the pathfinder-第20章

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latter　really　deserved　the　name　it　bore；　as　has　been　already
shown。

Mabel　certainly　felt　distrust　and　apprehension；　but　her
entire　situation　was　so　novel；　and　her　reliance　on　her　guide
so　great；　that　she　retained　a　self…command　which　might
not　have　existed　had　she　clearer　perceptions　of　the　truth；
or　been　better　acquainted　with　the　helplessness　of　men
when　placed　in　opposition　to　the　power　and　majesty　of
Nature。

〃Is　that　the　spot　you　have　mentioned？〃　she　said　to
Jasper；　when　the　roar　of　the　rift　first　came　distinctly　on
her　ears。

〃It　is；　and　I　beg　you　to　have　confidence　in　me。　　We　are
not　old　acquaintances；　Mabel；　but　we　live　many　days　in
one；　in　this　wilderness。　　I　think；　already；　that　I　have
known　you　years！〃

〃And　I　do　not　feel　as　if　you　were　a　stranger　to　me；
Jasper。　　I　have　every　reliance　on　your　skill；　as　well　as　on
your　disposition　to　serve　me。〃

〃We　shall　see；　we　shall　see。　　Pathfinder　is　striking　the
rapids　too　near　the　centre　of　the　river；　the　bed　of　the　water
is　closer　to　the　eastern　shore；　but　I　cannot　make　him　hear
me　now。　　Hold　firmly　to　the　canoe；　Mabel；　and　fear
nothing。〃

At　the　next　moment　the　swift　current　had　sucked　them
into　the　rift；　and　for　three　or　four　minutes　the　awe…struck；
rather　than　the　alarmed；　girl　saw　nothing　around　her　but
sheets　of　glancing　foam；　heard　nothing　but　the　roar　of
waters。　　Twenty　times　did　the　canoe　appear　about　to　dash
against　some　curling　and　bright　wave　that　showed　itself
even　amid　that　obscurity；　and　as　often　did　it　glide　away
again　unharmed；　impelled　by　the　vigorous　arm　of　him
who　governed　its　movements。　　Once；　and　once　only；　did
Jasper　seem　to　lose　command　of　his　frail　bark；　during
which　brief　space　it　fairly　whirled　entirely　round；　but　by
a　desperate　effort　he　brought　it　again　under　control；　re…
covered　the　lost　channel；　and　was　soon　rewarded　for　all
his　anxiety　by　finding　himself　floating　quietly　in　the　deep
water　below　the　rapids；　secure　from　every　danger；　and
without　having　taken　in　enough　of　the　element　to　serve
for　a　draught。

〃All　is　over；　Mabel；〃　the　young　man　cried　cheerfully。
〃The　danger　is　past；　and　you　may　now　indeed　hope　to
meet　your　father　this　very　night。〃

〃God　be　praised！　　Jasper；　we　shall　owe　this　great　hap…
piness　to　you。〃

〃The　Pathfinder　may　claim　a　full　share　in　the　merit；
but　what　has　become　of　the　other　canoe？〃

〃I　see　something　near　us　on　the　water；　is　it　not　the
boat　of　our　friends？〃

A　few　strokes　of　the　paddle　brought　Jasper　to　the　side
of　the　object　in　question：　it　was　the　other　canoe；　empty
and　bottom　upwards。　　No　sooner　did　the　young　man　as…
certain　this　fact；　than　he　began　to　search　for　the　swimmers；
and；　to　his　great　joy；　Cap　was　soon　discovered　drifting　down
with　the　current；　the　old　seaman　preferring　the　chances
of　drowning　to　those　of　landing　among　savages。　　He　was
hauled　into　the　canoe；　though　not　without　difficulty；　and
then　the　search　ended；　for　Jasper　was　persuaded　that　the
Pathfinder；　would　wade　to　the　shore；　the　water　being　shal…
low　in　preference　to　abandoning　his　beloved　rifle。

The　remainder　of　the　passage　was　short；　though　made
amid　darkness　and　doubt。　　After　a　short　pause；　a　dull
roaring　sound　was　heard；　which　at　times　resembled　the
mutterings　of　distant　thunder；　and　then　again　brought
with　it　the　washing　of　waters。　　Jasper　announced　to　his
companions　that　they　now　heard　the　surf　of　the　lake。
Low　curved　spits　of　land　lay　before　them；　into　the　bay
formed　by　one　of　which　the　canoe　glided；　and　then　it　shot
up　noiselessly　upon　a　gravelly　beach。　　The　transition　that
followed　was　so　hurried　and　great；　that　Mabel　scarcely
knew　what　passed。　　In　the　course　of　a　few　minutes；　how…
ever　sentinels　had　been　passed；　a　gate　was　opened；　and
the　agitated　girl　found　herself　in　the　arms　of　a　parent
who　was　almost　a　stranger　to　her。



