Tarbox and Flowers had been on the watch on the side of the hill looking
towards that part of the forest where the seeming deer had appeared, and
had observed the young officers making their way in that direction.
Remembering the proverb, that "too many cooks spoil the broth," they
were afraid that were they to go also, the deer would escape, and they
might lose their share of the venison. They waited, therefore, with
much eagerness, for the return of the sportsmen. When, however, time
went by and they did not appear, Tarbox, calling to Roger Layton, told
him what had happened.
"Can you nowhere see them?" asked Roger.
"No, sir; maybe the deer has led them a long chase," answered Tarbox.
"The Indians may be lurking about," observed Roger to Vaughan, who just
then joined him. Vaughan naturally felt anxious, and at once proposed
taking half a dozen men and going in search of the two lads. Roger
insisted on accompanying him. Rolfe charged them to be cautious, for,
knowing the guile of the Indians, he feared greatly that Gilbert and
Fenton had fallen into their hands, and that they themselves also would
run a great risk of being surprised.
"We will keep our eyes about us," said Roger, springing down the hill to
the side of Vaughan, who, with six volunteers, had already reached the
bottom. They hurried on, keeping their firearms ready for immediate
use; for, though they still hoped that Gilbert and Fenton had really
gone in chase of a deer, they knew that at any moment they might fall in
with the Indians. On reaching the forest they advanced more cautiously
than at first, every now and then stopping and shouting out to Gilbert
and Fenton; but no reply coming, they pushed on still further.
"The lads would scarcely have been so foolish as to have chased the deer
further than this," said Roger. "I very much fear that the Indians have
caught them."
"I fear the same," answered Vaughan, with a sigh, as if unwilling to
acknowledge the truth; "but if so, would they not have slain them at
once rather than have carried them off prisoners?"
"We will, at all events, make a further search through the forest," said
Roger. "We must not give up all hopes of finding them."
Though aware that they were acting imprudently, they could not resist
the temptation of going on farther, the whole party looking out among
the trees; but nothing could they discover to enlighten them on the
subject. They were about to turn back, when Ben Tarbox, who was a
little way off on the extreme right of the line, shouted that he saw a
deer feeding at some distance ahead, and, holding his gun ready to fire,
he ran on in the direction he pointed. Presently the report of his gun
was heard, and the rest of the party hurrying up, saw the deer, which,
strange to say, had not moved. On reaching it, great was their surprise
to find only the head of the animal supported by a stick in the ground,
with the skin of the back fastened to it.
"Why, this is the very deer we caught sight of," exclaimed Tarbox; "it
shows pretty clearly the sort of trick the Indians have played the young
gentlemen, and tells too truly what has happened to them; though why
their decoy was left behind is more than I can say."
Vaughan and Roger knew that Ben was right; the only question now was,
whether they should try to overtake the Indians and endeavour to rescue
their friends, if still alive, from their hands. Vaughan soon came to
the conclusion that they could not hope to do so, and, with a sad heart,
acknowledged that they must at once return to the camp.
"We shall have to fight our way to it, then," exclaimed Roger; "see
there!"--and he pointed in the direction from whence they had come,
where, amid the trees, appeared a large body of savages. As soon as the
Indians found that they were discovered, they set up a fearful
war-whoop, their cries and shouts echoing through the forest; while,
drawing their bows, they shot a flight of arrows, by which, happily, no
one was wounded.
"Reserve your fire," exclaimed Roger, "till we get near enough to make
sure of our men: their shouting and shrieking will do us no harm."
Again the savages uttered a war-whoop, and seemed about to rush forward
to attack the small party of whites with their tomahawks, when their
shouts were replied to from the opposite part of the forest.
"Was that an echo, or are those the voices of another party of Indians?"
exclaimed Vaughan; "if so, between the two we shall have a hard fight of
it to make our way back to the camp."
Another war-whoop sounded from behind them, and looking in the direction
from whence it came, they could distinguish a still larger party than
that in front coming quickly towards them.
"Keep together, lads, and we'll cut our way through those between us and
the camp," exclaimed Roger; "and if the others follow, we must turn
round and keep them at bay till we can get the assistance of our
friends."
Drawing their swords, Roger and Vaughan led the way towards their foes.
