the pathfinder-第94章

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into　one　of　melancholy　compassion。

〃Lily；　Yengeese　girl？〃　she　said；　as　one　asks　a　question。

〃Certainly；　and　as　a　Yengeese　girl　I　would　save　my
countrymen　from　slaughter。〃

〃Very　good；　if　can。　　June　no　Yengeese；　June　Tusca…
rora　　got　Tuscarora　husband　　Tuscarora　heart　　Tuscarora
feeling　　all　over　Tuscarora。　　Lily　wouldn't　run　and　tell
French　that　her　fader　was　coming　to　gain　victory？〃

〃Perhaps　not；〃　returned　Mabel；　pressing　a　hand　on　a
brain　that　felt　bewildered；　　〃perhaps　not；　but　you　serve
me；　aid　me　　have　saved　me；　June！　　Why　have　you　done
this；　if　you　only　feel　as　a　Tuscarora？〃

〃Don't　only　feel　as　Tuscarora；　feel　as　girl；　feel　as　squaw。
Love　pretty　Lily；　and　put　it　in　my　bosom。〃

Mabel　melted　into　tears；　and　she　pressed　the　affectionate
creature　to　her　heart。　　It　was　near　a　minute　before　she
could　renew　the　discourse；　but　then　she　succeeded　in
speaking　more　calmly　and　with　greater　coherence。

〃Let　me　know　the　worst；　June；〃　said　she。　　〃To…night
your　people　are　feasting；　what　do　they　intend　to　do　to…
morrow？〃

〃Don't　know；　afraid　to　see　Arrowhead；　afraid　to　ask
question；　t'ink　hide　away　till　Yengeese　come　back。〃

〃Will　they　not　attempt　anything　against　the　block…
house？　　You　have　seen　what　they　can　threaten　if　they
will。〃

〃Too　much　rum。　　Arrowhead　sleep；　or　no　dare；　French
captain　gone　away；　or　no　dare。　　All　go　to　sleep　now。〃

〃And　you　think　I　am　safe　for　this　night；　at　least？〃

〃Too　much　rum。　　If　Lily　like　June；　might　do　much
for　her　people。〃

〃I　am　like　you；　June；　if　a　wish　to　serve　my　countrymen
can　make　a　resemblance　with　one　as　courageous　as　your…
self。〃

〃No；　no；　no！〃　muttered　June　in　a　low　voice；　〃no　got
heart；　and　June　no　let　you；　if　had。　　June's　moder　pris…
oner　once；　and　warriors　got　drunk；　moder　tomahawked
'em　all。　　Such　de　way　red　skin　women　do　when　people　in
danger　and　want　scalp。〃

〃You　say　what　is　true；〃　returned　Mabel；　shuddering；
and　unconsciously　dropping　June's　hand。　　〃I　cannot　do
that。　　I　have　neither　the　strength；　the　courage；　nor　the
will　to　dip　my　hands　in　blood。〃

〃T'ink　that　too；　then　stay　where　you　be　　blockhouse
good　　got　no　scalp。〃

〃You　believe；　then；　that　I　am　safe　here；　at　least　until
my　father　and　his　people　return？〃

〃Know　so。　　No　dare　touch　blockhouse　in　morning。
Hark！　all　still　now　　drink　rum　till　head　fall　down；　and
sleep　like　log。〃

〃Might　I　not　escape？　　Are　there　not　several　canoes　on
the　island？　　Might　I　not　get　one；　and　go　and　give　my
father　notice　of　what　has　happened？〃

〃Know　how　to　paddle？〃　demanded　June；　glancing　her
eye　furtively　at　her　companion。

〃Not　so　well　as　yourself；　perhaps；　but　enough　to　get
out　of　sight　before　morning。〃

〃What　do　then？　　couldn't　paddle　six　　ten　　eight
mile！〃

〃I　do　not　know；　I　would　do　much　to　warn　my　father；
and　the　excellent　Pathfinder；　and　all　the　rest；　of　the　dan…
ger　they　are　in。〃

〃Like　Pathfinder？〃

〃All　like　him　who　know　him　　you　would　like　him；　nay；
love　him；　if　you　only　knew　his　heart！〃

〃No　like　him　at　all。　　Too　good　rifle　　too　good　eye　
too　much　shoot　Iroquois　and　June's　people。　　Must　get　his
scalp　if　can。〃

〃And　I　must　save　it　if　I　can；　June。　　In　this　respect；
then；　we　are　opposed　to　each　other。　　I　will　go　and　find　a
canoe　the　instant　they　are　all　asleep；　and　quit　the　island。〃

〃No　can　　June　won't　let　you。　　Call　Arrowhead。〃

〃June！　you　would　not　betray　me　　you　could　not　give
me　up　after　all　you　have　done　for　me？〃

〃Just　so；〃　returned　June；　making　a　backward　gesture
with　her　hand；　and　speaking　with　a　warmth　and　earnest…
ness　Mabel　had　never　witnessed　in　her　before。　　〃Call
Arrowhead　in　loud　voice。　　One　call　from　wife　wake　a　war…
rior　up。　　June　no　let　Lily　help　enemy　　no　let　Indian　hurt
Lily。〃

