Tom
05-28-2007, 03:40 PM
The sun came shining through the emerald green canopy and early mourning passed into the heat of the mid afternoon, I could smell white oak burning on a gentle breeze, and I knew my journey was soon to be over.
As we neared the fort “Abbie” my Chickasaw pony stomped down the path with an
impatient thirst. Stopping to look into the distance at the smoke curling up from the many small fires in the clearing I could see people from every nation within a days ride.
I dismounted and began a slowly walking into the clearing, “sir-sir” shouted Annie Griffin, the youngest of Charles daughters., with the smooth warm skin tones of her mothers people and a slight shading of freckles across her nose, she was the welcoming party of the school masters acreage!.
As she led me by the hand we passed into the opening of the meadow, her hair lit up with the fires of Scotland and her voice with the laughter only God’s child could have.
I asked her to show me to the nearest watering trough, I told her that Abbie was thirsty from the long ride from the Catawba Nation. “It was some time ago that we crossed the last creek” and long since I had finished the last corn pon.
Sir, “Papa wants you to stay for supper, breaking bread” he called it., how’s your Catawba coming?, well it’s a hard tongue for me to get, but it’s coming, how’s your Yesah? Annie?, she looked at me with a side ways grin and said “aheen bee”.
As we wasted into the shade of the fort walls her father “Griffin” walked out on to his porch with arms raised as if to say “well”, I raised my voice and replied “offer accepted and greatly needed”!.
Charles walked back into his house and Annie’s Mother stepped out and sent a small cane basket full of fresh black berries over with a gourd cup full of cold water, “hah see ah say pii” I was told, by Charles jr..
He was the very image of everything wild and free, bare foot and bare chested he ran the woods with the rest of the Forts boys, many of them bringing down small game with their 9 foot blow guns.
Just then I heard the shattering of a bottle on what sounded as a heap of broken glass, a red faced man looked over the edge of a low arbor, “aagh it’s only him again”!
I thought well that’s odd, I only seen him just this last year! He hollered out over the crowd “hey where’s your Catawba woman, I replied she’s at home on the plantation, where’s yours I questioned? the red faced man now recognizable as Martin, called back “you mean my woman” , I said no your plantation , he scowled and then sank back into the arbor .
After Abbie had been watered Annie showed me to the stable where I gave instruction to the young lad that attended to the horses.
Come on Sir…
As we neared the fort “Abbie” my Chickasaw pony stomped down the path with an
impatient thirst. Stopping to look into the distance at the smoke curling up from the many small fires in the clearing I could see people from every nation within a days ride.
I dismounted and began a slowly walking into the clearing, “sir-sir” shouted Annie Griffin, the youngest of Charles daughters., with the smooth warm skin tones of her mothers people and a slight shading of freckles across her nose, she was the welcoming party of the school masters acreage!.
As she led me by the hand we passed into the opening of the meadow, her hair lit up with the fires of Scotland and her voice with the laughter only God’s child could have.
I asked her to show me to the nearest watering trough, I told her that Abbie was thirsty from the long ride from the Catawba Nation. “It was some time ago that we crossed the last creek” and long since I had finished the last corn pon.
Sir, “Papa wants you to stay for supper, breaking bread” he called it., how’s your Catawba coming?, well it’s a hard tongue for me to get, but it’s coming, how’s your Yesah? Annie?, she looked at me with a side ways grin and said “aheen bee”.
As we wasted into the shade of the fort walls her father “Griffin” walked out on to his porch with arms raised as if to say “well”, I raised my voice and replied “offer accepted and greatly needed”!.
Charles walked back into his house and Annie’s Mother stepped out and sent a small cane basket full of fresh black berries over with a gourd cup full of cold water, “hah see ah say pii” I was told, by Charles jr..
He was the very image of everything wild and free, bare foot and bare chested he ran the woods with the rest of the Forts boys, many of them bringing down small game with their 9 foot blow guns.
Just then I heard the shattering of a bottle on what sounded as a heap of broken glass, a red faced man looked over the edge of a low arbor, “aagh it’s only him again”!
I thought well that’s odd, I only seen him just this last year! He hollered out over the crowd “hey where’s your Catawba woman, I replied she’s at home on the plantation, where’s yours I questioned? the red faced man now recognizable as Martin, called back “you mean my woman” , I said no your plantation , he scowled and then sank back into the arbor .
After Abbie had been watered Annie showed me to the stable where I gave instruction to the young lad that attended to the horses.
Come on Sir…