ThisisamelancholyaffairforpoorMabel,saidhe,blowinghisnose,andspeakingwithaslighttremor。
YouandI,Sergeant,areoldfellows,andusedtobeingneardeath,ifnottoactuallydying。ourtradesfitusforsuchscenes。butpoorMabel!——sheisanaffectionateandkind-heartedgirl,andIhadhopedtoseehercomfortablysettled,andamother,beforemytimecame。Well,well!
wemusttakethebadwiththegoodineveryv’y’ge。andtheonlyseriousobjectionthatanoldseafaringmancanwithproprietymaketosuchaneventis,thatitshouldhappenonthisbitofd——dfreshwater。
SergeantDunhamwasabraveman,andhadshownhisspiritinscenesthatlookedmuchmoreappallingthanthis。butonallsuchoccasionshehadbeenabletoacthisIpartagainsthisfoes,whileherehewaspresseduponbyanenemywhomhehadnomeansofresisting。Forhim-
selfhecaredfarlessthanforhisdaughter,feelingsomeofthatself-reliancewhichseldomdesertsamanoffirmnesswhoisinvigoroushealth,andwhohasbeenaccustomedtopersonalexertionsinmomentsofjeopardy。butasrespectsMabelhesawnomeansofescape,and,withafather’sfondness,heatoncedeterminedthat,ifeitherwasdoomedtoperish,heandhisdaughtermustperishtogether。
Doyouthinkthismustcometopass?heaskedofCapfirmly,butwithstrongfeeling。
Twentyminuteswillcarryusintothebreakers。andlookforyourself,Sergeant:whatchancewilleventhestoutestmanamongushaveinthatcaldrontoleeward?
Theprospectwas,indeed,littlecalculatedtoencouragehope。Bythistimethe_Scud_waswithinamileoftheshore,onwhichthegalewasblowingatrightangles,withaviolencethatforbadetheideaofshowinganyadditionalcanvaswithaviewtoclawoff。Thesmallportionofthemainsailactuallyset,andwhichmerelyservedtokeeptheheadofthe_Scud_sonearthewindastopreventthewavesfrombreakingoverher,quiveredunderthegusts,asifateachmomentthestoutthreadswhichheldthecomplicatedfabrictogetherwereabouttobetornasunder。Thedriz-
zlehadceased。buttheair,forahundred,feetabovethesurfaceofthelake,wasfilledwithdazzlingspray,whichhadanappearancenotunlikethatofabrilliantmist,whileaboveallthesunwasshininggloriouslyinacloud-
lesssky。Jasperhadnotedtheomen,andhadforetoldthatitannouncedaspeedyterminationtothegale,thoughthenexthourortwomustdecidetheirfate。Betweenthecutterandtheshoretheviewwasstillmorewildandap-
palling。Thebreakersextendednearlyhalfamile。whilethewaterwithintheirlinewaswhitewithfoam,theairabovethemwassofarfilledwithvaporandsprayastorenderthelandbeyondhazyandindistinct。Stillitcouldbeseenthatthelatterwashigh,——notausualthingfortheshoresofOntario,——andthatitwascoveredwiththeverdantmantleoftheinterminableforest。
WhiletheSergeantandCapweregazingatthissceneinsilence,Jasperandhispeoplewereactivelyengagedontheforecastle。Nosoonerhadtheyoungmanreceivedpermissiontoresumehisoldemployment,than,appealingtosomeofthesoldiersforaid,hemusteredfiveorsixas-
sistants,andsetaboutinearnesttheperformanceofadutywhichhadbeentoolongdelayed。Onthesenarrowwatersanchorsareneverstowedin-board,orcablesthatarein-
tendedforserviceunbent,andJasperwassavedmuchofthelaborthatwouldhavebeennecessaryinavesselatsea。
Thetwobowersweresoonreadytobeletgo,rangesofthecableswereoverhauled,andthenthepartypausedtolookaboutthem。Nochangesforthebetterhadoccurred,butthecutterwasfallingslowlyin,andeachinstantrendereditmorecertainthatshecouldnotgainaninchtowind-
ward。
Onelong,earnestsurveyofthelakeended,Jaspergavenewordersinasimilarmannertoprovehowmuchhethoughtthatthetimepressed。Twokedgesweregotondeck,andhawserswerebenttothem。theinnerendsofthehawserswerebent,intheirturns,tothecrownsoftheanchors,andeverythingwasgotreadytothrowthemover-
boardatthepropermoment。Thesepreparationscom-
pleted,Jasper’smannerchangedfromtheexcitementofexertiontoalookofcalmbutsettledconcern。Hequittedtheforecastle,wheretheseasweredashingin-boardateveryplungeofthevessel,thedutyjustmentionedhavingbeenexecutedwiththebodiesofthecrewfrequentlyburiedinthewater,andwalkedtoadrierpartofthedeck,aft。
HerehewasmetbythePathfinder,whowasstandingnearMabelandtheQuartermaster。Mostofthoseonboard,withtheexceptionoftheindividualswhohavealreadybeenparticularlymentioned,werebelow,someseekingre-
lieffromphysicalsufferingontheirpallets,andotherstardilybethinkingthemoftheirsins。Forthefirsttime,mostprobably,sinceherkeelhaddippedintothelimpidwatersofOntario,thevoiceofprayerwas,heardonboardthe_Scud_。
Jasper,commencedhisfriend,theguide,Ihavebeenofnousethismorning,formygiftsareoflittleaccount,asyouknow,inavessellikethis。but,shoulditpleaseGodtolettheSergeant’sdaughterreachtheshorealive,myacquaintancewiththeforestmaystillcarryherthroughinsafetytothegarrison。
’Tisafearfuldistancethither,Pathfinder!Mabelre-
joined,thepartybeingsoneartogetherthatallwhichwassaidbyonewasoverheardbytheothers。Iamafraidnoneofuscouldlivetoreachthefort。
Itwouldbeariskypath,Mabel,andacrookedone。
thoughsomeofyoursexhaveundergoneevenmorethanthatinthiswilderness。But,Jasper,eitheryouorI,orbothofus,mustmanthisbarkcanoe。Mabel’sonlyohancewilllieingettingthroughthebreakersinthat。
IwouldwillinglymananythingtosaveMabel,an-
sweredJasper,withamelancholysmile。butnohumanhand,Pathfinder,couldcarrythatcanoethroughyonderbreakersinagalelikethis。Ihavehopesfromanchoring,afterall。foroncebeforehavewesavedthe_Scud_inanextremitynearlyasgreatasthis。
Ifwearetoanchor,Jasper,theSergeantinquired,whynotdoitatonce?Everyfootweloseindriftingnowwouldcomeintothedistanceweshallprobablydragwhentheanchorsareletgo。
JasperdrewnearertotheSergeant,andtookhishand,pressingitearnestly,andinawaytodenotestrong,almostuncontrollablefeelings。
SergeantDunham,saidhesolemnly,youareagoodman,thoughyouhavetreatedmeharshlyinthisbusiness。
Youloveyourdaughter?
Thatyoucanuotdoubt,Eau-douce,returnedtheSer-
geanthuskily。
Willyougiveher——giveusall——theonlychanceforlifethatisleft?
Whatwouldyouhavemedo,boy,whatwouldyouhavemedo?Ihaveactedaccordingtomyjudgmenthitherto,-whatwouldyouhavemedo?
