第39章

"We shall find them at the rift, I make no manner of doubt," continued he; "and there it will be our fate to pass them, or to fall into their hands.The distance to the garrison will then be so short, that I have been think-ing of a plan of landing with Mabel myself, that I may take her in, by some of the by-ways, and leave the canoes to their chances in the rapids.""It will never succeed, Pathfinder," eagerly interrupted Jasper."Mabel is not strong enough to tramp the woods in a night like this.Put her in my skiff, and I will lose my life, or carry her through the rift safely, dark as it is.""No doubt you will, lad; no one doubts your willingness to do anything to serve the Sergeant's daughter; but it must be the eye of Providence, and not your own, that will take you safely through the Oswego rift in a night like this.""And who will lead her safely to the garrison if she land? Is not the night as dark on shore as on the water?

or do you think I know less of my calling than you know of yours?""Spiritedly said, lad; but if I should lose my way in the dark -- and I believe no man can say truly that such a thing ever yet happened to me -- but, if I _should_ lose my way, no other harm would come of it than to pass a night in the forest; whereas a false turn of the paddle, or a broad sheer of the canoe, would put you and the young woman into the river, out of which it is more than proba-ble the Sergeant's daughter would never come alive.""I will leave it to Mabel herself; I am certain that she will feel more secure in the canoe.""I have great confidence in you both," answered the girl; "and have no doubts that either will do all he can to prove to my father how much he values him; but Iconfess I should not like to quit the canoe, with the cer-tainty we have of there being enemies like those we have seen in the forest.But my uncle can decide for me in this matter.""I have no liking for the woods," said Cap, "while one has a clear drift like this on the river.Besides, Master Pathfinder, to say nothing of the savages, you overlook the sharks.""Sharks! who ever heard of sharks in the wilderness?""Ay! sharks, or bears, or wolves -- no matter what you call a thing, so it has the mind and power to bite.""Lord, lord, man! do you dread any creatur' that is to be found in the American forest? A catamount is a skeary animal, I will allow, but then it is nothing in the hands of a practysed hunter.Talk of the Mingos and their devilries if you will; but do not raise a false alarm about bears and wolves.""Ay, ay, Master Pathfinder, this is all well enough for you, who probably know the name of every creature you would meet.Use is everything, and it makes a man bold when he might otherwise be bashful.I have known sea-men in the low latitudes swim for hours at a time among sharks fifteen or twenty feet long.""This is extraordinary!" exclaimed Jasper, who had not yet acquired that material part of his trade, the ability to spin a yarn."I have always heard that it was certain death to venture in the water among sharks.""I forgot to say, that the lads always took capstan-bars, or gunners' handspikes, or crows with them, to rap the beasts over the noses if they got to be troublesome.No, no, I have no liking for bears and wolves, though a whale, in my eye, is very much the same sort of fish as a red herring after it is dried and salted.Mabel and I had better stick to the canoe.""Mabel would do well to change canoes," added Jasper.

"This of mine is empty, and even Pathfinder will allow that my eye is surer than his own on the water.""That I will, cheerfully, boy.The water belongs to your gifts, and no one will deny that you have improved them to the utmost.You are right enough in believing that the Sergeant's daughter will be safer in your canoe than in this; and though I would gladly keep her near myself, I have her welfare too much at heart not to give her honest advice.Bring your canoe close alongside, Jas-per, and I will give you what you must consider as a precious treasure.""I do so consider it," returned the youth, not losing a moment in complying with the request; when Mabel passed from one canoe to the other taking her seat on the effects which had hitherto composed its sole cargo.

As soon as this arrangement was made, the canoes sepa-rated a short distance, and the paddles were used, though with great care to avoid making any noise.The conversa-tion gradually ceased; and as the dreaded rift was ap-proached, all became impressed with the gravity of the moment.That their enemies would endeavor to reach this point before them was almost certain; and it seemed so little probable any one should attempt to pass it, in the profound obscurity which reigned, that Pathfinder was confident parties were on both sides of the river, in the hope of intercepting them when they might land.He would not have made the proposal he did had he not felr sure of his own ability to convert this very anticipation of success into a means of defeating the plans of the Iroquois.