〃I　understand　you；　June；　and　feel　the　nature　and　jus…
tice　of　your　sentiments；　and；　after　all；　it　were　better　that
I　should　remain　here；　for　I　have　most　probably　overrated
my　strength。　　But　tell　me　one　thing：　if　my　uncle　comes
in　the　night；　and　asks　to　be　admitted；　you　will　let　me　open
the　door　of　the　blockhouse　that　he　may　enter？〃

〃Sartain　　he　prisoner　here；　and　June　like　prisoner　bet…
ter　than　scalp；　scalp　good　for　honor；　prisoner　good　for
feeling。　　But　Saltwater　hide　so　close；　he　don't　know　where
he　be　himself。〃

Here　June　laughed　in　her　girlish；　mirthful　way；　for　to
her　scenes　of　violence　were　too　familiar　to　leave　impres…
sions　sufficiently　deep　to　change　her　natural　character。　　A
long　and　discursive　dialogue　now　followed；　in　which　Mabel
endeavored　to　obtain　clearer　notions　of　her　actual　situa…
tion；　under　a　faint　hope　that　she　might　possibly　be　enabled
to　turn　some　of　the　facts　she　thus　learned　to　advantage。
June　answered　all　her　interrogatories　simply；　but　with　a
caution　which　showed　she　fully　distinguished　between
that　which　was　immaterial　and　that　which　might　endanger
the　safety　or　embarrass　the　future　operations　of　her
friends。　　The　substance　of　the　information　she　gave　may
be　summed　up　as　follows。

Arrowhead　had　long　been　in　communication　with　the
French；　though　this　was　the　first　occasion　on　which　he
had　entirely　thrown　aside　the　mask。　　He　no　longer　in…
tended　to　trust　himself　among　the　English；　for　he　had
discovered　traces　of　distrust；　particularly　in　Pathfinder；
and；　with　Indian　bravado；　he　now　rather　wished　to　blazon
than　to　conceal　his　treachery。　　He　had　led　the　party　of
warriors　in　the　attack　on　the　island；　subject；　however；　to
the　supervision　of　the　Frenchman　who　has　been　men…
tioned；　though　June　declined　saying　whether　he　had　been
the　means　of　discovering　the　position　of　a　place　which　had
been　thought　to　be　so　concealed　from　the　enemy　or　not。
On　this　point　she　would　say　nothing；　but　she　admitted
that　she　and　her　husband　had　been　watching　the　depar…
ture　of　the　_Scud_　at　the　time　they　were　overtaken　and　cap…
tured　by　the　cutter。　　The　French　had　obtained　their　in…
formation　of　the　precise　position　of　the　station　but　very
recently；　and　Mabel　felt　a　pang　when　she　thought　that
there　were　covert　allusions　of　the　Indian　woman　which
would　convey　the　meaning　that　the　intelligence　had　come
from　a　pale…face　in　the　employment　of　Duncan　of　Lundie。
This　was　intimated；　however；　rather　than　said；　and　when
Mabel　had　time　to　reflect　on　her　companion's　words；　she
found　room　to　hope　that　she　had　misunderstood　her；　and
that　Jasper　Western　would　yet　come　out　of　the　affair　freed
from　every　injurious　imputation。

June　did　not　hesitate　to　confess　that　she　had　been　sent
to　the　island　to　ascertain　the　precise　number　and　the　oc…
cupations　of　those　who　had　been　left　on　it；　though　she　also
betrayed　in　her　_naive_　way　that　the　wish　to　serve　Mabel
had　induced　her　principally　to　consent　to　come。　　In　con…
sequence　of　her　report；　and　information　otherwise　ob…
tained；　the　enemy　was　aware　of　precisely　the　force　that
could　be　brought　against　them。　　They　also　knew　the
number　of　men　who　had　gone　with　Sergeant　Dunham；　and
were　acquainted　with　the　object　he　had　in　view；　though
they　were　ignorant　of　the　spot　where　he　expected　to　meet
the　French　boats。　　It　would　have　been　a　pleasant　sight　to
witness　the　eager　desire　of　each　of　these　two　sincere
females　to　ascertain　all　that　might　be　of　consequence　to
their　respective　friends；　and　yet　the　native　delicacy　with
which　each　refrained　from　pressing　the　other　to　make
revelations　which　would　have　been　improper；　as　well　as
the　sensitive；　almost　intuitive；　feeling　with　which　each
avoided　saying　aught　that　might　prove　injurious　to　her
own　nation。　　As　respects　each　other；　there　was　perfect
confidence；　as　regarded　their　respective　people；　entire
fidelity。　　June　was　quite　as　anxious　as　Mabel　could　be　on
any　other　point　to　know　where　the　Sergeant　had　gone
and　when　he　was　expected　to　return；　but　she　abstained
from　putting　the　question；　with　a　delicacy　that　would　have
done　honor　to　the　highest　civilization；　nor　did　she　once
frame　any　other　inquiry　in　a　way　to　lead　indirectly　to　a
betrayal　of　the　much…desired　information　on　that　particu…
lar　point：　though　when　Mabel　of　her　own　accord　touched
on　any　matter　that　might　by　possibility　throw　a　light　on
the　subject；　she　listened　with　an　intentness　which　almost
suspended　respiration。

In　this　manner　the　hours　pas