the pathfinder-第48部分

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if　it　be　a　wrong　one。　　I　suppose　you　know　service　well
enough　to　understand　that　it　is　better　in　a　commander　to
go　wrong　than　to　go　nowhere。　　At　all　events；　the　Lord
High　Admiral　couldn't　command　a　yawl　with　dignity；　if
he　consulted　the　cockswain　every　time　he　wished　to　go
ashore。　　No　sir；　if　I　sink；　I　sink！　but；　d…　me；　I'll　go　down
ship…shape　and　with　dignity。〃

〃But；　brother　Cap；　I　have　no　wish　to　go　down　anywhere；
unless　it　be　to　the　station　among　the　Thousand　Islands
whither　we　are　bound。〃

〃Well；　well；　Sergeant；　rather　than　ask　advice　　that　is；
direct；　barefaced　advice　　of　a　foremast　hand；　or　any　other
than　a　quarter…deck　officer；　I　would　go　round　to　the　whole
thousand；　and　examine　tbem　one　by　one　until　we　got　the
right　haven。　　But　there　is　such　a　thing　as　coming　at　an
opinion　without　manifesting　ignorance；　and　I　will　manage
to　rouse　all　there　is　out　of　these　hands；　and　make　them
think　all　the　while　that　I　am　cramming　them　with　my　own
experience！　　We　are　sometimes　obliged　to　use　the　glass　at
sea　when　there　is　nothing　in　sight；　or　to　heave　the　lead
long　before　we　strike　soundings。　　When　a　youngster；
sailed　two　v'y'ges　with　a　man　who　navigated　his　ship　pretty
much　by　the　latter　sort　of　information；　which　sometimes
answers。〃

〃I　know　we　are　steering　in　the　right　direction　at　pres…
ent；〃　returned　the　Sergeant；　〃but　in　the　course　of　a　few
hours　we　shall　be　up　with　a　headland；　where　we　must　feel
our　way　with　more　caution。〃

〃Leave　me　to　pump　the　man　at　the　wheel；　brother；　and
you　shall　see　that　I　will　make　him　suck　in　a　very　few
minutes。〃

Cap　and　the　Sergeant　now　walked　aft；　until　they　stood
by　the　sailor　who　was　at　the　helm；　Cap　maintaining　an　air
of　security　and　tranquillity；　like　one　who　was　entirely　con…
fident　of　his　own　powers。

〃This　is　a　wholesome　air；　my　lad；〃　Cap　observed；　in　the
manner　that　a　superior　on　board　a　vessel　sometimes　conde…
scends　to　use　to　a　favored　inferior。　　〃Of　course　you　have
it　in　this　fashion　off　the　land　every　night？〃

〃At　this　season　of　the　year；　sir；〃　the　man　returned；
touching　his　hat；　out　of　respect；　to　his　new　commander
and　Sergeant　Dunham's　connection。

〃The　same　thing；　I　take　it；　among　the　Thousand　Is…
lands？　　The　wind　will　stand；　of　course；　though　we　shall
then　have　land　on　every　side　of　us。〃

〃When　we　get　farther　east；　sir；　the　wind　will　probably
shift；　for　there　can　then　be　no　particular　land…breeze。

〃Ay；ay；　so　much　for　your　fresh　water！　　It　has　always
some　trick　that　is　opposed　to　nature。　　Now；　down　among
the　West　India　Islands；　one　is　just　as　certain　of　having　a
land…breeze　as　he　is　of　having　a　sea…breeze。　　In　that　respect
there　is　no　difference；　though　it's　quite　in　rule　it　should
be　different　up　here　on　this　bit　of　fresh　water。　　Of　course；
my　lad；　you　know　all　about　these　said　Thousand　Islands？〃

〃Lord　bless　you；　Master　Cap；　nobody　knows　all　about
them　or　anything　about　them。　　They　are　a　puzzle　to　the
oldest　sailor　on　the　lake；　and　we　don't　pretend　to　know
even　their　names。　　For　that　matter；　most　of　them　have
no　more　names　than　a　child　that　dies　before　it　is　chris…
tened。〃

〃Are　you　a　Roman　Catholic？〃　demanded　the　Sergeant
sharply。

〃No；　sir；　nor　anything　else。　　I'm　a　generalizer　about
religion；　never　troubling　that　which　don't　trouble　me。〃

〃Hum！　a　generalizer；　that　is；　no　doubt；　one　of　the　new
sects　that　afflict　the　country；〃　muttered　Mr。　Dunham；
whose　grandfather　had　been　a　New　Jersey　Quaker；　his
father　a　Presbyterian；　and　who　had　joined　the　Church　of
England　himself　after　he　entered　the　army。

