Come,come,Pathfinder,thispalaverisworsethanbeingskinnedfromstemtostem。wehavebutafewhoursofsun,andhadbetterbedriftingdownthissaidcurrentofyourswhilewemay。Magnetdear,areyounotreadytogetunderway?
Magnetstarted,blushedbrightly,andmadeherprep-
arationsforimmediatedeparture。Notasyllableofthediscoursejustrelatedhadsheheard。forEau-douce,asyoungJasperwasoftenercalledthananythingelse,hadbeenfillingherearswithadescriptionoftheyetdistantparttowardswhichshewasjourneying,withaccountsofherfather,whomshehadnotseensinceachild,andwiththemanneroflifeofthosewholivedinthefrontiergar-
risons。Unconsciouslyshehadbecomedeeplyinterested,andherthoughtshadbeentoointentlydirectedtothesematterstoallowanyofthelessagreeablesubjectsdis-
cussedbythosesoneartoreachherears。Thebustleofdepartureputanendtotheconversation,and,thebag-
gageofthescoutsorguidesbeingtrifling,inafewminutesthewholepartywasreadytoproceed。Astheywereabouttoquitthespot,however,tothesurpriseofevenhisfellow-guides,Pathfindercollectedaquantityofbranchesandthrewthemupontheembersofthefire,takingcareeventoseethatsomeofthewoodwasdamp,inordertoraiseasdarkanddenseasmokeaspossible。
Whenyoucanhideyourtrail,Jasper,saidhe,asmokeatleavinganencampmentmaydogoodinsteadofharm。IfthereareadozenMingoswithintenmilesofus,someon’emareontheheights,orinthetrees,look-
ingoutforsmokes。letthemseethis,andmuchgoodmayitdothem。Theyarewelcometoourleavings。
Butmaytheynotstrikeandfollowonourtrail?
askedtheyouth,whoseinterestinthehazardofhissitua-
tionhadmuchincreasedsincethemeetingwithMagnet。
Weshallleaveabroadpathtotheriver。
Thebroaderthebetter。whenthere,itwillsurpassMingocunning,even,tosaywhichwaythecanoehasgone-upstreamordown。Wateristheonlythinginnatur’
thatwillthoroughlywashoutatrail,andevenwaterwillnotalwaysdoitwhenthescentisstrong。Doyounotsee,Eau-douce,thatifanyMingoshaveseenourpathbelowthefalls,theywillstrikeofftowardsthissmoke,andthattheywillnaturallyconcludethattheywhobeganbygoingupstreamwillendbygoingupstream。Iftheyknowanything,theynowknowapartyisoutfromthefort,anditwillexceedevenMingowittofancythatwehavecomeupherejustforthepleasureofgoingbackagain,andthat,too,thesameday,andattheriskofourscalps。
Certainly,addedJasper,whowastalkingapartwiththePathfinder,astheymovedtowardsthewind-row,theycannotknowanythingabouttheSergeant’sdaugh-
ter,forthegreatestsecrecyhasbeenobservedonherac-
count。
Andtheywilllearnnothinghere,returnedPath-
finder,causinghiscompaniontoseethathetrodwiththeutmostcareontheimpressionleftontheleavesbythelittlefootofMabel。unlessthisoldsalt-waterfishhasbeentakinghisnieceaboutinthewind-row,likeafa’nplayingbythesideoftheolddoe。
Buck,youmean,Pathfinder。
Isn’theaqueerity?NowIcanconsortwithsuchasailorasyourself,Eau-douce,andfindnothingverycon-
traryinourgifts,thoughyoursbelongtothelakesandminetothewoods。Hark’e,Jasper,continuedthescout,laughinginhisnoiselessmanner。supposewetrythetemperofhisbladeandrunhimoverthefalls?
Andwhatwouldbedonewiththeprettynieceinthemeanwhile?
Nay,nay,noharmshallcometoher。shemustwalkroundtheportage,atanyrate。butyouandIcantrythisAtlanticoceaner,andthenallpartieswillbecomebetteracquainted。Weshallfindoutwhetherhisflintwillstrikefire。andhemaycometoknowsomethingoffrontiertricks。
YoungJaspersmiled,forhewasnotaversetofun,andhadbeenalittletouchedbyCap’ssuperciliousness。butMabel’sfairface,light,agileform,andwinningsmiles,stoodlikeashieldbetweenheruncleandtheintendedexperiment。
PerhapstheSergeant’sdaughterwillbefrightened,
saidhe。
Notshe,ifshehasanyoftheSergeant’sspiritinher。
Shedoesn’tlooklikeaskearything,atall。Leaveittome,then,Eau-douce,andIwillmanagetheaffairalone。
Notyou,Pathfinder。youwouldonlydrownboth。Ifthecanoegoesover,Imustgoinit。
Well,haveitso,then:shallwesmokethepipeofagreementonthebargain?
Jasperlaughed,noddedhisheadbywayofconsent,andthenthesubjectwasdropped,asthepartyhadreachedthecanoesooftenmentioned,andfewerwordshadde-
terminedmuchgreaterthingsbetweentheparties。
CHAPTERIII。
Beforethesefieldswereshornandtill’d,Fulltothebrimourriversflow’d。
Themelodyofwatersfill’dThefreshandboundlesswood。
Andtorrentsdash’d,andrivuletsplay’d,Andfountainsspoutedintheshade。
BRYANT。
ItisgenerallyknownthatthewaterswhichflowintothesouthernsideofOntarioare,ingeneral,narrow,slug-
gish,anddeep。Therearesomeexceptionstothisrule,formanyoftherivershaverapids,or,astheyaretermedinthelanguageoftheregion,rifts,andsomehavefalls。
Amongthelatterwastheparticularstreamonwhichouradventurerswerenowjourneying。TheOswegoisformedbythejunctionoftheOneidaandtheOnondaga,bothofwbichflowfromlakes。anditpursuesitsway,throughagentlyundulatingcountry,someeightortenmiles,untilitreachesthemarginofasortofnaturalterrace,downwhichittumblessometenorfifteenfeet,toanotherlevel,acrosswhichitglideswiththesilent,stealthyprogressofdeepwater,untilitthrowsitstributeintothebroadre-
ceptacleoftheOntario。ThecanoeinwhichCapandhispartyhadtravelledfromFortStanwix,thelastmilitarystationoftheMohawk,laybythesideofthisriver,andintoitthewholepartynowentered,withtheexceptionofPathfinder,whoremainedontheland,inordertoshovethelightvesseloff。
Letherstarndriftdownstream,Jasper,saidthemanofthewoodstotheyoungmarinerofthelake,whohaddispossessedArrowheadofhispaddleandtakenhisownstationassteersman。letitgodownwiththecur-
rent。Shouldanyoftheseinfarnals,theMingos,strikeourtrail,orfollowittothispointtheywillnotfailtolookforthesignsinthemud。andiftheydiscoverthatwehavelefttheshorewiththenoseofthecanoeupstream,itisanaturalbelieftothinkwewentupstream。
Thisdirectionwasfollowed。and,givingavigorousshove,thePathfinder,whowasintheflowerofhisstrengthandactivity,madealeap,landinglightly,andwithoutdisturbingitsequilibrium,inthebowofthecanoe。Assoonasithadreachedthecentreoftheriverorthestrengthofthecurrent,theboatwasturned,anditbegantoglidenoiselesslydownthestream。
