the pathfinder-第28部分

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think　that　it　is　all　as　much　owing　to　Killdeer　as　to　any　skill
of　my　own。　　It　is　sartainly　a　wonderful　piece；　and　might
do　as　much　in　the　hands　of　another。〃

〃That　is　your　own　humble　opinion　of　yourself；　Path…
finder；　but　we　have　seen　too　many　fail　with　the　same
weapon；　and　you　succeed　too　often　with　the　rifles　of　other
men；　to　allow　me　to　agree　with　you。　　We　will　get　up　a
shooting　match　in　a　day　or　two；　when　you　call　show　your
skill；　and　when　Mabel　will　form　some　judgment　concern…
ing　your　true　character。〃

〃Will　that　be　fair；　Sergeant？　　Everybody　knows　that
Killdeer　seldom　misses；　and　ought　we　to　make　a　trial　of
this　sort　when　we　all　know　what　must　be　the　result？〃

〃Tut；　tut；　man！　　I　foresee　I　must　do　half　this　courting
for　you。　　For　one　who　is　always　inside　of　the　smoke　in　a
skirmish；　you　are　the　faintest…hearted　suitor　I　ever　met
with。　　Remember；　Mabel　comes　of　a　bold　stock；　and　the
girl　will　be　as　likely　to　admire　a　man　as　her　mother　was
before　her。〃

Here　the　Sergeant　arose；　and　proceeded　to　attend　to　his
never…ceasing　duties；　without　apology；　the　terms　on　which
the　guide　stood　with　all　in　the　garrison　rendering　this
freedom　quite　a　matter　of　course。

The　reader　will　have　gathered　from　the　conversation
just　related；　one　of　the　plans　that　Sergeant　Dunham　had
in　view　in　causing　his　daughter　to　be　brought　to　the
frontier。　　Although　necessarily　much　weaned　from　the
caresses　and　blandishments　that　had　rendered　his　child　so
dear　to　him　during　the　first　year　or　two　of　his　widowerhood；
he　had　still　a　strong　but　somewhat　latent　love　for　her。
Accustomed　to　command　and　to　obey；　without　being　ques…
tioned　himself　or　questioning　others；　concerning　the　rea…
sonableness　of　the　mandates；　he　was　perhaps　too　much
disposed　to　believe　that　his　daughter　would　marry　the　man
he　might　select；　while　he　was　far　from　being　disposed　to
do　violence　to　her　wishes。　　The　fact　was；　few　knew　the
Pathfinder　intimately　without　secretly　believing　him　to
be　one　of　extraordinary　qualities。　　Ever　the　same；　simple…
minded；　faithful；　utterly　without　fear；　and　yet　prudent；
foremost　in　all　warrantable　enterprises；　or　what　the　opinion
of　the　day　considered　as　such；　and　never　engaged　in　any…
thing　to　call　a　blush　to　his　cheek　or　censure　on　his　acts；　it
was　not　possible　to　live　much　with　this　being　and　not　feel
respect　and　admiration　for　him　which　had　no　reference
to　his　position　in　life。　　The　most　surprising　peculiarity
about　the　man　himself　was　the　entire　indifference　with
which　he　regarded　all　distinctions　which　did　not　depend
on　personal　merit。　　He　was　respectful　to　his　superiors
from　habit；　but　had　often　been　known　to　correct　their
mistakes　and　to　reprove　their　vices　with　a　fearlessness　that
proved　how　essentially　he　regarded　the　more　material
points；　and　with　a　natural　discrimination　that　appeared　to
set　education　at　defiance。　　In　short；　a　disbeliever　in　the
ability　of　man　to　distinguish　between　good　and　evil　with…
out　the　aid　of　instruction；　would　have　been　staggered　by
the　character　of　this　extraordinary　inhabitant　of　the　fron…
tier。　　His　feelings　appeared　to　possess　the　freshness　and
nature　of　the　forest　in　which　he　passed　so　much　of　his
time；　and　no　casuist　could　have　made　clearer　decisions　in
matters　relating　to　right　and　wrong；　and　yet　he　was　not
without　his　prejudices；　which；　though　few；　and　colored　by
the　character　and　usages　of　the　individual；　were　deep…
rooted；　and　almost　formed　a　part　of　his　nature。　　But　the
most　striking　feature　about　the　moral　organization　of
Pathfinder　was　his　beautiful　and　unerring　sense　of　justice。
This　noble　trait　　and　without　it　no　man　can　be　truly　great；
with　it　no　man　other　than　respectable　　probably　had　its
unseen　influence　on　all　who　associated　with　him；　for　the
common　and　unprincipled　brawler　of　the　camp　had　been
known　to　return　from　an　expedition　made　in　his　company
rebuked　by　his　sentiments；　softened　by　his　language；　and
improved　by　his　example。　　As　might　have　been　expected；
with　so　elevated　a　quality　his　fidelity　was　like　the　immov…
able　rock；　treachery　in　him　was　classed　among　the　things
which　are　impossible；　and　as　he　seldom　retired　before　his
enemies；　so　was　he　never　known；　under　any　circumstances
that　admitted　of　an　alternative；　to　abandon　a　friend。　　The
affinities　of　such　a　character　were；　as　a　matter　of　course；
those　of　like　for　like。　　His　associates　and　intimates；　though
more　or　less　determined　by　chance；　were　generally　of　the
highest　order　as　to　moral　propensities；　for　he　appeared　to
possess　a　species　of　instinctive　discrimination；　which　led
him；　insensibly　to　himself；　most　probably；　to　cling　closest
to　those　whose　characters　would　best　reward　his　friend…
ship。　　In　short；　it　was　said　of　the　Pathfinder；　by　one　ac…
customed　to　study　his　fellows；　that　he　was　a　fair　example
of　what　a　just…minded　and　pure　man　might　be；　while　un…
tempted　by　unruly　or　ambitious　desires；　and　left　to　follow
the　bias　of　his　feelings；　amid　the　solitary　grandeur　and
ennobling　influences　of　a　sublime　nature；　neither　led　aside
by　the　inducements　which　influence　all　to　do　evil　amid　the
incentives　of　civilization；　nor　forgetful　of　the　Almighty
Being　whose　spirit　pervades　the　wilderness　as　well　as　the
towns。

