When she gasped, it caused him to frown. And, he said, “You seem startled that I am so frank, yet the practice of owning another human being is unnatural. Any man who would dare to try to rule over another man is committing one of the most wicked acts a man can accomplish. Even your own Good Book forbids this.”
“I am not thinking as you say I am,” she said, defending herself. “I, too, believe the custom of slavery is sinful. Why I reacted is not due to this; it is because I have little memory of my parents and I certainly have no knowledge of having aunts, uncles or cousins. And, Mr. Skenan, in English society, there is no clan to see to a person’s protection.”
“Have the English, then, done away with the family so there is no one to protect you? Because without the family, one could fall easily victim to men with deceitful intentions—as it appears you have.”
“Of course the English have not done away with the family.”
She watched as his gaze narrowed as he looked at her hands, which she feared were sweating.
After a while, he said, “I am sorry I have brought up a matter which brings you sadness.”
“You need not be sorry, sir. I am not so fragile.”
“No,” he said, smiling at her. “I do not believe you are fragile at all. Perhaps it is best, now, for me to stand watch while you sleep. Then, when you awaken, we shall share a meal, and then I shall sleep while you sit the watch.”
She said, “I will happily do it, sir. But, if you please, what do you mean by ‘stand watch’?”
He grinned. “After you awaken and we have eaten a meal with one another, I will, indeed, tell you what you will need to do to sit watch.”
As Abagail sat on the deerskin mat given to her by Skenan, she looked out upon the beauty of the world before her, seeing the orange, green, red and golden leaves in the forest, and smelling the crisp scent of the moist autumn air. The atmosphere of the cave had changed from a wet, earthy smell to one hosting the aroma of the corn Skenan had cooked last evening. Added to the fragrance of the corn was the meat of a deer, the animal Skenan had shot with bow and arrow.
Abagail, who was used to the duty of skinning and cutting up the meat brought in by the inn’s hunters, had helped Skenan skin the deer. Thus, in little time the savory smells of corn and meat replaced the more earthy scent of the cave. However, last night she noted it was Skenan who had done most of the choresof cooking, allowing her to rest.
And so, their evening meal had been simple, but delicious. Even now, she could smell the savory fragrance of the meat being dried over a small smokeless fire.
At present, it was late afternoon and she was seated toward the front of the cave, though a little to the side of its opening, sitting the watch while Skenan slept. Skenan had sat on guard last night through the morning and the earlier part of the afternoon. But, before he had allowed her to take over this duty, he had given her his musket, had shown her how to load it and shoot it, cautioning her to aim well because she would only have one shot before the weapon needed to be reloaded.
She knew, too, that she was to awaken him at once if she saw any signs of men, be they friend or foe. And so, she would do as he had asked. But, for this present moment, there was nothing except the gentle breeze of the wind wafting through the colorful autumn forest, and she let her mind stray to the events of the previous day.
Again, Abagail’s mind turned to her plight. She didn’t know what she would have done had Skenan not found her and aided her. Even with the coins in the pocket of her apron, she would have been lost on how to survive until she reached Fort Stanwix. Indeed, what good were coins when what one needed was how and where to find food from the land? It was a skill she didn’t possess.
She sighed as she considered her position in this world, and she cried a little as she realized she was only one step above slavery. Truly, she was an indentured servant and would remain in this status for the next four years, having already served one year of her contract.
Thinking about her life so far, she realized she would be three and twenty or perhaps four and twenty years old when theobligation would be fulfilled. It wasn’t too old of an age, indeed. Yet, it was beyond the time period when women usually married.
She closed her eyes for a moment, willing the tears to go away. She was nineteen, already of an age when most women were married. And yet, she ached to find a man who would love her for all his life; a man who would be a good husband and who would love and protect her and any children they might have. But, given her status in the world, she doubted this would ever happen.
Warming to her subject, she dreamed a little of the man she might choose to spend her life with. She knew the kind of man she would look for and would like to marry. In doing so, she almost lost her seat upon the rock where she sat as she realized the man she might choose would look and act like Skenan.
Handsome and strong, Skenan was yet gentle with her. He spoke to her kindly and had even used a salve he had made from the willow tree to heal the wounds upon her back.
But, he was an Oneida Indian, a man who would most likely never wish to take her as a wife. Nor would she wish to become married to him, an Oneida Indian. But, she was certainly attracted to him, as well as touched by his kindness.
And why shouldn’t she be attracted to him? After all, the man had saved her from a terrible fate…hunting dogs and men with probable orders to drag her back to the inn.
Although—and this was important to her—he had only come after her at the request of Mr. Wilson. Had he chanced upon her, would he have acted in the same manner?
Well, it didn’t matter. Hehadfound her; hehadsaved her, and hewascaring for her, doctoring her, cooking food for her, even dragging boughs from a fir tree to the cave so her bed would be comfortable. For himself, he made do with little more than the skin of a deer against the cold cave floor.
What did Skenan think of her? She considered he was also curious about her, even arguing with her about her status, stating his opinion that no man could own another, and, thus, she should be free. But, this was probably because he didn’t understand the chains which bound her…her contract.
But, what did he really think about her? As a girl? A woman? He was certainly gracious and good-hearted, but so he might be with any woman.
Upon this thought, she decided to turn her mind to other interests. But, her attention came again and again back to him. And, her thoughts wandered.
With his good looks, he was probably a much-sought-after young man. In truth, she imagined many a young woman of the Oneida tribe would like to share his life.
And, so it should be. After all, the women of his tribe were more like him than Abagail was, if only because he and those women would share the same views of life.
