The Forest King: Wild Hunter of the Adaca — John Shaqi
The Forest King: Wild Hunter of the AdacaKeyes, Hervey
History
The Forest King: Wild Hunter of the Adaca
Keyes, Hervey
Historical fiction; United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775 -- Fiction
Esock Mayall was dressed with blue pants, a light hunting-frock of the
same color, and embroidered moccasins. The day had arrived, the morning
had dawned with a clear sky, and heaven's concave shone in unclouded
blue. The October sun rose and threw a golden blush over hill and vale,
and bathed the groves in light, reflecting all the varied hues of the
falling leaves as they fluttered from the tall forest trees to form a
carpet for the children of the forest, who now began to arrive, dressed
and plumed for the wedding-dance, with their bouquet of flowers in their
hands, dressed similar to the bride, but with less expense. The young
Indian warriors were dressed with tight leggings or pants, and
smoke-tanned hunting-frocks. The hour having arrived for the ceremony,
the young Indians formed in a ring on the green, in front of the chief's
tent, each with his partner to his left, with an open space toward the
tent, whilst the spectators or older Indians formed an outer circle at a
respectful distance.
Esock Mayall, son of the adopted white chief, now advanced from the
chief's tent, with his bride leaning on his left arm, arrayed in all the
glory of Indian simplicity, followed by the Indian chief and the adopted
chief, Wolf-hunter, young Mayall's father. As the young couple advanced
to the centre of the ring the two chiefs closed up the space. The
marriage ceremony was brief and simple, and amounted to little more than
the mutual promise made by the bride and groom to live together in love
and harmony.
The two chiefs now retired from the space they occupied, the ring closed
up, each Indian maiden throwing her bouquet on the ground, forming a
circle around the young couple. A signal was given, the music sounded
they then chased each other around the circle with measured tread, all
keeping time with the music for a few moments, when the music stopped
and each couple faced inward and picked up their bouquets, when the
music again started its hollow, rattling sound. Then the bride and groom
joined the circle, and the ring danced round and round for the space of
an hour or more, stopping at intervals and facing inward, until the
music ceased and the ring was seated on the ground and partook of a
supper of wild fowls, venison and corn-bread, after which they all shook
hands with the newly married pair, wishing them peace and prosperity in
their forest home to which they were about to remove. The guests then
returned to their homes, and no time was lost in preparing for their
journey to their new home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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