Posted by Many Flags on February 27, 2000 at 09:51:04:
Many Flags had found Seamus's cabin long after darkness had set in. Bone tired he had lit a small fire, warmed the cabin, then stripped and wrapped himself in his lone blanket. A mouthful of pemmican, parched corn, and a few swallows of water completed his evening meal. A bit of taback in his watchpipe set the evening off and he dozed, pack under his head, wrapped in the blanket, pipe-hawk in hand. Hours later, a bit of early light awoke him and he lay still as he gazed with half-open eyes to make sure all was well. Standing, then stretching, he reached for his clout, gripped the one end in his teech, wound it between his legs and fastened it with the leather thong decorated with beads and jingles at the ends. Adjusting it so it was longer at the back, he slipped his leggins' on one at a time, the one with the grouse feathers on the right, the one with the Lenape handprint on the left. Pulling the leather straps up he tied them around the extra belt he wore around his waist. Leather garters were buckled around his knees, then his center seam mocs were put on and tied with additional thongs. His slipped his long shirt over his head and buttoned his waistcoat over that. Starting his sash in the back, it was wound to the front, then back again to tie behind. Placing his pipe-hawk through the sash behind and his sheathed knife in front to the left, he then checked the prime in his rifle. Still good. A swig of water from his blanket-covered canteen, he threw his pack on his back, side bag on the left with canteen over that, hunting bag and attached horn on the right, tied his kerchief around his head, put his beaten tricorn on, picked up the .54 Berks County rifle and headed out the door as the sun peeked over the distant hills.