ThevesselinwhichCapandhisniecehadembarkedfortheirlongandadventurousjourneywasoneofthecanoesofbarkwhichtheIndiansareinthehabitofconstructing,andwhich,bytheirexceedinglightnessandtheeasewithwhichtheyarepropelled,areadmirablyadaptedtoanavigationinwhichshoals,flood-wood,andothersimilarobstructionssooftenoccur。Thetwomenwhocomposeditsoriginalcrewhadseveraltimescarriedit,whenemptiedofitsluggage,manyhundredyards。anditwouldnothaveexceededthestrengthofasinglemantoliftitsweight。
Stillitwaslong,and,foracanoe,wide。awantofsteadi-
nessbeingitsprincipaldefectintheeyesoftheunin-
itiated。Afewhourspractice,however,inagreatmeasureremediedthisevil,andbothMabelandherunclehadlearnedsofartohumoritsmovements,thattheynowmaintainedtheirplaceswithperfectcomposure。nordidtheadditionalweightofthethreeguidestaxitspowerinanyparticulardegree,thebreathoftheroundedbottomallowingthenecessaryquantityofwatertobedisplacedwithoutbringingthegunwaleverysensiblynearertothesurfaceofthestream。Itsworkmanshipwasneat。thetimbersweresmall,andsecuredbythongs。andthewholefabric,thoughitwassoslighttotheeye,wasprobablycapableofconveyingdoublethenumberofpersonswhichitnowcontained。
Capwasseatedonalowthwart,inthecentreofthecanoe。theBigSerpentkneltnearhim。Arrowheadandhiswifeoccupiedplacesforwardofboth,theformerhav-
ingrelinquishedhispostaft。Mabelwashalfrecliningbehindheruncle,whilethePathfinderandEau-doucestooderect,theoneinthebow,andtheotherinthestern,eachusingapaddle,withalong,steady,noiselesssweep。
Theconversationwascarriedoninlowtones,allthepartybeginningtofeelthenecessityofprudence,astheydrewnearertotheoutskirtsofthefort,andhadnolongerthecoverofthewoods。
TheOswego,justatthatplace,wasadeepdarkstreamofnogreatwidth,itsstill,gloomy-lookingcurrentwind-
ingitswayamongoverhangingtrees,which,inparticularspots,almostshutoutthelightoftheheavens。Hereandtheresomehalf-fallengiantoftheforestlaynearlyacrossitssurface,renderingcarenecessarytoavoidthelimbs。
andmostofthedistance,thelowerbranchesandleavesofthetreesofsmallergrowthwerelavedbyitswaters。Thepicturesobeautifullydescribedbyourownadmirablepoet,andwhichwehaveplacedattheheadofthischapter,washererealized。theearthfattenedbythedecayedvegetationofcenturies,andblackwithloam,thestreamthatfilledthebanksnearlytooverflowing,andthefreshandboundlesswood,beingallasvisibletotheeyeasthepenofBryanthaselsewherevividlypresentedthemtotheimagination。Inshort,theentirescenewasoneofarichandbenevolentnature,beforeithadbeensubjectedtotheusesanddesiresofman。luxuriant,wild,fullofpromiSe,andnotwithoutthecharmofthepicturesque,eveninitsrudeststate。Itwillberememberedthatthiswasintheyear175-,orlongbeforeevenspeculationhadbroughtanyportionofwesternNewYorkwithintheboundsofcivili-
zation。Atthatdistantdaythereweretwogreatchannelsofmilitarycommunicationbetweentheinhabitedpor-
tionofthecolonyofNewYorkandthefrontierswhichlayadjacenttotheCanadas,——thatbyLakesChamplainandGeorge,andthatbymeansoftheMohawk,WoodCreek,theOneida,andtheriverswehavebeendescrib-
ing。Alongboththeselinesofcommunicationmilitarypostshadbeenestablished,thoughthereexistedablankspaceofahundredmilesbetweenthelastfortattheheadoftheMohawkandtheoutletoftheOswego,whichem-
bracedmostofthedistancethatCapandMabelhadjour-
neyedundertheprotectionofArrowhead。
Isometimeswishforpeaceagain,saidthePathfinder,whenonecanrangetheforestwithoutsearchingforanyotherenemythanthebeastsandfishes。Ah’sme!manyisthedaythattheSarpent,there,andIhavepassedhap-
pilyamongthestreams,livingonvenison,salmon,andtroutwithoutthoughtofaMingoorascalp!Isome-
timeswishthatthemblesseddaysmightcomeback,foritisnotmyrealgifttoslaymyownkind。I’msartaintheSergeant’sdaughterdon’tthinkmeawretchthattakespleasureinpreyingonhumannatur’?
Asthisremark,asortofhalfinterrogatory,wasmade,Pathfinderlookedbehindhim。and,thoughthemostpartialfriendcouldscarcelytermhissunburntandhardfeatureshandsome,evenMabelthoughthissmileattrac-
tive,byitssimpleingenuousnessandtheuprightnessthatbeamedineverylineamentofhishonestcountenance。
Idonotthinkmyfatherwouldhavesentonelikethoseyoumentiontoseehisdaughterthroughthewilder-
ness,theyoungwomananswered,returningthesmileasfranklyasitwasgiven,butmuchmoresweetly。
Thathewouldn’t。theSergeantisamanoffeeling,andmanyisthemarchandthefightthatwehavehad——stoodshouldertoshoulderin,as_he_wouldcallit——thoughIalwayskeepmylimbsfreewhennearaFrencheroraMingo。
Youare,then,theyoungfriendofwhommyfatherhasspokensoofteninhisletters?
His_young_friend——theSergeanthastheadvantageofmebythirtyyears。yes,heisthirtyyearsmysenior,andasmanymybetter。
Notintheeyesofthedaughter,perhaps,friendPath-
finder。putinCap,whosespiritsbegantorevivewhenhefoundthewateroncemoreflowingaroundhim。Thethirtyyearsthatyoumentionarenotoftenthoughttobeanadvantageintheeyesofgirlsofnineteen。
Mabelcolored。and,inturningasideherfacetoavoidthelooksofthoseinthebowofthecanoe,sheencounteredtheadmiringgazeoftheyoungmaninthestern。Asalastresource,herspiritedbutsoftblueeyessoughtrefugeinthewater。Justatthismomentadull,heavysoundsweptuptheavenueformedbythetrees,bornealongbyalightairthathardlyproducedarippleonthewater。
Thatsoundspleasantly,saidCap,prickinguphisearslikeadogthathearsadistantbaying。itisthesurfontheshoresofyourlake,Isuppose?
Notso——notso,answeredthePathfinder。itismerelythisrivertumblingoversomerockshalfamilebelowus。
Isthereafallinthestream?demandedMabel,astillbrighterflushglowinginherface。
Thedevil!MasterPathfinder,oryou,Mr。Eau-douce
forsoCapbegantostyleJasper,hadyounotbettergivethecanoeasheer,andgetnearertotheshore?Thesewaterfallshavegenerallyrapidsabovethem,andonemightaswellgetintotheMaelstromatonceastorunintotheirsuction。
Trusttous,friendCap,answeredPathfinder。wearebutfresh-watersailors,itistrue,andIcannotboastofbeingmuchevenofthat。butweunderstandriftsandrapidsandcataracts。andingoingdowntheseweshalldoourendeavorsnottodisgraceouredication。
Ingoingdown!exclaimedCap。Thedevil,man!
youdonotdreamofgoingdownawaterfallinthiseggshellofbark!
