the pathfinder-第79章

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〃It　was　very　observable；〃　answered　Pathfinder；　drawing
a　long　breath　and　clenching　the　barrel　of　his　rifle　as　if　the
fingers　would　bury　themselves　in　the　iron。

〃It　was　more　than　observable　　it　was　flagrant；　that's
just　the　word；　and　the　dictionary　wouldn't　supply　a　bet…
ter；　after　an　hour's　search。　　Well；　you　must　know；　Path…
finder；　　for　I　cannot　reasonably　deny　you　the　gratification
of　hearing　this；　　so　you　must　know　the　minx　bounded　off
in　that　manner　in　preference　to　hearing　what　I　had　to　say
in　your　justification。〃

〃And　what　could　you　find　to　say　in　my　behalf；　Quarter…
master？〃

〃Why；　d'ye　understand；　my　friend；　I　was　ruled　by　cir…
cumstances；　and　no'　ventured　indiscreetly　into　generalities；
but　was　preparing　to　meet　particulars；　as　it　might　be；　with
particulars。　　If　you　were　thought　wild；　half…savage；　or　of
a　frontier　formation；　I　could　tell　her；　ye　know；　that　it　came
of　the　frontier；　wild　and　half…savage　life　ye'd　led；　and　all
her　objections　must　cease　at　once；　or　there　would　be　a　sort
of　a　misunderstanding　with　Providence。〃

〃And　did　you　tell　her　this；　Quartermaster？〃

〃I'll　no'　swear　to　the　exact　words；　but　the　idea　was　prev…
alent　in　my　mind；　ye'll　understand。　　The　girl　was　impa…
tient；　and　would　not　hear　the　half　I　had　to　say；　but　away
she　skipped；　as　ye　saw　with　your　own　eyes；　Pathfinder；　as
if　her　opinion　were　fully　made　up；　and　she　cared　to　listen
no　longer。　　I　fear　her　mind　may　be　said　to　have　come　to
its　conclusion？〃

〃I　fear　it　has　indeed；　Quartermaster；　and　her　father；
after　all；　is　mistaken。　　Yes；　yes；　the　Sergeant　has　fallen
into　a　grievous　error。〃

〃Well；　man；　why　need　ye　lament；　and　undo　all　the　grand
reputation　ye've　been　so　many　weary　years　making？
Shoulder　the　rifle　that　ye　use　so　well；　and　off　into　the
woods　with　ye；　for　there's　not　the　female　breathing　that　is
worth　a　heavy　heart　for　a　minute；　as　I　know　from　experi…
ence。　　Tak'　the　word　of　one　who　knows　the　sax；　and　has
had　two　wives；　that　women；　after　all；　are　very　much　the
sort　of　creatures　we　do　not　imagine　them　to　be。　　Now；　if
you　would　really　mortify　Mabel；　here　is　as　glorious　an
occasion　as　any　rejected　lover　could　desire。〃

〃The　last　wish　I　have；　Lieutenant；　would　be　to　mortify
Mabel。〃

〃Well；　ye'll　come　to　that　in　the　end；　notwithstanding；
for　it's　human　nature　to　desire　to　give　unpleasant　feelings
to　them　that　give　unpleasant　feelings　to　us。　　But　a　better
occasion　never　offered　to　make　your　friends　love　you；　than
is　to　be　had　at　this　very　moment；　and　that　is　the　certain
means　of　causing　one's　enemies　to　envy　us。〃

〃Quartermaster；　Mabel　is　not　my　inimy；　and　if　she　was；
the　last　thing　I　could　desire　would　be　to　give　her　an　uneasy
moment。〃

〃Ye　say　so；　Pathfinder；　ye　say　so；　and　I　daresay　ye　think
so；　but　reason　and　nature　are　both　against　you；　as　ye'll
find　in　the　end。　　Ye've　heard　the　saying　'love　me；　love
my　dog：'　well；　now；　that　means；　read　backwards；　'don't
love　me；　don't　love　my　dog。'　　Now；　listen　to　what　is　in
your　power　to　do。　　You　know　we　occupy　an　exceedingly
precarious　and　uncertain　postion　here；　almost　in　the　jaws
of　the　lion；　as　it　were？〃

〃Do　you　mean　the　Frenchers　by　the　lion；　and　this　island
as　his　jaws；　Lieutenant？〃

〃Metaphorically　only；　my　friend；　for　the　French　are　no
lions；　and　this　island　is　not　a　jaw　　unless；　indeed；　it　may
prove　to　be；　what　I　greatly　fear　may　come　true；　the　jaw…
bone　of　an　ass。〃

Here　the　Quartermaster　indulged　in　a　sneering　laugh；
that　proclaimed　anything　but　respect　and　admiration　for
his　friend　Lundie's　sagacity　in　selecting　that　particular
spot　for　his　operations。

〃The　post　is　as　well　chosen　as　any　I　ever　put　foot　in；〃
said　Pathfinder；　looking　around　him　as　one　surveys　a　pic…
ture。

