Page:Barbour--Metipoms Hostage.djvu/109

Rh The eyes were bright, however, and, although the sachem’s countenance expressed harshness and cruelty, David found nothing  therein suggesting meanness. He wore clothing befitting his rank: a cloak of panther-skin that shone lustrously in the light that came down through the smoke-hole, leggings  of soft deer-hide much ornamented with  quills and beads, several strings and anklets  of wampum. His head was shaven to the scalp-lock, and that was bound with bits of  red cloth until it stood upright a good eight  inches, and was lavishly strung with bright  feathers. Several rings encircled the fingers of the left hand, and on his naked chest  where the panther-skin fell away a great  round disk of silver rudely chased with some  design rose with each slow inhalation of  smoke and fell again as the evil-smelling  fumes poured forth from mouth or nose. After a first gravely appraising look, the sachem had not again observed David. His eyes remained on the kettle, now noisily bubbling, quite as though life held nothing more  in prospect than the morning meal.

The sachem’s squaw was a quite young woman, but to David’s mind horribly fat and  ugly, with crossed-eyes and a flattish nose.