Sartain。thepathliesoverthefalls,anditismucheasiertoshootthemthantounloadthecanoeandtocarrythatandallitcontainsaroundaportageofamilebyhand。
Mabelturnedherpallidcountenancetowardstheyoungmaninthesternofthecanoe。for,justatthatmoment,afreshroarofthefallwasbornetoherearsbyanewcurrentoftheair,anditreallysoundedterrific,nowtlnatthecausewasunderstood。
Wethoughtthat,bylandingthefemalesandthetwoIndians,Jasperquietlyobserved,wethreewhitemen,allofwhomareusedtothewater,mightcarrythecanoeoverinsafety,forweoftenshootthesefalls。
Andwecountedonyou,friendmariner,asamain-
stay,saidPathfinder,winkingtoJasperoverhisshoulder。
foryouareaccustomedtoseewavestumblingabout。andwithoutsomeonetosteadythecargo,allthefineryoftheSergeant’sdaughtermightbewashedintotheriverandbelost。
Capwaspuzzled。Theideaofgoingoverawaterfallwas,perhaps,moreseriousinhiseyesthanitwouldhavebeeninthoseofonetotallyignorantofallthatpertainedtoboats。forheunderstoodthepoweroftheelement,andthetotalfeeblenessofmanwhenexposedtoitsfury。Stillhispriderevoltedatthethoughtofdesertingtheboat,whileothersnotonlysteadily,butcoolly,proposedtocon-
tinueinit。Notwithstandingthelatterfeeling,andhisinnateaswellasacquiredsteadinessindanger,hewouldprobablyhavedesertedhispost。hadnottheimagesofIndianstearingscalpsfromthehumanheadtakensostrongholdofhisfancyastoinducehimtoimaginethecanoeasortofsanctuary。
WhatistobedonewithMagnet?hedemanded,af-
fectionforhisnieceraisinganotherqualminhiscon-
science。WecannotallowMagnettolandifthereareenemy’sIndiansnear?
Nay,noMingowillbeneartheportage,forthatisaspottoopublicfortheirdevilries,answeredthePath-
finderconfidently。Natur’isnatur’,anditisanIndian’snatur’tobefoundwhereheisleastexpected。Nofearofhimonabeatenpath。forhewishestocomeuponyouwhenunpreparedtomeethim,andthefieryvillainsmakeitapointtodeceiveyou,onewayoranother。Sheerin,Eau-douce,andwewilllandtheSergeant’sdaughterontheendofthatlog,whereshecanreachtheshorewithadryfoot。
Theinjunctionwasobeyed,andinafewminutesthewholepartyhadleftthecanoe,withtheexceptionofPathfinderandthetwosailors。Notwithstandinghispro-
fessionalpride,Capwouldhavegladlyfollowed。buthedidnotliketoexhibitsounequivocalaweaknessinthepresenceofafresh-watersailor。
Icallallhandstowitness,saidhe,asthosewhohadlandedmovedaway,thatIdonotlookonthisaffairasanythingmorethancanoeinginthewoods。Thereisnoseamanshipintumblingoverawaterfall,whichisafeatthegreatestlubbercanperformaswellastheoldestmariner。
Nay,nay,youneedn’tdespisetheOswegoFalls,neither,putinPathfinder。for,thoughttheymaynotbeNiagara,northeGenessee,northeCahoos,norGlenn’s,northoseontheCanada,theyarenarvousenoughforanewbeginner。LettheSergeant’sdaughterstandonyonderrock,andshewillseethemannerinwhichweig-
norantbackwoodsmengetoveradifficultythatwecan’tgetunder。Now,Eau-douce,asteadyhandandatrueeye,forallrestsonyou,seeingthatwecancountMasterCapfornomorethanapassenger。
Thecanoewasleavingtheshoreasheconcluded,whileMabelwenthurriedlyandtremblingtotherockthathadbeenpointedout,talkingtohercompanionofthedangerherunclesounnecessarilyran,whilehereyeswererivetedontheagileandvigorousformofEau-douce,ashestooderectinthesternofthelightboat,governingitsmove-
ments。Assoon,however,asshereachedapointwhereshegotaviewofthefall,shegaveaninvoluntarybutsuppressedscream,andcoveredhereyes。Atthenextinstant,thelatterwereagainfree,andtheentrancedgirlstoodimmovableasastatue,ascarcelybreathingobserverofallthatpassed。ThetwoIndiansseatedthemselvespassivelyonalog,hardlylookingtowardsthestream,whilethewifeofArrowheadcamenearMabel,andap-
rearedtowatchthemotionsofthecanoewithsomesuchinterestasachildregardstheleapsofatumbler。
Assoonastheboatwasinthestream,Pathfindersankonhisknees,continuingtousethepaddle,thoughitwasslowly,andinamannernottointerferewiththeeffortsofhiscompanion。Thelatterstillstooderect。and,ashekepthiseyeonsomeobjectbeyondthefall,itwasevi-
dentthathewascarefullylookingforthespotproperfortheirpassage。
Fartherwest,boy。fartherwest,mutteredPathfinder。
therewhereyouseethewaterfoam。Bringthetopofthedeadoakinalinewiththestemoftheblastedhem-
lock。
Eau-doucemadenoanswer。forthecanoewasinthecentreofthestream,withitsheadpointedtowardsthefall,andithadalreadybeguntoquickenitsmotionbytheincreasedforceofthecurrent。AtthatmomentCapwouldcheerfullyhaverenouncedeveryclaimtoglorythatcouldpossiblybeacquiredbythefeat,tohavebeensafeagainonshore。Heheardtheroarofthewater,thunder-
ing,asitmightbe,behindascreen,butbecomingmoreandmoredistinct,louderandlouder,andbeforehimhesawitslinecuttingtheforestbelow,alongwhichthegreenandangryelementseemedstretchedandshining,asiftheparticleswereabouttolosetheirprincipleofcohe-
sion。
Downwithyourhelm,downwithyourhelm,man!
heexclaimed,unableanylongertosuppresshisanxiety,asthecanoeglidedtowardstheedgeofthefall。
Ay,ay,downitissureenough,answeredPathfinder,lookingbehindhimforasingleinstant,withhissilent,joyouslaugh,——downwego,ofasartinty!Heaveherstarnup,boy。fartherupwithherstarn!
