第64章

"To the right-about, and fall out, Quartermaster," said Lundie, smiling at the success of the artifice."The honor of the silken calash will lie between Jasper Eau-douce and Pathfinder.""And how is the trial to end, Major?" inquired the latter."Are we to have the two-potato trial, or is it to be settled by centre and skin?""By centre and skin, if there is any perceptible differ-ence; otherwise the double shot must follow.""This is an awful moment to me, Pathfinder," observed Jasper, as he moved towards the stand, his face actually losing its color in intensity of feeling.

Pathfinder gazed earnestly at the young man; and then, begging Major Duncan to have patience for a moment, he led his friend out of the hearing of all near him before he spoke.

"You seem to take this matter to heart, Jasper?" the hunter remarked, keeping his eyes fastened on those of the youth.

"I must own, Pathfinder, that my feelings were never before so much bound up in success.""And do you so much crave to outdo me, an old and tried friend? -- and that, as it might be, in my own way?

Shooting is my gift, boy, and no common hand can equal mine.""I know it -- I know it, Pathfinder; but yet -- ""But what, Jasper, boy? -- speak freely; you talk to a friend."The young man compressed his lips, dashed a hand across his eye, and flushed and paled alternately, like a girl confessing her love.Then, squeezing the other's hand, he said calmly, like one whose manhood has over-come all other sensations, "I would lose an arm, Path-finder, to be able to make an offering of that calash to Mabel Dunham."The hunter dropped his eyes to the ground, and as he walked slowly back towards the stand, he seemed to ponder deeply on what he had just heard.

"You never could succeed in the double trial, Jasper!"he suddenly remarked.

"Of that I am certain, and it troubles me.""What a creature is mortal man! he pines for things which are not of his gift and treats the bounties of Provi-dence lightly.No matter, no matter.Take your station, Jasper, for the Major is waiting; and harke, lad, -- I must touch the skin, for I could not show my face in the garri-son with less than that."

"I suppose I must submit to my fate," returned Jasper, flushing and losing his color as before; "but I will make the effort, if I die.""What a thing is mortal man!" repeated Pathfinder, falling back to allow his friend room to take his arm; "he overlooks his own gifts, and craves those of another!"The potato was thrown, Jasper fired, and the shout that followed preceded the announcement of the fact that he had driven his bullet through its centre, or so nearly so as to merit that award.

"Here is a competitor worthy of you, Pathfinder," cried Major Duncan with delight, as the former took his station;"and we may look to some fine shooting in the double trial.""What a thing is mortal man!" repeated the hunter, scarcely seeming to notice what was passing around him, so much were his thoughts absorbed in his own reflections.

"Toss!"

The potato was tossed, the rifle cracked, -- it was re-marked just as the little black ball seemed stationary in the air, for the marksman evidently took unusual heed to his aim, -- and then a look of disappointment and wonder succeeded among those who caught the falling target.

"Two holes in one?" called out the Major.

"The skin, the skin!" was the answer; "only the skin!""How's this, Pathfinder? Is Jasper Eau-douce to carry off the honors of the day?""The calash is his," returned the other, shaking his head and walking quietly away from the stand."What a creature is mortal man! never satisfied with his own gifts, but for ever craving that which Providence denies!"As Pathfinder had not buried his bullet in the potato, but had cut through the skin, the prize was immediately adjudged to Jasper.The calash was in the hands of the latter when the Quartermaster approached, and with a polite air of cordiality he wished his successful rival joy of his victory.

"But now you've got the calash, lad, it's of no use to you," he added; "it will never make a sail, nor even an ensign.I'm thinking, Eau-douce, you'd no' be sorry to see its value in good siller of the king?""Money cannot buy it, Lieutenant," returned Jasper, whose eye lighted with all the fire of success and joy."Iwould rather have won this calash than have obtained fifty new suits of sails for the _Scud!_""Hoot, hoot, lad! you are going mad like all the rest of them.I'd even venture to offer half a guinea for the trifle rather than it should lie kicking about in the cabin of your cutter, and in the end become an ornament for the head of a squaw."Although Jasper did not know that the wary Quarter-master had not offered half the actual cost of the prize, he heard the proposition with indifference.Shaking his head in the negative, he advanced towards the stage, where his approach excited a little commotion, the officers' ladies, one and all, having determined to accept the present, should the gallantry of the young sailor induce him to offer it.But Jasper's diffidence, no less than admiration for another, would have prevented him from aspiring to the honor of complimenting any whom he thought so much his superiors.

"Mabel," said he, "this prize is for you, unless -- ""Unless what, Jasper?" answered the girl, losing her own bashfulness in the natural and generous wish to re-lieve his embarrassment, though both reddened in a way to betray strong feeling.

"Unless you may think too indifferently of it, because it is offered by one who may have no right to believe his gift will be accepted.""I do accept it, Jasper; and it shall be a sign of the danger I have passed in your company, and of the grati-tude I feel for your care of me -- your care, and that of the Pathfinder.""Never mind me, never mind me!" exclaimed the latter;"this is Jasper's luck, and Jasper's gift: give him full credit for both.My turn may come another day; mine and the Quartermaster's, who seems to grudge the boy the calash; though what _he_ can want of it I cannot under-stand, for he has no wife."