SupportmeagainstMasterCapforfiveminutes,andallthatmancandotowardssavingthe_Scud_shallbedone。
TheSergeanthesitated,forhewastoomuchofadis-
ciplinariantoflyinthefaceofregularorders。Hedis-
likedtheappearanceofvacillation,too。andthenhehadaprofoundrespectforhiskinsman’sseamanship。Whilehewasdeliberating,Capcamefromtheposthehadsometimeoccupied,whichwasatthesideofthemanatthehelm,anddrewnighthegroup。
MasterEau-douce,saidhe,assoonasnearenoughtobeheard,Ihavecometoinquireifyouknowanyspotnearbywherethiscuttercanbebeached?Themomenthasarrivedwhenwearedriventothishardalternative。
ThatinstantofindecisiononthepartofCapsecuredthetriumphofJasper。LookingattheSergeant,theyoungmanreceivedanodthatassuredhimofallheasked,andhelostnotoneofthosemomentsthatweregettingtobesoveryprecious。
ShallItakethehelm,heinquiredofCap,andseeifwecanreachacreekthatliestoleeward?
Doso,doso,saidtheother,hemmingtoclearhisthroat。forhefeltoppressedbyaresponsibilitythatweighedalltheheavieronhisshouldersonaccountofhisignorance。Doso,Eau-douce,since,tobefrankwithyou,Icanseenothingbettertobedone。Wemustbeachorswamp。
Jasperrequirednomore。springingaft,hesoonhadthetillerinhisownhands。Thepilotwaspreparedforwhatwastofollow。and,atasignfromhisyoungcommander,theragofsailthathadsolongbeensetwastakenin。Atthatmoment,Jasper,watchinghistime,putthehelmup。
theheadofastaysailwasloosenedforward,andthelightcutter,asifconsciousshewasnowunderthecontroloffamiliarhands,felloff,andwassooninthetroughofthesea。Thisperilousinstantwaspassedinsafety,andatthenextmomentthelittlevesselappearedflyingdowntowardthebreakersataratethatthreatenedinstantdestruction。
Thedistanceshadbecomesoshort,thatfiveorsixminutessufficedforallthatJasperwished,andheputthehelmdownagain,whenthebowsofthe_Scud_cameuptothewind,notwithstandingtheturbulenceofthewaters,asgracefullyastheduckvariesitslineofdirectionontheglassypond。AsignfromJaspersetallinmotionontheforecastle,andakedgewasthrownfromeachbow。ThefearfulnatureofthedriftwasnowapparenteventoMabel’seyes,forthetwohawsersranoutliketow-lines。Assoonastheystraightenedtoaslightstrain,bothanchorswereletgo,andcablewasgiventoeach,nearlytothebetter-
ends。Itwasnotadifficulttasktosnubsolightacraftwithground-tackleofaqualitybetterthancommon。andinlessthantenminutesfromthemomentwhenJasperwenttothehelm,the_Scud_wasriding,headtosea,withthetwocablesstretchedaheadinlinesthatresembledbarsofiron。
Thisisnotwelldone,MasterJasper!angrilyex-
claimedCap,assoonasheperceivedthetrickwhichhadbeenplayedhim。thisisnotwelldone,sir。Iorderyoutocut,andtobeachthecutterwithoutamoment’sdelay。
Noone,however,seemeddisposedtocomplywiththisorder。forsolongasEau-doucesawfittocommand,hisownpeopleweredisposedtoobey。Findingthatthemenremainedpassive,Cap,whobelievedtheywereintheut-
mostperil,turnedfiercelytoJasper,andrenewedhisre-
monstrances。
Youdidnotheadforyourpretendedcreek,addedhe,afterdealinginsomeobjurgatoryremarksthatwedonotdeemitnecessarytorecord,butsteeredforthatbluff,whereeverysoulonboardwouldhavebeendrowned,hadwegoneashore。
Andyouwishtocut,andputeverysoulashoreatthatveryspot!Jasperretorted,alittledrily。
Throwalead-lineoverboard,andascertainthedrift!
Capnowroaredtothepeopleforward。AsignfromJas-
persustainingthisorder,itwasinstantlyobeyed。Allondeckwatched,withnearlybreathlessinterest,theresultoftheexperiment。Theleadwasnosooneronthebottom,thanthelinetendedforward,andinabouttwominutesitwasseenthatthecutterhaddriftedherlengthdeadintowardsthebluff。Jasperlookedgravely,forhewellknewnothingwouldholdthevesseldidshegetwithinthevor-
texofthebreakers,thefirstlineofwhichwasappearinganddisappearingaboutacable’slengthdirectlyundertheirstern。
Traitor!exclaimedCap,shakingafingerattheyoungcommander,thoughpassionchokedtherest。Youmustanswerforthiswithyourlife!headdedafterashortpause。IfIwereattheheadofthisexpedition,Sergeant,Iwouldhanghimattheendofthemain-boom,lestheescapedrowning。
Moderateyourfeelings,brother。bemoremoderate,I
bcseechyou。Jasperappearstohavedoneallforthebest,andmattersmaynotbesobadasyoubelievethem。
Whydidhenotrunforthecreekhementioned?——whyhashebroughtushere,deadtowindwardofthatbluff,andtoaspotwhereeventhebreakersareonlyofhalftheordinarywidth,asifinahurrytodrownallonboard?
Iheadedforthebluff,fortheprecisereasonthatthebreakersaresonarrowatthisspot,answeredJaspermildly,thoughhisgorgehadrisenatthelanguagetheotherheld。
Doyoumeantotellanoldseamanlikemethatthiscuttercouldliveinthosebreakers?
Idonot,sir。Ithinkshewouldfillandswampifdrivenintothefirstlineofthem。Iamcertainshewouldneverreachtheshoreonherbottom,iffairlyentered。I
hopetokeepherclearofthemaltogether。
Withadriftofherlengthinaminute?
Thebackingoftheanchorsdoesnotyetfairlytell,nordoIevenhopethat_they_willentirelybringherup。
Onwhat,then,doyourely?Tomooracraft,headandstern,byfaith,hope,andcharity?
No,sir,Itrusttotheunder-tow。IheadedforthebluffbecauseIknewthatitwasstrongeratthatpointthanatanyother,andbecausewecouldgetnearerinwiththelandwithoutenteringthebreakers。
Thiswassaidwithspirit,thoughwithoutanyparticularshowofresentment。ItseffectonCapwasmarked,thefeelingthatwasuppermostbeingevidentlythatofsurprise。
Under-tow!herepeated。whothedevileverheardofsavingavesselfromgoingashorebytheunder-tow?
