no　command　in　this　expedition；　and　therefore　can　have　no
  right　to　yield　the　blockhouse；　and　I　remember；　moreover；
  to　have　heard　my　dear　father　say　that　a　prisoner　loses　all
  his　authority　for　the　time　being。〃
  〃Rank　sophistry；　pretty　Mabel；　and　treason　to　the　king；
  as　well　as　dishonoring　his　commission　and　discrediting
  his　name。　　You'll　no'　be　persevering　in　your　intentions；
  when　your　better　judgment　has　had　leisure　to　reflect　and
  to　make　conclusions　on　matters　and　circumstances。〃
  〃Ay；〃　put　in　Cap；　〃this　is　a　circumstance；　and　be　dd
  to　it！〃
  〃No　mind　what'e　uncle　say；〃　ejaculated　June；　who　was
  occupied　in　a　far　corner　of　the　room。　　〃Blockhouse　good
  …　got　no　scalp。〃
  〃I　shall　remain　as　I　am；　Mr。　Muir；　until　I　get　some　tid…
  ings　of　my　father。　　He　will　return　in　the　course　of　the
  next　ten　days。〃
  〃Ah；　Mabel；　this　artifice　will　no'　deceive　the　enemy；
  who；　by　means　that　would　be　unintelligible；　did　not　our
  suspicions　rest　on　an　unhappy　young　man　with　too　much
  plausibility；　are　familiar　with　all　our　doings　and　plans；　and
  well　know　that　the　sun　will　not　set　before　the　worthy　Ser…
  geant　and　his　companions　will　be　in　their　power。　　Aweel！
  Submission　to　Providence　is　truly　a　Christian　virtue！〃
  〃Mr。　Muir；　you　appear　to　be　deceived　in　the　strength
  of　this　work；　and　to　fancy　it　weaker　than　it　is。　　Do　you
  desire　to　see　what　I　can　do　in　the　way　of　defence；　if　so
  disposed？〃
  〃I　dinna　mind　if　I　do；〃　answered　the　Quartermaster；
  who　always　grew　Scotch　as　he　grew　interested。
  〃What　do　you　think　of　that；　then？　　Look　at　the　loop
  of　the　upper　story？〃
  As　soon　as　Mabel　had　spoken；　all　eyes　were　turned　up…
  ward；　and　beheld　the　muzzle　of　a　rifle　cautiously　thrust
  through　a　hole；　June　having　resorted　again　to　a　_ruse_　which
  had　already　proved　so　successful。　　The　result　did　not　dis…
  appoint　expectation。　　No　sooner　did　the　Indians　catch　a
  sight　of　the　fatal　weapon　than　they　leaped　aside；　and　in
  less　than　a　minute　every　man　among　them　had　sought　a
  cover。　　The　French　officer　kept　his　eye　on　the　barrel　of
  the　piece　in　order　to　ascertain　that　it　was　not　pointed　in
  his　particular　direction；　and　he　coolly　took　a　pinch　of
  snuff。　　As　neither　Muir　nor　Cap　had　anything　to　appre…
  hend　from　the　quarter　in　which　the　others　were　menaced；
  they　kept　their　ground。
  〃Be　wise；　my　pretty　Mabel；　be　wise！〃　exclaimed　the
  former；　〃and　no'　be　provoking　useless　contention。　　In　the
  name　of　all　the　kings　of　Albin；　who　have　ye　closeted　with
  you　in　that　wooden　tower　that　seemeth　so　bloody…minded？
  There　is　necromancy　about　this　matter；　and　all　our　char…
  acters　may　be　involved　in　the　explanation。〃
  〃What　do　you　think　of　the　Pathfinder；　Master　Muir；
  for　a　garrison　to　so　strong　a　post？〃　cried　Mabel；　resorting
  to　an　equivocation　which　the　circumstances　rendered　very
  excusable。　　〃What　will　your　French　and　Indian　compan…
  ions　think　of　the　aim　of　the　Pathfinder's　rifle？〃
  〃Bear　gently　on　the　unfortunate；　pretty　Mabel；　and　do
  not　confound　the　king's　servants　　may　Heaven　bless　him
  and　all　his　royal　lineage！　　with　the　king's　enemies。　　If