Greatly to their surprise, the Indians, instead of stopping to receive
their charge, turned round and fled away through the forest to the
westward; while, from the opposite side, the other party was seen
advancing rapidly. Roger and Vaughan, determining either to defeat them
or to sell their lives dearly, ordered their men to be ready to fire
when they should give the word. As they were about to do so, they saw a
tall Indian whom, even at that distance, they knew by his dress to be a
chief, advance some way ahead of the rest, holding up in his hand a
branch which he waved to and fro.
"Stay," exclaimed Roger, rushing before the men. "Do not fire--they are
friends."
As the Indian advanced they recognised Canochet, whom they now hurried
forward to greet. In a few words they explained what had occurred, and
entreated him to give chase to their late opponents, whom they could not
doubt had carried off Gilbert and Fenton. On looking round, however,
they found that the whole band, whom they had just before seen at the
end of the forest, had disappeared. Canochet immediately waving to his
men, ordered them to advance in pursuit of the foe, and no sooner had he
uttered the word of command than a hundred warriors, bow in hand, were
rushing through the forest at a rate with which the party of English
found it a hard matter to keep up. Every instant they expected to come
in sight of their flying foe, but on reaching the border of the forest,
not an Indian was to be seen. Canochet, with some of his men, sagacious
braves, searched in vain for the trail of the enemy; it was evident that
they had turned off either to one side or the other, and that they had
missed it, while eagerly pushing forward in pursuit. He was of opinion
that they had made for the stream, and having followed it up where the
shallow water allowed them to wade, they had crossed to the opposite
side and made their way to the northward.
The question whether they had got hold of Gilbert and Fenton still
remained unsettled till Canochet heard of the discovery of the deer's
head, when he had no longer any doubt about the matter.
"The youths were deceived by the seeming deer, and have been entrapped
by their foes--an Indian would have been too wise to be caught by so
simple a trick," remarked the Monacan chief.
"They were indeed foolish," observed Vaughan, with a sigh; "but have
their captors put them to death, think you?"
Canochet considered an instant: "Revenge is sweet," he observed; "but an
Indian can be moved by other motives. They may have deemed it prudent
to preserve their lives, either to exhibit them to their tribe as
trophies of victory, or to exchange them for any of their own people who
may be captured--though I must not conceal from you that the women and
relatives of those who have been slain will certainly demand their
death. It is believed, however, that our great chief Powhattan, from
having preserved the life of Captain Smith, is favourable to the
English; and they may dread his vengeance more than that of the whites,
should they injure their young captives."
This information afforded but doubtful comfort to Vaughan and Roger;
they would be ready, they said, to pay any amount of ransom for their
friends, if Canochet could manage to communicate with their captors. He
promised to do so, and at once sent off a party to discover their trail
and to follow them up; though he acknowledged that he had no great hopes
that they would be overtaken. In the mean time, he and the rest of his
band, accompanied by Vaughan and Roger, proceeded to the camp. They had
now still more reason than ever to hasten their visit to Powhattan, in
the hopes that he might assist in the recovery of the captives should
their lives have been spared.
Rolfe ordered his men to get into marching order, and, accompanied by
the Monacan chief, they proceeded on their journey. The day was already
far spent, so that they had gone but a short distance before it was
necessary to camp, in order that the hunters might go out in search of
game. There was no slight danger to the huntsmen, for Pomaunkee's
people might possibly have followed them, and be on the watch to cut off
any one leaving the camp. Hunger, however, overcame their fears, and
the huntsmen returned in safety with three deer, sufficient to afford
food both to the English and natives. The fires had already been
lighted, and the cooks at once set to work to roast the joints of
venison, on spits formed of wood, supported on forked sticks; while the
rest of the Indians squatted round with eager eyes, watching the
process.
The Indians, confiding in their numbers, seemed to consider that no
attack would be made on them, but Rolfe, after the experience he had
gained of the treachery of the natives, deemed it prudent to place
sentries round his part of the camp. He advised Canochet to do the
same. "We are not so careless as you suppose," answered the chief; "we
have men on the watch, but we deem it unwise to allow them to stand up
so that they may afford a mark to the enemy. We conceal our watchmen
from the foe approaching the camp, so that he never knows when he may be
discovered; we have men on guard outside your sentries, so that if it
pleases you, they may lie down and rest."
