Jasper has _seemed_ to serve us in this affair； but we ought
not to overlook past transactions。 Did not Major Duncan
himself denounce him to Sergeant Dunham before we
left the post？ Have we not seen sufficient with our own
eyes to make sure of having been betrayed？ and is it not
natural； and almost necessary； to believe that this young
man has been the traitor？ Ah； Pathfinder！ ye'll no' be
making yourself a great statesman or a great captain if
you put too much faith in appearances。 Lord bless me！
Lord bless me！ if I do not believe； could the truth be
come at； as you often say yourself； Pathfinder； that hypoc…
risy is a more common vice than even envy； and that's
the bane of human nature。〃
Captain Sanglier shrugged his shoulders； then he looked
earnestly from Jasper towards the Quartermaster； and
from the Quartermaster towards Jasper。
〃I care not for your envy； or your hypocrisy； or even for
your human natur'；〃 returned Pathfinder。 〃Jasper Eau…
douce is my friend； Jasper Eau…douce is a brave lad； and
an honest lad； and a loyal lad； and no man of the 55th
shall lay hands on him； short of Lundie's own orders；
while I'm in the way to prevent it。 You may have au…
thority over your soldiers； but you have none over Jasper
and me； Master Muir。〃
〃_Bon！_〃 ejaculated Sanglier； the sound partaking equally
of the energies of the throat and of the nose。
〃Will ye no' hearken to reason； Pathfinder？ Ye'll no'
be forgetting our suspicions and judgments； and here is
another circumstance to augment and aggravate them all。
Ye can see this little bit of bunting； well； where should
it be found but by Mabel Dunham； on the branch of a tree
on this very island； just an hour or so before the attack
of the enemy； and if ye'll be at the trouble to look at the
fly of the _Scud's_ ensign； ye'll just say that the cloth has
been cut from out it。 Circumstantial evidence was never
stronger。〃
〃_Ma foi； c'est un peu fort； ceci；_〃 growled Sanglier be…
tween his teeth。
〃Talk to me of no ensigns and signals when I know the
heart；〃 continued the Pathfinder。 〃Jasper has the gift
of honesty； and it is too rare a gift to be trifled with； like
a Mingo's conscience。 No； no； off hands； or we shall see
which can make the stoutest battle； you and your men of
the 55th； or the Sarpent here； and Killdeer； with Jasper
and his crew。 You overrate your force； Lieutenant Muir；
as much as you underrate Eau…douce's truth。〃
〃_Tres bon！_〃
〃Well； if I must speak plainly； Pathfinder； I e'en must。
Captain Sanglier here and Arrowhead； this brave Tusca…
rora； have both informed me that this unfortunate boy is
the traitor。 After such testimony you can no longer op…
pose my right to correct him； as well as the necessity of
the act。〃
〃_Scelerat；_〃 muttered the Frenchman。
〃Captain Sanglier is a brave soldier； and will not gain…
say the conduct of an honest sailor；〃 put in Jasper。 〃Is
there any traitor here； Captain Flinty…heart？〃
〃Ay；〃 added Muir； 〃let him speak out then； since ye
wish it； unhappy youth！ that the truth may be known。 I
only hope that ye may escape the last punishment when a
court will be sitting on your misdeeds。 How is it； Cap…
tain； do ye； or do ye not； see a traitor amang us？〃
〃_Oui_ yes； sair _bien sur_。〃
〃Too much lie！〃 said Arrowhead in a voice of thunder；
striking the breast of Muir with the back of his own hand
in a sort of ungovernable gesture； 〃where my warriors？
… where Yengeese scalp？ Too much lie！〃
Muir wanted not for personal courage； nor for a certain
sense of personal honor。 The violence which had been in…
tended only for a gesture he mistook for a blow； for con…
science was suddenly aroused within him； and he stepped
back a pace； extending his hand towards a gun。 His face
was livid with rage； and his countenance expressed the
fell intention of his heart。 But Arrowhead was too quick
for him； with a wild glance of the eye the Tuscarora looked
about him； then thrust a hand beneath his own girdle；
drew forth a concealed knife； and； in the twinkling of an
eye； buried it in the body of the Quartermaster to the
handle。 As the latter fell at his feet； gazing into his face
with the vacant stare of one surprised by death； Sanglier
took a pinch of snuff； and said in a calm voice；
〃_Voila l'affaire finie； mais；_〃 shrugging his shoulders；
〃_ce n'est qu'un scelerat de moins。_〃
The act was too sudden to be prevented； and when Ar…
rowhead； uttering a yell； bounded into the bushes； the
white men were too confounded to follow。 Chingach…
gook； however； was more collected； and the bushes had