CHAPTER　VIII。

A　land　of　love；　and　a　land　of　light；
Withouten　sun；　or　moon；　or　night：
Where　the　river　swa'd　a　living　stream；
And　the　light　a　pure　celestial　beam：
The　land　of　vision；　it　would　seem
A　still；　an　everlasting　dream。
_Queen's　Wake。_


The　rest　that　succeeds　fatigue；　and　which　attends　a
newly　awakened　sense　of　security；　is　generally　sweet　and
deep。　　Such　was　the　fact　with　Mabel；　who　did　not　rise
from　her　humble　pallet　　such　a　bed　as　a　sergeant's
daughter　might　claim　in　a　remote　frontier　post　　until
long　after　the　garrison　had　obeyed　the　usual　summons　of
the　drums；　and　had　assembled　at　the　morning　parade。
Sergeant　Dunham；　on　whose　shoulders　fell　the　task　of
attending　to　these　ordinary　and　daily　duties；　had　got
through　all　his　morning　avocations；　and　was　beginning　to
think　of　his　breakfast；　before　his　child　left　her　room；　and
came　into　the　fresh　air；　equally　bewildered；　delighted；　and
grateful；　at　the　novelty　and　security　of　her　new　situation。

At　the　time　of　which　we　are　writing；　Oswego　was　one　of
the　extreme　frontier　posts　of　the　British　possessions　on　this
continent。　　It　had　not　been　long　occupied；　and　was　garri…
soned　by　a　battalion　of　a　regiment　which　had　been　origin…
ally　Scotch；　but　into　which　many　Americans　had　been　re…
ceived　since　its　arrival　in　this　country；　all　innovation　that
had　led　the　way　to　Mabel's　father　filling　the　humble　but
responsible　situation　of　the　oldest　sergeant。　　A　few　young
officers　also；　who　were　natives　of　the　colonies；　were　to　be
found　in　the　corps。　　The　fort　itself；　like　most　works　of
that　character；　was　better　adapted　to　resist　an　attack　of
savages　than　to　withstand　a　regular　siege；　but　the　great
difficulty　of　transporting　heavy　artillery　and　other　neces…
saries　rendered　the　occurrence　of　the　latter　a　probability
so　remote　as　scarcely　to　enter　into　the　estimate　of　the　en…
gineers　who　had　planned　the　defences。　　There　were　bas…
tions　of　earth　and　logs；　a　dry　ditch；　a　stockade；　a　parade
of　considerable　extent；　and　barracks　of　logs；　that　answered
the　double　purpose　of　dwellings　and　fortifications。　　A　few
light　fleld…pieces　stood　in　the　area　of　the　fort；　ready　to　be
conveyed　to　any　point　where　they　might　be　wanted；　and
one　or　two　heavy　iron　guns　looked　out　from　the　summits
of　the　advanced　angles；　as　so　many　admonitions　to　the
audacious　to　respect　their　power。

When　Mabel；　quitting　the　convenient；　but　compara…
tively　retired　hut　where　her　father　had　been　permitted　to
place　her；　issued　into　the　pure　air　of　the　morning；　she
found　herself　at　the　foot　of　a　bastion；　which　lay　invitingly
before　her；　with　a　promise　of　giving　a　_coup　d'oeil_　of　all
that　had　been　concealed　in　the　darkness　of　the　preceding
night。　　Tripping　up　the　grassy　ascent；　the　light…hearted
as　well　as　light…footed　girl　found　herself　at　once　on　a　point
where　the　sight；　at　a　few　varying　glances；　could　take　in　all
the　external　novelties　of　her　new　situation。

To　the　southward　lay　the　forest；　through　which　she　had
been　journeying　so　many　weary　days；　and　which　had　proved
so　full　of　dangers。　　It　was　separated　from　the　stockade　by
a　belt　of　open　land；　that　had　been　principally　cleared　of
its　woods　to　form　the　martial　constructions　around　her。
This　glacis；　for　such　in　fact　was　its　military　uses；　might
have　covered　a　hundred　acres；　but　with　it　every　sign　of
civilization　ceased。　　All　beyond　was　forest；　that　dense；
interminable　forest　which　Mabel　could　now　picture　to
herself；　through　her　recollections；　with　its　hidden　glassy
lakes；　its　dark　rolling　stream；　and　its　world　of　nature。