  Pathfinder　be　indeed　in　the　blockhouse；　let　him　speak；　and
  we　will　hold　our　negotiations　directly　with　him。　　He
  knows　us　as　friends；　and　we　fear　no　evil　at　his　hands；　and
  least　of　all　to　myself；　for　a　generous　mind　is　apt　to　render
  rivalry　in　a　certain　interest　a　sure　ground　of　respect　and
  amity；　since　admiration　of　the　same　woman　proves　a　com…
  munity　of　feeling　and　tastes。〃
  The　reliance　on　Pathfinder's　friendship　did　not　extend
  beyond　the　Quartermaster　and　Cap；　however；　for　even　the
  French　officer；　who　had　hitherto　stood　his　ground　so　well；
  shrank　back　at　the　sound　of　the　terrible　name。　　So　unwil…
  ling；　indeed；　did　this　individual；　a　man　of　iron　nerves；　and
  one　long　accustomed　to　the　dangers　of　the　peculiar　war…
  fare　in　which　he　was　engaged；　appear　to　remain　exposed
  to　the　assaults　of　Killdeer；　whose　reputation　throughout
  all　that　frontier　was　as　well　established　as　that　of　Marl…
  borough　in　Europe；　that　he　did　not　disdain　to　seek　a　cover；
  insisting　that　his　two　prisoners　should　follow　him。　　Mabel
  was　too　glad　to　be　rid　of　her　enemies　to　lament　the　depar…
  ture　of　her　friends；　though　she　kissed　her　hand　to　Cap
  through　the　loop；　and　called　out　to　him　in　terms　of　affec…
  tion　as　he　moved　slowly　and　unwillingly　away。
  The　enemy　now　seemed　disposed　to　abandon　all　attempts
  on　the　blockhouse　for　the　present；　and　June；　who　had
  ascended　to　a　trap　in　the　roof；　whence　the　best　view　was
  to　be　obtained；　reported　that　the　whole　party　had　assem…
  bled　to　eat；　on　a　distant　and　sheltered　part　of　the　island；
  where　Muir　and　Cap　were　quietly　sharing　in　the　good
  things　which　were　going；　as　if　they　had　no　concern　on
  their　minds。　　This　information　greatly　relieved　Mabel；
  and　she　began　to　turn　her　thoughts　again　to　the　means　of
  effecting　her　own　escape；　or　at　least　of　letting　her　father
  know　of　the　danger　that　awaited　him。　　The　Sergeant　was
  expected　to　return　that　afternoon；　and　she　knew　that　a
  moment　gained　or　lost　might　decide　his　fate。
  Three　or　four　hours　flew　by。　　The　island　was　again
  buried　in　a　profound　quiet；　the　day　was　wearing　away；　and
  yet　Mabel　had　decided　on　nothing。　　June　was　in　the　base…
  ment；　preparing　their　frugal　meal；　and　Mabel　herself　had
  ascended　to　the　roof；　which　was　provided　with　a　trap　that
  allowed　her　to　go　out　on　the　top　of　the　building；　whence
  she　commanded　the　best　view　of　surrounding　objects　that
  the　island　possessed；　still　it　was　limited；　and　much　ob…
  structed　by　the　tops　of　trees。　　The　anxious　girl　did　not
  dare　to　trust　her　person　in　sight；　knowing　well　that　the
  unrestrained　passions　of　some　savage　might　induce　him　to
  send　a　bullet　through　her　brain。　　She　merely　kept　her
  head　out　of　the　trap；　therefore；　whence；　in　the　course　of
  the　afternoon；　she　made　as　many　surveys　of　the　different
  channels　about　the　island　as　〃Anne；　sister　Anne；〃　took　of
  the　environs　of　the　castle　of　Blue　Beard。
  The　sun　had　actually　set；　no　intelligence　had　been　re…
  ceived　from　the　boats；　and　Mabel　ascended　to　the　roof　to
  take　a　last　look；　hoping　that　the　party　would　arrive　in　the
  darkness；　which　would　at　least　prevent　the　Indians　from
