第27章

"Now, Jasper, we shall see if a Mingo of them all dares cross the Oswego in the teeth of Kildeer! You are handier with the oar and the paddle and the sail than with the rifle, perhaps; but you have a stout heart and a steady hand, and them are things that count in a fight.""Mabel will find me between her and her enemies," said Jasper calmly.

"Yes, yes, the Sergeant's daughter must be protected.

I like you, boy, on your own account; but I like you all the better that you think of one so feeble at a moment when there is need of all your manhood.See, Jasper! three of the knaves are actually getting into the canoe! They must believe we have fled, or they would not surely ven-ture so much, directly in the very face of Killdeer."Sure enough the Iroquois did appear bent on venturing across the stream; for, as the Pathfinder and his friends now kept their persons strictly concealed, their enemies began to think that the latter had taken to flight.Such a course was that which most white men would have fol-lowed; but Mabel was under the care of those who were much too well skilled in forest warfare to neglect to de-fend the only pass that, in truth, now offered even a probable chance for protection.

As the Pathfinder had said, three warriors were in the canoe, two holding their rifles at a poise, as they knelt in readiness to aim the deadly weapons, and the other stand-ing erect in the stern to wield the paddle.In this man-ner they left the shore, having had the precaution to haul the canoe, previously to entering it, so far up the stream as to have got into the comparatively still water above the rift.

It was apparent at a glance that the savage who guided the boat was skilled in the art; for the long steady sweep of his paddle sent the light bark over the glassy surface of the tranquil river as if it were a feather floating in air.

"Shall I fire?" demanded Jasper in a whisper, trem-bling with eagerness to engage.

"Not yet, boy, not yet.There are but three of them, and if Master Cap yonder knows how to use the popguns he carries in his belt, we may even let them land, and then we shall recover the canoe.""But Mabel -- ?"

"No fear for the Sergeant's daughter.She is safe in the hollow stump, you say, with the opening judgmatically hid by the brambles.If what you tell me of the manner in which you concealed the trail be true, the sweet one might lie there a month and laugh at the Mingos.""We are never certain.I wish we had brought her nearer to our own cover!""What for, Eau-douce? To place her pretty little head and leaping heart among flying bullets? No, no: she is better where she is, because she is safer.""We are never certain.We thought ourselves safe be-hind the bushes, and yet you saw that we were discovered.""And the Mingo imp paid for his curiosity, as these knaves are about to do."The, Pathfinder ceased speaking; for at that instant the sharp report of a rifle was heard, when the Indian in the stern of the canoe leaped high into the air, and fell into the water, holding the paddle in his hand.A small wreath of smoke floated out from among the bushes of the eastern shore, and was soon absorbed by the atmosphere.

"That is the Sarpent hissing!" exclaimed the Path-finder exultingly."A bolder or a truer heart never beat in the breast of a Delaware.I am sorry that he interfered;but he could not have known our condition."The canoe had no sooner lost its guide than it floated with the stream, and was soon sucked into the rapids of the rift.Perfectly helpless, the two remaining savages gazed wildly about them, but could offer no resistance to the power of the element.It was perhaps fortunate for Chingachgook that the attention of most of the Iroquois was intently given to the situation of those in the boat, else would his escape have been to the last degree difficult, if not totally impracticable.But not a foe moved, except to conceal his person behind some cover; and every eye was riveted on the two remaining adventurers.In less time than has been necessary to record these occurrences, the canoe was whirling and tossing in the rift, while both the savages had stretched themselves in its bottom, as the only means of preserving the equilibrium.This natural expedient soon failed them; for, striking a rock, the light draft rolled over, and the two warriors were thrown into the river.The water is seldom deep on a rift, except in particular places where it may have worn channels; and there was little to be apprehended from drowning, though their arms were lost; and the two savages were fain to make the best of their way to the friendly shore, swim-ming and wading as circumstances required.The canoe itself lodged on a rock in the centre of the stream, where for the moment it became useless to both parties.

"Now is our time, Pathfinder," cried Jasper, as the two Iroquois exposed most of their persons while wading in the shallowest part of the rapids: "the fellow up stream is mine, and you can take the lower."So excited had the young man become by all the inci-dents of the stirring scene, that the bullet sped from his rifle as he spoke, but uselessly, as it would seem, for both the fugitives tossed their arms in disdain.The Path-finder did not fire.