Turning　from　this　view；　our　heroine　felt　her　cheek
fanned　by　a　fresh　and　grateful　breeze；　such　as　she　had　not
experienced　since　quitting　the　far　distant　coast。　　Here　a
new　scene　presented　itself：　although　expected；　it　was　not
without　a　start；　and　a　low　exclamation　indicative　of　pleas…
ure；　that　the　eager　eyes　of　the　girl　drank　in　its　beauties。　　To
the　north；　and　east；　and　west；　in　every　direction；　in　short；
over　one　entire　half　of　the　novel　panorama；　lay　a　field　of
rolling　waters。　　The　element　was　neither　of　that　glassy
green　which　distinguishes　the　American　waters　in　general；
nor　yet　of　the　deep　blue　of　the　ocean；　the　color　being　of　a
slightly　amber　hue；　which　scarcely　affected　its　limpidity。
No　land　was　to　be　seen；　with　the　exception　of　the　adjacent
coast；　which　stretched　to　the　right　and　left　in　an　unbroken
outline　of　forest　with　wide　bays　and　low　headlands　or
points；　still；　much　of　the　shore　was　rocky；　and　into　its
caverns　the　sluggish　waters　occasionally　rolled；　producing
a　hollow　sound；　which　resembled　the　concussions　of　a　dis…
tant　gun。　　No　sail　whitened　the　surface；　no　whale　or　other
fish　gambolled　on　its　bosom；　no　sign　of　use　or　service　re…
warded　the　longest　and　most　minute　gaze　at　its　boundless
expanse。　　It　was　a　scene；　on　one　side；　of　apparently　end…
less　forests；　while　a　waste　of　seemingly　interminable　water
spread　itself　on　the　other。　　Nature　appeared　to　have　de…
lighted　in　producing　grand　effects；　by　setting　two　of　her
principal　agents　in　bold　relief　to　each　other；　neglecting　de…
tails；　the　eye　turning　from　the　broad　carpet　of　leaves　to
the　still　broader　field　of　fluid；　from　the　endless　but
gentle　heavings　of　the　lake　to　the　holy　calm　and　poetical
solitude　of　the　forest；　with　wonder　and　delight。

Mabel　Dunham；　though　unsophisticated；　like　most　of
her　countrywomen　of　that　period；　and　ingenuous　and
frank　as　any　warm…hearted　and　sincere…minded　girl　well
could　be；　was　not　altogether　without　a　feeling　for　the
poetry　of　this　beautiful　earth　of　ours。　　Although　she　could
scarcely　be　said　to　be　educated　at　all；　for　few　of　her　sex
at　that　day　and　in　this　country　received　much　more　than
the　rudiments　of　plain　English　instruction；　still　she　had
been　taught　much　more　than　was　usual　for　young　women
in　her　own　station　in　life；　and；　in　one　sense　certainly；　she
did　credit　to　her　teaching。　　The　widow　of　a　field…officer；
who　formerly　belonged　to　the　same　regiment　as　her　father；
had　taken　the　child　in　charge　at　the　death　of　its　mother；
and　under　the　care　of　this　lady　Mabel　had　acquired　some
tastes　and　many　ideas　which　otherwise　might　always　have
remained　strangers　to　her。　　Her　situation　in　the　family
had　been　less　that　of　a　domestic　than　of　a　humble　com…
panion；　and　the　results　were　quite　apparent　in　her　attire；
her　language；　her　sentiments；　and　even　in　her　feelings；
though　neither；　perhaps；　rose　to　the　level　of　those　which
would　properly　characterize　a　lady。　　She　had　lost　the　less
refined　habits　and　manners　of　one　in　her　original　position；
without　having　quite　reached　a　point　that　disqualified　her
for　the　situation　in　life　that　the　accidents　of　birth　and
fortune　would　probably　compel　her　to　fill。　　All　else　that
was　distinctive　and　peculiar　in　her　belonged　to　natural
character。

With　such　antecedents　it　will　occasion　the　reader　no
wonder　if　he　learns　that　Mabel　viewed　the　novel　scene
before　her　with　a　pleasure　far　superior　to　that　produced
by　vulgar　surprise。　　She　felt　its　ordinary　beauties　as　most
would　have　felt　them；　but　she　had　also　a　feeling　for　its
sublimity　　for　that　softened　solitude；　that　calm　grandeur；
and　eloquent　repose；　which　ever　pervades　broad　views　of
natural　objects　yet　undisturbed　by　the　labors　and　strug…
gles　of　man。

〃How　beautiful！〃　she　exclaimed；　unconscious　of　speak…
ing；　as　she　stood　on　the　solitary　bastion；　facing　the　air