the pathfinder-第33节

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〃And　are　you　not　afraid　that　she　may　be　left　a　widow
while　still　a　young　woman？　what　between　wild　beasts；　and
wilder　savages；　Pathfinder　may　be　said　to　carry　his　life　in
his　hand。〃

〃'Every　bullet　has　its　billet；'　Lundie；〃　for　so　the　Major
was　fond　of　being　called　in　his　moments　of　condescension；
and　when　not　engaged　in　military　affairs；　〃and　no　man　in
the　55th　can　call　himself　beyond　or　above　the　chances　of
sudden　death。　　In　that　particular；　Mabel　would　gain　nothing
by　a　change。　　Besides；　sir；　if　I　may　speak　freely　on　such　a
subject；　I　much　doubt　if　ever　Pathfinder　dies　in　battle；　or
by　any　of　the　sudden　chances　of　the　wilderness。〃

〃And　why　so；　Sergeant？〃　asked　the　Major。　　〃He　is　a
soldier；　so　far　as　danger　is　concerned；　and　one　that　is　much
more　than　usually　exposed；　and；　being　free　of　his　person；
why　should　he　expect　to　escape　when　others　do　not？〃

〃I　do　not　believe；　your　honor；　that　the　Pathfinder　con…
siders　his　own　chances　better　than　any　one's　else；　but　the
man　will　never　die　by　a　bullet。　　I　have　seen　him　so　often
handling　his　rifle　with　as　much　composure　as　if　it　were　a
shepherd's　crook；　in　the　midst　of　the　heaviest　showers　of
bullets；　and　under　so　many　extraordinary　circumstances；
that　I　do　not　think　Providence　means　he　should　ever　fall
in　that　manner。　　And　yet；　if　there　be　a　man　in　his　Majesty's
dominions　who　really　deserves　such　a　death；　it　is　Path…
finder。〃

〃We　never　know；　Sergeant；〃　returned　Lundie；　with　a
countenance　grave　with　thought；　〃and　the　less　we　say
about　it；　perhaps；　the　better。　　But　will　your　daughter　
Mabel；　I　think；　you　call　her　　will　Mabel　be　as　willing　to
accept　one　who；　after　all；　is　a　mere　hanger…on　of　the　army；
as　to　take　one　from　the　service　itself？　　There　is　no　hope
of　promotion　for　the　guide；　Sergeant。〃

〃He　is　at　the　head　of　his　corps　already；　your　honor。　　In
short；　Mabel　has　made　up　her　mind　on　this　subject；　and；
as　your　honor　has　had　the　condescension　to　speak　to　me
about　Mr。　Muir；　I　trust　you　will　be　kind　enough　to　say
that　the　girl　is　as　good　as　billeted　for　life。〃

〃Well；　well；　this　is　your　own　matter；　and；　now　　Ser…
geant　Dunham！〃

〃Your　honor；〃　said　the　other；　rising；　and　giving　the
customary　salute。

〃You　have　been　told　it　is　my　intention　to　send　you
down　among　the　Thousand　Islands　for　the　next　month。
All　the　old　subalterns　have　had　their　tours　of　duty　in　that
quarter　　all　that　I　like　to　trust　at　least；　and　it　has　at
length　come　to　your　turn。　　Lieutenant　Muir；　it　is　true；
claims　his　right；　but；　being　quartermaster；　I　do　not　like
to　break　up　well…established　arrangements。　　Are　the　men
drafted？〃

〃Everything　is　ready；　your　honor。　　The　draft　is　made；
and　I　understood　that　the　canoe　which　got　in　last　night
brought　a　message　to　say　that　the　party　already　below　is
looking　out　for　the　relief。〃

〃It　did；　and　you　must　sail　the　day　after　to…morrow；　if
not　to…morrow　night。　　It　will　be　wise；　perhaps；　to　sail　in
the　dark。〃

〃So　Jasper　thinks；　Major　Duncan；　and　I　know　no　one
more　to　be　depended　on　in　such　an　affair　than　young
Jasper　Western。〃