After hearing this, Rolfe and the other leaders slept far more soundly
than they otherwise would have done. The night passed away without
interruption, and the next morning they proceeded on their way. Vaughan
anxiously inquired of Canochet when he expected the return of his
people. He had directed them, he said, merely to follow the trail to
ascertain the direction the enemy had taken, and to gain as much other
information as they could pick up. It was not, however, till late the
next day that the party overtook the main body of the Monacans. They
had discovered a trail which led towards the north, and that two white
men were with the party, they were from the first certain. That this
was the case was confirmed by a slip of paper which had been found
fastened to a tree by a thorn. It contained but a few words, signed by
Gilbert; Vaughan eagerly took it. "We are both alive, but our captors
glance at us unpleasantly. We will try to escape; follow if you can,
and help us."
Vaughan explained the meaning of the words to Canochet. "Wonderful!" he
exclaimed; "can so small a piece of white material with a few faint
strokes on it say so much?"
He promised to follow the Indians, as Gilbert had desired; Vaughan
wished to set out at once with him, but he recommended that he should
first communicate with Powhattan, and get his assistance. Vaughan,
though still very anxious, was somewhat relieved, and agreed to follow
the chief's advice.
Towards the evening, as they were proceeding along the banks of a broad
stream which fell in a succession of cascades over its rocky bed,
Canochet informed them that they were approaching the abode of the great
chief. He had sent on before, as in duty bound, to announce their
coming. Rolfe and Vaughan, accompanied by Canochet, were marching ahead
of their party, the English following them, and the Indians at a little
distance behind; they had just turned an angle of the river, beneath the
shade of some lofty trees which stretched their branches far over the
water, when they saw standing before them a man of tall stature and
dignified mien, clothed in rich skins handsomely ornamented, a plate of
gold hanging on his breast, and an ornament of the same precious metal
on his head. By his side was a young girl who could scarcely, from her
appearance have seen seventeen summers. The pure blood which coursed
through her veins and mantled on her cheeks gave a peculiarly rich hue
to her skin, while her features were of exquisite form; her eyes large,
and of a lustrous blackness. On her head she wore a circlet of
feathers; her raven locks, parted at her brow, hung down in long plaits
behind her slender waist. Altogether, Rolfe thought he had never seen
so beautiful a creature. Though Vaughan could not fail to admire her,
the blue eyes and fair face of Mistress Cicely were more to his taste.
Fortunately for Rolfe, he had no difficult diplomatic duty to perform,
or he might perchance have been tempted to yield too easily, won by the
bewitching graces of the lovely savage.
The chief received the strangers with dignity as they advanced towards
him. He had heard of their coming, he said, and gave them welcome. His
wish was to be on friendly terms with them, and the people of their
nation, one of whom, a great chief he seemed and full of wisdom, was
even now his guest. Rolfe, who already spoke the native tongue with
considerable fluency, replied, in suitable language, that he was
grateful to the chief for the words he had let fall; that his guest was
indeed a man of renown--his more than father and friend--and that it was
with the object of visiting him, as well as to pay his respects to the
mighty Powhattan, that he and his followers had made the journey into
his country. The English had come, he added, with no hostile
intentions: the land was large enough for the natives and themselves;
and their desire was to live on friendly terms with all around them. He
invited Powhattan to come to the town they had built and to judge for
himself.
The Indian seemed well pleased with this address. "And now," he said,
"come with me to my home; such entertainment as I can give is prepared,
and my wish is that when you go hence you may say that Powhattan has
treated you in princelike fashion."
Rolfe now made further inquiries about Captain Smith. The chief replied
that he was in safe keeping, though he acknowledged that he had not
hitherto thought fit to allow him to go abroad.
"In other words, he keeps him a strict prisoner," observed Vaughan; "we
must insist on his being forthwith set at liberty, or he may think fit
to detain him when we wish to take our departure."
"I will not fail to follow your advice," answered Rolfe, who then
turning to the chief, remarked that his heart yearned to see his
honoured friend, and that he begged he might without delay be brought
into his presence.
