Or make the hound, untaught, to draw the deere,
Or bring the free against his will in band,
Or move the sad a pleasant tale to heere,
Your time is lost, and you no whit1 the neere!
So love ne learnes, of force the heart to knit:
She serves but those that feel sweet fancies’ fit.
Mirror for Magistrates2.
It is not often that hope is rewarded by fruition so completely as the wishes of the young men of the garrison3 were met by the state of the weather on the succeeding day. The heats of summer were little felt at Oswego at the period of which we are writing; for the shade of the forest, added to the refreshing4 breezes from the lake, so far reduced the influence of the sun as to render the nights always cool and the days seldom oppressive.
It was now September, a month in which the strong gales5 of the coast often appear to force themselves across the country as far as the great lakes, where the inland sailor sometimes feels that genial6 influence which characterizes the winds of the ocean invigorating his frame, cheering his spirits, and arousing his moral force. Such a day was that on which the garrison of Oswego assembled to witness what its commander had jocularly called a “passage of arms.” Lundie was a scholar in military matters at least, and it was one of his sources of honest pride to direct the reading and thoughts of the young men under his orders to the more intellectual parts of their profession. For one in his situation, his library was both good and extensive, and its books were freely lent to all who desired to use them. Among other whims7 that had found their way into the garrison through these means, was a relish8 for the sort of amusement in which it was now about to indulge; and around which some chronicles of the days of chivalry9 had induced them to throw a parade and romance not unsuited to the characters and habits of soldiers, or to the insulated and wild post occupied by this particular garrison. While so earnestly bent10 on pleasure, however, they on whom that duty devolved did not neglect the safety of the garrison. One standing11 on the ramparts of the fort, and gazing on the waste of glittering water that bounded the view all along the northern horizon, and on the slumbering12 and seemingly boundless13 forest which filled the other half of the panorama14, would have fancied the spot the very abode15 of peacefulness and security; but Duncan of Lundie too well knew that the woods might, at any moment, give up their hundreds, bent on the destruction of the fort and all it contained; and that even the treacherous16 lake offered a highway of easy approach by which his more civilized17 and scarcely less wily foes18, the French, could come upon him at an unguarded moment. Parties were sent out under old and vigilant19 officers, men who cared little for the sports of the day, to scour20 the forest; and one entire company held the fort, under arms, with orders to maintain a vigilance as strict as if an enemy of superior force was known to be near. With these precautions, the remainder of the officers and men abandoned themselves, without apprehension21, to the business of the morning.
The spot selected for the sports was a sort of esplanade, a little west of the fort, and on the immediate22 bank of the lake. It had been cleared of its trees and stumps23, that it might answer the purpose of a parade-ground, as it possessed25 the advantages of having its rear protected by the water, and one of its flanks by the works. Men drilling on it could be attacked, consequently, on two sides only; and as the cleared space beyond it, in the direction of the west and south, was large, any assailants would be compelled to quit the cover of the woods before they could make an approach sufficiently26 near to render them dangerous.
Although the regular arms of the regiment27 were muskets28, some fifty rifles were produced on the present occasion. Every officer had one as a part of his private provision for amusement; many belonged to the scouts29 and friendly Indians, of whom more or less were always hanging about the fort; and there was a public provision of them for the use of those who followed the game with the express object of obtaining supplies. Among those who carried the weapon were some five or six, who had reputation for knowing how to use it particularly well — so well, indeed, as to have given them a celebrity30 on the frontier; twice that number who were believed to be much better than common; and many who would have been thought expert in almost any situation but the precise one in which they now happened to be placed.
The distance was a hundred yards, and the weapon was to be used without a rest; the target, a board, with the customary circular lines in white paint, having the bull’s -eye in the centre. The first trials in skill commenced with challenges among the more ignoble32 of the competitors to display their steadiness and dexterity33 in idle competition. None but the common men engaged in this strife34, which had little to interest the spectators, among whom no officer had yet appeared.
Most of the soldiers were Scotch35, the regiment having been raised at Stirling and its vicinity not many years before, though, as in the case of Sergeant36 Dunham, many Americans had joined it since its arrival in the colonies. As a matter of course, the provincials37 were generally the most expert marksmen; and after a desultory38 trial of half an hour it was necessarily conceded that a youth who had been born in the colony of New York, and who coming of Dutch extraction, was the most expert of all who had yet tried their skill. It was just as this opinion prevailed that the oldest captain, accompanied by most of the gentlemen and ladies of the fort, appeared on the parade. A train of some twenty females of humbler condition followed, among whom was seen the well-turned form, intelligent, blooming, animated40 countenance41, and neat, becoming attire42 of Mabel Dunham.
Of females who were officially recognized as belonging to the class of ladies, there were but three in the fort, all of whom were officers’ wives; Mabel being strictly43, as had been stated by the Quartermaster, the only real candidate for matrimony among her sex.
Some little preparation had been made for the proper reception of the females, who were placed on a low staging of planks44 near the immediate bank of the lake. In this vicinity the prizes were suspended from a post. Great care was taken to reserve the front seat of the stage for the three ladies and their children; while Mabel and those who belonged to the non-commissioned officers of the regiment, occupied the second. The wives and daughters of the privates were huddled45 together in the rear, some standing and some sitting, as they could find room. Mabel, who had already been admitted to the society of the officers’ wives, on the footing of a humble39 companion, was a good deal noticed by the ladies in front, who had a proper appreciation46 of modest self-respect and gentle refinement47, though they were all fully48 aware of the value of rank, more particularly in a garrison.