〃Young　Jasper　Eau…douce！〃　said　Lundie；　a　slight　smile
gathering　around　his　usually　stern　mouth。　　〃Will　that
lad　be　of　your　party；　Sergeant？〃

〃Your　honor　will　remember　that　the　_Scud_　never　quits
port　without　him。〃

〃True；　but　all　general　rules　have　their　exceptions。
Have　I　not　seen　a　seafaring　person　about　the　fort　within
the　last　few　days？〃

〃No　doubt；　your　honor；　it　is　Master　Cap；　a　brother…in…
law　of　mine；　who　brought　my　daughter　from　below。〃

〃Why　not　put　him　in　the　_Scud_　for　this　cruise；　Sergeant；
and　leave　Jasper　behind？　　Your　brother…in…law　would　like
the　variety　of　a　fresh…water　cruise；　and　you　would　enjoy
more　of　his　company。〃

〃I　intended　to　ask　your　honor's　permission　to　take　him
along；　but　he　must　go　as　a　volunteer。　　Jasper　is　too　brave
a　lad　to　be　turned　out　of　his　command　without　a　reason；
Major　Duncan；　and　I'm　afraid　brother　Cap　despises　fresh
water　too　much　to　do　duty　on　it。〃

〃Quite　right；　Sergeant；　and　I　leave　all　this　to　your　own
discretion。　　Eau…douce　must　retain　his　command；　on　sec…
ond　thoughts。　　You　intend　that　Pathfinder　shall　also　be
of　the　party？〃

〃If　your　honor　approves　of　it。　　There　will　be　service
for　both　the　guides；　the　Indian　as　well　as　the　white　man。〃

〃I　think　you　are　right。　　Well；　Sergeant；　I　wish　you
good　luck　in　the　enterprise；　and　remember　the　post　is　to
be　destroyed　and　abandoned　when　your　command　is　with…
drawn。　　It　will　have　done　its　work　by　that　time；　or　we
shall　have　failed　entirely；　and　it　is　too　ticklish　a　position
to　be　maintained　unnecessarily。　　You　can　retire。〃

Sergeant　Dunham　gave　the　customary　salute；　turned　on
his　heels　as　if　they　bad　been　pivots；　and　had　got　the　door
nearly　drawn　to　after　him；　when　he　was　suddenly　recalled。

〃I　had　forgotten；　Sergeant；　the　younger　officers　have
begged　for　a　shooting　match；　and　to…morrow　has　been
named　for　the　day。　　All　competitors　will　be　admitted；　and
the　prizes　will　be　a　silver…mounted　powder　horn；　a　leathern
flask　ditto；〃　reading　from　a　piece　of　paper；　〃as　I　see　by
the　professional　jargon　of　this　bill；　and　a　silk　calash　for　a
lady。　　The　latter　is　to　enable　the　victor　to　show　his　gal…
lantry　by　making　an　offering　of　it　to　her　he　best　loves。〃

〃All　very　agreeable；　your　honor；　at　least　to　him　that
succeeds。　　Is　the　Pathfinder　to　be　permitted　to　enter？〃

〃I　do　not　well　see　how　he　can　be　excluded；　if　he　choose
to　come　forward。　　Latterly；　I　have　observed　that　he　takes
no　share　in　these　sports；　probably　from　a　conviction　of　his
own　unequalled　skill。〃

〃That's　it；　Major　Duncan；　the　honest　fellow　knows
there　is　not　a　man　on　the　frontier　who　can　equal　him；　and
he　does　not　wish　to　spoil　the　pleasure　of　others。　　I　think
we　may　trust　to　his　delicacy　in　anything；　sir。　　Perhaps　it
may　be　as　well　to　let　him　have　his　own　way？〃

〃In　this　instance　we　must；　Sergeant。　　Whether　he　will
be　as　successful　in　all　others　remains　to　be　seen。　　I　wish
you　good　evening；　Dunham。〃

