The Pilgrims of New England: A Tale of the Early American SettlersWebb, J. B., Mrs. (Annie)
History
The Pilgrims of New England: A Tale of the Early American Settlers
Webb, J. B., Mrs. (Annie)
Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) -- Fiction
The Sagamore was a noble-looking old man, and was treated by his son,
and by all his subjects, with the most profound respect; nor did his
strange costume in any way destroy his kingly appearance. His limbs
were naked, and were curiously painted and oiled, and his neck and arms
were decorated with strings of large white beads composed of polished
bone; while a richly embroidered bag or pouch, containing tobacco, was
suspended at the back of his neck. His coronet of feathers was lofty,
and of the most brilliant colors, and the rest of his dress consisted
of a tunic and moccasins of dressed deer skin, exquisitely worked with
colored grass and porcupine's quills. He willingly and fully ratified
the treaty which had been made by his sons with the white strangers,
whose appearance and manners seemed to prepossess him much in their
favor; and after detaining them for some days in his lodge, and
entertaining him with the greatest hospitality and kindness, he
dismissed them with presents of native manufacture, in return for the
European arms and ornaments which they had offered to his acceptance.
Samoset here left the settlers, and Squanto became henceforth their
faithful friend and useful interpreter.
CHAPTER IV
‘In your patience possess ye your souls.’ LUKE, xxi 19.
One evening, about the time that Helen began to expect the return of
the embassy from Packanokick, Henrich was unusually busy in the garden,
arranging the flower-beds, and beautifying Edith's bower, in which he
and his sister had planned a little fête to welcome their father home.
Their mother had learnt to feel, that while they were thus employed,
and within the precincts of their own domain, they were safe from every
danger. The Nausetts had not attempted any depredations for an unusual
length of time; and a feeling of security and peace had taken the place
of that constant watchfulness and anxiety, which had long proved so
harassing to the settlers. They began to flatter themselves that their
foes had retired from the neighborhood, and would no more return to
molest them, now that they knew the emigrants to be on such friendly
terms with their powerful rivals, the Wampanoges. But false was this
appearance of security; and vain was every hope that the Nausetts would
forego their designs of vengeance, or cease to devise schemes of
mischief against those by whom they thought themselves injured! They
did not, indeed, continue to attack the settlement openly, for they had
been taught to dread the British fire-arms and the British courage; but
they still continued to lurk in the neighboring forest, and to keep a
vigilant watch over all that took place at the settlement. Often were
the keen eyes of Coubitant and his most trusty followers fixed, with a
malignant gaze, on the dwelling of Rodolph and often were his
movements, and those of his family, carefully noted by these sagacious
savages, when no suspicion of their presence existed in the minds of
the settlers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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