the pathfinder-第71章

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buried　in　a　profound　quiet；　the　day　was　wearing　away；　and
yet　Mabel　had　decided　on　nothing。　　June　was　in　the　base…
ment；　preparing　their　frugal　meal；　and　Mabel　herself　had
ascended　to　the　roof；　which　was　provided　with　a　trap　that
allowed　her　to　go　out　on　the　top　of　the　building；　whence
she　commanded　the　best　view　of　surrounding　objects　that
the　island　possessed；　still　it　was　limited；　and　much　ob…
structed　by　the　tops　of　trees。　　The　anxious　girl　did　not
dare　to　trust　her　person　in　sight；　knowing　well　that　the
unrestrained　passions　of　some　savage　might　induce　him　to
send　a　bullet　through　her　brain。　　She　merely　kept　her
head　out　of　the　trap；　therefore；　whence；　in　the　course　of
the　afternoon；　she　made　as　many　surveys　of　the　different
channels　about　the　island　as　〃Anne；　sister　Anne；〃　took　of
the　environs　of　the　castle　of　Blue　Beard。

The　sun　had　actually　set；　no　intelligence　had　been　re…
ceived　from　the　boats；　and　Mabel　ascended　to　the　roof　to
take　a　last　look；　hoping　that　the　party　would　arrive　in　the
darkness；　which　would　at　least　prevent　the　Indians　from
rendering　their　ambuscade　so　fatal　as　it　might　otherwise
prove；　and　which　possibly　might　enable　her　to　give　some
more　intelligible　signal；　by　means　of　fire；　than　it　would
otherwise　be　in　her　power　to　do。　　Her　eye　had　turned
carefully　round　the　whole　horizon；　and　she　was　just　on　the
point　of　drawing　in　her　person；　when　an　object　that　struck
her　as　new　caught　her　attention。　　The　islands　lay　grouped
so　closely；　that　six　or　eight　different　channels　or　passages
between　them　were　in　view；　and　in　one　of　the　most　cov…
ered；　concealed　in　a　great　measure　by　the　bushes　of　the
shore；　lay　what　a　second　look　assured　her　was　a　bark
canoe。　　It　contained　a　human　being　beyond　a　question。
Confident　that　if　an　enemy　her　signal　could　do　no　harm；
and；　if　a　friend；　that　it　might　do　good；　the　eager　girl
waved　a　little　flag　towards　the　stranger；　which　she　had
prepared　for　her　father；　taking　care　that　it　should　not　be
seen　from　the　island。

Mabel　had　repeated　her　signal　eight　or　ten　times　in
vain；　and　she　began　to　despair　of　its　being　noticed；　when　a
sign　was　given　in　return　by　the　wave　of　a　paddle；　and　the
man　so　far　discovered　himself　as　to　let　her　see　it　was
Chingachgook。　　Here；　then；　at　last；　was　a　friend；　one；　too；
who　was　able；　and　she　doubted　not　would　be　willing　to　aid
her。　　From　that　instant　her　courage　and　her　spirits　re…
vived。　　The　Mohican　had　seen　her；　must　have　recognized
her；　as　he　knew　that　she　was　of　the　party；　and　no　doubt；
as　soon　as　it　was　sufficiently　dark；　he　would　take　the　steps
necessary　to　release　her。　　That　he　was　aware　of　the　pres…
ence　of　the　enemy　was　apparent　by　the　great　caution　he
observed；　and　she　had　every　reliance　on　his　prudence　and
address。　　The　principal　difficulty　now　existed　with　June；
for　Mabel　had　seen　too　much　of　her　fidelity　to　her　own
people；　relieved　as　it　was　by　sympathy　for　herself；　to　believe
she　would　consent　to　a　hostile　Indian's　entering　the
blockhouse；　or　indeed　to　her　leaving　it；　with　a　view　to
defeat　Arrowhead's　plans。　　The　half…hour　which　succeeded
the　discovery　of　the　presence　of　the　Great　Serpent　was　the
most　painful　of　Mabel　Dunham's　life。　　She　saw　the　means
of　effecting　all　she　wished；　as　it　might　be　within　reach　of
her　hand；　and　yet　it　eluded　her　grasp。　　She　knew　June's
decision　and　coolness；　notwithstanding　all　her　gentleness
and　womanly　feeling；　and　at　last　she　came　reluctantly　to
the　conclusion　that　there　was　no　other　way　of　attaining
her　end　than　by　deceiving　her　tried　companion　and　pro…
tector。　　It　was　revolting　to　one　so　sincere　and　natural；　so
pure　of　heart；　and　so　much　disposed　to　ingenuousness　as
Mabel　Dunham；　to　practise　deception　on　a　friend　like
June；　but　her　own　father's　life　was　at　stake；　her　compan…
ion　would　receive　no　positive　injury；　and　she　had　feelings
and　interests　directly　touching　herself　which　would　have
removed　greater　scruples。