Therestwaslikethepassageoftheviewlesswind。Eau-
doucegavetherequiredsweepwithhispaddle,thecanoeglancedintothechannel,andforafewsecondsitseemedtoCapthathewastossinginacaldron。Hefeltthebowofthecanoetip,sawtheraging,foamingwatercareeringmadlybyhisside,wassensiblethatthelightfabricinwhichhefloatedwastossedaboutlikeanegg-shell,andthen,notlesstohisgreatjoythantohissurprise,hedis-
coveredthatitwasglidingacrossthebasinofstillwaterbelowthefall,underthesteadyimpulseofJasper’spaddle。
ThePathfindercontinuedtolaugh。buthearosefromhisknees,and,searchingforatinpotandahornspoon,hebegandeliberatelytomeasurethewaterthathadbeentakeninthepassage。
Fourteenspoonfuls,Eau-douce。fourteenfairlymeas-
uredspoonfuls。Ihave,youmustacknowledge,knownyoutogodownwithonlyten。
MasterCapleanedsohardupstream,returnedJasperseriously,thatIhaddifficultyintrimmingthecanoe。
Itmaybeso。nodoubtit_was_so,sinceyousayit。butIhaveknownyougooverwithonlyten。
Capnowgaveatremendoushem,feltforhisqueueasiftoascertainitssafety,andthenlookedbackinordertoexaminethedangerhehadgonethrough。Hissafetyiseasilyexplained。Mostoftheriverfellperpendicularlytenortwelvefeet。butnearitscentretheforceofthecurrenthadsofarwornawaytherockastopermitthewatertoshootthroughanarrowpassage,atanangleofaboutfortyorfortyfivedegrees。Downthisticklishde-
scentthecanoehadglanced,amidfragmentsofbrokenrock,whirlpools,foam,andfurioustossingsoftheele-
ment,whichanuninstructedeyewouldbelievemenacedinevitabledestructiontoanobjectsofragile。Buttheverylightnessofthecanoehadfavoreditsdescent。for,borneonthecrestofthewaves,anddirectedbyasteadyeyeandanarmfullofmuscle,ithadpassedlikeafeatherfromonepileoffoamtoanother,scarcelypermittingitsglossysidetobewetted。Therewereafewrockstobeavoided,theproperdirectionwastoberigidlyobserved,andthefiercecurrentdidtherest。1
1Lestthereadersupposewearedealingpurelyinfiction,thewriterwilladdthathehasknownalongthirty-twopoundercar-
riedoverthesesamefallsinperfectsafety。
TosaythatCapwasastonishedwouldnotbeexpressinghalfhisfeelings。hefeltawed:fortheprofounddreadofrockswhichmostseamenentertaincameinaidofhisad-
mirationoftheboldnessoftheexploit。Stillhewasin-
disposedtoexpressallhefelt,lestitmightbeconcedingtoomuchinfavoroffreshwaterandinlandnavigation。
andnosoonerhadheclearedhisthroatwiththeafore-
saidhem,thanheloosenedhistongueintheusualstrainofsuperiority。
Idonotgainsayyourknowledgeofthechannel,MasterEau-douce,and,afterall,toknowthechannelinsuchaplaceisthemainpoint。Ihavehadcockswainswithmewhocouldcomedownthatshoottoo,iftheyonlyknewthechannel。
Itisn’tenoughtoknowthechannel,saidPathfinder。
itneedsnarvesandskilltokeepthecanoestraight,andtokeepherclearoftherockstoo。Thereisn’tanotherboatmaninallthisregionthatcanshoottheOswego,butEau-doucethere,withanysartainty。though,nowandthen,onehasblunderedthrough。Ican’tdoitmyselfunlessbymeansofProvidence,anditneedsJasper’shandandeyetomakesureofadrypassage。Fourteenspoon-
fuls,afterall,arenogreatmatter,thoughIwishithadbeenbutten,seeingthattheSergeant’sdaughterwasalooker-on。
Andyetyouconnedthecanoe。youtoldhimhowtoheadandhowtosheer。
Humanfrailty,mastermariner。thatwasalittleofwhite-skinnatur’。Now,hadtheSarpent,yonder,beenintheboat,notawordwouldhehavespokenorthoughtwouldhehavegiventothepublic。AnIndianknowshowtoholdhistongue。butwewhitefolkfancywearealwayswiserthanourfellows。I’mcuringmyselffastoftheweakness,butitneedstimetorootupthetreethathasbeengrowingmorethanthirtyyears。
Ithinklittleofthisaffair,sir。nothingatalltospeakmymindfreely。It’samerewashofspraytoshootingLondonBridgewhichisdoneeverydaybyhundredsofpersons,andoftenbythemostdelicateladiesintheland。
Theking’smajestyhasshotthebridgeinhisroyalperson。
Well,Iwantnodelicateladiesorking’smajestiesGodbless’em!inthecanoe,ingoingoverthesefalls。
foraboat’sbreath,eitherway,maymakeadrowningmat-
terofit。Eau-douce,weshallhavetocarrytheSergeant’sbrotheroverNiagarayet,toshowhimwhatmaybedoneinafrontier。
Thedevil!MasterPathfinder,youmustbejokingnow!Surelyitisnotpossibleforabarkcanoetogooverthatmightycataract?
Youneverweremoremistaken,MasterCap,inyourlife。NothingiseasierandmanyisthecanoeIhaveseengooveritwithmyowneyes。andifwebothliveIhopetosatisfyyouthatthefeatcanbedone。Formypart,I
thinkthelargestshipthateversailedontheoceanmightbecarriedover,couldsheoncegetintotherapids。
CapdidnotperceivethewinkwhichPathfinderex-
changedwithEau-douce,andheremainedsilentforsometime。for,soothtosay,hehadneversuspectedthepossi-
bilityofgoingdownNiagara,feasibleasthethingmustappeartoeveryoneonasecondthought,therealdiffi-
cultyexistingingoingupit。
BythistimethepartyhadreachedtheplacewhereJasperhadlefthisowncanoe,concealedinthebushes,andtheyallre-embarked。Cap,Jasper,andhisnieceinoneboatandPathfinder,Arrowhead,andthewifeofthelatterintheother。TheMohicanhadalreadypasseddownthebanksoftheriverbyland,lookingcautiouslyandwiththeskillofhispeopleforthesignsofanenemy。
ThecheekofMabeldidnotrecoverallitsbloomuntilthecanoewasagaininthecurrent,downwhichitfloatedswiftly,occasionallyimpelledbythepaddleofJasper。
Shewitnessedthedescentofthefallswithadegreeofterrorwhichhadrenderedhermute。butherfrighthadnotbeensogreatastopreventadmirationofthesteadi-
nessoftheyouthwhodirectedthemovementfromblend-
ingwiththepassingterror。Intruth,onemuchlesssensitivemighthavehadherfeelingsawakenedbythecoolandgallantairwithwhichEau-doucehadaccom-
plishedthiscleverexploit。Hehadstoodfirmlyerect,notwithstandingtheplunge。andtothoseontheshoreitwasevidentthat,byatimelyapplicationofhisskillandstrength,thecanoehadreceivedasheerwhichalonecar-
rieditclearofarockoverwhichtheboilingwaterwasleapingin_jetsd’eau_,——nowleavingthebrownstonevisi-
tie,andnowcoveringitwithalimpidsheet,asifma-
chinerycontrolledtheplayoftheelement。Thetonguecannotalwaysexpresswhattheeyesview。butMabelsawenough,eveninthatmomentoffear,toblendforeverinhermindthepicturespresentedbytheplungingcanoeandtheunmovedsteersman。Sheadmittedthatinsidiousfeelingwhichbindswomansostronglytoman,byfeelingadditionalsecurityinfindingherselfunderhiscare。and,forthefirsttimesinceleavingFortStanwix,shewasen-
tirelyathereaseinthefrailbarkinwhichshetravelled。
Astheothercanoekeptquitenearherown,however,andthePathfinder,byfloatingatherside,wasmostinview,theconversationwasprincipallymaintainedwiththatperson。Jasperseldomspeakingunlessaddressed,andconstantlyexhibitingawearinessinthemanagementofhisownboat,whichmighthavebeenremarkedbyoneaccustomedtohisordinarilyconfident,carelessmanner。
Weknowtoowellawoman’sgiftstothinkofcarryingtheSergeant’sdaughteroverthefalls,saidPathfinder,lookingatMabel,whileheaddressedheruncle。thoughI’vebeenacquaintedwithsomeofhersexthatwouldthinkbutlittleofdoingthething。
Mabelisfaint-hearted,likehermother,returnedCap。andyoudidwell,friend,tohumorherweakness。
Youwillrememberthechildhasneverbeenatsea。
No,no,itwaseasytodiscoverthat。byyourownfear-
lessness,anyonemighthaveseenhowlittleyoucaredaboutthematter。Iwentoveroncewitharawhand,andhejumpedoutofthecanoejustasittipped,andyoumanyjudgewhatatimehehadofit。
Whatbecameofthepoorfellow?askedCap,scarcelyknowinghowtotaketheother’smanner,whichwassodry,whileitwassosimple,thatalessobtusesubjectthantheoldsailormightwellhavesuspecteditssincerity。
Onewhohaspassedtheplaceknowshowtofeelforhim。
Hewasa_poor_fellow,asyousay。andapoorfrontiermantoo,thoughhecameouttoshowhisskillamongusignoranters。Whatbecameofhim?Why,hewentdownthefallstopsy-turveylike,aswouldhavehappenedtoacourt-houseorafort。
Ifitshouldjumpoutofatcanoe,interruptedJasper,smiling,thoughthewasevidentlymoredisposedthanhisfriendtoletthepassageofthefallsbeforgotten。
Theboyisright,rejoinedPathfinder,laughinginMabel’sface,thecanoesbeingnowsonearthattheyalmosttouched。heissartainlyright。Butyouhavenottolduswhatyouthinkoftheleapwetook?
