第 21 节
作者:泰达魔王      更新:2021-02-24 23:20      字数:9322
  That fills my heart with sadness。
  WORDSWORTH。
  THE scene was not without its sublimity; and the ardent;
  generous…minded Mabel felt her blood thrill in her veins
  and her cheeks flush; as the canoe shot into the strength
  of the stream; to quit the spot。  The darkness of the night
  had lessened; by the dispersion of the clouds; but the
  overhanging woods rendered the shore so obscure; that the
  boats floated down the current in a belt of gloom that ef…
  fectually secured them from detection。  Still; there was
  necessarily a strong feeling of insecurity in all on board
  them; and even Jasper; who by this time began to tremble;
  in behalf of the girl; at every unusual sound that arose
  from the forest; kept casting uneasy glances around him
  as he drifted on in company。  The paddle was used lightly;
  and only with exceeding care; for the slightest sound in
  the breathing stillness of that hour and place might ap…
  prise the watchful ears of the Iroquois of their position。
  All these accessories added to the impressive grandeur
  of her situation; and contributed to render the moment
  much the most exciting which had ever occurred in the
  brief existence of Mabel Dunham。  Spirited; accustomed
  to self…reliance; and sustained by the pride of considering
  herself a soldier's daughter; she could hardly be said to be
  under the influence of fear; yet her heart often beat quicker
  than common; her fine blue eye lighted with an exhibition
  of a resolution that was wasted in the darkness; and her
  quickened feelings came in aid of the real sublimity that
  belonged to the scene and to the incidents of the night。
  〃Mabel!〃 said the suppressed voice of Jasper; as the
  two canoes floated so near each other that the hand of the
  young man held them together; 〃you have no dread? you
  trust freely to our care and willingness to protect you?〃
  〃I am a soldier's daughter; as you know; Jasper Western;
  and ought to be ashamed to confess fear。〃
  〃Rely on me  on us all。  Your uncle; Pathfinder; the
  Delaware; were the poor fellow here; I myself; will risk
  everything rather than harm should reach you。〃
  〃I believe you; Jasper;〃 returned the girl; her hand un…
  consciously playing in the water。  〃I know that my uncle
  loves me; and will never think of himself until he has first
  thought of me; and I believe you are all my father's
  friends; and would willingly assist his child。  But I am
  not so feeble and weak…minded as you may think; for;
  though only a girl from the towns; and; like most of that
  class; a little disposed to see danger where there is none; I
  promise you; Jasper; no foolish fears of mine shall stand
  in the way of your doing your duty。〃
  〃The Sergeant's daughter is right; and she is worthy of
  being honest Thomas Dunham's child;〃 put in the Path…
  finder。  〃Ah's me; pretty one! many is the time that your
  father and I have scouted and marched together on the
  flanks and rear of the enemy; in nights darker than this;
  and that; too; when we did not know but the next momemt
  would lead us into a bloody ambushment。  I was at his
  side when he got the wound in his shoulder; and the
  honest fellow will tell you; when you meet; the manner in
  which we contrived to cross the river which lay in our rear;
  in order to save his scalp。〃
  〃He has told me;〃 said Mabel; with more energy perhaps
  than her situation rendered prudent。  〃I have his letters;
  in which he has mentioned all that; and I thank you from
  the bottom of my heart for the service。  God will remem…
  ber it; Pathfinder; and there is no gratitude that you can
  ask of the daughter which she will not cheerfully repay
  for her father's life。〃
  〃Ay; that is the way with all your gentle and pure…
  hearted creatures。  I have seen some of you before; and
  have heard of others。  The Sergeant himself has talked to
  me of his own young days; and of your mother; and of the
  manner in which he courted her; and of all the crossings
  and disappointments; until he succeeded at last。〃
  〃My mother did not live long to repay him for what
  he did to win her;〃 said Mabel; with a trembling lip。
  〃So he tells me。  The honest Sergeant has kept nothing
  back; for; being so many years my senior; he has looked
  on me; in our many scoutings together; as a sort of son。〃
  〃Perhaps; Pathfinder;〃 observed Jasper; with a huski…
  ness in his voice that defeated the attempt at pleasantry;
  〃he would be glad to have you for one in reality。〃
  〃And if he did; Eau…douce; where would be the sin of
  it?  He knows what I am on a trail or a scout; and he has
  seen me often face to face with the Frenchers。  I have
