第145章
The next thought was, that Mabel had detected some sign of the near approach of her father.This idea, too, lasted but an instant; for June entertained some such opinion of her companion's ability to understand symptoms of this sort -- symptoms that had escaped her own sagacity -- as a woman of high fashion entertains of the accomplishments of her maid.Nothing else in the same way offering, she began slowly to mount the ladder.
Just as she reached the upper floor, a lucky thought suggested itself to our heroine; and, by expressing it in a hurried but natural manner, she gained a great advantage in executing her projected scheme.
"I will go down," she said, "and listen by the door, June, while you are on the roof; and we will thus be on our guard, at the same time, above and below."Though June thought this savored of unnecessary cau-tion, well knowing that no one could enter the building unless aided from within, nor any serious danger menace them from the exterior without giving sufficient warning, she attributed the proposition to Mabel's ignorance and alarm; and, as it was made apparently with frankness, it was received without distrust.By these means our hero-ine was enabled to descend to the door, as her friend as-cended to the roof.The distance between the two was now too great to admit of conversation; and for three or four minutes one was occupied in looking about her as well as the darkness would allow, and the other in listen-ing at the door with as much intentness as if all her senses were absorbed in the single faculty of hearing.
June discovered nothing from her elevated stand; the obscurity indeed almost forbade the hope of such a result;but it would not be easy to describe the sensation with which Mabel thought she perceived a slight and guarded push against the door.Fearful that all might not be as she wished, and anxious to let Chingachgook know that she was near, she began, though in tremulous and low notes, to sing.So profound was the stillness of the moment that the sound of the unsteady warbling ascended to the roof and in a minute June began to descend.Aslight tap at the door was heard immediately after.Mabel was bewildered, for there was no time to lose.Hope proved stronger than fear; and with unsteady hands she commenced unbarring the door.The moccassin of June was heard on the floor above her when only a single bar was turned.The second was released as her form reached half-way down the lower ladder.
"What you do?" exclaimed June angrily."Run away - mad -- leave blockhouse; blockhouse good." The hands of both were on the last bar, and it would have been cleared from the fastenings but for a vigorous shove from without, which jammed the wood.A short struggle ensued, though both were disinclined to violence.June would probably have prevailed, had not another and a more vigorous push from without forced the bar past the trifling impediment that held it, when the door opened.
The form of a man was seen to enter; and both the females rushed up the ladder, as if equally afraid of the consequences.The stranger secured the door; and, first examining the lower room with great care, he cautiously ascended the ladder.June, as soon as it became dark, had closed the loops of the principal floor, and lighted a candle.By means of this dim taper, then, the two females stood in expectation, waiting to ascertain the per-son of their visitor, whose wary ascent of the ladder was distinctly audible, though sufficiently deliberate.It would not be easy to say which was the more astonished on find-ing, when the stranger had got through the trap, that Pathfinder stood before them.
"God be praised!" Mabel exclaimed, for the idea that the blockhouse would be impregnable with such a garrison at once crossed her mind."O Pathfinder! what has be-come of my father?"
"The Sergeant is safe as yet, and victorious; though it is not in the gift of man to say what will be the ind of it.
Is not that the wife of Arrowhead skulking in the corner there?""Speak not of her reproachfully, Pathfinder; I owe her my life, my present security.Tell me what has happened to my father's party -- why you are here; and I will relate all the horrible events that have passed upon this island.""Few words will do the last, Mabel; for one used to Indian devilries needs but little explanations on such a subject.Everything turned out as we had hoped with the expedition; for the Sarpent was on the look-out, and he met us with all the information heart could desire.
We ambushed three boats, druv' the Frenchers out of them, got possession and sunk them, according to orders, in the deepest part of the channel; and the savages of Upper Canada will fare badly for Indian goods this win-ter.Both powder and ball, too, will be scarcer among them than keen hunters and active warriors may relish.
We did not lose a man or have even a skin barked; nor do I think the inimy suffered to speak of.In short, Mabel, it has been just such an expedition as Lundie likes; much harm to the foe, and little harm to ourselves.""Ah, Pathfinder, I fear, when Major Duncan comes to hear the whole of the sad tale, he will find reason to regret he ever undertook the affair.""I know what you mean, I know what you mean; but by telling my story straight you will understand it better.
As soon as the Sergeant found himself successful, he sent me and the Sarpent off in canoes to tell you how matters had turned out, and he is following with the two boats, which, being so much heavier, cannot arrive before morn-ing.I parted from Chingachgook this forenoon, it being agreed that he should come up one set of channels, and Ianother, to see that the path was clear.I've not seen the chief since."Mabel now explained the manner in which she had dis-covered the Mohican, and her expectation that he would yet come to the blockhouse.