Historical fiction; King Philip's War, 1675-1676 -- Fiction; War stories
"This may be the Manitou of an Indian," she said, "but it is not the
Christian's God. Thou art of a race which worships differently, and it is
proper that thou shouldst call on the name of the Deity of thy fathers.
Even the Narragansett teacheth this truth! Thy skin is white, and thy ears
should hearken to the traditions of the men of thy blood."
The head of the daughter drooped at this allusion to her color as if she
would fain conceal the mortifying truth from every eye; but she had not
time for answer ere Whittal Ring drew near, and pointing to the burning
color of her cheeks, that were deepened as much with shame as with the
heats of an American sun, he said--
"The wife of the Sachem hath begun to change. She will soon be like
Nipset, all red--See," he added laying a finger on a part of his own arm
where the sun and the winds had not yet destroyed the original color; "the
Evil Spirit poured water into his blood too, but it will come out again.
As soon as he is so dark that the Evil Spirit will not know him, he will
go on the war-path; and then the lying Pale-faces may dig up the bones of
their fathers, and move towards the sun-rise, or his lodge will be lined
with hair of the color of a deer!"
"And thou, my daughter! canst thou hear this threat against the people of
thy nation--of thy blood--of thy God--without a shudder?"
The eye of Narra-mattah seemed in doubt; still it regarded Whittal with
its accustomed look of kindness. The innocent, full of his imaginary
glory, raised his hand in exultation, and by gestures that could not
easily be misunderstood, he indicated the manner in which he intended to
rob his victims of the usual trophy. While the youth was enacting the
disgusting but expressive pantomime, Ruth watched the countenance of her
child in nearly breathless agony. She would have been relieved by a single
glance of disapprobation, by a solitary movement of a rebellious muscle,
or by the smallest sign that the tender nature of one so lovely, and
otherwise so gentle, revolted at so unequivocal evidence of the barbarous
practices of her adopted people. But no Empress of Rome could have
witnessed the dying agonies of the hapless gladiator, no consort of a more
modern prince could read the bloody list of the victims of her husband's
triumph, nor any betrothed fair listen to the murderous deeds of him her
imagination had painted as a hero, with less indifference to human
suffering, than that with which the wife of the Sachem of the
Narragansetts looked on the mimic representation of those exploits which
had purchased for her husband a renown so highly prized. It was but too
apparent that the representation, rude and savage as it was, conveyed to
her mind nothing but pictures in which the chosen companion of a warrior
should rejoice. The varying features and answering eye too plainly
proclaimed the sympathy of one taught to exult in the success of the
combatant; and when Whittal, excited by his own exertions, broke out into
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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