the pathfinder-第80章

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ried；　man；　without　delay；　and　look　to　your　precious　happi…
ness；　for　ye've　no　occasion　to　look　any　longer　to　your
glory。　　Take　Mabel　Dunham；　for　Heaven's　sake；　to　your
bosom；　and　ye'll　have　both　a　bonnie　bride　and　a　bonnie
reputation。〃

〃Why；　Quartermaster；　this　is　a　new　piece　of　advice　to
come　from　your　mouth。　　They've　told　me　I　had　a　rival　in
you。〃

〃And　ye　had；　man；　and　a　formidible　one；　too；　I　can　tell
you；　　one　that　has　never　yet　courted　in　vain；　and　yet　one
that　has　courted　five　times。　　Lundie　twits　me　with　four；
and　I　deny　the　charge；　but　he　little　thinks　the　truth　would
outdo　even　his　arithmetic。　　Yes；　yes；　ye　had　a　rival；　Path…
finder；　but　ye've　one　no　longer　in　me。　　Ye've　my　hearty
wishes　for　yer　success　with　Mabel；　and　were　the　honest
Sergeant　likely　to　survive；　ye　might　rely　on　my　good　word
with　him；　too；　for　a　certainty。〃

〃I　feel　your　friendship；　Quartermaster；　I　feel　your
friendship；　though　I　have　no　great　need　of　any　favor　with
Sergeant　Dunham；　who　has　long　been　my　friend。　　I　be…
lieve　we　may　look　upon　the　matter　to　be　as　sartain　as　most
things　in　war…time；　for；　Mabel　and　her　father　consenting；
the　whole　55th　couldn't　very　well　put　a　stop　to　it。　　Ah's
me！　the　poor　father　will　scarcely　live　to　see　what　his　heart
has　so　long　been　set　upon。〃

〃But　he'll　have　the　consolation　of　knowing　it　will　come
to　pass；　in　dying。　　Oh；　it's　a　great　relief；　Pathfinder；　for
the　parting　spirit　to　feel　certain　that　the　beloved　ones　left
behind　will　be　well　provided　for　after　its　departure。　　All
the　Mistress　Muirs　have　duly　expressed　that　sentiment
with　their　dying　breaths。〃

〃All　your　wives；　Quartermaster；　have　been　likely　to　feel
this　consolation。〃

〃Out　upon　ye；　man！　　I'd　no'　thought　ye　such　a　wag。
Well；　well；　pleasant　words　make　no　heart…burnings　be…
tween　auld　fri'nds。　　If　I　cannot　espouse　Mabel；　ye'll　no
object　to　my　esteeming　her；　and　speaking　well　of　her；　and
of　yoursal'；　too；　on　all　suitable　occasions　and　in　all　com…
panies。　　But；　Pathfinder；　ye'll　easily　understan'　that　a　poor
deevil　who　loses　sucha　bride　will　probably　stand　in　need
of　some　consolation？〃

〃Quite　likely；　quite　likely；　Quartermaster；〃　returned
the　simple…minded　guide；　〃I　know　the　loss　of　Mabel　would
be　found　heavy　to　be　borne　by　myself。　　It　may　bear　hard
on　your　feelings　to　see　us　married；　but　the　death　of　the
Sergeant　will　be　likely　to　put　it　off；　and　you'll　have　time
to　think　more　manfully　of　it；　you　will。〃

〃I'll　bear　up　against　it；　yes；　I'll　bear　up　against　it；
though　my　heart…strings　crack！　and　ye　might　help　me；
man；　by　giving　me　something　to　do。　　Ye'll　understand
that　this　expedition　has　been　of　a　very　peculiar　nature；
for　here　am　I；　bearing　the　king's　commission；　just　a　volun…
teer；　as　it　might　be；　while　a　mere　orderly　has　had　the
command。　　I've　submitted　for　various　reasons；　though　my
blood　has　boiled　to　be　in　authority；　while　ye　war'　battling；；
for　the　honor　of　the　country　and　his　Majesty's　rights　　〃

〃Quartermaster；〃　interrupted　the　guide；　〃you　fell　so
early　into　the　enemy's　hands　that　your　conscience　ought
to　be　easily　satisfied　on　that　score；　so　take　my　advice；　and
say　nothing　about　it。〃

〃That's　just　my　opinion；　Pathfinder；　we'll　all　say　noth…
ing　about　it。　　Sergeant　Dunham　is　_hors　de　combat_　　〃

