the pathfinder-第69章

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〃Sartain　　he　prisoner　here；　and　June　like　prisoner　bet…
ter　than　scalp；　scalp　good　for　honor；　prisoner　good　for
feeling。　　But　Saltwater　hide　so　close；　he　don't　know　where
he　be　himself。〃

Here　June　laughed　in　her　girlish；　mirthful　way；　for　to
her　scenes　of　violence　were　too　familiar　to　leave　impres…
sions　sufficiently　deep　to　change　her　natural　character。　　A
long　and　discursive　dialogue　now　followed；　in　which　Mabel
endeavored　to　obtain　clearer　notions　of　her　actual　situa…
tion；　under　a　faint　hope　that　she　might　possibly　be　enabled
to　turn　some　of　the　facts　she　thus　learned　to　advantage。
June　answered　all　her　interrogatories　simply；　but　with　a
caution　which　showed　she　fully　distinguished　between
that　which　was　immaterial　and　that　which　might　endanger
the　safety　or　embarrass　the　future　operations　of　her
friends。　　The　substance　of　the　information　she　gave　may
be　summed　up　as　follows。

Arrowhead　had　long　been　in　communication　with　the
French；　though　this　was　the　first　occasion　on　which　he
had　entirely　thrown　aside　the　mask。　　He　no　longer　in…
tended　to　trust　himself　among　the　English；　for　he　had
discovered　traces　of　distrust；　particularly　in　Pathfinder；
and；　with　Indian　bravado；　he　now　rather　wished　to　blazon
than　to　conceal　his　treachery。　　He　had　led　the　party　of
warriors　in　the　attack　on　the　island；　subject；　however；　to
the　supervision　of　the　Frenchman　who　has　been　men…
tioned；　though　June　declined　saying　whether　he　had　been
the　means　of　discovering　the　position　of　a　place　which　had
been　thought　to　be　so　concealed　from　the　enemy　or　not。
On　this　point　she　would　say　nothing；　but　she　admitted
that　she　and　her　husband　had　been　watching　the　depar…
ture　of　the　_Scud_　at　the　time　they　were　overtaken　and　cap…
tured　by　the　cutter。　　The　French　had　obtained　their　in…
formation　of　the　precise　position　of　the　station　but　very
recently；　and　Mabel　felt　a　pang　when　she　thought　that
there　were　covert　allusions　of　the　Indian　woman　which
would　convey　the　meaning　that　the　intelligence　had　come
from　a　pale…face　in　the　employment　of　Duncan　of　Lundie。
This　was　intimated；　however；　rather　than　said；　and　when
Mabel　had　time　to　reflect　on　her　companion's　words；　she
found　room　to　hope　that　she　had　misunderstood　her；　and
that　Jasper　Western　would　yet　come　out　of　the　affair　freed
from　every　injurious　imputation。

June　did　not　hesitate　to　confess　that　she　had　been　sent
to　the　island　to　ascertain　the　precise　number　and　the　oc…
cupations　of　those　who　had　been　left　on　it；　though　she　also
betrayed　in　her　_naive_　way　that　the　wish　to　serve　Mabel
had　induced　her　principally　to　consent　to　come。　　In　con…
sequence　of　her　report；　and　information　otherwise　ob…
tained；　the　enemy　was　aware　of　precisely　the　force　that
could　be　brought　against　them。　　They　also　knew　the
number　of　men　who　had　gone　with　Sergeant　Dunham；　and
were　acquainted　with　the　object　he　had　in　view；　though
they　were　ignorant　of　the　spot　where　he　expected　to　meet
the　French　boats。　　It　would　have　been　a　pleasant　sight　to
witness　the　eager　desire　of　each　of　these　two　sincere
females　to　ascertain　all　that　might　be　of　consequence　to
their　respective　friends；　and　yet　the　native　delicacy　with
which　each　refrained　from　pressing　the　other　to　make
revelations　which　would　have　been　improper；　as　well　as
the　sensitive；　almost　intuitive；　feeling　with　which　each
avoided　saying　aught　that　might　prove　injurious　to　her
own　nation。　　As　respects　each　other；　there　was　perfect
confidence；　as　regarded　their　respective　people；　entire
fidelity。　　June　was　quite　as　anxious　as　Mabel　could　be　on
any　other　point　to　know　where　the　Sergeant　had　gone
and　when　he　was　expected　to　return；　but　she　abstained
from　putting　the　question；　with　a　delicacy　that　would　have
done　honor　to　the　highest　civilization；　nor　did　she　once
frame　any　other　inquiry　in　a　way　to　lead　indirectly　to　a
betrayal　of　the　much…desired　information　on　that　particu…
lar　point：　though　when　Mabel　of　her　own　accord　touched
on　any　matter　that　might　by　possibility　throw　a　light　on
the　subject；　she　listened　with　an　intentness　which　almost
suspended　respiration。

