Jasper　has　_seemed_　to　serve　us　in　this　affair；　but　we　ought
  not　to　overlook　past　transactions。　　Did　not　Major　Duncan
  himself　denounce　him　to　Sergeant　Dunham　before　we
  left　the　post？　　Have　we　not　seen　sufficient　with　our　own
  eyes　to　make　sure　of　having　been　betrayed？　and　is　it　not
  natural；　and　almost　necessary；　to　believe　that　this　young
  man　has　been　the　traitor？　　Ah；　Pathfinder！　ye'll　no'　be
  making　yourself　a　great　statesman　or　a　great　captain　if
  you　put　too　much　faith　in　appearances。　　Lord　bless　me！
  Lord　bless　me！　if　I　do　not　believe；　could　the　truth　be
  come　at；　as　you　often　say　yourself；　Pathfinder；　that　hypoc…
  risy　is　a　more　common　vice　than　even　envy；　and　that's
  the　bane　of　human　nature。〃
  Captain　Sanglier　shrugged　his　shoulders；　then　he　looked
  earnestly　from　Jasper　towards　the　Quartermaster；　and
  from　the　Quartermaster　towards　Jasper。
  〃I　care　not　for　your　envy；　or　your　hypocrisy；　or　even　for
  your　human　natur'；〃　returned　Pathfinder。　　〃Jasper　Eau…
  douce　is　my　friend；　Jasper　Eau…douce　is　a　brave　lad；　and
  an　honest　lad；　and　a　loyal　lad；　and　no　man　of　the　55th
  shall　lay　hands　on　him；　short　of　Lundie's　own　orders；
  while　I'm　in　the　way　to　prevent　it。　　You　may　have　au…
  thority　over　your　soldiers；　but　you　have　none　over　Jasper
  and　me；　Master　Muir。〃
  〃_Bon！_〃　ejaculated　Sanglier；　the　sound　partaking　equally
  of　the　energies　of　the　throat　and　of　the　nose。
  〃Will　ye　no'　hearken　to　reason；　Pathfinder？　　Ye'll　no'
  be　forgetting　our　suspicions　and　judgments；　and　here　is
  another　circumstance　to　augment　and　aggravate　them　all。
  Ye　can　see　this　little　bit　of　bunting；　well；　where　should
  it　be　found　but　by　Mabel　Dunham；　on　the　branch　of　a　tree
  on　this　very　island；　just　an　hour　or　so　before　the　attack
  of　the　enemy；　and　if　ye'll　be　at　the　trouble　to　look　at　the
  fly　of　the　_Scud's_　ensign；　ye'll　just　say　that　the　cloth　has
  been　cut　from　out　it。　　Circumstantial　evidence　was　never
  stronger。〃
  〃_Ma　foi；　c'est　un　peu　fort；　ceci；_〃　growled　Sanglier　be…
  tween　his　teeth。
  〃Talk　to　me　of　no　ensigns　and　signals　when　I　know　the
  heart；〃　continued　the　Pathfinder。　　〃Jasper　has　the　gift
  of　honesty；　and　it　is　too　rare　a　gift　to　be　trifled　with；　like
  a　Mingo's　conscience。　　No；　no；　off　hands；　or　we　shall　see
  which　can　make　the　stoutest　battle；　you　and　your　men　of
  the　55th；　or　the　Sarpent　here；　and　Killdeer；　with　Jasper
  and　his　crew。　　You　overrate　your　force；　Lieutenant　Muir；
  as　much　as　you　underrate　Eau…douce's　truth。〃
  〃_Tres　bon！_〃
  〃Well；　if　I　must　speak　plainly；　Pathfinder；　I　e'en　must。
  Captain　Sanglier　here　and　Arrowhead；　this　brave　Tusca…
  rora；　have　both　informed　me　that　this　unfortunate　boy　is
  the　traitor。　　After　such　testimony　you　can　no　longer　op…
  pose　my　right　to　correct　him；　as　well　as　the　necessity　of
  the　act。〃
  〃_Scelerat；_〃　muttered　the　Frenchman。
  〃Captain　Sanglier　is　a　brave　soldier；　and　will　not　gain…
  say　the　conduct　of　an　honest　sailor；〃　put　in　Jasper。　　〃Is
  there　any　traitor　here；　Captain　Flinty…heart？〃
  〃Ay；〃　added　Muir；　〃let　him　speak　out　then；　since　ye
  wish　it；　unhappy　youth！　that　the　truth　may　be　known。　　I
