The effect of this singular but solemn scene was differ-ent on the different individuals present.Dunham himself was soon lost in the subject of the prayer; and he felt some such relief as one who finds himself staggering on the edge of a precipice, under a burthen difficult to be borne, might be supposed to experience when he unex-pectedly feels the weight removed, in order to be placed on the shoulders of another better able to sustain it.Cap was surprised, as well as awed; though the effects on his mind were not very deep or very lasting.He wondered a little at his own sensations, and had his doubts whether they were so manly and heroic as they ought to be; but he was far too sensible of the influence of truth, humility, re-ligious submission, and human dependency, to think of interposing with any of his crude objections.Jasper knelt opposite to Mabel, covered his face, and followed her words, with an earnest wish to aid her prayers with his own; though it may be questioned if his thoughts did not dwell quite as much on the soft, gentle accents of the pe-titioner as on the subject of her petition.
The effect on Pathfinder was striking and visible: visi-ble, because he stood erect, also opposite to Mabel; and the workings of his countenance, as usual, betrayed the workings of the spirit within.He leaned on his rifle, and at moments the sinewy fingers grasped the barrel with a force that seemed to compress the weapon; while, once or twice, as Mabel's language rose in intimate association with her thoughts, he lifted his eyes to the floor above him, as if he expected to find some visible evidence of the presence of the dread Being to whom the words were ad-dressed.Then again his feelings reverted to the fair crea-ture who was thus pouring out her spirit, in fervent but calm petitions, in behalf of a dying parent; for Mabel's cheek was no longer pallid, but was flushed with a holy enthusiasm, while her blue eyes were upturned in the light, in a way to resemble a picture by Guido.At these moments all the honest and manly attachment of Path-finder glowed in his ingenuous features, and his gaze at our heroine was such as the fondest parent might fasten on the child of his love.
Sergeant Dunham laid his hand feebly on the head of Mabel as she ceased praying, and buried her face in his blanket.
"Bless you, my beloved child! bless you!" he rather whispered than uttered aloud; "this is truly consolation:
would that I too could pray!"
"Father, you know the Lord's Prayer; you taught it to me yourself while I was yet an infant."The Sergeant's face gleamed with a smile, for he _did_remember to have discharged that portion at least of the paternal duty, and the consciousness of it gave him incon-ceivable gratification at that solemn moment.He was then silent for several minutes, and all present believed that he was communing with God.
"Mabel, my child!" he at length uttered, in a voice which seemed to be reviving, -- "Mabel, I'm quitting you."The spirit at its great and final passage appears ever to consider the body as nothing."I'm quitting you, my child; where is your hand?""Here, dearest father -- here are both -- oh, take both!""Pathfinder," added the Sergeant, feeling on the oppo-site side of the bed, where Jasper still knelt, and getting one of the hands of the young man by mistake, "take it - I leave you as her father -- as you and she may please --bless you -- bless you both!"
At that awful instant, no one would rudely apprise the Sergeant of his mistake; and he died a minute or two later, holding Jasper's and Mabel's hands covered by both his own.Our heroine was ignorant of the fact until an exclamation of Cap's announced the death of her father;when, raising her face, she saw the eyes of Jasper riveted on her own, and felt the warm pressure of his hand.But a single feeling was predominant at that instant, and Mabel withdrew to weep, scarcely conscious of what had occurred.The Pathfinder took the arm of Eau-douce, and he left the block.
The two friends walked in silence past the fire, along the glade, and nearly reached the opposite shore of the island in profound silence.Here they stopped, and Path-finder spoke.
"'Tis all over, Jasper," said he, -- "'tis all over.Ah's me!
Poor Sergeant Dunham has finished his march, and that, too, by the hand of a venomous Mingo.Well, we never know what is to happen, and his luck may be yourn or mine to-morrow or next day!""And Mabel? What is to become of Mabel, Pathfinder?""You heard the Sergeant's dying words; he has left his child in my care, Jasper; and it is a most solemn trust, it is; yes, -- it is a most solemn trust.""It's a trust, Pathfinder, of which any man would be glad to relieve you," returned the youth, with a bitter smile.
"I've often thought it has fallen into wrong hands.
I'm not consaited, Jasper; I'm not consaited, I do think I'm not; but if Mabel Dunham is willing to overlook all my imperfections and ignorances like, I should be wrong to gainsay it, on account of any sartainty I may have my-self about my own want of merit."
