the pathfinder-第98章

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paused；　with　her　foot　on　the　first　round　of　the　ladder。
Mabel's　heart　beat　so　violently　that　she　was　fearful　its
throbs　would　be　heard；　and　she　fancied　that　some　gleam…
ings　of　her　real　intentions　had　crossed　the　mind　of　her
friend。　　She　was　right　in　part；　the　Indian　woman　having
actually　stopped　to　consider　whether　there　was　any　indis…
cretion　in　what　she　was　about　to　do。　　At　first　the　suspic…
ion　that　Mabel　intended　to　escape　flashed　across　her　mind；
then　she　rejected　it；　on　the　ground　that　the　pale…face　had
no　means　of　getting　off　the　island；　and　that　the　block…
house　was　much　the　most　secure　place　she　could　find。
The　next　thought　was；　that　Mabel　had　detected　some　sign
of　the　near　approach　of　her　father。　　This　idea；　too；　lasted
but　an　instant；　for　June　entertained　some　such　opinion　of
her　companion's　ability　to　understand　symptoms　of　this
sort　　symptoms　that　had　escaped　her　own　sagacity　　as　a
woman　of　high　fashion　entertains　of　the　accomplishments
of　her　maid。　　Nothing　else　in　the　same　way　offering；　she
began　slowly　to　mount　the　ladder。

Just　as　she　reached　the　upper　floor；　a　lucky　thought
suggested　itself　to　our　heroine；　and；　by　expressing　it　in　a
hurried　but　natural　manner；　she　gained　a　great　advantage
in　executing　her　projected　scheme。

〃I　will　go　down；〃　she　said；　〃and　listen　by　the　door；
June；　while　you　are　on　the　roof；　and　we　will　thus　be　on
our　guard；　at　the　same　time；　above　and　below。〃

Though　June　thought　this　savored　of　unnecessary　cau…
tion；　well　knowing　that　no　one　could　enter　the　building
unless　aided　from　within；　nor　any　serious　danger　menace
them　from　the　exterior　without　giving　sufficient　warning；
she　attributed　the　proposition　to　Mabel's　ignorance　and
alarm；　and；　as　it　was　made　apparently　with　frankness；　it
was　received　without　distrust。　　By　these　means　our　hero…
ine　was　enabled　to　descend　to　the　door；　as　her　friend　as…
cended　to　the　roof。　　The　distance　between　the　two　was
now　too　great　to　admit　of　conversation；　and　for　three　or
four　minutes　one　was　occupied　in　looking　about　her　as
well　as　the　darkness　would　allow；　and　the　other　in　listen…
ing　at　the　door　with　as　much　intentness　as　if　all　her　senses
were　absorbed　in　the　single　faculty　of　hearing。

June　discovered　nothing　from　her　elevated　stand；　the
obscurity　indeed　almost　forbade　the　hope　of　such　a　result；
but　it　would　not　be　easy　to　describe　the　sensation　with
which　Mabel　thought　she　perceived　a　slight　and　guarded
push　against　the　door。　　Fearful　that　all　might　not　be　as
she　wished；　and　anxious　to　let　Chingachgook　know　that
she　was　near；　she　began；　though　in　tremulous　and　low
notes；　to　sing。　　So　profound　was　the　stillness　of　the
moment　that　the　sound　of　the　unsteady　warbling　ascended
to　the　roof　and　in　a　minute　June　began　to　descend。　　A
slight　tap　at　the　door　was　heard　immediately　after。　　Mabel
was　bewildered；　for　there　was　no　time　to　lose。　　Hope
proved　stronger　than　fear；　and　with　unsteady　hands　she
commenced　unbarring　the　door。　　The　moccassin　of　June
was　heard　on　the　floor　above　her　when　only　a　single　bar
was　turned。　　The　second　was　released　as　her　form　reached
half…way　down　the　lower　ladder。

〃What　you　do？〃　exclaimed　June　angrily。　　〃Run　away
…　mad　　leave　blockhouse；　blockhouse　good。〃　　The　hands
of　both　were　on　the　last　bar；　and　it　would　have　been
cleared　from　the　fastenings　but　for　a　vigorous　shove　from
without；　which　jammed　the　wood。　　A　short　struggle
ensued；　though　both　were　disinclined　to　violence。　　June
would　probably　have　prevailed；　had　not　another　and　a
more　vigorous　push　from　without　forced　the　bar　past　the
trifling　impediment　that　held　it；　when　the　door　opened。
The　form　of　a　man　was　seen　to　enter；　and　both　the
females　rushed　up　the　ladder；　as　if　equally　afraid　of　the
consequences。　　The　stranger　secured　the　door；　and；　first
examining　the　lower　room　with　great　care；　he　cautiously
ascended　the　ladder。　　June；　as　soon　as　it　became　dark；
had　closed　the　loops　of　the　principal　floor；　and　lighted　a
candle。　　By　means　of　this　dim　taper；　then；　the　two
females　stood　in　expectation；　waiting　to　ascertain　the　per…
son　of　their　visitor；　whose　wary　ascent　of　the　ladder　was
distinctly　audible；　though　sufficiently　deliberate。　　It　would
not　be　easy　to　say　which　was　the　more　astonished　on　find…
ing；　when　the　stranger　had　got　through　the　trap；　that
Pathfinder　stood　before　them。

