第10章

Now, my gifts are with the rifle, and on a trail, and in the way of game and scouting; for, though I can use the spear and the paddle, I pride not myself on either.The youth Jasper, there, who is discoursing with the Sergeant's daughter, is a different cratur'; for he may be said to breathe the water, as it might be, like a fish.The Indians and Frenchers of the north shore call him Eau-douce, on account of his gifts in this particular.He is better at the oar, and the rope too, than in making fires on a trail.""There must be something about these gifts of which you speak, after all," said Cap."Now this fire, I will ac-knowledge, has overlaid all my seamanship.Arrowhead, there, said the smoke came from a pale-face's fire, and that is a piece of philosophy which I hold to be equal to steering in a dark night by the edges of the sand.""It's no great secret," returned Pathfinder, laughing with great inward glee, though habitual caution prevented the emission of any noise."Nothing is easier to us who pass our time in the great school of Providence than to larn its lessons.We should be as useless on a trail, or in carrying tidings through the wilderness, as so many wood-chucks, did we not soon come to a knowledge of these niceties.Eau-douce, as we call him, is so fond of the water, that he gathered a damp stick or two for our fire;and wet will bring dark smoke, as I suppose even you fol-lowers of the sea must know.It's no great secret, though all is mystery to such as doesn't study the Lord and His mighty ways with humility and thankfulness.""That must be a keen eye of Arrowhead's to see so slight a difference.""He would be but a poor Indian if he didn't.No, no;it is war-time, and no red-skin is outlying without using his senses.Every skin has its own natur', and every natur' has its own laws, as well as its own skin.It was many years before I could master all these higher branches of a forest education; for red-skin knowledge doesn't come as easy to white-skin natur', as what I suppose is in-tended to be white-skin knowledge; though I have but little of the latter, having passed most of my time in the wilderness.""You have been a ready scholar, Master Pathfinder, as is seen by your understanding these things so well.Isuppose it would be no great matter for a man regularly brought up to the sea to catch these trifles, if he could only bring his mind fairly to bear upon them.""I don't know that.The white man has his difficulties in getting red-skin habits, quite as much as the Indian in getting white-skin ways.As for the real natur', it is my opinion that neither can actually get that of the other.""And yet we sailors, who run about the world so much, say there is but one nature, whether it be in the China-man or a Dutchman.For my own part, I am much of that way of thinking too; for I have generally found that all nations like gold and silver, and most men relish to-bacco."

"Then you seafaring men know little of the red-skins.

Have you ever known any of your Chinamen who could sing their death-songs, with their flesh torn with splinters and cut with knives, the fire raging around their naked bodies, and death staring them in the face? Until you can find me a Chinaman, or a Christian man, that can do all this, you cannot find a man with a red-skin natur', let him look ever so valiant, or know how to read all the books that were ever printed.""It is the savages only that play each other such hellish tricks," said Master Cap, glancing his eyes about him un-easily at the apparently endless arches of the forest."No white man is ever condemned to undergo these trials.""Nay, therein you are again mistaken," returned the Pathfinder, coolly selecting a delicate morsel of the veni-son as his _bonne bouche_; "for thongh these torments belong only to the red-skin natur', in the way of bearing them like braves, white-skin natur' may be, and often has been, agonized by them.""Happily," said Cap, with an effort to clear his throat, "none of his Majesty's allies will be likely to attempt such damnable cruelties on any of his Majesty's loyal subjects.

I have not served much in the royal navy, it is true; but Ihave served, and that is something; and, in the way of privateering and worrying the enemy in his ships and cargoes, I've done my full share.But I trust there are no French savages on this side the lake, and I think you said that Ontario is a broad sheet of water?""Nay, it is broad in our eyes," returned Pathfinder, not caring to conceal the smile which lighted a face which had been burnt by exposure to a bright red; "though I mis-trust that some may think it narrow; and narrow it is, if you wish it to keep off the foe.Ontario has two ends, and the enemy that is afraid to cross it will be certain to come round it.""Ah! that comes of your d----d fresh-water ponds!"growled Cap, hemming so loudly as to cause him instantly to repent the indiscretion."No man, now, ever heard of a pirate or a ship getting round one end of the Atlantic!""Mayhap the ocean has no ends?"