Itwasperilousandbold,saidMabel。whilelookingatit,Icouldhavewishedthatithadnotbeenattempted,though,nowitisover,Icanadmireitsboldnessandthesteadinesswithwhichitwasmade。
Now,donotthinkthatwedidthisthingtosetourselvesoffinfemaleeyes。Itmaybepleasanttotheyoungtowineachother’sgoodopinionsbydoingthingswhichmayseempraiseworthyandbold。butneitherEau-doucenormyselfisofthatrace。Mynatur’hasfewturnsinit,andisastraightnatur’。norwoulditbelikelytoleadmeintoavanityofthissortwhileoutonduty。AsforJasper,hewouldsoonergoovertheOswegoFalls,withoutalooker-
on,thandoitbeforeahundredpairofeyes。Iknowtheladwellfrommuchconsorting,andIamsureheisnotboastfulorvain-glorious。
Mabelrewardedthescoutwithasmile,whichservedtokeepthecanoestogetherforsometimelonger。forthesightofyouthandbeautywassorareonthatremotefrontier,thateventherebukedandself-mortifiedfeelingsofthiswandereroftheforestweresensiblytouchedbythebloominglovelinessofthegirl。
Wediditforthebest,Pathfindercontinued。’twasallforthebest。Hadwewaitedtocarrythecanoeacrosstheportage,timewouldhavebeenlost,andnothinigissopreciousastimewhenyouaremistrustfulofMingos。
Butwehavelittletofearnow。Thecanoesmoveswiftly,andtwohours,youhavesaid,willcarryusdowntothefort。
ItshallbeacunningIroquoiswhohurtsahairofyourhead,prettyone。forallhereareboundtotheSergeant,andmost,Ithink,toyourself,toseeyousafefromharm。
Ha,Eau-douce!whatisthatintheriver,atthelowerturn,yonder,beneaththebushes,——Imeanstandingontherock?
’TistheBigSerpent,Pathfinder。heismakingsignstousinawayIdon’tunderstand。
’TistheSarpent,assureasI’mawhiteman,andhewishesustodropinnearertohisshore。Mischiefisbrewing,oroneofhisdeliberationandsteadinesswouldnevertakethistrouble。Courage,all!wearemen,andmustmeetdevilryasbecomesourcolorandourcallings。
Ah,Ineverknewgoodcomeofboasting!andhere,justasIwasvauntingofoursafety,comesdangertogivemethelie。
CHAPTERIV
Art,stryvingtocompareWithnature,didanarbergreenedispred,Fram’dofwantonyvieflowingfayre,Throughwhichthefragranteglantinesdidspred。
SPENSER。
TheOswego,belowthefalls,isamorerapid,unequalstreamthanitisabovethem。Thereareplaceswheretheriverflowsinthequietstillnessofdeepwater,butmanyshoalsandrapidsoccur。andatthatdistantday,wheneverythingwasinitsnaturalstate,someofthepasseswerenotaltogetherwithouthazard。Verylittleexertionwasrequiredonthepartofthosewhomanagedthecanoes,exceptinthoseplaceswheretheswiftnessofthecurrentandthepresenceoftherocksrequiredcare。then,indeed,notonlyvigilance,butgreatcoolness,readiness,andstrengthofarmbecamenecessary,inordertoavoidthedangers。OfallthistheMohicanwasaware,andhehadjudiciouslyselectedaspotwheretheriverflowedtran-
quillytointerceptthecanoes,inordertomakehiscommunicationwithouthazardtothosehewishedtospeak。
ThePathfinderhadnosoonerrecognizedtheformofhisredfriend,than,withastrongsweepofhispaddle,hethrewtheheadofhisowncanoetowardstheshore,mo-
tioningforJaspertofollow。Inaminutebothboatsweresilentlydriftingdownthestream,withinreachofthebushesthatoverhungthewater,allobservingaprofoundsilence。somefromalarm,andothersfromhabitualcau-
tion。AsthetravellersdrewnearertheIndian,hemadeasignforthemtostop。andthenheandPathfinderhadashortbutearnestconference。
TheChiefisnotapttoseeenemiesinadeadlog,ob-
servedthewhitemantohisredassociate。whydoeshetellustostop?
Mingosareinthewoods。
Thatwehavebelievedthesetwodays:doesthechiefknowit?
TheMohicanquietlyhelduptheheadofapipeformedofstone。
Itlayonafreshtrailthatledtowardsthegarrison,-
forsoitwastheusageofthatfrontiertotermamili-
tarywork,whetheritwasoccupiedornot。
Thatmaybethebowlofapipebelongingtoasoldier。
Manyusethered-skinpipes。
See,saidtheBigSerpent,againholdingthethinghehadfounduptotheviewofhisfriend。
Thebowlofthepipewasofsoap-stone,andwascarvedwithgreatcareandwithaveryrespectabledegreeofskill。
initscentrewasasmallLatincross,madewithanaccuracywhichpermittednodoubtofitsmeaning。
Thatdoesforetelldevilryandwickedness,saidthePathfinder,whohadalltheprovincialhorroroftheholysymbolinquestionwhichthenpervadedthecountry,andwhichbecamesoincorporatedwithitsprejudices,bycon-
foundingmenwithtings,astohaveleftitstracesstrongenoughonthemroalfeelingofthecommunitytobedis-
coveredevenatthepresenthour。noIndianwhohadnotbeenparvartedbythecunningpriestsoftheCanadaswoulddreamofcarvingathinglikethatonhispipe。I’llwarrantye,theknavepraystotheimageeverytimehewishestosarcumventtheinnocent,andworkhisfearfulwickedness。Itlooksfresh,too,Chingachgook?
ThetobaccowasburningwhenIfoundit。
Thatisclosework,chief。Wherewasthetrail?
TheMohicanpointedtoaspotnotahundredyardsfromthatwheretheystood。
Thematternowbegantolookveryserious,andthetwoprincipalguidesconferredapartforseveralminutes,whenbothascendedthebank,approachedtheindicatedspot,andexaminedthetrailwiththeutmostcare。Afterthisinvestigationhadlastedaquarterofanhour,thewhitemanreturnedalone,hisredfriendhavingdisappearedintheforest。
TheordinaryexpressionofthecountenanceofthePathfinderwasthatofsimplicity,integrity,andsincerity,blendedinanairofself-reliancewhichusuallygavegreatconfidencetothosewhofoundthemselvesunderhiscare。
butnowalookofconcerncastashadeoverhishonestface,thatstruckthewholeparty。
Whatcheer,MasterPathfinder?demandedCap,per-
mittingavoicethatwasusuallydeep,loud,andconfidenttosinkintothecautioustonesthatbettersuitedthedan-
gersofthewilderness。Hastheenemygotbetweenusandourport?