Thismayneverhappenontheocean,sir,Jasperan-
sweredmodestly。butwehaveknownittohappenhere。
Theladisright,brother,putintheSergeant。for,thoughIdonotwellunderstandit,Ihaveoftenheardthesailorsofthelakespeakofsuchathing。WeshalldowelltotrusttoJasperinthisstrait。
Capgrumbledandswore。but,astherewasnoremedy,hewascompelledtoacquiesce。Jasper,beingnowcalledontoexplainwhathemeantbytheunder-tow,gavethisaccountofthematter。Thewaterthatwasdrivenupontheshorebythegalewasnecessarilycompelledtofinditslevelbyreturningtothelakebysomesecretchannels。
Thiscouldnotbedoneonthesurface,wherebothwindandwaveswereconstantlyurgingittowardstheland,anditnecessarilyformedasortoflowereddy,bymeansofwhichitflowedbackagaintoitsancientandproperbed。
Thisinferiorcurrenthadreceivedthenameoftheunder-
tow,and,asitwouldnecessarilyactonthebottomofavesselwhichdrewasmuchwaterasthe_Scud_,Jaspertrustedtotheaidofthisreactiontokeephiscablesfromparting。Inshort,theupperandlowercurrentswould,inamanner,counteracteachother。
Simpleandingeniousaswasthistheory,however,asyettherewaslittleevidenceofitsbeingreducedtopractice。
Thedriftcontinued。though,asthekedgesandhawserswithwhichtheanchorswerebackedtookthestrains,itbecamesensiblyless。Atlengththemanattheleadan-
nouncedthejoyfulintelligencethattheanchorshadceasedtodrag,andthatthevesselhadbroughtup!Atthispre-
cisemomentthefirstlineofbreakerswasaboutahundredfeetasternofthe_Scud_,evenappearingtoapproachmuchnearerasthefoamvanishedandreturnedontheragingsurges。Jaspersprangforward,and,castingaglanceoverthebows,hesmiledintriumph,ashepointedexultinglytothecables。Insteadofresemblingbarsofironinrigid-
ity,asbefore,theywerecurvingdownwards,andtoasea-
man’ssensesitwasevidentthatthecutterroseandfellontheseasastheycameinwiththeeaseofashipinatides-way,whenthepowerofthewindisrelievedbythecounteractingpressureofthewater。
’Tistheundertow!heexclaimedwithdelight,fairlyboundingalongthedecktosteadythehelm,inorderthatthecuttermightridestilleasier。Providencehasplacedusdirectlyinitscurrent,andthereisnolongeranydan-
ger。
Ay,ay,Providenceisagoodseaman,growledCap,andoftenhelpslubbersoutofdifficulty。Under-toworupper-tow,thegalehasabated。and,fortunatelyforusall,theanchorshavemetwithgoodholding-ground。Thenthisd——dfreshwaterhasanunnaturalwaywithit。
Menareseldominclinedtoquarrelwithgoodfortune,butitisindistressthattheygrowclamorousandcritical。
MostonboardweredisposedtobelievethattheyhadbeensavedfromshipwreckbytheskillandknowledgeofJas-
per,withoutregardingtheopinionsofCap,whoseremarkswerenowlittleheeded。
Therewashalfanhourofuncertaintyanddoubt,itistrue,duringwhichperiodtheleadwasanxiouslywatched。
andthenafeelingofsecuritycameoverall,andthewearysleptwithoutdreamingofinstantdeath。
CHAPTERXVIII。
Itistobeallmadeofsighsandtears。
Itistobeallmadeoffaithandservice。
Itistobeallmadeofphantasy。
Allmadeofpassion,andallmadeofwishes。
Alladoration,duty,andobservance。
Allhumbleness,allpatience,andimpatience。
Allpurity,alltrial,allobservance。
SHAKESPEARE。
Itwasnearnoonwhenthegalebroke。andthenitsforceabatedassuddenlyasitsviolencehadarisen。Inlessthantwohoursafterthewindfell,thesurfaceofthelake,thoughstillagitated,wasnolongerglitteringwithfoam。
andindoublethattime,theentiresheetpresentedtheor-
dinarysceneofdisturbedwater,thatwasunbrokenbytheviolenceofatempest。Stillthewavescamerollinginces-
santlytowardstheshore,andthelinesofbreakersre-
mained,thoughthesprayhadceasedtofly。thecombingoftheswellswasmoremoderate,andallthattherewasofviolenceproceededfromtheimpulsionofwindwhichhadabated。
Asitwasimpossibletomakeheadagainsttheseathatwasstillup,withthelightopposingairthatblewfromtheeastward,allthoughtsofgettingunderwaythatafternoonwereabandoned。Jasper,whohadnowquietlyre-
sumedthecommandofthe_Scud_,busiedhimself,however,inheaving-uptheanchors,whichwereliftedinsuccession。
thekedgesthatbackedthemwereweighed,andeverythingwasgotinreadinessforapromptdeparture,assoonasthestateoftheweatherwouldallow。Inthemeantime,theywhohadnoconcernwiththesedutiessoughtsuchmeansofamusementastheirpeculiarcircumstancesallowed。
Asiscommonwiththosewhoareunusedtotheconfine-
mentofavessel,Mabelcastwistfuleyestowardstheshore。
norwasitlongbeforesheexpressedawishthatitwerepossibletoland。ThePathfinderwasnearheratthetime,andheassuredherthatnothingwouldbeeasier,astheyhadabarkcanoeondeck,whichwasthebestpossiblemodeofconveyancetogothroughasurf。Aftertheusualdoubtsandmisgivings,theSergeantwasappealedto。hisopinionprovedtobefavorable,andpreparationstocarrythewhimintoeffectwereimmediatelymade。
ThepartywhichwastolandconsistedofSergeantDunham,hisdaughter,andthePathfinder。Accustomedtothecanoe,Mabeltookherseatinthecentrewithgreatsteadiness,herfatherwasplacedinthebows,whiletheguideassumedtheofficeofconductor,bysteeringinthestern。Therewaslittleneedofimpellingthecanoebymeansofthepaddle,fortherollerssentitforwardatmo-
mentswithaviolencethatseteveryefforttogovernitsmovementsatdefiance。Morethanonce,beforetheshorewasreached,Mabelrepentedofhertemerity,butPath-
finderencouragedher,andreallymanifestedsomuchself-
possession,coolness,andstrengthofarmhimself,thatevenafemalemighthavehesitatedaboutowningallherap-
prehensions。Ourheroinewasnocoward。andwhileshefeltthenoveltyofhersituation,inlandingthroughasurf,shealsoexperiencedafairproportionofitswilddelight。
Atmoments,indeed,herheartwasinhermouth,asthebubbleofaboatfloatedontheverycrestofafoamingbreaker,appearingtoskimthewaterlikeaswallow,andthensheflushedandlaughed,as,leftbytheglancingele-
ment,theyappearedtolingerbehindasifashamedofhav-
ingbeenoutdoneintheheadlongrace。Afewminutessufficedforthisexcitement。forthoughthedistancebe-
tweenthecutterandthelandconsiderablyexceededaquarterofamile,theintermediatespacewaspassedinaveryfewminutes。
Onlanding,theSergeantkissedhisdaughterkindly,forhewassomuchofasoldierasalwaystofeelmoreathomeon_terrafirma_thanwhenafloat。and,takinghisgun,heannouncedhisintentiontopassanhourinquestofgame。
Pathfinderwillremainnearyou,girl,andnodoubthewilltellyousomeofthetraditionsofthispartoftheworld,orsomeofhisownexperienceswiththeMingos。
Theguidelaughed,promisedtohaveacareofMabel,andinafewminutesthefatherhadascendedasteepac-
clivityanddisappearedintheforest。Theotherstookan-
otherdirection,which,afterafewminutesofasharpas-
