"Not he, not he! A regular scout will never get behind walls or logs so long as he can keep the open air and find useful employment.I should not have come myself, Mabel, but I promised the Sergeant to comfort you and to look after your safety.Ah's me! I reconnoitred the island with a heavy heart this forenoon; and there was a bitter hour when I fancied you might be among the slain.""By what lucky accident were you prevented from pad-dling up boldly to the island and from falling into the hands of the enemy?""By such an accident, Mabel, as Providence employs to tell the hound where to find the deer and the deer how to throw off the hound.No, no! these artifices and devil-ries with dead bodies may deceive the soldiers of the 55th and the king's officers; but they are all lost upon men who have passed their days in the forest.I came down the channel in face of the pretended fisherman; and, though the riptyles have set up the poor wretch with art, it was not ingenious enough to take in a practysed eye.
The rod was held too high, for the 55th have learned to fish at Oswego, if they never knew how before; and then the man was too quiet for one who got neither prey nor bite.But we never come in upon a post blindly; and Ihave lain outside a garrison a whole night, because they had changed their sentries and their mode of standing guard.Neither the Sarpent nor myself would be likely to be taken in by these clumsy contrivances, which were most probably intended for the Scotch, who are cunning enough in some particulars, though anything but witches when Indian sarcumventions are in the wind.""Do you think my father and his men may yet be de-ceived?" said Mabel quickly.
"Not if I can prevent it, Mabel.You say the Sarpent is on the look-out too; so there is a double chance of our succeeding in letting him know his danger; though it is by no means sartain by which channel the party may come.""Pathfinder," said our heroine solemnly, for the fright-ful scenes she had witnessed had clothed death with un-usual horrors, -- "Pathfinder, you have professed love for me, a wish to make me your wife?""I did ventur' to speak on that subject, Mabel, and the Sergeant has even lately said that you are kindly disposed;but I am not a man to persecute the thing I love.""Hear me, Pathfinder, I respect you, honor you, revere you; save my father from this dreadful death, and I can worship you.Here is my hand, as a solemn pledge for my faith, when you come to claim it.""Bless you, bless you, Mabel; this is more than I desarve - more, I fear, than I shall know how to profit by as Iought.It was not wanting, however, to make me sarve the Sergeant.We are old comrades, and owe each other a life; though I fear me, Mabel, being a father's comrade is not always the best recommendation with a daughter.""You want no other recommendation than your own acts -- your courage, your fidelity.All that you do and say, Pathfinder, my reason approves, and the heart will, nay, it _shall_ follow.""This is a happiness I little expected this night; but we are in God's hands, and He will protect us in His own way.These are sweet words, Mabel; but they were not wanting to make me do all that man can do in the present circumstances; they will not lessen my endeavors, neither.""Now we understand each other, Pathfinder," Mabel added hoarsely, "let us not lose one of the precious mo-ments, which may be of incalculable value.Can we not get into your canoe and go and meet my father?""That is not the course I advise.I don't know by which channel the Sergeant will come, and there are twenty; rely on it, the Sarpent will be winding his way through them all.No, no! my advice is to remain here.
The logs of this blockhouse are still green, and it will not be easy to set them on fire; and I can make good the place, bating a burning, ag'in a tribe.The Iroquois nation cannot dislodge me from this fortress, so long as we can keep the flames off it.The Sergeant is now 'camped on some island, and will not come in until morning.If we hold the block, we can give him timely warning, by firing rifles, for instance; and should he determine to attack the savages, as a man of his temper will be very likely to do, the possession of this building will be of great account in the affair.No, no! my judgment says remain, if the ob-ject be to sarve the Sergeant, though escape for our two selves will be no very difficult matter.""Stay," murmured Mabel, "stay, for God's sake, Path-finder! Anything, everything to save my father!""Yes, that is natur'.I am glad to hear you say this, Mabel, for I own a wish to see the Sergeant fairly sup-ported.As the matter now stands, he has gained himself credit; and, could he once drive off these miscreants, and make an honorable retreat, laying the huts and block in ashes, no doubt, Lundie would remember it and sarve him accordingly.Yes, yes, Mabel, we must not only save the Sergeant's life, but we must save his reputation.""No blame can rest on my father on account of the sur-prise of this island."
"There's no telling, there's no telling; military glory is a most unsartain thing.I've seen the Delawares routed, when they desarved more credit than at other times when they've carried the day.A man is wrong to set his head on success of any sort, and worst of all on success in war.
