the pathfinder-第23章

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〃Pathfinder；　this　is　some　of　your　forgetfulness？〃

〃Nay；　nay；　Sergeant；　I　forgot　nothing；　but　it　did　not
seem　to　me　necessary　to　hide　your　intentions　so　very
closely　from　your　own　flesh　and　blood。〃

〃All　military　movements　ought　to　be　made　with　as
little　conversation　as　possible；〃　returned　the　Sergeant；
tapping　the　guide's　shoulder　in　a　friendly；　but　reproachful
manner。　　〃You　have　passed　too　much　of　your　life　in
front　of　the　French　not　to　know　the　value　of　silence。　　But
no　matter；　the　thing　must　soon　be　known；　and　there　is　no
great　use　in　trying　now　to　conceal　it。　　We　shall　embark　a
relief　party　shortly　for　a　post　on　the　lake；　though　I　do　not
say　it　is　for　the　Thousand　Islands；　and　I　may　have　to　go
with　it；　in　which　case　I　intend　to　take　Mabel　to　make　my
broth　for　me；　and　I　hope；　brother；　you　will　not　despise　a
soldier's　fare　for　a　month　or　so。〃

〃That　will　depend　on　the　manner　of　marching。　　I　have
no　love　for　woods　and　swamps。〃

〃We　shall　sail　in　the　_Scud_；　and；　indeed；　the　whole
service；　which　is　no　stranger　to　us；　is　likely　enough　to
please　one　accustomed　to　the　water。〃

〃Ay；　to　salt…water　if　you　will；　but　not　to　lake…water。　　If
you　have　no　person　to　handle　that　bit　of　a　cutter　for　you；
I　have　no　objection　to　ship　for　the　v'y'ge；　notwithstanding；
though　I　shall　look　on　the　whole　affair　as　so　much　time
thrown　away　for　I　consider　it　an　imposition　to　call　sailing
about　this　pond　going　to　sea。〃

〃Jasper　is　every　way　able　to　manage　the　_Scud_；　brother
Cap；　and　in　that　light　I　cannot　say　that　we　have　need　of
your　services；　though　we　shall　be　glad　of　your　company。
You　cannot　return　to　the　settlement　until　a　party　is　sent
in；　and　that　is　not　likely　to　happen　until　after　my　return。
Well；　Pathfinder；　this　is　the　first　time　I　ever　knew　men　on
the　trail　of　the　Mingos　and　you　not　at　their　head。〃

〃To　be　honest　with　you；　Sergeant；〃　returned　the　guide；
not　without　a　little　awkwardness　of　manner；　and　a　per…
ceptible　difference　in　the　hue　of　a　face　that　had　become　so
uniformly　red　by　exposure；　〃I　have　not　felt　that　it　was　my
gift　this　morning。　　In　the　first　place；　I　very　well　know
that　the　soldiers　of　the　55th　are　not　the　lads　to　overtake
Iroquois　in　the　woods；　and　the　knaves　did　not　wait　to　be
surrounded　when　they　knew　that　Jasper　had　reached　the
garrison。　　Then　a　man　may　take　a　little　rest　after　a　sum…
mer　of　hard　work；　and　no　impeachment　of　his　good…will。
Besides；　the　Sarpent　is　out　with　them；　and　if　the　mis…
creants　are　to　be　found　at　all；　you　may　trust　to　his　inmity
and　sight：　the　first　being　stronger；　and　the　last　nearly；　if
not　quite　as　good　as　my　own。　　He　loves　the　skulking
vagabonds　as　little　as　myself；　and；　for　that　matter；　I　may
say　that　my　own　feelings　towards　a　Mingo　are　not　much
more　than　the　gifts　of　a　Delaware　grafted　on　a　Christian
stock。　　No；　no；　I　thought　I　would　leave　the　honor　this
time；　if　honor　there　is　to　be；　to　the　young　ensign　that
commands；　who；　if　he　don't　lose　his　scalp；　may　boast　of
his　campaign　in　his　letters　to　his　mother　when　he　gets　in。
I　thought　I　would　play　idler　once　in　my　life。〃

〃And　no　one　has　a　better　right；　if　long　and　faithful
service　entitles　a　man　to　a　furlough；〃　returned　the　Ser…
geant　kindly。　　〃Mabel　will　think　none　the　worse　of　you
for　preferring　her　company　to　the　trail　of　the　savages；
and；　I　daresay；　will　be　happy　to　give　you　a　part　of　her
breakfast　if　you　are　inclined　to　eat。　　You　must　not　think；
girl；　however；　that　the　Pathfinder　is　in　the　habit　of　letting
prowlers　around　the　fort　beat　a　retreat　without　hearing
the　crack　of　his　rifle。〃

