The sails had been hoisted, but as yet not a breath of air was in motion; and so still and placid was the lake, that not the smallest motion was perceptible in the cutter.
She had drifted in the river-current to a distance a little exceeding a quarter of a mile from the land, and there she lay, beautiful in her symmetry and form, but like a fixture.
Young Jasper was on the quarter-deck, near enough to hear occasionally the conversation which passed; but too diffident of his own claim, and too intent on his duties, to attempt to mingle in it.
The fine blue eyes of Mabel followed his motions in curious expectation, and more than once the Quartermaster had to repeat his compliments before she heard them, so intent was she on the little occurrences of the vessel, and, we might add, so indifferent to the eloquence of her companion.
At length, even Mr. Muir became silent, and there was a deep stillness on the water.
Presently an oar-blade fell in a boat beneath the fort, and the sound reached the cutter as distinctly as if it had been produced on her deck.
Then came a murmur, like a sigh of the night, a fluttering of the canvas, the creaking of the boom, and the flap of the jib.
These well-known sounds were followed by a slight heel in the cutter, and by the bellying of all the sails.
"Here's the wind, Anderson," called out Jasper to the oldest of his sailors; "take the helm."
This brief order was obeyed; the helm was put up, the cutter's bows fell off, and in a few minutes the water was heard murmuring under her head, as the Scud glanced through the lake at the rate of five miles in the hour.
All this passed in profound silence, when Jasper again gave the order to "ease off the sheets a little and keep her along the land."
It was at this instant that the party from the after-cabin reappeared on the quarter-deck.
"You've no inclination, Jasper lad, to trust yourself too near our neighbours the French," observed Muir, who took that occasion to recommence the discourse.
"Well, well, your prudence will never be questioned by me, for I like the Canadas as little as you can possibly like them yourself."
"I hug this shore, Mr. Muir, on account of the wind.
The land-breeze is always freshest close in, provided you are not so near as to make a lee of the trees.
We have Mexico Bay to cross; and that, on the present course, will give us quite offing enough."
"I'm right glad it's not the Bay of Mexico," put in Cap, "which is a part of the world I would rather not visit in one of your inland craft.
Does your cutter bear a weather helm, master Eau-douce?"
"She is easy on her rudder, master Cap; but likes looking up at the breeze as well as another, when in lively motion."
"I suppose you have such things as reefs, though you can hardly have occasion to use them?"
Mabel's bright eye detected the smile that gleamed for an instant on Jasper's handsome face; but no one else saw that momentary exhibition of surprise and contempt.
"We have reefs, and often have occasion to use them," quietly returned the young man.
"Before we get in, Master Cap, an opportunity may offer to show you the manner in which we do so; for there is easterly weather brewing, and the wind cannot chop, even on the ocean itself, more readily than it flies round on Lake Ontario."
"So much for knowing no better!
I have seen the wind in the Atlantic fly round like a coach-wheel, in a way to keep your sails shaking for an hour, and the ship would become perfectly motionless from not knowing which way to turn."
"We have no such sudden changes here, certainly," Jasper mildly answered; "though we think ourselves liable to unexpected shifts of wind.
I hope, however, to carry this land-breeze as far as the first islands; after which there will be less danger of our being seen and followed by any of the look-out boats from Frontenac."
"Do you think the French keep spies out on the broad lake, Jasper?" inquired the Pathfinder.
"We know they do; one was off Oswego during the night of Monday last.
A bark canoe came close in with the eastern point, and landed an Indian and an officer.
Had you been outlying that night, as usual, we should have secured one, if not both of them."
It was too dark to betray the color that deepened on the weather-burnt features of the guide; for he felt the consciousness of having lingered in the fort that night, listening to the sweet tones of Mabel's voice as she sang ballads to her father, and gazing at the countenance which, to him, was radiant with charms.
Probity in thought and deed being the distinguishing quality of this extraordinary man's mind, while he felt that a sort of disgrace ought to attach to his idleness on the occasion mentioned, the last thought that could occur would be to attempt to palliate or deny his negligence.
"I confess it, Jasper, I confess it," said he humbly.
"Had I been out that night, -- and I now recollect no suffi-cient reason why I was not, -- it might, indeed, have turned out as you say."
"It was the evening you passed with us, Pathfinder," Mabel innocently remarked; "surely one who lives so much of his time in the forest, in front of the enemy, may be excused for giving a few hours of his time to an old friend and his daughter."
"Nay, nay, I've done little else but idle since we reached the garrison," returned the other, sighing; "and it is well that the lad should tell me of it: the idler needs a rebuke - yes, he needs a rebuke."
"Rebuke, Pathfinder!
I never dreamt of saying anything disagreeable, and least of all would I think of rebuking you, because a solitary spy and an Indian or two have escaped us.
Now I know where you were, I think your absence the most natural thing in the world."
"I think nothing of what you said, Jasper, since it was deserved.
We are all human, and all do wrong."
"This is unkind, Pathfinder."
"Give me your hand, lad, give me your hand.
It wasn't you that gave the lesson; it was conscience."
"Well, well," interrupted Cap; "now this latter matter is settled to the satisfaction of all parties, perhaps you will tell us how it happened to be known that there were spies near us so lately.
This looks amazingly like a circumstance."
As the mariner uttered the last sentence, he pressed a foot slily on that of the Sergeant, and nudged the guide with his elbow, winking at the same time, though this sign was lost in the obscurity.
"It is known, because their trail was found next day by the Serpent, and it was that of a military boot and a moccasin. One of our hunters, moreover, saw the canoe crossing towards Frontenac next morning."