I do not know how long it was after the scene I have described, when I
so far recovered my senses as to notice the objects around me. When my
consciousness returned, I was lying on the ground, and no one appeared
to be near me. I attempted to rise, and nearly got upon my feet, when I
became giddy, and was obliged to sit down. I was distressed with a pain
in the head and a burning thirst.
I now saw at a little distance a group of Indians, and about the same
time one of them noticed me. He spoke and pointed to me, upon which
an Indian woman and two children ran towards me. I held out my hands
and begged them to have pity on me. The woman spoke to me, but I could
not understand her. The children, who were Indians, and fierce-looking
creatures, stood at a little distance for a time, as if afraid of me.
Pretty soon they came nearer, and, in order to discover what kind of
a creature I might be, one of them took a stick and gave me a pretty
sharp poke in my back.
I writhed and groaned, for it hurt me; but this only made the young
Indians laugh. The woman scolded them, however, and as the youngsters
gave me another poke, she flew toward them, and aimed a blow with her
hand at the head of the aggressor. It missed, however, and the two imps
ran laughing to a distance. There, in safety, they stood gibbering and
jeering, like two monkeys, till the woman, in a rage, set out after
them; but diving into a thicket, the young rogues easily escaped and
disappeared.
The woman now helped me upon my legs, and took me to a tent, around
which were several Indians, mostly women and children. I noticed, also,
several other tents, and knew that I was in an Indian village, or
encampment. How I had been brought hither, I did not know, nor did I
ever afterwards ascertain. It is probable, however, that it was by the
care of the Indian woman, in whose charge I now was. She took me into a
tent, and procured me some water. This refreshed me greatly, and I was
soon able to take notice of the things around me.
The tent was made of dried deerskins, and was supported by poles about
twelve feet long. The whole tent was about fourteen feet across. There
were in it, a few skins of bears and buffaloes, a bow and some arrows,
two or three gourd-shells, a small brass kettle, a buffalo’s pate with
the horns attached, a bunch of long, crooked bear’s claws, and a bundle
of human scalps. These were all the articles I noticed.
After a while I felt very sleepy, and lying down, I had a long nap.
When I awoke, I felt nearly well, and went to look out of the tent.
There were, at least, fifty tents around, occupying a space of several
acres, upon the edge of a small prairie, bordered by forests. The scene
was quite lively; for two or three hundred Indians were before me,
nearly all, however, being women, children, and old men. I was afraid
to go forth, and was about to creep back into the tent, when the woman
before mentioned came, and taking me by the arm, led me out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Robert Merry's Museum, Volumes V-VI (1843) — John Shaqi
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