the pathfinder-第87章

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not　quiet　for　a　moment；　glancing　from　the　rag　to　the　face
of　our　heroine；　then　back　again　to　the　rag。　　That　his　sus…
picions　were　awakened　was　easy　to　be　seen；　nor　was　he　long
in　letting　it　be　known　what　direction　they　had　taken。

〃We　are　not　in　a　part　of　the　world　where　our　ensigns
and　gauds　ought　to　be　spread　abroad　to　the　wind；　Mabel
Dunham！〃　he　said；　with　an　ominous　shake　of　the　head。

〃I　thought　as　much　myself；　Mr。　Muir；　and　brought　away
the　little　flag　lest　it　might　be　the　means　of　betraying　our
presence　here　to　the　enemy；　even　though　nothing　is　in…
tended　by　its　display。　　Ought　not　my　uncle　to　be　made
acquainted　with　the　circumstance？〃

〃I　no'　see　the　necessity　for　that；　pretty　Mabel；　for；　as
you　justly　say；　it　is　a　circumstance；　and　circumstances
sometimes　worry　the　worthy　mariner。　　But　this　flag；　if　flag
it　can　be　called；　belongs　to　a　seaman's　craft。　　You　may
perceive　that　it　is　made　of　what　is　called　bunting；　and　that
is　a　description　of　cloth　used　only　by　vessels　for　such　pur…
poses；　_our_　colors　being　of　silk；　as　you　may　understand；　or
painted　canvas。　　It's　surprisingly　like　the　fly　of　the　_Scud's_
ensign。　　And　now　I　recollect　me　to　have　observed　that　a
piece　had　been　cut　from　that　very　flag。〃

Mabel　felt　her　heart　sink；　but　she　had　sufficient　self…
command　not　to　attempt　an　answer。

〃It　must　be　looked　to；〃　Muir　continued；　〃and；　after　all；
I　think　it　may　be　well　to　hold　a　short　consultation　with
Master　Cap；　than　whom　a　more　loyal　subject　does　not　ex…
ist　in　the　British　empire。〃

〃I　have　thought　the　warning　so　serious；〃　Mabel　rejoined；
〃that　I　am　about　to　remove　to　the　blockhouse；　and　to　take
the　woman　with　me。〃

〃I　do　not　see　the　prudence　of　that；　Mabel。　　The　block…
house　will　be　the　first　spot　assailed　should　there　really　be
an　attack；　and　it's　no'　well　provided　for　a　siege；　that　must
be　allowed。　　If　I　might　advise　in　so　delicate　a　contin…
gency；　I　would　recommend　your　taking　refuge　in　the　boat；
which；　as　you　may　now　perceive；　is　most　favorably　placed
to　retreat　by　that　channel　opposite；　where　all　in　it　would
be　hid　by　the　islands　in　one　or　two　minutes。　　Water　leaves
no　trail；　as　Pathfinder　well　expresses　it；　and　there　appears
to　be　so　many　different　passages　in　that　quarter　that　escape
would　be　more　than　probable。　　I've　always　been　of　opin…
ion　that　Lundie　hazarded　too　much　in　occupying　a　post　so
far　advanced　and　so　much　exposed　as　this。〃

〃It's　too　late　to　regret　it　now；　Mr。　Muir；　and　we　have
only　to　consult　our　own　security。〃

〃And　the　king's　honor；　pretty　Mabel。　　Yes；　his　Majesty's
arms　and　his　glorious　name　are　not　to　be　overlooked　on
any　occasion。〃

〃Then　I　think　it　might　be　better　if　we　all　turned　our
eyes　towards　the　place　that　has　been　built　to　maintain
them　instead　of　the　boat；〃　said　Mabel；　smiling；　〃and　so；
Mr。　Muir；　I　am　for　the　blockhouse；　intending　to　await
there　the　return　of　my　father　and　his　party。　　He　would　be
sadly　grieved　at　finding　we　had　fled　when　he　got　back　suc…
cessful　himself；　and　filled　with　the　confidence　of　our　having
been　as　faithful　to　our　duties　as　he　has　been　to　his　own。〃

〃Nay；　nay；　for　heaven's　sake；　do　not　misunderstand　me；
Mabel！〃　Muir　interrupted；　with　some　alarm　of　manner；
〃I　am　far　from　intimating　that　any　but　you　females　ought
to　take　refuge　in　the　boat。　　The　duty　of　us　men　is　suffi…
ciently　plain；　no　doubt；　and　my　resolution　has　been　formed
from　the　first　to　stand　or　fall　by　the　blockhouse。〃

〃And　did　you　imagine；　Mr。　Muir；　that　two　females　could
row　that　heavy　boat　in　a　way　to　escape　the　bark　canoe　of
an　Indian？〃

〃Ah；　my　pretty　Mabel；　love　is　seldom　logical；　and　its
fears　and　misgivings　are　apt　to　warp　the　faculties。　　I　only
saw　your　sweet　person　in　the　possession　of　the　means　of
safety；　and　overlooked　the　want　of　ability　to　use　them；
but　you'll　not　be　so　cruel；　lovely　creature；　as　to　impute　to
me　as　a　fault　my　intense　anxiety　on　your　own　account。〃