centalso,broughtthemtoasmallnakedpointonthepromontory,wheretheeyeoverlookedanextensiveandverypeculiarpanorama。HereMabelseatedherselfonafragmentoffallenrocktorecoverherbreathandstrength,whilehercompanion,onwhosesinewsnopersonalexertionseemedtomakeanyimpression,stoodatherside,leaninginhisownandnotungracefulmanneronhislongrifle。
Severalminutespassed,andneitherspoke。Mabel,inpar-
ticular,beinglostinadmirationoftheview。
Thepositionthetwohadobtainedwassufficientlyele-
vatedtocommandawidereachofthelake,whichstretchedawaytowardsthenorth-eastinaboundlesssheet,glitter-
ingbeneaththeraysofanafternoon’ssun,andyetbetray-
ingtheremainsofthatagitationwhichithadenduredwhiletossedbythelatetempest。Thelandsetboundstoitslimitsinahugecrescent,disappearingindistanceto-
wardsthesouth-eastandthenorth。Farastheeyecouldreach,nothingbutforestwasvisible,notevenasolitarysignofcivilizationbreakinginupontheuniformandgrandmagnificenceofnature。Thegalehaddriventhe_Scud_beyondthelineofthosefortswithwhichtheFrenchwerethenendeavoringtogirdtheEnglishNorthAmeri-
canpossessions。for,followingthechannelsofcommuni-
cationbetweenthegreatlakes,theirpostswereonthebanksoftheNiagara,whileouradventurershadreachedapointmanyleagueswestwardofthatcelebratedstrait。
Thecutterrodeatsingleanchor,withoutthebreakers,re-
semblingsomewell-imaginedandaccurately-executedtoy,intendedratherforaglasscasethanforstruggleswiththeelementswhichshehadsolatelygonethrough,whilethecanoelayonthenarrowbeach,justoutofreachofthewavesthatcameboomingupontheland,aspeckupontheshingles。
Weareveryfarherefromhumanhabitations!ex-
claimedMabel,when,afteralongsurveyofthescene,itsprincipalpeculiaritiesforcedthemselvesonheractiveandeverbrilliantimagination。thisisindeedbeingonafrontier。
Havetheymoresightlyscenesthanthisnearertheseaandaroundtheirlargetowns?demandedPathfinder,withaninteresthewasapttodiscoverinsuchasubject。
Iwillnotsaythat:thereismoretoremindoneofhisfellow-beingstherethanhere。less,perhaps,toremindoneofGod。
Ay,Mabel,thatiswhatmyownfeelingssay。Iambutapoorhunter,Iknow,untaughtandunlarned。butGodisasnearme,inthismyhome,asheisnearthekinginhisroyalpalace。
Whocandoubtit?returnedMabel,lookingfromtheviewupintothehard-featuredbuthonestfaceofhercom-
panion,thoughnotwithoutsurpriseattheenergyofhismanner。OnefeelsnearertoGodinsuchaspot,Ithink,thanwhenthemindisdistractedbytheobjectsofthetowns。
YousayallIwishtosaymyself,Mabel,butinsomuchplainerspeech,thatyoumakemeashamedofwishingtoletothersknowwhatIfeelonsuchmatters。Ihavecoastedthislakeinsearchofskinsaforethewar,andhavebeenherealready。notatthisveryspot,forwelandedyonder,whereyoumayseetheblastedoakthatstandsabovetheclusterofhemlocks——
How,Pathfinder,canyourememberallthesetriflessoaccurately?
Theseareourstreetsandhouses,ourchurchesandpalaces。Rememberthem,indeed!Ioncemadeanap-
pointmentwiththeBigSarpent,tomeetattwelveo’clockatnoon,nearthefootofacertainpine,attheendofsixmonths,whenneitherofuswaswithinthreehundredmilesofthespot。Thetreestood,andstandsstill,unlessthejudgmentofProvidencehaslightedonthattoo,inthemidstoftheforest,fiftymilesfromanysettlement,butinamostextraordinaryneighborhoodforbeaver。
Anddidyoumeetatthatveryspotandhour?
Doesthesunriseandset?WhenIreachedthetree,IfoundtheSarpentleaningagainstitstrunkwithtornleggingsandmuddiedmoecassins。TheDelawarehadgotintoaswamp,anditworriedhimnotalittletofindhiswayoutofit。butasthesunwhichcomesovertheeasternhillsinthemorninggoesdownbehindthewesternatnight,sowashetruetotimeandplace。NofearofChin-
gachgookwhenthereiseitherafriendoranenemyinthecase。Heisequallysartainwitheach。
AndwhereistheDelawarenow?whyishenotwithusto-day?
HeisscoutingontheMingotrail,whereIoughttohavebeentoo,butforagreathumaninfirmity。
Youseemabove,beyond,superiortoallinfirmity,Path-
finder。Ineveryetmetwithamanwhoappearedtobesolittleliabletotheweaknessesofnature。
Ifyoumeaninthewayofhealthandstrength,Mabel,Providencehasbeenkindtome。thoughIfancytheopenair,longhunts,activescoutings,forestfare,andthesleepofagoodconscience,mayalwayskeepthedoctorsatadis-
tance。ButIamhumanafterall。yes,IfindI’mveryhumaninsomeofmyfeelings。
Mabellookedsurprised,anditwouldbenomorethandelineatingthecharacterofhersex,ifweaddedthathersweetcountenanceexpressedagooddealofcuriosity,too,thoughhertonguewasmorediscreet。
Thereissomethingbewitchinginthiswildlifeofyours,Pathfinder,sheexclaimed,atingeofenthusiasmmantlinghercheeks。IfindI’mfastgettingtobeafrontiergirl,andamcomingtoloveallthisgrandsilenceofthewoods。Thetownsseemtametome。and,asmyfatherwillprobablypasstheremainderofhisdayshere,wherehehasalreadylivedsolong,IbegintofeelthatI
shouldbehappytocontinuewithhim,andnottoreturntothesea-shore。
Thewoodsareneversilent,Mabel,tosuchasunder-
standtheirmeaning。DaysatatimehaveItravelledthemalone,withoutfeelingthewantofcompany。and,asforconversation,forsuchascancomprehendtheirlan-
guage,thereisnowantofrationalandinstructivedis-
course。
Ibelieveyouarehappierwhenalone,Pathfinder,thanwhenminglingwithyourfellow-creatures。
Iwillnotsaythat,Iwillnotsayexactlythat。IhaveseenthetimewhenIhavethoughtthatGodwassufficientformeintheforest,andthatIhavecravednomorethanHisbountyandHiscare。Butotherfeelingshavegotuppermost,andIsupposenatur’willhaveitsway。Allothercreatursmate,Mabel,anditwasintendedmanshoulddosotoo。
Andhaveyouneverbethoughtyouofseekingawife,Pathfinder,toshareyourfortunes?inquiredthegirl,withthedirectnessandsimplicitythatthepureofheartandtheundesigningarethemostapttomanifest,andwiththatfeelingofaffectionwhichisinbredinhersex。Tomeitseemsyouonlywantahometoreturntofromyourwanderingstorenderyourlifecompletelyhappy。WereIaman,itwouldbemydelighttoroamthroughtheseforestsatwill,ortosailoverthisbeautifullake。
Iunderstandyou,Mabel。andGodblessyouforthink-
ingofthewelfareofmenashumbleasweare。Wehaveourpleasures,itistrue,aswellasourgifts,butwemightbehappier。yes,Idothinkwemightbehappier。
Happier!inwhatway,Pathfinder?Inthispureair,withthesecoolandshadedforeststowanderthrough,thislovelylaketogazeatandsailupon,withclearconsciences,andabundanceforalltheirrealwants,menoughttobenothinglessthanasperfectlyhappyastheirinfirmitieswillallow。
Everycreatur’hasitsgifts,Mabel,andmenhavetheirs,answeredtheguide,lookingstealthilyathisbeau-
tifulcompanion,whosecheekshadflushedandeyesbright-
enedundertheardoroffeelingsexcitedbythenoveltyofherstrikingsituation。andallmustobeythem。Doyouseeyonderpigeonthatisjustalightin’onthebeach——
hereinalinewiththefallenchestnut?