"My daughter, Pocahontas, shall conduct you," said the chief, after some
consideration. As they proceeded on, he spoke a few words to his
daughter. "He is in her charge," he remarked, "for as she preserved his
life, she demanded that he should be placed under her protection."
"I could not desire a better guide," answered Rolfe, bowing to the
chiefs daughter. They had now arrived before a village composed of
houses of a more substantial character than those of the Indian villages
hitherto seen. While the chief proceeded towards the largest, in the
centre of the village, Pocahontas, taking Rolfe's hand in obedience to
her father's command, led him towards a hut on one side, before which,
hatchet in hand, was a sentry. Meantime Canochet drew up his warriors
on the open space in front of the chief's house, while Vaughan ordered
his men to halt also near the same spot, in the neighbourhood of which a
number of women were congregating with baskets full of provisions.
Each moment that Rolfe was in the company of the Indian maiden, he was
more and more struck by her beauty, her graceful carriage, and modest
manners and intelligence.
"You are the second paleface only I have seen," she observed, artlessly;
"your brave chief was the first. I saw the gallant way in which, when
attacked by my countrymen, he defended himself, seizing one of our most
noted warriors and holding him before himself as a shield; till slipping
on the moist soil he fell, with numbers surrounding him. Before he
could recover himself he was overwhelmed and bound, and led captive to
my father. I felt horror at the thought that so brave a man should be
put to death, and such as would have been his fate had I not at the
moment our braves were about to strike, thrown myself before him and
prayed my father to spare his life."
"Bless you, lady, for the merciful act," exclaimed Rolfe, gazing at the
young girl with greater admiration even than before, "my friend must
bless you too, and my countrymen, when they hear what you have done,
will endeavour to show their gratitude."
"They can best show it by remaining at peace with my people," answered
the maiden, looking up in his face, though, as her eyes met his glance
of admiration, she turned them again to the ground. She opened the door
of the hut; Captain Smith, who was seated on a mat on the floor, started
up, and on seeing Rolfe, sprang forward to meet him.
"I was sure that, should you hear of my captivity, you would not rest
till you had made every possible effort to rescue me," said the captain;
"were it not for this fair lady, your efforts would, however, have been
useless." He took the hand of Pocahontas and raised it to his lips.
She smiled at the act of courtesy, so unlike any to which she had been
accustomed.
"She has already told me that she was the means of saving your life,"
observed Rolfe, "and I have been endeavouring to tell her how grateful I
and all those who esteem you feel to her. She has now come to set you
at liberty, and the chief will raise no objection to your returning with
us. Whether he gives us leave or not, we have determined to carry you
off. I will try to induce him to accompany us; it will be of much
importance to get him to visit James Town, where he can see our houses,
and ships, and great guns, and other things wondrous to him. It will
give him a proper notion of our power, and the means we possess of
defeating our enemies should they attack us."
Rolfe, as they walked through the village, explained to Pocahontas their
purpose, and by his descriptions of the wonders possessed by the English
he raised an ardent desire in her mind to go and see them. The banquet
provided by Powhattan need not be described: it was somewhat of a
barbarous kind, though the viands were not to be despised. Contrary to
the Indian custom, Pocahontas was present, seated on a mat near her
father, with Rolfe next her; while Captain Smith and Vaughan sat on the
other side. Vaughan being unable himself to converse with the chief,
got Rolfe to tell him of the loss of their two companions, and to beg
that he would use his power to recover them.
"They must be far away by this time to the northeast, and though those
who have captured them own my sovereignty, they are wont at times to act
independently of me. However, I will take steps to recover your
friends." Such was the substance of the answer given by Powhattan.
Vaughan then reminding Rolfe of his main object in coming to the
country, begged him to inquire of the chief whether he knew of any
Englishman held captive for many years by his nation. Powhattan replied
that rumours had reached him of palefaces having been seen in different
parts of the country, but that none of them having been brought before
him, he could not at present give his guests any exact information on
the subject; but he would on that point also, he promised, make
inquiries. He seemed pleased at the confidence they showed him, when
they expressed their readiness to occupy a part of his dwelling,
separated from their men. After the fatigues they had gone through,
they slept soundly.