for　the　capture　of　a　girl　and　the　scalp　of　her　uncle。〃

〃I　understand　the　hint；　sir；　but　I　do　not　give　it　credit。
Jasper　can　hardly　be　true；　and　Pathfinder　false；　and；as
for　the　last；　I　would　as　soon　distrust　your　honor　as　distrust
him。〃

〃It　would　seem　so；　Sergeant；　it　would　indeed　seem　so。
But　Jasper　is　not　the　Pathfinder；　after　all；　and　I　will　own；
Dunham；　I　should　put　more　faith　in　the　lad　if　he　didn't
speak　French。〃

〃It's　no　recommendation　in　my　eyes；　I　assure　your
honor；　but　the　boy　learned　it　by　compulsion；　as　it　were；
and　ought　not　to　be　condemned　too　hastily　for　the　cir…
cumstance；　by　your　honor's　leave。〃

〃It's　a　dd　lingo；　and　never　did　any　one　good　　at　least
no　British　subject；　for　I　suppose　the　French　themselves
must　talk　together　in　some　language　or　other。　　I　should
have　much　more　faith　in　this　Jasper；　did　he　know　nothing
of　their　language。　　This　letter　has　made　me　uneasy；　and；
were　there　another　to　whom　I　could　trust　the　cutter；　I
would　devise　some　means　to　detain　him　here。　　I　have
spoken　to　you　already　of　a　brother…in…law；　who　goes　with