As soon as this important portion of the spectators had got into their places, Lundie gave orders for the trial of skill to proceed in the manner that had been prescribed in his previous orders. Some eight or ten of the best marksmen of the garrison now took possession of the stand, and began to fire in succession. Among them were officers and men indiscriminately placed, nor were the casual visitors in the fort excluded from the competition.
As might have been expected of men whose amusements and comfortable subsistence equally depended on skill in the use of their weapons, it was soon found that they were all sufficiently expert to hit the bull’s -eye, or the white spot in the centre of the target. Others who succeeded them, it is true, were less sure, their bullets striking in the different circles that surrounded the centre of the target without touching49 it.
According to the rules of the day, none could proceed to the second trial who had failed in the first, and the adjutant of the place, who acted as master of the ceremonies, or marshal of the day, called upon the successful adventurers by name to get ready for the next effort, while he gave notice that those who failed to present themselves for the shot at the bull’s -eye would necessarily be excluded from all the higher trials. Just at this moment Lundie, the Quartermaster, and Jasper Eau-douce appeared in the group at the stand, while the Pathfinder walked leisurely50 on the ground without his beloved rifle, for him a measure so unusual, as to be understood by all present as a proof that he did not consider himself a competitor for the honors of the day. All made way for Major Duncan, who, as he approached the stand in a good-humored way, took his station, levelled his rifle carelessly, and fired. The bullet missed the required mark by several inches.
“Major Duncan is excluded from the other trials!” proclaimed the Adjutant, in a voice so strong and confident that all the elder officers and the sergeants51 well understood that this failure was preconcerted, while all the younger gentlemen and the privates felt new encouragement to proceed on account of the evident impartiality52 with which the laws of the sports were administered.
“Now, Master Eau-douce, comes your turn,” said Muir; “and if you do not beat the Major, I shall say that your hand is better skilled with the oar31 than with the rifle.”
Jasper’s handsome face flushed, he stepped upon the stand, cast a hasty glance at Mabel, whose pretty form he ascertained53 was bending eagerly forward as if to note the result, dropped the barrel of his rifle with but little apparent care into the palm of his left hand, raised the muzzle55 for a single instant with exceeding steadiness, and fired. The bullet passed directly through the centre of the bull’s -eye, much the best shot of the morning, since the others had merely touched the paint.
“Well performed, Master Jasper,” said Muir, as soon as the result was declared; “and a shot that might have done credit to an older head and a more experienced eye. I’m thinking, notwithstanding, there was some of a youngster’s luck in it; for ye were no’ partic’lar in the aim ye took. Ye may be quick, Eau-douce, in the movement, but yer not philosophic56 nor scientific in yer management of the weepon. Now, Sergeant Dunham, I’ll thank you to request the ladies to give a closer attention than common; for I’m about to make that use of the rifle which may be called the intellectual. Jasper would have killed, I allow; but then there would not have been half the satisfaction in receiving such a shot as in receiving one that is discharged scientifically.”
All this time the Quartermaster was preparing himself for the scientific trial; but he delayed his aim until he saw that the eye of Mabel, in common with those of her companions, was fastened on him in curiosity. As the others left him room, out of respect to his rank, no one stood near the competitor but his commanding officer, to whom he now said in his familiar manner —
“Ye see, Lundie, that something is to be gained by exciting a female’s curiosity. It’s an active sentiment is curiosity, and properly improved may lead to gentler innovations in the end.”
“Very true, Davy; but ye keep us all waiting while ye make your preparations; and here is Pathfinder drawing near to catch a lesson from your greater experience.”
“Well Pathfinder, and so you have come to get an idea too, concerning the philosophy of shooting? I do not wish to hide my light under a bushel, and yer welcome to all ye’ll learn. Do ye no’ mean to try a shot yersel’, man?”
“Why should I, Quartermaster, why should I? I want none of the prizes; and as for honor, I have had enough of that, if it’s any honor to shoot better than yourself. I’m not a woman to wear a calash.”
“Very true; but ye might find a woman that is precious in your eyes to wear it for ye, as ——”
“Come, Davy,” interrupted the Major, “your shot or a retreat. The Adjutant is getting impatient.”
“The Quartermaster’s department and the Adjutant’s department are seldom compliable, Lundie; but I’m ready. Stand a little aside, Pathfinder, and give the ladies an opportunity.”
Lieutenant59 Muir now took his attitude with a good deal of studied elegance60, raised his rifle slowly, lowered it, raised it again, repeated the manoeuvres, and fired.
“Missed the target altogether!” shouted the man whose duty it was to mark the bullets, and who had little relish for the Quartermaster’s tedious science. “Missed the target!”
“It cannot be!” cried Muir, his face flushing equally with indignation and shame; “it cannot be, Adjutant; for I never did so awkward a thing in my life. I appeal to the ladies for a juster judgment61.”
“The ladies shut their eyes when you fired!” exclaimed the regimental wags. “Your preparations alarmed them.”
