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her own loaf while Holly mixed more dough. "Won't you tell me what happened? I'd like to hear." |
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Holly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, leaving a small streak of flour that Mariah dabbed off with the edge of her own apron. "It weren't much of a story. Mack and me, we left our bondage soon as we could and tried traveling west with a bunch of other settlers. We didn't know the first thing about protecting ourselves, and we was found right away by Indians. Mack, he tried to save me, but" Her voice broke. |
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"You don't need to go into any detail," Mariah said sympathetically. |
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"There was this Indian, a Delaware, who took me," Holly continued. "His name was Ouiagat, and he made me a sort of wife." She blushed. "I didn't have a choice, you see. But he was kind, and so I stayed with him, though I was always alert for a chance to escape. But before I could, the Delawares I was with met up with some renegade Iroquois. I didn't understand what was happening, whether they were at war or just trading, but then, there I was, with the Iroquois. And this bunch was awful." |
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The cloud of terror descended over Holly's face and tears reappeared in her eyes. Mariah reached toward her, touching her dough-blotted hand with her own. "Don't think about it any more," she said. |
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"But I have to," Holly contradicted. "You said you might be taken by Indians, and you need to know. The one who got me, I think his name was Nahtana, was the worst! I was made his servant, and he hit me all the time, even when I couldn't understand what he wanted. He acted like my husband, too, so cruel he was. But I found my chance. I escaped. Then he found me and tied me and beat me and . . . well, he left me for dead. And I would have been, too, if not for you." |
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Nahtana! He must have been looking for another servant when he'd tried to drag her off. Mariah shuddered. "I'm glad I found you when I did." |
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While they finished the other loaves of bread, Holly described more of her experiences with the Indians. Although |
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