The　Sergeant　now　withdrew；　leaving　Duncan　of　Lundie
to　his　own　thoughts：　that　they　were　not　altogether　disa…
greeable　was　to　be　inferred　from　the　smiles　which　occa…
sionally　covered　a　countenance　hard　and　martial　in　its
usual　expression；　though　there　were　moments　in　which　all
its　severe　sobriety　prevailed。　　Half　an　hour　might　have
passed；　when　a　tap　at　the　door　was　answered　by　a　direc…
tion　to　enter。　　A　middle…aged　man；　in　the　dress　of　an　offi…
cer；　but　whose　uniform　wanted　the　usual　smartness　of　the
profession；　made　his　appearance；　and　was　saluted　as　〃Mr。
Muir。〃

〃I　have　come　sir；　at　your　bidding；　to　know　my　for…
tune；〃　said　the　Quartermaster；　in　a　strong　Scotch　accent；
as　soon　as　he　had　taken　the　seat　which　was　proffered　to
him。　　〃To　say　the　truth　to　you；　Major　Duncan；　this　girl
is　making　as　much　havoc　in　the　garrison　as　the　French
did　before　Ty：　I　never　witnessed　so　general　a　rout　in　so
short　a　time！〃

〃Surely；　Davy；　you　don't　mean　to　persuade　me　that　your
young　and　unsophisticated　heart　is　in　such　a　flame；　after
one　week's　ignition？　　Why；　man；　this　is　worse　than　the
affair　in　Sootland；　where　it　was　said　the　heat　within　was　so
intense　that　it　just　burnt　a　hole　through　your　own　pre…
cious　body；　and　left　a　place　for　all　the　lassies　to　peer　in　at；
to　see　what　the　combustible　material　was　worth。〃

〃Ye'll　have　your　own　way；　Major　Duncan；　and　your
father　and　mother　would　have　theirs　before　ye；　even　if
the　enemy　were　in　the　camp。　　I　see　nothing　so　extraordi…
nar'　in　young　people　following　the　bent　of　their　inclina…
tions　and　wishes。〃

〃But　you've　followed　yours　so　often；　Davy；　that　I　should
think　by　this　time　it　had　lost　the　edge　of　novelty。　　In…
cluding　that　informal　affair　in　Scotland；　when　you　were　a
lad；　you've　been　married　four　times　already。〃

〃Only　three；　Major；　as　I　hope　to　get　another　wife。　　I've
not　yet　had　my　number：　no；　no；　only　three。〃

〃I'm　thinking；　Davy；　you　don't　include　the　first　affair
I　mentioned；　that　in　which　there　was　no　parson。〃

〃And　why　should　I　Major？　　The　courts　decided　that
it　was　no　marriage；　and　what　more　could　a　man　want？
The　woman　took　advantage　of　a　slight　amorous　propensity
that　may　be　a　weakness　in　my　disposition；　perhaps；　and
inveigled　me　into　a　contract　which　was　found　to　be　illegal。〃

〃If　I　remember　right；　Muir；　there　were　thought　to　be
two　sides　to　that　question；　in　the　time　of　it？〃

〃It　would　be　but　an　indifferent　question；　my　dear
Major；　that　hadn't　two　sides　to　it；　and　I've　known　many
that　had　three。　　But　the　poor　woman's　dead；　and　there
was　no　issue；　so　nothing　came　of　it　after　all。　　Then；　I　was
particularly　unfortunate　with　my　second　wife；　I　say　sec…
ond；　Major；　out　of　deference　to　you；　and　on　the　mere　sup…
position　that　the　first　was　a　marriage　at　all；　but　first　or
second；　I　was　particularly　unfortunate　with　Jeannie
Graham；　who　died　in　the　first　lustrum；　leaving　neither
chick　nor　chiel　behind　her。　　I　do　think；　if　Jeannie　had
survived；　I　never　should　have　turned　my　thoughts　towards
another　wife。〃

〃But　as　she　did　not；　you　married　twice　after　her　death；
and　are　desirous　of　doing　so　a　third　time。〃

〃The　truth　can　never　justly　be　gainsaid；　Major　Duncan；
and　I　am　always　ready　to　avow