In　this　manner　the　hours　passed　away　unheeded；　for
both　were　too　much　interested　to　think　of　rest。　　Nature
asserted　her　rights；　however；　towards　morning；　and　Mabel
was　persuaded　to　lie　down　on　one　of　the　straw　beds　pro…
vided　for　the　soldiers；　where　she　soon　fell　into　a　deep　sleep。
June　lay　near　her　and　a　quiet　reigned　on　the　whole　island
as　profound　as　if　the　dominion　of　the　forest　had　never
been　invaded　by　man。

When　Mabel　awoke　the　light　of　the　sun　was　streaming
in　through　the　loopholes；　and　she　found　that　the　day　was
considerably　advanced。　　June　still　lay　near　her；　sleeping
as　tranquilly　as　if　she　reposed　on　　we　will　not　say
〃down；〃　for　the　superior　civilization　of　our　own　times　re…
pudiates　the　simile　　but　on　a　French　mattress；　and　as　pro…
foundly　as　if　she　had　never　experienced　concern。　　The
movements　of　Mabel；　notwithstanding；　soon　awakened　one
so　accustomed　to　vigilance；　and　then　the　two　took　a　sur…
vey　of　what　was　passing　around　them　by　means　of　the
friendly　apertures。



CHAPTER　XXIII。

What　had　the　Eternall　Maker　need　of　thee；
The　world　in　his　continuall　course　to　keepe；
That　doest　all　things　deface？　ne　lettest　see
The　beautie　of　his　worke？　　Indeede　in　sleepe；
The　slouth　full　body　that　doth　love　to　steepe
His　lustlesse　limbs；　and　drowne　his　baser　mind；
Doth　praise　thee　oft；　and　oft　from　Stygian　deepe；
Calles　thee　his　goddesse；　in　his　errour　blind；
And　great　dame　Nature's　hand…maide；　chearing　every　kinde。
_Faerie　Queene。_


The　tranquillity　of　the　previous　night　was　not　contra…
dicted　by　the　movements　of　the　day。　　Although　Mabel
and　June　went　to　every　loophole；　not　a　sign　of　the　pres…
ence　of　a　living　being　on　the　island　was　at　first　to　be　seen；
themselves　excepted。　　There　was　a　smothered　fire　on　the
spot　where　M'Nab　and　his　comrades　had　cooked；　as　if　the
smoke　which　curled　upwards　from　it　was　intended　as　a
lure　to　the　absent；　and　all　around　the　huts　had　been　re…
stored　to　former　order　and　arrangement。　　Mabel　started
involuntarily　when　her　eye　at　length　fell　on　a　group　of
three　men；　dressed　in　the　scarlet　of　the　55th；　seated　on　the
grass　in　lounging　attitudes；　as　if　they　chatted　in　listless
security；　and　her　blood　curdled　as；　on　a　second　look；　she
traced　the　bloodless　faces　and　glassy　eyes　of　the　dead。
They　were　very　near　the　blockhouse；　so　near　indeed　as　to
have　been　overlooked　at　the　first　eager　inquiry；　and　there
was　a　mocking　levity　in　their　postures　and　gestures；　for
their　limbs　were　stiffening　in　different　attitudes；　intended
to　resemble　life；　at　which　the　soul　revolted。　　Still；　horri…
ble　as　these　objects　were　to　those　near　enough　to　discover
the　frightful　discrepancy　between　their　assumed　and　their
real　characters；　the　arrangement　had　been　made　with　so
much　art　that　it　would　have　deceived　a　negligent　observer
at　the　distance　of　a　hundred　yards。　　After　carefully　ex…
amining　the　shores　of　the　island；　June　pointed　out　to　her
companion　the　fourth　soldier；　seated；　with　his　feet　hang…
ing　over　the　water；　his　back　fastened　to　a　sapling；　and
holding　a　fishing…rod　in　his　hand。　　The　scalpless　heads
were　covered　with　the　caps；　and　all　appearance　of　blood
had　been　carefufly　washed　from　each　countenance。