“I will na believe such calumny62 of the leddies, nor sic’ a reproach on my own skill,” returned the Quartermaster, growing more and more Scotch as he warmed with his feelings; “it’s a conspiracy63 to rob a meritorious64 man of his dues.”
“It’s a dead miss, Muir,” said the laughing Lundie; “and ye’ll jist sit down quietly with the disgrace.”
“No, no, Major,” Pathfinder at length observed; “the Quartermaster is a good shot for a slow one and a measured distance, though nothing extr’ornary for real service. He has covered Jasper’s bullet, as will be seen, if any one will take the trouble to examine the target.”
The respect for Pathfinder’s skill and for his quickness and accuracy of sight was so profound and general, that, the instant he made this declaration, the spectators began to distrust their own opinions, and a dozen rushed to the target in order to ascertain54 the fact. There, sure enough, it was found that the Quartermaster’s bullet had gone through the hole made by Jasper’s, and that, too, so accurately65 as to require a minute examination to be certain of the circumstance; which, however, was soon clearly established, by discovering one bullet over the other in the stump24 against which the target was placed.
“I told ye, ladies, ye were about to witness the influence of science on gunnery,” said the Quartermaster, advancing towards the staging occupied by the females. “Major Duncan derides66 the idea of mathematics entering into target-shooting; but I tell him philosophy colors, and enlarges, and improves, and dilates67, and explains everything that belongs to human life, whether it be a shooting-match or a sermon. In a word, philosophy is philosophy, and that is saying all that the subject requires.”
“I trust you exclude love from the catalogue,” observed the wife of a captain who knew the history of the Quartermaster’s marriages, and who had a woman’s malice68 against the monopolizer69 of her sex; “it seems that philosophy has little in common with love.”
“You wouldn’t say that, madam, if your heart had experienced many trials. It’s the man or the woman that has had many occasions to improve the affections that can best speak of such matters; and, believe me, of all love, philosophical70 is the most lasting71, as it is the most rational.”
“You would then recommend experience as an improvement on the passion?”
“Your quick mind has conceived the idea at a glance. The happiest marriages are those in which youth and beauty and confidence on one side, rely on the sagacity, moderation, and prudence72 of years — middle age, I mean, madam, for I’ll no’ deny that there is such a thing as a husband’s being too old for a wife. Here is Sergeant Dunham’s charming daughter, now, to approve of such sentiments, I’m certain; her character for discretion73 being already well established in the garrison, short as has been her residence among us.”
“Sergeant Dunham’s daughter is scarcely a fitting interlocutor in a discourse74 between you and me, Lieutenant Muir,” rejoined the captain’s lady, with careful respect for her own dignity; “and yonder is the Pathfinder about to take his chance, by way of changing the subject.”
“I protest, Major Duncan, I protest,” cried Muir hurrying back towards the stand, with both arms elevated by way of enforcing his words — “I protest in the strongest terms, gentlemen, against Pathfinder’s being admitted into these sports with Killdeer, which is a piece, to say nothing of long habit that is altogether out of proportion for a trial of skill against Government rifles.”
“Killdeer is taking its rest, Quartermaster,” returned Pathfinder calmly, “and no one here thinks of disturbing it. I did not think, myself, of pulling a trigger to-day; but Sergeant Dunham has been persuading me that I shall not do proper honor to his handsome daughter, who came in under my care, if I am backward on such an occasion. I’m using Jasper’s rifle, Quartermaster, as you may see, and that is no better than your own.”
Lieutenant Muir was now obliged to acquiesce75, and every eye turned towards the Pathfinder, as he took the required station. The air and attitude of this celebrated76 guide and hunter were extremely fine, as he raised his tall form and levelled the piece, showing perfect self-command, and a through knowledge of the power of the human frame as well as of the weapon. Pathfinder was not what is usually termed a handsome man, though his appearance excited so much confidence and commanded respect. Tall, and even muscular, his frame might have been esteemed77 nearly perfect, were it not for the total absence of everything like flesh. Whipcord was scarcely more rigid78 than his arms and legs, or, at need, more pliable58; but the outlines of his person were rather too angular for the proportion that the eye most approves. Still, his motions, being natural, were graceful79, and, being calm and regulated, they gave him an air and dignity that associated well with the idea, which was so prevalent, of his services and peculiar80 merits. His honest, open features were burnt to a bright red, that comported82 well with the notion of exposure and hardships, while his sinewy83 hands denoted force, and a species of use removed from the stiffening84 and deforming85 effects of labor86. Although no one perceived any of those gentler or more insinuating87 qualities which are apt to win upon a woman’s affections, as he raised his rifle not a female eye was fastened on him without a silent approbation88 of the freedom of his movements and the manliness89 of his air. Thought was scarcely quicker than his aim; and, as the smoke floated above his head, the butt-end of the rifle was seen on the ground, the hand of the Pathfinder was leaning on the barrel, and his honest countenance was illuminated90 by his usual silent, hearty91 laugh.
“If one dared to hint at such a thing,” cried Major Duncan, “I should say that the Pathfinder had also missed the target.”
“No, no, Major,” returned the guide confidently; “that would be a risky92 declaration. I didn’t load the piece, and can’t say what was in it; but if it was lead, you will find the bullet driving down those of the Quartermaster and Jasper, else is not my name Pathfinder.”