Certainly。itistheonlythingstirringwithlifeinit,besidesourselves,thatistobeseeninthisvastsolitude。
Notso,Mabel,notso。Providencemakesnothingthatlivestolivequitealone。Hereisitsmate,justrisingonthewing。ithasbeenfeedingneartheotherbeach,butitwillnotlongbeseparatedfromitscompanion。
Iunderstandyou,Pathfinder,returnedMabel,smilingsweetly,thoughascalmlyasifthediscoursewaswithherfather。Butahuntermayfindamate,eveninthiswildregion。TheIndiangirlsareaffectionateandtrue,Iknow。
forsuchwasthewifeofArrowhead,toahusbandwhooftenerfrownedthansmiled。
Thatwouldneverdo,Mabel,andgoodwouldnevercomeofit。Kindmustclingtokind,andcountrytocoun-
try,ifonewouldfindhappiness。If,indeed,Icouldmeetwithonelikeyou,whowouldconsenttobeahunter’swife,andwhowouldnotscornmyignoranceandrudeness,then,indeed,wouldallthetoilofthepastappearlikethesport-
ingoftheyoungdeer,andallthefuturelikesunshine。
Onelikeme!Agirlofmyyearsandindiscretionwouldhardlymakeafitcompanionfortheboldestscoutandsuresthunteronthelines。
Ah,Mabel!IfearmethatIhavebeenimprovingared-
skin’sgiftswithapale-face’snatur’?SuchacharacterwouldinsureawifeinanIndianvillage。
Surely,surely,Pathfinder,youwouldnotthinkofchoosingonesoignorant,sofrivolous,sovain,andsoin-
experiencedasIforyourwife?Mabelwouldhaveadded,andasyoung。butaninstinctivefeelingofdelicacyre-
pressedthewords。
Andwhynot,Mabel?Ifyouareignorantoffrontierusages,youknowmorethanallofusofpleasantanecdotesandtowncustoms:asforfrivolous,Iknownotwhatitmeans。butifitsignifiesbeauty,ah’sme!Ifearitisnofaultinmyeyes。Vainyouarenot,asisseenbythekindmannerinwhichyoulistentoallmyidletalesaboutscoutingsandtrails。andasforexperielice,thatwillcomewithyears。Besides,Mabel,Ifearmenthinklittleofthesematterswhentheyareabouttotakewives:Ido。
Pathfinder,yourwords,——yourlooks:——surelyallthisismeantintrifling。youspeakinpleasantry?
Tomeitisalwaysagreeabletobenearyou,Mabel。andIshouldsleepsounderthisblessednightthanIhavedoneforaweekpast,couldIthinkthatyoufindsuchdiscourseaspleasantasIdo。
WeshallnotsaythatMabelDunhamhadnotbelievedherselfafavoritewiththeguide。Thisherquickfemi-
ninesagacityhadearlydiscovered。andperhapsshehadoccasionallythoughttherehadmingledwithhisregardandfriendshipsomeofthatmanlytendernesswhichtherudersexmustbecoarse,indeed,nottoshowonoccasionstothegentler。buttheideathatheseriouslysoughtherforhiswifehadneverbeforecrossedthemindofthespir-
itedandingenuousgirl。Now,however,agleamofsome-
thinglikethetruthbrokeinuponherimagination,lessinducedbythewordsofhercompanion,perhaps,thanbyhismanner。Lookingearnestlyintotherugged,honestcountenanceofthescout,Mabel’sownfeaturesbecameconcernedandgrave。andwhenshespokeagain,itwaswithagentlenessofmannerthatattractedhimtoherevenmorepowerfullythanthewordsthemselveswerecalculatedtorepel。
YouandIshouldunderstandeachother,Pathfinder,
saidshewithanearnestsincerity。norshouldtherebeanycloudbetweenus。Youaretoouprightandfranktomeetwithanythingbutsincerityandfranknessinreturn。
Surely,surely,allthismeansnothing,——hasnoothercon-
nectionwithyourfeelingsthansuchafriendshipasoneofyourwisdomandcharacterwouldnaturallyfeelforagirllikeme?
Ibelieveit’sallnat’ral,Mabelyes。Ido:theSergeanttellsmehehadsuchfeelingstowardsyourownmother,andIthinkI’veseensomethinglikeitintheyoungpeopleIhavefromtimetotimeguidedthroughthewilderness。
Yes,yes,Idaresayit’sallnat’ralenough,andthatmakesitcomesoeasy,andisagreatcomforttome。
Pathfinder,yourwordsmakemeuneasy。Speakplainer,orchangethesubjectforever。Youdonot,cannotmeanthat——youcannotwishmetounderstand——eventhetongueofthespiritedMabelfaltered,andsheshrank,withmaidenshame,fromaddingwhatshewishedsoearnestlytosay。Rallyinghercourage,however,anddeterminedtoknowallassoonandasplainlyaspossible,afteramo-
ment’shesitation,shecontinued,——Imean,Pathfinder,thatyoudonotwishmetounderstandthatyouseriouslythinkofmeasawife?
Ido,Mabel。that’sit,that’sjustit。andyouhaveputthematterinamuchbetterpointofviewthanIwithmyfor-
estgiftsandfrontierwayswouldeverbeabletodo。TheSergeantandIhaveconcludedonthematter,ifitisagree-
abletoyou,ashethinksislikelytobethecase。thoughI
doubtmyownpowertopleaseonewhodeservesthebesthusbandAmericacanproduce。
Mabel’scountenancechangedfromuneasinesstosur-
prise。andthen,byatransitionstillquicker,fromsurprisetopain。
Myfather!sheexclaimed,——mydearfatherhasthoughtofmybecomingyourwife,Pathfinder?
Yes,hehas,Mabel,hehas,indeed。Hehaseventhoughtsuchathingmightbeagreeabletoyou,andhasalmostencouragedmetofancyitmightbetrue。
Butyouyourself,——youcertainlycancarenothingwhetherthissingularexpectationshalleverberealizedornot?
Anan?
Imean,Pathfinder,thatyouhavetalkedofthismatchmoretoobligemyfatherthananythingelse。thatyourfeel-
ingsarenowayconcerned,letmyanswerbewhatitmay?
