atter
preferring, for reasons of his own, not to depart in company with his
late friends, the Iroquois. Canoes were detained for the departure of
these three, when the proper moment should arrive.

In the meantime, or while the _Scud_ was running down with the boats in
tow, Pathfinder and Cap, aided by proper assistants, busied themselves
with preparing a breakfast; most of the party not having eaten for
four-and-twenty hours. The brief space that passed in this manner before
the _Scud_ came-to again was little interrupted by discourse, though
Pathfinder found leisure to pay a visit to the Sergeant, to say a few
friendly words to Mabel, and to give such directions as he thought might
smooth the passage of the dying man. As for Mabel herself, he insisted
on her taking some light refreshment; and, there no longer existing any
motive for keeping it there, he had the guard removed from the block,
in order that the daughter might have no impediment to her attentions
to her father. These little arrangements completed, our hero returned
to the fire, around which he found all the remainder of the party
assembled, including Jasper.

CHAPTER XXVI.

You saw but sorrow in its waning form;
A working sea remaining from a storm,
Where now the weary waves roll o'er the deep,
And faintly murmur ere they fall asleep.
DRYDEN.

Men accustomed to a warfare like that we have been describing are not
apt to be much under the influence of the tender feelings while still
in the field. Notwithstanding their habits, however, more than one heart
was with Mabel in the block, while the incidents we are about to relate
were in the course of occurrence; and even the indispensable meal was
less relished by the hardiest of the soldiers than it might have been
had not the Sergeant been so near his end.

As Pathfinder returned from the block, he was met by Muir, who led
him aside in order to hold a private discourse. The manner of the
Quartermaster had that air of supererogatory courtesy about it
which almost invariably denotes artifice; for, while physiognomy and
phrenology are but lame sciences at the best, and perhaps lead to
as many false as right conclusions, we hold that there is no more
infallible evidence of insincerity of purpose, short of overt acts, than
a face that smiles when there is no occasion, and the tongue that is out
of measure smooth. Muir had much of this manner in common, mingled with
an apparen