"My business here was principally with the Quarter-master," Cap continued, as soon as he had done regarding the prisoner's pantomime."The Sergeant must be near his end, and I have thought he might wish to say some-thing to his successor in authority before he finally de-parted.It is too late, it would seem; and, as you say, Pathfinder, the Lieutenant has truly gone before.""That he has, though on a different path.As for au-thority, I suppose the Corporal has now a right to com-mand what's left of the 55th; though a small and worried, not to say frightened, party it is.But, if anything needs to be done, the chances are greatly in favor of my being called on to do it.I suppose, however, we have only to bury our dead; set fire to the block and the huts, for they stand in the inimy's territory by position, if not by law, and must not be left for their convenience.Our using them again is out of the question; for, now the Frenchers know where the island is to be found, it would be like thrusting the hand into a wolf-trap with our eyes wide open.This part of the work the Sarpent and I will see to, for we are as practysed in retreats as in advances.""All that is very well, my good friend.And now for my poor brother-in-law: though he is a soldier, we cannot let him slip without a word of consolation and a leave-taking, in my judgment.This has been an unlucky affair on every tack; though I suppose it is what one had a right to expect, considering the state of the times and the na-ture of the navigation.We must make the best of it, and try to help the worthy man to unmoor, without straining his messengers.Death is a circumstance, after all, Master Pathfinder, and one of a very general character too, seeing that we must all submit to it, sooner or later.""You say truth, you say truth; and for that reason Ihold it to be wise to be always ready.I've often thought, Saltwater, that he is the happiest who has the least to leave behind him when the summons comes.Now, here am I, a hunter and a scout and a guide, although I do not own a foot of land on 'arth, yet do I enjoy and possess more than the great Albany Patroon.With the heavens over my head to keep me in mind of the last great hunt, and the dried leaves beneath my feet, I tramp over the ground as freely as if I was its lord and owner; and what more need heart desire? I do not say that I love nothing that belongs to 'arth; for I do, though not much, unless it might be Mabel Dunham, that I can't carry with me.I have some pups at the higher fort that I vally considerable, though they are too noisy for warfare, and so we are compelled to live separate for awhile; and then I think it would grieve me to part with Killdeer; but I see no reason why we should not be buried in the same grave, for we are as near as can be of the same length -- six feet to a hair's breadth; but, bating these, and a pipe that the Sarpent gave me, and a few tokens received from travellers, all of which might be put in a pouch and laid under my head, when the order comes to march I shall be ready at a minute's warning;and, let me tell you, Master Cap, that's what I call a cir-cumstance too."
"'Tis just so with me," answered the sailor, as the two walked towards the block, too much occupied with their respective morality to remember at the moment the mel-ancholy errand they were on; "that's just my way of feel-ing and reasoning.How often have I felt, when near shipwreck, the relief of not owning the craft! 'If she goes,' I have said to myself, 'why, my life goes with her, but not my property, and there's great comfort in that.'
I've discovered, in the course of boxing about the world from the Horn to Cape North, not to speak of this run on a bit of fresh water, that if a man has a few dollars, and puts them in a chest under lock and key, he is pretty cer-tain to fasten up his heart in the same till; and so I carry pretty much all I own in a belt round my body, in order, as I say, to keep the vitals in the right place.D--- me, Pathfinder, if I think a man without a heart any better than a fish with a hole in his air-bag.""I don't know how that may be, Master Cap; but a man without a conscience is but a poor creatur', take my word for it, as any one will discover who has to do with a Mingo.
I trouble myself but little with dollars or half-joes, for these are the favoryte coin in this part of the world; but I can easily believe, by what I've seen of mankind, that if a man _has_ a chest filled with either, he may be said to lock up his heart in the same box.I once hunted for two sum-mers, during the last peace, and I collected so much peltry that I found my right feelings giving way to a craving after property; and if I have consarn in marrying Mabel, it is that I may get to love such things too well, in order to make her comfortable.""You're a philosopher, that's clear, Pathfinder; and Idon't know but you're a Christian."