scarcely closed on the passing body of the Tuscarora than
they were again opened by that of the Delaware in full
pursuit。
Jasper Western spoke French fluently； and the words
and manner of Sanglier struck him。
〃Speak； Monsieur；〃 said he in English； 〃_am_ I the
traitor？〃
〃_Le voila_；〃 answered the cool Frenchman； 〃dat is our
_espion_ our _agent_ our friend _ma foi_ _c'etait un grand
scelerat_ _voici_。〃
While speaking； Sanglier bent over the dead body； and
thrust his hand into a pocket of the Quartermaster； out of
which he drew a purse。 Emptying the contents on the
ground； several double…louis rolled towards the soldiers；
who were not slow in picking them up。 Casting the purse
from him in contempt； the soldier of fortune turned
towards the soup he had been preparing with so much
care； and； finding it to his liking； he began to break his
fast with an air of indifference that the most stoical In…
dian warrior might have envied。
CHAPTER XXVII。
The only amaranthian flower on earth
Is virtue； the only lasting treasure； truth。
COWPER。
The reader must imagine some of the occurrences that
followed the sudden death of Muir。 While his body was
in the hands of his soldiers； who laid it decently aside； and
covered it with a greatcoat； Chingachgook silently resumed
his place at the fire； and both Sanglier and Pathfinder re…
marked that he carried a fresh and bleeding scalp at his
girdle。 No one asked any questions； and the former；
although perfectly satisfied that Arrowhead had fallen；
manifested neither curiosity nor feeling。 He continued
calmly eating his soup； as if the meal had been tranquil as
usual。 There was something of pride and of an assumed
indifference to fate； imitated from the indians； in all this；
but there was more that really resulted from practice； habi…
tual self…command； and constitutional hardihood。 With
Pathfinder the case was a little different in feeling； though
much the same in appearance。 He disliked Muir； whose
smooth…tongued courtesy was little in accordance with his
own frank and ingenuous nature； but he had been shocked
at his unexpected and violent death； though accustomed
to similar scenes； and he had been surprised at the expos…
ure of his treachery。 With a view to ascertain the extent
of the latter； as soon as the body was removed； he began
to question the Captain on the subject。 The latter； hav…
ing no particular motive for secrecy now that his agent
was dead； in the course of the breakfast revealed the fol…
lowing circumstances； which will serve to clear up some of
the minor incidents of our tale。
Soon after the 55th appeared on the frontiers； Muir had
volunteered his services to the enemy。 In making his
offers； he boasted of his intimacy with Lundie； and of the
means it afforded of furnishing more accurate and impor…
tant information than usual。 His terms had been ac…
cepted； and Monsieur Sanglier had several interviews with
him in the vicinity of the fort at Oswego； and had actu…
ally passed one entire night secreted in the garrison。 Ar…
rowhead； however； was the usual channel of communica…
tion； and the anonymous letter to Major Duncan had been
originally written by Muir； transmitted to Frontenac；
copied； and sent back by the Tuscarora； who was return…
ing from that errand when captured by the _Scud_。 It is
scarcely necessary to add that Jasper was to be sacrificed
in order to conceal the Quartermaster's treason； and that
the position of the island had been betrayed to the enemy
by the latter。 An extraordinary compensation that which
was found in his purse had induced him to accompany
the party under Sergeant Dunham； in order to give the
signals that were to bring on the attack。 The disposition
of Muir towards the sex was a natural weakness； and he
would have married Mabel； or any one else who would ac…
cept his hand； but his admiration of her was in a great
degree feigned； in order that he might have an excuse for
accompanying the party without sharing in the responsi…
bility of its defeat； or incurring the risk of having no
other strong and seemingly sufficient motive。 Much of
this was known to Captain Sanglier； particularly the part
in connection with Mabel； and he did not fail to let his
auditors into the whole secret； frequently laughing in a
sarcastic manner； as he revealed the different expedients
of the luckless Quartermaster。
〃_Touchez…la_；〃 said the cold…blooded partisan； holding
out his sinewy hand to Pathfinder； when he ended his ex…
planations； 〃you be _honnete_； and dat is _beaucoup_。 We
tak' de s