第 61 节
作者:
泰达魔王 更新:2021-02-24 23:21 字数:9322
CHAPTER XVIII。
It is to be all made of sighs and tears;
It is to be all made of faith and service;
It is to be all made of phantasy;
All made of passion; and all made of wishes;
All adoration; duty; and observance;
All humbleness; all patience; and impatience;
All purity; all trial; all observance。
SHAKESPEARE。
It was near noon when the gale broke; and then its force
abated as suddenly as its violence had arisen。 In less than
two hours after the wind fell; the surface of the lake;
though still agitated; was no longer glittering with foam;
and in double that time; the entire sheet presented the or…
dinary scene of disturbed water; that was unbroken by the
violence of a tempest。 Still the waves came rolling inces…
santly towards the shore; and the lines of breakers re…
mained; though the spray had ceased to fly; the combing
of the swells was more moderate; and all that there was of
violence proceeded from the impulsion of wind which had
abated。
As it was impossible to make head against the sea that
was still up; with the light opposing air that blew from
the eastward; all thoughts of getting under way that after
noon were abandoned。 Jasper; who had now quietly re…
sumed the command of the _Scud_; busied himself; however;
in heaving…up the anchors; which were lifted in succession;
the kedges that backed them were weighed; and everything
was got in readiness for a prompt departure; as soon as the
state of the weather would allow。 In the meantime; they
who had no concern with these duties sought such means
of amusement as their peculiar circumstances allowed。
As is common with those who are unused to the confine…
ment of a vessel; Mabel cast wistful eyes towards the shore;
nor was it long before she expressed a wish that it were
possible to land。 The Pathfinder was near her at the time;
and he assured her that nothing would be easier; as they
had a bark canoe on deck; which was the best possible mode
of conveyance to go through a surf。 After the usual
doubts and misgivings; the Sergeant was appealed to; his
opinion proved to be favorable; and preparations to carry
the whim into effect were immediately made。
The party which was to land consisted of Sergeant
Dunham; his daughter; and the Pathfinder。 Accustomed
to the canoe; Mabel took her seat in the centre with great
steadiness; her father was placed in the bows; while the
guide assumed the office of conductor; by steering in the
stern。 There was little need of impelling the canoe by
means of the paddle; for the rollers sent it forward at mo…
ments with a violence that set every effort to govern its
movements at defiance。 More than once; before the shore
was reached; Mabel repented of her temerity; but Path…
finder encouraged her; and really manifested so much self…
possession; coolness; and strength of arm himself; that even
a female might have hesitated about owning all her ap…
prehensions。 Our heroine was no coward; and while she
felt the novelty of her situation; in landing through a surf;
she also experienced a fair proportion of its wild delight。
At moments; indeed; her heart was in her mouth; as the
bubble of a boat floated on the very crest of a foaming
breaker; appearing to skim the water like a swallow; and
then she flushed and laughed; as; left by the glancing ele…
ment; they appeared to linger behind as if ashamed of hav…
ing been outdone in the headlong race。 A few minutes
sufficed for this excitement; for though the distance be…
tween the cutter and the land considerably exceeded a
quarter of a mile; the intermediate space was passed in a
very few minutes。
On landing; the Sergeant kissed his daughter kindly; for
he was so much of a soldier as always to feel more at home
on _terra firma_ than when afloat; and; taking his gun; he
announced his intention to pass an hour in quest of game。
〃Pathfinder will remain near you; girl; and no doubt he
will tell you some of the traditions of this part of the world;
or some of his own experiences with the Mingos。〃
The guide laughed; promised to have a care of Mabel;
and in a few minutes the father had ascended a steep ac…
clivity and disappeared in the forest。 The others took an…
other direction; which; after a few minutes of a sharp as…
cent also; brought them to a small naked point on the
promontory; where the eye overlooked an extensive and
very peculiar panorama。 Here Mabel seated herself on a
fragment of fallen rock to recover her breath and strength;
while her companion; on whose sinews no personal exertion