  sometimes thought; lad; that we all ought to seek for
  wives; for the man that lives altogether in the woods; and
  in company with his enemies or his prey; gets to lose some
  of the feeling of kind in the end。  It is not easy to dwell
  always in the presence of God and not feel the power of
  His goodness。  I have attended church…sarvice in the gar…
  risons; and tried hard; as becomes a true soldier; to join in
  the prayers; for; though no enlisted sarvant of the king;
  I fight his battles and sarve his cause; and so I have en…
  deavored to worship garrison…fashion; but never could
  raise within me the solemn feelings and true affection that
  I feel when alone with God in the forest。  There I seem
  to stand face to face with my Master; all around me is
  fresh and beautiful; as it came from His hand; and there
  is no nicety or doctrine to chill the feelings。  No no; the
  woods are the true temple after all; for there the thoughts
  are free to mount higher even than the clouds。〃
  〃You speak the truth; Master Pathfinder;〃 said Cap;
  〃and a truth that all who live much in solitude know。
  What; for instance; is the reason that seafaring men in
  general are so religious and conscientious in all they do;
  but the fact that they are so often alone with Providence;
  and have so little to do with the wickedness of the land。
  Many and many is the time that I have stood my watch;
  under the equator perhaps; or in the Southern Ocean;
  when the nights are lighted up with the fires of heaven;
  and that is the time; I can tell you; my hearties; to bring
  a man to his bearings in the way of his sins。  I have rattled
  down mine again and again under such circumstances;
  until the shrouds and lanyards of conscience have fairly
  creaked with the strain。  I agree with you; Master Path…
  finder; therefore; in saying; if you want a truly religious
  man; go to sea; or go into the woods。〃
  〃Uncle; I thought seamen had little credit generally for
  their respect for religion?〃
  〃All dd slander; girl; for all the essentials of Chris…
  tianity the seaman beats the landsman hand…over…hand。〃
  〃I will not answer for all this; Master Cap;〃 returned
  Pathfinder; 〃but I daresay some of it may be true。  I
  want no thunder and lightning to remind me of my God;
  nor am I as apt to bethink on most of all His goodness in
  trouble and tribulations as on a calm; solemn; quiet day
  in a forest; when His voice is heard in the creaking of a
  dead branch or in the song of a bird; as much in my ears
  at least as it is ever heard in uproar and gales。  How is it
  with you; Eau…douce? you face the tempests as well as
  Master Cap; and ought to know something of the feelings
  of storms。〃
  〃I fear that I am too young and too inexperienced to
  be able to say much on such a subject;〃 modestly answered
  Jasper。
  〃But you have your feelings!〃 said Mabel quickly。  〃You
  cannot  no one can live among such scenes without feel…
  ing how much they ought to trust in God!〃
  〃I shall not belie my training so much as to say I do
  not sometimes think of these things; but I fear it is not so
  often or so much as I ought。〃
  〃Fresh water;〃 resumed Cap pithily; 〃you are not to
  expect too much of the young man; Mabel。  I think they
  call you sometimes by a name which would insinuate all
  this: Eau…de…vie; is it not?〃
  〃Eau…douce;〃 quietly replied Jasper; who from sailing
  on the lake had acquired a knowledge of French; as well
  as of several of the Indian dialects。  〃It is a name the Iro…
  quois have given me to distinguish me from some of my
  companions who once sailed upon the sea; and are fond
  of filling the ears of the natives with stories of their great
  salt…water lakes。〃
  〃And why shouldn't they?  I daresay they do the sav…
  ages no harm。  Ay; ay; Eau…deuce; that must mean the
  white brandy; which may well enough be called the deuce;
  for deuced stuff it is!〃
  〃The signification of Eau…douce is sweet…water; and it
  is the manner in which the French express fresh…water;〃
  rejoined Jasper; a little nettled。
  〃And how the devil do they make water out of Eau…in…
  deuce; when it means brandy in Eau…de…vie?  Besides;
  among seamen; Eau always means brandy; and Eau…de…
  vie; brandy of a high proof。  I think nothing of your ig…
  norance; young man; for it is natural to your situation;
  and cannot be helped。  If you will return with me; and
  make a v'y'ge or two on the Atlantic; it will serve you a
  good turn the remainder of your days; and Mabel there;
  and all the other young women near the coast; will think
  all the better of you should you live to be as old as one of
  the trees in this forest。〃
  〃Nay; nay;〃 interrupted the single…he