Mabel　sickened　at　this　sight；　which　not　only　did　so
much　violence　to　all　her　notions　of　propriety；　but　which
was　in　itself　so　revolting　and　so　opposed　to　natural　feeling。
She　withdrew　to　a　seat；　and　hid　her　face　in　her　apron　for
several　minutes；　until　a　low　call　from　June　again　drew　her　to
a　loophole。　　The　latter　then　pointed　out　the　body　of　Jen…
nie　seemingly　standing　in　the　door　of　a　hut；　leaning　for…
ward　as　if　to　look　at　the　group　of　men；　her　cap　fluttering
in　the　wind；　and　her　hand　grasping　a　broom。　　The　dis…
tance　was　too　great　to　distinguish　the　features　very　accu…
rately；　but　Mabel　fancied　that　the　jaw　had　been　depressed；
as　if　to　distort　the　mouth　into　a　sort　of　horrible　laugh。

〃June！　　June！〃　she　exclaimed；　〃this　exceeds　all　I　have
ever　heard；　or　imagined　as　possible；　in　the　treachery　and
artifices　of　your　people。〃

〃Tuscarora　very　cunning；〃　said　June；　in　a　way　to　show
that　she　rather　approved　of　than　condemned　the　uses　to
which　the　dead　bodies　had　been　applied。　　〃Do　soldier　no
harm　now；　do　Iroquois　good；　got　the　scalp　first；　now
make　bodies　work。　　By　and　by；　burn　'em。

This　speech　told　Mabel　how　far　she　was　separated　from
her　friend　in　character；　and　it　was　several　minutes　before
she　could　again　address　her。　　But　this　temporary　aversion
was　lost　on　June；　who　set　about　preparing　their　simple
breakfast；　in　a　way　to　show　how　insensible　she　was　to　feel…
ings　in　others　which　her　own　habits　taught　her　to　discard。
Mabel　ate　sparingly；　and　her　companion　as　if　nothing　had
happened。　　Then　they　had　leisure　again　for　their　thoughts；
and　for　further　surveys　of　the　island。　　Our　heroine；
though　devoured　with　a　feverish　desire　to　be　always　at　the
loops；　seldom　went　that　she　did　not　immediately　quit　them
in　disgust；　though　compelled　by　her　apprehensions　to　re…
turn　again　in　a　few　minutes；　called　by　the　rustling　of
leaves；　or　the　sighing　of　the　wind。　　It　was；　indeed；　a
solemn　thing　to　look　out　upon　that　deserted　spot；　peopled
by　the　dead　in　the　panoply　of　the　living；　and　thrown　into
the　attitudes　and　acts　of　careless　merriment　and　rude　en…
joyment。　　The　effect　on　our　heroine　was　much　as　if　she
had　found　herself　an　observer　of　the　revelries　of　demons。

Throughout　the　livelong　day　not　an　Indian　nor　a
Frenchman　was　to　be　seen；　and　night　closed　over　the
frightful　but　silent　masquerade；　with　the　steady　and　unal…
terable　progress　with　which　the　earth　obeys　her　laws；　in…
different　to　the　petty　actors　and　petty　scenes　that　are　in
daily　bustle　and　daily　occurrence　on　her　bosom。　　The
night　was　far　more　quiet　than　that　which　had　preceded　it；
and　Mabel　slept　with　an　increasing　confidence；　for　she
now　felt　satisfied　that　her　own　fate　would　not　be　decided
until　the　return　of　her　father。　　The　following　day　he　was
expected；　however；　and　when　our　heroine　awoke；　she　ran
eagerly　to　the　loops　in　order　to　ascertain　the　state　of　the
weather　and　the　aspect　of　the　skies；　as　well　as　the　condi…
tion　of　the　island。　　There　lounged　the　fearful　group　on
the　grass；　the　fisherman　still　hung　over　the　water；　seem…
ingly　intent　on　his　sport；　and　the　distorted　countenance
of　Jennie　glared　from　out　the　hut　in　horrible　contortions。
But　the　weather　had　changed；　the　wind　blew　fresh　from
the　southward；　and　though　the　air　was　bland；　it　was　filled
with　the　elements　of　storm。

〃This　grows　more　and　more　difficult　to　bear；　June；〃
Mabel　said；　when　she　left　the　window。　　〃I　could　even
prefer　to　see　the　enemy　than　to　look　any　longer　on　this
fearful　array　of　the　dead。〃

〃Hush！　here　they　come。　　June　thought　hear　a　cry　like
a　warrior's　shout　when　he　take　a　scalp。〃

〃What　mean　you？　　There　is　no　more　butchery！　　there
can　be　no　more。〃

〃Saltwater！〃　exclaimed　June；　laughing；　as　she　stood
peeping　through　a　loophole。

〃My　dear　uncle！　　Thank　God！　he　then　lives！　　Oh；
June；　June；　_you_　will　not　let　them　harm　_him？_〃

〃June；　poor　squaw。　　What　warrior　t'ink　of　what　she
say？　　Arro