American fiction -- 19th century; Historical fiction; Indians of North America -- Fiction
memorials of past and better days than as articles of any use. The
household goods of Waring would have been limited by his means of
transportation, if not by his poverty. Two common low-post maple
bedsteads were soon uncorded and carried off, as were the beds and
bedding. There was scarcely any crockery, pewter and tin being its
substitutes; and as for chairs there was only one, and that had rockers:
a practice of New England that has gradually diffused itself over the
whole country, looking down ridicule, the drilling of boarding-schools,
the comments of elderly ladies of the old school, the sneers of nurses,
and, in a word, all that venerable ideas of decorum could suggest, until
this appliance of domestic ease has not only fairly planted itself in
nearly every American dwelling, but in a good many of Europe also!
It required about twenty minutes for the party to clear the cabin of
every article that might induce an Indian to suspect the presence of
white men. The furniture was carried to a sufficient distance to be
safe from everything but a search; and care was had to avoid as much as
possible making a trail, to lead the savages to the place selected for
the temporary storeroom. This was merely a close thicket, into which
there was a narrow but practicable entrance on the side the least likely
to be visited. When all was accomplished the four went to the lookout to
ascertain how far the canoes had come. It was soon ascertained that they
were within a mile, driving down before a strong breeze and following
sea, and impelled by as many paddles as there were living beings in
them. Ten minutes would certainly bring them up with the bar, and five
more fairly within the river. The question now arose, where the party
was to be concealed during the stay of the savages. Dolly, as was
perhaps natural for the housewife, wished to remain by her worldly
goods, and pretty Margery had a strong feminine leaning to do the same.
But neither of the men approved of the plan. It was risking too much in
one spot; and a suggestion that the bee-hunter was not long in making
prevailed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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