〃I'll　no'　deny　it；　I'll　no'　deny　it。　　Lundie　is　a　great　sol…
dier；　in　a　small　way；　and　his　father　was　a　great　laird；　with
the　same　qualification。　　I　was　born　on　the　estate；　and　have
followed　the　Major　so　long　that　I've　got　to　reverence　all
he　says　and　does：　that's　just　my　weakness；　ye'll　know；
Pathfinder。　　Well；　this　post　may　be　the　post　of　an　ass；　or
of　a　Solomon；　as　men　fancy；　but　it's　most　critically　placed；
as　is　apparent　by　all　Lundie's　precautions　and　injunctions。
There　are　savages　out　scouting　through　these　Thousand
Islands　and　over　the　forest；　searching　for　this　very　spot；　as
is　known　to　Lundie　himself；　on　certain　information；　and
the　greatest　service　you　can　render　the　55th　is　to　discover
their　trails　and　lead　them　off　on　a　false　scent。　　Unhappily
Sergeant　Dunham　has　taken　up　the　notion　that　the　danger
is　to　be　apprehended　from　up…stream；　because　Frontenac
lies　above　us；　whereas　all　experience　tells　us　that　Indians
come　on　the　side　which　is　most　contrary　to　reason；　and；
consequently；　are　to　be　expected　from　below。　　Take　your
canoe；　therefore；　and　go　down…stream　among　the　islands；
that　we　may　have　notice　if　any　danger　approaches　from
that　quarter。〃

〃The　Big　Sarpent　is　on　the　look…out　in　that　quarter；
and　as　he　knows　the　station　well；　no　doubt　he　will　give　us
timely　notice；　should　any　wish　to　sarcumvent　us　in　that
direction。〃

〃He　is　but　an　Indian；　after　all；　Pathfinder；　and　this　is
an　affair　that　calls　for　the　knowledge　of　a　white　man。
Lundie　will　be　eternally　grateful　to　the　man　who　shall
help　this　little　enterprise　to　come　off　with　flying　colors。
To　tell　you　the　truth；　my　friend；　he　is　conscious　it　should
never　have　been　attempted；　but　he　has　too　much　of　the
old　laird's　obstinacy　about　him　to　own　an　error；　though　it
be　as　manifest　as　the　morning　star。〃

The　Quartermaster　then　continued　to　reason　with　his
companion；　in　order　to　induce　him　to　quit　the　island　with…
out　delay；　using　such　arguments　as　first　suggested　them…
selves；　sometimes　contradicting　himself；　and　not　unfre…
quently　urging　at　one　moment　a　motive　that　at　the　next
was　directly　opposed　by　another。　　The　Pathfinder；　simple
as　he　was；　detected　these　flaws　in　the　Lieutenant's　philos…
ophy；　though　he　was　far　from　suspecting　that　they　pro…
ceeded　from　a　desire　to　clear　the　coast　of　Mabel's　suitor。
He　did　not　exactly　suspect　the　secret　objects　of　Muir；　but
he　was　far　from　being　blind　to　his　sophistry。　　The　result
was　that　the　two　parted；　after　a　long　dialogue；　unconvinced；
and　distrustful　of　each　other's　motives；　though　the　distrust
of　the　guide；　like　all　that　was　connected　with　the　man；
partook　of　his　own　upright；　disinterested；　and　ingenuous
nature。

A　conference　that　took　place　soon　after　between　Sergeant
Dunham　and　the　Lieutenant　led　to　more　consequences。
When　it　was　ended；　secret　orders　were　issued　to　the　men；
the　blockhouse　was　taken　possession　of；　the　huts　were　oc…
cupied；　and　one　accustomed　to　the　movements　of　soldiers
might　have　detected　that　an　expedition　was　in　the　wind。
In　fact；　just　as　the　sun　was　setting；　the　Sergeant；　who　had
been　much　occupied　at　what　was　called　the　harbor；　came
into　his　own　hut；　followed　by　Pathfinder　and　Cap；　and　as
he　took　his　seat　at　the　neat　table　which　Mabel　had　pre…
pared　for　him；　he　opened　the　budget　of　his　intelligence。

〃You　are　likely　to　be　of　some　use　here；　my　child；〃　the
old　soldier　commenced；　〃as　this　tidy　and　well…ordered
supper　can　testify；　and　I　trust；　when　the　proper　moment
arrives；　you　will　show　yourself　to　be　the　descendant　of
those　who　know　how　to　face　their　enemies。〃

〃You　do　not　expect　me；　dear　father；　to　play　Joan　of　Arc；
and　to　lead　the　men　to　battle？〃

〃Play　whom；　child？　　Did　you　ever　hear　of　the　person
Mabel　mentions；　Pathfinder？〃

〃Not　I；　Sergeant；　but　what　of　that？　　I　am　ignorant
and　unedicated；　and　it　is　too　great　a　pleasure　to　me　to
listen　to　her　voice；　and　take　in　her　words；　to　be　particular
about　persons。〃

〃I　know　her；〃　said　Cap　decidedly；　〃she　sailed　a　priva…
teer　out　of　Morlaix　in　the　last　war；　and　good　cruises　she
made　of　them。〃

Mabel　blushed　at　having　inadvertently　made　an　allusion
that　went　beyond　her　father's　reading；　to　say　nothing　of
her　uncle's　dogmatism；　and；　perhaps；　a　little　at　the　Path…
finder's　simple；　ingenuous　earnestness；　but　she　did　not
forbear　the　less　to　smile。

〃Why；　father；　I　am　not　expected　to　fall　in　with　the
men；　and　to　help　defend　the　island？〃

〃And　yet　women　have　often　done　such　things