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