the pathfinder-第53章

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be　known；　just　as　the　silver　oar　is　necessary　to　a　sheriff's
officer　afloat。　　In　the　next　place；　it's　high　treason；　by　law；
for　the　eldest　son　of　his　majesty　ever　to　covet　the　crown；
or　to　have　a　child；　except　in　lawful　wedlock；　as　either
would　derange　the　succession。　　Thus　you　see；　friend　Path…
finder　that　in　order　to　reason　truly；　one　must　get　under
way；　as　it　might　be；　on　the　right　tack。　　Law　is　reason；　and
reason　is　philosophy；　and　philosophy　is　a　steady　drag；
whence　it　follows　that　crowns　are　regulated　by　law；　reason；
and　philosophy。〃

〃I　know　little　of　all　this；　Master　Cap；　but　nothing　short
of　seeing　and　feeling　will　make　me　think　Jasper　Western
a　traitor。〃

〃There　you　are　wrong　again；　Pathfinder；　for　there　is　a
way　of　proving　a　thing　much　more　conclusively　than
either　seeing　or　feeling；　or　by　both　together；　and　that　is
by　a　circumstance。〃

〃It　may　be　so　in　the　settlements；　but　it　is　not　so　here
on　the　lines。〃

〃It　is　so　in　nature；　which　is　monarch　over　all。　　There
was　a　circumstance；　just　after　we　came　on　board　this　even…
ing；　that　is　extremely　suspicious；　and　which　may　be　set
down　at　once　as　a　makeweight　against　this　lad。　　Jasper
bent　on　the　king's　ensign　with　his　own　hands；　and；　while
he　pretended　to　be　looking　at　Mabel　and　the　soldier's　wife；
giving　directions　about　showing　them　below　here；　and　a
that；　he　got　the　flag　union　down！〃

〃That　might　have　been　accident；〃　returned　the　Ser…
geant；　〃for　such　a　thing　has　happened　to　myself；　besides；
the　halyards　lead　to　a　pulley；　and　the　flag　would　have
come　right；　or　not；　according　to　the　manner　in　which　the
lad　hoisted　it。〃

〃A　pulley！〃　exclaimed　Cap；　with　strong　disgust；　〃I
wish；　Sergeant　Dunham；　I　could　prevail　on　you　to　use
proper　terms。　　An　ensign…halyard…block　is　no　more　a　pul…
ley　than　your　halbert　is　a　boarding…pike。　　It　is　true　that
by　hoisting　on　one　part；　another　part　would　go　uppermost；
but　I　look　upon　that　affair　of　the　ensign；　now　you　have
mentioned　your　suspicions；　as　a　circumstance；　and　shall
bear　it　in　mind。　　I　trust　supper　is　not　to　be　overlooked；
however；　even　if　we　have　a　hold　full　of　traitors。〃

〃It　will　be　duly　attended　to；　brother　Cap；　but　I　shall
count　on　you　for　aid　in　managing　the　_Scud_；　should　any…
thing　occur　to　induce　me　to　arrest　Jasper。〃

〃I'll　not　fail　you；　Sergeant；　and　in　such　an　event　you'll
probably　learn　what　this　cutter　can　really　perform；　for；　as
yet；　I　fancy　it　is　pretty　much　matter　of　guesswork。〃

〃Well；　for　my　part；〃　said　Pathfinder；　drawing　a　heavy
sigh；　〃I　shall　cling　to　the　hope　of　Jasper's　innocence；　and
recommend　plain　dealing；　by　asking　the　lad　himself；　with…
out　further　delay；　whether　he　is　or　is　not　a　traitor。　　I'll
put　Jasper　Western　against　all　the　presentiments　and　cir…
cumstances　in　the　colony。〃

〃That　will　never　do；〃　rejoined　the　Sergeant。　　〃The　re…
sponsibility　of　this　affair　rests　with　me；　and　I　request　and
enjoin　that　nothing　be　said　to　any　one　without　my　knowl…
edge。　　We　will　all　keep　watchful　eyes　about　us；　and　take
proper　note　of　circumstances。〃

〃Ay；　ay！　circumstances　are　the　things　after　all；〃　re…
turned　Cap。　　〃One　circumstance　is　worth　fifty　facts。　　That
I　know　to　be　the　law　of　the　realm。　　Many　a　man　has　been
hanged　on　circumstances。〃

The　conversation　now　ceased；　and；　after　a　short　delay；
the　whole　party　returned　to　the　deck；　each　individual　dis…
posed　to　view　the　conduct　of　the　suspected　Jasper　in　the
manner　most　suited　to　his　own　habits　and　character。



CHAPTER　XIV。

Even　such　a　man；　so　faint；　so　spiritless；
So　dull；　so　dead　in　look；　so　woe…begone；
Drew　Priam's　Curtain　in　the　dead　of　night；
And　would　have　told　him；　half　his　Troy　was　burned。
SHAKESPEARE。


All　this　time　matters　were　elsewhere　passing　in　their
usual　train。　　Jasper；　like　the　weather　and　his　vessel；　seemed
to　be　waiting　for　the　land…breeze；　while　the　soldiers；　ac…
customed　to　early　rising；　had；　to　a　man；　sought　their　pallets
in　the　main　hold。　　None　remained　on　deck　but　the　people
of　the　cutter；　Mr。　Muir；　and　the　two　females。　　The　Quar…
termaster　was　endeavoring　to　render　himself　agreeable　to
Mabel；　while　our　heroine　herself；　little　affected　by　his　as…
siduities；　which　she　ascribed　partly　to　the　habitual　gallantry
of　a　soldier；　and　partly；　perhaps；　to　her　own　pretty　face；
was　enjoying　the　peculiarities　of　a　scene　and　situation
which；　to　her；　were　full　of　the　charms　of　novelty。

