第142章
"My dear uncle! Thank God! he then lives! Oh, June, June, _you_ will not let them harm _him?_""June, poor squaw.What warrior t'ink of what she say? Arrowhead bring him here."By this time Mabel was at a loop; and, sure enough, there were Cap and the Quartermaster in the hands of the Indians, eight or ten of whom were conducting them to the foot of the block, for, by this capture, the enemy now well knew that there could be no man in the building.
Mabel scarcely breathed until the whole party stood ranged directly before the door, when she was rejoiced to see that the French officer was among them.A low conversation followed, in which both the white leader and Arrowhead spoke earnestly to their captives, when the Quartermaster called out to her in a voice loud enough to be heard.
"Pretty Mabel! pretty Mabel!" said he; "look out of one of the loopholes, and pity our condition.We are threatened with instant death uniess you open the door to the conquerors.Relent, then or we'll no' be wearing our scalps half an hour from this blessed moment."Mabel thought there were mockery and levity in this appeal, and its manner rather fortified than weakened her resolution to hold the place as long as possible.
"Speak to me, uncle," said she, with her mouth at a loop, "and tell me what I ought to do.""Thank God! thank God!" ejaculated Cap; "the sound of your sweet voice, Magnet, lightens my heart of a heavy load, for I feared you had shared the fate of poor Jennie.My breast has felt the last four-and-twenty hours as if a ton of kentledge had been stowed in it.You ask me what you ought to do, child, and I do not know how to advise you, though you are my own sister's daughter!
The most I can say just now, my poor girl, is most heartily to curse the day you or I ever saw this bit of fresh water.""But, uncle, is your life in danger -- do _you_ think Iought to; open the door?"
"A round turn and two half-hitches make a fast belay;and I would counsel no one who is out of the hands of these devils to unbar or unfasten anything in order to fall into them.As to the Quartermhaster and myself, we are both elderly men, and not of much account to mankind in general, as honest Pathfinder would say; and it can make no great odds to him whether he balances the purser's books this year or the next; and as for myself, why, if Iwere on the seaboard, I should know what to do, but up here, in this watery wilderness, I can only say, that if Iwere behind that bit of a bulwark, it would take a good deal of Indian logic to rouse me out of it.""You'll no' be minding all your uncle says, pretty Mabel," put in Muir, "for distress is obviously fast unset-tling his faculties, and he is far from calculating all the necessities of the emergency.We are in the hands here of very considerate and gentlemanly pairsons, it must be acknowledged, and one has little occasion to apprehend disagreeable violence.The casualties that have occurred are the common incidents of war, and can no' change our sentiments of the enemy, for they are far from indicating that any injustice will be done the prisoners.I'm sure that neither Master Cap nor myself has any cause of com-plaint since we have given ourselves up to Master Arrow-head, who reminds me of a Roman or a Spartan by his virtues and moderation; but ye'll be remembering that usages differ, and that our scalps may be lawful sacrifices to appease the manes of fallen foes, unless you save them by capitulation.""I shall do wiser to keep within the blockhouse until the fate of the island is settled," returned Mabel."Our enemies can feel no concern on account of one like me, knowing that I can do them no harm, and I greatly prefer to remain here as more befitting my sex and years.""If nothing but your convenience were concerned, Mabel, we should all cheerfully acquiesce in your wishes, but these gentlemen fancy that the work will aid their operations, and they have a strong desire to possess it.
To be frank with you, finding myself and your uncle in a very peculiar situation, I acknowledge that, to avert con-sequences, I have assumed the power that belongs to his Majesty's commission, and entered into a verbal capitula-tion, by which I have engaged to give up the blockhouse and the whole island.It is the fortune of war, and must be submitted to; so open the door, pretty Mabel, forth-with, and confide yourself to the care of those who know how to treat beauty and virtue in distress.There's no courtier in Scotland more complaisant than this chief, or who is more familiar with the laws of decorum.""No leave blockhouse," muttered June, who stood at Mabel's side, attentive to all that passed."Blockhouse good -- got no scalp."Our heroine might have yielded but for this appeal; for it began to appear to her that the wisest course would be to conciliate the enemy by concessions instead of exasper-ating them by resistance.They must know that Muir and her uncle were in their power; that there was no man in the building, and she fancied they might proceed to batter down the door, or cut their way through the logs with axes, if she obstinately refused to give them peaceable ad-mission, since there was no longer any reason to dread the rifle.But the words of June induced her to hesitate, and the earnest pressure of the hand and entreating looks of her companion strengthened a resolution that was falter-ing.
"No prisoner yet," whispered June; "let 'em make prisoner before 'ey take prisoner -- talk big; June manage 'em."Mabel now began to parley more resolutely with Muir, for her uncle seemed disposed to quiet his conscience by holding his tongue, and she plainly intimated that it was not her intention to yield the building.
"You forget the capitulation, Mistress Mabel," said Muir; "the honor of one of his Majesty's servants is con-cerned, and the honor of his Majesty through his servant.