seemed to make any impression; stood at her side; leaning
in his own and not ungraceful manner on his long rifle。
Several minutes passed; and neither spoke; Mabel; in par…
ticular; being lost in admiration of the view。
The position the two had obtained was sufficiently ele…
vated to command a wide reach of the lake; which stretched
away towards the north…east in a boundless sheet; glitter…
ing beneath the rays of an afternoon's sun; and yet betray…
ing the remains of that agitation which it had endured
while tossed by the late tempest。 The land set bounds to
its limits in a huge crescent; disappearing in distance to…
wards the south…east and the north。 Far as the eye could
reach; nothing but forest was visible; not even a solitary
sign of civilization breaking in upon the uniform and
grand magnificence of nature。 The gale had driven the
_Scud_ beyond the line of those forts with which the French
were then endeavoring to gird the English North Ameri…
can possessions; for; following the channels of communi…
cation between the great lakes; their posts were on the
banks of the Niagara; while our adventurers had reached
a point many leagues westward of that celebrated strait。
The cutter rode at single anchor; without the breakers; re…
sembling some well…imagined and accurately…executed toy;
intended rather for a glass case than for struggles with
the elements which she had so lately gone through; while
the canoe lay on the narrow beach; just out of reach of
the waves that came booming upon the land; a speck upon
the shingles。
〃We are very far here from human habitations!〃 ex…
claimed Mabel; when; after a long survey of the scene; its
principal peculiarities forced themselves on her active and
ever brilliant imagination; 〃this is indeed being on a
frontier。〃
〃Have they more sightly scenes than this nearer the sea
and around their large towns?〃 demanded Pathfinder; with
an interest he was apt to discover in such a subject。
〃I will not say that: there is more to remind one of his
fellow…beings there than here; less; perhaps; to remind one
of God。〃
〃Ay; Mabel; that is what my own feelings say。 I am but
a poor hunter; I know; untaught and unlarned; but God
is as near me; in this my home; as he is near the king in
his royal palace。〃
〃Who can doubt it?〃 returned Mabel; looking from the
view up into the hard…featured but honest face of her com…
panion; though not without surprise at the energy of his
manner。 〃One feels nearer to God in such a spot; I think;
than when the mind is distracted by the objects of the
towns。〃
〃You say all I wish to say myself; Mabel; but in so much
plainer speech; that you make me ashamed of wishing to
let others know what I feel on such matters。 I have coasted
this lake in search of skins afore the war; and have been
here already; not at this very spot; for we landed yonder;
where you may see the blasted oak that stands above the
cluster of hemlocks 〃
〃How; Pathfinder; can you remember all these trifles so
accurately?〃
〃These are our streets and houses; our churches and
palaces。 Remember them; indeed! I once made an ap…
pointment with the Big Sarpent; to meet at twelve o'clock
at noon; near the foot of a certain pine; at the end of six
months; when neither of us was within three hundred miles
of the spot。 The tree stood; and stands still; unless the
judgment of Providence has lighted on that too; in the
midst of the forest; fifty miles from any settlement; but in
a most extraordinary neighborhood for beaver。〃
〃And did you meet at that very spot and hour?〃
〃Does the sun rise and set? When I reached the tree;
I found the Sarpent leaning against its trunk with torn
leggings and muddied moecassins。 The Delaware had got
into a swamp; and it worried him not a little to find his
way out of it; but as the sun which comes over the eastern
hills in the morning goes down behind the western at
night; so was he true to time and place。 No fear of Chin…
gachgook when there is either a friend or an enemy in the
case。 He is equally sartain with each。〃
〃And where is the Delaware now? why is he not with
us to…day?〃
〃He is scouting on the Mingo trail; where I ought to
have been too; but for a great human infirmity。〃
〃You seem above; beyond; superior to all infirmity; Path…
finder; I never yet met with a man who appeared to be so
little liable to the weaknesses of nature。〃
〃If you mean in the way of health and strength; Mabel;
Providence has been kind to me; though I fancy the open
air; long hunts; active scoutings; forest fare; and the sleep
of a good conscience; may always keep the doctors at