Such　was　the　man　whom　Sergeant　Dunham　had　selected
as　the　husband　of　Mabel。　　In　making　this　choice；　he　had
not　been　as　much　governed　by　a　clear　and　judicious　view
of　the　merits　of　the　individual；　perhaps；　as　by　his　own
likings；　still　no　one　knew　the　Pathfinder　so　intimately　as
himself　without　always　conceding　to　the　honest　guide　a
high　place　in　his　esteem　on　account　of　these　very　virtues。
That　his　daughter　could　find　any　serious　objections　to　the
match　the　old　soldier　did　not　apprehend；　while；　on　the
other　hand；　he　saw　many　advantages　to　himself　in　dim
perspective；　connected　with　the　decline　of　his　days；　and
an　evening　of　life　passed　among　descendants　who　were
equally　dear　to　him　through　both　parents。　　He　had　first
made　the　proposition　to　his　friend；　who　had　listened　to　it
kindly；　but　who；　the　Sergeant　was　now　pleased　to　find；
already　betrayed　a　willingness　to　come　into　his　own　views
that　was　proportioned　to　the　doubts　and　misgivings　pro…
ceeding　from　his　humble　distrust　of　himself。



CHAPTER　X。

Think　not　I　love　him；　though　I　ask　for　him；
'Tis　but　a　peevish　boy：　　yet　he　talks　well　
But　what　care　I　for　words？


A　week　passed　in　the　usual　routine　of　a　garrison。　　Mabel
was　becoming　used　to　a　situation　that；　at　first　she　had
found　not　only　novel；　but　a　little　irksome；　and　the　officers
and　men　in　their　turn；　gradually　familiarized　to　the　presence
of　a　young　and　blooming　girl；　whose　attire　and　carriage
had　that　air　of　modest　gentility　about　them　which　she　had
obtained　in　the　family　of　her　patroness；　annoyed　her　less
by　their　ill…concealed　admiration；　while　they　gratified　her
by　the　respect　which；　she　was　fain　to　think；　they　paid　her
on　account　of　her　father；　but　which；　in　truth；　was　more
to　be　attributed　to　her　own　modest　but　spirited　deport…
ment；　than　to　any　deference　for　the　worthy　Sergeant。