ThescoutlookedearnestlyintothebeautifulfaceofMabel,whichhadflushedwiththeardorandnoveltyofhersensations,anditwasnotpossibletomistakethein-
tenseadmirationthatbetrayeditselfineverylineamentofhisingenuouscountenance。
Ihaveoftenthoughtmyselfhappy,Mabel,whenrang-
ingthewoodsonasuccessfulhunt,breathingthepureairofthehills,andfilledwithvigorandhealth。butInowknowthatithasallbeenidlenessandvanitycomparedwiththedelightitwouldgivemetoknowthatyouthoughtbetterofmethanyouthinkofmostothers。
Betterofyou!——Ido,indeed,thinkbetterofyou,Path-
finder,thanofmostothers:IamnotcertainthatIdonotthinkbetterofyouthanofanyother。foryourtruth,hon-
esty,simplicity,justice,andcouragearescarcelyequalledbyanyofearth。
Ah,Mabel,thesearesweetandencouragingwordsfromyou!andtheSergeant,afterall,wasnotsonearwrongasIfeared。
Nay,Pathfinder,inthenameofallthatissacredandjsut,donotletusmisunderstandeachotherinamatterofsomuchimportance。WhileIesteem,respect,nay,reverenceyou,almostasmuchasIreverencemyowndearfather,itisimpossiblethatIshouldeverbecomeyourwife——thatI——
Thechangeinhercompanion’scountenancewassosud-
denandsogreat,thatthemomenttheeffectofwhatshehadutteredbecamevisibleinthefaceofthePathfinder,Mabelarrestedherownwords,notwithstandingherstrongdesiretobeexplicit,thereluctancewithwhichshecouldatanytimecausepainnbeingsufficientofitselftoinducethepause。Neitherspokeforsometime,theshadeofdis-
appointmentthatcrossedtheruggedlineamentsofthehunteramountingsonearlytoanguishastofrightenhiscompanion,whilethesensationofchokingbecamesostronginthePathfinderthathefairlygripedhisthroat,likeonewhosoughtphysicalreliefforphysicalsuffering。Theconvulsivemannerinwhichhisfingersworkedactuallystruckthealarmedgirlwithafeelingofawe。
Nay,Pathfinder,Mabeleagerlyadded,theinstantshecouldcommandhervoice,——ImayhavesaidmorethanI
mean。forallthingsofthisnaturearepossible,andwomen,theysay,areneversureoftheirownminds。WhatIwishyoutounderstandis,thatitisnotlikelythatyouandIshouldeverthinkofeachotherasmanandwifeoughttothinkofeachother。
Idonot——Ishallneverthinkinthatwayagain,Mabel,
gaspedforththePathfinder,whoappearedtoutterhiswordslikeonejustraisedabovethepressureofsomesuffo-
catingsubstance。No,no,Ishallneverthinkofyou,oranyoneelse,againinthatway。
Pathfinder,dearPathfinder,understandme。donotattachmoremeaningtomywordsthanIdomyself:amatchlikethatwouldbeunwise,unnatural,perhaps。
Yes,unnat’ral——ag’innatur’。andsoItoldtheSer-
geant,buthe_would_haveitotherwise。
Pathfinder!oh,thisisworsethanIcouldhaveim-
agined!Takemyhand,excellentPathfinder,andletmeseethatyoudonothateme。ForGod’ssake,smileuponmeagain。
Hateyou,Mabel!Smileuponyou!Ah’sme!
Nay,givemeyourhand。yourhardy,true,andmanlyhand——both,both,Pathfinder!forIshallnotbeeasyuntilIfeelcertainthatwearefriendsagain,andthatallthishasbeenamistake。
Mabel!saidtheguide,lookingwistfullyintothefaceofthegenerousandimpetuousgirl,assheheldhistwohardandsunburnthandsinherownprettyanddelicatefingers,andlaughinginhisownsilentandpeculiarman-
ner,whileanguishgleamedoverlineamentswhichseemedincapableofdeception,evenwhileagitatedwithemotionssoconflicting,——Mabel!theSergeantwaswrong。
Thepent-upfeeliugscouldendurenomore,andthetearsrolleddownthecheeksofthescoutlikerain。Hisfingersagainworkedconvulsivelyathisthroat。andhisbreastheaved,asifitpossessedatenantofwhichitwouldberid,byanyeffort,howeverdesperate。
Pathfinder!Pathfinder!Mabelalmostshrieked。
anythingbutthis,anythingbutthis!Speaktome,Pathfinder!Smileagain,sayonekindword,anythingtoproveyoucanforgiveme。
TheSergeantwaswrong!exclaimedtheguide,laugh-
ingamidhisagony,inawaytoterrifyhiscompanionbytheunnaturalmixtureofanguishandlight-heartedness。
Iknewit,Iknewit,andsaidit。yes,theSergeantwaswrongafterall。
Wecanbefriends,thoughwecannotbemanandwife,
continuedMabel,almostasmuchdisturbedashercompan-
ion,scarcelyknowingwhatshesaid。wecanalwaysbefriends,andalwayswill。
IthoughttheSergeantwasmistaken,resumedthePathfinder,whenagreatefforthadenabledhimtocom-
mandhimself,forIdidnotthinkmygiftsweresuchaswouldpleasethefancyofatown-bredgirl。Itwouldhavebeenbetter,Mabel,hadhenotover-presuadedmeintoadifferentnotion。anditmighthavebeenbetter,too,hadyounotbeensopleasantandconfidinglike。yes,itwould。
IfIthoughtanyerrorofminehadraisedfalseexpec-
tationsinyou,Pathfinder,howeverunintentionallyonmypart,Ishouldneverforgivemyself。for,believeme,I
wouldratherendurepaininmyownfeelingsthanyoushouldsuffer。
That’sjustit,Mabel,that’sjustit。Thesespeechesaudopinions,spokeninsosoftavoice,andinawayI’msounusedtointhewoods,havedonethemischief。ButI
nowseeplainly,andbegintounderstandthedifferencebetweenusbetter,andwillstrivetokeepdownthought,andtogoabroadagainasIusedtodo,lookingforthegameandtheinimy。Ah’sme,Mabel!Ihaveindeedbeenonafalsetrailsincewemet。
Inalittlewhileyouwillforgetallthis,andthinkofmeasafriend,whoowesyouherlife。
Thismaybethewayinthetowns,butIdoubtifit’snat’raltothewoods。Withus,whentheeyeseesalovelysight,itisapttokeepitlonginview,orwhenthemindtakesinanuprightandproperfeeling,itisloathtopartwithit。
Youwillforgetitall,whenyoucomeseriouslytorecol-
lectthatIamaltogetherunsuitedtobeyourwife。
SoItoldtheSergeant。buthewouldhaveitotherwise。
Iknewyouwastooyoungandbeautifulforoneofmiddleage,likemyself,andwhoneverwascomelytolookateveninyouth。andthenyourwayshavenotbeenmyways。norwouldahunter’scabinbeafittingplaceforonewhowasedicatedamongchiefs,asitwere。IfIwereyoungerandcomelierthough,likeJasperEau-douce——
NevermindJasperEau-douce,interruptedMabelim-
patiently。wecantalkofsomethingelse。
Jasperisaworthylad,Mabel。ay,andacomely,re-
turnedtheguilelessguide,lookingearnestlyatthegirl,asifhedistrustedherjudgmentinspeakingslightinglyofhisfriend。WereIonlyhalfascomelyasJasperWes-
tern,mymisgivingsinthisaffairwouldnothavebeensogreat,andtheymightnothavebeensotrue。
WewillnottalkofJasperWestern,repeatedMabel,thecolormountingtohertemples。hemaybegoodenoughinagale,oronthelake,butheisnotgoodenoughtotalkofhere。
Ifearme,Mabel,heisbetterthanthemanwhoislikelytobeyourhusband,thoughtheSergeantsaysthatnevercantakeplace。ButtheSergeantwaswrongonce,andhemaybewrongtwice。
Andwhoislikelytobemyhusband,Pathfinder!Thisisscarcelylessstrangethanwhathasjustpassedbetweenus。
Iknowitisnat’ralforliketoseeklike,andforthemthathaveconsortedmuchwithofficers’ladiestowishtobeofficers’ladiesthemselves。But,Mabel。Imayspeakplainlytoyou,Iknow。andIhopemywordswillnotgiveyoupain。for,nowIunderstandwhatitistobedisap-
pointedinsuchfeelings,Iwouldn’twishtocauseevenaMingosorrowonthishead。Buthappinessisnotalwaystobefoundinamarquee,anymorethaninatent。andthoughtheofficers’quartersmaylookmoretemptingthantherestofthebarracks,thereisoftengreatmiserybetweenhusbandandwifeinsideoftheirdoors。
Idonotdoubtitintheleast,Pathfinder。and,diditrestwithmetodecide,Iwouldsoonerfollowyoutosomecabininthewoods,andshareyourfortune,whetheritmightbebetterorworse,thangoinsidethedoorofanyofficerIknow,withanintentionofremainingthereasitsmaster’swife。
Mabel,thisisnotwhatLundiehopes,orLundiethinks。
Andwhat,careIforLundie?Heismajorofthe55th,andmaycommandhismentowheelandmarchaboutashepleases。buthecannotcompelmetowedthegreatestorthemeanestofhismess。Besides,whatcanyouknowofLundie’swishesonsuchasubject?