〃Anan？〃　said　the　guide。

〃Why；　the　Sergeant　can　command　no　longer；　and　it　will
hardly　do　to　leave　a　corporal　at　the　head　of　a　victorious
party　like　this；　for　flowers　that　will　bloom　in　a　garden
will　die　on　a　heath；　and　I　was　just　thinking　I　would　claim
the　authority　that　belongs　to　one　who　holds　a　lieutenant's
commission。　　As　for　the　men；　they'll　no　dare　to　raise　any
objaction；　and　as　for　yoursal'；　my　dear　friend；　now　that
ye've　so　much　honor；　and　Mabel；　and　the　consciousness　of
having　done　yer　duty；　which　is　more　precious　than　all；　I
expect　to　find　an　ally　rather　than　one　to　oppose　the
plan。〃

〃As　for　commanding　the　soldiers　of　the　55th；　Lieuten…
ant；　it　is　your　right；　I　suppose；　and　no　one　here　will　be
likely　to　gainsay　it；　though　you've　been　a　prisoner　of　war；
and　there　are　men　who　might　stand　out　ag'in　giving　up
their　authority　to　a　prisoner　released　by　their　own　deeds。
Still　no　one　here　will　be　likely　to　say　anything　hostile　to
your　wishes。〃

〃That's　just　it；　Pathfinder；　and　when　I　come　to　draw
up　the　report　of　our　success　against　the　boats；　and　the　de…
fence　of　the　block；　together　with　the　general　operations；
including　the　capitulation；　ye'll　no'　find　any　omission　of
your　claims　and　merits。〃

〃Tut　for　my　claims　and　merits；　Quartermaster！　　Lundie
knows　what　I　am　in　the　forest　and　what　I　am　in　the　fort；
and　the　General　knows　better　than　he。　　No　fear　of　me；
tell　your　own　story；　only　taking　care　to　do　justice　by
Mabel's　father；　who；　in　one　sense；　is　the　commanding　officer
at　this　very　moment。〃

Muir　expressed　his　entire　satisfaction　with　this　arrange…
ment；　as　well　as　his　determination　to　do　justice　by　all；　when
the　two　went　to　the　group　assembled　round　the　fire。　　Here
the　Quartermaster　began；　for　the　first　time　since　leaving
Oswego；　to　assume　some　of　the　authority　that　might　prop…
erly　be　supposed　to　belong　to　his　rank。　　Taking　the　re…
maining　corporal　aside；　he　distinctly　told　that　functionary
that　he　must　in　future　be　regarded　as　one　holding　the
king's　commission；　and　directed　him　to　acquaint　his　sub…
ordinates　with　the　new　state　of　things。　　This　change　in
the　dynasty　was　effected　without　any　of　the　usual　symp…
toms　of　a　revolution；　for；　as　all　well　understood　the　Lieu…
tenant's　legal　claims　to　command；　no　one　felt　disposed　to
dispute　his　orders。　　For　reasons　best　known　to　themselves；
Lundie　and　the　Quartermaster　had　originally　made　a　differ…
ent　disposition；　and　now；　for　reasons　of　his　own；　the　latter
had　seen　fit　to　change　it。　　This　was　reasoning　enough　for
soldiers；　though　the　hurt　received　by　Sergeant　Dunham
would　have　sufficiently　explained　the　circumstance　had　an
explanation　been　required。

All　this　time　Captain　Sanglier　was　looking　after　his　own
breakfast　with　the　resignation　of　a　philosopher；　the　cool…
ness　of　a　veteran；　the　ingenuity　and　science　of　a　French…
man；　and　the　voracity　of　an　ostrich。　　This　person　had　now
been　in　the　colony　some　thirty　years；　having　left　France
in　some　such　situation　in　his　own　army　as　Muir　filled　in
the　55th。　　An　iron　constitution；　perfect　obduracy　of　feel…
ing；　a　certain　address　well　suited　to　manage　savages；　and
an　indomitable　courage；　had　early　pointed　him　out　to　the
commander…in…chief　as　a　suitable　agent　to　be　employed　in
directing　the　military　operations　of　his　Indian　allies。　　In
this　capacity；　then；　he　had　risen　to　the　titular　rank　of　cap…
tain；　and　with　his　promotion　had　acquired　a　portion　of
the　habits　and　opinions　of　his　associates　with　a　facility　and
an　adaptation　of　self　which　are　thought　in　America　to　be
peculiar　to　his　countrymen。　　He　had　often　led　parties　of
the　Iroquois　in　their　predatory　expeditions；　and　his　con…
duct　on　such　occasions　exhibited　the　contradictory　results
of　both　alleviating　the　misery　produced　by　this　species　of
warfare；　and　of　augmenting　it　by　the　broader　views　and
greater　resources　of　civilization。　　In　other　words；　he
planned　enterprises　that；　in　their　importance　and　conse…
quences；　much　exceeded　the　usual　policy　of　the　Indians；
and　then　stepped　in　to　lessen　some　of　the　evils　of　his　own
creating。　　In　short；　he　was　an　adventurer　whom　cir…
cumstances　had　thrown　into　a　situation　where　the　callous
qualities　of　men　of　his　class　might　readily　show　themselves
for　good　or　for　evil；　and　he　was　not　of　a　character　to　baffle
fortune　by　any　ill…timed　squeamishness　on　the　score　of
early　impressions；　or　to　trifle　with　her　liberality　by　unnec…
essarily　provoking　her　frowns　through　wanton　cruelty。
Still；　as　his　name　was　unavoidably　connected　with　many
of　the　excesses　committed　by　his　parties；　he　was　generally
oonsidered　in　the　American　provinces　a　wretch　who　de…
lighted　in　bloodshed；　and　who　found　his　greatest　happiness
in　tormenting　the　helpless　and　the　innocent；　and　the　name
of　Sanglier；　which　was　a　sobriquet　of　his　own　adopting；　or
of　Flint　Heart；　as　he　was　usually　termed　on　the　borders；
had　got　to　be　as　terrible　to　the　women　and　children　of　that
part　of　the　country　as　those　of　Butler　and　Brandt　became
at　a　later　day。

