the pathfinder-第86章

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pugnant　to　all　the　just　and　kind　feelings　of　our　heroine's
nature。

〃June；〃　said　she　eagerly；　folding　her　arms　round　the
gentle　but　uneducated　being；　〃we　are　friends。　　From　me
you　have　nothing　to　fear；　for　no　one　shall　know　of　your
visit。　　If　you　could　give　me　some　signal　just　before　the
danger　comes；　some　sign　by　which　to　know　when　to　go
into　the　blockhouse；　how　to　take　care　of　myself。〃

June　paused；　for　she　had　been　in　earnest　in　her　intention
to　depart；　and　then　she　said　quietly；　〃Bring　June　pigeon。〃

〃A　pigeon！　　Where　shall　I　find　a　pigeon　to　bring　you？〃

〃Next　hut；　bring　old　one；　June　go　to　canoe。〃

〃I　think　I　understand　you；　June；　but　had　I　not　better
lead　you　back　to　the　bushes；　lest　you　meet　some　of　the
men？〃

〃Go　out　first；　count　men；　one；　two；　t'ree；　four；　five；　six〃
…　here　June　held　up　her　fingers；　and　laughed　　〃all　out　of
the　way　　good；　all　but　one；　call　him　one　side。　　Then　sing；
and　fetch　pigeon。〃

Mabel　smiled　at　the　readiness　and　ingenuity　of　the　girl；
and　prepared　to　execute　her　requests。　　At　the　door；　how…
ever；　she　stopped；　and　looked　back　entreatingly　at　the　In…
dian　woman。　　〃Is　there　no　hope　of　your　telling　me　more；
June？〃　she　said。

〃Know　all　now；　blockhouse　good；　pigeon　tell；　Arrow…
head　kill。〃

The　last　words　sufficed；　for　Mabel　could　not　urge　further
communications；　when　her　companion　herself　told　her　that
the　penalty　of　her　revelations　might　be　death　by　the　hand
of　her　husband。　　Throwing　open　the　door；　she　made　a　sign
of　adieu　to　June；　and　went　out　of　the　hut。　　Mabel　resorted
to　the　simple　expedient　of　the　young　Indian　girl　to　ascer…
tain　the　situation　of　the　different　individuals　on　the　island。
Instead　of　looking　about　her　with　the　intention　of　recog…
nizing　faces　and　dresses；　she　merely　counted　them；　and
found　that　three　still　remained　at　the　fire；　while　two　had
gone　to　the　boat；　one　of　whom　was　Mr。　Muir。　　The　sixth
man　was　her　uncle；　and　he　was　coolly　arranging　some　fish…
ing…tackle　at　no　great　distance　from　the　fire。　　The　woman
was　just　entering　her　own　hut；　and　this　accounted　for　the
whole　party。　　Mabel　now；　affecting　to　have　dropped　some…
thing；　returned　nearly　to　the　hut　she　had　left；　warbling　an
air；　stooped　as　if　to　pick　up　some　object　from　the　ground；
and　hurried　towards　the　hut　June　had　mentioned。　　This
was　a　dilapidated　structure；　and　it　had　been　converted　by
the　soldiers　of　the　last　detachment　into　a　sort　of　store…
house　for　their　live　stock。　　Among　other　things；　it　con…
tained　a　few　dozen　pigeons；　which　were　regaling　on　a　pile
of　wheat　that　had　been　brought　off　from　one　of　the　farms
plundered　on　the　Canada　shore。　　Mabel　had　not　much
difficulty　in　catching　one　of　these　pigeons；　although　they
fluttered　and　flew　about　the　hut　with　a　noise　like　that　of
drums；　and；　concealing　it　in　her　dress；　she　stole　back
towards　her　own　hut　with　the　prize。　　It　was　empty；　and；
without　doing　more　than　cast　a　glance　in　at　the　door；　the
eager　girl　hurried　down　to　the　shore。　　She　had　no　diffi…
culty　in　escaping　observation；　for　the　trees　and　bushes　made
a　complete　cover　to　her　person。　　At　the　canoe　she　found
June；　who　took　the　pigeon；　placed　it　in　a　basket　of　her
own　manufacturing；　and；　repeating　the　words；　〃blockhouse
good；〃　she　glided　out　of　the　bushes　and　across　the　narrow
passage；　as　noiselessly　as　she　had　come。　　Mabel　waited　some
time　to　catch　a　signal　of　leave…taking　or　amity　after　her
friend　had　landed；　but　none　was　given。　　The　adjacent
islands；　without　exception；　were　as　quiet　as　if　no　one　had
ever　disturbed　the　sublime　repose　of　nature；　and　nowhere
could　any　sign　or　symptom　be　discovered；　as　Mabel　then
thought；　that　might　denote　the　proximity　of　the　sort　of
danger　of　which　June　had　given　notice。

On　returning；　however；　from　the　shore；　Mabel　was　struck
with　a　little　circumstance；　that；　in　an　ordinary　situation；
would　have　attracted　no　attention；　but　which；　now　that
her　suspicions　had　been　aroused；　did　not　pass　before　her
uneasy　eye　unnoticed。　　A　small　piece　of　red　bunting；　such
as　is　used　in　the　ensigns　of　ships；　was　fluttering　at　the
lower　branch　of　a　small　tree；　fastened　in　a　way　to　permit
it　to　blow　out；　or　to　droop　like　a　vessel's　pennant。