Anan?
Haveanyofthesepaintedscaramouchesanchoredofftheharbortowardswhichwearerunning,withthehopeofcuttingusoffinentering?
Itmaybeallasyousay,friendCap,butIamnonethewiserforyourwords。andinticklishtimestheplaineramanmakeshisEnglishtheeasierheisunderstood。I
knownothingofportsandanchors。butthereisadirefulMingotrailwithinahundredyardsofthisveryspot,andasfreshasvenisonwithoutsalt。Ifoneofthefierydevilshaspassed,sohaveadozen。and,whatisworse,theyhavegonedowntowardsthegarrison,andnotasoulcrossestheclearingarounditthatsomeoftheirpiercingeyeswillnotdiscover,whensartainbulletswillfollow。
Cannotthissaidfortdeliverabroadside,andcleareverythingwithinthesweepofitshawse?
Nay,thefortsthis-a-wayarenotlikefortsintheset-
tlements,andtwoorthreelightcannonarealltheyhavedownatthemouthoftheriver。andthen,broadsidesfiredatadozenoutlyingMingoes,lyingbehindlogsandinaforest,wouldbepowderspentinvain。Wehavebutonecourse,andthatisaveryniceone。Wearejudgmaticallyplacedhere,bothcanoesbeinghidbythehighbankandthebushes,fromalleyes,exceptthoseofanylurkerdi-
rectlyopposite。Here,then,wemaystaywithoutmuchpresentfear。buthowtogetthebloodthirstydevilsupthestreamagain?Ha!Ihaveit,Ihaveit!ifitdoesnogood,itcandonoharm。Doyouseethewide-toppedchestnuthere,Jasper,atthelastturnintheriver——onourownsideofthestream,Imean?
Thatnearthefallenpine?
Theverysame。Taketheflintandtinder-box,creepalongthebank,andlightafireatthatspot。maybethesmokewilldrawthemaboveus。Inthemeanwhile,wewilldropthecanoescarefullydownbeyondthepointbelow,andfindanothershelter。Bushesareplenty,andcoversareeasilytobehadinthisregion,aswitnessthemanyambushments。
Iwilldoit,Pathfinder,saidJasper,springingtotheshore。Intenminutesthefireshallbelighted。
And,Eau-douce,useplentyofdampwoodthistime,
halfwhisperedtheother,laughingheartily,inhisownpeculiarmanner。whensmokeiswanted,waterhelpstothickenit。
Theyoungmanwassoonoff,makinghiswayrapidlytowardsthedesiredpoint。AslightattemptofMabeltoobjecttotheriskwasdisregarded,andthepartyimme-
diatelypreparedtochangeitsposition,asitcouldbeseenfromtheplacewhereJasperintendedtolighthisfire。
Themovementdidnotrequirehaste,anditwasmadeleisurelyandwithcare。Thecanoesweregotclearofthebushes,thensufferedtodropdownwiththestreamuntiltheyreachedthespotwherethechestnut,atthefootofwhichJasperwastolightthefire,wasalmostshutoutfromview,whentheystopped,andeveryeyewasturnedinthedirectionoftheadventurer。
Theregoesthesmoke!exclaimedthePathfinder,asacurrentofairwhirledalittlecolumnofthevaporfromtheland,allowingittorisespirallyabovethebedoftheriver。Agoodflint,asmallbitofsteel,andplentyofdryleavesmakesaquickfire。IhopeEau-doucewillhavethewittobethinkhimofthedampwoodnowwhenitmayserveusallagoodturn。
Toomuchsmoke——toomuchcunning,saidArrowheadsententiously。
Thatisgospeltruth,Tuscarora,iftheMingoesdidn’tknowthattheyarenearsoldiers。butsoldierscommonlythinkmoreoftheirdinneratahaltthanoftheirwisdomanddanger。No,no。lettheboypileonhislogs,andsmokethemwelltoo。itwillallbelaidtothestupidityofsomeScotchorIrishblunderer,whoisthinkingmoreofhisoatmealorhispotatoesthanofIndiansarcumventionsorIndianrifles。
AndyetIshouldthink,fromallwehaveheardinthetowns,thatthesoldiersonthisfrontierareusedtotheartificesoftheirenemies,saidMabel,andbecomealmostaswilyastheredmenthemselves。
Notthey。Experiencemakesthembutlittlewiser。
andtheywheel,andplatoon,andbattalionitabout,hereintheforest,justastheydidintheirparksathome,ofwhichtheyareallsofondoftalking。Onered-skinhasmorecunninginhisnatur’thanawholeregimentfromtheothersideofthewater。thatis,whatIcallcunningofthewoods。Butthereissmokeenough,ofallcon-
science,andwehadbetterdropintoanothercover。Theladhasthrowntheriveronhisfire,andthereisdangerthattheMingoeswillbelieveawholeregimentisout。
Whilespeaking,thePathfinderpermittedhiscanoetodriftawayfromthebushbywhichithadbeenretained,andinacoupleofminutesthebendintheriverconcealedthesmokeandthetree。Fortunatelyasmallindentationintheshorepresenteditself,withinafewyardsofthepointtheyhadjustpassed。andthetwocanoesglidedintoit,undertheimpulsionofthepaddles。
Abetterspotcouldnothavebeenfoundforthepur-
pose。Thebusheswerethick,andoverhungthewater,formingacompletecanopyofleaves。Therewasasmallgravellystrandatthebottomofthelittlebay,wheremostofthepartylandedtobemoreattheirease,andtheonlypositionfromwhichtheycouldpossiblybeseenwasapointontheriverdirectlyopposite。Therewaslittledanger,however,ofdiscoveryfromthatquarter,asthethickettherewasevendenserthancommon,andthelandbeyonditwassowetandmarshyastorenderitdifficulttobetrodden。
Thisisasafecover,saidthePathfinder,afterhehadtakenascrutinizingsurveyofhisposition。butitmaybenecessarytomakeitsafer。MasterCap,Iasknothingofyoubutsilence,andaquietingofsuchgiftsasyoumayhavegotatsea,whiletheTuscaroraandImakeprovisionfortheevilhour。
Theguidethenwentashortdistanceintothebushes,accompaniedbytheIndian,wherethetwocutoffthelargerstemsofseveralaldersandotherbushes,usingtheutmostcarenottomakeanoise。Theendsoftheselittletreeswereforcedintothemud,outsideofthecanoes,thedepthofthewaterbeingverytrifling。andinthecourseoftenminutesaveryeffectualscreenwasinterposedbe-
tweenthemandtheprincipalpointofdanger。Muchin-
genuityandreadinessweremanifestedinmakingthissimplearrangement,inwhichthetwoworkmenwerees-
sentiallyfavoredbythenaturalformationofthebank,theindentationintheshore,theshallownessofthewater,andthemannerinwhichthetangledbushesdippedintothestream。ThePathfinderhadtheaddresstolookforbusheswhichhadcurvedstems,thingseasilyfoundinsuchaplace。andbycuttingthemsomedistancebeneaththebend,andpermittingthelattertotouchthewater,theartificiallittlethickethadnottheappearanceofgrowinginthestream,whichmighthaveexcitedsuspicion。butonepassingitwouldhavethoughtthatthebushesshotouthorizontallyfromthebankbeforetheyinclinedup-
wardstowardsthelight。Inshort,nonebutanunusuallydistrustfuleyewouldhavebeenturnedforaninstanttowardsthespotinquestofahiding-place。
ThisisthebestcoverIeveryetgotinto,saidthePathfinder,withhisquietlaugh,afterhavingbeenontheoutsidetoreconnoitre。theleavesofournewtreesfairlytouchthoseofthebushesoverourheads。Hist!——yondercomesEau-douce,wading,likeasensibleboy,asheis,toleavehistrailinthewater。andweshallsoonseewhetherourcoverisgoodforanythingornot。