  only　hope　that　ye　may　escape　the　last　punishment　when　a
  court　will　be　sitting　on　your　misdeeds。　　How　is　it；　Cap…
  tain；　do　ye；　or　do　ye　not；　see　a　traitor　amang　us？〃
  〃_Oui_　　yes；　sair　　_bien　sur_。〃
  〃Too　much　lie！〃　said　Arrowhead　in　a　voice　of　thunder；
  striking　the　breast　of　Muir　with　the　back　of　his　own　hand
  in　a　sort　of　ungovernable　gesture；　〃where　my　warriors？
  …　where　Yengeese　scalp？　　Too　much　lie！〃
  Muir　wanted　not　for　personal　courage；　nor　for　a　certain
  sense　of　personal　honor。　　The　violence　which　had　been　in…
  tended　only　for　a　gesture　he　mistook　for　a　blow；　for　con…
  science　was　suddenly　aroused　within　him；　and　he　stepped
  back　a　pace；　extending　his　hand　towards　a　gun。　　His　face
  was　livid　with　rage；　and　his　countenance　expressed　the
  fell　intention　of　his　heart。　　But　Arrowhead　was　too　quick
  for　him；　with　a　wild　glance　of　the　eye　the　Tuscarora　looked
  about　him；　then　thrust　a　hand　beneath　his　own　girdle；
  drew　forth　a　concealed　knife；　and；　in　the　twinkling　of　an
  eye；　buried　it　in　the　body　of　the　Quartermaster　to　the
  handle。　　As　the　latter　fell　at　his　feet；　gazing　into　his　face
  with　the　vacant　stare　of　one　surprised　by　death；　Sanglier
  took　a　pinch　of　snuff；　and　said　in　a　calm　voice；
  〃_Voila　l'affaire　finie；　mais；_〃　shrugging　his　shoulders；
  〃_ce　n'est　qu'un　scelerat　de　moins。_〃
  The　act　was　too　sudden　to　be　prevented；　and　when　Ar…
  rowhead；　uttering　a　yell；　bounded　into　the　bushes；　the
  white　men　were　too　confounded　to　follow。　　Chingach…
  gook；　however；　was　more　collected；　and　the　bushes　had
  scarcely　closed　on　the　passing　body　of　the　Tuscarora　than
  they　were　again　opened　by　that　of　the　Delaware　in　full
  pursuit。
  Jasper　Western　spoke　French　fluently；　and　the　words
  and　manner　of　Sanglier　struck　him。
  〃Speak；　Monsieur；〃　said　he　in　English；　〃_am_　I　the
  traitor？〃
  〃_Le　voila_；〃　answered　the　cool　Frenchman；　〃dat　is　our
  _espion_　　our　_agent_　　our　friend　　_ma　foi_　　_c'etait　un　grand
  scelerat_　　_voici_。〃
  While　speaking；　Sanglier　bent　over　the　dead　body；　and
  thrust　his　hand　into　a　pocket　of　the　Quartermaster；　out　of
  which　he　drew　a　purse。　　Emptying　the　contents　on　the
  ground；　several　double…louis　rolled　towards　the　soldiers；
  who　were　not　slow　in　picking　them　up。　　Casting　the　purse
  from　him　in　contempt；　the　soldier　of　fortune　turned
  towards　the　soup　he　had　been　preparing　with　so　much
  care；　and；　finding　it　to　his　liking；　he　began　to　break　his
  fast　with　an　air　of　indifference　that　the　most　stoical　In…
  dian　warrior　might　have　envied。
  CHAPTER　XXVII。
  The　only　amaranthian　flower　on　earth
  Is　virtue；　the　only　lasting　treasure；　truth。
  COWPER。
  The　reader　must　imagine　some　of　the　occurrences　that
  followed　the　sudden　death　of　Muir。　　While　his　body　was
  in　the　hands　of　his　soldiers；　who　laid　it　decently　aside；　and
  covered　it　with　a　greatcoat；　Chingachgook　silently　resumed
  his　place　at　the　fire；　and　both　Sanglier　and　Pathfinder　re…
  marked　that　he　carried　a　fresh　and　bleeding　scalp　at　his
  girdle。　　No　one　asked　any　questions；　and　the　former；
  although　perfectly　satisfied　that　Arrowhead　had　fallen；