Now　that　Mabel's　fears　were　awakened；　June　herself
could　not　have　manifested　greater　quickness　in　analyzing
facts　that　she　believed　might　affect　the　safety　of　the　party。
She　saw　at　a　glance　that　this　bit　of　cloth　could　be　ob…
served　from　an　adjacent　island；　that　it　lay　so　near　the　line
between　her　own　hut　and　the　canoe　as　to　leave　no　doubt
that　June　had　passed　near　it；　if　not　directly　under　it；　and
that　it　might　be　a　signal　to　communicate　some　important
fact　connected　with　the　mode　of　attack　to　those　who　were
probably　lying　in　ambush　near　them。　　Tearing　the　little
strip　of　bunting　from　the　tree；　Mabel　hastened　on；　scarcely
knowing　what　her　duty　next　required　of　her。　　June　might
be　false　to　her；　but　her　manner；　her　looks；　her　affection；
and　her　disposition　as　Mabel　had　known　it　in　the　journey；
forbade　the　idea。　　Then　came　the　allusion　to　Arrowhead's
admiration　of　the　pale…face　beauties；　some　dim　recollections
of　the　looks　of　the　Tuscarora；　and　a　painful　consciousness
that　few　wives　could　view　with　kindness　one　who　had　es…
tranged　a　husband's　affections。　　None　of　these　images　were
distinct　and　clear；　but　they　rather　gleamed　over　the　mind
of　our　heroine　than　rested　in　it；　and　they　quickened　her
pulses；　as　they　did　her　step；　without　bringing　with　them　the
prompt　and　clear　decisions　that　usually　followed　her　reflec…
tions。　　She　had　hurried　onwards　towards　the　hut　occupied
by　the　soldier's　wife；　intending　to　remove　at　once　to　the
blockhouse　with　the　woman；　though　she　could　persuade
no　other　to　follow；　when　her　impatient　walk　was　interrupted
by　the　voice　of　Muir。

〃Whither　so　fast；　pretty　Mabel？〃　he　cried；　〃and　why
so　given　to　solitude？　　The　worthy　Sergeant　will　deride　my
breeding；　if　he　hear　that　his　daughter　passes　the　morn…
ings　alone　and　unattended　to；　though　he　well　knows　it　is
my　ardent　wish　to　be　her　slave　and　companion　from　the
beginning　of　the　year　to　its　end。〃

〃Surely；　Mr。　Muir；　you　must　have　some　authority　here？〃
Mabel　suddenly　arrested　her　steps　to　say。　　〃One　of　your
rank　would　be　listened　to；　at　least；　by　a　corporal？〃

〃I　don't　know　that；　I　don't　know　that；〃　interrupted
Muir；　with　an　impatience　and　appearance　of　alarm　that
might　have　excited　Mabel's　attention　at　another　moment。
〃Command　is　command；　discipline；　discipline；　and　au…
thority；　authority。　　Your　good　father　would　be　sore　grieved
did　he　find　me　interfering　to　sully　or　carry　off　the　laurels
he　is　about　to　win；　and　I　cannot　command　the　Corporal
without　equally　commanding　the　Sergeant。　　The　wisest
way　will　be　for　me　to　remain　in　the　obscurity　of　a　private
individual　in　this　enterprise；　and　it　is　so　that　all　parties；
from　Lundie　down；　understand　the　transaction。〃

〃This　I　know；　and　it　may　be　well；　nor　would　I　give　my
dear　father　any　cause　of　complaint；　but　you　may　influence
the　Corporal　to　his　own　good。〃

〃I'll　no'　say　that；〃　returned　Muir　in　his　sly　Scotch　way；
〃it　would　be　far　safer　to　promise　to　influence　him　to　his
injury。　　Mankind；　pretty　Mabel；　have　their　peculiarities；
and　to　influence　a　fellow…being　to　his　own　good　is　one　of
the　most　difficult　tasks　of　human　nature；　while　the　oppo…
site　is　just　the　easiest。　　You'll　no'　forget　this；　my　dear；
but　bear　it　in　mind　for　your　edification　and　government。
But　what　is　that　you're　twisting　round　your　slender　finger
as　you　may　be　said　to　twist　hearts？〃

〃It　is　nothing　but　a　bit　of　cloth　　a　sort　of　flag　　a　trifle
that　is　hardly　worth　our　attention　at　this　grave　moment。
If　　〃

〃A　trifle！　　It's　no'　so　trifling　as　ye　may　imagine；　Mis…
tress　Mabel；〃　taking　the　bit　of　bunting　from　her；　and
stretching　it　at　full　length　with　both　his　arms　extended；
while　his　face　grew　grave　and　his　eye　watchful。　　〃Ye'll　no'
ha'　been　finding　this；　Mabel　Dunham；　in　the　breakfast？〃

Mabel　simply　acquainted　him　with　the　spot　where　and
the　manner　in　which　she　had　found　the　bit　of　cloth。
While　she　was　speaking；　the　eye　of　the　Quartermaster　was
not　quiet　for　a　moment；　glancing　from　the　rag　to　the　face
of　our　heroine；　then　back　aga