FromLundie’sownmouth。TheSergeanthadtoldhimthathewishedmeforason-in-law。andtheMajor,beinganoldandatruefriend,conversedwithmeonthesubject。Heputittomeplainly,whetheritwouldnotbemoreginerousinmetoletanofficersucceed,thantostrivetomakeyoushareahunter’sfortune。Iownedthetruth,Idid。andthatwas,thatIthoughtitmight。butwhenhetoldmethattheQuartermasterwouldbehischoice,Iwouldnotabidebytheconditions。No,no,Mabel。IknowDavyMuirwell,andthoughhemaymakeyoualady,becannevermakeyouahappywoman,orhimselfagentleman。
Myfatherhasbeenverywrongifhehassaidordoneaughttocauseyousorrow,Pathfinder。andsogreatismyrespectforyou,sosinceremyfriendship,thatwereitnotforone——ImeanthatnopersonneedfearLieutenantMuir’sinfluencewithme——IwouldratherremainasIamtomydyingdaythanbecomealadyatthecostofbeinghiswife。
Idonotthinkyouwouldsaythatwhichyoudonotfeel,Mabel,returnedPathfinderearnestly。
Notatsuchamoment,onsuchasubject,andleastofalltoyou。No。LieutenantMuirmayfindwiveswherehecan——mynameshallneverbeonhiscatalogue。
Thankyou,thankyouforthat,Mabel,for,thoughthereisnolongeranyhopeforme,IcouldneverbehappywereyoutotaketotheQuartermaster。Ifearedthecom-
missionmightcountforsomething,Idid。andIknowtheman。Itisnotjealousythatmakesmespeakinthismanner,buttruth,forIknowtheman。Now,wereyoutofancyadesarvingyouth,onelikeJasperWestern,forinstance——
WhyalwaysmentionJasperEau-douce,Pathfinder?
hecanhavenoconcernwithourfriendship。letustalkofyourself,andofthemannerinwhichyouintendtopassthewinter。
Ah’sme!——I’mlittleworthatthebest,Mabel,unlessitmaybeonatrailorwiththerifle。andlessworthnowthatIhavediscoveredtheSergeant’smistake。Thereisnoneed,therefore,oftalkingofme。Ithasbeenverypleasanttometobenearyousolong,andeventofancythattheSergeantwasright。butthatisallovernow。IshallgodownthelakewithJasper,andthentherewillbebusinesstooccupyus,andthatwillkeepuselessthoughtsoutofthemind。
Andyouwillforgetthis——forgetme——no,notforgetme,either,Pathfinder。butyouwillresumeyouroldpur-
suits,andceasetothinkagirlofsufficientimportancetodisturbyourpeace?
Ineverknoweditafore,Mabel。butgirlsareofmoreaccountinthislifethanIcouldhavebelieved。Now,aforeIknowedyou,thenew-bornbabedidnotsleepmoresweetlythanIused。myheadwasnosoonerontheroot,orthestone,ormayhapontheskin,thanallwaslosttothesenses,unlessitmightbetogooverinthenightthebusinessofthedayinadreamlike。andthereIlaytillthemomentcametobestirring,andtheswallowswerenotmorecertaintobeonthewingwiththelight,thanI
tobeafootatthemomentIwishedtobe。Allthisseemedagift,andmightbecalculatedoneveninthemidstofaMingocamp。forI’vebeenoutlyinginmytime,intheveryvillagesofthevagabonds。
Andallthiswillreturntoyou,Pathfinder,foronesouprightandsincerewillneverwastehishappinessonamerefancy。Youwilldreamagainofyourhunts,ofthedeeryouhaveslain,andofthebeaveryouhavetaken。
Ah’sme,Mabel,Iwishnevertodreamagain!Beforewemet,Ihadasortofpleasureinfollowingupthehounds,infancy,asitmightbe。andeveninstrikingatrailoftheIroquois——nay,I’vebeeninskrimmagesaudambushments,inthoughtlike,andfoundsatisfactioninit,accordingtomygifts。butallthosethingshavelosttheircharmssinceI’vemadeacquaintancewithyou。Now,Ithinknolongerofanythingrudeinmydreams。buttheverylastnightwestayedinthegarrisonIimaginedIhadacabininagroveofsugarmaples,andattherootofeverytreewasaMabelDunham,whilethebirdsamongthebranchessangballadsinsteadofthenotesthatnatur’gave,andeventhedeerstoppedtolisten。Itriedtoshootafa’n,butKill-
deermissedfire,andthecreatur’laughedinmyface,aspleasantlyasayounggirllaughsinhermerriment,andthenitboundedaway,lookingbackasifexpectingmefollow。
Nomoreofthis,Pathfinder。we’lltalknomoreofthesethings,saidMabel,dashingthetearsfromhereyes:
forthesimple,earnestmannerinwhichthishardywoods-
manbetrayedthedeepholdshehadtakenofhisfeelingsnearlyprovedtoomuchforherowngenerousheart。
Now,letuslookformyfather。hecannotbedistant,asIheardhisgunquitenear。
TheSergeantwaswrong——yes,hewaswrong,andit’sofnoavailtoattempttomakethedoveconsortwiththewolf。
Herecomesmydearfather,interruptedMabel。Letuslookcheerfulandhappy,Pathfinder,assuchgoodfriendsoughttolook,andkeepeachother’ssecrets。
Apausesucceeded。theSergeant’sfootwasheardcrush-
ingthedriedtwigshardby,andthenhisformappearedshovingasidethebushesofacopsejustnear。Asheissuedintotheopenground,theoldsoldierscrutinizedhisdaughterandhercompanion,andspeakinggood-naturedly,hesaid,Mabel,child,youareyoungaudlightoffoot——
lookforabirdthatI’veshotthatfelljustbeyondthethicketofyounghemlocksontheshore。and,asJasperisshowingsignsofanintentionofgettingunderway,youneednottakethetroubletoclamberupthishillagain,butwewillmeetyouonthebeachinafewminutes。
Mabelobeyed,boundingdownthehillwiththeelasticstepofyouthandhealth。But,notwithstandingthelight-
nessofhersteps,theheartofthegirlwasheavy,andnosoonerwasshehidfromobservationbythethicket,thanshethrewherselfontherootofatreeandweptasifherheartwouldbreak。TheSergeantwatchedheruntilshedisappeared,withafather’spride,andthenturnedtohiscompanionwithasmileaskindandasfamiliarashishabitswouldallowhimtousetowardsany。
Shehashermother’slightnessandactivity,myfriend,withsomewhatofherfather’sforce,saidhe。Hermotherwasnotquitesohandsome,Ithinkmyself。buttheDunhamswerealwaysthoughtcomely,whethermenorwomen。Well,Pathfinder,Itakeitforgrantedyou’venotoverlookedtheopportunity,buthavespokenplainlytothegirl?womenlikefranknessinmattersofthissort。
IbelieveMabelandIunderstandeachotheratlast,Sergeant,returnedtheother,lookinganotherwaytoavoidthesoldier’sface。
Somuchthebetter。Somepeoplefancythatalittledoubtanduncertaintymakesloveallthelivelier。butI
amoneofthosewhothinktheplainerthetonguespeakstheeasierthemindwillcomprehend。WasMabelsur-
prised?