A shout from the target announced the truth of this assertion.
“That’s not all, that’s not all, boys,” called out the guide, who was now slowly advancing towards the stage occupied by the females; “if you find the target touched at all, I’ll own to a miss. The Quartermaster cut the wood, but you’ll find no wood cut by that last messenger.”
“Very true, Pathfinder, very true,” answered Muir, who was lingering near Mabel, though ashamed to address her particularly in the presence of the officers’ wives. “The Quartermaster did cut the wood, and by that means he opened a passage for your bullet, which went through the hole he had made.”
“Well, Quartermaster, there goes the nail and we’ll see who can drive it closer, you or I; for, though I did not think of showing what a rifle can do to-day, now my hand is in, I’ll turn my back to no man that carries King George’s commission. Chingachgook is outlying, or he might force me into some of the niceties of the art; but, as for you, Quartermaster, if the nail don’t stop you, the potato will.”
“You’re over boastful this morning, Pathfinder; but you’ll find you’ve no green boy fresh from the settlements and the towns to deal with, I will assure ye!”
“I know that well, Quartermaster; I know that well, and shall not deny your experience. You’ve lived many years on the frontiers, and I’ve heard of you in the colonies, and among the Indians, too, quite a human life ago.”
“Na, na,” interrupted Muir in his broadest Scotch, “this is injustice93, man. I’ve no’ lived so very long, neither.”
“I’ll do you justice, Lieutenant, even if you get the best in the potato trial. I say you’ve passed a good human life, for a soldier, in places where the rifle is daily used, and I know you are a creditable and ingenious marksman; but then you are not a true rifle-shooter. As for boasting, I hope I’m not a vain talker about my own exploits; but a man’s gifts are his gifts, and it’s flying in the face of Providence94 to deny them. The Sergeant’s daughter, here, shall judge between us, if you have the stomach to submit to so pretty a judge.”
The Pathfinder had named Mabel as the arbiter95 because he admired her, and because, in his eyes, rank had little or no value; but Lieutenant Muir shrank at such a reference in the presence of the wives of the officers. He would gladly keep himself constantly before the eyes and the imagination of the object of his wishes; but he was still too much under the influence of old prejudices, and perhaps too wary96, to appear openly as her suitor, unless he saw something very like a certainty of success. On the discretion of Major Duncan he had a full reliance, and he apprehended97 no betrayal from that quarter; but he was quite aware, should it ever get abroad that he had been refused by the child of a non-commissioned officer, he would find great difficulty in making his approaches to any other woman of a condition to which he might reasonably aspire98. Notwithstanding these doubts and misgivings99, Mabel looked so prettily100, blushed so charmingly, smiled so sweetly, and altogether presented so winning a picture of youth, spirit, modesty101, and beauty, that he found it exceedingly tempting102 to be kept so prominently before her imagination, and to be able to address her freely.
“You shall have it your own way, Pathfinder,” he answered, as soon as his doubts had settled down into determination; “let the Sergeant’s daughter — his charming daughter, I should have termed her — be the umpire then; and to her we will both dedicate the prize, that one or the other must certainly win. Pathfinder must be humored, ladies, as you perceive, else, no doubt, we should have had the honor to submit ourselves to one of your charming society.”
A call for the competitors now drew the Quartermaster and his adversary103 away, and in a few moments the second trial of skill commenced. A common wrought104 nail was driven lightly into the target, its head having been first touched with paint, and the marksman was required to hit it, or he lost his chances in the succeeding trials. No one was permitted to enter, on this occasion, who had already failed in the essay against the bull’s -eye.
There might have been half a dozen aspirants105 for the honors of this trial; one or two, who had barely succeeded in touching the spot of paint in the previous strife, preferring to rest their reputations there, feeling certain that they could not succeed in the greater effort that was now exacted of them. The first three adventurers failed, all coming very near the mark, but neither touching it. The fourth person who presented himself was the Quartermaster, who, after going through his usual attitudes, so far succeeded as to carry away a small portion of the head of the nail, planting his bullet by the side of its point. This was not considered an extraordinary shot, though it brought the adventurer within the category.
“You’ve saved your bacon, Quartermaster, as they say in the settlements of their creaturs,” cried Pathfinder, laughing; “but it would take a long time to build a house with a hammer no better than yours. Jasper, here, will show you how a nail is to be started, or the lad has lost some of his steadiness of hand and sartainty of eye. You would have done better yourself, Lieutenant, had you not been so much bent on soldierizing your figure. Shooting is a natural gift, and is to be exercised in a natural way.”
“We shall see, Pathfinder; I call that a pretty attempt at a nail; and I doubt if the 55th has another hammer, as you call it, that can do just the same thing over again.”
“Jasper is not in the 55th, but there goes his rap.”
As the Pathfinder spoke106, the bullet of Eau-douce hit the nail square, and drove it into the target, within an inch of the head.
“Be all ready to clench107 it, boys!” cried out Pathfinder, stepping into his friend’s tracks the instant they were vacant. “Never mind a new nail; I can see that, though the paint is gone, and what I can see I can hit, at a hundred yards, though it were only a mosquito’s eye. Be ready to clench!”
The rifle cracked, the bullet sped its way, and the head of the nail was buried in the wood, covered by the piece of flattened108 lead.