As　soon　as　it　was　dark；　Mabel's　heart　began　to　beat　with
increased　violence；　and　she　adopted　and　changed　her　plan
of　proceeding　at　least　a　dozen　times　in　a　single　hour。
June　was　always　the　source　of　her　greatest　embarrassment；
for　she　did　not　well　see；　first；　how　she　was　to　ascertain
when　Chingachgook　was　at　the　door；　where　she　doubted
not　he　would　soon　appear；　and；　secondly；　how　she　was　to
admit　him；　without　giving　the　alarm　to　her　watchful　com…
panion。　　Time　pressed；　however；　for　the　Mohican　might
come　and　go　away　again；　unless　she　was　ready　to　receive
him。　　It　would　be　too　hazardous　to　the　Delaware　to　re…
main　long　on　the　island；　and　it　became　absolutely　neces…
sary　to　determine　on　some　course；　even　at　the　risk　of
choosing　one　that　was　indiscreet。　　After　running　over
various　projects　in　her　mind；　therefore；　Mabel　came　to　her
companion；　and　said；　with　as　much　calmness　as　she　could
assume；　

〃Are　you　not　afraid；　June；　now　your　people　believe
Pathfinder　is　in　the　blockhouse；　that　they　will　come　and
try　to　set　it　on　fire？〃

〃No　t'ink　such　t'ing。　　No　burn　blockhouse。　　Block…
house　good；　got　no　scalp。〃

〃June；　we　cannot　know。　　They　hid　because　they　be…
lieved　what　I　told　them　of　Pathfinder's　being　with　us。〃

〃Believe　fear。　　Fear　come　quick；　go　quick。　　Fear　make
run　away；　wit　make　come　back。　　Fear　make　warrior　fool；
as　well　as　young　girl。〃

Here　June　laughed；　as　her　sex　is　apt　to　laugh　when　any…
thing　particularly　ludicrous　crosses　their　youthful　fancies。

〃I　feel　uneasy；　June；　and　wish　you　yourself　would　go
up　again　to　the　roof　and　look　out　upon　the　island；　to
make　certain　that　nothing　is　plotting　against　us；　you
know　the　signs　of　what　your　people　intend　to　do　better
than　I。〃

〃June　go；　Lily　wish；　but　very　well　know　that　Indian
sleep；　wait　for　'e　fader。　　Warrior　eat；　drink；　sleep；　all
time；　when　don't　fight　and　go　on　war…trail。　　Den　never
sleep；　eat；　drink　　never　feel。　　Warrior　sleep　now。〃

〃God　send　it　may　be　so！　but　go　up；　dear　June；　and　look
well　about　you。　　Danger　may　come　when　we　least　expect
it。〃

June　arose；　and　prepared　to　ascend　to　the　roof；　but　she
paused；　with　her　foot　on　the　first　round　of　the　ladder。
Mabel's　heart　beat　so　violently　that　she　was　fearful　its
throbs　would　be　heard；　and　she　fancied　that　some　gleam…
ings　of　her　real　intentions　had　crossed　the　mind　of　her
friend。　　She　was　right　in　part；　the　Indian　woman　having
actually　stopped　to　consider　whether　there　was　any　indis…
cretion　in　what　she　was　about　to　do。　　At　first　the　suspic…
ion　that　Mabel　intended　to　escape　flashed　across　her　mind；
then　she　rejected　it；　on　the　ground　that　the　pale…face　had
no　means　of　getting　off　the　island；　and　that　the　block…
house　was　much　the　most　secure　place　she　could　find。
The　next　thought　was；　that　Mabel　had　detected　some　sign
of　the　near　approach　of　her　father。　　This　idea；　too；　lasted
but　an　instant；　for　June　entertained　some　such　opinion　of
her　companion's　ability　to　understand　symptoms　of　this
sort　　symptoms　that　had　escaped　her　own　sagacity　　as　a
woman　of　high　fashion　entertains　of　the　accomplishments
of　her　maid。　　Nothing　else　in　the　same　way　offering；　she
began　slowly　to　mount　the　ladder。

Just　as　she　reached　the　upper　floor；　a　lucky　thought
suggested　itself　to　our　heroine；　and；　by　expressing　it　in　a
hurried　but　natural　manner；　she　gained　a　great　advantage
in　executing　her　projected　scheme。

〃I　will　go　down；〃　she　said；　〃and　listen　by　the　door；
June；　while　you　are　on　the　roof；　and　we　will　thus　be　on
our　guard；　at　the　same　time；　above　and　below。〃

