Historical fiction; King Philip's War, 1675-1676 -- Fiction; War stories
Thus saying, Conanchet motioned to his wife to follow towards the group of
captives. The foregoing dialogue had occurred in a place where the two
parties were partially concealed from each other by the ruin; but as the
distance was so trifling, the Sachem and his companion were soon
confronted with those he sought. Leaving his wife a little without the
circle, Conanchet advanced, and taking the unresisting and
half-unconscious Ruth by the arm, he led her forward. He placed the two
females in attitudes where each might look the other full in the face.
Strong emotion struggled in a countenance which, in spite of its fierce
mask of war-paint, could not entirely conceal its workings.
"See," he said in English, looking earnestly from one to the other. "The
Good Spirit is not ashamed of his work. What he hath done, he hath done;
Narragansett nor Yengeese can alter it. This is the white bird that came
from the sea," he added, touching the shoulder of Ruth lightly with a
finger, "and this the young, that she warmed under her wing."
Then, folding his arms on his naked breast, he appeared to summon his
energy, lest, in the scene that he knew must follow, his manhood might be
betrayed into some act unworthy of his name.
The captives were necessarily ignorant of the meaning of the scene which
they had just witnessed. So many strange and savage-looking forms were
constantly passing and repassing before their eyes, that the arrival of
one, more or less, was not likely to be noted. Until she heard Conanchet
speak in her native tongue, Ruth had lent no attention to the interview
between him and his wife. But the figurative language and no less
remarkable action of the Narragansett, had the effect to arouse her
suddenly, and in the most exciting manner, from her melancholy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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