the pathfinder-第1节

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The　Pathfinder；　or；　The　Inland　Sea　

by　James　Fenimore　Cooper






PREFACE


The　plan　of　this　tale　suggested　itself　to　the　writer　many
years　since；　though　the　details　are　altogether　of　recent　in…
vention。　　The　idea　of　associating　seamen　and　savages　in
incidents　that　might　be　supposed　characteristic　of　the
Great　Lakes　having　been　mentioned　to　a　Publisher；　the
latter　obtained　something　like　a　pledge　from　the　Author
to　carry　out　the　design　at　some　future　day；　which　pledge
is　now　tardily　and　imperfectly　redeemed。

The　reader　may　recognize　an　old　friend　under　new　cir…
cumstances　in　the　principal　character　of　this　legend。　　If
the　exhibition　made　of　this　old　acquaintance；　in　the　novel
circumstances　in　which　he　now　appears；　should　be　found
not　to　lessen　his　favor　with　the　Public；　it　will　be　a　source
of　extreme　gratification　to　the　writer；　since　he　has　an　in…
terest　in　the　individual　in　question　that　falls　little　short
of　reality。　　It　is　not　an　easy　task；　however；　to　introduce
the　same　character　in　four　separate　works；　and　to　maintain
the　peculiatrities　that　are　indispensable　to　identity；　withont
incurring　a　risk　of　fatiguing　the　reader　with　sameness；
and　the　present　experiment　has　been　so　long　delayed　quite
as　much　from　doubts　of　its　success　as　from　any　other　cause。
In　this；　as　in　every　other　undertaking；　it　must　be　the
〃end〃　that　will　〃crown　the　work。〃

The　Indian　character　has　so　little　variety；　that　it　has
been　my　object　to　avoid　dwelling　on　it　too　much　on　the
present　occasion；　its　association　with　the　sailor；　too；　it　is
feared；　will　be　found　to　have　more　novelty　than　interest。

It　may　strike　the　novice　as　an　anachronism　to　place
vessels　on　the　Ontario　in　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century；
but　in　this　particular　facts　will　fully　bear　out　all　the　li…
cense　of　the　fiction。　　Although　the　precise　vessels　men…
tioned　in　these　pages　may　never　have　existed　on　that　water
or　anywhere　else；　others　so　nearly　resembling　them　　are
known　to　have　navigated　that　inland　sea；　even　at　a　period
much　earlier　than　the　one　just　mentioned；　as　to　form　a
sufficient　authority　for　their　introduction　into　a　work　of
fiction。　　It　is　a　fact　not　generally　remembered；　however
well　known　it　may　be；　that　there　are　isolated　spots　along
the　line　of　the　great　lakes　that　date　as　settlements　as　far
back　as　many　of　the　older　American　towns；　and　which　were
the　seats　of　a　species　of　civilization　long　before　the　greater
portion　of　even　the　older　States　was　rescued　from　the　wil…
derness。

Ontario　in　our　own　times　has　been　the　scene　of　important
naval　evolutions。　　Fleets　have　manoeuvered　on　those　waters；
which；　half　a　century　ago；　were　as　deserted　as　waters　well
can　be；　and　the　day　is　not　distant　when　the　whole　of　that
vast　range　of　lakes　will　become　the　seat　of　empire；　and
fraught　with　all　the　interests　of　human　society。　　A　pass…
ing　glimpse；　even　though　it　be　in　a　work　of　fiction；　of
what　that　vast　region　so　lately　was；　may　help　to　make　up
the　sum　of　knowledge　by　which　alone　a　just　appreciation
can　be　formed　of　the　wonderful　means　by　which　Provi…
dence　is　clearing　the　way　for　the　advancement　of　civiliza…
tion　across　the　whole　American　continent。



THE　PATHFINDER。

CHAPTER　I。

The　turf　shall　be　my　fragrant　shrine；
My　temple；　Lord　！　that　arch　of　thine；
My　censer's　breath　the　mountain　airs；
And　silent　thoughts　my　only　prayers。
MOORE


The　sublimity　connected　with　vastness　is　familiar　to
every　eye。　　The　most　abstruse；　the　most　far…reaching；
perhaps　the　most　chastened　of　the　poet's　thoughts；　crowd
on　the　imagination　as　he　gazes　into　the　depths　of　the
illimitable　void。　　The　expanse　of　the　ocean　is　seldom　seen
by　the　novice　with　indifference；　and　the　mind；　even　in
the　obscurity　of　night；　finds　a　parallel　to　that　grandeur；
which　seems　inseparable　from　images　that　the　senses　can…
not　compass。　　With　feelings　akin　to　this　admiration　and
awe　　the　offspring　of　sublimity　　were　the　different　char…
acters　with　which　the　action　of　this　tale　must　open；　gazing
on　the　scene　before　them。　　Four　persons　in　all；　　two　of
each　sex；　　they　had　managed　to　ascend　a　pile　of　trees；　that
had　been　uptorn　by　a　tempest；　to　catch　a　view　of　the　objects
that　surrounded　them。　　It　is　still　the　practice　of　the　coun…
try　to　call　these　spots　wind…rows。　　By　letting　in　the　light
of　heaven　upon　the　dark　and　damp　recesses　of　the　wood；
they　form　a　sort　of　oases　in　the　solemn　obscurity　of　the
virgin　forests　of　America。　　The　particular　wind…row　of
which　we　are　writing　lay　on　the　brow　of　a　gentle　accliv…
ity；　and；　though　small；　it　had　opened　the　way　for　an　ex…
tensive　view　to　those　who　might　occupy　its　upper　margin；
a　rare　occurrence　to　the　traveller　in　the　woods。　　Philosophy
has　not　yet　determined　the　nature　of　the　power　that　so
often　lays　desolate　spots　of　this　description；　some　ascrib…
ing　it　to　the　whirlwinds　which　produce　waterspouts　on　the
ocean；　while　others　again　impute　it　to　sudden　and　violent
passages　of　streams　of　the　electric　fluid；　but　the　effects　in
the　woods　are　familiar　to　all。　　On　the　upper　margin　of　the
opening；　the　viewless　influence　had　piled　tree　on　tree；　in
such　a　manner　as　had　not　only　enabled　the　two　males　of
the　party　to　ascend　to　an　elevation　of　some　thirty　feet
above　the　level　of　the　earth；　but；　with　a　little　care　and
encouragement；　to　induce　their　more　timid　companions　to
accompany　them。　The　vast　trunks　which　had　been　broken
and　driven　by　the　force　of　the　gust　lay　blended　like　jack…
straws；　while　their　branches；　still　exhaling　the　fragrance
of　withering　leaves；　were　interlaced　in　a　manner　to　afford
sufficient　support　to　the　hands。　　One　tree　had　been　com…
pletely　uprooted；　and　its　lower　end；　filled　with　earth；　had
been　cast　uppermost；　in　a　way　to　supply　a　sort　of　staging
for　the　four　adventurers；　when　they　had　gained　the　de…
sired　distance　from　the　ground。