Jasperhadindeedreturnedfromhisdutyabove。andmissingthecanoes,heatonceinferredthattheyhaddroppedroundthenextbendintheriver,inordertogetoutofsightofthefire。Hishabitsofcautionimmediatelysuggestedtheexpediencyofsteppingintothewater,inorderthattheremightexistnovisiblecommunicationbetweenthemarksleftontheshorebythepartyandtheplacewherehebelievedthemtohavetakenrefugebelow。
ShouldtheCanadianIndiansreturnontheirowntrail,anddiscoverthatmadebythePathfinderandtheSerpentintheirascentfromanddescenttotheriver,thecluetotheirmovementswouldceaseattheshore,waterleavingnoprintsoffootsteps。Theyoungmanhadthereforewaded,knee-deep,asfarasthepoint,andwasnowseenmakinghiswayslowlydownthemarginofthestream,searchingcuriouslyforthespotinwhichthecanoeswerehid。
Itwasinthepowerofthosebehindthebushes,byplac-
ingtheireyesneartheleaves,tofindmanyplacestolookthroughwhileoneatalittledistancelostthisadvantage。
Tothosewhowatchedhismotionsfrombehindtheircover,andtheywereallinthecanoes,itwasevidentthatJasperwastotallyatalosstoimaginewherethePathfinderhadsecretedhimself。Whenfairlyroundthecurvatureintheshore,andoutofsightofthefirehehadlightedabove,theyoungmanstoppedandbeganexaminingthebankde-
liberatelyandwithgreatcare。Occasionallyheadvancedeightortenpaces,andthenhaltedagain,torenewthesearch。Thewaterbeingmuchshallowerthancommon,hesteppedaside,inordertowalkwithgreatereasetohimselfandcamesoneartheartificialplantationthathemighthavetoucheditwithhishand。Stillhedetectednothing,andwasactuallypassingthespotwhenPath-
findermadeanopeningbeneaththebranches,andcalledtohiminalowvoicetoenter。
Thisisprettywell,saidthePathfinder,laughing。
thoughpale-faceeyesandred-skineyesareasdifferentashumanspy-glasses。Iwouldwager,withtheSergeant’sdaughterhere,ahornofpowderagainstawampum-beltforhergirdle,thatherfather’srijimentshouldmarchbythisembankmentofoursandneverfindoutthefraud!
ButiftheMingoesactuallygetdownintothebedoftheriverwhereJasperpassed,Ishouldtremblefortheplanta-
tion。Itwilldofortheireyes,evenacrossthestream,however,andwillnotbewithoutitsuse。
Don’tyouthink,MasterPathfinder,thatitwouldbewisest,afterall,saidCap,togetunderwayatonce,andcarrysailharddownstream,assoonaswearesatisfiedthattheserascalsarefairlyasternofus?Weseamencallasternchasealongchase。
Iwouldn’tmovefromthisspotuntilwehearfromtheSarpentwiththeSergeant’sprettydaughterhereinourcompany,forallthepowderinthemagazineofthefortbelow。Sartaincaptivityorsartaindeathwouldfollow。
Ifatenderfa’n,suchasthemaidenwehaveincharge,couldthreadtheforestlikeolddeer,itmight,indeed,dotoquitthecanoes。forbymakingacircuitwecouldreachthegarrisonbeforemorning。
Thenletitbedone,saidMabel,springingtoherfeetunderthesuddenimpulseofawakenedenergy。Iamyoung,active,usedtoexercise,andcouldeasilyout-walkmydearuncle。Letnoonethinkmeahindrance。I
cannotbearthatallyourlivesshouldbeexposedonmyaccount。
No,no,prettyone。wethinkyouanythingbutahin-
dranceoranythingthatisunbecoming,andwouldwill-
inglyruntwicethisrisktodoyouandthehonestSer-
geantaservice。DoInotspeakyourmind,Eau-
donce?
Todo_her_aservice!saidJasperwithemphasis。
NothingshalltemptmetodesertMabelDunhamuntilsheissafeinherfather’sarms。
Wellsaid,lad。bravelyandhonestlysaid,too。andI
joininit,heartandhand。No,no!youarenotthefirstofyoursexIhaveledthroughthewilderness,andneverbutoncedidanyharmbefallanyofthem:——thatwasasadday,certainlybutitslikemaynevercomeagain。
Mabellookedfromoneofherprotectorstotheother,andherfineeyesswamintears。Franklyplacingahandinthatofeach,sheansweredthem,thoughatfirsthervoicewaschoked,Ihavenorighttoexposeyouonmyaccount。Mydearfatherwillthankyou,Ithankyou,Godwillrewardyou。butlettherebenounnecessaryrisk。I
canwalkfar,andhaveoftengonemilesonsomegirlishfancy。whynotnowexertmyselfformylife?——nay,foryourpreciouslives?
Sheisatruedove,JaspersaidthePathfinder,neitherrelinquishingthehandhehelduntilthegirlherself,innativemodesty,sawfittowithdrawit,andwonderfullywinning!Wegettoberough,andsometimesevenhard-
hearted,inthewoods,Mabel。butthesightofonelikeyoubringsusbackagaintoouryoungfeelings,anddoesusgoodfortheremainderofourdays。IdaresayJasperherewilltellyouthesame。for,likemeintheforest,theladseesbutfewsuchasyourselfonOntario,tosoftenhisheartandremindhimofloveforhiskind。Speakoutnow,Jasper,andsayifitisnotso?
IquestionifmanylikeMabelDunhamaretobefoundanywhere,returnedtheyoungmangallantly,anhonestsincerityglowinginhisfacethatspokemoreeloquentlythanhistongue。youneednotmentionthewoodsandlakestochallengeherequals,butIwouldgointosettle-
mentsandtowns。
Wehadbetterleavethecanoes,Mabelhurriedlyre-
joined。forIfeelitisnolongersafetobehere。
Youcanneverdoit。youcanneverdoit。Itwouldbeamarchofmorethantwentymiles,andthat,too,oftrampingoverbrushandroots,andthroughswamps,inthedark。thetrailofsuchapartywouldbewide,andwemighthavetofightourwayintothegarrisonafterall。
WewillwaitfortheMohican。
Suchappearingtobethedecisionofhimtowhomall,intheirpresentstrait,lookedupforcounsel,nomorewassaidontbesubject。Thewholepartynowbrokeupintogroups:Arrowheadandhiswifesittingapartunderthebushes,conversinginalowtone,thoughthemanspokesternly,andthewomanansweredwiththesubduedmild-
nessthatmarksthedegradedconditionofasavage’swife。
PathfinderandCapoccupiedonecanoe,chattingoftheirdifferentadventuresbyseaandland。whileJasperandMabelsatintheother,makinggreaterprogressinin-
timacyinasinglehourthanmighthavebeeneffectedunderothercircumstancesinatwelvemonth。Notwith-
standingtheirsituationasregardstheenemy,thetimeflewbyswiftly,andtheyoungpeople,inparticular,wereastonishedwhenCapinformedthemhowlongtheyhadbeenthusoccupied。
Ifonecouldsmoke,MasterPathfinder,observedtheoldsailor,thisberthwouldbesnugenough。for,togivethedevilhisdue,youhavegotthecanoeshandsomelyland-
locked,andintomooringsthatwoulddefyamonsoon。
Theonlyhardshipisthedenialofthepipe。
Thescentofthetobaccowouldbetrayus。andwhereistheuseoftakingalltheseprecautionsagainsttheMingo’seyes,ifwearetotellhimwherethecoveristobefoundthroughthenose?No,no。denyyourappetites。
andlearnonevirtuefromared-skin,whowillpassaweekwithouteatingeven,togetasinglescalp。Didyouhearnothing,Jasper?
