第88章

To launch the canoe would have taken three or four min-utes, and the time lost would be sufficient for the purposes of Arrowhead."Both Cap and the Sergeant saw the truth of this, which would have been nearly self-evident even to one unaccus-tomed to vessels.The shore was distant less than half a mile, and the canoe was already glancing into its shadows, at a rate to show that it would reach the land before its pursuers could probably get half the distance.The helm of the _Scud_ was reluctantly put up again, and the cutter wore short round on her heel, coming up to her course on the other tack, as if acting on an instinct.All this was done by Jasper in profound silence, his assistants under-standing what was necessary, and lending their aid in a sort of mechanical imitation.While these manoeuvres were in the course of execution, Cap took the Sergeant by a button, and led him towards the cabin-door, where he was out of ear-shot, and began to unlock his stores of thought.

"Hark'e, brother Dunham," said he, with an ominous face, "this is a matter that requires mature thought and much circumspection.""The life of a soldier, brother Cap, is one of constant thought and circumspection.On this frontier, were we to overlook either, our scalps might be taken from our heads in the first nap.""But I consider this capture of Arrowhead as a circum-stance; and I might add his escape as another.This Jas-per Freshwater must look to it."

"They are both circumstances truly, brother; but they tell different ways.If it is a circumstance against the lad that the Indian has escaped, it is a circumstance in his favor that he was first taken.""Ay, ay, but two circumstances do not contradict each other like two negatives.If you will follow the advice of an old seaman, Sergeant, not a moment is to be lost in taking the steps necessary for the security of the vessel and all on board of her.The cutter is now slipping through the water at the rate of six knots, and as the distances are so short on this bit of a pond, we may all find ourselves in a French port before morning, and in a French prison before night.""This may be true enough.What would you advise me to do, brother?""In my opinion you should put this Master Freshwater under arrest on the spot; send him below under the charge of a sentinel, and transfer the command of the cutter to me.All this you have power to perform, the craft belonging to the army, and you being the command-ing officer of the troops present."

Sergeant Dunham deliberated more than an hour on the propriety of this proposal; for, though sufficiently prompt when his mind was really made up, he was habit-ually thoughtful and wary.The habit of superintending the personal police of the garrison had made him ac-quainted with character, and he had long been disposed to think well of Jasper.Still that subtle poison, suspicion, had entered his soul; and so much were the artifices and intrigues of the French dreaded, that, especially warned as he had been by his commander, it is not to be wondered that the recollection of years of good conduct should van-ish under the influence of a distrust so keen, and seemingly so plausible.In this embarrassment the Sergeant consulted the Quartermaster, whose opinion, as his superior, he felt bound to respect, though at the moment independent of his control.It is an unfortunate occurrence for one who is in a dilemma to ask advice of another who is desirous of standing well in his favor, the party consulted being almost certain to try to think in the manner which will be the most agreeable to the party consulting.In the present instance it was equally unfortunate, as respects a candid consideration of the subject, that Cap, instead of the Ser-geant himself, made the statement of the case; for the earnest old sailor was not backward in letting his listener perceive to which side he was desirous that the Quarter-master should lean.Lieutenant Muir was much too pol-itic to offend the uncle and father of the woman he hoped and expected to win, had he really thought the case ad-mitted of doubt; but, in the manner in which the facts were submitted to him, he was seriously inclined to think that it would be well to put the control of the _Scud_ tem-porarily into the managoment of Cap, as a precaution against treachery.This opinion then decided the Ser-geant, who forthwith set about the execution of the neces-sary measures.

Without entering into any explanations, Sergeant Dun-ham simply informed Jasper that he felt it to be his duty to deprive him temporarily of the command of the cutter, and to confer it on his own brother-in-law.A natural and involuntary burst of surprise, which escaped the young man, was met by a quiet remark, reminding him that mili-tary service was often of a nature that required conceal-ment, and a declaration that the present duty was of such a character that this particular arrangement had become indispensable.Although Jasper's astonishment remained undiminished, -- the Sergeant cautiously abstaining from making any allusion to his suspicions, -- the young man was accustomed to obey with military submission; and he quietly acquiesced, with his own mouth directing the little crew to receive their further orders from Cap until another change should be effected.When, however, he was told the case required that not only he himself, but his princi-pal assistant, who, on account of his long acquaintance with the lake, was usually termed the pilot, were to remain below, there was an alteration in his countenance and manner that denoted strong feeling, though it was so well mastered as to leave even the distrustful Cap in doubt as to its meaning.As a matter of course, however, when dis-trust exists, it was not long before the worst construction was put upon it.