  rendering　their　ambuscade　so　fatal　as　it　might　otherwise
  prove；　and　which　possibly　might　enable　her　to　give　some
  more　intelligible　signal；　by　means　of　fire；　than　it　would
  otherwise　be　in　her　power　to　do。　　Her　eye　had　turned
  carefully　round　the　whole　horizon；　and　she　was　just　on　the
  point　of　drawing　in　her　person；　when　an　object　that　struck
  her　as　new　caught　her　attention。　　The　islands　lay　grouped
  so　closely；　that　six　or　eight　different　channels　or　passages
  between　them　were　in　view；　and　in　one　of　the　most　cov…
  ered；　concealed　in　a　great　measure　by　the　bushes　of　the
  shore；　lay　what　a　second　look　assured　her　was　a　bark
  canoe。　　It　contained　a　human　being　beyond　a　question。
  Confident　that　if　an　enemy　her　signal　could　do　no　harm；
  and；　if　a　friend；　that　it　might　do　good；　the　eager　girl
  waved　a　little　flag　towards　the　stranger；　which　she　had
  prepared　for　her　father；　taking　care　that　it　should　not　be
  seen　from　the　island。
  Mabel　had　repeated　her　signal　eight　or　ten　times　in
  vain；　and　she　began　to　despair　of　its　being　noticed；　when　a
  sign　was　given　in　return　by　the　wave　of　a　paddle；　and　the
  man　so　far　discovered　himself　as　to　let　her　see　it　was
  Chingachgook。　　Here；　then；　at　last；　was　a　friend；　one；　too；
  who　was　able；　and　she　doubted　not　would　be　willing　to　aid
  her。　　From　that　instant　her　courage　and　her　spirits　re…
  vived。　　The　Mohican　had　seen　her；　must　have　recognized
  her；　as　he　knew　that　she　was　of　the　party；　and　no　doubt；
  as　soon　as　it　was　sufficiently　dark；　he　would　take　the　steps
  necessary　to　release　her。　　That　he　was　aware　of　the　pres…
  ence　of　the　enemy　was　apparent　by　the　great　caution　he
  observed；　and　she　had　every　reliance　on　his　prudence　and
  address。　　The　principal　difficulty　now　existed　with　June；
  for　Mabel　had　seen　too　much　of　her　fidelity　to　her　own
  people；　relieved　as　it　was　by　sympathy　for　herself；　to　believe
  she　would　consent　to　a　hostile　Indian's　entering　the
  blockhouse；　or　indeed　to　her　leaving　it；　with　a　view　to
  defeat　Arrowhead's　plans。　　The　half…hour　which　succeeded
  the　discovery　of　the　presence　of　the　Great　Serpent　was　the
  most　painful　of　Mabel　Dunham's　life。　　She　saw　the　means
  of　effecting　all　she　wished；　as　it　might　be　within　reach　of
  her　hand；　and　yet　it　eluded　her　grasp。　　She　knew　June's
  decision　and　coolness；　notwithstanding　all　her　gentleness
  and　womanly　feeling；　and　at　last　she　came　reluctantly　to
  the　conclusion　that　there　was　no　other　way　of　attaining
  her　end　than　by　deceiving　her　tried　companion　and　pro…
  tector。　　It　was　revolting　to　one　so　sincere　and　natural；　so
  pure　of　heart；　and　so　much　disposed　to　ingenuousness　as
  Mabel　Dunham；　to　practise　deception　on　a　friend　like
  June；　but　her　own　father's　life　was　at　stake；　her　compan…
  ion　would　receive　no　positive　injury；　and　she　had　feelings
  and　interests　directly　touching　herself　which　would　have
  removed　greater　scruples。
  As　soon　as　it　was　dark；　Mabel's　heart　began　to　beat　with
  increased　violence；　and　she　adopted　and　changed　her　plan
  of　proceeding　at　least　a　dozen　times　in　a　single　hour。
  June　was　always　the　source　o