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Many Flags
Colonial Settler
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
August 13 2002
Status: offline
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 Posted - October 25 2002 : 10:19:57 AM
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It had always been known by the neighbors of the Hagenbuch family in the Allemaengel that the German immigrant’s wife and children had “das Zukunftgesicht” or future sight; what the immigrant’s wife Maggie called “second sight”. There were times that she seemed to know what would happen in the future, there were times when she would be found in a trance-like state and once awakening would whisper to her husband who would relay the “sighting” to the people involved causing a problem to be solved before it even happened. This “Zukunftgesicht” had been passed on to the children and even nephew Seamus was known to possess this gift, since it was traced to the MacWilliam clan. But, it was also known that Michael (later to be known as Many Flags) possessed it most of all.
So, it was no surprise on that particular night, after the white buck had slipped into the darkness of the forest like a spirit, and the three lads had slipped back into their sleep; it was no surprise to Michael that his sleep led him to the “Zukunftgesichttraum”, a dream of future sight.
In his dream, Michael slipped his hand onto the deer’s antlers and immediately he was whisked away although he felt as if he had never moved. Although he could not see the antlered animal beside him, he sensed its presence; for the sight of the animal was no longer important, and it was overshadowed by the sights and sounds which now surrounded Michael.
Warfare as he had never seen or could even imagine enveloped him. He was in the midst of it! Danger swirled around him and although most of the sight was in gray hues, certain parts were in vivid colors. He recognized an older Christian (later to be called Three Tales) and Seamus, and standing between them was.....yes, he identified himself, also older. The three were trotting through the swirling chaos toward several men dressed in the Scottish clothing of kilts, with red coats and green cuffs and collars, with tall caps of bearskin upon their heads; they were engaged in hand-to-hand combat with fierce looking Natives and colonial-looking men dressed in a hodgepodge of clothing. Shouts and wails punctured the air along with clashing weapons, gunshots, thuds and crunches as flesh and bone were assaulted.
As the three moved up quickly to the Scottish soldiers, the warfare ended abruptly, the cloud of battle evaporated, and all was quiet. Now the Scotsmen, and Flags, Tales and Seamus were talking with each other, gesturing, pointing to the west, sharing a story as if they knew each other well. As Michael watched himself, his kin and these Scots, he caught snatches of conversation: “You say half a league, Flags? Aye, perhaps you, Tales and Seamus could range out that far and report the lay of the land.”
“Malcolm, Davey, we’ve sighted Uncle Angus again... at the top of the ridges. And we heard him calling his sheep in the Gaelic speech.”
“Cousins, come over this evening to Captain Croy’s post. He’s got a wee dram for all of us!”
“Seamus, we’ve heard the rumor again, this time from a French trader, that a hunchback had been seen traveling with some young ladies in one of the port towns. It could be your father, our Uncle Quasi!”
The conversation continued and it was eerie for Michael (later to be called Many Flags) as he watched an older version of himself and the others converse of things which he had no knowledge. It was all a puzzlement, but Michael knew, even in his sleep, that it was the second sight and that all would be revealed someday.
The white buck stared into his eyes and Michael reached up to touch a tine of it’s milky antlers. Another whisk away, but with no movement, and he found himself hovering over a group of men in a tavern. The same figures he had seen previously were visible in a cloud of tobacco smoke. Conversations were jovial and the ale bumpers were filled and emptied as he watched. Snatches of words and names were heard: Seamus, Davey, Malcolm, Carlisle, Three Tal
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The White Buck.....Part 2
