Each one has had his supping mess, The cheese is put into the press, The pans and bowls, clean scalded all, Reared up against the milk-house wall.
COTTON.
It seemed strange to Mabel Dunham, as she passed along on her way to find her female companion, that others should be so composed, while she herself felt as if the re-sponsibilities of life and death rested on her shoulders.It is true that distrust of June's motives mingled with her forebodings; but when she came to recall the affectionate and natural manner of the young Indian girl, and all the evidences of good faith and sincerity she had seen in her conduct during the familiar intercourse of their journey, she rejected the idea with the unwillingness of a generous disposition to believe ill of others.She saw, however, that she could not put her companions properly on their guard without letting them into the secret of her conference with June; and she found herself compelled to act cautiously and with a forethought to which she was unaccustomed, more especially in a matter of so much moment.
The soldier's wife was told to transport the necessaries into the blockhouse, and admonished not to be far from it at any time during the day.Mabel did not explain her reasons.She merely stated that she had detected some signs in walking about the island, which induced her to apprehend that the enemy had more knowledge of its po-sition than had been previously believed, and that they two at least, would do well to be in readiness to seek a refuge at the shortest notice.It was not difficult to arouse the apprehension of this person, who, though a stout-hearted Scotchwoman, was ready enough to listen to any-thing that confirmed her dread of Indian cruelties.As soon as Mabel believed that her companion was sufficiently frightened to make her wary, she threw out some hints touching the inexpediency of letting the soldiers know the extent of their own fears.This was done with a view to prevent discussions and inquiries that might embarrass our heroine: she determining to render her uncle, the Cor-poral, and his men more cautious, by adopting a different course.Unfortunately, the British army could not have furnished a worse person for the particular duty that he was now required to discharge than Corporal M'Nab, the individual who had been left in command during the ab-sence of Sergeant Dunham.On the one hand, he was res-olute, prompt, familiar with all the details of a soldier's life, and used to war; on the other, he was supercilious as regards the provincials, opinionated on every subject con-nected with the narrow limits of his professional practice, much disposed to fancy the British empire the centre of all that is excellent in the world, and Scotland the focus of, at least, all moral excellence in that empire.In short, he was an epitome, though on a scale suited to his rank, of those very qualities which were so peculiar to the serv-ants of the Crown that were sent into the colonies, as these servants estimated themselves in comparison with the na-tives of the country; or, in other words, he considered the American as an animal inferior to the parent stock, and viewed all his notions of military service, in particular, as undigested and absurd.A more impracticable subject, therefore, could not well have offered for the purpose of Mabel, and yet she felt obliged to lose no time in putting her plan in execution.
"My father has left you a responsible command, Corpo-ral," she said, as soon as she could catch M'Nab a little apart; "for should the island fall into the hands of the enemy, not only should we be captured, but the party that is now out would in all probability become their prisoners also.""It needs no journey from Scotland to this place to know the facts needful to be o' that way of thinking." re-turned M'Nab drily.
"I do not doubt your understanding it as well as myelf, Mr.M'Nab, but I'm fearful that you veterans, accustomed as you are to dangers and battles, are a little apt to overlook some of the precautions that may be necessary in a situa-tion as peculiar as ours."
"They say Scotland is no conquered country, young woman, but I'm thinking there must be some mistak' in the matter, as we, her children, are so drowsy-headed and apt to be o'ertaken when we least expect it.""Nay, my good friend, you mistake my meaning.In the first place, I'm not thinking of Scotland at all, but of this island; and then I am far from doubting your vigi-lance when you think it necessary to practise it; but my great fear is that there may be danger to whicb your cour-age will make you indifferent."
"My courage, Mistress Dunham, is doubtless of a very pool quality, being nothing but Scottish courage; your father's is Yankee, and were he here amang us we should see different preparations, beyond a doubt.Well, times are getting wrang, when foreigners hold commissions and carry halberds in Scottish corps; and I no wonder that battles are lost, and campaigns go wrang end foremost."Mabel was almost in despair; but the quiet warning of June was still too vividly impressed on her mind to allow her to yield the matter.She changed her mode of operat-ing, therefore, still clinging to the hope of getting the whole party within the blockhouse, without being corn-pelled to betray the source whence she obtained her notices of the necessity of vigilance.
"I daresay you are right, Corporal M'Nab," she ob-served; "for I've often heard of tbe heroes of your coun-try, who have been among the first of tbe civilized world, if what they tell me of them is true.""Have you read the history of Scotland, Mistress Dun-ham?" demanded the Corporal, looking up at his pretty companion, for the first time with something like a smile on his hard, repulsive countenance.