〃If　I　thought　she　did；　Sergeant；　though　not　much　given
to　showy　and　parade　evolutions；　I　would　shoulder　Killdeer
and　quit　the　garrison　before　her　pretty　eyes　had　time　to
frown。　　No；　no；　Mabel　knows　me　better；　though　we　are
but　new　acquaintances；　for　there　has　been　no　want　of
Mingos　to　enliven　the　short　march　we　have　already　made
in　company。〃

〃It　would　need　a　great　deal　of　testimony；　Pathfinder；　to
make　me　think　ill　of　you　in　any　way；　and　more　than　all　in
the　way　you　mention；〃　returned　Mabel；　coloring　with　the
sincere　earnestness　with　which　she　endeavored　to　remove
any　suspicion　to　the　contrary　from　his　mind。　　〃Both　father
and　daughter；　I　believe；　owe　you　their　lives；　and　believe
me；　that　neither　will　ever　forget　it。〃

〃Thank　you；　Mabel；　thank　you　with　all　my　heart。　　But
I　will　not　take　advantage　of　your　ignorance　neither；　girl；
and　therefore　shall　say；　I　do　not　think　the　Mingos　would
have　hurt　a　hair　of　your　head；　had　they　succeeded　by　their
devilries　and　contrivances　in　getting　you　into　their　hands。
My　scalp；　and　Jasper's；　and　Master　Cap's　there；　and　the
Sarpent's　too；　would　sartainly　have　been　smoked；　but　as
for　the　Sergeant's　daughter；　I　do　not　think　they　would
have　hurt　a　hair　of　her　head。〃

〃And　why　should　I　suppose　that　enemies；　known　to
spare　neither　women　nor　children；　would　have　shown　more
mercy　to　me　than　to　another？　　I　feel；　Pathfinder；　that　I
owe　you　my　life。〃

〃I　say　nay；　Mabel；　they　wouldn't　have　had　the　heart　to
hurt　you。　　No；　not　even　a　fiery　Mingo　devil　would　have
had　the　heart　to　hurt　a　hair　of　your　head。　　Bad　as　I　sus…
pect　the　vampires　to　be；　I　do　not　suspect　them　of　anything
so　wicked　as　that。　　They　might　have　wished　you；　nay；
forced　you　to　become　the　wife　of　one　of　their　chiefs；　and
that　would　be　torment　enough　to　a　Christian　young
woman；　but　beyond　that　I　do　not　think　even　the　Mingos
themselves　would　have　gone。〃

〃Well；　then；　I　shall　owe　my　escape　from　this　great　mis…
fortue　to　you；〃　said　Mabel；　taking　his　hard　hand　into　her
own　frankly　and　cordially；　and　certainly　in　a　way　to　de…
light　the　honest　guide。　　〃To　me　it　would　be　a　lighter　evil
to　be　killed　than　to　become　the　wife　of　an　Indian。〃

〃That　is　her　gift；　Sergeant；〃　exclaimed　Pathfinder；
turning　to　his　old　comrade　with　gratification　writton　on
every　lineament　of　his　honest　countenance；　〃and　it　will
have　its　way。　　I　tell　the　Sarpent　that　no　Christianizing
will　ever　make　even　a　Delaware　a　white　man；　nor　any
whooping　and　yelling　convert　a　pale…face　into　a　red…skin。
That　is　the　gift　of　a　young　woman　born　of　Christian
parents；　and　it　ought　to　be　maintained。〃

〃You　are　right；　Pathfinder；　and　so　far　as　Mabel　Dun…
ham　is　concerned；　it　_shall_　be　maintained。　　But　it　is　time
to　break　your　fasts；　and　if　you　will　follow　me；　brother
Cap；　I　will　show　you　how　we　poor　soldiers　live　here　on　a
distant　frontier。〃



CHAPTER　IX。

Now；　my　co…mates　and　partners　in　exile；
Hath　not　old　custom　made　this　life　more　sweet
Than　that　of　painted　pomp？　　Are　not　these　woods
More　free　from　peril　than　the　envious　court？
Here　feel　we　but　the　penalty　of　Adam。
_As　You　Like　It。_


Sergeant　Dunham　made　no　empty　vaunt　when　he
gave　the　promise　conveyed　in　the　closing　words　of　the　last
chapter。　　Notwithstandrng　the　remote　frontier　postion
of　the　post　they　who　lived　at　it　enjoyed　a　table　that；　in
many　respects；　kings　and　princes　might　have　envied。　　At
the　Period　of　our　tale；　and；　indeed；　for　half　a　century　later；
the　whole　of　that　vast　region　which　has　been　called　the
West；　or　the　new　countries　since　the　war　of　the　revolution；
lay　a　comparatively　unpeoped　desert；　teeming　with　all　the
living　productions　of　nature　that　properly　belonged　to　the
climate；　man　and　the　domestic　animals　excepted。　　The　few
Indians　that　roamed　its　forests　then　could　produce　no
visible　effects　on　the　abundance　of　the　game；　and　the
scattered　garrisons；　or　occasional　hunters；　that　here　and
there　were　to　be　met　with　on　that　vast　surface；　had　no
other　influence　than　the　bee　on　the　buckwheat　field；　or　the
humming…bird　on　the　flower。

