sual, on
his long rifle, and she fancied that, through the growing darkness of
the hour, she could trace even stronger lines of thought than usual in
his rugged countenance.

"To you, Pathfinder, expeditions like this can be no great novelty,"
said she; "though I am surprised to find how silent and thoughtful the
men appear to be."

"We learn this by making war ag'in Indians. Your militia are great
talkers and little doers in general; but the soldier who has often met
the Mingos learns to know the value of a prudent tongue. A silent army,
in the woods, is doubly strong; and a noisy one, doubly weak. If tongues
made soldiers, the women of a camp would generally carry the day."

"But we are neither an army, nor in the woods. There can be no danger of
Mingos in the _Scud_."

"No one is safe from a Mingo, who does not understand his very natur';
and even then he must act up to his own knowledge, and that closely. Ask
Jasper how he got command of this very cutter."

"And how _did_ he get command?" inquired Mabel, with an earnestness
and interest that quite delighted her simple-minded and true-hearted
companion, who was never better pleased than when he had an opportunity
of saying aught in favor of a friend. "It is honorable to him that he
has reached this station while yet so young."

"That is it; but he deserved it all, and more. A frigate wouldn't have
been too much to pay for so much spirit and coolness, had there been
such a thing on Ontario, as there is not, hows'ever, or likely to be."

"But Jasper--you have not yet told me how he got the command of the
schooner."

"It is a long story, Mabel, and one your father, the Sergeant, can tell
much better than I; for he was present, while I was off on a distant
scouting. Jasper is not good at a story, I will own that; I have heard
him questioned about this affair, and he never made a good tale of
it, although every body knows it was a good thing. The _Scud_ had near
fallen into the hands of the French and the Mingos, when Jasper saved
her, in a way which none but a quick-witted mind and a bold heart would
have attempted. The Sergeant will tell the tale better than I can, and I
wish you to question him some day, when nothing better offers."

Mabel determined to ask her father to repeat the incidents of the affair
that very night; for it struck her young fancy that nothing better could
well offer than to listen to the praises of one who was a bad historian
of his own