〃I　take　it；　John　　〃　resumed　Cap。　　〃Your　name　is　Jack；
I　believe？〃

〃No；　sir；　I　am　called　Robert。〃

〃Ay；　Robert；　it's　very　much　the　same　thing；　Jack　or
Bob；　we　use　the　two　indifferently。　　I　say；　Bob；　it's　good
holding　ground；　is　it；　down　at　this　same　station　for　which
we　are　bound？〃

〃Bless　you；　sir！　　I　know　no　more　about　it　than　one　of　the
Mohawks；　or　a　soldier　of　the　55th。〃

〃Did　you　never　anchor　there？〃

〃Never；　sir。　　Master　Eau…douce　always　makes　fast　to
the　shore。〃

〃But　in　running　in　for　the　town；　you　kept　the　lead
going；　out　of　question；　and　must　have　tallowed　as　usual。〃

〃Tallow！　　and　town；　too！　　Bless　your　heart；　Master
Cap！　there　is　no　more　town　than　there　is　on　your　chin；
and　not　half　as　much　tallow！〃

The　Sergeant　smiled　grimly；　but　his　brother…in…law　did
not　detect　this　proof　of　humor。

〃No　church　tower；　nor　light；　nor　fort；　ha？　　There　is　a
garrison；　as　you　call　it　hereaway；　at　least？〃

〃Ask　Sergeant　Dunham；　sir；　if　you　wish　to　know　that。
All　the　garrison　is　on　board　the　_Scud_。〃

〃But　in　running　in；　Bob；　which　of　the　channels　do　you
think　the　best？　the　one　you　went　last；　or　　or　　or　　ay；　or
the　other？〃

〃I　can't　say；　sir；　I　know　nothing　of　either。〃

〃You　didn't　go　to　sleep；　fellow；　at　the　wheel；　did　you？〃

〃Not　at　the　wheel；　sir；　but　down　in　the　fore…peak　in　my
berth。　　Eau…douce　sent　us　below；　soldiers　and　all；　with　the
exception　of　the　pilot；　and　we　know　no　more　of　the　road
than　if　we　had　never　been　over　it。　　This　he　has　always
done　in　going　in　and　coming　out；　and；　for　the　life　of　me；
I　could　tell　you　nothing　of　the　channel；　or　the　course；　after
we　are　once　fairly　up　with　the　islands。　　No　one　knows
anything　of　either　but　Jasper　and　the　pilot。〃

〃Here　is　a　circumstance　for　you；　Sergeant；〃　said　Cap；
leading　his　brother…in…law　a　little　aside；　〃there　is　no　one
on　board　to　pump；　for　they　all　suck　from　ignorance　at　the
first　stroke　of　the　brake。　　How　the　devil　am　I　to　find　the
way　to　this　station　for　which　we　are　bound？〃

〃Sure　enough；　brother　Cap；　your　question　is　more　easily
put　than　answered。　　Is　there　no　such　thing　as　figuring　it
out　by　navigation？　　I　thought　you　salt…water　mariners
were　able　to　do　as　small　a　thing　as　that。　　I　have　often
read　of　their　discovering　islands；　surely。〃

〃That　you　have；　brother；　that　you　have；　and　this　dis…
covery　would　be　the　greatest　of　them　all；　for　it　would　not
only　be　discovering　one　island；　but　one　island　out　of　a
thousand。〃

〃Still；　the　sailors　of　the　lake　have　a　method　of　finding
the　places　they　wish　to　go　to。〃

〃If　I　have　understood　you；　Sergeant；　this　station　or
block…house　is　particularly　private。〃

〃It　is；　indeed；　the　utmost　care　having　been　taken　to
prevent　a　knowledge　of　its　position　from　reaching　the
enemy。〃

〃And　you　expect　me；　a　stranger　on　your　lake；　to　find
this　place　without　chart；　course；　distance；　latitude；　longi…
tude；　or　soundings；　　ay；　d…　me；　or　tallow！　　Allow　me　to
ask　if　you　think　a　mariner　runs　by　his　nose；　like　one　of
Pathfinder's　hounds？〃

〃Well；　brother；　you　may　yet　learn　something　by　ques…
tioning　the　young　man　at　the　helm；　I　can　hardly　think
that　he　is　as　ignorant　as　he　pretends　to　be。〃