The　sails　had　been　hoisted；　but　as　yet　not　a　breath　of
air　was　in　motion；　and　so　still　and　placid　was　the　lake；
that　not　the　smallest　motion　was　perceptible　in　the　cutter。
She　had　drifted　in　the　river…current　to　a　distance　a　little
exceeding　a　quarter　of　a　mile　from　the　land；　and　there　she
lay；　beautiful　in　her　symmetry　and　form；　but　like　a　fix…
ture。　　Young　Jasper　was　on　the　quarter…deck；　near　enough
to　hear　occasionally　the　conversation　which　passed；　but
too　diffident　of　his　own　claim；　and　too　intent　on　his　duties；
to　attempt　to　mingle　in　it。　　The　fine　blue　eyes　of　Mabel
followed　his　motions　in　curious　expectation；　and　more　than
once　the　Quartermaster　had　to　repeat　his　compliments
before　she　heard　them；　so　intent　was　she　on　the　little　oc…
currences　of　the　vessel；　and；　we　might　add；　so　indifferent
to　the　eloquence　of　her　companion。　　At　length；　even　Mr。
Muir　became　silent；　and　there　was　a　deep　stillness　on　the
water。　　Presently　an　oar…blade　fell　in　a　boat　beneath　the
fort；　and　the　sound　reached　the　cutter　as　distinctly　as　if　it
had　been　produced　on　her　deck。　　Then　came　a　murmur；
like　a　sigh　of　the　night；　a　fluttering　of　the　canvas；　the
creaking　of　the　boom；　and　the　flap　of　the　jib。　　These　well…
known　sounds　were　followed　by　a　slight　heel　in　the　cutter；
and　by　the　bellying　of　all　the　sails。

〃Here's　the　wind；　Anderson；〃　called　out　Jasper　to　the
oldest　of　his　sailors；　〃take　the　helm。〃

This　brief　order　was　obeyed；　the　helm　was　put　up；　the
cutter's　bows　fell　off；　and　in　a　few　minutes　the　water　was
heard　murmuring　under　her　head；　as　the　_Scud_　glanced
through　the　lake　at　the　rate　of　five　miles　in　the　hour。　　All
this　passed　in　profound　silence；　when　Jasper　again　gave
the　order　to　〃ease　off　the　sheets　a　little　and　keep　her
along　the　land。〃

It　was　at　this　instant　that　the　party　from　the　after…cabin
reappeared　on　the　quarter…deck。

〃You've　no　inclination；　Jasper　lad；　to　trust　yourself　too
near　our　neighbours　the　French；〃　observed　Muir；　who　took
that　occasion　to　recommence　the　discourse。　　〃Well；　well；
your　prudence　will　never　be　questioned　by　me；　for　I　like
the　Canadas　as　little　as　you　can　possibly　like　them　yourself。〃

〃I　hug　this　shore；　Mr。　Muir；　on　account　of　the　wind。
The　land…breeze　is　always　freshest　close　in；　provided　you
are　not　so　near　as　to　make　a　lee　of　the　trees。　　We　have
Mexico　Bay　to　cross；　and　that；　on　the　present　course；　will
give　us　quite　offing　enough。〃

〃I'm　right　glad　it's　not　the　Bay　of　Mexico；〃　put　in　Cap；
〃which　is　a　part　of　the　world　I　would　rather　not　visit　in
one　of　your　inland　craft。　　Does　your　cutter　bear　a　weather
helm；　master　Eau…douce？〃

〃She　is　easy　on　her　rudder；　master　Cap；　but　likes　look…
ing　up　at　the　breeze　as　well　as　another；　when　in　lively
motion。〃

〃I　suppose　you　have　such　things　as　reefs；　though　you
can　hardly　have　occasion　to　use　them？〃

Mabel's　bright　eye　detected　the　smile　that　gleamed　for
an　instant　on　Jasper's　handsome　face；　but　no　one　else　saw
that　momentary　exhibition　of　surprise　and　contempt。

〃We　have　reefs；　and　often　have　occasion　to　use　them；〃
quietly　returned　the　young　man。　　〃Before　we　get　in；　Mas…
ter　Cap；　an　opportunity　may　offer　to　show　you　the　manner
in　which　we　do　so；　for　there　is　easterly　weather　brewing；
and　the　wind　cannot　chop；　even　on　the　ocean　itself；　more
readily　than　it　flies　round　on　Lake　Ontario。〃

〃So　much　for　knowing　no　better！　　I　have　seen　the　wind
in　the　Atlantic　fly　round　like　a　coach…wheel；　in　a　way　to
keep　your　sails　shaking　for　an　hour；　and　the　ship　would
become　perfectly　motionless　from　not　knowing　which　way
to　turn。〃

〃We　have　no　such　sudden　changes　here；　certainly；〃
Jasper　mildly　answered；　〃though　we　think　ourselves　liable
to　unexpected　shifts　of　wind。　　I　hope；　however；　to　carry
this　land…breeze　as　far　as　the　first　islands；　after