TheSerpentiscoming。
ThenletusseeifMohicaneyesarebetterthanthemofaladwhofollowsthewater。
TheMohicanhadindeedmadehisappearanceinthesamedirectionasthatbywhichJasperhadrejoinedhisfriends。Insteadofcomingdirectlyon,however,nosoonerdidhepassthebend,wherehewasconcealedfromanywhomightbehigherupstream,thanhemovedcloseunderthebank。and,usingtheutmostcaution,gotapositionwherehecouldlookback,withhispersonsuffi-
cientlyconcealedbythebushestopreventitsbeingseenbyanyinthatquarter。
TheSarpentseestheknaves!whisperedPathfinder。
AsI’maChristianwhiteman,theyhavebitatthebait,andhaveambushedthesmoke!
Hereaheartybutsilentlaughinterruptedhiswords,andnudgingCapwithhiselbow,theyallcontinuedtowatchthemovementsofChingachgookinprofoundstill-
ness。TheMohicanremainedstationaryastherockonwhichhestoodfulltenminutes。andthenitwasapparentthatsomethingofinteresthadoccurredwithinhisview,forhedrewbackwithahurriedmanner,lookedanxiouslyandkeenlyalongthemarginofthestream,andmovedquicklydownit,takingcaretolosehistrailintheshallowwater。Hewasevidentlyinahurryandconcerned,nowlookingbehindhim,andthencastingeagerglancestowardseveryspotontheshorewherehethoughtacanoemightbeconcealed。
Callhimin,whisperedJasper,scarcelyabletore-
strainhisimpatience,——callhimin,oritwillbetoolate!
See!heisactuallypassingus。
Notso,notso,lad。nothingpresses,dependonit。
returnedhiscompanion,ortheSarpentwouldbegintocreep。TheLordhelpusandteachuswisdom!I_do_be-
lieveevenChingachgook,whosesightisasfaithfulasthehound’sscent,overlooksus,andwillnotfindouttheam-
bushmentwehavemade!
Thisexultationwasuntimely。forthewordswerenosoonerspokenthantheIndian,whohadactuallygotsev-
eralfeetlowerdownthestreamthantheartificialcover,suddenlystopped。fastenedakeen-rivetedglanceamongthetransplantedbushes。madeafewhastystepsback-
ward。and,bendinghisbodyandcarefullyseparatingthebranches,heappearedamongthem。
TheaccursedMingos!saidPathfinder,assoonashisfriendwasnearenoughtobeaddressedwithprudence。
Iroquois,returnedthesententiousIndian。
Nomatter,nomatter。Iroquois,devil,Mingo,Meng-
wes,orfuries——allareprettymuchthesame。IcallallrascalsMingos。Comehither,chief,andletusconvarserationally。
Whentheirprivatecommunicationwasover,Pathfinderrejoinedtherest,andmadethemacquaintedwithallhehadlearned。
TheMohicanhadfollowedthetrailoftheirenemiessomedistancetowardsthefort,untilthelattercaughtasightofthesmokeofJasper’sfire,whentheyinstantlyretracedtheirsteps。ItnowbecamenecessaryforChin-
gachgook,whoranthegreatestriskofdetection,tofindacoverwherehecouldsecretebimselfuntilthepartymightpass。Itwasperhapsfortunateforhimthatthesavagesweresointentonthisrecentdiscovery,thattheydidnotbestowtheordinaryattentiononthesignsoftheforest。
Atallevents,theypassedhimswiftly,fifteeninnumber,treadinglightlyineachother’sfootsteps。andhewasen-
abledagaintogetintotheirrear。AfterproceedingtotheplacewherethefootstepsofPathfinderandtheMohi-
canhadjoinedtheprincipaltrail,theIroquoishadstruckofftotheriver,whichtheyreachedjustasJasperhaddis-
appearedbehindthebendbelow。Thesmokebeingnowinplainview,thesavagesplungedintothewoodsandendeavoredtoapproachthefireunseen。Chingachgookprofitedbythisoccasiontodescendtothewater,andtogainthebendintheriveralso,whichhethoughthadbeeneffectedundiscovered。Herehepaused,ashasbeenstated,untilhesawhisenemiesatthefire,wheretheirstay,how-
ever,wasveryshort。
OfthemotivesoftheIroquoistheMohicancouldjudgeonlybytheiracts。Hethoughttheyhaddetectedtheartificeofthefire,andwereawarethatithadbeenkindledwithaviewtomisleadthem。for,afterahastyexamina-
tionofthespot,theyhadseparated,someplungingagainintothewoods,whilesixoreighthadfollowedthefoot-
stepsofJasperalongtheshore,andcomedownthestreamtowardstheplacewherethecanoeshadlanded。Whatcoursetheymighttakeonreachingthatspotwasonlytobeconjectured。fortheSerpenthadfelttheemergencytobetoopressingtodelaylookingforhisfriendsanylonger。Fromsomeindicationsthatweretobegatheredfromtheirgestures,however,hethoughtitprobablethattheirenemiesmightfollowdowninthemarginofthestream,butcouldnotbecertain。
AsthePatlifiliderrelatedthesefactstohiscompanions,theprofessionalfeelingsofthetwootherwhitemencameuppermost,and。bothnaturallyrevertedtotheirhabits,inquestofthemeansofescape。
Letusrunoutthecanoesatonce,saidJaspereagerly。
thecurrentisstrong,andbyusingthepaddlesvigorouslyweshallsoonbebeyondthereachofthesescoundrels!
Andthispoorflower,thatfirstblossomedintheclear-
ings——shallitwitherintheforest?objectedhisfriend,withapoetrywhichhehadunconsciouslyimbibedbyhislongassociationwiththeDelawares。
Wemustalldiefirst,answeredtheyouth,agenerouscolormountingtohistemples。MabelandArrowhead’swifemayliedowninthecanoes,whilewedoourduty,likemen,onourfeet。
Ay,youareactiveatthepaddleandtheoar,Eau-douce,Iwillallow,butanaccursedMingoismoreactiveathismischief。thecanoesareswift,butariflebulletisswifter。
Itisthebusinessofmen,engagedaswehavebeenbyaconfidingfather,torunthisrisk——
Butitisnottheirbusinesstooverlookprudence。
Prudence!amanmaycarryhisprudencesofarastoforgethiscourage。
Thegroupwasstandingonthenarrowstrand,thePath-
finderleaningonhisrifle,thebuttofwhichrestedonthegravellybeach,whilebothhishandsclaspedthebarrelattheheightofhisownshoulders。AsJasperthrewoutthissevereandunmeritedimputation,thedeepredofhiscomrade’sfacemaintaineditshueunchanged,thoughtheyoungmanperceivedthatthefingersgraspedtheironofthegunwiththetenacityofavice。Hereallbetrayalofemotionceased。
第2章