The　meeting　between　Pathfinder　and　Sanglier　bore　some
resemblance　to　that　celebrated　interview　between　Welling…
ton　and　Blucher　which　has　been　so　often　and　graphically
told。　　It　took　place　at　the　fire；　and　the　parties　stood　ear…
nestly　regarding　each　other　for　more　than　a　minute　with…
out　speaking。　　Each　felt　that　in　the　other　he　saw　a　formi…
dable　foe；　and　each　felt；　while　he　ought　to　treat　the　other
with　the　manly　liberality　due　to　a　warrior；　that　there　was
little　in　common　between　them　in　the　way　of　character　as
well　as　of　interests。　　One　served　for　money　and　prefer…
ment；　the　other；　because　his　life　had　been　cast　in　the　wil…
derness；　and　the　land　of　his　birth　needed　his　arm　and　ex…
perience。　　The　desire　of　rising　above　his　present　situation
never　disturbed　the　tranquillity　of　Pathfinder；　nor　had　he
ever　known　an　ambitious　thought；　as　ambition　usually
betrays　itself；　until　he　became　acquainted　with　Mabel。
Since　then；　indeed；　distrust　of　himself；　reverence　for　her；
and　the　wish　to　place　her　in　a　situation　above　that　which
he　then　filled；　had　caused　him　some　uneasy　moments；　but
the　directness　and　simplicity　of　his　character　had　early
afforded　the　required　relief；　and　he　soon　came　to　feel　that
the　woman　who　would　not　hesitate　to　accept　him　for　her
husband　would　not　scruple　to　share　his　fortunes；　however
humble。　　He　respected　Sanglier　as　a　brave　warrior；　and
he　had　far　too　much　of　that　liberality　which　is　the　result
of　practical　knowledge　to　believe　half　of　what　he　had　heard
to　his　prejudice；　for　the　most　bigoted　and　illiberal　on　every
subject　are　usually　those　who　know　nothing　about　it；　but
he　could　not　approve　of　his　selfishness；　cold…blooded　calcu…
lations；　and　least　of　all　of　the　manner　in　which　he　forgot
his　〃white　gifts；〃　to　adopt　those　that　were　purely　〃red。〃
On　the　other　hand；　Pathfinder　was　a　riddle　to　Captain
Sanglier。　　The　latter　could　not　comprehend　the　other's
motives；　he　had　often　heard　of　his　disinterestedness；　jus…
tice；　and　truth；　and　in　several　instances　they　had　led　him
into　grave　errors；　on　that　principle　by　which　a　frank　and
open…mouthed　diplomatist　is　said　to　keep　his　secrets　better
than　one　that　is　close…mouthed　and　wily。

After　the　two　heroes　had　gazed　at　each　other　in　the　man…
ner　mentioned；　Monsieur　Sanglier　touched　his　cap；　for
the　rudeness　of　a　border　life　had　not　entirely　destroyed　the
courtesy　of　manner　he　had　acquired　in　youth；　nor　extin…
guished　that　appearance　of　_bonhomie_　which　seems　inbred
in　a　Frenchman。

〃Monsieur　le　Pathfinder；〃　said　he；　with　a　very　decided
accent；　though　with　a　friendly　smile；　〃_un　militaire_　honor
_le　courage；　et　la　loyaute_。　　You　speak　Iroquois？〃

〃Ay；　I　understand　the　language　of　the　riptyles；　and　can
get　along　with　it　if　there's　occasion；〃　returned　the　literal
and　truth…telling　guide；　〃but　it's　neither　a　tongue　nor　a
tribe　to　my　taste。　　Wherever　you　find　the　Mingo　blood；　in
my　opinion；　Master　Flinty…heart；　you　find　a