Acquaintances　made　in　a　forest；　or　in　any　circumstances
of　unusual　excitement；　soon　attain　their　limits。　　Mabel
found　one　week's　residence　at　Oswego　sufficient　to　deter…
mine　her　as　to　those　with　whom　she　might　be　intimate
and　those　whom　she　ought　to　avoid。　　The　sort　of　neutral
position　occupied　by　her　father；　who　was　not　an　officer；
while　he　was　so　much　more　than　a　common　soldier；　by
keeping　her　aloof　from　the　two　great　classes　of　military
life；　lessened　the　number　of　those　whom　she　was　com…
pelled　to　know；　and　made　the　duty　of　decision　compara…
tively　easy。　　Still　she　soon　discovered　that　there　were　a
few；　even　among　those　that　could　aspire　to　a　seat　at　the
Commandant's　table；　who　were　disposed　to　overlook　the
halbert　for　the　novelty　of　a　well…turned　figure　and　of　a
pretty；　winning　face；　and　by　the　end　of　the　first　two　or
three　days　she　had　admirers　even　among　the　gentlemen。
The　Quartermaster；　in　particular；　a　middle…aged　soldier；
who　had　more　than　once　tried　the　blessings　of　matrimony
already；　but　was　now　a　widower；　was　evidently　disposed　to
increase　his　intimacy　with　the　Sergeant；　though　their
duties　often　brought　them　together；　and　the　youngsters
among　his　messmates　did　not　fail　to　note　that　this　man　of
method；　who　was　a　Scotsman　of　the　name　of　Muir；　was
much　more　frequent　in　his　visits　to　the　quarters　of　his
subordinate　than　had　formerly　been　his　wont。　　A　laugh；
or　a　joke；　in　honor　of　the　〃Sergeant's　daughter；〃　how…
ever；　limited　their　strictures；　though　〃Mabel　Dunham〃
was　soon　a　toast　that　even　the　ensign；　or　the　lieutenant；
did　not　disdain　to　give。

At　the　end　of　the　week；　Duncan　of　Lundie　sent　for
Sergeant　Dunham；　after　evening　roll…call；　on　business　of　a
nature　that；　it　was　understood；　required　a　personal　con…
ference。　　The　old　veteran　dwelt　in　a　movable　hut；　which；
being　placed　on　trucks；　he　could　order　to　be　wheeled　about
at　pleasure；　sometimes　living　in　one　part　of　the　area　within
the　fort；　and　sometimes　in　another。　　On　the　present　occa…
sion；　he　had　made　a　halt　near　the　centre；　and　there　he
was　found　by　his　subordinate；　who　was　admitted　to　his
presence　without　any　delay　or　dancing　attendance　in　an
ante…chamber。　　In　point　of　fact；　there　was　very　little　dif…
ference　in　the　quality　of　the　accommodations　allowed　to
the　officers　and　those　allowed　to　the　men；　the　former　being
merely　granted　the　most　room。

〃Walk　in；　Sergeant；　walk　in；　my　good　friend；〃　said　old
Lundie　heartily；　as　his　inferior　stood　in　a　respectful　atti…
tude　at　the　door　of　a　sort　of　library　and　bedroom　into
which　he　had　been　ushered；　　〃walk　in；　and　take　a　seat　on
that　stool。　　I　have　sent　for　you；　man；　to　discuss　anything
but　rosters　and　pay…rolls　this　evening。　　It　is　now　many
years　since　we　have　been　comrades；　and　'auld　lang　syne'
should　count　for　something；　even　between　a　major　and　his
orderly；　a　Scot　and　a　Yankee。　　Sit　ye　down；　man；　and　just
put　yourself　at　your　ease。　　It　has　been　a　fine　day；　Sergeant。〃

〃It　has　indeed；　Major　Duncan；〃　returned　the　other；
who；　though　he　complied　so　far　as　to　take　the　seat；　was
much　too　practised　not　to　understand　the　degree　of　respect
it　was　necessary　to　maintain