〃Hum！　　this　looks　like　another　circumstance。　　For
that　matter；　the　case　is　getting　to　be　so　full　of　circum…
stances　that　one　hardly　knows　how　to　foot　up　the　evidence。
But　we　will　soon　see　how　much　the　lad　knows。〃

Cap　and　the　Sergeant　now　returned　to　their　station　near
the　helm；　and　the　former　renewed　his　inquiries。

〃Do　you　happen　to　know　what　may　be　the　latitude　and
longitude　of　this　said　island；　my　lad？〃　he　asked。

〃The　what；　sir？〃

〃Why；　the　latitude　or　longitude　　one　or　both；　I'm　not
particular　which；　as　I　merely　inquire　in　order　to　see　how
they　bring　up　young　men　on　this　bit　of　fresh　water。〃

〃I'm　not　particular　about　either　myself；　sir；　and　so　I　do
not　happen　to　know　what　you　mean。〃

〃Not　what　I　mean！　　You　know　what　latitude　is？〃

〃Not　I；　sir！〃　returned　the　man；　hesitating。　　〃Though
I　believe　it　is　French　for　the　upper　lakes。〃

〃Whe…e…e…w…！〃　whistled　Cap；　drawing　out　his
breath　like　the　broken　stop　of　an　organ；　〃latitude；　French
for　upper　lakes！　　Hark'e；　young　man；　do　you　know　what
longitude　means？〃

〃I　believe　I　do；　sir；　that　is；　five　feet　six；　the　regulation
height　for　soldiers　in　the　king's　service。〃

〃There's　the　longitude　found　out　for　you；　Sergeant；　in
the　rattling　of　a　brace…block！　　You　have　some　notion
about　a　degree；　and　minutes　and　seconds；　I　hope？〃

〃Yes；　sir；　degree　means　my　betters；　and　minutes　and
seconds　are　for　the　short　or　long　log…lines。　　We　all　know
these　things　as　well　as　the　salt…water　people。〃

〃D…　me；　brother　Dunham；　if　I　think　even　Faith　can
get　along　on　this　lake；　much　as　they　say　it　can　do　with
mountains。　　Well；　my　lad；　you　understand　the　azimuth；
and　measuring　distances；　and　how　to　box　the　compass。〃

〃As　for　the　first；　sir；　I　can't　say　I　do。　　The　distances　we
all　know；　as　we　measure　them　from　point　to　point；　and
as　for　boxing　the　compass；　I　will　turn　my　back　to　no　ad…
miral　in　his　Majesty's　fleet。　　Nothe；　nothe　and　by　east；
nothe；　nothe…east；　nothe…east　and　by　nothe；　nothe…east；
nothe…east　and　by　east；　east…nothe…east；　east　and　by　nothe…
east　　〃

〃That　will　do；　that　will　do。　　You'll　bring　about　a　shift
of　wind　if　you　go　on　in　this　manner。　　I　see　very　plainly；
Sergeant；〃　walking　away　again；　and　dropping　his　voice；
〃we've　nothing　to　hope　for　from　that　chap。　　I'll　stand
on　two　hours　longer　on　this　tack；　when　we'll　heave…to　and
get　the　soundings；　after　which　we　will　be　governed　by
circumstances。〃

To　this　the　Sergeant　made　no　objections；　and　as　the
wind　grew　lighter；　as　usual　with　the　advance　of　night；　and
there　were　no　immediate　obstacles　to　the　navigation；　he
made　a　bed　of　a　sail　on　deck；　and　was　soon　lost　in　the
sound　sleep　of　a　soldier。　　Cap　continued　to　walk　the　deck；
for　he　was　one　whose　iron　frame　set　fatigue　at　defiance；
and　not　once　that　night　did　he　close　his　eyes。

It　was　broad　daylight　when　Sergeant　Dunham　awoke；
and　the　exclamation　of　surprise　that　escaped　him；　as　he
rose　to　his　feet　and　began　to　look　about　him；　was　stronger
than　it　was　usual　for　one　so　drilled　to　suffer　to　be　heard。
He　found　the　weather　entirely　changed；　the　view　bounded
by　driving　mist　that　limited　the　visible　horizon　to　a　circle
of　about　a　mile　in　diameter；　the　lake　raging　and　covered
with　foam；　and　the　_Scud_　lying…to。　　A　brief　conversation
with　his　brother…in…law　let　him　into　the　secrets　of　all　these
sudden　changes。

According　to　the　account　of　Master　Cap；　the　wind　had
died　away　to　a　calm　about　midnight；　or　just　as　he　was
thinking　of　heaving…to；　to　sound；　for　islands　ahead　were
beginni