“Well, Jasper, lad,” continued Pathfinder, dropping the butt-end of his rifle to the ground, and resuming the discourse, as if he thought nothing of his own exploit, “you improve daily. A few more tramps on land in my company, and the best marksman on the frontiers will have occasion to look keenly when he takes his stand ag’in you. The Quartermaster is respectable, but he will never get any farther; whereas you, Jasper, have the gift, and may one day defy any who pull trigger.”
“Hoot57, hoot!” exclaimed Muir; “do you call hitting the head of the nail respectable only, when it’s the perfection of the art? Any one the least refined and elevated in sentiment knows that the delicate touches denote the master; whereas your sledge-hammer blows come from the rude and uninstructed. If ‘a miss is as good as a mile,’ a hit ought to be better, Pathfinder, whether it wound or kill.”
“The surest way of settling this rivalry109 will be to make another trial,” observed Lundie, “and that will be of the potato. You’re Scotch, Mr. Muir, and might fare better were it a cake or a thistle; but frontier law has declared for the American fruit, and the potato it shall be.”
As Major Duncan manifested some impatience110 of manner, Muir had too much tact111 to delay the sports any longer with his discursive112 remarks, but judiciously113 prepared himself for the next appeal. To say the truth, the Quartermaster had little or no faith in his own success in the trial of skill that was to follow, nor would he have been so free in presenting himself as a competitor at all had he anticipated it would have been made; but Major Duncan, who was somewhat of a humorist in his own quiet Scotch way, had secretly ordered it to be introduced expressly to mortify114 him; for, a laird himself, Lundie did not relish the notion that one who might claim to be a gentleman should bring discredit115 on his caste by forming an unequal alliance. As soon as everything was prepared, Muir was summoned to the stand, and the potato was held in readiness to be thrown. As the sort of feat81 we are about to offer to the reader, however, may be new to him, a word in explanation will render the matter more clear. A potato of large size was selected, and given to one who stood at the distance of twenty yards from the stand. At the word “heave!” which was given by the marksman, the vegetable was thrown with a gentle toss into the air, and it was the business of the adventurer to cause a ball to pass through it before it reached the ground.
The Quartermaster, in a hundred experiments, had once succeeded in accomplishing this difficult feat; but he now essayed to perform it again, with a sort of blind hope that was fated to be disappointed. The potato was thrown in the usual manner, the rifle was discharged, but the flying target was untouched.
“To the right-about, and fall out, Quartermaster,” said Lundie, smiling at the success of the artifice116. “The honor of the silken calash will lie between Jasper Eau-douce and Pathfinder.”
“And how is the trial to end, Major?” inquired the latter. “Are we to have the two-potato trial, or is it to be settled by centre and skin?”
“By centre and skin, if there is any perceptible difference; otherwise the double shot must follow.”
“This is an awful moment to me, Pathfinder,” observed Jasper, as he moved towards the stand, his face actually losing its color in intensity117 of feeling.
Pathfinder gazed earnestly at the young man; and then, begging Major Duncan to have patience for a moment, he led his friend out of the hearing of all near him before he spoke.
“You seem to take this matter to heart, Jasper?” the hunter remarked, keeping his eyes fastened on those of the youth.
“I must own, Pathfinder, that my feelings were never before so much bound up in success.”
“And do you so much crave118 to outdo me, an old and tried friend? — and that, as it might be, in my own way? Shooting is my gift, boy, and no common hand can equal mine.”
“I know it — I know it, Pathfinder; but yet —”
“But what, Jasper, boy? — speak freely; you talk to a friend.”
The young man compressed his lips, dashed a hand across his eye, and flushed and paled alternately, like a girl confessing her love. Then, squeezing the other’s hand, he said calmly, like one whose manhood has overcome all other sensations, “I would lose an arm, Pathfinder, to be able to make an offering of that calash to Mabel Dunham.”
The hunter dropped his eyes to the ground, and as he walked slowly back towards the stand, he seemed to ponder deeply on what he had just heard.
“You never could succeed in the double trial, Jasper!” he suddenly remarked.
“Of that I am certain, and it troubles me.”
“What a creature is mortal man! He pines for things which are not of his gift and treats the bounties119 of Providence lightly. No matter, no matter. Take your station, Jasper, for the Major is waiting; and harken, lad — I must touch the skin, for I could not show my face in the garrison with less than that.”
“I suppose I must submit to my fate,” returned Jasper, flushing and losing his color as before; “but I will make the effort, if I die.”
“What a thing is mortal man!” repeated Pathfinder, falling back to allow his friend room to take his arm; “he overlooks his own gifts, and craves120 those of another!”
The potato was thrown, Jasper fired, and the shout that followed preceded the announcement of the fact that he had driven his bullet through its centre, or so nearly so as to merit that award.
“Here is a competitor worthy121 of you, Pathfinder,” cried Major Duncan with delight, as the former took his station; “and we may look to some fine shooting in the double trial.”
“What a thing is mortal man!” repeated the hunter, scarcely seeming to notice what was passing around him, so much were his thoughts absorbed in his own reflections. “Toss!”
The potato was tossed, the rifle cracked — it was remarked just as the little black ball seemed stationary122 in the air, for the marksman evidently took unusual heed123 to his aim — and then a look of disappointment and wonder succeeded among those who caught the falling target.