Though　June　thought　this　savored　of　unnecessary　cau…
tion；　well　knowing　that　no　one　could　enter　the　building
unless　aided　from　within；　nor　any　serious　danger　menace
them　from　the　exterior　without　giving　sufficient　warning；
she　attributed　the　proposition　to　Mabel's　ignorance　and
alarm；　and；　as　it　was　made　apparently　with　frankness；　it
was　received　without　distrust。　　By　these　means　our　hero…
ine　was　enabled　to　descend　to　the　door；　as　her　friend　as…
cended　to　the　roof。　　The　distance　between　the　two　was
now　too　great　to　admit　of　conversation；　and　for　three　or
four　minutes　one　was　occupied　in　looking　about　her　as
well　as　the　darkness　would　allow；　and　the　other　in　listen…
ing　at　the　door　with　as　much　intentness　as　if　all　her　senses
were　absorbed　in　the　single　faculty　of　hearing。

June　discovered　nothing　from　her　elevated　stand；　the
obscurity　indeed　almost　forbade　the　hope　of　such　a　result；
but　it　would　not　be　easy　to　describe　the　sensation　with
which　Mabel　thought　she　perceived　a　slight　and　guarded
push　against　the　door。　　Fearful　that　all　might　not　be　as
she　wished；　and　anxious　to　let　Chingachgook　know　that
she　was　near；　she　began；　though　in　tremulous　and　low
notes；　to　sing。　　So　profound　was　the　stillness　of　the
moment　that　the　sound　of　the　unsteady　warbling　ascended
to　the　roof　and　in　a　minute　June　began　to　descend。　　A
slight　tap　at　the　door　was　heard　immediately　after。　　Mabel
was　bewildered；　for　there　was　no　time　to　lose。　　Hope
proved　stronger　than　fear；　and　with　unsteady　hands　she
commenced　unbarring　the　door。　　The　moccassin　of　June
was　heard　on　the　floor　above　her　when　only　a　single　bar
was　turned。　　The　second　was　released　as　her　form　reached
half…way　down　the　lower　ladder。

〃What　you　do？〃　exclaimed　June　angrily。　　〃Run　away
…　mad　　leave　blockhouse；　blockhouse　good。〃　　The　hands
of　both　were　on　the　last　bar；　and　it　would　have　been
cleared　from　the　fastenings　but　for　a　vigorous　shove　from
without；　which　jammed　the　wood。　　A　short　struggle
ensued；　though　both　were　disinclined　to　violence。　　June
would　probably　have　prevailed；　had　not　another　and　a
more　vigorous　push　from　without　forced　the　bar　past　the
trifling　impediment　that　held　it；　when　the　door　opened。
The　form　of　a　man　was　seen　to　enter；　and　both　the
females　rushed　up　the　ladder；　as　if　equally　afraid　of　the
consequences。　　The　stranger　secured　the　door；　and；　first
examining　the　lower　room　with　great　care；　he　cautiously
ascended　the　ladder。　　June；　as　soon　as　it　became　dark；
had　closed　the　loops　of　the　principal　floor；　and　lighted　a
candle。　　By　means　of　this　dim　taper；　then；　the　two
females　stood　in　expectation；　waiting　to　ascertain　the　per…
son　of　their　visitor；　whose　wary　ascent　of　the　ladder　was
distinctly　audible；　though　sufficiently　deliberate。　　It　would
not　be　easy　to　say　which　was　the　more　astonished　on　find…
ing；　when　the　stranger　had　got　through　the　trap；　that
Pathfinder　stood　before　them。

〃God　be　praised！〃　Mabel　exclaimed；　for　the　idea　that
the　blockhouse　would　be　impregnable　with　such　a　garrison
at　once　crossed　her　mind。　　〃O　Pathfinder！　what　has　be…
come　of　my　father？〃

〃The　Sergeant　is　safe　as　yet；　and　victorious；　though　it
is　not　in　the　gift　of　man　to　say　what　will　be　the　ind　of　it。
Is　not　that　the　wife　of　Arrowhead　skulking　in　the　corner
there？〃

〃Speak　not　of　her　reproachfully；　Pathfinder；　I　owe　her
my　life；　my　present　security。　　Tell　me　what　has　happened
to　my　father's　party　　why　you　are　here；　and　I　will　relate
all　the　horrible　events　that　have　passed　upon　this　island。〃

〃Few　words　will　do　the　last；　Mabel；　for　one　used　to
Indian　devilries　needs　but　little　explanations　on　such　a
subject。　　Everything　turned　out　as　we　had　hoped　with
the　expedition；　for　the　Sarpent　was　on　the　look…out；　and