The　reader　is　to　anticipate　none　of　the　appliances　of
people　of　condition　in　the　description　of　the　personal　ap…
pearances　of　the　group　in　question。　　They　were　all　way…
farers　in　the　wilderness；　and　had　they　not　been；　neither
their　previous　habits；　nor　their　actual　social　positions；
would　have　accustomed　them　to　many　of　the　luxuries　of
rank。　　Two　of　the　party；　indeed；　a　male　and　female；　be…
longed　to　the　native　owners　of　the　soil；　being　Indians　of
the　well…known　tribe　of　the　Tuscaroras；　while　their　com…
panions　were　　a　man；　who　bore　about　him　the　peculiarities
of　one　who　had　passed　his　days　on　the　ocean；　and　was；　too；
in　a　station　little；　if　any；　above　that　of　a　common　mariner；
and　his　female　associate；　who　was　a　maiden　of　a　class　in
no　great　degree　superior　to　his　own；　though　her　youth；
sweetness　and　countenance；　and　a　modest；　but　spirited　mien；
lent　that　character　of　intellect　and　refinement　which　adds
so　much　to　the　charm　of　beauty　in　the　sex。　　On　the　present
occasion；　her　full　blue　eye　reflected　the　feeling　of　sublimity
that　the　scene　excited；　and　her　pleasant　face　was　beaming
with　the　pensive　expression　with　which　all　deep　emotions；
even　though　they　bring　the　most　grateful　pleasure；　shadow
the　countenances　of　the　ingenuous　and　thoughful。

And　truly　the　scene　was　of　a　nature　deeply　to　impress　the
imagination　of　the　beholder。　　Towards　the　west；　in　which
direction　the　faces　of　the　party　were　turned；　the　eye　ranged
over　an　ocean　of　leaves；　glorious　and　rich　in　the　varied
and　lively　verdure　of　a　generous　vegetation；　and　shaded
by　the　luxuriant　tints　which　belong　to　the　forty…second
degree　of　latitude。　　The　elm　wifh　its　graceful　and　weep…
ing　top；　the　rich　varieties　of　the　maple；　most　of　the　noble
oaks　of　the　American　forest；　with　the　broad…leaved　linden
known　in　the　parlance　of　the　conutry　as　the　basswood；
mingled　their　uppermost　branches；　forming　one　broad　and
seemingly　interminable　carpet　of　foliage　which　stretched
away　towards　the　setting　sun；　until　it　bounded　the　hori…
zon；　by　blending　with　the　clouds；　as　the　waves　and　the　sky
meet　at　the　base　of　the　vault　of　heaven。　　Here　and　there；
by　some　accident　of　the　tempests；　or　by　a　caprice　of　nature；
a　trifling　opening　among　these　giant　members　of　the　forest
permitted　an　inferior　tree　to　struggle　upward　toward　the
light；　and　to　lift　its　modest　head　nearly　to　a　level　with
the　surrounding　surface　of　verdure。　　Of　this　class　were　the
birch；　a　tree　of　some　account　in　regions　less　favored；　the
quivering　aspen；　various　generous　nut…woods；　and　divers
others　which　resembled　the　ignoble　and　vulgar；　thrown　by
circumstances　into　the　presence　of　the　stately　and　great。
Here　and　there；　too；　the　tall　straight　trunk　of　the　pine
pierced　the　vast　field；　rising　high　above　it；　like　some　grand
monument　reared　by　art　on　a　plain　of　leaves。

It　was　the　vastness　of　the　view；　the　nearly　unbroken
surface　of　verdure；　that　contained　the　principle　of　grandeur。
The　beauty　was　to　be　traced　in　the　delicate　tints；　relieved
by　graduations　of　light　and　shade；　while　the　solemn　repose
induced　the　feeling　allied　to　awe。

〃Uncle；〃　said　the　wondering；　but　pleased　girl；　address…
ing　her　male　companion；　whose　arm　she　rather　touched
than　leaned　on；　to　steady　her　own　light　but　firm　footing；
〃this　is　like　a　view　of　the　ocean　you　so　much　love！〃

〃So　much　for　igno