“Two holes in one?” called out the Major.
“The skin, the skin!” was the answer; “only the skin!”
“How’s this, Pathfinder? Is Jasper Eau-douce to carry off the honors of the day?”
“The calash is his,” returned the other, shaking his head and walking quietly away from the stand. “What a creature is mortal man! never satisfied with his own gifts, but for ever craving124 that which Providence denies!”
As Pathfinder had not buried his bullet in the potato, but had cut through the skin, the prize was immediately adjudged to Jasper. The calash was in the hands of the latter when the Quartermaster approached, and with a polite air of cordiality he wished his successful rival joy of his victory.
“But now you’ve got the calash, lad, it’s of no use to you,” he added; “it will never make a sail, nor even an ensign. I’m thinking, Eau-douce, you’d no’ be sorry to see its value in good siller of the king?”
“Money cannot buy it, Lieutenant,” returned Jasper, whose eye lighted with all the fire of success and joy. “I would rather have won this calash than have obtained fifty new suits of sails for the Scud125!“
“Hoot, hoot, lad! you are going mad like all the rest of them. I’d even venture to offer half a guinea for the trifle rather than it should lie kicking about in the cabin of your cutter, and in the end become an ornament126 for the head of a squaw.”
Although Jasper did not know that the wary Quartermaster had not offered half the actual cost of the prize, he heard the proposition with indifference127. Shaking his head in the negative, he advanced towards the stage, where his approach excited a little commotion128, the officers’ ladies, one and all, having determined129 to accept the present, should the gallantry of the young sailor induce him to offer it. But Jasper’s diffidence, no less than admiration130 for another, would have prevented him from aspiring131 to the honor of complimenting any whom he thought so much his superiors.
“Mabel,” said he, “this prize is for you, unless —”
“Unless what, Jasper?” answered the girl, losing her own bashfulness in the natural and generous wish to relieve his embarrassment132, though both reddened in a way to betray strong feeling.
“Unless you may think too indifferently of it, because it is offered by one who may have no right to believe his gift will be accepted.”
“I do accept it, Jasper; and it shall be a sign of the danger I have passed in your company, and of the gratitude133 I feel for your care of me — your care, and that of the Pathfinder.”
“Never mind me, never mind me!” exclaimed the latter; “this is Jasper’s luck, and Jasper’s gift: give him full credit for both. My turn may come another day; mine and the Quartermaster’s, who seems to grudge134 the boy the calash; though what he can want of it I cannot understand, for he has no wife.”
“And has Jasper Eau-douce a wife? Or have you a wife yoursel’, Pathfinder? I may want it to help to get a wife, or as a memorial that I have had a wife, or as proof how much I admire the sex, or because it is a female garment, or for some other equally respectable motive135. It’s not the unreflecting that are the most prized by the thoughtful, and there is no surer sign that a man made a good husband to his first consort136, let me tell you all, than to see him speedily looking round for a competent successor. The affections are good gifts from Providence, and they that have loved one faithfully prove how much of this bounty137 has been lavished138 upon them by loving another as soon as possible.”
“It may be so, it may be so. I am no practitioner139 in such things, and cannot gainsay140 it. But Mabel here, the Sergeant’s daughter, will give you full credit for the words. Come, Jasper, although our hands are out, let us see what the other lads can do with the rifle.”
Pathfinder and his companions retired141, for the sports were about to proceed. The ladies, however, were not so much engrossed142 with rifle-shooting as to neglect the calash. It passed from hand to hand; the silk was felt, the fashion criticized, and the work examined, and divers143 opinions were privately144 ventured concerning the fitness of so handsome a thing passing into the possession of a non-commissioned officer’s child.
“Perhaps you will be disposed to sell that calash, Mabel, when it has been a short time in your possession?” inquired the captain’s lady. “Wear it, I should think, you never can.”
“I may not wear it, madam,” returned our heroine modestly; “but I should not like to part with it either.”
“I daresay Sergeant Dunham keeps you above the necessity of selling your clothes, child; but, at the same time, it is money thrown away to keep an article of dress you can never wear.”
“I should be unwilling145 to part with the gift of a friend.”
“But the young man himself will think all the better of you for your prudence after the triumph of the day is forgotten. It is a pretty and a becoming calash, and ought not to be thrown away.”
“I’ve no intention to throw it away, ma’am; and, if you please, would rather keep it.”
“As you will, child; girls of your age often overlook the real advantages. Remember, however, if you do determine to dispose of the thing, that it is bespoke146, and that I will not take it if you ever even put it on your own head.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Mabel, in the meekest147 voice imaginable, though her eyes looked like diamonds, and her cheeks reddened to the tints148 of two roses, as she placed the forbidden garment over her well-turned shoulders, where she kept it a minute, as if to try its fitness, and then quietly removed it again.
The remainder of the sports offered nothing of interest. The shooting was reasonably good; but the trials were all of a scale lower than those related, and the competitors were soon left to themselves. The ladies and most of the officers withdrew, and the remainder of the females soon followed their example. Mabel was returning along the low flat rocks that line the shore of the lake, dangling149 her pretty calash from a prettier finger, when Pathfinder met her. He carried the rifle which he had used that day; but his manner had less of the frank ease of the hunter about it than usual, while his eye seemed roving and uneasy. After a few unmeaning words concerning the noble sheet of water before them, he turned towards his companion with strong interest in his countenance, and said —
“Jasper earned that calash for you, Mabel, without much trial of his gifts.”