〃God　be　praised！〃　Mabel　exclaimed；　for　the　idea　that
the　blockhouse　would　be　impregnable　with　such　a　garrison
at　once　crossed　her　mind。　　〃O　Pathfinder！　what　has　be…
come　of　my　father？〃

〃The　Sergeant　is　safe　as　yet；　and　victorious；　though　it
is　not　in　the　gift　of　man　to　say　what　will　be　the　ind　of　it。
Is　not　that　the　wife　of　Arrowhead　skulking　in　the　corner
there？〃

〃Speak　not　of　her　reproachfully；　Pathfinder；　I　owe　her
my　life；　my　present　security。　　Tell　me　what　has　happened
to　my　father's　party　　why　you　are　here；　and　I　will　relate
all　the　horrible　events　that　have　passed　upon　this　island。〃

〃Few　words　will　do　the　last；　Mabel；　for　one　used　to
Indian　devilries　needs　but　little　explanations　on　such　a
subject。　　Everything　turned　out　as　we　had　hoped　with
the　expedition；　for　the　Sarpent　was　on　the　look…out；　and
he　met　us　with　all　the　information　heart　could　desire。
We　ambushed　three　boats；　druv'　the　Frenchers　out　of
them；　got　possession　and　sunk　them；　according　to　orders；
in　the　deepest　part　of　the　channel；　and　the　savages　of
Upper　Canada　will　fare　badly　for　Indian　goods　this　win…
ter。　　Both　powder　and　ball；　too；　will　be　scarcer　among
them　than　keen　hunters　and　active　warriors　may　relish。
We　did　not　lose　a　man　or　have　even　a　skin　barked；　nor　do
I　think　the　inimy　suffered　to　speak　of。　　In　short；　Mabel；
it　has　been　just　such　an　expedition　as　Lundie　likes；　much
harm　to　the　foe；　and　little　harm　to　ourselves。〃

〃Ah；　Pathfinder；　I　fear；　when　Major　Duncan　comes　to
hear　the　whole　of　the　sad　tale；　he　will　find　reason　to　regret
he　ever　undertook　the　affair。〃

〃I　know　what　you　mean；　I　know　what　you　mean；　but
by　telling　my　story　straight　you　will　understand　it　better。
As　soon　as　the　Sergeant　found　himself　successful；　he　sent
me　and　the　Sarpent　off　in　canoes　to　tell　you　how　matters
had　turned　out；　and　he　is　following　with　the　two　boats；
which；　being　so　much　heavier；　cannot　arrive　before　morn…
ing。　　I　parted　from　Chingachgook　this　forenoon；　it　being
agreed　that　he　should　come　up　one　set　of　channels；　and　I
another；　to　see　that　the　path　was　clear。　　I've　not　seen　the
chief　since。〃

Mabel　now　explained　the　manner　in　which　she　had　dis…
covered　the　Mohican；　and　her　expectation　that　he　would
yet　come　to　the　blockhouse。

〃Not　he；　not　he！　　A　regular　scout　will　never　get　behind
walls　or　logs　so　long　as　he　can　keep　the　open　air　and　find
useful　employment。　　I　should　not　have　come　myself；
Mabel；　but　I　promised　the　Sergeant　to　comfort　you　and　to
look　after　your　safety。　　Ah's　me！　　I　reconnoitred　the
island　with　a　heavy　heart　this　forenoon；　and　there　was　a
bitter　hour　when　I　fancied　you　might　be　among　the　slain。〃

〃By　what　lucky　accident　were　you　prevented　from　pad…
dling　up　boldly　to　the　island　and　from　falling　into　the
hands　of　the　enemy？〃

〃By　such　an　accident；　Mabel；　as　Providence　employs　to
tell　the　hound　where　to　find　the　deer　and　the　deer　how　to
throw　off　the　hound。　　No；　no！　these　artifices　and　devil…
ries　with　dead　bodies　may　deceive　the　soldiers　of　the　55th
and　the　king's　officers；　but　they　are　all　lost　upon　men
who　have　passed　their　days　in　the　forest。　　I　came　down
the　channel　in　face　of　the　pretended　fisherman；　and；
though　the　riptyles　have　set　up　the　poor　wretch　with　art；
it　was　not　ingenious　enough　to　take　in　a　practysed　eye。
The　rod　was　held　too　high；　for　the　55th　have　learned　to
fish　at　Oswego；　if　they　never　knew　how　before；　and　then
the　man　was　too　quiet　for　one　who　got　neither　prey　nor
bite。　　But　we　never　come　in　upon　a　post　blindly；　and　I
have　lain　outside　a　garrison　a　whole　night；　because　they
had　changed　their　sentries　and　their　mode　of　standing
guard。　　Neither　the　Sarpent　nor　myself　would　be　likely　to
be　taken　in　by　these　clumsy　contrivances；　which　were　most
probably　intended　for　the　Scotch；　who　are　cunning　enough
in　some　particulars；　though　anything　bu