"'Tis fancy, Mabel; when the mind gets to be skeary, especially a woman's mind, she often concaits things that have no reality.I've known them that imagined there was truth in dreams.""Nay, I am _not_ deceived; there is surely one below, and in pain."Pathfinder was compelled to own that the quick senses of Mabel had not deceived her.He cautioned her, how-ever, to repress her feelings; and reminded her that the savages were in the practice of resorting to every artifice to attain their ends, and that nothing was more likely than that the groans were feigned with a view to lure them from the blockhouse, or, at least, to induce them to open the door.
"No, no, no!" said Mabel hurriedly; "there is no arti-fice in those sounds, and they come from anguish of body, if not of spirit.They are fearfully natural.""Well, we shall soon know whether a friend is there or not.Hide the light again, Mabel, and I will speak the person from a loop."Not a little precaution was necessary, according to Path-finder's judgment and experience, in performing even this simple act; for he had known the careless slain by their want of proper attention to what might have seemed to the ignorant supererogatory means of, safety.He did not place his mouth to the loop itself, but so near it that he could be heard without raising his voice, and the same precaution was observed as regards his ear.
"Who is below?" Pathfinder demanded, when his ar-rangements were made to his mind."Is any one in suf-fering? If a friend, speak boldly, and depend on our aid.""Pathfinder!" answered a voice that both Mabel and the person addressed at once knew to be the Sergeant's, --"Pathfinder, in the name of God, tell me what has become of my daughter.""Father, I am here, unhurt, safe! and oh that I could think the same of you!"The ejaculation of thanksgiving that followed was dis-tinctly audible to the two, but it was clearly mingled with, a groan of pain.
"My worst forebodings are realized!" said Mabel with a sort of desperate calmness."Pathfinder, my father must be brought within the block, though we hazard everything to do it.""This is natur', and it is the law of God.But, Mabel, be calm, and endivor to be cool.All that can be effected for the Sergeant by human invention shall be done.Ionly ask you to be cool."
"I am, I am, Pathfinder.Never in my life was I more calm, more collected, than at this moment.But remem-ber how perilous may be every instant; for Heaven's sake, what we do, let us do without delay."Pathfinder was struck with the firmnesss of Mabel's tones, and perhaps he was a little deceived by the forced tranquillity and self-possession she had assumed.At all events, he did not deem any further explanations neces-sary, but descended forthwith, and began to unbar the door.This delicate process was conducted with the usual caution, but, as he warily permitted the mass of timber to swing back on the hinges, he felt a pressure against it, that had nearly induced him to close it again.But, catching a glimpse of the cause through the crack, the door was per-mitted to swing back, when the body of Sergeant Dunham, which was propped against it, fell partly within the block.
To draw in the legs and secure the fastenings occupied the Pathfinder but a moment.Then there existed no obstacle to their giving their undivided care to the wounded man.
Mabel, in this trying scene, conducted herself with the sort of unnatural energy that her sex, when aroused, is apt to manifest.She got the light, administered water to the parched lips of her father, and assisted Pathfinder in form-ing a bed of straw for his body and a pillow of clothes for his head.All this was done earnestly, and almost without speaking; nor did Mabel shed a tear, until she heard the blessings of her father murmured on her head for this tenderness and care.All this time Mabel had merely con-jectured the condition of her parent.Pathfinder, how-ever, had shown greater attention to the physical danger of the Sergeant.He had ascertained that a rifle-ball had passed through the body of the wounded man; and he was sufficiently familiar with injuries of this nature to be cer-tain that the chances of his surviving the hurt were very trifling, if any.