“It was fairly done, Pathfinder.”
“No doubt, no doubt. The bullet passed neatly150 through the potato, and no man could have done more; though others might have done as much.”
“But no one did as much!” exclaimed Mabel, with an animation151 that she instantly regretted; for she saw by the pained look of the guide that he was mortified152 equally by the remark and by the feeling with which it was uttered.
“It is true, it is true, Mabel, no one did as much then; but — yet there is no reason I should deny my gifts which come from Providence — yes, yes; no one did as much there, but you shall know what can be done here. Do you observe the gulls153 that are flying over our heads?”
“Certainly, Pathfinder; there are too many to escape notice.”
“Here, where they cross each other in sailing about,” he added, cocking and raising his rifle; “the two — the two. Now look!”
The piece was presented quick as thought, as two of the birds came in a line, though distant from each other many yards; the report followed, and the bullet passed through the bodies of both victims. No sooner had the gulls fallen into the lake, than Pathfinder dropped the butt-end of the rifle, and laughed in his own peculiar manner, every shade of dissatisfaction and mortified pride having left his honest face.
“That is something, Mabel, that is something; although I have no calash to give you! But ask Jasper himself; I’ll leave it all to Jasper, for a truer tongue and heart are not in America.”
“Then it was not Jasper’s fault that he gained the prize?”
“Not it. He did his best, and he did well. For one that has water gifts, rather than land gifts, Jasper is uncommonly154 expert, and a better backer no one need wish, ashore155 or afloat. But it was my fault, Mabel, that he got the calash; though it makes no difference — it makes no difference, for the thing has gone to the right person.”
“I believe I understand you, Pathfinder,” said Mabel, blushing in spite of herself, “and I look upon the calash as the joint156 gift of yourself and Jasper.”
“That would not be doing justice to the lad, neither. He won the garment, and had a right to give it away. The most you may think, Mabel, is to believe that, had I won it, it would have gone to the same person.”
“I will remember that, Pathfinder, and take care that others know your skill, as it has been proved upon the poor gulls in my presence.”
“Lord bless you, Mabel! there is no more need of your talking in favor of my shooting on this frontier, than of your talking about the water in the lake or the sun in the heavens. Everybody knows what I can do in that way, and your words would be thrown away, as much as French would be thrown away on an American bear.”
“Then you think that Jasper knew you were giving him this advantage, of which he had so unhandsomely availed himself?” said Mabel, the color which had imparted so much lustre157 to her eyes gradually leaving her face, which became grave and thoughtful.
“I do not say that, but very far from it. We all forget things that we have known, when eager after our wishes. Jasper is satisfied that I can pass one bullet through two potatoes, as I sent my bullet through the gulls; and he knows no other man on the frontier can do the same thing. But with the calash before his eyes, and the hope of giving it to you, the lad was inclined to think better of himself, just at that moment, perhaps, than he ought. No, no, there’s nothing mean or distrustful about Jasper Eau-douce, though it is a gift natural to all young men to wish to appear well in the eyes of handsome young women.”
“I’ll try to forget all, but the kindness you’ve both shown to a poor motherless girl,” said Mabel, struggling to keep down emotions she scarcely knew how to account for herself. “Believe me, Pathfinder, I can never forget all you have already done for me — you and Jasper; and this new proof of your regard is not thrown away. Here, here is a brooch that is of silver, and I offer it as a token that I owe you life or liberty.”
“What shall I do with this, Mabel?” asked the bewildered hunter, holding the simple trinket in his hand. “I have neither buckle158 nor button about me, for I wear nothing but leathern strings159, and them of good deer-skins. It’s pretty to the eye, but it is prettier far on the spot it came from than it can be about me.”
“Nay, put it in your hunting-shirt; it will become it well. Remember, Pathfinder, that it is a token of friendship between us, and a sign that I can never forget you or your services.”
Mabel then smiled an adieu; and, bounding up the bank, she was soon lost to view behind the mound160 of the fort.
