Hawk's Nest; or, The Last of the Cahoonshees.: A Tale of the Delaware Valley and Historical Romance of 1690.Allerton, James M. (James Martin)
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Hawk's Nest; or, The Last of the Cahoonshees.: A Tale of the Delaware Valley and Historical Romance of 1690.
Allerton, James M. (James Martin)
Delaware River Valley (N.Y.-Del. and N.J.) -- Fiction; Historical fiction
Well now if that isn’t cool—yes, almost insulting. That is the way you
men have to give vent to your pent up feelings. And simply because
your sister gives vent to her feelings, you become mulish. But really,
Charles, it was the most ridiculous sight I ever saw. There lay the
handsomest man I ever saw, (the Lieutenant was all ears,) and the
Captain’s wife sat by his side and rubbed his face and cried. Yes, she
really cried. The tears ran down her face like an avalanche from the
Appenines. And if I stirred, she would point her finger and “Hist! Hist!”
The canary bird had to be removed, for fear its breath would annoy the
sleeper. But the most ridiculous thing was the kissing. Yes, when she
thought I wasn’t looking, she kissed him. Thinks I to myself, if the
Captain should catch you at that, there would be mutiny on board. But
when the Captain came, she kissed him all the more, and then the Captain
kissed her. Now wasn’t that ridiculous? He kissed her because she kissed
another man.
But Cora, what is the doctor doing for him?
The most ridiculous thing in the world. He is turning his frame into an
apothecary shop and his stomach into a chemical laboratory. Believe me
brother, both sides of the cabin are lined with vials, bottles, plasters
and rags. He is to take this kind every ten minutes, and that kind every
thirty minutes, and so on with the different kinds until we get around,
and then it is time to commence with the first again.
I suppose, Cora, that you rendered Mrs. Davis all the assistance you
could?
Certainly I did. I held the bowl while the doctor bled him. The doctor
said that in all cases of bruises and concussions, blood-letting was
necessary. And he did the necessary up for him scientifically, for when
he got through, I think he had drawn all the blood out of him.
That was kind in you Cora, and relieved Mrs. Davis from a very unpleasant
duty.
Oh, I did more than that. I was time-keeper.
Time-keeper—what do you mean by that?
I mean that I advanced on his stomach by schedule time, and cried “time”
like a referee in a prize fight, and Mrs. Davis advanced with the spoon.
Will he live, Cora?
Yes, as long as the medicine holds out. He hasn’t got any time to die
now. His mouth is continually opening and shutting, and as long as that
continues he is safe.
Does he move or speak?
Yes. Both. He continually moves his eyes, and their gaze is piercing. He
looked at me as if he intended to look me through. Those large, beautiful
orbs continually followed me, and once he raised his hand and said “Amy.”
It was spoken soft and affectionately. I think he took me for some other
person. Intelligence, not delirium beamed in his eye, and that eye
followed me wherever I went. What does it mean, brother? Who is he? What
is he? and where did he come from? What makes the Captain and his wife
take such an interest in him?
Were you and Mrs. Davis alone with him all night?
Yes, excepting an old white cat. Oh, Charley, I wish I was a cat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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