Mabel　had　heard　enough：　her　mind　was　too　much　oc…
cupied　with　what　had　passed　that　morning；　and　with　her
fears；　to　wish　to　linger　longer　to　listen　to　love　speeches；
which　in　her　most　joyous　and　buoyant　moments　she　would
have　found　unpleasant。　　She　took　a　hasty　leave　of　her
companion；　and　was　about　to　trip　away　towards　the　hilt　of
the　other　woman；　when　Muir　arrested　the　movement　by
laying　a　hand　on　her　arm。

〃One　word；　Mabel；〃　said　he；　〃before　you　leave　me。　　This
little　flag　may；　or　it　may　not；　have　a　particular　meaning；
if　it　has；　now　that　we　are　aware　of　its　being　shown；　may　it
not　be　better　to　put　it　back　again；　while　we　watch　vigilantly
for　some　answer　that　may　betray　the　conspiracy；　and　if　it
mean　nothing；　why；　nothing　will　follow。〃

〃This　may　be　all　right；　Mr。　Muir；　though；　if　the　whole
is　accidental；　the　flag　might　be　the　occasion　of　the　fort's
being　discovered。

Mabel　stayed　to　utter　no　more；　but　she　was　soon　out　of
sight；　running　into　the　hut　towards　which　she　had　been　first
proceeding。　　The　Quartermaster　remained　on　the　very　spot
and　in　the　precise　attitude　in　which　she　had　left　him　for
quite　a　minute；　first　looking　at　the　bounding　figure　of　the
girl　and　then　at　the　bit　of　bunting；　which　he　still　held　be…
fore　him　in　a　way　to　denote　indecision。　　His　irresolution
lasted　but　for　this　minute；　however；　for　he　was　soon　be…
neath　the　tree；　where　he　fastened　the　mimic　flag　to　a　branch
again；　though；　from　his　ignorance　of　the　precise　spot　from
which　it　had　been　taken　by　Mabel；　he　left　it　fluttering
from　a　part　of　the　oak　where　it　was　still　more　exposed　than
before　to　the　eyes　of　any　passenger　on　the　river；　though
less　in　view　from　the　island　itself。



CHAPTER　XXI。

Each　one　has　had　his　supping　mess；
The　cheese　is　put　into　the　press；
The　pans　and　bowls；　clean　scalded　all；
Reared　up　against　the　milk…house　wall。
COTTON。


It　seemed　strange　to　Mabel　Dunham；　as　she　passed　along
on　her　way　to　find　her　female　companion；　that　others
should　be　so　composed；　while　she　herself　felt　as　if　the　re…
sponsibilities　of　life　and　death　rested　on　her　shoulders。　　It
is　true　that　distrust　of　June's　motives　mingled　with　her
forebodings；　but　when　she　came　to　recall　the　affectionate
and　natural　manner　of　the　young　Indian　girl；　and　all　the
evidences　of　good　faith　and　sincerity　she　had　seen　in　her
conduct　during　the　familiar　intercourse　of　their　journey；
she　rejected　the　idea　with　the　unwillingness　of　a　generous
disposition　to　believe　ill　of　others。　　She　saw；　however；　that
she　could　not　put　her　companions　properly　on　their　guard
without　letting　them　into　the　secret　of　her　conference　with
June；　and　she　found　herself　compelled　to　act　cautiously
and　with　a　forethought　to　which　she　was　unaccustomed；
more　especially　in　a　matter　of　so　much　moment。

The　soldier's　wife　was　told　to　transport　the　necessaries
into　the　blockhouse；　and　admonished　not　to　be　far　from　it
at　any　time　during　the　day。　　Mabel　did　not　explain　her
reasons。　　She　merely　stated　that　she　had　detected　some
signs　in　walking　about　the　island；　which　induced　her　to
apprehend　that　the　enemy　had　more　knowledge　of　its　po…
sition　than　had　been　previously　believed；　and　that　they
two　at　least；　would　do　well　to　be　in　readiness　to　seek　a
refuge　at　the　shortest　notice。　　It　was　not　difficult　to　arouse
the　apprehension　of　this　person；　who；　though　a　stout…
hearted　Scotchwoman；　was　ready　enough　to　listen　to　any…
thing　that　confirmed　her　dread　of　Indian　cruelties。　　As
soon　as　Mabel　believed　that　her　companion　was　sufficiently
frightened　to　make　her　wary；　she　threw　out　some　hints
touching　the　inexpediency　of　letting　the　soldiers　know　the
extent　of　their　own　fears。　　This　was　done　with　a　view　to
prevent　discussions　and　inquiries　that　might　embarrass
our　heroine：　she　determining　to　render　her　uncle；　the　Cor…
poral；　and　his　men　more　cautious；　by　adopting　a　different
course。　　Unfortunately；　the　British　army　could　not　have
furnished　a　worse　person　for　the　particular　duty　that　he
was　now　required　to　discharge　than　Corporal　M'Nab；　the
individual　who　had　been　left　in　command　during　the　ab…
sence　of　Sergeant　Dunham。　　On　the　one　hand；　he　was　res…
olute；　prompt；　familiar　with　all　the　details　of　a　soldier's
life；　and　used　to　war；　on　the　other；　he　was　supercilious