Read Online Girl in a Buckskin by Dorothy Gilman - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Dorothy Gilman
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Blue Feather walk slowly down the beach, their heads bent over Eseck’s musket like women admiring a new trinket.
When they were gone Becky joined Dawn-of-the-sky an they worked side-by-side for several hours, giving each other curious, sidelong glances and occasionally a shy smile. They soaked the skins in the kettle mixture and then, placing them around the trunk of a tree, they pulled and kneaded and twisted, returning them to the kettle and then pulled and kneaded and twisted some more to work them dry. Then they stretched them again on the drying frame, and with rubbing sticks rubbed and rubbed until they were completely dry. Later they would roll them up and smoke them and then Becky would have her buckskins.
But when they had finished their strenuous work Becky's face was shining with heat. “Isn’t it hot,” she said to Dawn-of-the-sky. “A hot day!”
Dawn-of-the-sky looked at her inquiringly. “Howt?” she repeated, and seeing the expression on Becky’s face laughed and pointed to the lake.
Becky shook her head. “Not water. Hot.”
But Dawn-of-the-sky had already slipped out of her skirt and was running down to the lake. With a graceful dive she plunged under water and came up a moment later with her black hair streaming. “Hi-yee,” she squealed with delight.
Becky broke into a smile. So she had understood after all! Hesitating only a moment she flung off her own tattered clothes and dived in beside her. Dawn-of-the-sky’s eyes brimmed with mischief as she watched Becky flounder around like a dog, her head up, her arms and feet wildly churning the water. Leaning over she splashed Becky and a minute later they had forgotten their shyness and the barrier of language and were shouting with wild laughter.
Presently, when they had tired of diving and splashing, Dawn-of-the-sky brought a log into the water and they floated far out on the lake, resting their chins on the log and idly paddling with their hands. It seemed that after all Eseck was right, and that a smile was as telling as a spoken word, for by every gesture and look Dawn-of-the-sky showed herself. Her eyes brimmed with mischief almost every moment and it was only by dropping her lids over them that she might look demure or matronly with any success. She was a sunny creature and far different from the stiff and proper girls whom Becky had observed down country. The Leggett girls, sitting in the parlor with their handiwork, had spent hours giggling over trifles. Dawn-of-the-sky did not know how to giggle; her laugh when it came was delightful and full-throated, as if she found the world a marvelous place. As indeed it was, thought Becky, looking around at the mountains and the sky.
When they had shaken themselves dry and put on their clothes again Becky sat down on the bank and with some surprise watched Dawn-of-the-sky dress her face. From one bag she removed bear grease which she mixed with red ochre from a smaller bag and rubbed with ritualistic strokes upon her cheeks and forehead. With more bear grease she dressed her hair until it was sleek and shining, then gathered 11 into a beaver tail behind her, tying it with a deerskin thong. With a stick of vermilion she colored the thin part in her hair and then tied an embroidered band around her head.
“You’re lovely—even with all that paint,” Becky said suddenly.
Dawn-of-the-sky paused and looked at her questioningly but Becky only smiled and shook her head. “You’re lovely,” she repeated softly to herself, and a queer little feeling tugged at her heart because Dawn-of-the-sky was lovely and had a man of her own while she had no one. Except her brother, of course.
“A thomback, that’s what I’ll be,” she told herself, knowing full well that she would reach twenty without marrying, and the queer little feeling turned into envy and she had to look away.
Blue Feather and Dawn-of-the-sky stayed for six days and six nights. Each day Blue Feather and Eseck went into the
When they were gone Becky joined Dawn-of-the-sky an they worked side-by-side for several hours, giving each other curious, sidelong glances and occasionally a shy smile. They soaked the skins in the kettle mixture and then, placing them around the trunk of a tree, they pulled and kneaded and twisted, returning them to the kettle and then pulled and kneaded and twisted some more to work them dry. Then they stretched them again on the drying frame, and with rubbing sticks rubbed and rubbed until they were completely dry. Later they would roll them up and smoke them and then Becky would have her buckskins.
But when they had finished their strenuous work Becky's face was shining with heat. “Isn’t it hot,” she said to Dawn-of-the-sky. “A hot day!”
Dawn-of-the-sky looked at her inquiringly. “Howt?” she repeated, and seeing the expression on Becky’s face laughed and pointed to the lake.
Becky shook her head. “Not water. Hot.”
But Dawn-of-the-sky had already slipped out of her skirt and was running down to the lake. With a graceful dive she plunged under water and came up a moment later with her black hair streaming. “Hi-yee,” she squealed with delight.
Becky broke into a smile. So she had understood after all! Hesitating only a moment she flung off her own tattered clothes and dived in beside her. Dawn-of-the-sky’s eyes brimmed with mischief as she watched Becky flounder around like a dog, her head up, her arms and feet wildly churning the water. Leaning over she splashed Becky and a minute later they had forgotten their shyness and the barrier of language and were shouting with wild laughter.
Presently, when they had tired of diving and splashing, Dawn-of-the-sky brought a log into the water and they floated far out on the lake, resting their chins on the log and idly paddling with their hands. It seemed that after all Eseck was right, and that a smile was as telling as a spoken word, for by every gesture and look Dawn-of-the-sky showed herself. Her eyes brimmed with mischief almost every moment and it was only by dropping her lids over them that she might look demure or matronly with any success. She was a sunny creature and far different from the stiff and proper girls whom Becky had observed down country. The Leggett girls, sitting in the parlor with their handiwork, had spent hours giggling over trifles. Dawn-of-the-sky did not know how to giggle; her laugh when it came was delightful and full-throated, as if she found the world a marvelous place. As indeed it was, thought Becky, looking around at the mountains and the sky.
When they had shaken themselves dry and put on their clothes again Becky sat down on the bank and with some surprise watched Dawn-of-the-sky dress her face. From one bag she removed bear grease which she mixed with red ochre from a smaller bag and rubbed with ritualistic strokes upon her cheeks and forehead. With more bear grease she dressed her hair until it was sleek and shining, then gathered 11 into a beaver tail behind her, tying it with a deerskin thong. With a stick of vermilion she colored the thin part in her hair and then tied an embroidered band around her head.
“You’re lovely—even with all that paint,” Becky said suddenly.
Dawn-of-the-sky paused and looked at her questioningly but Becky only smiled and shook her head. “You’re lovely,” she repeated softly to herself, and a queer little feeling tugged at her heart because Dawn-of-the-sky was lovely and had a man of her own while she had no one. Except her brother, of course.
“A thomback, that’s what I’ll be,” she told herself, knowing full well that she would reach twenty without marrying, and the queer little feeling turned into envy and she had to look away.
Blue Feather and Dawn-of-the-sky stayed for six days and six nights. Each day Blue Feather and Eseck went into the
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