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1
whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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magistrates
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| 地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 ) | |
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garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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WHIMS
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| 虚妄，禅病 | |
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relish
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| n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味 | |
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chivalry
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| n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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boundless
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| adj.无限的；无边无际的；巨大的 | |
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panorama
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| n.全景，全景画，全景摄影，全景照片[装置] | |
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15
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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treacherous
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| adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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19
vigilant
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| adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的 | |
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scour
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| v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷 | |
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apprehension
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| n.理解，领悟；逮捕，拘捕；忧虑 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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23
stumps
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| （被砍下的树的）树桩( stump的名词复数 )； 残肢； （板球三柱门的）柱； 残余部分 | |
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stump
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| n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走 | |
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possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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29
scouts
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| 侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员 | |
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celebrity
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| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
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oar
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| n.桨，橹，划手；v.划行 | |
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ignoble
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| adj.不光彩的，卑鄙的；可耻的 | |
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dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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scotch
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| n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的 | |
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sergeant
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| n.警官，中士 | |
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provincials
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| n.首都以外的人，地区居民( provincial的名词复数 ) | |
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desultory
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| adj.散漫的，无方法的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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appreciation
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| n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨 | |
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refinement
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| n.文雅；高尚；精美；精制；精炼 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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leisurely
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| adj.悠闲的；从容的，慢慢的 | |
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51
sergeants
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| 警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士 | |
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52
impartiality
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| n. 公平, 无私, 不偏 | |
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53
ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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55
muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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56
philosophic
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| adj.哲学的，贤明的 | |
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57
hoot
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| n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭 | |
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58
pliable
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| adj.易受影响的；易弯的；柔顺的，易驾驭的 | |
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59
lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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elegance
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| n.优雅；优美，雅致；精致，巧妙 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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calumny
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| n.诽谤，污蔑，中伤 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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64
meritorious
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| adj.值得赞赏的 | |
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accurately
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| adv.准确地，精确地 | |
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derides
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| v.取笑，嘲笑( deride的第三人称单数 ) | |
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dilates
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| v.（使某物）扩大，膨胀，张大( dilate的第三人称单数 ) | |
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malice
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| n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋 | |
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monopolizer
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| n.独占的人 | |
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philosophical
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| adj.哲学家的，哲学上的，达观的 | |
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lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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72
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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74
discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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acquiesce
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| vi.默许，顺从，同意 | |
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76
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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77
esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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81
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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82
comported
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| v.表现( comport的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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83
sinewy
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| adj.多腱的，强壮有力的 | |
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84
stiffening
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| n. (使衣服等)变硬的材料, 硬化 动词stiffen的现在分词形式 | |
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85
deforming
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| 使变形，使残废，丑化( deform的现在分词 ) | |
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86
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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87
insinuating
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| adj.曲意巴结的，暗示的v.暗示( insinuate的现在分词 )；巧妙或迂回地潜入；（使）缓慢进入；慢慢伸入 | |
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88
approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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89
manliness
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| 刚毅 | |
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90
illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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91
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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92
risky
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| adj.有风险的，冒险的 | |
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93
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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94
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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95
arbiter
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| n.仲裁人，公断人 | |
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96
wary
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| adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的 | |
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97
apprehended
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| 逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解 | |
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98
aspire
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| vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于 | |
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99
misgivings
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| n.疑虑，担忧，害怕；疑虑，担心，恐惧( misgiving的名词复数 )；疑惧 | |
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100
prettily
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| adv.优美地；可爱地 | |
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101
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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102
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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103
adversary
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| adj.敌手，对手 | |
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104
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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105
aspirants
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| n.有志向或渴望获得…的人( aspirant的名词复数 )v.渴望的，有抱负的，追求名誉或地位的( aspirant的第三人称单数 )；有志向或渴望获得…的人 | |
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106
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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107
clench
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| vt.捏紧（拳头等），咬紧（牙齿等），紧紧握住 | |
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108
flattened
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| [医]（水）平扁的，弄平的 | |
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109
rivalry
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| n.竞争，竞赛，对抗 | |
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110
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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111
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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112
discursive
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| adj.离题的，无层次的 | |
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113
judiciously
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| adv.明断地，明智而审慎地 | |
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114
mortify
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| v.克制，禁欲，使受辱 | |
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115
discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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116
artifice
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| n.妙计，高明的手段；狡诈，诡计 | |
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117
intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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118
crave
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| vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求 | |
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119
bounties
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| （由政府提供的）奖金( bounty的名词复数 )； 赏金； 慷慨； 大方 | |
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120
craves
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| 渴望，热望( crave的第三人称单数 )； 恳求，请求 | |
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121
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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122
stationary
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| adj.固定的，静止不动的 | |
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123
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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124
craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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125
scud
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| n.疾行；v.疾行 | |
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126
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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127
indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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128
commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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129
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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130
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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131
aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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132
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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133
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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134
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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135
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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136
consort
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| v.相伴；结交 | |
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137
bounty
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| n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与 | |
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138
lavished
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| v.过分给予，滥施( lavish的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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139
practitioner
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| n.实践者，从事者；(医生或律师等)开业者 | |
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140
gainsay
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| v.否认，反驳 | |
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141
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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142
engrossed
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| adj.全神贯注的 | |
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143
divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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144
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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145
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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146
bespoke
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| adj.（产品）订做的；专做订货的v.预定( bespeak的过去式 )；订（货）；证明；预先请求 | |
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147
meekest
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| adj.温顺的，驯服的( meek的最高级 ) | |
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148
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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149
dangling
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| 悬吊着( dangle的现在分词 )； 摆动不定； 用某事物诱惑…； 吊胃口 | |
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150
neatly
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| adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地 | |
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151
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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152
mortified
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| v.使受辱( mortify的过去式和过去分词 )；伤害（人的感情）；克制；抑制（肉体、情感等） | |
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153
gulls
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| n.鸥( gull的名词复数 )v.欺骗某人( gull的第三人称单数 ) | |
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154
uncommonly
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| adv. 稀罕(极，非常) | |
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155
ashore
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| adv.在(向)岸上，上岸 | |
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156
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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157
lustre
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| n.光亮，光泽；荣誉 | |
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158
buckle
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| n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲 | |
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159
strings
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| n.弦 | |
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160
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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