Ifearshewas,Sergeant。Ifearshewastakenquitebysurprise——yes,Ido。
Well,well,surprisesinlovearelikeanambushinwar,andquiteaslawful。thoughitisnotsoeasytotellwhenawomanissurprised,astotellwhenithappenstoanen-
emy。Mabeldidnotrunaway,myworthyfriend,didshe?
No,Sergeant,Mabeldidnottrytoescape。_that_Icansaywithaclearconscience。
Ihopethegirlwastoowilling,neither!Hermotherwasshyandcoyforamonth,atleast。butfrank-
ness,afterall,isarecommendationinamanorwoman。
Thatitis,thatitis。andjudgment,too。
Youarenottolookfortoomuchjudgmentinayoungcreatureoftwenty,Pathfinder,butitwillcomewithex-
perience。Amistakeinyouorme,forinstance,mightnotbesoeasilyoverlooked。butinagirlofMabel’syears,oneisnottostrainatagnatlesttheyswallowacamel。
ThereaderwillrememberthatSergeantDunhamwasnotaHebrewscholar。
Themusclesofthelistener’sfacetwitchedastheSer-
geantwasthusdeliveringhissentiments,thoughthefor-
merhadnowrecoveredaportionofthatstoicismwhichformedsolargeapartofhischaracter,andwhichhehadprobablyimbibedfromlongassociationwiththeIndians。
Hiseyesroseandfell,andonceagleamshotathwarthishardfeaturesasifhewereabouttoindulgeinhispeculiarlaugh。butthejoyousfeeling,ifitreallyexisted,wasasquicklylostinalookalliedtoanguish。Itwasthisun-
usualmixtureofwildandkeenmentalagonywithnative,simplejoyousness,whichhadmoststruckMabel,who,intheinterviewjustrelated,hadadozentimesbeenonthepointofbelievingthathersuitor’sheartwasonlylightlytouched,asimagesofhappinessandhumorgleamedoveramindthatwasalmostinfantineinitssimplicityandnature。animpression,however,whichwassoondrivenawaybythediscoveryofemotionssopainfulandsodeep,thattheyseemedtoharrowtheverysoul。
Yousaytrue,Sergeant,Pathfinderanswered。amis-
takeinonelikeyouisamoreseriousmatter。
YouwillfindMabelsincereandhonestintheend。
giveherbutalittletime。
Ah’sme,Sergeant!
Amanofyourmeritswouldmakeanimpressiononarock,givehimtime,Pathfinder。
SergeantDunham,weareoldfellow-campaigners——
thatis,ascampaignsarecarriedonhereinthewilderness。
andwehavedonesomanykindactstoeachotherthatwecanaffordtobecandid——whathascausedyoutobelievethatagirllikeMabelcouldeverfancyonesorudeasI
am?
What?——why,avarietyofreasons,andgoodreasonstoo,myfriend。Thosesameactsofkindness,perhaps,andthecampaignsyoumention。moreover,youaremyswornandtriedcomrade。
Allthissoundswell,sofarasyouandIareconsarned。
buttheydonottouchthecaseofyourprettydaughter。
ShemaythinktheseverycampaignshavedestroyedthelittlecomelinessImayoncehavehad。andIamnotquitesartainthatbeinganoldfriendofherfatherwouldleadanyyoungmaiden’smindintoaparticularaffectionforasuitor。Likeloveslike,Itellyou,Sergeant。andmygiftsarenotaltogetherthegiftsofMabelDunham。
Thesearesomeofyouroldmodestqualms,Pathfinder,andwilldoyounocreditwiththegirl。Womendistrustmenwhodistrustthemselves,andtaketomenwhodis-
trustnothing。Modestyisacapitalthinginarecruit,I
grantyou。orinayoungsubalternwhohasjustjoined,foritpreventshisrailingatthenon-commissionedofficersbeforeheknowswhattorailat。I’mnotsureitisoutofplaceinacommissaryoraparson,butit’sthedevilandallwhenitgetspossessionofarealsoldieroralover。
Haveaslittletodowithitaspossible,ifyouwouldwinawoman’sheart。Asforyourdoctrinethatlikeloveslike,itisaswrongaspossibleinmattersofthissort。Iflikelovedlike,womenwouldloveoneanother,andmenalso。
No,no,likelovesdislike,——theSergeantwasmerelyascholarofthecamp,——andyouhavenothingtofearfromMabelonthatscore。LookatLieutenantMuir。themanhashadfivewivesalready,theytellme,andthereisnomoremodestyinhimthanthereisinacat-o’-nine-tails。
LieutenantMuirwillneverbethehusbandofMabelDunham,lethimrufflehisfeathersasmuchashemay。
Thatisasensibleremarkofyours,Pathfinder。formymindismadeupthatyoushallbemyson-in-law。IfI
wereanofficermyself,Mr。Muirmighthavesomechance。
buttimehasplacedonedoorbetweenmychildandmyself,andIdon’tintendthereshallbethatofamarqueealso。
Sergeant,wemustletMabelfollowherownfancy。sheisyoungandlightofheart,andGodforbidthatanywishofmineshouldlaytheweightofafeatheronamindthatisallgaietynow,ortakeonenoteofhappinessfromherlaughter!
Haveyouconversedfreelywiththegirl?theSergeantdemandedquickly,andwithsomeasperityofmanner。
Pathfinderwastoohonesttodenyatruthplainasthatwhichtheanswerrequired,andyettoohonorabletobetrayMabel,andexposehertotheresentmentofonewhomhewellknewtobesterninhisanger。
Wehavelaidopenourminds,hesaid。andthoughMabel’sisonethatanymanmightlovetolookat,Ifindlittlethere,Sergeant,tomakemethinkanybetterofmy-
self。
Thegirlhasnotdaredtorefuseyou——torefuseherfather’sbestfriend?
Pathfinderturnedhisfaceawaytoconcealthelookofanguishthatconsciousnesstoldhimwaspassingathwartit,buthecontinuedthediscourseinhisownquiet,manlytones。
Mabelistookindtorefuseanything,ortoutterharshwordstoadog。Ihavenotputthequestioninawaytobedownrightrefused,Sergeant。
Anddidyouexpectmydaughtertojumpintoyourarmsbeforeyouaskedher?Shewouldnothavebeenhermother’schildhadshedoneanysuchthing,nordoIthinkshewouldhavebeenmine。TheDunhamslikeplaindealingaswellastheking’smajesty。buttheyarenojumpers。Leavemetomanagethismatterforyou,Path-
finder,andthereshallbenounnecessarydelay。I’llspeaktoMabelmyselfthisveryevening,usingyournameasprincipalintheaffair。
I’drathernot,I’drathernot,Sergeant。LeavethemattertoMabelandme,andIthinkallwillcomerightintheind。Younggirlsareliketimorsomebirds。theydonotover-relishbeinghurriedorspokenharshlytonither。
LeavethemattertoMabelandme。
OnoneconditionIwill,myfriend。andthatis,thatyouwillpromiseme,onthehonorofascout,thatyouwillputthematterplainlytoMabelthefirstsuitableoppor-
tunity,andnomincingofwords。
Iwillaskher,Sergeant,onconditionthatyoupromisenottomeddleintheaffair——yes,IwillpromisetoaskMabelwhethershewillmarryme,eventhoughshelaughinmyfaceatmydoingso,onthatcondition。
第10章