r many scoutings
together, as a sort of son."

"Perhaps, Pathfinder," observed Jasper, with a huskiness 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 garrisons, 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 endeavored 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 Pathfinder, 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 d----d slander, girl; for all the essentials of Christianity the
seaman beats the landsman hand-over-hand."

"I will not answer for all