  manifested　neither　curiosity　nor　feeling。　　He　continued
  calmly　eating　his　soup；　as　if　the　meal　had　been　tranquil　as
  usual。　　There　was　something　of　pride　and　of　an　assumed
  indifference　to　fate；　imitated　from　the　indians；　in　all　this；
  but　there　was　more　that　really　resulted　from　practice；　habi…
  tual　self…command；　and　constitutional　hardihood。　　With
  Pathfinder　the　case　was　a　little　different　in　feeling；　though
  much　the　same　in　appearance。　　He　disliked　Muir；　whose
  smooth…tongued　courtesy　was　little　in　accordance　with　his
  own　frank　and　ingenuous　nature；　but　he　had　been　shocked
  at　his　unexpected　and　violent　death；　though　accustomed
  to　similar　scenes；　and　he　had　been　surprised　at　the　expos…
  ure　of　his　treachery。　　With　a　view　to　ascertain　the　extent
  of　the　latter；　as　soon　as　the　body　was　removed；　he　began
  to　question　the　Captain　on　the　subject。　　The　latter；　hav…
  ing　no　particular　motive　for　secrecy　now　that　his　agent
  was　dead；　in　the　course　of　the　breakfast　revealed　the　fol…
  lowing　circumstances；　which　will　serve　to　clear　up　some　of
  the　minor　incidents　of　our　tale。
  Soon　after　the　55th　appeared　on　the　frontiers；　Muir　had
  volunteered　his　services　to　the　enemy。　　In　making　his
  offers；　he　boasted　of　his　intimacy　with　Lundie；　and　of　the
  means　it　afforded　of　furnishing　more　accurate　and　impor…
  tant　information　than　usual。　　His　terms　had　been　ac…
  cepted；　and　Monsieur　Sanglier　had　several　interviews　with
  him　in　the　vicinity　of　the　fort　at　Oswego；　and　had　actu…
  ally　passed　one　entire　night　secreted　in　the　garrison。　　Ar…
  rowhead；　however；　was　the　usual　channel　of　communica…
  tion；　and　the　anonymous　letter　to　Major　Duncan　had　been
  originally　written　by　Muir；　transmitted　to　Frontenac；
  copied；　and　sent　back　by　the　Tuscarora；　who　was　return…
  ing　from　that　errand　when　captured　by　the　_Scud_。　　It　is
  scarcely　necessary　to　add　that　Jasper　was　to　be　sacrificed
  in　order　to　conceal　the　Quartermaster's　treason；　and　that
  the　position　of　the　island　had　been　betrayed　to　the　enemy
  by　the　latter。　　An　extraordinary　compensation　　that　which
  was　found　in　his　purse　　had　induced　him　to　accompany
  the　party　under　Sergeant　Dunham；　in　order　to　give　the
  signals　that　were　to　bring　on　the　attack。　　The　disposition
  of　Muir　towards　the　sex　was　a　natural　weakness；　and　he
  would　have　married　Mabel；　or　any　one　else　who　would　ac…
  cept　his　hand；　but　his　admiration　of　her　was　in　a　great
  degree　feigned；　in　order　that　he　might　have　an　excuse　for
  accompanying　the　party　without　sharing　in　the　responsi…
  bility　of　its　defeat；　or　incurring　the　risk　of　having　no
  other　strong　and　seemingly　sufficient　motive。　　Much　of
  this　was　known　to　Captain　Sanglier；　particularly　the　part
  in　connection　with　Mabel；　and　he　did　not　fail　to　let　his
  auditors　into　the　whole　secret；　frequently　laughing　in　a
  sarcastic　manner；　as　he　revealed　the　different　expedients
  of　the　luckless　Quartermaster。
  〃_Touchez…la_；〃　said　the　cold…blooded　partisan；　holding
  out　his　sinewy　hand　to　Pathfinder；　when　he　ended　his　ex…
  planations；　〃you　be　_honnete_；　and　dat　is　_beaucoup_。　　We
  tak'　de　s