Wilderness Giant Edition 3 by David Robbins

Author:David Robbins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: western ebooks, david thompson, piccadilly publishing, nathaniel king, american mountain men, early american frontier, the wilderness series by david robbins
Publisher: Piccadilly Publishing

Chapter Thirteen

The Blackfeet Indians were human beings just like everyone else! In all the brief years of Zachary King’s existence, this was the most shocking insight to date. He would sit outside Bird Rattler’s lodge of an evening and gaze in bewilderment at the peaceful variety of activities taking place, activities just like those the Shoshones engaged in, and he would shake his head in amazement.

This third night of his stay in the village was typical. Not far off, at the edge of the prairie, a young warrior sang a love song, and although Zach didn’t know the Blackfoot tongue, he could guess at what the warrior was singing: a plea for a sweetheart to meet him outside the camp. Shoshone men did the same thing.

Already the night-singers were making their rounds, moving around the great circle of lodges, jingling bells and venting whoops as the mood struck them.

The lodges themselves were brightened by fires within, so that each lodge seemed to glow with a radiant inner light. Zach thought of them as oversized upright fireflies. The setting was serene, and it so reminded him of a typical Shoshone village that he became heartsick to see his own people again.

From certain lodges arose drumming and chanting. Special ceremonies and dances were taking place within, and they would carry on until late.

Outside a nearby lodge several warriors were doing a begging dance. As Bird Rattler had explained the dance to Zach the night before, custom called for the owner of the lodge to come out and give food to those doing it. The dance was not done because the warriors were so poor they had no food. Rather, they danced to test the generosity of the lodge owner.

Zach sighed sadly and gazed at a bright star all by itself on the northern horizon. He felt a lot like that star, all alone in the world with no one to confide in, no one to share his turmoil.

The flap of Bird Rattler’s teepee rustled and out came Elk At Dawn and his sister, Bluebird.

“Ho!” Elk At Dawn said aloud before reverting to sign language. “Why do you sit by yourself so much, Stalking Coyote, my brother to be? It is not good to be alone all the time.”

“Perhaps he misses his family,” Bluebird signed. Ever since Zach’s arrival she had taken a special interest in him. At mealtimes she took it on herself to fill his bowl and be sure he had seconds the instant he finished the first helping. She unrolled his bedding at night, rolled it in the morning. Her parents had been so amused by her antics they had nicknamed her, “Stalking Coyote’s Shadow.”

Zach didn’t know what to make of her attention. Deep down he had a suspicion but he refused to admit it to himself. Now, gazing on her smooth, lovely features and seeing the genuine warmth in her adoring eyes, he was tempted to take her aside and reveal the sorrow eating at his heart.

“How would you like to see a dance?” Elk At Dawn broke Zach’s train of thought.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.