The　marvels　that　have　descended　to　our　own　times；　in
the　way　of　tradition；　concerning　the　quantities　of　beasts；
birds；　and　fishes　that　were　then　to　be　met　with；　on　the
shores　of　the　great　lakes　in　particular；　are　known　to　be
sustained　by　the　experience　of　living　men；　else　might　we
hesitate　about　relating　them；　but　having　been　eye…
witnesses　of　some　of　these　prodigies；　our　office　shall　be
discharged　with　the　confidence　that　certainty　can　impart。
Oswego　was　particularly　well　placed　to　keep　the　larder　of
an　epicure　amply　supplied。　　Fish　of　various　sorts　abounded
in　its　river；　and　the　sportsman　had　only　to　cast　his　line　to
haul　in　a　bass　or　some　other　member　of　the　finny　tribe；
which　then　peopled　the　waters；　as　the　air　above　the　swamps
of　this　fruitful　latitude　are　known　to　be　filled　with　insects。
Among　others　was　the　salmon　of　the　lakes；　a　variety　of
that　well…known　species；　that　is　scarcely　inferior　to　the
delicious　salmon　of　northern　Europe。　　Of　the　different
migratory　birds　that　frequent　forests　and　waters；　there
was　the　same　affluence；　hundreds　of　acres　of　geese　and
ducks　being　often　seen　at　a　time　in　the　great　bays　that
indent　the　shores　of　the　lake。　　Deer；　bears；　rabbits；　and
squirrels；　with　divers　other　quadrupeds；　among　which　was
sometimes　included　the　elk；　or　moose；　helped　to　complete
the　sum　of　the　natural　supplies　on　which　all　the　posts　de…
pended；　more　or　less；　to　relieve　the　unavoidable　privations
of　their　remote　frontier　positions。

In　a　place　where　viands　that　would　elsewhere　be　deemed
great　luxuries　were　so　abundant；　no　one　was　excluded
from　their　enjoyment。　　The　meanest　individual　at　Oswego
habitually　feasted　on　game　that　would　have　formed　the
boast　of　a　Parisian　table；　and　it　was　no　more　than　a
healthful　commentary　on　the　caprices　of　taste；　and　of　the
waywardness　of　human　desires；　that　the　very　diet　which
in　other　scenes　would　have　been　deemed　the　subject　of
envy　and　repinings　got　to　pall　on　the　appetite。　　The
coarse　and　regular　food　of　the　army；　which　it　became
necessary　to　husband　on　account　of　the　difficulty　of　trans…
portation；　rose　in　the　estimation　of　the　common　soldier；
and　at　any　time　he　would　cheerfully　desert　his　venison；
and　ducks；　and　pigeons；　and　salmon；　to　banquet　on　the
sweets　of　pickled　pork；　stringy　turnips；　and　half…cooked
cabbage。

The　table　of　Sergeant　Dunham；　as　a　matter　of　course；
partook　of　the　abundance　and　luxuries　of　the　frontier；　as
well　as　of　its　privations。　　A　delicious　broiled　salmon
smoked　on　a　homely　platter；　hot　venison　steaks　sent　up
their　appetizing　odors；　and　several　dishes　of　cold　meats；
all　of　which　were　composed　of　game；　had　been　set　before
the　guests；　in　honor　of　the　newly　arrived　visitors；　and　in
vindication　of　the　old　soldier's　hospitality。

〃You　do　not　seem　to　be　on　short　allowance　in　this
quarter　of　the　world；　Sergeant；〃　said　Cap；　after　he　had　got
fairly　initiated　into　the　mysteries　of　the　different　dishes；
〃your　salmon　might　satisfy　a　Scotsman。〃

〃It　fails　to　do　it；　notwithstanding；　brother　Cap；　for
among　two　or　three　hundred　of　the　fellows　that　we　have
in　this　garrison　there　are　not　half　a　dozen　who　will　not
swear　that　the　fish　is　unfit　to　be　eaten。　　Even　some　of　the
lads；　who　never　tasted　venison　except　as　poachers　at　home；
turn　up　their　noses　at　the　fattest　haunches　that　we　get
here。〃

〃Ay；　that　is　Christian　natur'；〃　put　in　Pathfinder；　〃and
I　must　say　it　is　none　to　its　credit。　　Now；　a　red…skin　never
repines；　but　is　always　thankful　for　the　food　he　gets；
whether　it　be　fat　or　lean；　venison　or　bear；　wild　turkey's
breast　or　wild　goose's　wing。　　To　the　sha